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Apple soaks Google to sit in Safari’s sweet spot

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Google
Google pays a hefty sum to stay the default Safari search engine, making a real contribution to Apple’s bottom line.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

With sales of iPhones plateauing, money from its Services sector is playing an increasing role in Apple’s bottom line. There’s a significant source of this type of revenue many might not expect: arch-rival Google.

As part of its advertising business, Google pays Apple a huge sum every year to stay the default search engine in the Safari web browser. And it’s expected to grow.

Apple takes heat over Saudi app that tracks women

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Saudi government app
A Saudi man can use a government app to restrict the travel of his wife or daughter.
Screenshot: iTunes

A U.S. senator is asking Apple and Google to pull an app in Saudi Arabia that men use to track and restrict the movements of women.

Sen. Ron Wyden wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google boss Sundar Pichai asking them to “immediately remove” the app Absher, from their app stores.

Why iPads and MacBook Pros drive us nuts [Cult of Mac Magazine No. 282]

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The iPad Pro is almost perfect. Almost.
The iPad Pro is almost perfect. Almost.
Cover: Marty Cortinas/Cult of Mac

We love Apple products. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be even better. In this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine, you’ll get the lowdown on our pet peeves about working with the iPad and MacBook Pro.

Plus, get some killer tips for boosting your Google searches (and learn how to ad stickers to your next “megaselfie”). Read up on the rest of the week’s best Apple news, reviews and how-tos in the latest issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s yours for free in the iOS app store now.

How to search your Google search history

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Google is watching, all the time. Turn it to your advantage.
Google is watching, all the time. Turn it to your advantage.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

How many time have you tried to remember that site where you read that thing last week? A million, probably. And how many times have you found it? Less than a million, for sure. But did you know that you can use Google to search only sites that you have visited?

You can, and it’s awesome.

How to search Google Images like a boss

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You can probably find this photo on Google’s advanced image searchV
You can probably find this photo using Google's advanced image search.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Last week we saw how to use Google’s search operators to narrow a search and get exactly what you want, just by adding a few words to your search string. Today we’ll check out the Google’s Advanced Image Search, which is just as handy, only for pictures

Apple briefly regains place as most valuable public company

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Tim Cook talks diversity, sustainability, and coming out as gay
Apple was back at the top of the mountain yesterday!
Photo: Apple

For a long time, Apple stock was predictable in the way that 1980s Mike Tyson was predictable: steamrolling through challengers as it firmly held onto its status as all-conquering champion.

That changed last year as Apple’s market cap fell behind Amazon, Google, and even old rival Microsoft. But yesterday, for a few moments, it climbed back to the top of the mountain as the world’s most valuable company once again. For a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, that is!

How to search Google like a boss

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Google search operators
Search like a pro with Google search operators.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

For many folks, Google is the front page of the internet. You don’t type Facebook.com into your browser. You just type “Facebook,” and then click the first Google result. Or you do a basic search by tapping in what you’re looking for.

But Google is way more powerful than that. You just have to learn a few of its secret code words, and then you can slice and dice your searches like a pro. No more wading through pages of results to find what you want. Use these tricks, and you’ll almost always get what you want on the first page. You can even ask Google to show you the weather.

Apple restores functionality to Google and Facebook’s internal apps

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Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade
Apple broke Facebook and Google's internal apps this week.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Having apparently proved its point, Apple has restored its access to enterprise certificates for both Facebook and Google, essentially un-breaking their internal apps.

In a statement to the New York Times‘ Mike Isaac, Facebook confirmed that Facebook is currently “in the process” of returning its internal apps to working order. Google, meanwhile, confirmed to Bloomberg that it was, “working with Apple to fix a temporary disruption to some of our corporate iOS apps.”

Apple breaks Google’s internal apps for privacy violations

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Google
Apple is on a ban-spree!
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Google’s internal apps have been completely disabled from running on iPhone’s and iPads today by Apple.

The move comes one day after Facebook’s internal apps suffered the same fate when Apple revoked the social network’s enterprise certificates that allowed them to install apps without going through the App Store. Without the certificates, Google is unable to test beta builds of its iOS apps.

Apple just broke all of Facebook’s internal apps

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Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade
Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple just dealt Facebook a serious blow in retaliation for the social network’s recently pulled VPN app that was paying teens to take all their data from phones.

Facebook’s internal iOS apps no longer work after Apple revoked the certifications need to install the apps on employee’s iPhones. Everything from early builds of Facebook, Messenger and Instagram won’t even open. Even simple tools like a lunch menu are currently broken.

Gmail is getting a big redesign on Android and iOS

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Gmail redesign Android iOS
Meet the new Gmail for mobile.
Photo: Google

Google’s official Gmail app is getting a fancy new redesign on Android and iOS.

The fresh lick of paint won’t just make Gmail look better; it will also come with new features and tweaks that will make it quicker and easier to use, as well as phishing alerts for dodgy emails.

Google shames iPhone’s low-light performance in new Pixel 3 ad

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Pixel 3 Night Sight
The Pixel 3 destroys iPhone in low-light performance.
Photo: Google

Google is shaming the iPhone’s low-light performance once again in new marketing material for its Pixel 3 lineup.

One company VP shared comparison photos on Twitter that highlight (no pun intended) the Pixel 3’s incredible ability to capture dark scenes. The results simply aren’t possible on an iPhone — or any other handset on sale today.

iPhone is tech reporter’s first line of defense against data vampires

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iPhone data privacy
Data privacy comes with the price.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

The New York Times investigative reporter Nick Confessore has covered data privacy long enough to make the iPhone his smartphone of choice.

