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Ed Hardy - page 259

How is the iPhone X selling?

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iPhone boot up
The iPhone X isn't a dud, but it also it's Apple's top seller.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 8 is Apple’s best-selling model, and the larger 8 Plus is in second place. The controversial iPhone X is currently Apple’s third best-selling model, according to a market analysis firm.

Apple’s older models make up 40 percent of the company sales, a higher percentage than last year.

Control this window air conditioner with your iPhone

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GE HomeKit window AC unit
This GE window AC unit is HomeKit compatible, making it far more intelligent than typical ones.
Photo: GE

When people think of home automation, something like the Nest thermostat probably leaps to mind first. But not everyone needs something that elaborate. For those who needs are simpler, GE just launched a window AC unit that’s HomeKit compatible so it can be controlled by an iPhone.

iPhone X users love the ‘notch’

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iphone x
A survey shows 97 percent of iPhone X owners are satisfied with this device, including its screen cutout.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

More than 90 percent of iPhone X users like the design without a Home button, according to a scientific survey. That’s good news for Apple, as most of the 2018 models are expected to use a similar form factor.

That’s not to say there’s no room for improvement. The survey also pointed several aspects of the iPhone X that responders didn’t like as much.

Your 13-inch MacBook Pro might need its battery replaced

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Mac
Anyone who bought a 13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) in the last year and a half should check if it needs a new battery.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple admits that some MacBook Pro laptops have a problem that causes their batteries to swell up. The company is replacing these free of charge.

This affects only the non-touchbar version of the macOS laptop, and only models with a 13-inch screen. In addition, the device needs to have been produced in a specific timeframe.

Developers enjoy a huge boost from iOS 11’s App Store redesign

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iPhone App Store
The iPhone App Store is a sort of magazine about iOS software.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The iOS App Store got a new look last fall, and the change has greatly benefited developers of third-party applications, as Apple intended. A new study found that getting named Game of the Day results in an 800 percent increase in downloads.

Inclusion in the other segments of the App Store Today screen brought improved performance as well.

AT&T, Verizon tried to subvert a technology Apple embraces

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Apple watch
An eSIM is far smaller than a standard one, and much more flexible. But not if some carriers get their way.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The Department of Justice is investigating whether AT&T and Verizon colluded to subvert the primary goal of electronic SIMs. This new tech makes it easy to switch between service providers, something to two largest wireless carriers apparently wanted to prevent. 

Apple uses an eSIM in the Apple Watch Series 3. And last year this company formally complained to the DoJ that the two carriers were pressuring an international standards body to make an anticompetitive change to this emerging tech. 

How much better will the redesigned Apple A12 iPhone processor be?

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Apple A12 replaces A11 Bionic
The A11 Bionic is a fine processor, but the Apple A12 is expected to be even better.
Photo: iFixit

Official details of the processor for the 2018 iPhone are months away, but we can already be confident the Apple A12 will be at least 20 percent faster than the current chip, while using 40 percent less power.

And this is the minimal performance improvement to be expected. Apple’s next devices will almost certainly be even speedier.

PUBG Mobile‘s new modes ease you into the battleground

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PUBG Mobile
The new Training Grounds and Arcade modes let you practice PUBG Mobile without getting killed almost immediately.
Screenshot: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The point of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is to throw you into a battle and see if you survive. But that can be a bit intimidating for those who’ve never played before, so Tencent just added two practice modes to the mobile version. One of these involves playing in a smaller area, and can become its own challenge with the right settings.

Sadly, the iOS version doesn’t have these new modes yet, but an upgrade is expected soon.

Verizon Smart Family app gives parents new tools

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Verizon Smart Family
The Verizon Smart Family app is designed to make you a better digital parent.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Verizon’s new service lets parents limit their children’s’ screen time, monitor who they’re texting (and how often), and track their location. 

The Smart Family program also includes content filters, and can even tell a parent how much battery life their child’s phone has left.

Tim Cook won’t compromise Mac and iPad by combining them

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Clamshell iPad
This concept for a combined Mac and iPad will stay just that: a concept.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Tim Cook generally stays quiet about Apple’s plans, but there’s one thing he’s open about: his company’s laptops and tablets aren’t going to merge together.

It’s a question that comes up every couple of years. Which is understandable, given the recent rumors that macOS is migrating to the same type of processors as iOS, allegedly to enable apps to run on both Mac and iPad.

Say goodbye to free Opera VPN

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Opera VPN
Olaf, the friendly Viking mascot of Opera VPN, is sad.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The end is nigh for a free VPN service for iOS and Android. Opera VPN will close at the end of this month. No reason has been given.

A Virtual Private Network protects users by hiding their IP address, making it much harder to be tracked. Opera Software’s version would even let you appear to be in another country.

Trusted analyst says 6.1-inch iPhone could be surprisingly cheap

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iphone x
The 6.1-inch iPhone rumored for this fall will have an LCD screen, but otherwise resemble a larger iPhone X.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Speculation about the 2018 iPhone is running hot and heavy. It seems there are new reports on these unannounced devices almost every day. But not all of these carry the gravitas of Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with a long track record of being right about Apple.

So when Kuo says a 2018 iPhone with a 6.2-inch display could cost between $550 and $650, people take notice. Previous reports had pointed to a price range $100 higher

Dropbox for iPad updated with tons of great features

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Dropbox for iPad
The latest Dropbox version lets you move files around with a finger.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The latest version of Dropbox allows iPad users to move files around with a fingertip. It also works better with long file names.

Even though iPad was designed to be controlled with touches, drag-and-drop file management has been slow to come to this tablet. Still, Dropbox is on board.

