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Luke Dormehl - page 95

Private health plan offers seniors $150 off the price of Apple Watch

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Next Apple Watch Activity challenge will take place on Veterans Day
Devoted Health is the first of its kind.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Seniors-focused health insurance startup Devoted Health is offering members valuable cash off the price of an Apple Watch. Devoted claims to be the first Medicare Advantage plan to do so.

The firm will help users buy the devices buy the device by contributing up to $150. Apple is also reportedly in talks with “a number” of other health insurers to carry Apple Watch.

Top analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects big boost to iPhone sales in 2020

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Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Is it any wonder people are keen to upgrade?
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Critics dismissed the iPhone 11 as boring ahead of its release. But, according to renowned Apple analyst TF Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo, the much-praised handsets could give Apple a nice sales boost to start 2020.

Kuo is expecting big things from the much-anticipated iPhone SE 2 as well.

Apple helps teach Swift coding lessons to kids as young as 5

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Apple helps teach coding lessons to kids as young as 5
I wish my classroom had looked like this!
Photo: Apple

Kids as young as five are learning the principles of coding — courtesy of Apple’s expanding Swift learning curriculum.

As part of EU Code Week, Apple is highlighting how its Swift coding language is helping improve educational outcomes for kids throughout Europe. And not just where you’d expect either.

First Indian Apple Store will open in Mumbai mall

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Apple's first Indian Apple Store will be located in Mumbai mall
Apple will no longer have to make do with selling through resellers.
Photo: Lawrence Sinclair/Flickr CC

Apple has reportedly selected the location for its first Apple Store in India. The store will be located in Maker Maxity mall in Mumbai, India’s most populous city with a population of around 18 million.

Cupertino is aiming for a September 2020 opening for the Mumbai Apple Store. That’s around the time Apple should release the next-gen iPhone.

75% of Netflix users have no plans to jump ship to Apple TV+ (right away)

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75% of Netflix users have no plans to jump ship to Apple TV+ (right away)
But that's still 37.5 million who could be tempted...
Photo: Stock Catalog/Flickr CC

Apple TV+ and Disney+ may be the two new kids on the streaming services block, but the majority of Netflix subscribers are in no rush to check them out.

According to a survey carried out by Piper Jaffray analysts, around 75% of current Netflix subscribers have no plans to subscribe to either new service. That’s good news for Netflix investors in the short-term. But I’m not convinced that it gives a fair indication of what might eventually happen.

Apple removes app used by Hong Kong protesters from the App Store

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China state media slams Apple for app used by Hong Kong protestors
App shows the location of police activity.
Photo: Hkmap Live

Apple has booted an app used by protesters in Hong Kong out of the App Store. Called Hkmap Live, the crowdsourced app uses reports from a Telegram group that tracks the whereabouts of police and protesters. It also contains information about things like arrests of people wearing protest-related paraphernalia and the use of weapons like tear gas.

“Your app contains content – or facilitates, enables, and encourages an activity – that is not legal,” Apple told the app makers. “Specifically, the app allowed users to evade law enforcement.”

Mario Kart Tour races ahead on first-week downloads

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Mario Kart Tour has the second best debut month ever on mobile
The question is: will it last?
Photo: Nintendo

Mario Kart Tour may be a disappointment on a critical level, but it seems to be off to a good start in terms of downloads.

According to new data from Sensor Tower, Mario Kart Tour racked up 90 million downloads in its first week. That makes it Nintendo’s fastest mobile game launch in history. Kind of appropriate for a racing game, really!

After year in watery grave, iPhone packs new feature: barnacles

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After year in watery grave, iPhone packs new feature: barnacles
It doesn't work -- but what a conversation starter!
Photo: NBC-2

Apple has worked hard to make its iPhones increasingly waterproof. However, that doesn’t guarantee that your iPhone will survive in any submerged situation.

One example? A recently rediscovered iPhone which had spent a year in the Atlantic Ocean 40 feet under water. The handset was recovered by a scuba diver, who managed to return it to its rightful owner. Most impressive of all? It still wor– no, we’re just kidding: it’s totally busted.

Millions of iPhone users in the U.K. are suing Google for illicit data collection

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Anti-robocall bill is one step closer to being passed into law
Class action suit includes more than 4 million people.
Photo: rawpixel.com/Pexels CC

A lawsuit filed by millions of U.K. iPhone users alleges that Google bypassed Apple’s privacy settings to collect user data. The “Google You Owe Us” group represents more than 4 million people. This group is asking for a maximum $3.9 billion in damages.

On Wednesday, a London appeals judge ruled that the case can proceed.

King of Fighters Allstar will battle into the App Store this month

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King of Fighters All Star 1
Coming soon to an iPhone near you.
Photo: Netmarble

Eight months after it launched in Japan, King of Fighters Allstar is arriving in the West.

As its name suggests, King of Fighters is best known as a fighting game franchise. However, King of Fighters Allstar adds to this with new action-RPG elements. It gives you the chance to play as more than 50 fighters from the series in a game that pits you against waves of enemies, bosses, and rival teams. Your mission is to build the best team of fighters possible.

Tim Cook does not think rivals are ‘afraid’ of Apple TV+

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Apple TV+
Antitrust concerns linger over new Tim Cook interview.
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook is visiting Germany this month, where he attended Munich’s Oktoberfest. In an interview with weekly news magazine Stern, Cook talked local developers, iPhone pricing, and Apple TV+.

So far, so familiar, right? The difference is that Cook’s comments reflect newfound worries about a possible antitrust investigation into Apple.

