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Luke Dormehl - page 45

Joke unboxing shows just how ‘mini’ the iPhone 12 mini could have been

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iPhone 12 mini unboxing
Apple's new iPhone 12 mini is small. But not quite this small.
Photo: Weibo

The iPhone 12 mini won’t ship until November 13, but a video doing the rounds on Chinese social media shows an unboxing of Apple’s new miniature iPhone. Well, kind of.

The joke video shows the unboxing of an impressively accurate, shrunk-down copy of Apple’s iPhone mini. It’s reminiscent of the tiny cellphone in 2001’s Ben Stiller comedy Zoolander. And it’s kind of awesome.

Apple temporarily shutters Philadelphia store during protests

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Apple Store temporarily closed.
Store will be closed through November 4.
Photo: Apple

Apple temporarily shuttered its Apple Walnut Street retail store in Philadelphia as the city is rocked by protests and riots following the killing of a black man, Walter Wallace Jr., by police.

According to Apple’s website, the store is closed from now through at least November 4. An asterisk on the page lists this as “special store hours.”

Apple could introduce 1TB iPhone storage option

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iPhone 12 Pro in Pacific blue
You can never have enough storage!
Photo: Apple

According to Apple leaker Jon Prosser, Apple could almost double the storage of its current top-of-the-range iPhone — by introducing the first 1TB iPhone.

At present, Apple’s maximum iPhone storage option tops out at 512GB. The storage for Apple’s top iPhones has been capped at this figure for the past three years since the iPhone XS and XS Max. This year, the base option of the iPhone 12 Pro was doubled to 128GB from the minimum 64GB of the iPhone 11 Pro.

Antitrust complaint claims Apple’s crackdown on user tracking is unfair

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privacy WWDC
Apple is all about privacy.
Photo: Apple

A French antitrust complaint against Apple targets an iOS 14 feature that makes it tougher for companies to indiscriminately use tracking technology for mobile advertising.

The anti-tracking feature previously faced criticism, unsurprisingly, from companies that work in mobile advertising. However, this is the one of the first legal actions taken against Apple due to the feature.

Despite strong iPhone 12 preorders in India, Apple remains a bit player

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The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 price is now the same for all the top US telecoms.
Despite no 5G, the iPhone 12 is selling well in India.
Photo: Apple

Preorders for the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are “super high” in India, largely thanks to authorized resellers offering good trade-in deals and monthly installment payments, according to a report published Wednesday.

Apple doesn’t reveal iPhone sales figures anymore. That means Apple watchers must be on the lookout for other early signs to indicate how well new iPhones are doing. In India, at least, that appears to be pretty darn well for iPhone 12.

Apple stops signing iOS 14.0.1 as iOS 14 adoption nears 50%

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iOS 14.1 is almost here.
There's no turning back!
Photo: Cult of Mac

Upgraded from iOS 14.0.1 to iOS 14.1 and now having buyer’s remorse? Well, too bad: You can no longer downgrade.

To be clear, there’s no reason why anyone would want to go back after upgrading to the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. But now that Apple’s stopped signing the iOS 14.0.1 code, it’s no longer possible to go back even if you wanted to.

Apple snaps up AI company which could help make videos searchable in Photos app

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ADAM Elements iKlips C -2
Making videos smarter and more easily searchable.
Photo: ADAM Elements

Apple earlier this year snapped up an AI video company, Bloomberg reports. The Barcelona-based Vilynx uses AI technology to help analyze videos to understand what it shows by looking at text, visuals, and audio. This can be used to make the videos more easily searchable.

According to the report, Apple could use this tech to make its Photos app better by allowing users to search videos for people and objects the same way they currently can search photos. It could also help make Siri smarter or improve recommendations in the TV app and more.

Samsung rumored to drop earbuds and charger from next phone after mocking Apple

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Samsung ad
But for how much longer?
Photo: Samsung

Samsung immediately mocked Apple when the company elected not to include EarPods and a charger with the iPhone 12. So of course rumors now suggest Samsung may follow suit by ditching a charger and earphones from its forthcoming Galaxy S21 box.

Samsung has not confirmed that this will be the case. But according to SamMobile, some observers think Samsung will leave out a charger and earbuds from its new handset. Others think Samsung might get rid of only the earphones.

New ‘A14T’ chip could power first Apple Silicon iMac

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Apple Silicon
Apple announced the transition to Apple Silicon at this year's WWDC.
Photo: Apple

A version of the A14 processor in the new iPhone 12 handsets and iPad Air 4 could power the upcoming Apple Silicon iMac, a report published Tuesday claims.

The so-called A14T chip is reportedly code-named “Mt. Jade.” Like Apple’s other A14 processors, it will be made using the 5-nanometer process. Apple is also developing its own self-contained GPU, which is known inside the company as “Lifuka.”

Phone operators in the UK won’t be allowed to sell locked handsets from 2021

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Know how to hard-lock your iPhone in a hurry.
Locking phones to one carrier made it tougher for customers to switch.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Mobile phone operators in the United Kingdom will be banned from selling locked handsets from December 2021. This will stop companies from selling phones or other devices that are locked to one network and can only be unlocked for a fee.

