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Luke Dormehl - page 87

Swiss company gives Apple TV remote a more traditional overhaul

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Swiss company gives Apple TV remote a more traditional overhaul
Apple TV remote is going back to the future.
Photo: Salt

Throughout its history, Apple has tried to walk the line between futuristic, beautiful products and things that, in Steve Jobs’ words, just work. In the case of the bundled remote with Apple TV, you can argue that it’s failed.

The remote is minimalist to the point of being difficult to use — and one Swiss TV and internet provider has apparently taken note. While it provides Apple TVs to its customers, it does so with its own traditional remote.

European MPs want Apple Maps correction over Crimea controversy

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European MPs want Apple Maps correction over Crimea controversy
Apple has said it will look into the situation.
Photo: Andrew Butko/Wikimedia CC

A dozen members of the European Parliament have sent letters to Apple. They are demanding that it correct information Crimea, the Russian annexed peninsula. When viewed inside Russia, both Apple Maps and Apple Weather present Crimea as belonging to Russia.

Russian lawmakers made the initial request to Apple. But it seems that a whole lot of people are not happy about it.

Bank accused of writing fake App Store reviews for official app

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Bank accused of writing fake App Store reviews for official app
Bó is an app launched by RBS bank NatWest.
Photo: NatWest Holdings Ltd.

You’d think that, of all businesses out there, you could trust a bank, right? According to a shocking new report, the answer is a disappointing no.

UK banking chain the Royal Bank of Scotland has been accused of writing fake reviews for its new banking app in the App Store. The minor slip-up that gave the game away: the fact that the five-star reviews were published before the app went live.

Alleged Apple Car spy also may have possessed secret missile file

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Alleged Apple Car spy may have also had stolen secret missile file
Discovery turns this from an industrial espionage case into a potential national security one.
Photo: Tyler Nienhouse/Flickr CC

The ex-Apple Car engineer charged with stealing confidential files from Cupertino apparently had something else of interest to U.S. prosecutors: a classified file from the Patriot missile program.

This turns what was previously a corporate espionage case into a potential national security one. Jizhong Chen was arrested by the FBI in January. At the time, he supposedly was trying to flee to China with details of Apple’s super-secret self-driving car project.

Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR orders start Tuesday

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Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR orders start Tuesday
It may be time to start mobilizing your funds!
Photo: Apple

Six months after unveiling its new Mac Pro, Apple has finally revealed exactly when customers can order the new pro-grade Mac and Pro Display XDR: Tomorrow.

Over the weekend, Apple sent out emails to customers who had requested details on the new computer. Noting that “the wait is almost over,” the message revealed an order date of Tuesday, December 10.

3-nanometer chips will be ready for 2022 iPhone

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3-nanometer chips will be ready for 2022 iPhone
What will the 2022 iPhone have to offer?
Photo: Apple

The A-series chip in Apple’s 2020 iPhone is likely to take advantage of the 5-nanometer technology developed by chip designer TSMC. However, the chip giant is already hard at work on a 3-nanometer process it thinks will be ready in 2022.

You know, just in time for the iPhone 12S and 12R or whatever Apple calls them!

First 3 episodes of crime drama Truth Be Told debut on Apple TV+

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First 3 episodes of crime drama Truth Be Told debut on Apple TV+
Will new Apple TV+ series live up to the promise of its cast?
Photo: Apple

The first three episodes of Apple Original crime drama Truth Be Told debuted on Apple TV+ on Friday.

The series stars Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water, The Help) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad). The shows is about a true crime podcaster, called to investigate the case of convicted killer who claims he was framed for murder.

Apple Watch’s EKG tech may have helped save yet another life

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Apple Watch's EKG tech may have helped save yet another life
It sounds crazy, but saving lives may be the Apple Watch's killer app.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

There’s no shortage of amazing stories about how Apple Watch has helped to save people’s lives. According to a new report, a 74-year-old man from Lake Worth, Florida was visiting family when he began experiencing unusual symptoms. Despite having “no idea” about atrial fibrillation, Roy Robinson was clued in by his Apple Watch’s EKG tech.

One trip to the emergency room later, and, well, Cupertino likely has another satisfied Apple Watch customer.

Apple buys first batch of carbon-free aluminum

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Apple buys first batch of carbon-free aluminum
Coming soon to a device near you.
Photo: Apple

Apple has bought its first ever commercial batch of carbon-free aluminum for use in its products.

It’s the result of a $144 million collaboration between Apple, the governments of Canada and Quebec, and Alcoa Corp and Rio Tinto, two of the world’s biggest aluminum suppliers. Elysis is the name of the new venture. Hopefully its products will be coming soon to an Apple device near you.

‘Allo, guv’nor: Mario Kart Tour is heading to London, England

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Mario Kart Tour is heading to London, England
The world tour continues.
Image: Nintendo

Mario Kart Tour has already taken players to New York, Tokyo, Paris and, err, Halloween and winter. Now its latest update is sending gamers to London, England.

From red buses to Big Ben, the new courses should offer a fun whistle-stop tour of the UK’s capital city. With some other tracks thrown in for good measure. And that’s not all.

BMW cancels its ridiculous CarPlay subscription fee for new vehicles

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BMW cancels its ridiculous CarPlay subscription fee
BMW was the only automaker to charge for CarPlay.
Photo: Apple

BMW has confirmed that it is ditching its ridiculous policy of charging an annual subscription fee for Apple’s CarPlay.

Yesterday, I wrote about how BMW was rumored to be getting rid of subscription fees in the UK. Now it seems that BMW has confirmed that the changes are confirmed. And, yes, they cover the US as well.