Stunning Apple II Kickstarter case gives you a new look at a classic machine

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Apple II transparent case Kickstarter 1
What a gorgeous Apple II case.
Photo: MacEffects/Kickstarter

The Apple II may be more than 40 years old, but Apple’s first mass market personal computer still has plenty of fans. Now those fans can get hold of a brand new injection-molded case for the iconic Steve Wozniak-designed computer. All thanks to a new Kickstarter campaign.

Boasting a transparent design, the case will let you get a closer look at this legendary computer than ever!

Apple chipmaker countersues rival for infringing on patents

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Apple chipmaker racing ahead with its next next-gen nanometer process
TSMC is the company behind Apple's A-series chips.
Photo: Apple

Apple chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is counter-suing smaller chipmaking rival GlobalFoundries in the U.S., Germany, and Singapore. TSMC says that GlobalFoundries infringed on 25 of its patents.

TSMC is the world’s largest contact chipmaker. It creates the A-series chips used in Apple devices, such as the iPhone 11’s A13 processor. It is looking for “substantial monetary damages” from GlobalFoundries.

Apple will announce its final 2019 earnings on October 30

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Apple has spent 'billions' overhauling its Apple Maps app
Earnings will cover the three months leading up to the launch of the iPhone 11.
Photo: 401(K) 2012/Flickr CC

Apple will reveal its next quarterly earnings report at the end of October. According to Apple’s updated Investor Relations webpage, the Q4 2019 earnings report will land on October 30.

This will cover the fiscal fourth quarter of 2019 — the three months leading up to the iPhone 11 release.

These $12 AirPods knockoffs don’t actually play any music

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$12 AirPods jewellery
The AirPods have a longer stem so they can receive even, err, less sound.
Photo: Asos

Would you buy a pair of AirPods knockoffs that don’t actually play any sound? It sounds crazy (and, frankly, it is), but that’s exactly what one company is selling; cashing in on the fashionable status of Apple’s wireless earbuds.

Fashion e-tailer Asos is selling the $12 “faux headphone earpiece in silver tone” as a piece of jewellery. Because it’s 2019 and this is what people do.

Apple Watch alerts 30-year-old dad about dangerous heart condition

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Apple Watch alerts user of irregular heart rhythms in sleep
Apple Watch may have saved another person's life.
Photo: Apple

A 30-year-old British dad and “fitness fanatic” was recently alerted to an irregular heart beat by his Apple Watch.

Chris Mint’s physician told him that it was unlikely that he was suffering from atrial fibrillation. However, using a five-minute ECG test on his Apple Watch convinced his doc otherwise.

Apple debuts upgraded maps in New York City

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Apple Maps just got a New York update.
Didn't Apple tell us it loves New York?
Photo: Apple

Apple Maps users in the Big Apple just got a sizable update to their service. As part of Apple’s quest to challenge Google’s mapping services, Apple Maps now offers far more local detail in New York City. That includes extra details about buildings, roads and footpaths, parks, and more.

Thanks to iOS 13, users can also take advantage of the 360-degree, Google Street View-style “Look Around” feature.

Netflix has a plan to win over new subscribers in an age of Apple TV+

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Netflix has a plan to win over new subscribers in an age of Apple TV+
The world of streaming content is about to get more crowded.
Photo: Netflix

Disney+ and Apple TV+ may not have made their debut yet, but their influence is already showing up in the market place. Netflix, the established guard of streaming content, recently launched a new strategy to hook subscribers.

For one of its new shows, Netflix is offering the first episode for free — even if you’re not a Netflix subscriber.

Thieves steal dozens of iPhones from Apple Store in Canada

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Chinook Apple Store
Apple Store was robbed Saturday night.
Photo: Apple

A group of thieves robbed an Apple Store in Canada over the weekend, making off with dozens of iPhones.

The incident took place at the Apple Store in Calgary’s Chinook Center on Saturday night. The thieves were captured on surveillance video. However, they were able to get away with the stolen handsets.

Apple Watch’s health focus took Apple by surprise

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Apple Watch may have saved the life of a 79-year-old with heart condition
COO Jeff Williams says that Apple more or less stumbled into its health focus.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Apple didn’t predict how important health-tracking tech would be to the Apple Watch, COO Jeff Williams said in an interview published over the weekend.

“It was very organic,” he said. “Most people think we had this major health initiative, well, we had some notions in the beginning but no idea where it would lead. And honestly, it’s a situation where we started pulling on threads and the more we pulled, the more we realised there’s such a huge opportunity for us to impact people with the information that’s on their wrist.”

Ashton Kutcher reveals why Steve Jobs’ fruitarian diet is a bad idea

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Ashton Kutcher played Steve Jobs in 2013 biopic.
Kutcher played Jobs in a 2013 biopic.
Photo: Jobs movie

During the latest episode of the brilliant hot sauce-based interview show Hot Ones, Ashton Kutcher opened up on the topic of Steve Jobs. Kutcher played Jobs in the 2013 biopic, which landed with a thud at the box office.

Kutcher told the story of how he was hospitalized before filming, after trying to follow Jobs’ fruitarian diet. “Don’t drink too much carrot juice is the moral of the story,” Kutcher said.

Two big complaints about Doom and Doom II fixed on iOS

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Doom II for iOS looks just like it did back in 1994.
This was mind-blowing back in the day. And it's still pretty great today.
Photo: Bethesda Softworks

Bethesda Softworks gave Gen Xers a reason to get nostalgic when it released updated versions of Doom and Doom II into the App Store. The versions packed all the pixelated monsters and massive weapons you could hope for on an iPhone or iPad.

But while folks were justifiably excited to don their flannel shirts, put on some alt rock in the background, and head back to the glory days of the mid-1990s, the games didn’t totally deliver on their promises. A number of people pointed out that the audio and lighting weren’t correct in both ports. Those problems have now been fixed.