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News - page 183

Apple rebrands its mixed-reality operating system as ‘xrOS’

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Apple VR/AR headset takes big step toward production
Apple's AR/VR headset is inching closer to release.
Concept: Martin Hajek/Computer Bild

Apple reportedly changed the name of the operating system that will power its upcoming mixed-reality headset. Previously referred to as “realityOS,” Apple now calls the operating system “xrOS.”

This internal change is another sign of Apple ramping up work on the headset ahead of its official launch.

Now you can customize a mechanical keyboard with Lego bricks

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Go crazy with those Lego bricks.
Go crazy with those Lego bricks.
Photo: MelGeek

Lots of people love all things Lego. Now they can use Lego bricks to create whatever design they want on the front and back of a new mechanical keyboard, the tenkeyless (TKL) MelGeek Pixel.

The Lego-friendly keyboard has surpassed its funding goal on Kickstarter, so if you buy one, it will probably ship.

This portable Apple Watch power bank turns into a nightstand

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OtterBox 2-in-1 Power Bank with Apple Watch Charger
Keep your Apple Watch juiced up for days with the travel-friendly power bank from OtterBox.
Photo: OtterBox

OtterBox merged a power bank, an Apple Watch wireless charger and a stand for the wearable into a single product. Just place the accessory on it end and it becomes a stand that juices up the Watch.

In addition, OtterBox also released on Thursday a MagSafe iPhone power bank that comes with a clip-on stand plus a car vent mount. This is joined by a foldable power bank with a built-in iPhone stand and Apple Watch charger.

All three new accessories are now available from the Apple store.

Beats Flex earbuds get savage with special-edition leopard print

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The special edition is purely a cosmetic tweak.
The special edition is purely a cosmetic tweak.
Photo: Beats

Apple-owned Beats hooked up with Japanese fashion brand Wacko Maria to release a new special-edition set of Beats Flex earbuds Friday featuring a leopard print, the companies said Thursday.

Beats Flex are the brand’s most affordable wireless earbuds. But now they pack a little more street cred.

Hubitat hub update broadens smart-device compatibility with HomeKit

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The updated hub supports HomeKit integration.
The updated hub supports HomeKit integration.
Photo: Hubitat

With a new software update to the Hubitat Elevation hub, users can bridge hundreds of Z-Wave and Zigbee devices not normally compatible with HomeKit into their Apple Home app, Hubitat said Wednesday.

The Hubitat Elevation software version 2.3.4 update brings HomeKit integration. It lets the hub serve as a bridge for “countless lights, switches, sensors and other devices that are not natively HomeKit compatible,” the company said.

Make AirPods sound like new with Belkin cleaning kit

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Make AirPods sound like new with Belkin cleaning kit
Get that yucky earwax out of your AirPods with this cleaning kit.
Photo: Belkin

Your old AirPods aren’t what they used to be. The speakers can get gummed up, degrading the audio performance. But the Belkin Cleaning Kit for AirPods can take care of the problem.

This might save you the cost of buying a new pair of Apple earbuds.

Here’s how you can help Apple in the fight against AIDS

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Here's a range of (Product) Red devices that help support the fight against AIDS.
Here's a range of (Product) Red devices that help support the fight against AIDS.
Photo: Apple

Apple recognized World AIDS Day Thursday with a reminder about how customers can join the fight to end AIDS. They can help through Product (Red) purchases, downloading and sharing new red Apple Watch faces and other means.

Purchases of Apple (Product) Red devices help support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a major nonprofit fighting HIV/AIDS worldwide.

iOS 16.1.2 aims to fix iPhone 14 Crash Detection feature

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iOS 16.1.2 aims to fix iPhone 14 Crash Detection feature
iPhone 14 Crash Detection feature should only be set off by a real crash.
Photo: Cult of Mac/Pixabay/Pexels

The new iOS 16.1.2 update is intended to make the iPhone 14 stop calling for an ambulance when the user takes a tumble. It includes “Crash Detection optimizations” according to Apple.

The update released Wednesday also makes some other tweaks so it’s worth installing on all compatible iPhones.

