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Future smartphone case is designed to look (and act) just like human skin

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Future smartphone case is designed to look (and act) just like human skin
Get ready for some strange looks when you answer your phone in public.
Photo: Marc Teyssier

Had enough of your regular smartphone protective case? Soon, you might be able to go full David Cronenberg body horror and get your hands on one that looks like it’s fashioned out of human skin.

Okay, so that gross description of the work of researchers at Telecom Paris is only partially accurate. Yes, it’s a design that is going to freak out a few people. However, there’s also some pretty nifty tech involved. Here’s what it can do.

This virtually unbreakable 3-in-1 charging hub does it all

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Elago-charging-hub
Lightweight, portable, and virtually unbreakable.
Photo: Elago

If you need a charging hub that you can take with you everywhere, you want one that’s going to survive every trip. And you want one that charges all your devices simultaneously.

What you really want is the Elago 3-in-1 charging hub. It tops up your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods — and it’s virtually unbreakable. It’s also a steal at just $30 with free shipping.

Apple AR is already here, and you’re probably wearing it right now [Opinion]

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Apple AR already surrounds us.
Apple’s AR already surrounds us.
Photo: Drew Graham/Unsplash

“Apple is all-in on augmented reality. But where will it lead?” That’s a pretty standard view of Apple’s experiments with visual AR, aka overlaying virtual objects onto the real world, via the iPhone’s camera and screen.

But Apple is already providing a fully immersive AR overlay onto the real world, to millions of users — only it isn’t using a screen. AirPods are augmented reality. They are also a part of a new computing paradigm that Apple snuck into the world without telling anybody. This paradigm currently consists of AirPods, iPhone, Apple Watch and the HomePod. And it is as discreet and low-key as it is important.

iOS 13 reaches more than half of all iPhones in first month

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ios13
Users can't wait to get their hands on iOS 13.
Photo: Apple

iOS 13 is now running on an impressive 55% of all iPhone models introduced in the last four years. It has taken less than a month for adoption to reach that figure. And it puts iOS 13 on par with iOS 12.

iPadOS, now its very own operating system, has reached 41% of all iPads introduced during the same time period.

How to fix a stuck iOS software update

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iPhone ios stuck update
Press a button while updating to see this message.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

iOS updates usually prove pretty reliable. Even during the buggy beta phase of a new iOS version, the updates themselves usually run without a hitch. But sometimes they do get stuck. Or they seem like they got stuck.

Here’s how to tell the difference between those two scenarios. And, if your iOS update really did hang, what to do about it.

Goldman Sachs CEO calls Apple Card ‘most successful credit-card launch ever’

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Apple Card’s ‘elite card’ status is hitting retailers in the wallet
Apple Card demand is through the roof.
Photo: Apple

Apple Card is off to smashing start, according to Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon.

During an earnings call this morning, Solomon updated investors on the status of Apple Card which launched in the US in August. Despite some skeptics worrying about Apple Card’s profitability, Solomon claims Apple Card is “the most successful credit-card launch ever.”

Why can’t you turn off Personal Hotspot in iOS 13?

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Personal hotspot
No, not that kind of hot spot.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

iOS 13 isn’t just about exciting new bugs. Apple did a lot of cleaning up and moving things around in its latest mobile operating system. One big, behind-the-scenes feature change comes in the iPhone’s Personal Hotspot. You can no longer turn it off. Or rather, you haven’t been able to turn it off for a while now. It’s just that iOS 13 finally makes it explicit.

However, this doesn’t mean your iPhone will constantly broadcast its hotspot status, or that it will run down your battery. In fact, this feature is now easier to understand, and more sensibly described, than ever. Here’s what the Personal Hotspot changes in iOS 13 mean.

Apple aims to deploy its own 5G modem in iPhones by 2022

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2020 could be Apple's greatest year so far
Source says that this is an extremely aggressive timeline.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly plans to deploy its own 5G modems in iPhones by 2022. This “very aggressive” timeline will require Apple to carry out development, testing and certification.

