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Luke Dormehl - page 99

This is the start of a whole new era for Apple augmented reality

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Apple Park ARKit
Apple's augmented reality journey is just getting started.
Photo: Nobuyuki Hiyashi

When Apple introduced ARKit in 2017, the augmented reality platform was hailed as a game-changer. Two years later, Apple’s AR push looks ready to deliver the type of experience that gets CEO Tim Cook so excited he wants to scream.

Thanks to a trio of new augmented reality tools for iOS 13, and the very real possibility of an Apple AR headset on the horizon, 2019 promises to be the start of something truly special for Apple’s augmented reality efforts.

Applier supplier Foxconn sales hit new record high

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iPhone sales drive Apple’s biggest supplier to big profits
Foxconn is Apple's biggest contract manufacturer.
Photo: CBS

Life is good if you’re Apple’s biggest contract manufacturer! Foxconn, a.k.a. Hon Hai Precision Industry, has reported its highest-ever August sales in the company’s 45-year history.

Foxconn sales hit $12.76 billion for August. That’s up 0.2% from one month earlier. This is the sixth consecutive month in which Foxconn has registered month-on-month increases. While it can’t necessarily all be chalked up to Cupertino, Apple represents more than 40% of Foxconn’s total sales.

Thieves rob Apple Store in San Mateo, escape with 40 items

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Apple Store San Mateo
A (somewhat retro) picture of the Apple Store in San Mateo.
Photo: Apple

An Apple Store in San Mateo’s Hillsdale Shopping Center was targeted by a trio of thieves Thursday night. They escaped from the San Mateo robbery with 40 Apple products.

The San Mateo robbery was reported at 9.01pm Thursday. Cops arrived within two minutes, but the thieves had already escaped. A high-speed pursuit then took place. However, the thieves got away.

Apple TV Events app updated ahead of Sept. 10 keynote

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Apple Events app
Apple will unveil new iPhones next week.
Photo: Apple

With Apple’s next keynote event just days away, Apple has updated its Apple Events app for Apple TV. If you own an Apple TV and want to watch Tuesday’s event from the comfort of your couch, this is the app you need.

The September 10 “By innovation only” event kicks off at 10am Pacific/1pm Eastern. A new wallpaper hints at the event’s theme, which many are predicting refers to the new color options for the iPhone 11.

Southwest Airlines customers can now pay with Apple Pay

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Southwest Airlines app
Another way to make your journey a bit easier.
Photo: Southwest Airlines

Apple Pay users flying Southwest Airlines can now use Apple’s mobile payments service for their travels. Customers can use Apple Pay to pay for tickets as well as ancillary services, such as meals, during flights.

“Providing modern digital payment solutions to our Customers is critical,” said Christopher Priebe of Southwest Airlines. “The launch of Apple Pay enhances our ability to sell flights, as well as ancillary products using one of the most widely-used digital wallets in North America.”

Apple sees ‘long-term potential’ in cryptocurrencies

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Antana/Flickr CC
An Apple Coin? Don't rule it out.
Photo: Antana/Flickr CC

Could an Apple cryptocurrency be coming? While it doesn’t sound like it’s on the immediate horizon, Apple Pay VP Jennifer Bailey recently suggested it’s not totally off the table.

It would fit with Apple’s growing embrace of financial services. The company got into mobile payments with Apple Pay in 2014 and released the Apple Card this year. Now, Cupertino appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach on cryptocurrencies.

Apple adman who created iconic commercials sues his former agency

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Apple
Duncan Milner left TBWA earlier this year.
Photo: Apple

A former Apple advertising creative lead, who worked on some of its biggest ad campaigns, has sued his former agency, TBWA. Duncan Milner claims wrongful termination based on age discrimination.

Following the retirement of TBWA boss (and Steve Jobs friend) Lee Clow this year, Milner was told that the company “couldn’t carry his salary anymore.”

Babies run amok in latest Dr. Mario World update

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Dr. Mario
Dr. Mario landed on iOS this summer.
Photo: Nintendo

Dr. Mario World, the latest Nintendo title to land in the App Store, just got a new update — adding 4 new doctors and 20 additional stages.