Take a first look at Harrison Ford in Apple TV+ comedy Shrinking

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Take a first look at Harrison Ford in Apple TV+ comedy 'Shrinking'
Jason Segel and Harrison Ford in “Shrinking,” premiering globally on January 27, 2023 on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

What if a therapist told his clients what he really thinks they should do? That’s the premise for Shrinking, a comedy starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford premiering in January on Apple TV+.

The series was written by the a co-creator of the mega-hit Ted Lasso. A teaser trailer released Wednesday gives an early taste of the fun.

We bet you haven’t seen a 3-display rig quite like this one [Setups]

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The little monitor at the bottom is the odd bit.
The little display at the bottom of the stack is the unusual bit.
Photo: [email protected]

Display towers — when monitors are stacked on top of each other — aren’t super common in computer setups. But they’re not terribly rare, either. From time to time we’ve even seen three stacked horizontally in the middle with two posted vertically on the sides. But today’s featured triple-display MacBook Pro setup sports an unusual choice at its base.

You can’t miss the 49-inch Samsung curved ultra-wide screen in the middle and the nice 34-inch LG 4K display on top. But at the bottom lurks a TidByt, which is a retro display for sports scores, stock prices and more. We don’t recall seeing one featured in a setup.

Leaked 2023 MacBook Pro benchmarks show it’ll support much more RAM

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What we're expecting from 2022 MacBook Pro with M2 Pro or M2 Max
New evidence points to the Apple M2 Max supporting much more RAM than its predecessor.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Very early benchmark scores for what is apparently the 2023 MacBook Pro show buyers will be able to configure the laptop with much more RAM. And new details on the M2 Max processor were revealed, too.

The performance scores show a modest 14% increase over the 2021 version, but benchmark scores months before the release of any computer are of limited use.

COVID lockdown lifted for primary iPhone Pro assembly plant

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Coronavirus-related shutdowns continue to disrupt Chinese factories.
After recent riots, there's hope normal operations will resume soon at Foxconn's iPhone Pro assembly plant.
Photo: Steve Jurvetson/Flickr CC

The Chinese government lifted the COVID-19 lockdown in Zhengzhou, China, the location of the Foxconn facility where most iPhone Pro models are assembled. This raises the possibility that normal operations at the facility will resume soon.

Lockdowns in the area have dramatically lowered assembly of Apple handsets… possibly by as much as 80%.

Why walking the streets of NYC with 300 iPhones is a bad idea

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Fifth Avenue Apple Store
Muggers stole 300 iPhones near the famous Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York City.
Photo: Apple

A man was robbed of 300 iPhones he’d just purchased at the famous Apple store on Fifth Avenue early Monday. He walked out of the store and was soon assaulted by a pair of criminals who drove off with a bag carrying $95,000 worth of handsets.

It could be worse, though – that was just one of the three bags full of Apple merchandise the New York City man was carrying.

Sleek new 7-in-1 USB-C dock offers dual 4K HDMI ports

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Sleek new 7-in-1 USB-C dock offers dual 4K HDMI ports
Add a pair of 4K monitors on the go with this portable USB-C dock.
Photo: Plugable

Plugable’s new USB-C dock is small enough to be mistaken a hub but has room for seven ports. And that includes dual 4K HDMI ports that can be used even with Macs that ordinarily support only one external monitor.

The USB-C HDMI Docking Station also has USB and Ethernet ports, as well as an SD card reader.

Stash your Apple Watch on the go with WaterField’s new Time Travel Case

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WaterField Designs Time Travel Case: A place for everything, and everything in its place.
The new leather Time Travel Case for Apple Watch: A place for everything, and everything in its place.
Photo: WaterField Designs

WaterField Designs’ new Time Travel Case for Apple Watch provides an elegant way to take your smartwatch, its charging puck and up to three bands on the road.

Made of full-grain leather, the folding rectangular case comes in four colors, the company said Tuesday.

