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Ed Hardy - page 245

macOS Mojave plays nicer with Outlook than ever

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Mojave
macOS Mojave beta 6 includes an improved Migration Assistant. Meanwhile beta 5 was released to the public.
Photo: Apple

The tool Apple built to help Windows users switch to a Mac underwent significant improvements in the latest beta of maxcOS Mojave. It can now transfer accounts and documents from Microsoft Outlook.

This is the major change in macOS Mojave beta 6, which was released to developers yesterday. 

iOS 12 beta 5 isn’t just for developers anymore

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Erfon emoji_WWDC18
Memoji are one of the fun new features already available in iOS 12 beta 5.
Photo: Apple

Developers got access to the fifth iOS 12 beta last week, and now anyone who’s interested can install this pre-release version on their iPhone and iPad.

While work is still progressing on iOS 12, and the full version isn’t anticipated until September, the betas have proved surprisingly stable.

EU may force iPhone to switch from Lightning to USB

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These MFi-certified Lightning cables are sheathed in steel and designed to last forever.
What if your iPhone and iPad had a standard USB port instead of a Lightning one?
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Apple has its Lightning connector and everyone else has USB. But EU regulators are considering whether they need to force a common standard for phone chargers.

The idea is to cut down on the 51,000 tons of old chargers and cables thrown away each year.

Android Pie spotlights Google’s broken upgrade system

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Android 9 Pie is now available to a handful of people who own the right devices. Everyone else gets to wait.
Android 9 Pie is now available to a handful of people who own the right devices. Everyone else gets to wait.
Photo: Google

Google released Android 9 (Pie) to the public today, which should completely thrill the tiny percentage of Android users who can install it. For many, the wait for an upgrade will be months. For others, buying a new device is the only option to access this version.

Contrast this with iOS, which is always available to virtually everyone who wants it on the day it’s released.

Inexpensive LCDs could stay in Apple’s iPhone lineup until 2020

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2018 iPhone compared to 2017 iPhone X
The 6.1-inch iPhone anticipated for this fall apparently won't be Apple's last with an LCD screen.
Photo: Jonas Dähnert

LG has reportedly been contracted to create LCD panels for an iPhone model that will be released next year. If true, it means that Apple is definitely planning a phone with a traditional LCD in 2019, and isn’t going to all OLED screens. At least not yet

An earlier unconfirmed report indicated that this fall’s LCD iPhone will be the company’s last. That’s perhaps not surprising. given that OLED displays are superior in several ways

Developers get their mitts on iOS 12 beta 6

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iOS 12
Developers, and others testing iOS 12 beta versions, already get to take advantage of the faster performance promised at WWDC.
Photo: Apple

Apple is moving along through the beta phase of releasing iOS 12. The first version was released back in June, and today sees the debut of iOS 12 beta 6.

With the release just happening, we don’t yet know if it has any surprises. Beta 5 eventually revealed quite a bit about Apple’s plans.

T-Mobile’s cheap new unlimited data plan is always throttled

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t-mobiles-next-uncarrier-move-could-be-unlimited-streaming-video-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201510TMOUncarrier0517-jpg
T-Mobile calls itself the Un-carrier, and tries to undercut the prices of its competition. Its new Essentials plan is one example.
Photo: T-Mobile

T-Mobile just added a third unlimited data plan for your iPhone or Android. This one costs less than the others, but also offers less. And it comes wit a big caveat: it’s always subject to slowdowns.

No changes are being made to the earlier T-Mobile One and One Plus plans.

Virus briefly halts production at iPhone chip-maker TSMC

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Apple A12 replaces A11 Bionic
TSMC, the company that manufactures all iPhone and iPad processors, including the A11, had a serious virus problem this weekend.
Photo: iFixit

A computer virus infected the fabrication tools and computers at TSMC’s factories that are likely producing Apple’s next-generation iPhone processors. 

The company is still cleaning the malware off its equipment, but expects to be finished by tomorrow.

