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Ed Hardy - page 182

Apple lobbies EU lawmakers on AI policy

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European Commission on artificial intelligence
The European Commission is drafting rules on artificial intelligence. Apple seems to want a say.
Photo: European Commission

Apple apparently wants to make sure the European Union doesn’t put too many restrictions on artificial intelligence. John Giannandrea, Apple’s AI chief, is reportedly in Brussels while lawmakers debate new rules on machine intelligence.

MacBooks may be in short supply after March

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The MacBook Pro has a Touch Bar, and a better display.
The coronavirus outbreak means it isn’t a good time to procrastinate on a MacBook purchase.
Photo: Apple

Now might be the best time to buy that MacBook you’ve been considering. Factory shutdowns in China because of the coronavirus outbreak will reportedly lead to shortages of components needed to make laptops.

This charging system works better than AirPower would have [Review]

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Scosche BaseLynx Modular Charging System review
Scosche BaseLynx is one system, but it lets you mix and match the types of chargers you need: iPhone, Apple Watch, etc.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Scosche BaseLynx can quickly charge every Apple device you have — AirPods to MacBook Pro — either wirelessly or via cable. And this system is modular so you can get just the components you need and not the ones you don’t.

I’ve used it to power my Apple Watch, iPhone and iPad. Here’s how it survived real-world use.

Apple Watch detects teen’s rare heart ailment

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Apple Watch heart rate monitor
An Apple Watch can constantly watch for problems with your heart.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

A 13-year-old Oklahoma boy sent a frightened text to his mother after his Apple Watch showed his heart rate was at 190 beats per minute while he was sitting still. But thanks to this warning — and a lengthy operation — he’s back to playing sports.

A USB-C charger packs more computing power than NASA’s first moon rocket

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Apollo 11 Guidance Computer with Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2
One of these two has a lot more computing power. It’s probably not the one you’d expect.
Photo: Wikipedia CC/Anker

Even today’s simplest accessories include more powerful computers than were used decades ago. To demonstrate, an engineer set out to prove that a USB-C charger from accessory-maker Anker includes a more capable CPU than the one that guided Apollo 11 to the Moon.

YouTube TV cancels all App Store subscriptions

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YouTube in Safari on iMac Pro
YouTube TV is making some customers jump through hoops to keep their subscriptions.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Everyone who subscribed to YouTube TV via Apple’s App Store got a notice today that their subscriptions will be canceled next month. They’ll have to resubscribe on the YouTube website.

You’ll be shopping in AR soon, thanks to Apple

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Apple AR Quick Look is augmented reality shopping
Apple’s AR Quick Look lets you see how this unique speaker, and other products, would look in your home.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Retailers that advertise with Apple’s AR Quick Look now have the option to add a “buy now” button directly in the augmented reality experience. Before this, shoppers could only look at items superimposed onto the real world.

This is just the latest part of Apple’s growing embrace of augmented reality.

Foldable phone shipments could surpass 100 million by 2025

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8-inch foldable iPhone concept
A concept foldable phone shows the advantages: it’s about the size of an iPhone 11, but opens into an iPad mini.
Concept: Ben Geskin

The market for foldable phones is still in its infancy. But a market analysts firm says eventually every major phone maker will produce them, including Apple. Once problems with early designs are worked out, shipments will pass the 100 million mark in a few years.

Microsoft’s xCloud finally gives iOS gamers a taste of Xbox games

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Microsoft Project xCloud on iPhone
Microsoft’s Project xCloud on iPhone enables iPhone and iPad to play Xbox games.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft is giving iOS users an early look at Project xCloud, its upcoming cloud-based streaming service that will let a wide variety of computers run Xbox One games. Interested gamers can sign up for a trial that lets a fortunate few play Halo: The Master Chief Collection on an iPhone or iPad.

Samsung copies Apple again with AirDrop clone

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Samsung Quick Share is an AirDrop ripoff.
Samsung’s Quick Share is just like a feature iPhones have had since iOS 7.
Photo: Samsung

Quick Share, a highlight of Samsung’s latest handsets, is a feature iPhone owners have been using for over 8 years.  The Galaxy S20 and other new models from this company can wirelessly send files directly between two devices… just like Apple’s AirDrop.

