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Luke Dormehl - page 154

Apple expecting iPhone XI Plus to be its most popular new handset

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iphone x
The plus-sized 2018 iPhone could be Apple's biggest handset in every way.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is expecting its 6.5-inch iPhone XI Plus to be its most popular new handset of 2018, a new report claims.

The Korean language article claims that Apple is forecasting 45 million iPhone XI Plus shipments for later this year, around 25 million for the 5.8-inch iPhone XI, and 30 million for the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone 9. The iPhone XI Plus is set to be easily Apple’s largest iPhone of all time — and close to twice the size of the original first-gen iPhone.

iPod memorial earns one Reddit user a sweet surprise

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Justice iPod
So long, old friend!
Photo: Effennekappa/Reddit

A device that you carry around with you, day in and day out, for several years is going to prompt some kind of emotional attachment. Every scratch triggers a certain memory, every dent takes you back to a certain time and place. Add in the fact that you upload your most cherished media to it, and it becomes kind of like a diary, charting your development over time.

When said gadget dies it can therefore be a pretty sombre occasion. That was certainly the case for one Reddit user, who recently posted a memorial to their dearly departed 160GB iPod. Only for something totally unexpected to happen.

Tim Cook opens new Apple office in Cork, Ireland

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Irish flag
Apple has been based in Cork since 1980.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Tim Cook is in County Cork, Ireland today, opening the new expansion of Apple’s Hollyhill site — creating many jobs in the process.

Apple is Cork’s largest private employer, having had a presence in the area for decades. It is home to Apple’s only wholly owned manufacturing facility in the world, building “made-to-order” iMacs for customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

So much for Tidal! Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s joint album already on Apple Music

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Jay-Z and Beyoncé
This is the power couple's first joint album.
Photo: Jay-Z and Beyoncé

Jay-Z may be the founder of Tidal, but it seems that he still cares more about streaming numbers than he does about long-term exclusives for this streaming company. At least, that’s the big takeaway from the fact that his joint album with wife Beyoncé is already available on Apple Music.

The album, titled Everything is Love, debuted on Tidal as a very short-lived exclusive over the weekend. Along with Apple Music, the new album is also available on iTunes, Spotify’s premium tier, Google Play, Amazon Music, and more.

Apple may have completely scrapped iPhone SE 2

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The iPhone SE proved every smartphone didn't need to be gigantic.
Alas, poor iPhone SE series. We knew you... kind of well.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the iPhone SE 2… well, you may just have to go right on waiting.

According to a new report, citing case maker Olixar, the 5.8-inch iPhone XI, 6.5-inch iPhone XI Plus and 6.1-inch iPhone 9 are likely to be the only next-gen iPhones we’ll see this year. While the iPhone 9 will act as the affordable, budget-conscious iPhone for 2018, it means that unfortunately people who like the smaller 4-inch iPhone SE form factor will be disappointed.

Foxconn is establishing a corporate HQ in the U.S.

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iPhone sales drive Apple’s biggest supplier to big profits
Foxconn is growing its presence in the United States.
Photo: CBS

Long time Apple manufacturer Foxconn has revealed that its U.S. corporate headquarters will be located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

This is close to its proposed U.S. factory in Wisconsin, which will reportedly be used for producing smartphone displays for clients. Foxconn is building a sprawling $10 billion campus in the area as part of President Donald Trump’s bid to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.

HomePod launches in Canada, France, and Germany

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HomePod market share
HomePod has arrived in three new markets.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s HomePod speaker has launched in three new countries, including Canada, France, and Germany.

Users can speak to HomePod in French and German, with French-Canadian language support set to be added later this year. Ahead of the release, HomePod also added support for local news outlets in these countries, allowing users to get flash news briefs from closer-to-home news sources.

How will Apple distribute its original TV shows? Here are three theories

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apple tv
Apple still hasn't spelled out how you'll be able to watch its TV shows.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The biggest question mark currently hanging over Apple’s original TV plans is how exactly Apple plans to distribute it. With the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg in tow, there’s no doubt that Apple has managed to rope in some impressive names for its video content. But how will users be able to watch it?

Here are a few theories.

Apple could be about to enter movie business with animated feature

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Cartoon Saloon
A shot from Cartoon Saloon's "The Breadwinner."
Photo: Cartoon Saloon

Apple is reportedly negotiating with Cartoon Saloon, an Irish Oscar-nominated animation studio, for the distribution rights for what would be Apple’s first animated feature film.

A deal is supposedly close to being reached, although there are scant details beyond this. Cartoon Saloon has previously produced three Academy Award-nominated animations including Secret of Kells, The Breadwinner and Song of the Sea. Its preschool series, Puffin Rock can be found on Netflix, and is also popular in China.

Intel cranks out speedy new modems for 2018 iPhones

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intel
Intel will take the majority of orders from Apple.
Photo: Thomas Hawk/Flickr

Intel has reportedly started production of the new faster XMM 7560 modem chips for Apple’s 2018 iPhones, marking the first time Intel has manufactured modem chips in-house for Apple.

While Intel has supplied Apple with modem chips for the past couple of years, previously it has outsourced production to TSMC.

Spike Jonze’s brilliant HomePod ad wins major advertising award

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2019 Creative Marketer of the Year
Spike Jonze created one of Apple's all-time great ads.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s brilliantly creative HomePod ad, directed by Being John Malkovich helmer Spike Jonze, has won a top prize at the Association of Independent Commercial Producers Show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The awards were handed out on Thursday night. Apple shared the “Advertising Excellence/Single Commercial category” top spot with the absolutely hilarious “It’s a Tide Ad” Super Bowl series of ads for Tide. If you haven’t seen Apple’s excellent HomePod ad before, you can check it out below.

