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Rajesh Pandey - page 26

How to spot fake AirPods

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Real ... or fake? How to tell if AirPods are fake.
Ensure your AirPods are the real deal.
Image: Cult of Mac

Fake AirPods are a bigger problem than you might think. With so many legit-looking AirPods clones floating around, it can prove difficult to spot counterfeit earbuds.

However, you can take several steps to see if the AirPods you are contemplating buying — or that you already bought — are genuine Apple products.

iOS 18 beta 6: All the new features and changes

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iOS 18 beta 6: All the changes
iOS 18 is another beta closer to release.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Since WWDC24, Apple has released five developer beta builds of iOS 18 every two weeks. The company has now switched to a weekly beta release cycle. iOS 18 beta 6 is here, packing some minor changes as Apple focuses on squashing all the bugs.

You can find all the new features and minor enhancements in iOS 18 beta 6 below.

Apple unlikely to charge for Apple Intelligence anytime soon

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Apple Intelligence at WWDC24
Apple Intelligence should remain free for use until 2027.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple does not plan to charge for Apple Intelligence in the next three years. Apparently, the company wants to add more advanced AI features before charging for it.

The Cupertino giant did not talk about eventually charging for Apple Intelligence during its unveiling at WWDC24 earlier this year.

Spotify, Epic Games call Apple’s latest EU App Store changes ‘confusing’

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Apple App Store NOT
Spotify and Epic Games CEO are not happy with Apple's latest App Store changes.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Spotify and Epic Games have criticized Apple for its latest App Store fee and external linking changes in the EU. They claim Apple has again disregarded the “fundamental requirements” of the Digital Markets Act.

On August 8, 2024, Apple announced new EU App Store policies to comply with the Digital Markets Act. This follows the European Commission’s June ruling that Apple violated the act’s steering rules.

Chargeasap Zeus 280W: A GaN charger for all your needs [Review] ★★★★☆

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Chargeasap Zeus 280W charger★★★★☆
This GaN charger has all the power you'll ever need
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

You can find plenty of multiport GaN chargers to help charge your Apple devices on the go. But things get a bit complicated if you want a power brick that can fast charge multiple MacBooks at once. Chargeasap solved this problem with its Zeus 280W power adapter, which the company calls the “world’s first and smallest 280W charger.”

So, what makes the Zeus 280W special? For starters, it can fast charge two 16-inch MacBook Pros at once, a feat that only a few other power bricks can match. Our review will help you decide if this 280W powerhouse is worth buying instead of other GaN chargers.

macOS Sequoia removes handy shortcut to bypass Gatekeeper security

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macOS Sequoia features
macOS Sequoia further tightens the grip on non-notarized Mac apps.
Photo: Apple

Apple will make bypassing Gatekeeper’s runtime protection harder in macOS Sequoia by doing away with a handy shortcut that allows Mac users to avoid security restrictions for software that doesn’t come from the App Store.

The company announced this change Tuesday following the release of macOS Sequoia public beta 3.

MacBook Pro and Mac mini’s M4 upgrade coming later this year

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M4 MacBook Pros could debut before the end of 2024.
MacBook Pros might be the first to get the M4 upgrade.
Photo: Apple

Apple will reportedly launch M4-powered MacBooks and iMacs later this year. But the company will wait until 2025 to refresh its entire Mac lineup with its latest M-series chip.

The MacBook Air and other high-end desktop Macs will reportedly get their M4 upgrade next year.

iPhone 17’s front camera could get a 24MP upgrade

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All 2025 iPhone 17 models might have ProMotion, always-on screens
Get ready for a selfie camera upgrade in the iPhone 17 series.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple could use 24MP front cameras across its iPhone 17 lineup in 2025. This will even include the rumored new “iPhone 17 Slim,” which supposedly will stand out with its sleek and slim design.

As per a new analyst report, the new selfie camera might use a six-element plastic lens.

Apple could have another record year in India in 2024

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Apple BKC with Apple logo upfront.
iPhone shipments might grow by as much as 20% in India this year.
Photo: Apple

Apple could have another bump year in India, with its revenue reaching nearly $10 billion. iPhones will account for most of this, with projected sales of around $8.2 billion.

Revenue from non-iPhone devices should also set a new record this year.

Apple in talks with the EU and China for Apple Intelligence rollout

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Apple Intelligence at WWDC24
Apple wants to clear the regulatory hurdles to bring Apple Intelligence to China and the EU.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple is working with regulators to bring Apple Intelligence to China and the EU. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook revealed this in response to an investor’s question during the company’s Q3 earnings call.

Cook said the company aims to “move as fast we can” to bring Apple Intelligence features to everyone.

iPhone 16 Pro Max looks stealthy in leaked black titanium shade

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iPhone 16 Pro Max alleged color options
iPhone 16 Pro Max could get a true black finish.
Photo: Sonny Dickson

Just a day after the alleged iPhone 16 color options leaked, we now have our first glimpse of the potential iPhone 16 Pro Max colors. Apple apparently will offer its upcoming Pro iPhones in at least three shades: white, black and titanium.

Unlike in the past, it appears the company will finally adopt a deep black shade for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, giving it a stealthy look.

iPhone 16 could come in these 5 colors

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Alleged iPhone 16 dummy units
Here's your first look at the iPhone 16's possible color options.
Photo: Sonny Dickson

Alleged iPhone 16 dummy units showing off the rear panel’s design and color options leaked in all their glory Tuesday. The picture suggests Apple will return to an iPhone 12-like vertical camera setup on its upcoming non-pro iPhones.

