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Ed Hardy - page 206

Apple could finally begin direct iPhone sales in India this fall

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iPhone XS in India
Right now, buying an iPhone in India requires going through a third-party retailer. Not for much longer, though.
Photo: Apple

Apple may have finally succeeded in its long, long quest to be allowed to sell its products directly in India. Until now, the company has been forced to go through third-party resellers, but the Indian government today changed the rule that was hobbling Apple.

Being able to deal directly with the public might increase Apple’s poor sales of iPhones in this huge market.

Apple apologizes for Siri spying, pledges privacy fixes

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Siri
Going forward, no one will listen to what you say to Siri unless you approve it.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

A revamp of Apple’s program that had people monitoring Siri voice commands for quality control will soon ask users to opt-in first, and only Apple employees will be listening.

“We realize we haven’t been fully living up to our high ideals, and for that we apologize,” the company said in a statement.

T-Mobile Test Drive hands out free mobile hotspots

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T-Mobile hotspot
Anyone thinking of switching their iPhone to T-Mobile can try the service out for free.
Photo: T-Mobile

T-Mobile is so eager to get people to try its network, the company is giving away wireless hotspots. These are good for a month or 30GB of data, and are intended to let potential customers see how well T-Mobile service works at their home, office or school.

This telecom has a bad reputation as being mostly available only in big cities. This promotion seems intended to overcome that.

Microsoft’s revolutionary dual-screen laptop/tablet might launch this fall

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Intel dual-screen concept device, code-named Twin River
Microsoft’s dual-screen concept device might resemble this one Intel demoed at Computex 2019.
Photo: Intel

Microsoft might take on the iPad and MacBook simultaneously if a semi-secret folding tablet is unveiled at a press event this fall.

The company just sent out invitations to an October event, and speculation is running high that the dual-screen “Centaurus” will be the star, along with refreshed versions of other Surface computers.

Apple surprises everyone with first iOS 13.1 beta [Updated]

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iOS 13.1 Developer beta 1
iOS 13 isn’t expected for weeks and Apple is already testing iOS 13.1 Developer beta 1.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The slow slog toward the release of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 took an unexpected twist today: Apple just introduced the first betas of the followup versions.

The debut of prerelease versions of iOS 13.1 and iPadOS 13.1 would seem to indicate that Apple has already finished development of the versions that’ll debut next month.

Sprint serves up a whopping 2,100 square miles of 5G

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HTC 5G Hub
With this mobile hotpot, a Mac or iPad can connect to Sprint 5G today.
Photo: HTC

Although Sprint could soon be swallowed by T-Mobile, the telecom is nevertheless aggressively rolling out 5G service. Its cutting-edge network is up and running in nine cities, and the carrier promises this is up to 6X faster than its LTE service.

Sprint offers a 5G mobile hotspot that can bring much faster access to Macs and iPads day.

Apple kills plan to turn iPhones into walkie-talkies

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Ham radio
An iPhone that can act like a ham radio was actually considered.
Photo: Pexels

An odd-ball scheme to let iPhone users talk to each other directly, device-to-device has reportedly been shelved.

This walkie-talkie feature would have required special hardware, and been used when cellular-networks aren‘t available.

Chip-maker’s lawsuit could block iPhone imports to the US

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TSMC 7nm processor
TSMC microprocessors like these are the subject of a massive lawsuit brought by a US chipmaker.
Photo: TSMC

US-based Globalfoundries filed multiple patent-infringement lawsuits against TSMC, the Taiwanese company that manufactures the processors used in all iPhone and iPad models. It also sued Apple, Google and others that make products with TSMC chips.

The lawsuits seek the block the import into the US and Germany of all semiconductors made with what Globalfoundries claims is its intellectual property.

iOS 12.4.1 locks out iPhone jailbreakers

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iOS 12 jailbreak
iOS 12.4 really can be jailbroken, but Apple apparently just removed the necessary security hole.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple just introduced an update to iOS 12.4 that likely fixes a security flaw that allowed a jailbreak to be created for this version — the first in years.

There don’t appear to be any other changes in iOS 12.4.1.

Drop test shows Samsung’s Note 10+ is slightly tougher than iPhone XS Max

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Galaxy Note 10+ vs. iPhone XS Max
The Galaxy Note 10+ survived a series of drop tests just a bit better than an iPhone XS Max.
Photo: PhoneBuff

The extra-large Galaxy Note 10+ survived a series of drop tests just a bit better than the iPhone XS Max.

Neither device came out unscathed from being dropped 1 meter onto cement as both are sheathed in glass. The question is whether the screen and back are shattered or just cracked.

Zens’ 16-coil wireless charger fills the AirPower gap

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Zens Liberty
Place iPhone and Androids anywhere on the Zens Liberty to wirelessly charge them.
Photo: Zens

The Zens Liberty is designed to overcome one of wireless charging’s hassles: it won’t be necessary to carefully arrange the handset on this pad thanks to its 16 charging coils.

This was one of the promises of Apple’s AirPower, but packing too many coiled into a small pad reportedly caused such such problems with excess heat that this product was eventually cancelled.