Ease repetitive strain with Kensington’s new trackball mouse

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Give the repetitive strain a rest with Kensington's new trackball.
Give the repetitive strain a rest with Kensington's new trackball.
Photo: Kensington

If you’re tethered to a computer all day and start to get agonizing pain from repetitive motions, don’t panic. There are lots of ergonomic devices out there to help, including the brand new Kensington SlimBlade Pro Trackball.

It’s like a mouse, but it doesn’t move. You roll the large trackball with your palm and click on the four huge buttons with your fingers or parts of your hand. And it doesn’t matter which hand you favor.

Here comes Apple’s new Coding Lab for Kids session

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Kids can code their first app in the new Today at Apple session.
Kids can code their first app in the new Today at Apple session.
Photo: Apple

Apple said Tuesday it will expand its coding education resources with a free new Today at Apple session starting December 5. It’s “Coding Lab for Kids: Code Your First App.”

The new session celebrates and coincides with Computer Science Education Week, the company said.

Apple Music reveals chart toppers for 2022

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Apple Music noted its most popular song and artists of 2022.
Apple Music noted its most popular song and artists of 2022.
Photo: Apple Music

In addition to unveiling the redesigned Apple Music Replay 2022, Apple Music also revealed its year-end charts, showcasing the year’s top songs in various genres, most popular artists, most-common Shazam searches, most-read lyrics and more.

The streaming services noted a growing popularity of non-English-language songs and certain niche genres, plus several breakthrough artists.

Will Smith hopes Emancipation won’t be snubbed despite his ‘horrific decision’

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Will Smith hopes 'Emancipation' won't be snubbed despite his 'horrific decision'
Will Smith told Trevor Noah on The Daily Show "I lost it."
Photo: Matt Wilson/Comedy Central

Emancipation has a problem: the upcoming Apple TV+ docudrama stars Will Smith who was at the center of one of the year’s biggest Hollywood scandals, “The Slap.”

In an interview on The Daily Show, Smith said he regrets that his action at the 2022 Oscar ceremony is distracting from the work that others put into the film, especially director Antoine Fuqua.

These are Apple’s picks for the best App Store apps and games of 2022

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2021 App Store Awards
App Store award winners are going to get a physical plaque from Apple.
Photo: Apple

Apple crowned 16 apps and games as winners of its 2022 App Store Awards for “making a profound cultural impact.” The App Store’s editorial team honored apps and games on five platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

This time around, the company also selected five “Cultural Impact winners that have made a lasting impact on people’s lives and influenced culture,” Apple said in a press release Tuesday.

iPhone 15 could feature Sony’s ‘breakthrough’ camera sensor

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iPhone 14 Pro's camera module
Next year's iPhone camera could get some huge upgrades.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s 2023 iPhone 15 Pro lineup will reportedly use Sony’s new image sensor with some significant improvements. The next-gen sensor can seemingly capture more light and reduce overexposure and underexposure in challenging situations.

Sony is the primary camera sensor supplier for Apple. The change could allow the 2023 iPhones to deliver a massive leap in image quality.

Elon Musk declares war on Apple

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Elon Musk declares war on Apple over App Store rules.
1, 2, 3, 4 ... I declare a Twitter war.
Image: Steve Jurvetson/Flickr CC/Modified by Cult of Mac

Elon Musk declared war on Apple on Monday afternoon. A Twitter war, anyway. The new owner of Twitter very publicly objects to the 30% fee the iPhone-maker claims from purchases made through the iPhone software store, and also says Apple has threatened to pull the Twitter app from the App Store. He also asked, “Do they [Apple] hate free speech in America?”

An open conflict with Apple is a risky move by Musk, as Twitter needs Apple much more than Apple needs Twitter.

Apple tests iPhone bug-fix system that doesn’t require full iOS updates

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Apple tests iPhone bug-fix system that doesn't require iOS updates
In the future, expect Rapid Security Responses from Apple for iOS, macOS and iPadOS.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A second round of ‘Rapid Security Response’ bug patches for the iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 betas were seeded to developers and other beta testers on Monday. At this point, Apple is testing the system for distributing these by releasing them for beta versions of the operating systems.

Once testing is over, these will allow Apple to fix security problems without releasing a full OS update.