New doctors include Doctors Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, and Baby Daisy. While I’d quibble about the realism of someone being able to complete a 7-year+ medical course while remaining a baby, I don’t think that’s entirely the point.

Apple Music releases ‘Up Next Live’ EPs of summer Apple Store concerts

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Bad Bunny
Concerts were designed to promote up-and-coming artists like Bad Bunny.
Photo: Apple

Over the summer, Apple Music hosted a series of seven exclusive concerts at global Apple Stores. The concerts featured artists Bad Bunny, Omar Apollo, Khalid, King Princess, Daniel Caesar, Ashley McBryde, and Lewis Capaldi.

Anyone who missed them can now check out these rising stars in concert, courtesy of Apple’s “Up Next Live” EPs. Now streaming on Apple Music.

The spectacular windows at Apple’s new Tokyo store look like giant iPhones

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Apple new store in Japan
Check out those beautiful rounded windows.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s opening its latest Tokyo Japanese Apple Store this weekend. To mark the occasion, it’s offering would-be shoppers a sneak peak.

In keeping with Apple’s love of embracing local culture, the new store makes use of in-store bamboo plants. There are also impressive two-story vitrine windows made from specially cast aluminum to create three-dimensional rounded corners. Resembling giant iPhones, these are the first of their kind at any Apple Store.

Check out more pictures below.

Samsung’s Galaxy Fold finally launches on its home turf this week

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Apple invents a unique, no-crease folding iPhone screen
And it only took an extra five months!
Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s long-delayed Galaxy Fold folding smartphone will finally go on sale on September 6. This comes five months after it was originally made available for preorder.

The troubled handset, which has undergone a major redesign, will launch in South Korea this week. it will be followed by select countries including France, Germany, Singapore, U.K., U.S. in the near future.

Latest canceled Apple TV+ show might be bad omen [Opinion]

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Apple TV+ could have 26 million paying subs by 2025; 2.6 million currently
Tim Cook reportedly wants to make Apple TV+ shows aspirational in tone.
Photo: Apple

Cupertino’s costly decision to cancel an Apple TV+ series starring Richard Gere due to the show’s darker tone is the latest bit of evidence that Apple wants only family-friendly fare for its upcoming streaming video service.

A diet of uplifting, positive messages is certainly laudable. But that sort of high-minded approach could pose a major challenge for Apple. Should fans be worried?

US attorneys general prep antitrust investigation into Google

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Google
Will Google be the first of the tech giants to face an investigation?
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

More than half of U.S. state attorneys general are preparing an antitrust investigation into Google.

This will mark a major ramp-up in the battle between U.S. regulators and Silicon Valley tech giants. The investigation is likely to be announced Monday. Other tech giants also may face antitrust scrutiny.

Small increase in iPhone’s tiny Indian market share could bring in billions

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iPhone sales are showing signs of life in India
A small increase in a market of 1.3 billion people sure adds up.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s current share of the smartphone market in India is just 1%. But if Apple could somehow raise that to 4% it would bring in approximately $4.6 billion in extra revenue — alongside earnings upside of 65 cents per share.

That’s according to Evercore IMI analyst Amit Daryanani. And Daryanani thinks Apple may be able to do it, too.

Sketchy Apple support document spills details on iPhone 11 [Update: It’s fake]

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Apple Software Development Resource 1
But is it legit?
Photo: AppleBeta2019

Update: The Twitter account that posted the alleged Apple leak now calls the document a fake.

A supposedly “leaked” Apple employee support document contains alleged details of Apple’s upcoming releases.

The “Apple Software Development Resources” features information about Apple’s three new iPhones, four new Apple Watches, and new iPads. But it may not be entirely (or at all) genuine.

Just how titanium is the titanium Apple Card?

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Apple Card’s ‘elite card’ status is hitting retailers in the wallet
This is why we can't have nice things.
Photo: Apple

Do you want to be the kind of know-it-all who takes the wind out of fanboys’ sails by telling them their fancy new titanium Apple Card isn’t actually 100% titanium?