His take on data-hungry Android phones is damning enough to make anybody switch to an iPhone. He also offers other tips for keeping your data as safe as possible these days. Unfortunately, that’s not very safe at all, according to Confessore.

Facebook could merge WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger by 2020

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Facebook messaging apps
Mark Zuckerberg was to integrate Facebook-owned, Instagram, WhatsApp and messenger.
Photo: Facebook

Facebook will merge its messaging apps, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, by 2020 under a new plan ordered by CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Under the plan, the three apps will remain separate but integration would allow an Instagram user to directly chat with someone on Messenger.

Google nabs senior macOS engineer for Fuchsia OS project

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Google Fuchsia OS
Fuchsia OS will power everything.
Photo: Google

Google has poached senior macOS engineer Bill Stevenson to help build its upcoming Fuchsia OS.

Stevenson will make the switch in February after spending 14 years at Apple, where his most recent role was senior manager for Mac and Windows program management.

How to stop Google from tracking your clicks

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Stop the madness
Stop! The! Madness!
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Whenever you click a link in a Google search, it replaces the URL of the site with a tracking URL. If you hover over a link with your mouse before you click it, Safari will show you the full URL of that link. It’s a great way to check where you’re about to get sent. Google plays along with this, showing you the proper URL for the link in question.

Only when you actually click on it, it swaps out that link, replacing it with its own tracking link.

Fortunately, there’s a way to block this sneaky, underhanded and totally unsurprising behavior.

Google Maps now helps you dodge speeding tickets while driving

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Google Maps speed traps
You won’t miss those speed traps with Google Maps.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Google Maps now shows you speed limits and speed traps while you’re driving in several countries around the world.

Google started testing the feature a couple of years ago, but only in the San Francisco Bay Area and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Now it is expanding its on both Android and iOS.

Microsoft tells Windows phone users to get an iPhone

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windows phone
Goodbye, Windows Phone.
Photo: Ste Smith/CultofMac

Microsoft’s mobile operating system, Windows Phone, is officially dead.

After failing to compete with iOS and Android, Microsoft is now advising users of Windows Phone to go out and buy an iPhone before the end of the year.

App Store made almost twice as much as Google Play in 2018

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App Store
Apple apps no longer dominate App Store search results.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The App Store raked in almost twice as much revenue as Google Play in 2018, despite significantly fewer downloads.

Google’s marketplace did enjoy a 27.3 percent rise in gross app revenue year-over-year — a larger rise than Apple’s — but iOS remains the most lucrative platform for developers by far.

First HomeKit-enabled video doorbell gets launch date

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The industrial finish on the ProLine HomeKit video doorbell looks gorgeous.
The industrial finish on the ProLine video doorbell looks gorgeous.
Photo: Robin Telecom Development

The first HomeKit-compatible video doorbell finally has a launch date in the USA, giving iPhone lovers an alternative to Amazon’s Ring doorbell and Nest Cam from Google.

Robin Telecom Development — a tech hardware company from the Netherlands — revealed today that its ProLine Doorbell will launch in over 50 countries on January 31, but people in the USA and Canada will have to wait until February 28.

FAANG stocks are bouncing back — except Apple

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apple earnings
"I think what Tessa’s saying is that you haven’t bounced back."
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

FAANG stocks suffered a massive dip before the holidays, wiping out $1 trillion in combined value. Now they’re bouncing back — with one notable Apple-shaped exception.

While Facebook, Google, Netflix and Amazon have all gained between 10.7 percent and a massive 50 percent since Christmas Eve, Apple is severely lagging. It’s up just 5.5 percent over the same period.

Apple puts big Facebook critic in charge of privacy practices

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Apple
Apple is serious about keeping your personal data safe.
Photo: Apple

One of Facebook’s biggest critics is teaming up with Apple, which as it turns out, has also been one of Facebook’s biggest critics lately.

Former Facebook employee Sandy Parakilas has reportedly been hired by Apple. Instead of levying criticism at Facebook though, Parakilas has reportedly been hired to help Apple examine its own privacy policies.

Apple trolls Google with giant billboard at CES 2019

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Apple
Apple is serious about keeping your personal data safe.
Photo: Apple

CES 2019 bugApple’s not letting CES 2019 pass without making its presence felt.

The biggest companies in tech have descended on Las Vegas this week for CES 2019. Apple is one of the few holdouts not in attendance but that hasn’t stopped the company from sending a huge message to its competitors and customers by posting a giant billboard above the city of Las Vegas.

Pixel 3 camera proves its might in DxOMark test

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Pixel 3 camera
The Pixel 3 camera has an eye on the competition.
Photo: Google

The iPhone XR is the best single-camera smartphone on the market.

Well, it was for about two weeks. The XR now shares the mantle with Google’s Pixel 3.

Google’s new flagship handset achieved the same ranking as the iPhone XR by the engineers who test mobile phone cameras for DxOMark Image Labs.

Proposed privacy legislation outlaws some Google business practices

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Apple takes privacy seriously
A statement on Apple’s stance toward privacy is baked into iOS.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) published a draft privacy bill this morning that proposes making it harder for companies to track people’s location or collect biometric information about them. 

Apple is a top donor to the CDT, and the company has taken a strong stance on protecting user’s privacy.