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Mac - page 39

Apple seeds fourth macOS Mojave beta to developers

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macOs Mojave
macOS Mojave's dynamic wallpapers are gorgeous.
Photo: Apple

The fourth beta of macOS Mojave is already here after Apple seeded a new update of the upcoming Mac update to developers this morning.

macOS Mojave is the first of Apple’s big 2018 software updates to get a fourth beta build. The company came out with iOS 12 beta 3 and macOS Mojave beta 3 less than two weeks ago, but some fresh fixes for the Mojave build is already here.

PC shipments are finally back on the rise

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MacBook butterfly keyboard
A new petition accuses the MacBook 'butterfly' keyboard of failing when a single speck gets in the wrong place.
Photo: Apple

Worldwide personal computer shipments are finally making a comeback after a six-year slump in sales.

The latest report from Gartner estimates that during the second quarter of 2018 PC shipments finally grew year-over-year for the first time since the first quarter of 2012. With 1.4% overall growth for the market, PC makers have a lot to be happy about, and Apple’s shipment numbers were some of the best in the bunch.

Fallen trees make gorgeous wooden iMac stands

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Understands
This old tree turns a new leaf to organize your iMac workstation.
Photo: Understands

Mike Fisher makes a living getting old, fallen trees ready for a new life in the technology sector.

The woodworker, with a shop in the “Forest City” of Rockford, Illinois, makes wooden iMac stands and shelves out fallen ash and walnut trees.

Apple back-to-school promo means free Beats for students

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Beats promo
Beats and MacBooks Pros are a great combo.
Photo: Apple

Apple is back with a new back to school promotion that hooks students up with free or discounted pair of Beats headphones.

The 2018 promo is pretty similar to last year’s deal. Only instead of only being available in North America initially, this year Apple launched it simultaneously in the US, Mexico, Canada, EU and Asian countries.

New Mac mini and cheaper MacBook might finally land this fall

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Mac Mini
A new Mac Mini is finally on the way!
Photo: Apple

Apple is preparing to unleash some huge upgrades across its entire product line this fall, according to one of the most reliable analysts in the game.

Mac fans hoping for upgrades will be pleased to hear that the long-neglected Mac mini and iMac are set to get some much-needed updates, based on analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s latest report. And most of Apple’s other products are going to get some love this fall, too.

Apple users immune to Fortnite hack malware

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Fortnite mobile controller
You can now play at 120Hz on iPad Pro.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Fortnite’s staggering rise in popularity has inevitably attracted a large number of cheaters who use third-party hacks to gain an in-game advantage.

The hacks they’re using help them aim faster, fire their weapons quicker, and even slow down enemy players. They’re also spreading malware all over the web.

It’s thought tens of thousands of Fortnite players have been affected, but you have nothing to worry about if you play on Mac or iOS.

Sony may change its stupid stance on Fortnite cross-play for PS4

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Fortnite Wingman Starter Pack
Yes, you'll need a Samsung to play Fortnite for Android.
Photo: Epic Games

You might soon be able to team up with friends on PlayStation 4 when playing Fortnite on rival consoles.

Sony has finally said that it is exploring the possibilities of a cross-play “solution” that it hopes will make everyone happy. Microsoft and Nintendo are already allowing gamers to play together, regardless of the device they’re using.

Apple’s free Schoolwork app is ready for the classroom

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Apple Schoowork app
Students and teachers can start using Schoolwork today.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s free Schoolwork app, which lets students and teachers collaborate on school assignments, is available now.

Schoolwork makes it easy to create assignments, take advantage of third-party apps for learning, and view student progress. It will work alongside the Classroom app to provide teachers around the world with the tools they need to “enhance the learning experience.”

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance for Mac killed by bad DRM

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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
There is no workaround.
Photo: Konami

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance can no longer be enjoyed on Mac after the studio that ported the game to macOS shut down.

Transgaming decided it would be a good idea to protect the title with DRM that required a constant online connection to one of its own servers to confirm the game was genuine. Now that those servers are no longer available, the game is worthless.

