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News - page 249

Apple teams up with LG to build foldable iPad and MacBook devices

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An iPhone concept shows a realistic folding iPhone design
Just don't expect to see one any time soon.
Image: ConceptsiPhone

Apple is said to be collaborating with LG on new foldable iPad and MacBook models with flexible OLED displays. LG is already gearing up to supply similar displays to HP for a foldable laptop scheduled to launch this year.

The report corroborates earlier claims from one display analyst, who claims Apple is exploring foldable/rollable display technologies for future devices. It warned, however, that a foldable iPhone won’t come until 2025 at the earliest.

Avengers assemble! Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans will reunite in Apple TV+ film

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Apollo 11 wallpaper
Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans are set to star in Project Artemis, a film about the 20th century’s space race.
Photo: NASA

Two Avengers stars are making a movie for Apple TV+. Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans — perhaps best known as Black Widow and Captain America — are working on a mysterious Project Artemis.

The news started out as a leak, but Evans has since confirmed it.

Now all small US companies can sign up for Apple Business Essentials

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Apple Business Essentials supports small businesses through the entire device management life cycle, beginning with streamlined employee onboarding. At Espresso Services Inc., an employee begins onboarding with the Apple Business Essentials app.
Apple Business Essentials supports small businesses through the entire device management life cycle, beginning with streamlined employee onboarding. At Espresso Services Inc., an employee begins onboarding with the Apple Business Essentials app.
Photo: Apple

Apple said Thursday all small businesses in the U.S. can now sign up for its new Apple Business Essentials service. Previously in beta testing, the new service brings together device management, 24/7 Apple support and iCloud storage into flexible subscription plans.

Apple also unveiled new AppleCare+ for Business Essentials insurance options. Cupertino also made a two-month free trial available to all customers, including those who used the service in beta.

Apple puts iPhone game controller on the drawing board

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Apple puts iPhone game controller on the drawing board
It’s undeniable: Apple is at least considering an iPhone game controller. And one for iPad, too.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple is showing interest in making a clip-on iPhone or iPad game controller. It filed a patent application for various permutations of exactly that sort of accessory on Thursday.

This would be a new product category for the company. But it could be a boon for Apple Arcade subscribers.

Mic drop: Rode breaks into premium headphones market

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Rode's wired, over-ear headphones promise great sound and supreme comfort.
Rode's wired, over-ear headphones promise great sound and supreme comfort.
Photo: Rode

Popular microphone brand Rode, based in Australia, dropped the mic Tuesday with major news: It’s getting into the premium headphones business.

The company rolled out its first pair of high-end cans, the Rode NTH-100 Professional Over-Ear Headphones.

Run the show with this new wireless intercom headset system

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If your team is within 1,000 feet, you can talk to them.
If your team is within 1,000 feet, you can talk to them.
Photo: Hollyland

Anyone who works in event management — weddings, conferences, film sets — knows that fluid communications are key. But rather than run around with your iPhone glued to the side of your head while everything goes to pieces, why not invest in a wireless intercom headset system? Hollyland launched a new set Thursday that could fit the bill.

That way, you and your team can keep in constant touch and you’ll look super-important, too.

iOS 15.4.1 improves iPhone battery life, macOS 12.3.1 fixes Bluetooth bug

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iOS 15.4.1 release improves iPhone battery life, macOS 12.3.1 fixes Bluetooth bug
If you have an Apple device, it probably got an OS update on Thursday.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple introduced bug fix updates for every one of its operating systems on Thursday. These updates should improve the battery life on iPhone and iPad. And for Mac users, the new version fixes well-publicized bugs recently introduced by macOS 12.3.

However, there are no new features in macOS Monterey 12.3.1, iOS 15.4.1, iPadOS 15.4.1, watchOS 8.5.1 and tvOS 15.4.1 — Apple just fixed small problems. All five updates are available to download immediately.

Saving a single flower spurs big changes in trailer for new Peanuts Earth Day special

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Saving a flower spurs big changes in trailer for Peanuts Earth Day special
Earth Day is April 15. Celebrate with the Peanuts gang in a new special.
Photo: Apple TV+

It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown, the first-ever Peanuts Earth Day special, premieres April 15 on Apple TV+. It tells the story of how a single flower inspires the Peanuts gang to start caring for the environment, and features an original song by American singer-songwriter Ben Folds.

A trailer for the upcoming special debuted Thursday.

Safely carry your cameras with this magnetic locking strap

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Keep that expensive camera secure.
Keep that expensive camera secure.
Photo: Dora Goodman Cameras

Most of us take pictures with our phones, but if you walk around with one or more actual cameras from your fancy collection, a boutique camera maker has a new strap that could change your life.

The Goodman Camera Strap with Mag-Lock takes the tensile strength of Kevlar cord and marries it to a quick-release magnetic locking harness system attached to a handmade leather camera strap.

Up your game with a new Keychron Q3 custom mechanical keyboard

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mechanical keyboard deals -- Keychron's tenkyeless Q3 follows the popular Q1 and Q2 custom keebs.
Keychron's customizable, tenkyeless Q3 followed release of the popular Q1 and Q2 custom keebs.
Photo: Keychron

Keychron launched its Q3 80% tenkeyless (TKL) full metal custom mechanical keyboard on Tuesday. Following sold-out initial runs of its Q1 and Q2 customizable keebs, the Q3 is a full aluminum mechanical keyboard with gasket mount design. It features hot-swappable switches, a high-grade aluminum case, QMK/VIA mapping support and more, the company said.