AI boosts Microsoft Translator for iPhone

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Microsoft Translator
Need to talk to the waiter in a French restaurant? Microsoft Translator wants to help, even if you're offline.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Microsoft Translator has been around for a while, but this app is getting a huge improvement: artificial intelligence-powered translations even when the iPhone is offline.

Using translation apps in a foreign country can be nerve wracking.  Such software almost always depends on remote servers to do the hard work. Microsoft, however, has squeezed the necessary AI into a mobile app.

Here’s how Apple is fighting GrayKey iPhone unlocker

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GrayKey can bypass iPhone security
iPhone unlockers are blocked if a week goes by without the correct passcode being entered.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple hasn’t found the security holes that iPhone unlocking tools use, but iOS 11.3 took a step that makes these cracking devices less useful. Police now have a limited amount of time to circumvent the user’s passcode before it becomes impossible.

This is part of an ongoing struggle between Apple and law enforcement agencies. The iPhone maker wants to protect the privacy of users, while police want access to information stored on devices used in crimes.

Apple considering AirPod charging case with Bluetooth speaker

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Bluetooth in iOS 11
The AirPod charging case will do so much more, if a new Apple patent turns into a real product.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The case for your Apple wireless earbuds is necessary to charge them, but it’s useless the rest of the time. But what if this AirPod charging case was itself a speaker?

That’s the concept behind a patent Apple just received. Whether it will turn into an actual product is anyone’s guess.

App to hide secret porn stashes booted from iPhone App Store

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Private Photo
There's little doubt what kind of images were expected to be hidden by Private Photo.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple apparently removed some software from its App Store that allows users to hide images behind an innocent front. However, this doesn’t appear to be part of a general crackdown on this type of app.

Digital Mind Co.’s Private Photo (Calculator%) got singled out by police and parental watchdog groups who were concerned that teenagers would use it to conceal illicit images. The app functions as a calculator, but entering a password allows access to a secret image vault.

Apple lays groundwork for bendable iPhone

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Martin Hajek
A curved iPhone would be just a first step toward a bendable iPhone.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Apple today received a patent for a device with a bendable display. Sadly, that doesn’t mean that an clamshell iPhone is right around the corner. The wait for an iPad that be folded up and slipped in a pocket is probably still going to be a long one.

The patent was filed in 2016 because Apple is just preparing for the day when bendable displays are a reality.

The next big Castlevania game is an iOS exclusive

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Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls
Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is coming to iPhone and iPad, but not consoles or PCs.
Photo: Konami

Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is the next chapter in this side-scrolling game series. It’s the first new installment since 2014, and will only be for iOS.

This long-running RPG series from Konami began on the original Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1986. Grimoire of Souls includes classic characters and music from the earlier versions.

More goes into ‘Hey Siri’ than you might think

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Siri Alexa in voice report
Many people might be unaware that their iPhone has a neural network devoted to listening for them to say "Hey Siri".
Photo: Apple

Having your iPhone respond to “Hey Siri” seems like such a simple thing, but it’s actually quite complicated. Recognizing this code phrase, and the person who said it, is critical for Apple speech-recognition system.

A post in Apple’s Machine Learning Journal just published today describes many of the challenges developers overcame to make this work.

Spotify swipes a major player from Apple Music

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Apple Music
Although Apple Music' subscriber base is growing steadily, there have been two high-profile executive departures in a week.
Photo: Apple

The head of Hip-Hop/R&B Programming at Apple Music, Carl Chery, is reportedly headed for rival Spotify. 

Chery worked for Apple since 2014, and was responsible for helping to launch the careers of Cardi B, Bryson Tiller, Post Malone, and others.

James Comey isn’t a fan of iPhone encryption

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James Comey
In his new book, James Comey says that law enforcement should have a backdoor into locked iPhones.
Photo: FBI

James Comey is an controversial figure. His new book shows he’s strongly opposed to Donald Trump, but he may have also helped get Trump elected President. And the former FBI director is opposed to the encryption that protects the privacy of iPhone users.

Comey’ s book, A Higher Loyalty, says Apple’s decision to encrypt the contents of iOS devices by default “drove me crazy.”

Swollen batteries in Apple Watch 2 get free repairs

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Apple Watch battery
An overcharged Apple Watch battery can begin to swell up. If this happens, it needs to be replaced.
Photo: iFixIt

The battery in an Apple Watch 2 can fail, and even swell up. This is a rare problem, but Apple will fix the watch if it occurs.

Swelling is a problem that has long plagued lithium-ion batteries from laptops, phones, and other electronics. The only fix is a replacement of the battery.

Cameras might soon bust drivers who use iPhones

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Cameras look for distracted driving
Cameras will be looking for distracted driving in Australia. The U.S. can't be far behind.
Photo: NYPost

Cameras that automatically give tickets to speeders are old news. So are red-light cameras. Now Australia is exploring using cameras to ticket motorists who are on their cell phones while driving.

Australia might become the first country to legalize using photographic evidence alone to enforce distracted driving laws.

Congress criticizes FBI quest for iPhone ‘backdoor’

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FBI director says Feds still can't unlock iPhone in Pensacola shooting case
The FBI took some Congressional-strength flack today for wanting an iPhone backdoor for law enforcement.
Photo: Dave Newman/Flickr CC

Congress has called the FBI on the carpet for its attempt to require Apple to build a backdoor into the iPhone. A letter went out today from a bi-partisan group of representatives  accusing the law enforcement agency of over-stating difficulties in unlocked iPhones involved in crimes.

The ten congresspeople wrote that the FBI deliberately didn’t explore all the options to unlock the iPhone belonging to a mass shooter because they wanted an excuse to force Apple to modify iOS so it’s easy for law enforcement to access.