Killian Bell is a 20-something technology journalist based in a tiny town in England. He has an obsession with that little company in Cupertino which has been growing rapidly since he bought his first Mac several years ago, and in an attempt to curb it somewhat, he also writes for Cult of Mac. His fascination with technology began with his first Nokia 5110 a long time ago. When he isn't tapping away behind a keyboard, he's either putting his thumbs to work in front of a PlayStation or spending time with his fiancée and two daughters.
Windows Hello is an interesting new feature baked into Windows 10 that allows users to login to their PC using a fingerprint scanner or facial recognition. But in order to use the latter, you'll need a compatible camera. Here is the small list of PCs that will have one when Windows 10 launches this month. To be as secure as possible, Windows 10's facial recognition feature relies on...
Motorola has begun rolling out Android 5.1 Lollipop to the original Moto G with 4G. The update brings a long list of improvements and new features, including more control over notifications and priorities, welcome changes to the Quick Settings menu, and guest user mode. Motorola has already made Android 5.1 available to a number of its more recent devices, including the flagship Moto X...
Amazon's reviews system can have a big impact on buying decisions, but it's not as accurate as it could be. Now the retail giant is hoping to fix that with a new machine-learning platform it has developed in-house, it has revealed. "The system will learn what reviews are most helpful to customers…and it improves over time," Amazon spokeswoman Julie Law told CNET. "It's all meant to...
One of the few design complaints we have with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus concerns their antenna bands, which spoil an otherwise seamless aluminum unibody. But a new Apple patent suggests the company is working to eliminate those bands with a metal-like material that doesn't block wireless signals. Those antenna bands on the latest iPhones — and the glass panels on the iPhone 5 and iPhone...
Taylor Swift has already made her feelings about music streaming services pretty clear, and blocked Apple Music from offering her hit new album 1989. But in a new blog post, the singer labels the service "shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike" Apple. Despite describing Apple as "one of my best partners in selling music and creating ways for me to connect with my fans," Swift...
Samsung has begun rolling out its Android 5.1.1 Lollipop update for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge. The software is said to be hitting handsets on T-Mobile in the U.S. right now, and it brings bug fixes and performance improvements, as well as new features. One of the biggest changes is a new exposure control in the Camera app, which lets users focus on their subject and then use a...
If you get a kick out of watching gadgets get smashed to bits, you’re going to love this video of a $10,000 Apple Watch Edition getting squished by 650 pounds of force from two neodymium magnets. The video was put together by TechRax, a YouTuber who is famous for destroying perfectly good smartphones and other gadgets for our enjoyment. He’s already shown us how well the Apple Watch...
Beats Electronics was planning to launch a Wi-Fi enabled "Sonos killer" speaker before it was acquired by Apple last year, a new report claims. The device would have allowed users to stream Beats Music directly from the Internet, but Apple squashed the idea after it ran into problems. "The product was supposed to be introduced in time for the holidays last year, but was effectively...
Apple Music may have everybody talking following its unveiling at WWDC on Monday, but it isn’t exactly off to a great start. According to one report, Apple and a number of labels are already being investigated by officials for potential antitrust violations. “The attorneys general wanted to know whether Apple pressured the music labels — or whether the labels conspired with Apple and...
If you’re buying an LG G4, you’re likely going to opt for one with a leather back. But why have just one? Thanks to LG’s limited-time buy one get one free deal, you can currently get two leather covers in different colors for the price of one. LG has already begun taking pre-orders for G4 covers, which are available in blue, orange, pink, red, and yellow. They’re priced at $69.99 each...
Android Pay is a near identical clone of Apple Pay, but it won't be anywhere near as lucrative, according to a new report. Unlike Apple, Google isn't taking a cut from Android Pay transactions, so the service will literally be offered for free. The Wall Street Journal reports that the reason for this is "because Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc., which operate the dominant payment networks...
An apparent heart rate monitoring “bug” introduced with the latest Apple Watch update isn’t actually a bug at all, Apple says. The company has simply tweaked the way in which its new wearable measures heart rate, presumably to make it more accurate. After updating to the Watch OS 1.0.1 software, many Apple Watch owners found that the device was no longer recording their heart rate...
Apple has announced that Jony Ive, who has long been the company's Senior Vice President of Design, has been promoted to the newly-created role of Chief Design Officer. The new position, which Ive will take up on June 1, will broaden Ive's design duties at Apple and give him the opportunity to work on projects like Apple Campus 2 and its iconic retail stores. However, Ive's managerial...
iPhone adopters switching from Android may struggle to adapt to having no back button, but thanks to a new smart screen protector, you no longer have to. The Halo Back uses clever circuitry to add an invisible back button to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Halo Back not only makes the iPhone easier to adjust to for long-time Android users, but it also makes the device easier to use one...
Waiting for carriers to approve and release the latest software updates will be a thing of the past for Windows 10 Mobile users. Microsoft has confirmed that it will issue all upgrades directly, completely bypassing carriers. Microsoft said it would deliver all Windows Phone updates when it first unveiled the platform almost five years ago, but the software giant didn't stick to that...
Samsung has begun construction on a massive semiconductor production plant in South Korea that will cost 15.6 trillion won (approx. $14 billion) to build. Dubbed "Samsung Semiconductor Valley," it will be the most expensive semiconductor plant ever built. The site will be the size of 400 soccer fields, which is almost as big as Samsung's largest two semiconductor plants put together....
The Apple Watch has already received its customary teardown, but a new report takes a closer look at some of its miniature internal components. One interesting discovery is that the wearable's all-new S1 chipset employs a 28-nanometer Samsung processor. Inside the tiny 26mm x 28mm S1 package, there are 30 individual components, Chipworks has found. They include sensors like the...
When you buy a new console or home theater system, wouldn't it be nice if someone delivered it to your door and set it up for you? That's exactly what you get from Enjoy, the new gadget store and delivery service from former Apple retail chief Ron Johnson. Enjoy is different to other online gadget stores in lots of ways. Every product if offers has been hand-picked by an Enjoy Expert,...
Samsung has begun rolling out the latest Android 5.0.2 update to its flagship Galaxy Tab 8.4 tablet. The software is currently reaching LTE versions of the device, and it brings lots of Lollipop features and improvements. Recent reports have claimed a Galaxy Tab S2 is right around the corner, but before it arrives, Samsung is working hard to update its existing models. Wi-Fi-only...
Following reports that a large number of Apple Watches were assembled with faulty Taptic Engines, sources close to Apple have said that none of the devices that were affected have made their way into customers’ hands, a new report claims. “Apple identified a flaw in a critical component of its Apple Watch before any of them were shipped to consumers, according to people with knowledge...