WhatsApp plans big improvements to voice messaging ‘in the coming weeks’

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WhatsApp voice messaging improvements
Faster playback, the ability to pause recordings, and more on the way.
Image: WhatsApp

WhatsApp on Thursday revealed significant improvements to voice messaging across Android and iOS. The update adds the ability to change the speed of audio playback, pause and resume recording, and more.

It also allows voice message playback to continue when users back out of a conversation to catch up with another. Users can look forward to seeing the changes “in the coming weeks,” WhatsApp said.

Apple finally lets ‘reader’ apps like Netflix and Spotify link to their own sites

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Apple lets reader apps link to their own sites
It's a start.
Image: Apple

Apple on Wednesday confirmed a significant change to its App Store policy that finally allows “reader” apps like Netflix and Spotify to link to their own websites for things like creating and managing accounts.

Until now, including an external link for this kind of purpose was prohibited, and would have resulted in App Store expulsion. That meant a poor user experience for a whole bunch of popular services on iPhone and iPad.

That’s finally changing, but of course, Apple plans to make it as complicated as possible for developers to enjoy it.

Apple wants to handle some of its own financial services

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Apple’s financial results were all the company could ask for.
Apple supposedly wants to reduce the financial services it outsources.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Rather than letting existing financial companies handle all its payment processing, Apple wants to bring some of it in-house, according to an unconfirmed report. And the Mac-maker would also like to take on a range of other related services itself.

The goal is to reduce the amount of money Apple has to pay outside companies for financial services.

YouTube TV launches picture-in-picture feature on iPhone and iPad

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YouTube TV
Picture-in-picture support for iPhone and iPad comes to YouTube TV. But not to all YouTube users.
Image: YouTube/Cult of Mac

YouTube TV subscribers with an iPhone or iPad can now watch shows in a small window while another app is open. The feature is rolling out now.

However, picture-in-picture support is not yet available for all mobile users of the YouTube application, as has been promised.

On the inside, Apple Studio Display looks more sophisticated than expected

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On the inside, Apple Studio Display looks more sophisticated than iMac
One of these is an iMac and the other is the Apple Studio Display. Which is which?
Photo: iFixit

iFixit showed people the interior of the new Apple Studio Display next to a partially disassembled iMac and asked them to pick which is which. You can play along at home by looking at the image above.

Most people got it wrong. Apple’s latest external monitor (on the left) is packed with features, and that’s reflected in its surprisingly complex internal design.

iFixit put the device through a full teardown and found that many of the most important components of the new external monitor showed up in previous Apple devices.

Carrot Weather app cheers ‘triumphant return of allergy season’ with major update

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The Carrot Weather, known for snarky forecasts and powerful features, just got a big update.
The Carrot Weather, known for snarky forecasts and powerful features, just got a big update.
Photo: Carrot Weather

If weather apps were judged solely on snarky attitude, there would be one clear favorite: Carrot Weather. But even judged by factors like tracking the weather and variety of features, it’s a darned good app. And now, with a major update released Wednesday “to celebrate the triumphant return of allergy season,” it’s even better.

iPhone might never get in-screen Touch ID

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iPhone 14 won‘t include in-screen Touch ID
Bad news: Looks like an iPhone with an in-display Touch ID scanner will remain only a dream.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

An in-screen fingerprint scanner won’t be part of any iPhone for at least three years, according to a trusted analyst. That raises the strong possibility that Touch ID will never again be part of Apple’s flagship smartphones — despite occasional rumors to the contrary.

Apple may have abandoned the idea after a recent improvement to Face ID.

Is it OK to use a Mac mini as a stand for your display? [Setups]

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Is it OK to rest your display on top of your Mac mini?
Is it OK to rest your display on top of your Mac mini?
Photo: [email protected]

We’ve written about storing a Mac mini in an upright rather than a flat position to save space. It’s OK to do if the machine’s intake and exhaust vents are not blocked. But what about using your Mac mini as a stand for a display, as in today’s featured computer setup?

It’s not necessarily quite as cut-and-dried as the upright mini question. Whether it’s totally fine or a little risky depends a little more on the specific Mac mini and the kind of monitor you use.

First full Shining Girls Apple TV+ trailer messes with time and reality

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Elisabeth Moss stars in the series and serves as executive producer.
Elisabeth Moss stars in the series and serves as executive producer.
Photo: Apple TV+

When Apple TV+ put out its first, brief trailer in February for its upcoming metaphysical-horror-thiller Shining Girls, it looked disturbing and disorienting. Now the streaming service has put out the first full trailer for the show, which stars Elisabeth Moss and premieres April 29.

If anything, Shining Girls looks even more unsettling — but almost to the point of absurdity.

Don’t rely on automatic iOS updates unless you like getting left behind

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iOS 14.4 debuted to the general public on Tuesday.
Automatic updates are designed to drop late.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPhone and iPad users should manually install the latest iOS and iPadOS updates if they want to get their hands on Apple’s newest features and improvements as quickly as possible, according to one Cupertino chief.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, confirmed that automatic software updates don’t drop until one to four weeks after the company makes them available to manual updaters.

Apple makes $50 million commitment to supplier employee development

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Apple supplier development fund
'We put people first in everything that we do.'
Photo: Apple

Apple on Wednesday revealed a new Supplier Employee Development Fund that will offer $50 million to expand access to learning and skills development.

The fund includes new partnerships with leading right advocates, universities, and nonprofits, Apple said. Cupertino will also focus on working alongside supply chain partners to “amplify worker voice” and support rights programs.