They also show the iPhone 16 in five colors, including pink and mint green shades.

M3 MacBook Pro finally gains dual external display support

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M3 MacBook Pro multi-display support
You can now drive dual external displays with the M3 MacBook Pro.
Photo: Apple

Apple has finally added dual external display support to the M3 MacBook Pro, nine months after its release. The latest macOS Sonoma 14.6 update enables this feature.

After the update, M3 MacBook Pro users can run two external displays simultaneously, albeit with the lid closed.

Apple wants to make iPhone 16 Pro in India

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iPhone 16 rumors
'Made in India' iPhone 16 Pro units could soon be a reality.
Photo: Sonny Dickson/Cult of Mac

Apple will reportedly start assembling iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max units in India later this year. So far, the company has only assembled non-Pro iPhones in the country.

This move would be a big step in Apple’s increased manufacturing presence in India. It would also help further diversify the company’s supply chain away from China.

MacBook Air vs. Surface Laptop 7: Time to ditch macOS for Windows?

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M3 MacBook Air vs. Surface Laptop 7
How does the Surface Laptop compare to the MacBook Air?
Photo/Graphics: Apple/Microsoft/Rajesh Pandey/CultofMac

In late 2020, the switch to Apple silicon introduced a major leap in the MacBook Air’s performance, efficiency and battery life. Almost four years later, Microsoft’s Surface Laptop lineup is undergoing a similar transition.

The latest Surface Laptop 7 uses Qualcomm’s newest Arm-based Snapdragon chips, which bring a major leap in performance and efficiency. Do these upgrades make the Surface Laptop 7 better than the M3 MacBook Air?

Apple could start assembling iPads in India soon

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M4 iPad Pro in hand
Foxconn wants to make iPads in India.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple manufacturer Foxconn wants to expand its operations in India and assemble iPads in the country, potentially at its Sriperumbudur facility in Tamil Nadu.

Currently, Apple contractors Foxconn, Pegatron and Tata Group only assemble iPhones in India.

WhatsApp surpasses 100 million monthly active users in the US

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WhatsApp logo
WhatsApp is becoming a viable iMessage alternative in the US.
Image: WhatsApp

WhatsApp announced today that it has reached 100 million monthly active users in the US. This comes just a few months after the messaging service revealed that it is seeing double-digit growth in the US.

Despite over two billion people using WhatsApp worldwide, it has a limited US presence. However, the Meta-owned company has been working on expanding its presence in the region.

Apple’s in-house 5G modem could finally debut on next year’s iPhones

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The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads.
The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple could finally move away from Qualcomm modems as soon as 2025. The company reportedly plans to use its in-house 5G modem on two iPhones due to launch next year.

The company’s in-house baseband will debut on the iPhone SE 4, which rumors indicate should launch in Q1 2025. The iPhone 17 ‘Slim’ will follow suit in the third quarter of the year.

iPhone 17 camera could get DSLR-like variable aperture

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iPhone 17 leaks, specs and price
iPhone 17 could get a variable aperture system for the primary camera.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple could add a variable aperture to the iPhone 17’s primary camera. A variable aperture, commonly found in DSLRs and other high-end cameras, would allow the sensor to limit the light intake for higher-quality images.

It also would enable a better depth-of-field effect, with a nice background blur when taking close-up shots of a subject.

iOS 18: All the Safari improvements

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Safari app shortcut on iOS 18 dock
Safari is getting some big improvements in iOS 18.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Apple is updating Safari this year for a cleaner, faster web browsing experience on iPhones, iPads and Macs. While the enhanced Reader mode and Highlights stand out as key additions to Safari in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, several other changes will come to Apple’s web browser as well.

Below we’ll look at all the improvements coming to Safari later this year.

Apple denies using YouTube videos for training Apple Intelligence

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Screenshot of Apple introducing Apple Intelligence during the WWDC24 keynote.
No, Apple Intelligence is not trained on YouTube videos.
Photo: Apple

Apple has rejected reports of training Apple Intelligence and its AI model on YouTube videos without the creators’ consent. The company says OpenELM, its open language model, does not power Apple Intelligence.

Instead, it created OpenELM as a way to contribute to the development of open source large language models.

Apple details products eligible for sales tax holiday in 8 states

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Apple sales tax free holiday in 2024
For a limited time, save on sales tax on certain Apple products.
Photo: Apple

With eight states running sales tax holidays in coming weeks, Apple specified on Wednesday which of its products will qualify for tax-exempt status and in which states. The sale dates vary depending on the state, with the tax waiver helping consumers potentially save hundreds of dollars on Macs, iPads and Apple accessories.

Find out which states offer the discounts, and on what products, below.

iOS 18’s Photos app will help recover corrupted pictures and videos

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iOS 18 Photos app with a full-screen “Today” group of images
The new Photos app in iOS 18 will scan for corrupted pictures and videos.
Photo: Apple

iOS 18’s redesigned Photos app will gain a Recovered album to help you restore damaged photos or videos. It will only show up when the app detects corrupted media not in your photo library.

The new Recovered album will appear under the Utilities section of the Photos app.

Apple sales in India soar 33% to hit a record high

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Apple BKC with Apple logo upfront.
Apple sales hit a new high in India.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s revenue in India hit an all-time high of nearly $8 billion in the last fiscal year. The company reported a 33% jump in revenues, up from $6 billion a year ago.

iPhones led the growth, accounting for over half of all Apple devices sold in India.