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Ed Hardy - page 223

Apple ‘fixes’ Group FaceTime bug by hobbling the app

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2018 iPad Pro Animoji
Apple took the easy way of removing a problem in FaceTime: it yanked out the affected feature.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s hasty fix for the serious Group FaceTime bug that was discovered last month apparently just disables the feature in this video-chatting software that was causing the problem.

We’ve reached out to Apple to see if they’re in the process of restoring full functionality.

AirPods 2 in a new color could soon launch alongside AirPower

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AirPods 2 might look something like this artist’s concept.
AirPods 2 might look something like this artist’s concept.
Photo: Caviar/Cult of Mac

The design of Apple’s AirPods is about to get a tweak, according to a new unconfirmed report coming out of Asia. Expect a fresh choice of color and a coating that will make these earbuds harder to drop.

This refresh is reportedly tied to the release of the AirPower wireless charger which is expected to launch at the same time.

Apple details efforts to squash minerals that pay for wars

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Wolframite is made into Tungsten which is used in iPhones and other Apple devices.
Wolframite is made into Tungsten which is used in iPhones and other Apple devices.
Photo: Wikipedia

Apple had third parties audit all its mineral suppliers to be sure none are using their profits to support armed conflicts. Last year, there were five companies who refused the audits and all were dropped from Apple’s list of suppliers.

The iPhone maker regularly tests to be sure the materials that make its computers and accessories are sourced responsibly.

Lego adds spooky augmented reality ghosts to new playsets

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Hidden Side sets combine Lego bricks with augmented reality ghosts.
Will AR finally go mainstream in 2020?
Photo: Lego Group

Lego is exploring the cutting edge of play with its Hidden Side sets. These include augmented reality (AR) ghosts that children catch on their iPhone or Android.

This upcoming offering from the toy giant is in line with all of AR, which combines the real world with the digital one. 

UAG’s translucent folio case protects your iPad while showing it off

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Despite being semi-transparent, UAG’s Plyo Series meets military drop-test standards.
Despite being semi-transparent, UAG’s Plyo Series meets military drop-test standards.
Photo: UAG

Urban Armor Gear‘s Plyo Series doesn’t hide your fancy new iPad inside a bulky case.  It protects your expensive tablet but includes translucent plastic so it can still be seen.

This case, which also serves as a stand, is currently available only for the most recent 9.7-inch iPad models.

Colorful custom AirPods will make you see green

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Caviar AirPods in black
You don’t have to settle for white AirPods if you have plenty of green.
Photo: AirPods

If you’ve been hoping for a pair of AirPods in black or red then this is your lucky day. And you’re even luckier if for some reason you’ve been hoping to pay a whole lot of money for them.

Luxury brand Caviar now has the Apple’s wireless earbuds in new colors but these go for more than three times the standard price.

Tim Cook joins Trump’s workforce advisory panel

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Cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook has joined a Trump Administration panel focusing on worker education.
Photo: Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Apple’s CEO is one of 25 members of the new American Workforce Policy Advisory Board which will advise President Trump on issues affecting workers.

Tim Cook and the president have a surprisingly congenial relationship considering they differ on some fundamental issues.

Apple soaks Google to sit in Safari’s sweet spot

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Google
Google pays a hefty sum to stay the default Safari search engine, making a real contribution to Apple’s bottom line.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

With sales of iPhones plateauing, money from its Services sector is playing an increasing role in Apple’s bottom line. There’s a significant source of this type of revenue many might not expect: arch-rival Google.

As part of its advertising business, Google pays Apple a huge sum every year to stay the default search engine in the Safari web browser. And it’s expected to grow.

This cheap Lightning-to-USB-C cable is better than Apple’s [Review]

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Anker PowerLine II USB-C Cable with Lightning Connector
There’s no reason to get Apple’s Lightning-to-USB-C cable when Anker’s is at least as good for less money.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Anker is taking pre-orders for a Lightning-to-USB-C cable that costs much less than Apple’s version. We tested this new accessory to see how quickly it can charge an iPhone to be sure it’s a reasonable copy and not just a cheap knockoff.

Read on to see how well the Anker Powerline II USB-C cable stood up to our tests.

Porn, gambling apps abuse Apple’s developer program to sneak onto iPhones

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Apple Developer Enterprise Program
Apple’s Developer Enterprise Program can be misused to distribute iPhone software that violates the company’s community guidelines.
Photo: Apple

It turns out Facebook and Google aren‘t the only companies misusing the system Apple created to allow companies to share internal iOS apps with their workers. Software with hardcore pornography and  gambling have been distributed to the public via the Developer Enterprise Program.

Apple names senior exec to promote its augmented reality initiatives

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There are plenty of AR apps but few people have heard of them. An Apple veteran has been tasked with changing that.
Frank Casanova is Apple's new AR boss.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s augmented reality efforts have a new spokesperson. Frank Casanova has been named head of marketing for Apple’s AR offerings.

Apple has been hard at work in this area for years, but its developer tools and the resulting AR apps haven’t attracted significant attention. Perhaps that’s why there’s a new senior director in charge of promoting them.

ThunderMag revives MagSafe for Thunderbolt 3 connections

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ThunderMag replaces MagSafe for USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 connections.
ThunderMag replaces MagSafe for USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 connections.
Photo: innerexile

MagSafe break-away cables were a great way to keep MacBooks from getting damaged but Apple stopped using them as part of the transition to USB-C.  ThunderMag is a new accessory that replicates this feature.

Its inventor claims there’s no data or charging slowdowns, as have plagued earlier attempts to replace MacSafe.