No? Then you should probably ignore a new article from Bloomberg BusinessWeek. The publication used a scanning electron microscope to work out the Apple Card’s composition because the internet’s run out of things to do.

Apple does not expect an iPhone ‘super-cycle’ this year

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The camera bump is about to get bumpier in the iPhone XI.
iPhone orders likely to remain flat this year.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

The days of massive year-on-year growth in iPhone sales are over for now, at least according to one analyst forecasting Apple’s iPhone 11 orders.

According to analysts at Cowen, Apple’s iPhone 11 orders are roughly in line with those for last year’s iPhone refresh. Cowen thinks that Apple will build 65 million iPhones for Q4, representing “flat” growth. That means the “super-cycle” mass upgrade will likely have to wait until 2020.

Apple store thieves rob $200,000 worth of iPhones

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Apple Store Perth robbery
Two Apple Stores were broken into early Tuesday morning.
Photo: WA Police

Thieves reportedly stole more than $200,000 worth of iPhones from an Australian Apple store in an early morning raid Tuesday.

According to police, a gang smashed its way into a store in Perth at 2:15 a.m. After being disturbed and fleeing empty-handed, they headed to another store. They broke into this second Apple store in Garden City in Booragoon at 3 a.m., and made off with the handset haul after threatening a security guard.

Don’t expect huge speed boost from iPhone XR upgrade

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iPhone 11R and 11Max on wooden railing 2
Coming soon to an Apple Store near you.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Ahead of next week’s Apple media event, a Geekbench profile supposedly reveals some of the tech specs of the iPhone 11.

The report refers to the successor to the iPhone XR, one of the three iPhones Apple will release this year. It shows a single-core task speed increase of around 12%, but an unchanged multi-core result. Provided it’s real, this would be the smallest ever leap in iPhone CPU performance from one year to the next.

Struggling Apple display maker will take 2 years to start building OLED screens

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iPhone XR test
Japan Display currently makes LCD screens for the iPhone XR.
Photo: Apple

Struggling Apple display maker Japan Display is trying to reconfigure its business to develop OLED displays, instead of LCD ones. However, according to CEO Winston, it’s going to take at least two years until they’re ready.

The displays will reportedly be manufactured at Japan Display’s Hakusan plant in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture.

Protect your precious Apple Card with this $139 wooden card case

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Wooden Apple Card storer
"Oh my God. It even has a watermark."
Photo: Kerfcase

The physical titanium Apple Card may be the most attractive credit card ever made. But it’s not necessarily the most practical design, since storing it in a leather wallet risks discoloring it.

Fortunately, design company Kerf have created an equally attractive solution for storing it. And if we’d never thought about a physically attractive credit card before, we sure as heck hadn’t considered 2019’s need for a $139 wooden credit card case!

Apple uploads high-res iOS 13 icon file, more to Wikipedia

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iOS 13 icon file
You can even play around with the gradient!
Photo: DylanMcD8

Apple has started uploading super high resolution copies of some of its branding materials to Wikipedia — starting with the original icon files for iOS 13.

News was shared by Twitter user and Apple developer DylanMcD8. The icon files allow users to fiddle around with details like the gradients in the iOS 13 logo.

New China tariffs could cost average U.S. household $1,000 per year

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
Apple hasn't yet revealed if it's ramping up prices.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

New tariffs on imported Chinese products in the escalating U.S. vs. China trade war could cost the average household $1,000 per year, J.P. Morgan Chase claims.

The first round of tariffs went into effect Sunday at 12:01 a.m. They mean that various products, including some Apple devices, are taxed at 15% upon entering the U.S.

iPhone security exploit allegedly used to target Uyghur Muslims

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Apple Security Jacket
Security flaw made it possible to infect iPhones using malicious code.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

An iPhone exploit which used malicious websites to hack iPhones was used to target Uyghur Muslims in China.

The security exploit was recently disclosed by Google researchers. It involved infecting users with malicious code, allowing an attacker to gain access to their phone. Apple fixed the vulnerability earlier this year, before the news was publicly shared.