Until then, Apple will use 5G modems developed by Qualcomm. After years of legal battling, the two companies put aside their differences earlier this year. Apple will likely ship its first 5G iPhone next year.

Stand+Dock brings iPhone, AirPods together for tidy charging [Review]

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Zens-Stand-Dock-white
A spectacularly simple charging solution.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Clear the clutter on your bedside table with the Zens Stand+Dock. This stunning charger tops up iPhone and AirPods simultaneously and eliminates messy cables that are forever in your way.

A built-in USB port on its base also allows you to charge a third device — like your Apple Watch. And with up to 20W of power output, there’s more than enough to go around.

Here’s why we love the Zens Stand+Dock.

More than 8 out of 10 U.S. teens own an iPhone

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Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
And even more want to own one!
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

More than 8 out of 10 teens have an iPhone, a new piece of research by analysts at Piper Jaffray claims.

The “Taking Stock with Teens” report notes that 83% of teenagers own an Apple handset. That’s the highest rate since Piper Jaffray began tracking this information. Last year, the report claimed that 82% owned an iPhone.

New York City uses Israeli tools to crack into locked iPhones

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GrayKey can bypass iPhone security
iPhone security is no match for Cellebrite.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Law enforcement agents in New York City have been cracking into locked iPhones since January 2018, according to a new report.

Agencies are using a tool called Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED) that’s developed by Israeli firm Cellebrite. It is said to have cost at least $200,000 and allows a full file system extraction.

iPhone 11 will help Apple overtake Huawei in Q4 shipments

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iPhone-11-vs-XS
Coronavirus is starting to have a big impact on Apple.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Strong demand for the iPhone 11 lineup could help Apple overtake Huawei in smartphone shipments during the fourth quarter of 2019.

Huawei has been clinging onto second place in global smartphone shipments since it leapfrogged Apple in early 2018. But iPhone 11 is selling so well that Apple just had to increase orders by 10%.

How to use the Apple Watch to snap remote selfies

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Apple Watch camera remote
Apple Watch camera remote inception.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch is an amazing fitness tracker, and a pretty good notification device. But it has other tricks — tricks that you maybe didn’t know about, or didn’t realize would be quite as useful as they are. One is the Camera app. The Apple Watch doesn’t have its own camera, but it does give you remote control of your iPhone’s camera.

This lets you trigger the camera’s shutter, or record a video, from anywhere in range of your iPhone’s Bluetooth radio. Why? Group self-portraits, without having to set the timer and run back to your friends in time to smile. Videos: I used the video camera function just this week to record my progress for my guitar teacher. Like I said, it might be more useful than you’d expect.

Here’s how to use the Apple Watch camera remote.

Apple doubles investment to save struggling display-maker

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Apple may buy factory belonging to struggling Apple display-maker
Apple may buy factory belonging to struggling Apple display-maker
Photo: Apple

Apple has reportedly doubled its investment in struggling iPhone screen-maker Japan Display (JDI).

CEO Minoru Kikuoka expects the deal to be completed this month. It comes after an ¥80 billion ($750 million) bailout deal fell through in late September when the largest investor pulled its funding.

Reliable source says there will be no ‘iPhone 11S’ in 2020

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iPhone-11-red
Customers can't get enough of iPhone 11.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple will not release an “iPhone 11S” in 2020, according to one reliable analyst.

Cupertino is instead expected to name its next-generation smartphone — which will launch next September — the “iPhone 12.” This could mean a big break from tradition going forward.

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.

What you need to know about Dark Mode on iOS 13

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Dark Mode on iPadOS
Dark Mode is available in iPadOS too.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone finally joined the dark side with the new Dark Mode feature introduced in iOS 13. Apple delighted fans who have been clamoring for the feature for years — and it appears the wait has been worth it.

After using Dark Mode, I don’t think I’ll be going back to the bright white iOS interface anytime soon. Apple poured a bunch of thought into Dark Mode so that it does more than just make everything black.