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News - page 298

Lawyers prepare class-action lawsuit over M1 MacBook screen cracks

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M1 MacBook screen cracks lead to lawsuit. Look out, Cupertino.
Look out, Cupertino.
Photo: Quinn Dombrowski/Flickr CC

Apple could soon be on the receiving end of another class-action lawsuit, with lawyers currently investigating the company over reports that its new M1 MacBook models are vulnerable to screen cracks during normal usage.

A growing number of users complain in online forums that their MacBook displays suffered what the attorneys call “dramatic cracks,” despite not being mishandled. Many say they spent upward of $600 on repairs.

Twitter tests Facebook-like emoji reactions for tweets

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Twitter emoji reactions
There are five "healthy" reactions to choose from.
Photo: Twitter

Twitter is giving a small number of users the ability to add Facebook-like emoji reactions to tweets as part of a new feature test.

In addition to being able to “like” a tweet, those taking part can react with the tears of joy, thinking face, clapping hands, love heart, and crying face emojis shown in the image above. Twitter says the test may be expanded to more users later.

UK backs Apple’s CSAM plans, offers rewards for new safety measures

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UK backs Apple CSAM plan
Home Secretary Priti Patel wants tech firms to step up and be responsible for child safety.
Photo: Number 10 CC

The U.K. government has backed Apple’s plan to scan user photos for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and is offering rewards of up to £85,000 ($117,600) to other technology firms who can develop new tools to keep children safe.

Home Secretary Priti Patel, who this week announced the Safety Tech Challenge Fund, called on “Big Tech” to take responsibility for public safety and find ways to monitor online platforms protected by encryption.

Microsoft makes using Xbox Controllers on iOS even better

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Xbox Controller with iPad
Bluetooth Low Energy and cross-platform support.
Photo: Apple/Microsoft

Microsoft is testing new firmware for Xbox Controllers that makes using them with iPhone and iPad even better. The update adds Bluetooth Low Energy support, and allows you to pair both an Xbox console and iOS device so that switching between the two is easier than ever before.

iPhone 14: Under-display Face ID still a work in progress, may be delayed

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iPhone 14 without notch
What the front of iPhone 14 might look like.
Photo: Jon Prosser/Ian Zelbo

It’s probably best not to get too excited for under-display Face ID in next year’s iPhone 14. Despite Wednesday’s big leak hinting at the upgrade for 2022, one analyst warns the technology is still very much a work in progress.

In recent years, manufacturers have been working to put front-facing cameras behind their smartphone displays in an effort to eliminate notches and holes. And the results, perhaps unsurprisingly, have been a mixed bag.

iPhone 14 leak could trigger full wrath of Cupertino

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iPhone 14 concept skips the screen notch and camera hump.
Is this really what the 2022 iPhone will look like?
Image: Front Page Tech/RendersbyIan

Jon Prosser’s iPhone 14 leak is every Apple fan’s dream — and Tim Cook’s biggest nightmare.

The audacious revelation, dropped Wednesday morning via Prosser’s YouTube channel, Front Page Tech, showcased what next year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max might look like.

The exclusive iPhone 14 renders look so sweet that they might give pause to anyone contemplating buying an iPhone 13 later this month. That’s the nightmare part of this equation — and likely the part that makes Prosser nervous. Angry Apple executives might unleash all the company’s massive legal resources to stop him. And maybe even exact revenge.

Twitter wants you to join ‘Communities’ for shared interests

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Twitter's new Communities feature will let you tweet at people who share your interests.
Twitter's new Communities feature will help you tweet at people who share your interests.
Photo: Twitter

Twitter is testing a new feature called “Communities” via an invitation-only roll-out on iOS and the web, with Android to follow at some unspecified point. It will help users find and join groups with shared interests and direct tweets to them.

Hackintosh makes due in lieu of Apple Silicon Mac [Setups]

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A Hackintosh forms the core of this three-display setup.
A hackintosh forms the core of this three-display setup.
Photo: [email protected]

If you’re out there pimping your computer setup on a Mac social media list, but you don’t have a Mac, what do you do? Well, you could flex your Hackintosh laptop and surround it with some Apple gear to make things look good.

Redditor GrandeNJR took that route with his recent post, “Not a real Mac (Hackintosh), but do my other Apple products make up for it?” Or at least he appeared to take that route.

Spoiler alert: Here’s a sneak peek at next year’s ‘iPhone 14’

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iPhone 14 leak
'iPhone 14' could be made from titanium.
Concept: Front Page Tech/RendersbyIan

Apple’s next-generation iPhone 13 refresh is already old news. Just one week before Cupertino’s big event, a leaker is already spilling details on next year’s even bigger “iPhone 14” upgrade, which is expected to come with no notch and a titanium design.

Here’s what you can expect.