Telecoms regular Ofcom first suggested the ban in December 2019, although it has only been made official today. This should make it easier for customers to switch networks if they wish.

Crash Bandicoot: On The Run comes to iOS in early 2021

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Crash Bandicoot
Coming soon to an App Store near you. Well, relatively soon.
Photo: King/Activision

Crash Bandicoot’s first game on iOS in a decade will arrive on the App Store on March 25, 2021, the game’s developers have revealed.

The game, which is an endless runner entitled, appropriately, Crash Bandicoot: On the Run, is available to pre-order in the App Store now.

Becoming You’s epic toddlers will clobber you with cute

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Apple TV+ Becoming You
This kid can surf better than I can.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV+ looks to continue building its sterling reputation with the upcoming six-part documentary series Becoming You. Narrated by Oscar-winner Olivia Coleman, the series will tell the story of the first 2,000 days of life for 100 kids from around the world.

It hits me, as the kids say, “right in the feels.” Check out the trailer below.

Some users complain about scratched screens on iPhone 12 [UPDATED]

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iPhone 12 pricing is lower for Verizon and AT&T customers.
Evidence isn't conclusive.
Photo: Apple

Apple says the iPhone 12’s Ceramic Shield display makes it 4x less likely to break when dropped than previous iPhones. But, within days of the first iPhone 12 and 12 Pro handsets arriving, some buyers are complaining about scratches on their screens.

UPDATE: A rigorous test shows that Apple’s latest handsets are not easily scratched.

So what’s going on?

Lack of COVID-19 contact-tracing apps shows limits of Apple’s power

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iOS 13.7 contact tracing feature: Life-saver, or NSA spy tool?
It's not Apple's fault. But it's certainly frustrating.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Apple and Google moved fast to develop a COVID-19 contact-tracing solution that was both smart and privacy conscious. Unfortunately, more than six months after the companies announced the cross-platform approach to contact tracing, few places in the United States use it.

It’s a tough lesson for the world’s biggest tech company. And one that everyone is a little bit poorer for having learned.

Coalition of app developers taking aim at Apple is growing rapidly

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app-store
The battle over the App Store rages on.
Photo: Apple

The Coalition for App Fairness, a group of developers targeting what they claim is Apple’s unfair control of the App Store, has more than doubled in size since its formation last month.

According to a new report, the original group of 13 companies — which included the likes of Epic Games and Spotify — has now increased to 40, with another 400 requests to join.

iPhone 12 MagSafe won’t harm the credit card in your pocket

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How it works
Good for charging and accessories. Bad for hotel cards, though.
Photo: Apple

The magnetic back for the new iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models won’t damage your credit cards, although you may want to keep it away from direct contact with single use magnetic stripe cards, such as the swipe cards used in hotels.

That’s according to Kaiann Drance, Vice President of iPhone Marketing at Apple, who is interviewed in the latest “Rich on Tech” podcast.

iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPad Air 4 arrive in stores today

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iPhone 12 packaging
Packaging up Apple's new devices for eager customers.
Photo: Apple

It’s a big day for Apple fans as the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro with 5G have gone on sale, alongside the iPad Air 4 — marking a trio of devices with the new, breakthrough A14 chip.

As preorders arrive and Apple Stores open with the new handsets and tablet, Apple shared some images of satisfied customers, along with fulfillment workers gearing up to dispatch the new iPhones and iPads to stores.

PSA: On the Rocks, Letter to You, more debut on Apple TV+

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Bill Murray and director Sofia Coppola reunite for On the Rocks.
Bill Murray and director Sofia Coppola reunite for On the Rocks.
Photo: Apple TV+

It’s a packed Friday for Apple TV+ with the debut of Sofia Coppola’s movie On The Rocks, plus a new episode of Tehran and Long Way Up. There’s also the new Bruce Springsteen documentary Letter to You, which was due to debut Friday, but wound up debuting Thursday after a tweet sent out by The Boss (and, no, we don’t mean Tim Cook).

Here’s what to expect from this week’s new arrivals.

Quibi’s crash and burn makes the slow, steady approach of Apple TV+ look smart

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Tortoise
Apple's not in a rush with Apple TV+.
Photo: Magdalena Kula Manchee/Unsplash CC

In the words of Ron Burgundy, “That escalated quickly.” A day after short-form video streamer Quibi pivoted from a mobile-only approach to launch an Apple TV app, the beleaguered service announced it will shut down for good.

What lesson can we learn from Quibi’s glitzy, high-profile launch, only to crash and burn six months later? That the slow-but-steady, tortoise-like Apple TV+ strategy looks smarter than ever.

Creepy Apple TV+ show Servant season 2 coming January 15

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Servant on Apple TV+
Get 2021 off to a creepy start.
Photo: Apple

Season two of Apple TV+’s creepy M. Night Shyamalan series Servant will debut on January 15, the famed director tweeted Thursday.

The first season was among the initial wave of shows that debuted on Apple TV+ in November 2019. It seems likely that the second season would have been due to begin about now, but shooting was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic shutting down filming.