2018 iPad Pro could take another design cue from iPhone X

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2018 iPad Pro concept art
There's now evidence to back up the assumption that the redesign of the 2018 iPad Pro will include rounded corners on the display.
Photo: Álvaro Pabesio

It’s looking increasingly likely that the new iPad Pro models coming this fall will look like super-size iPhone X devices. That means no Home button and a nearly-edge-to-edge display.

Everyone has been assuming that this means the corners of the screen will be rounded too, and now there’s evidence of that.

Dual-SIM iPhone could be just for China

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The dual-SIM iPhone will offer twice as many SIM card slots as any previous iOS device.
The dual-SIM iPhone will offer twice as many SIM card slots as any previous iOS device.
Photo: IFIXIT

Buried in the latest iOS 12 beta is evidence that Apple is going to release the first iPhone that can have two SIM cards installed at once. But most people won’t have the option to buy this device.

The dual-SIM iPhone will reportedly be restricted to just China.

New video gives best look yet at 2018 iPhones

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The three 2018 iPhone models appear side-by-side , along with possible names.
The three 2018 iPhone models appear side-by-side, along with possible names.
Photo: MobileFun

Apple hasn’t kept a very tight lid on 2018 iPhone rumors. Information about them is leaking out all over. The latest is a video showing two of the three that are anticipated for a September release.

The source for the video also gives possible names for the next iPhone versions.

Apple’s Android rivals are going all-in on folding phones in 2019

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This early prototype Samsung foldable phone suggests how the Galaxy X might look.
This prototype Samsung folding phone could be a harbinger of many, many to follow.
Screenshot: Samsung

At least four big smartphone makers are reportedly prepping foldable models for 2019. This radical new design could reinvigorate the slowing phone market, hence the widespread interest.

But Apple is a notable holdout. This means it could end up being the only top 5 phone maker not releasing a foldable phone next year.

Square Reader is about to get baked into far more apps

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Shake Shack got early access to new a new Square Reader SDK to create a self-service kiosk.
Shake Shack got early access to new a new Square Reader SDK to create a self-service kiosk.
Photo: Square

Square credit card readers are in thousands of stores and restaurants, but the company realizes there are industries where its software isn’t appropriate. That’s why today it introduced the Square Reader SDK, which allows developers to write their own iOS or Android applications to communicate with Square’s point-of-sale machines.

This is the company’s way of getting into industries like transportation and health care.

Apple is bigger than all these companies — combined!

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Yep, Apple's pretty darn valuable.
Yep, Apple's pretty darn valuable.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple’s market capitalization passed $1 trillion today. It’s hard to wrap your head around such a large number, so let’s do some comparisons.

But be warned, you might have a hard time believing how much bigger Apple is than some other companies. Or entire industries.

iPad’s hot streak shows no sign of cooling

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2018 iPad and Apple Pencil
The 9.7-inch iPad released this fall helped keep Apple on top of the tablet market.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

There was a time the glory days of the iPad seemed over. Sales declined quarter after quarter. Then the iPad Pro line debuted, and now Apple has seen six straight quarters of increasing tablet shipments.

That’s not true for rival device makers. Samsung tablets haven’t experienced a quarterly shipment increase since at least 2016.  

Fitbit gives Apple Watch its only real competition

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Fitbit Versa
The Fitbit Versa would be on the top of smartwatch market if there were no Apple Watch. As it is, it's being solidly beat.
Photo: Fitbit

The smartwatch competition has come down to just two players: Apple Watch and Fitbit. They leave Samsung and other wearables makers well behind.

And in the second quarter of this year, Apple stayed far ahead of even Fitbit.

Apple shares gain $55 billion after glowing quarterly report

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money
Apple share price increased more than a dollar or two following a very strong quarterly earnings report.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Investors rushed to buy Apple stock today, pushing the share price up almost 6 percent. That added a whopping $55 billion to the company’s market capitalization.

