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Luke Dormehl - page 85

Apple may buy factory belonging to struggling Apple display-maker

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Apple may buy factory belonging to struggling Apple display-maker
Japan Display makes LCD screens for Apple.
Photo: Apple

Struggling Apple display-maker Japan Display could sell Apple and Sharp its main smartphone screen factory, a new report claims.

Japan Display still owes Apple more than $800 million for the plant, which it built four years ago for $1.5 billion. It could recoup this money by selling the factory to partners including Cupertino.

This is what it’s like to unbox the world’s most expensive iPhone

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This is what it's like to unbox the world's most expensive iPhone
And you thought dropping a regular iPhone 11 Pro was worrying.
Photo: Marques Brownlee

“Have you ever wanted to flex so hard that it doesn’t even make financial sense any more?

That’s how YouTuber MKBHD, a.k.a Marques Brownlee, introduces his hands-on look at Caviar’s Solarius Zenith Full Gold iPhone 11 Pro. If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to use the world’s most expensive iPhone, check out his video. (Note: It includes one heck of an unboxing.)

2020 could be Apple’s greatest year so far

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2020 could be Apple's greatest year so far
Analyst Dan Ives is excited about what next year holds for Apple.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

2020 promises to be a great year for Apple, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. In a message to clients, Ives describes 2019 as an “historic year” for Apple. Not only has Apple come out on top this year, but he thinks next year could be even better.

And he’s slapped the highest price target on AAPL as a result.

Apple TV+’s gaming comedy has already been renewed for second season

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Apple TV+’s gaming comedy has already been renewed for second season
The comedy about making a video game sequel is getting a sequel.
Photo: Apple

Talk about confidence! Apple has renewed its upcoming Apple TV+ gaming comedy series Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet for a second series. That’s despite the fact that the first season is not set to debut until February 2020.

The gamer comedy series, from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia stars Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day, follows a team of video game developers trying to create a sequel to an ultra-popular title. Think The Office meets Silicon Valley, only with a shedload more gaming.

Hacker who tried to extort Apple for $100k is spared prison

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Hacker who tried to extort Apple for $100k is spared prison
Kerem Albayrak sent Apple messages demanding a ransom.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

A hacker who tried to extort Apple into paying him $75,000 in Bitcoin or a thousand $100 iTunes gift cards has been spared prison.

22-year-old IT analyst Kerem Albayrak, from London, claimed that he could leak passwords or carry out factory resets for devices attached to 382 million iCloud accounts. He was 19 at the time that he committed his crimes under the name “Turkish Crime Family.”

Apple removes ToTok messaging app which spied on its users

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Maker of banned ‘spy’ messaging app plea for App Store reinstatement
Maker of banned ‘spy’ messaging app plea for App Store reinstatement
Photo: ToTok

Apple has given the boot to a messaging app called ToTok. This app was reportedly an United Arab Emirates spy tool used for tracking users’ conversations and movement.

ToTok has been very successful in the UAE. The country limits access to other popular messaging apps including WhatsApp and Skype. The UAE also bans FaceTime from Apple devices sold in the region.

10 things you (probably) didn’t know about the iPhone

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10-facts-iPhone
Get ready for some iPhone trivia!
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Even if you’re a die-hard Apple fan, there’s still plenty you most likely don’t know about the company’s most popular product. And, whether you want to wow your Apple-loving in-laws over the holidays or just feel the need to fill your brain with some iPhone facts, we’ve got you covered.

Here are 10 things you (probably) don’t know about the iPhone.

AirPods could be a $15 billion business in 2020

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Apple reportedly adding another supplier for its ultra-popular AirPods Pro
AirPods have been an enormous hit for Apple.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone might still be Apple’s biggest product by a wide margin, but the AirPods have a good claim to being Cupertino’s MVP of the year.

Accord to Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi, Apple sold $6 billion worth of AirPods in 2019. And it could sell more than double that number in 2020.

Apple offers up to $1.5 million to anyone who spots a software flaw

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Apple offers up to $1.5 million to anyone who spots a software flaw
White hat hackers assemble!
Photo: United Artists

Spotted a vulnerability in Apple software, but not among Cupertino’s chosen developers tasked with seeking out bugs? No problem. As of today, Apple’s $1.5 million bug bounty program is available everyone who wants to participate. Previously, it was only open to a select few.

The bug bounty means people can earn up to 7-figures for finding weaknesses in Apple software. These could otherwise be exploited by nefarious hackers.

Digitimes: 2020 iPhones could get special sensor-shift camera stabilization

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sensor-shift stabilization
Next year's iPhone cameras could get a nifty new feature.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Some 2020 iPhones will feature special sensor-shift stabilization technology for their cameras, according to Digitimes.

This technology, used in many high-end cameras, would further reduce camera shake on the next-gen iPhone. It differs from the optical image stabilization currently used in iPhones.

It’s season finale time for The Morning Show and For All Mankind

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It’s season finale time for The Morning Show and For All Mankind
Two of Apple TV+'s top shows are finishing up for the year.
Photo: Apple

It’s the last Friday before the holidays, and appropriately enough, two of Apple’s most popular Apple TV+ Originals are wrapping up. On Friday, Apple debuted the season finale for both The Morning Show and For All Mankind.

There are new episodes of both Servant and Truth Be Told as well. That’s plenty to keep you entertained between frantic bits of last-minute shopping!

Mario Kart Tour‘s eagerly anticipated multiplayer beta goes live

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Mario Kart Tour's anticipated multiplayer beta goes live
The wait is over.
Photo: Nintendo

If you’ve beaten the computer a thousand times on Mario Kart Tour (which, let’s face it, is pretty tough not to do), you can finally pit your Mario and Luigi-steering abilities against other flesh-and-blood players.