Billie Eilish performs at Apple Music Awards, Apple bids for her documentary

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Apple and Genius team up to bring Verified episodes on Apple Music
Eilish is Apple's favorite artist right now.
Photo: Apple

Billie Eilish kicked off the Apple Music Awards Wednesday night with a live performance. The show streamed live from the Steve Jobs Theater.

Eilish is Apple’s Global Artist of the Year, along with Songwriter of the Year, shared with brother Finneas. And that’s not all Apple’s Billie Eilish news, either.

Anti-robocall bill moves one step closer to being passed into law

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Anti-robocall bill is one step closer to being passed into law
The US House of Representatives approved the bill by a nearly unanimous vote.
Photo: rawpixel.com/Pexels CC

The US House of Representatives has approved an anti-robocall bill by a nearly unanimous vote of 413-3. The bill will require phone carriers to block robocalls as well as giving the government more power to punish scammers.

It will next make it to the Senate. Its bipartisan support means it has a good chance of being signed into law by the end of 2019.

Apple Music loses its exclusive on Ministry of Sound playlists

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Apple Music loses its exclusive on Ministry of Sound playlists
Exclusive no more.
Photo: Ministry of Sound/Flickr CC

Apple Music’s exclusive playlist deal with popular music label and nightclub owner Ministry of Sound has expired. A new report notes that the full set of Ministry of Sound playlists are now available on rival streaming music services like Spotify.

Apple Music’s deal with Ministry of Sound was announced a little over a year ago. Apple debuted its first Ministry of Sound exclusive playlist on October 4, 2018.

BMW could ditch its pricey annual subscription for CarPlay

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BMW could ditch its pricey annual subscription cost for CarPlay
No other automotive has charged users a direct subscription fee for CarPlay.
Photo: Sony

BMW might abandon its controversial policy of charging customers an annual fee to use Apple’s CarPlay platform in its vehicles, an automotive publication claims.

According to AutoCar, a BMW representative revealed that CarPlay will be free for life on its newest cars. Owners of older cars can pay a discounted fee in the region of $300 for a lifetime subscription.

Man’s brand-new Apple Watch turns out to be toilet plunger

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Man’s brand new Apple Watch turns out to be toilet plunger
This is what it was supposed to look like.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

You’ve hung on until Black Friday, ordered your long-awaited Apple Watch online, and get it sent to your office, proudly opening it up in front of your colleagues. What could go wrong? Well, it could turn out to be a toilet plunger instead.

This unfortunate scenario befell one U.K. Amazon customer. He scored a 100 British pounds ($130) discount on an Apple Watch Series 4. Only it turned out not to be such a great deal when he finally received his package.

Apple shares suffer biggest decline since August

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Apple shares suffer biggest decline since August
President Trump says no immediate end in sight to trade tensions with China.
Photo: White House

Apple shares suffered their biggest decline since August on Tuesday, due to trade tensions between the United States and China.

President Trump told reporters that he had “no deadline” on agreeing a trade deal with China. Many people had hoped that a deal could be reached within weeks.

Tech giants accused of dodging $100 billion in taxes over past decade

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International governments plan to rethink tax rules for the ‘digital age’
Report looked at Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google and Microsoft.
Photo: Pixabay/Pexels CC

Tech giants, including Apple, have avoided more than $100 billion in taxes over the past decade, a report claims.

British organization Fair Tax Mark looked at the 10-K filings of Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google and Microsoft between 2010 and 2019. On its website, Fair Tax Mark notes that tax “helps to fund vital public goods and services and when paid fairly, it ensures a level playing field for businesses large and small.”

Pablo Escobar’s brother launches folding phone (and trash-talks Apple)

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Pablo Escobar’s brother launches folding phone (and trash-talks Apple)
Move over iPhone!
Photo: Escobar Inc.

Plenty of smartphone manufacturers have taken shots at Apple in their marketing materials. Then again, not every company is owned by the brother of late Colombian Medellín Cartel founder Pablo Escobar. In fact, only one is.

With his eye on Apple, Escobar’s brother has launched the Escobar Fold 1, a new $349 folding Android phone. And “Apple Boy Steve” features prominently in its marketing materials.

Unreleased ads show the classic Mac team talking up their creation

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Unreleased ads show the classic Mac team talking up their creation
That's Susan Kare, the icon designer on the original Mac.
Photo: Apple

Andy Hertzfeld, one of the original members of the Macintosh team, has uploaded an unseen series of 1983 interview snippets intended to be used for Mac ads. The mini interviews feature the likes of Hertzfeld, Mike Murray, Burrell Smith, Bill Atkinson, Susan Kare, and George Crow talking about Apple’s then in-development computer.

The ads were never used — but it’s a great nostalgic look back at the enthusiasm surrounding the original Macintosh 128K.

Apple Watch thieves arrested after owner ‘pings’ device during police search

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Apple Watch thieves arrested after owner 'pings' device during police search
Lesson: Don't steal an Apple Watch.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Two possible Apple Watch thieves have been jailed after the rightful owner “pinged” the device while police officers were searching the thieves’ home.

Pinging an Apple Watch from an iPhone is a way to find your watch if you’ve somehow misplaced it. From the sound of things, it’s pretty great to do if a couple of criminals have stolen your Apple Watch, too.

These are Apple’s picks for the year’s best apps

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These are Apple's picks for the year's best apps
This has been a great year for the App Store, Apple says.
Photo: Apple

As 2019 draws to a close, Apple has revealed its picks for the year’s best apps and games. All available through the App Store, of course.

“We are excited to announce such a diverse group of 2019 App Store winners, showing that great design and creativity comes from developers large and small, and from every corner of the world,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Marketing. “We congratulate all the winners and thank them for making 2019 the best year yet for the App Store.”

Check out Apple’s picks below.