Apple is still a bit short of the much-hyped $1 trillion valuation, but moved noticeably closer today.

Samsung takes on iPad Pro with Galaxy Tab S4

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The Galaxy Tab S4 is clearly designed to take on the 10.5-inch iPad Pro.
The Galaxy Tab S4 is clearly designed to take on the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. So we compared the two.
Screenshot: Samsung

Samsung just unveiled the first high-end Android tablet in years: With a 10.5-inch screen and a $649.99 price, the Galaxy Tab S4 takes aim squarely at the iPad Pro. As with Apple’s tablet, there’s an optional keyboard ($150) to turn this Android model into a 2-in-1 laptop.

We compare the two to highlight the differences.

Sorry, Android. You can’t have more than two notches

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Apple Watch
The iPhone X screen cutout could be renamed the Android notch because so many devices running Google's OS are including one. Enough that new rules prevent overuse.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The “notch” in the iPhone X drew heavy criticism when this device was first announced, but makers of Android phones have been quick to embrace it. So quick that Google felt compelled to step in and limit the number of screen cutouts allowed.

Phone designers were apparently going overboard if Google had prevent them from putting in three or more.

Apple R&D dumps billions into Cupertino’s secret projects

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Apple research and development
Apple research and development spends oodles of cash on secret projects.
Photo: Pexels

Apple’s spending on research and development of new products keeps growing. The company’s R&D spending  increased by hundreds of millions in the second quarter of this year, totaling more than ever before.

But where is all this money going? Some of its R&D projected are obvious, but others the company tries to keep secret.

Grab Apple’s most stable iOS 12 public beta now

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iOS 12
iOS 12 public beta 4 lets you try out all the new iPhone and iPad features months before the full release, expected this fall.
Photo: Apple

You don’t have to wait to get the new features of iOS 12. You could install a pre-release version and start tinkering with Siri Shortcuts or Memoji now.

Apple just introduced iOS 12 public beta 4, hopefully the most stable version yet. There are both iPhone and iPad iterations.

Steve Jobs’ marketing guru slags Apple advertising as boring

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Author Ken Segall worked in advertising with Steve Jobs for more than a dozen years. His new book is called Think Simple.
Ken Segall worked in advertising with Steve Jobs for more than a dozen years. Now he'd like CEO Tim Cook to Think Different about marketing.
Photo: Doug Schneider Photography

Quick, what’s the advertising slogan Apple uses for the iPhone X? How about for the iPad? What was the theme of the last Apple ad you saw?

If you shrugged your shoulders at all these questions, then you’ll understand why a former Apple ad man sees problems with the company’s current advertising strategy.

Apple adds a virtual reality expert to its growing team

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Get a top shelf VR experience without paying a top shelf price.
An Apple VR headset like this one might be in development.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The rumors of an Apple virtual reality headset just got a boost. The company hired the developer of a VR painting application. An app that can’t run on any device Apple currently offers.

It’s not easy to see why Apple would need the talents of the creator of Cyber Paint if it’s not prepping some kind of VR hardware.

iOS 12 beta hints at wireless AirPods charging case launch

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AirPower
The long-delayed wireless AirPods charging case could finally be out soon, along with the AirPower charging mat.
Photo: Apple

Last September, Apple unveiled an AirPods case that can be wirelessly charged. We’re still waiting for it almost a year later — but there’s fresh evidence that it’s coming soon.

Buried in the iOS 12 beta released today are a couple of images that seem to show this new case.

Dropbox gives some subscribers more storage for free

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dropbox
The Dropbox vs iCloud competition just got tighter now that some plans from Dropbox offer a lot more capacity.
Photo: Dropbox

Dropbox just added terabytes of storage to some of its offerings without increasing their cost. This makes its plans stronger competitors against iCloud.

The company is doubling the amount available through a Professional account to 2 TB. Business Standard teams now have 3 TB to share, up from 2 TB.