That’s because Nintendo has launched the eagerly anticipated multiplayer online beta for Mario Kart Tour. You’ll need to sign up to the Gold Pass to play it, though.

Counterpoint: iPhone rakes in 66% of smartphone profits

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International governments plan to rethink tax rules for the ‘digital age’
Who knew? Turns out that the iPhone is quite the money-spinner.
Photo: Pixabay/Pexels CC

When you hear about declining iPhone sales and factoids like Huawei overtaking Apple as the world’s second biggest smartphone maker, it’s easy to lose sight of just how successful Apple is at selling phones.

A new report from Counterpoint Research is a reminder just what a profit-generating powerhouse the iPhone actually is. In Q3 2019, Apple captured a whopping 66% of industry profits. Second place winner Samsung, by comparison, pulled in just 17% of handset profits.

Music licensing company takes aim at Apple Music for illegal streaming

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Music licensing company takes aim at Apple Music for illegal streaming
Apple reportedly didn't obtain the necessary license.
Photo: Stas Knop/Pexels CC

Apple stands accusing of breaking the US Copyright Act by streaming copyrighted songs through Apple Music without the right permissions.

The company Pro Music Rights (PRM) filed its complaint in New York on Wednesday. It describes unpaid royalties and ongoing infringement relating to a number of songs. PMR licenses a couple of million tracks, including works from artists such as A$AP Rocky, Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell, Gucci Mane, and others.

Disney Magic Kingdoms adds Star Wars content

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Disney Magic Kingdoms gets added Star Wars content
May the Force Touch be with you.
Photo: Gameloft/Disney

A quirky little indie movie you probably haven’t heard of is coming to theaters this Friday and — oh, who am I kidding, it’s freaking Star Wars!

In an effort to ramp up excitement about The Rise of Skywalker, Disney just added new Star Wars content to its Disney Magic Kingdoms game. Check out a trailer below:

Ex-Apple Store Genius sues Apple for not accommodating his disability

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Ex-Apple Store Genius sues Apple for not accommodating his disability
Robert Shaw worked in Toronto's Sherway Gardens Apple Store.
Photo: Apple

A former Apple Store Genius is suing Apple for not providing legally obligated adequate facilities to allow him to work with his disability.

Robert Shaw says he was promised that the store he worked at would be fitted with automatic doors and a special table to accommodate his wheelchair. However, this did not happen to the degree allegedly promised.

Last of Australia’s big four banks will offer Apple Pay

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Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
It might sound like just another Apple Pay announcement, but it's actually the end of a saga!
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The last of Australia’s big four banks to adopt Apple Pay says that it will support Apple’s mobile payments service.

While Australia is just one market of many where Apple Pay is available, its arrival in the country has been particularly fraught with challenges. Westpac’s support marks the end of that particular story.

Crime ring allegedly makes millions selling defective iPhones

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Apple supplier will start building crucial iPhone component in India
Employees allegedly made and sold iPhones out of discarded components.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Foxconn has launched an investigation after a group of “management staff” were accused of a $43 million iPhone scam. The scam, which ran for three years, involved a Taiwanese businessman and staff at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou, which manufactures iPhones.

The alleged “crime ring” assembled iPhones out of rejected components, and then sold them on to customers.

Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Siri is found on a whole lot of devices.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Thanks to Amazon’s Echo devices, Alexa is probably the AI assistant most likely to come up in a conversation. But Siri is still the most popular virtual assistant of them all.

According to a new report by Futuresource Consulting, Siri currently leads the virtual assistant pack with a 35% global marketshare. Google Assistant follows behind with 9% of the marketshare, while Alexa makes up just 4% of AI assistants.

Apple Music offers up to 6 months of free music for the holidays

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Streaming services like Apple Music dominate the US music market
And it's open to existing subscribers, too!
Photo: Apple

Apple Music’s standard free trial offer is a generous 90 days. But, for the holidays, someone in Cupertino has decided to double this.

By using the Shazam app, would-be Apple Music subscribers can get a total of 6 months Apple Music for free. And you can even get some free months it if you’re currently, or have previously been, an Apple Music subscriber.

Apple Watch’s ‘Ring in the New Year’ challenge will kickstart your 2020

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Apple-Watch-New-Year-Challenge
Start the Roaring Twenties on the right step.
Photo: Apple

This time of year isn’t great for health and fitness. With a constant barrage of holidays, comprising stodgy meals and plenty of snacks, we talk lots about New Year resolutions — but don’t necessarily act on it.

However, your trusty Apple Watch is ready to nudge you in the right direction, courtesy of Apple’s upcoming “Ring in the New Year” challenge. Here’s what you need to know about it:

Some publishers report that Apple News+ isn’t a ‘huge boon’ for business

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Some publishers report that Apple News+ isn't a 'huge boon' for business
News+ offers more visibility, but doesn't bring in masses of cash for publishers.
Photo: Apple

Compared to the likes of Apple Music and Apple TV+, Apple News+ doesn’t exactly seem to be setting the world on fire, publishers say.

A new report claims that, nine months after its launch, publishers are not viewing News+ as the “cure-all” they might have hoped for. While the subscription service is helping them reach wider audiences, some publishers report seeing “little impact” on their bottom line.

IDC: Apple’s wearables business will explode through 2023

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Apple’s wearables business will explode through 2023
Wearables are a gold-rated business for Apple.
Photo: Caviar

The “earwear” product category, made up of devices like the AirPods, is set to explode in the next few years. According to a new report by the International Data Corporation, the market for hearables will increase from 139.4 million units this year to 273.7 million in 2023.

The firm doesn’t break down projected sales by brand. However, with Apple’s market-leading status thanks to AirPods, it’s likely that Cupertino will do exceptionally well.