‘Behind the Mac’ ads tell the stories of real Apple users

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Apple ad campaign
Legally blind photographer Bruce Hall is one of the many people who use Macs.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s latest ad campaign focuses on how the Mac can be used by regular people to create music, make art, develop apps and more.

Like classic Apple campaigns such as the “Switch” ads of the early 2000s, or the long-running “Shot on iPhone” ads, the “Behind the Mac” ads focus on real Apple users — thereby making them feel more authentic. They also embrace Apple’s accessibility push, demonstrated through stories like legally blind photographer Bruce Hall, who uses Apple devices.

Check them out below.

Here’s how the Queen uses her royal iPad

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Queen iPad
The Queen, shown using her iPad.
Photo: The Royal Family

As the maker of premium tech products, Apple attracts some pretty famous users. One of them? Britain’s longest-reigning monarch in history, Queen Elizabeth II.

In a recent episode of the BBC show Countryfile, it was revealed how the Queen uses her royal iOS devices for carrying out an activity very close to her heart. And, no, it’s not competitive Fortnite playing!

Apple may be looking to open its first store in Israel

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Tel Aviv
The Sarona Azrieli tower during construction.
Photo: Ted Eytan/Flickr CC

Apple is reportedly negotiating to open its first official retail store in Israel.

While Apple products are available in Israel, at present these can be purchased only through two officially sanctioned importers, iDigital and iStore. The rumored location of the new Apple Store is the upmarket Sarona Azrieli tower in Tel Aviv, the tallest skyscraper in Israel.

Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul signs on for Apple TV series

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Aaron Paul
Jesse Pinkman is coming to Apple TV. Well, kind of.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikipedia CC

Breaking Bad co-star Aaron Paul has signed on to act in Apple’s upcoming Are You Sleeping? drama series.

Paul will join previously announced cast members Octavia Spencer and Lizzy Caplan. Other newly signed cast members will include This Is Us and Luke Cage actor Ron Cephas Jones, Weeds actress Elizabeth Perkins, ER actress Mekhi Phifer, Sons of Anarchy‘s Michael Beach, and others.

Galaxy Note 9 battery life could put iPhone X to shame

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Galaxy Note 8
Last year's Galaxy Note 8 was actually a pretty great phone.
Photo: Samsung

Right now, the iPhone X is pretty much the king of the smartphone world. However, in its never-ending quest to surpass Apple, Samsung is reportedly focusing heavily on battery life for its upcoming Galaxy Note 9.

According to a reliable Samsung leaker, the forthcoming Note 9 will boast a monster 4,000mAh battery. The iPhone X’s by comparison? A mere 2,716 mAh.

Apple Pay’s ‘Lose your wallet’ promotion hits the Big Apple

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Lose Your Wallet
Apple has some great deals for New Yorkers.
Photo: Apple

Do you live (or plan to visit) New York? Use Apple Pay? If so, you may be interested to know about Apple’s latest “Lose your wallet” promotion, designed to drum up interest in its mobile payments service.

The promotion promises customers a range of exclusive discounts in New York neighborhoods including Greenwich Village, Nolita, Park Slope, and Williamsburg. Here’s some of the offers you can take advantage of:

Murder trial delayed for ‘unprecedented, critical’ Apple Watch evidence

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Apple Watch alerts user of irregular heart rhythms in sleep
Apple Watch heart rate monitor could help change the course of a murder investigation.
Photo: Apple

An Australian murder trial has been pushed back to January 2019 so that prosecutors can seek expert analysis of “unprecedented, critical evidence” taken from an Apple Watch worn at the time of the event.

As we’ve noted before, the Apple Watch has become a central piece of evidence in the Myrna Nilsson murder case because it appears to contradict testimony about the point at which the death took place.

Apple adds another talented exec to its growing Worldwide Video team

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apple tv
Apple's TV plans are coming together.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple still has yet to debut any of its new crop of original drama shows, but in the meantime it is continuing to stock its Worldwide Video team with talented execs.

The latest hiring is former Viacom and Broadway Video (the media company led by Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels) vice president Kelly Costello. She joins Apple as its new video-related business affairs executive.

Apple doesn’t want you mining bitcoin on your iPhone

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Antana/Flickr CC
Apple has shared more details about its cryptocurrency policy.
Photo: Antana/Flickr CC

You can no longer use your iPhone for mining bitcoins — or not through Apple’s official channels, at least.

Revised wording in the App Store review guidelines notes that Apple is banning apps which “run unrelated background processes, such as cryptocurrency mining.” In a dedicated cryptocurrency section, the company goes on to break down in more detail what is — and, crucially, is not — permissible.

Stunning mobile RPG Elder Scrolls: Blades is coming to iOS this year

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Bethesda
This is going to look spectacular on iPhone X.
Photo: Bethesda

Bethesda has revealed that The Elder Scrolls: Blades, a new free-to-play RPG set in the Elder Scrolls universe, is coming to iPads and iPhones later in 2018.

A preview of the game was shown at E3 over the weekend, showcasing its astonishing graphics, massive open world, and entertaining gameplay. “You have to see this running on an iPhone X,” the company representative gushed in an on-stage demo. Check out the unveiling below.

Apple Music hires another hip-hop expert from the BBC

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Screenshot shows Beats 1 radio on Apple Music on an iPhone.
Ryan Newman was formerly editor of 1Xtra, the BBC's main hip-hop and grime radio station.
Photo: Apple

Apple recently hired Ryan Newman, a key player from the BBC’s main hip-hop and grime radio station, 1Xtra.

It’s not clear exactly what role Newman will perform at Apple Music. However, he was one of the brains behind shaping and implementing 1Xtra’s musical direction. He could perform a similar job at Apple.