Last chance: Save on amazing Monowear bands, accessories for Apple Watch

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Monowear-collection
Prices start at just $17.60.
Photo: Monowear

It’s your last chance to enjoy 20% off all Monowear bands and accessories for AirPods and Apple Watch in the Cult of Mac Store’s Labor Day sale.

You’ll find comfortable nylon, sturdy stainless steel, and luscious leather options to choose from, with prices starting at just $25.60. You can also pick up AirPods cases and travel accessories for even less.

Apple TV+ is the only streaming service that takes your privacy seriously

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Spatial audio for Apple TV in tvOS 15
Most streaming services are watching you while you watch them.
Photo: Apple

Almost every video streaming service except Apple TV+ is selling your data to third-party companies and tracking your viewing habits for targeted ads. A new report from Common Sense Media exposes the loose privacy policies employed by most streaming providers, including Amazon and Netflix.

“Many viewers know that free streaming apps are most likely selling their personal information, but most viewers may not know that most paid sub‐ scription streaming apps are also selling users’ data,” warns the report.

iPad stocks left to dwindle ahead of next week’s Apple event

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iPad stocks dwindle
Making way for a new model.
Photo: Apple

Availability of the eighth-generation iPad is becoming scarce ahead of next week’s big Apple event. The 10.2-inch device is “currently unavailable” in some markets, while others face shipping delays of three to six weeks.

Apple is expected to introduce a new ninth-generation iPad, with a slimmer chassis and more powerful processor, this fall.

Logi Dock packs plenty of ports, pretty lights and a built-in speakerphone

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Logi Dock hub with speakerphone
An all-in-one hub that hopes to make working from home easier.
Photo: Logitech

The new Logi Dock from Logitech is an all-in-one hub that’s designed to make working from home — and all the dreaded online meetings that come with it — a little more bearable. It packs almost all the ports you’ll ever need, one-touch meeting controls, and a built-in speakerphone.

It also features pretty lights that will let you know when a meeting is about to start. What more could you want?

Twitter tests new edge-to-edge interface for images and video on iOS

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Twitter tests new interface on iOS
A little inspiration from Instagram?
Photo: Twitter

Twitter looks set to finally take full advantage of the larger displays packed into modern smartphones. It is currently testing a new edge-to-edge interface that gives you a better look at images and videos in your timeline.

A new teaser video posted by Twitter on Twitter, and embedded below for your enjoyment, offers an early glimpse at what’s to come.

Top Apple car exec hits off-ramp, heads for Detroit instead

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That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Apple Car. The Apple Car is way down the highway. But Apple has the pedal to the metal.
The man reportedly running Apple car development has taken an exit.
Photo illustration: Cult of Mac/Wikipedia CC

Development of an Apple car just hit another speed bump. Doug Field, who’d reportedly been managing the project, just left to join the Ford Motor Company.

This is surely a blow to Apple’s secretive automotive efforts. And the company was already multiple years away from having anything to put in a showroom, according to the latest leaks.

Apple’s ‘California streaming’ invite hints at iPhone 13 features

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Apple’s 'California streaming' event invite hints at iPhone 13 features
Does this image suggest new camera features for the iPhone 13?
Photo: Apple

Some people love to carefully examine Apple event invites as though each one serves as a crystal ball that can show the future. The one that went out Tuesday might have been crafted to suggest that the iPhone 13 will be better at taking pictures of stars. Or maybe it hints that Apple’s virtual-reality headset will be unveiled.

On the other hand, it could be nothing more than a pretty picture.

How to see the AR Easter egg hidden in Apple’s September 14 event invite

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How to see the AR Easter egg in Apple’s September 14 event invite
The Apple September event invite has a beautiful but hidden augmented-reality feature.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Hidden in Tuesday’s invite to the Apple September event is an augmented reality Easter egg. It’s part of the company’s ongoing move to draw more attention to AR — and make its event invites cooler than anyone else’s.

The graphic for the event is the Apple logo floating over a lake in the evening. iPhone users can transfer that design to the real 3D world, and pass through it into a star-lit virtual space.

Check out Philips Hue’s new light show (and its Spotify partnership)

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The Signe floor lamp and a light strip add ambiance.
The Signe floor lamp and a light strip add ambiance.
Photo: Signify/Philips Hue

Signify, the parent company of Philips Hue, put the word out last week that funky new lighting products are coming. Some are out now and some will light up later. A new partnership with the music platform Spotify has launched, too.

Several items offer the gradient technology Philips Hue added last year to its Play Lightstrip.

It’s official: Apple confirms iPhone 13 event for September 14

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Apple iPhone 13 event invite
Just one week away.
Photo: Apple

Apple today confirmed it will host its next big keynote on Tuesday, September 14. The “California streaming” event will likely be focused on iPhone 13, as well as Apple Watch Series 7 and a possible third-generation AirPods upgrade.

You’ll be able to watch the whole thing live online when it kicks off at 10 a.m. PDT.