Why Face ID for MacBooks is long overdue [Opinion]

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Face ID on MacBook
Face ID on a MacBook is an even better fit than with iPhone or iPad.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple’s facial-recognition system debuted on the iPhone and later expanded to the iPad. It’s high time Apple brought Face ID to the MacBook line, too.

There are people who aren‘t fans of Face ID because they’ve only used it on on iPhone. Don’t fall into that trap. It’s genuinely a better fit for the iPad and even more suited for a MacBook.

Take wireless charging on the go with the Powerstation Hub [Review]

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Mophie Powerstation Hub review
The Mophie Powerstation Hub can charge a Mac, iPhone and iPad all at once.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Powerstation Hub is a powerbank with an extra trick: wireless charging. There’s no reason to leave the convenience of wireless power at home when you can take it with you anywhere. This accessory also sports USB-C and dual USB-A ports, plus there are built-in AC power prongs for easy recharging.

We kicked the tires on this mobile battery. Come see how it performed in our tests.

Apple will rake in cash from Disney+ too

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The Mandalorian on Disney+
Watching The Mandalorian on Disney+ will probably make Apple money.
Photo: Disney/Cult of Mac

Apple and Disney are launching streaming video services this fall. Despite these being rivals, Apple will make money off both. There will be Disney+ apps for iOS and Apple TV, and consumers will be able to subscribe with in-app purchases, which means Apple gets a hefty cut of the revenue.

Plus, Star Wars fans can be assured they’ll be able to watch The Mandalorian when it debuts Nov. 12 with their iPad or other Apple computer.

Apple laying the groundwork for a 5G Apple Watch

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watchOS 5 Breath face
It’s only a matter of time before there’s an Apple Watch 5G.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The first Apple Watch with 4G cellular-wireless networking came out years ago, and design work for a 5G version is already going on.

Such a wearable will offer faster data transfer speeds, as well as quicker connections.

This charging cable is so tough it’s wearing chainmail [Review]

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Fuse Chicken Shield review
No hyperbole: the Fuse Chicken Shield is truly sheathed in chainmail.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Shield charging cable from Fuse Chicken is literally wearing stainless steel chainmail. It seems designed to survive battle with orcs, or at least the dangers it might run into on a job site. Amazingly enough, this company’s Titan cable is even more rugged, being wrapped in two layers of flexible steel.

There are Lighting and USB-C versions of both, and we took them into battle to test their mettle. Actually, we towed a car with one, and hit the other with a hammer. Read on to see how they survived.

New Bose portable speaker plays smarter with AirPlay 2

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Bose Portable Home Speaker
Bose Portable Home Speaker is ready to be used on the go.
Photo: Bose

The just-announced Bose Portable Home Speaker isn’t an everyday Bluetooth device. It also has Wi-Fi and, even better, supports AirPlay 2, making it cooperate much more closely with Apple devices.

This speaker offers 360 degree sound, and is designed for portability, with a built-in handle.

Want a real break? Put down your iPhone!

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Gaming on iPhone XS
Turns out this isn’t as relaxing as you think it is.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Using your phone during a break from work doesn’t give your brain a chance to rest and recoup, according to a new study. It’s like not taking a break at all.

The experiment’s results don’t indicate people should stay off computers when they want a quick rest. Just phones, as these are “more cognitively taxing than expected.”

Multitaskers rejoice: Connect to dual 4K monitors with this tiny adapter

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Satechi Aluminum Type-C Dual HDMI Adapter
Use two 4K monitors at 60Hz with your MacBook and this USB-C adapter.
Photo: Satechi

Satechi just introduced an adapter that enables a MacBook to connect to a pair of 4K monitors, both running at 60Hz.

There is a drawback, though: this dual HDMI adapter requires two of the laptop’s USB-C ports.

OtterSpot’s new stacking batteries take wireless charging to fresh heights

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OtterBox OtterSpot
The OtterSpot Charging Base can power multiple OtterBox Wireless Charging Batteries and a device at the same time.
Photo: OtterBox

The OtterSpot is a new twist on mobile wireless charging. It starts with a base station sending current to a portable battery that has built-in Qi inductive charging. This battery powers up an iPhone or Android, either at home or one the go. Multiple batteries can be stacked and charged at once.

The company behind this new system is OtterBox, well known for its rugged phone and tablet cases.

Cheaper HomePod, improved AirPods could arrive in 2020

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airpods
Apple could finally bring noise cancellation to AirPods.
Photo: Ste Smith/ Cult of Mac

A more affordable version of the struggling HomePod smart speaker will debut next year, according to a generally reliable source. Apple is also reportedly going to introduce AirPods with noise cancellation in 2020.

Both are products that consumers have been asking for.

Feds will retest iPhones for excessive radio-frequency radiation

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iPhone-7
Your trusty old iPhone 7 might be a rule breaker.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

An independent lab claims that the iPhone 7 emits more radio-frequency radiation that is allowed by the FCC. And the iPhone X skirts the line.

The tests, done at the behest of the Chicago Tribune, have reportedly caused the FCC to examine whether these and other cell phones meet its safety guidelines. That doesn’t make them a cancer risk, though.