How to make automatic, local, Time-Machine-style backups of your iPhone

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Set and forget.
Set and forget.
Photo: Cult of Mac

iCloud backups are just about the best thing ever. Not only is all your data safe if your iPhone is lost, or dies, but you can also use it to setup a new iPhone with minimal fuss. But iCloud is in the cloud, and local backups also have their uses. For instance, maybe you don’t like the idea of all your data on someone else’s computer? Or perhaps you just want double-protection in case you can’t access iCloud some time.

Or maybe you just have slow internet, or you’re on a long trip away and there’s no Wi-Fi, only data-capped cellular?

For the Mac there’s Time Machine, which automatically makes incremental backups. For iOS, you can use iMazing, a multi-purpose Mac app which can backup your iPhone or iPad to your Mac, and do it automatically, and wirelessly, so it should be as seamless as Time Machine or iCloud Backups. Let’s see it in action.

One of Mac’s best Finder features is now on Windows PC

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QuickLook for Windows 10
Preview files before you open them with QuickLook for Windows 10.
Photo: Paddy Xu

It’s okay to use a PC alongside your Mac, but you’ll find that some of the best macOS features aren’t available in Windows. One of those is Finder’s awesome preview function, but you don’t have to live without it.

QuickLook is a free app that brings the same preview feature to Windows 10’s File Explorer.

Apple Maps suffers widespread search and directions outage [UPDATED]

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Apple Maps outage
Save us, Google Maps!
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Good luck finding your way with Apple Maps today.

The service is suffering a widespread outage that is preventing many users from using search or directions. The problem seems to be affecting iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac users around the world, but Apple says all services are operating normally.

UPDATE: As of Friday afternoon, whatever the earlier problem was, this service appears to be working normally again.

‘Behind the Mac’ ads tell the stories of real Apple users

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Apple ad campaign
Legally blind photographer Bruce Hall is one of the many people who use Macs.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s latest ad campaign focuses on how the Mac can be used by regular people to create music, make art, develop apps and more.

Like classic Apple campaigns such as the “Switch” ads of the early 2000s, or the long-running “Shot on iPhone” ads, the “Behind the Mac” ads focus on real Apple users — thereby making them feel more authentic. They also embrace Apple’s accessibility push, demonstrated through stories like legally blind photographer Bruce Hall, who uses Apple devices.

Check them out below.

OMFG the Mac’s Calculator has always had a paper tape

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You are the operator of a pocket calculator. The Mac calculator paper tape function is a hidden hoot.
You are the operator of a pocket calculator.
Photo: Jim Champion/Flickr CC

If you don’t already know it, then this tip is about to blow your mind. It’s the paper roll for the Mac’s Calculator app, which has been a feature since, like, forever. You may have been using the Calculator since the very beginnings of Mac OS X, and yet you may still have never seen it.

There’s an old proverb: “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is today.” That totally applies to the Mac Calculator’s paper toll. Let’s check it out.

Apple Support app for iOS hits 20 new countries

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Apple Support
The Apple Support app makes it easy to get help on iOS.
Photo: Apple

The official Apple Support app for iOS has expanded its reach to 20 new countries and regions.

Free to download, the app provides users with technical support for Mac, iOS, and other Apple devices. It also provides the option to call, chat, or email an Apple Support representative.

iOS 12 is scary good at learning your schedule

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iOS 12
Siri Shortcuts in iOS 12 are super-useful.
Photo: Apple

Apple fans that have been complaining for years that Siri is dumb might be a little creeped out by how much better the digital assistant is in iOS 12.

With the new Siri suggestions Apple introduced this week, your iPhone will now be able to prompt you about events you haven’t even told it about. One developer posted his experience of Siri learning about a lunch just through iMessage.

Prepare to be impressed:

macOS Mojave changes spell doom for indie Mac games

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Steamcrate game subscription offer
Apple is making life a lot harder for smaller game studios.
Photo: Cult of Mac

A big change Apple is making with macOS Mojave could make it more difficult for indie developers to build cross-platform games.

Apple is pushing game creators to drop OpenGL in favor of its own Metal API, which isn’t supported by third-party platforms. It may mean smaller game development teams are forced to choose between releasing on macOS or other operating systems.