App Store spending hit all-time high in 2018

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Apple removes 17 malware apps which secretly clicked on ads
iPhone users spent much more in the App Store last year, on a wide variety of apps.
Photo: Apple

iPhone users in the US spent, on average, $79 last year on software. That’s up 36 percent from 2017, according to figures from a market analysts firm. Spending on premium apps and in-app purchases has more than doubled since 2015.

Of the 2018 total, $44 was spent just on games, a 22 percent increase year-over-year.

Upgrade rate slows by 33 percent as we hold onto our iPhones ever longer

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iPhone 6s
With people keeping their phones so long, a typical device getting replaced these days is the iPhone 6s.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The days when people bought a new iPhone every two years are over, according to an industry analyst. In fact, many people are holding on to their handsets for twice that long.

That’s bad news for Apple’s bottom line, as faster upgrades mean more profits.

Glass screen protectors sometimes cause problems for 2018 iPad Pro

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The touchscreen in the new iPad Pro sometimes becomes less responsive under a glass screen protector.
The touchscreen in the new iPad Pro sometimes becomes less responsive under a glass screen protector.
Photo: Zagg

Some users of the newest iPad Pro models report that glass screen protectors limit the sensitivity of the touchscreen. These add-ones can also cause problems with Face ID.

The maker of a popular line of glass screen protectors say it has received only a very limited number of complaints, but it’s nevertheless working to address this issue.

What 35 million days of real-world use tell us about which hard drive to buy

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Backblaze shares data it’s collected on failure rates of over 104,954 hard drives running continuously.
Backblaze shares data it’s collected on failure rates of over 104,954 hard drives running continuously.
Photo: Backblaze

Statistics on hard drive reliability just released by data-storage company Backblaze would seem to indicate it’s not a good idea to buy a Seagate hard drive. Of the 104,954 drives it uses, Seagate’s are the least reliable by a wide margin.

On the other side of the coin, this company has found drives made by Western Digital’s HGST to be much more reliable.

Netflix finally makes downloads smarter for iOS users

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75% of Netflix users have no plans to jump ship to Apple TV+ (right away)
The Netflix app can now be sure you always have the next episode of your favorite show downloaded.
Photo: Stock Catalog/Flickr CC

A handy Netflix feature announced last summer has come to iOS at long last: the app can automatically download episodes of your favorite shows.

With Smart Downloads, watching a TV episode offline results in the next episode automatically being transferred as soon as a Wi-Fi connection is available.

Millenials pick YouTube over Apple as top brand

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YouTube in Safari on iMac Pro
Apple lost to YouTube in a brand-ranking survey among millenials, but slipped only to second place.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

YouTube is labeled the new “most intimate brand” according to a survey of millennials. Apple took the title last year, but now drops to second place.

Other brands that did well include Netflix and Disney,  Android-maker Google came in at ninth place. Samsung didn’t make the top ten.

Safari dumps failed ‘Do Not Track’ privacy setting

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Do Not Track is gone, replaced with Prevent Cross-Site Tracking.
Do Not Track is gone, replaced with Prevent Cross-Site Tracking.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Safari’s “Do Not Track” setting was supposed to protect us from advertisers following us from website to website but it never worked like it was supposed to and Apple has given up on it.

Instead, the web browser has what Apple calls Intelligent Tracking Prevention.

Watch for password phishing if your iPhone gets stolen

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GrayKey can bypass iPhone security
The thief who has your stolen iPhone will use surprisingly sophisticated means to trick your passwords out of you.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

If your iPhone is ever lost or stolen, be extra careful about scammers attempting trick your Apple ID password from you. iPhone thieves reportedly have an elaborate system set up to scam this information, as it’s needed to make a stolen device much more valuable.

Tim Cook hypes up new retail boss in email to employees

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Apple’s new Senior Vice President of Retail + People Deirdre O’Brien with Tim Cook.
Apple’s new Senior Vice President of Retail + People Deirdre O’Brien with Tim Cook and her predecessor, Angela Ahrendts.
Photo: Apple

Apple‘s CEO told his employees that the company’s new head of retail sales is “one of Apple’s most passionate and experienced advocates for our customers and employees.” Tim Cook also highlighted Deirdre O’Brien’s previous experience with Apple retail operations.

These comments came in an email sent this morning to retail emplyees.  The full text of this is now available.

Emojis coming to iOS will be more inclusive

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Here’s a handful of the emoji headed for your iPhone.
Here’s a handful of the emoji headed for your iPhone.
Photo: Unicode Consortium

If you’ve been frustrated because there’s not a sloth emoji, the Unicode Consortium has come to your rescue. It’s just announced lots of new emojis that will likely make their appearance in this fall’s iOS update.

These reflect the diversity in our society, including men and women in wheelchairs, people who are deaf, and people who are blind. 

Tesla hits the road with sleek iPhone cases

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Tesla just started offering these two iPhone cases.
Tesla just started offering these two iPhone cases.
Photo: Tesla

Proud Tesla owners can pick up an iPhone case designed by the company that made their car.

A pair of these can be purchased on the new Tesla store on Amazon. There are some other products as well, like car models.

Here’s how cool iOS 13’s dark mode could look

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There’s already a basic sort of dark mode in iOS, but there’s room for improvement.
There’s already a basic sort of dark mode in iOS, but there’s room for improvement.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A major new feature in iOS 13 is expected to be a system-wide dark mode, and a designer put together some concept renders of what this could offer.

This goes beyond just inverting pixel colors, which is already possible in iOS.