Mac Pro orders delayed until March in some markets

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President Trump will tour Apple's Mac Pro factory in Texas this week
Ordering a Mac Pro in Europe requires some patience.
Photo: Apple

Order a Mac Pro in Europe today and it won‘t be delivered for almost a month. This is almost certainly a result of factory shutdowns in China in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak. But Americans can get this new desktop Mac far quicker.

Samsung tries to take on AirPods Pro without active noise cancellation

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Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus
Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus are going to have to compete against AirPods Pro without a really popular feature.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung today unpacked Galaxy Buds Plus, its answer to Apple’s top-selling AirPods. The Korean company’s latest truly wireless headphones offer better sound quality and longer battery life. But they lack the hallmark feature of AirPods Pro: active noise cancellation.

AirPods sales could blow past 100 million units this year

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Demand could far exceed supply for AirPods this holidays
The launch of Apple’s new AirPods Pro in October helped the company record steady growth last year.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple’s AirPods will once again dominate the market for truly wireless headphones in 2020, according to a market research firm. And sales will hit 100 million units this year.

The only real question is which company will come in second in this market.

Mythic Quest brings the first real belly laughs to Apple TV+ [Review]

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Mythic Quest is the best show on Apple TV+
The characters in Mythic Quest are narcissistic, neurotic, obsessive or sociopathic. You’ll love them.
Photo: Apple

The breakout show for Apple TV+ has arrived: Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet. It’s hilarious, but also has heart.

This isn’t a typical office comedy. It’s set at a video game development company, so episodes are a struggle between employees trying to be creative, others trying maximize profitability, and people caught in the middle just hoping to get the code shipped on time.

Totallee starts taking preorders for ‘iPhone SE 2’ case

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Possibly the iPhone SE in in a Totallee case.
Is this the iPhone SE 2 in a Totallee case? Maybe, maybe not.
Photo: Totallee

Accessory maker Totallee is so confident it knows the exact dimensions of the upcoming iPhone SE 2 that it went ahead and started taking preorders for a case designed for it.

This takes some serious nerve, as this low-cost handset is still just a rumor. It isn’t expected to be announced before March.

Now everyone can try iCloud folder sharing

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iCloud folder sharing is in iPadOS 13.4 and iOS 13.4
iCloud folder sharing finally arrives in iPadOS 13.4, and iOS 13.4 too.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The wait is over for iCloud folder sharing… at least for everyone willing to install the initial iOS 13.4 public beta or its iPad equivalent. And there’s new Memoji stickers, tablet users can remap some keys, plus some other new features to experiment with.

Abode’s cheap DIY home security kit adds HomeKit

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Abode Smart Security Kit gets you started
The starter Abode Smart Security Kit now works with Apple’s home-automation system.
Photo: Abode

Abode’s do-it-yourself home security system just gained support for Apple HomeKit. With this software update, the Smart Security Kit can be controlled via Siri commands, and an iPhone or other Apple device will be notified when sensors detect a window or door is opened, or there’s movement in the house.

Uniq packs 8000mAh into tiny powerbank [Review]

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Uniq Fuele Mini review
Uniq Fuele Mini is easily portable but can keep your iPhone 11 going for days.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Uniq Fuele Mini offers enough power to more than fully recharge an iPhone 11 in a package just a bit bigger than a credit card. It beats bulkier rivals that are convenient when your iPhone needs a recharge, but the rest of the time they’re a hassle to carry around.

I tested this affordable, multi-port powerbank for several days. Read on to see how well it performed.

Coronavirus forces Foxconn to keep closed all iPhone assembly plants in China

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Coronavirus-related shutdowns continue to disrupt Chinese factories.
Coronavirus-related shutdowns continue to disrupt Chinese factories.
Photo: Steve Jurvetson/Flickr CC

Foxconn reportedly won‘t be able to resume iPhone assembly on Monday. Its plants in China where Apple handsets are put together have been closed since before the Lunar New Year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and the government has allegedly forbidden them to reopen next week, literally on pain of death.

Expect to wait until March for some custom-made Macs

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16-inch-MacBook-Pro
Order a 16-inch MacBook Pro with more memory or storage and you won‘t see it for over a month.
Photo: Apple

Some Macs ordered today from the Apple Store with any set of features beyond the base configuration won’t arrive for over a month. For example, the wait for a made-to-order 16-inch MacBook Pro stretches into mid-March.