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News - page 312

Nifty Universal Control still AWOL from macOS beta

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Universal Control is part of macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15.
Universal Control could be massive... if it ever gets added to macOS Monterey.
Screenshot: Apple

One of the highlights of macOS Monterey is Universal Control, which will let users easily jump between Mac and iPad. But there’s cause to question when the feature will become available because it isn’t in any pre-release version of the next Mac operating system, including the new beta 5.

Apple announced the feature two months ago and there’s no sign of it yet. There’s some irritation growing among Mac users about the delay.

This screen protector makes your iPad’s screen feel like real paper

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iPad paper screen protector
Makes using Apple Pencil even better.
Photo: SwitchEasy

Apple Pencil might be an outstanding stylus, but when you’re drawing on iPad, it still feels like a piece of plastic gliding across glass … because it is. If you prefer the feel of real paper, you need a paper-like screen protector.

Check out this one from SwitchEasy — and bag yours with a 15% discount in SwitchEasy’s big Back to School sale.

Tom Hanks sci-fi charmer Finch premieres on Apple TV+ Nov. 5

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Tom Hanks sci-fi charmer ‘Finch’ premieres on Apple TV+ Nov. 5
Finch is a simple tale of a man, his dog and his robot in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. OK, maybe not so simple.
Photo: Apple TV+

Tom Hanks’ second movie for Apple TV+ will debut Friday, November 5. The screen legend will star in Finch, a heart-warming story about a man trying to teach a robot about life.

In addition to revealing the premiere date, Apple released the first picture from the film on Thursday.

1Password upsets long-time fans with big version 8 update for Mac

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1Password 8 for Mac
The update has not gone down well.
Photo: 1Password

1Password today rolled out its big version 8 update on Mac, and a lot of users are less than pleased. The release introduces a significant design revamp and improvements to Watchtower, the feature that helps you weed out weak passwords.

Version 8 also promises performance improvements, but fans aren’t happy that it has been completely rewritten as an Electron app, and it’s now a subscription-only service, with no option to buy a one-off license.

Samsung scraps iPhone support with new Galaxy Watch 4 series

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Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 drops iPhone support
Android 6.0 or later is required.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch 4 series, introduced alongside its next-generation foldable smartphones on Wednesday, scraps support for iPhone.

The South Korean company’s wearables have been playing nicely with Apple devices since 2017. But with the Galaxy Watch 4, an Android device that supports Google Mobile Services (GMS) is required.

Proposed law would force profound changes on Apple App Store

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Proposed law would force profound changes on Apple App Store
Lawmakers might require Apple to completely change the App Store.
Photo: Thuan Vo/Pexels

A trio of U.S. Senators introduced a bill that would force Apple to allow sideloading of applications and alternative iOS app stores. Other modifications to Apple’s and Google’s business models would be required as well.

Whether the proposed Open App Markets Act will pass is anyone’s guess. So far, Big Tech has always talked lawmakers out of passing legislation that would put significant restrictions on it. But if this bill becomes a law, the App Store will never be the same again.

Cable Matters rolls out pair of USB-C dual video adapters

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Cable Matters USB-C to Dual HDMI Adapter offers 8K and 4K video support.
Cable Matters USB-C to Dual HDMI Adapter offers 8K and 4K video support.
Photo: Cable Matters

Connectivity supplier Cable Matters rolled out two USB-C dual video adapters for your work-and-play video needs. The two USB-C video adapters offer 8K and dual 4K 60Hz resolution support for displays. In the case of Macs, that’s all 4K, but other users can go for 8K.

Twelve South’s new PlugBug Slim USB-C charger fits where others won’t

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Twelve South's new PlugBug Slim USB-C charger packs 20W of power.
Twelve South's new PlugBug Slim USB-C charger packs 20W of power.
Photo: Twelve South

Accessories maker Twelve South has rolled out its new PlugBug Slim 20W USB-C charger. It’s a small but potent addition to the company’s charger lineup that could be particularly useful for travel and for those times when spacing is cramped around an electrical outlet.

Wild ‘iPhone 13 Pro’ concept dazzles with dual displays

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iPhone 13 Pro concept
See your notifications on both sides.
Photo: ConceptsiPhone

What if “iPhone 13 Pro” had a second screen on its back that allowed you to see incoming notifications even when it’s face-down? There’s no need to imagine it because one concept designer has done that for you.

Check out the two-minute video below that shows off a next-generation Apple handset dream with “rear Retina XDR display,” no ports, and a significantly smaller notch. It’s a beauty, even if it will never come to life.

A little iPadOS 15 change brings big improvement

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A little iPadOS 15 beta 5 change brings big improvement
App icons are larger and easier to use in iPadOS 15.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Sometimes in life, it’s the little things. iPadOS 15 makes one of those small changes that bring a big result. For the first time, you can increase the size of the application icons on the iPad Home Screen.

This setting debuts in iPadOS 15 beta 5, released on Tuesday. This is one of a few other tweaks in the latest pre-release version.

iPhone and Mac might get cutting-edge 3nm processors in 2022

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Apple might get cutting-edge 3nm processors in 2022
Apple will reportedly be one of the first companies in the world able to offer processors made with a 3nm process.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple’s computers could take another step ahead of the competition in 2022 with processors made with a 3nm process. This would bring better performance to iPhone and/or Mac while using less power than its current chips.

The Mac-maker’s current processors are made with a 5nm process, which already puts them ahead of the curve.