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Beats Studio Buds offer best of AirPods Pro for $100 less

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Beats Studio Buds come in black.
Beats Studio Buds offer noise cancellation, Find My for $150.
Photo: Beats

Beats Studio Buds just became a strong competitor for AirPods Pro. Which is odd, as they’re both made by Apple.

Studio Buds are truly wireless headphones that offer active noise cancellation and access to Apple’s Find My network. They come in a variety of colors for $149.99.

Start spreading the news: The Morning Show season 2 debuts September 17

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Filming for ‘The Morning Show‘ resumes in the middle of October.
Back for a second season.
Photo: Apple

Set to a breathy cover of “New York, New York,” a new trailer for The Morning Show’s second season offers clues about how the Apple TV+ show will continue to explore the #MeToo movement and other key themes.

The dramatic new trailer, released Monday, also reveals that new episodes of The Morning Show will return to Apple TV+ on September 17. Check it out below.

Japan mulls antitrust investigation into Apple and Google

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App Store faces barrage of antitrust charges
Japan is weighing up a possible antitrust investigation regarding mobile OS dominance.
Photo: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels CC

Japan is the latest country to turn its antitrust attention on Apple. The Japan Times reports that the Japanese government is set to investigate both Apple and Google over their dominance in mobile operating systems.

The report, which cites a Nikkei article, is short on details. It notes that nine out of 10 phones sold in Japan run either Android or iOS. But it does not explain where the problematic aspect of this is. Typically, antitrust involves situations in which a market leader, or collusion between market leaders, results in a monopoly of a particular market. Breaking up these monopolies is intended to give customers more choice.

Apple Watch Series 7 will feature updated display, Explorer Edition will ship in 2022

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Apple Watch Series 7 concept
Is this the Apple Watch set for release later this year?
Concept: Jon Prosser/RendersbyIan

The Apple Watch Series 7 will boast a faster processor, better wireless connectivity, and a new, improved screen, says a new report from Bloomberg. The screen will have thinner bezels and a “new lamination technique that brings the display closer to the front cover.” This would be the first Apple Watch form factor redesign since 2018.

However, a body temperature sensor that was planned for this year’s update has supposedly been pushed back to the 2022 iPhone. Meanwhile, a rumored blood sugar sensor for monitoring glucose levels is reported as still being several years away.

Apple Stores in US will start dropping mask requirements this week

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Why Apple Watch’s iPhone unlock will change your freakin’ life
Wave goodbye to masks at some Apple Stores.
Photo: Ivan Samkov/Pexels CC

If you’ve been dreaming of seeing the bottom half of people’s faces in Apple Stores (odd dream, admittedly!), you’ll get your wish starting this week as many Apple Stores in the U.S. begin loosening their mask requirements.

This comes as major retailers are increasingly getting back to normal as the coronavirus pandemic subsides. Apple has been one of the more cautious parties when it comes to in-store mask policies. The likes of Walmart, Trader Joe’s and Costco have already ditched mandatory mask rules. But Apple was said to be holding back.

WWDC21 is a wrap! [Cult of Mac Magazine 405]

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WWDC21: There was so much software, there was no room for hardware.
WWDC21: So much software there was no room for hardware.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

This week’s Worldwide Developers Conference brought an avalanche of info about what to expect from Apple’s next-gen operating systems. Our top story runs down our overall first impressions after Monday’s WWDC keynote. And our newsy roundups showcase each platform’s new key features.

Also don’t miss Ed Hardy’s deeper hands-on dives into key features coming in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. You can read all that and more in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Just download and enjoy on your favorite iOS device. Alternatively, you can use the links below to read our coverage in your browser of choice.

If you want to get exhaustive, you can dig through all our posts by key platform: iOS 15, macOS Monterey, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8 and tvOS.

Hands on: iOS 15 drag and drop between apps works brilliantly

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Hands on: iOS 15 drag and drop between apps works brilliantly
It’s simple to drag and drop text, images and files between applications in iOS 15.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iOS 15 makes it a whole lot easier to move images, text and files between applications. The familiar drag-and-drop action makes the jump to iPhone, and it’s surprisingly simple to use.

I’m testing the first iOS beta on an iPhone 12, and this new sharing system is one of the best additions. There are even benefits for iPad users.

Tiny Beats Studio Buds will hit ears near you on July 21 [Updated]

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Apple preps Beats Studio Buds to compete against AirPods
Apple’s rival to its own AirPods are apparently just a month or so away.
Photo: 9to5Mac

It seems Apple can’t keep a lid on Beats Studio Buds. Celebrities keep getting photographed wearing the not-yet-announced in-ear wireless headphones, and now the launch date has leaked out.

They are still MIA for regular folks to buy. But since they showed up in yet another social media post by a famous athlete, Apple is seemingly playing a calculated long game when it comes to ramping up anticipation.

iPad mini 6 redesign might usher in USB-C, smaller Apple Pencil

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iPad mini 6 could be the redesign so many people have been hoping for.
The iPad mini 6 will reportedly be revamped to add features from the iPad Pro and Air series.
Photo: RendersbyIan/ Front Page Tech

A significantly redesigned iPad mini 6 could drop its Lightning port in favor of USB-C, according to a new unconfirmed report. And a smaller Apple Pencil could be produced for it.

The tablet already drew quite a bit of attention because it’s expected to offer a nearly edge-to-edge screen, dumping the hefty bezels in the current version.

Win a super-cute SuperMini portable battery pack [Cult of Mac Giveaway]

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Zendure SuperMini battery pack giveaway: The SuperMini is smaller than a credit card.
The SuperMini is smaller than a credit card.
Photo: Zendure

Don’t get caught without juice ever again. This week, Cult of Mac is giving away two SuperMini portable battery chargers from Zendure.

The SuperMini is one of the smallest portable chargers available, yet it packs formidable charging power. Smaller than a credit card (but thicker), the SuperMini fits easily into a pocket or bag, but has enough juice to recharge an iPhone 12 Pro three times over. If you want a portable charger that is adorable and can fit anywhere, make sure to enter this giveaway.

Proposed legislation might force Apple to sell App Store

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App Store
The App Store might have to become a separate company from Apple.
Photo: James Yarema/Unsplash CC

A bipartisan bill expected to be proposed in the U.S. congress would, if passed, have an enormous effect on Big Tech. The legislation, reportedly called the Ending Platform Monopolies Act, might force Apple to make the App Store a completely separate business not under its control.

Let there be lighted Zoom calls [Setups]

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You, too, can have a clean, well-lighted place for Zoom calls.
You, too, can have a clean, well-lighted place for Zoom calls.
Photo: UGenya806@Reddit

Redditor UGenya806, who works in marketing for San Francisco-based DocuSign in Germany, takes appearances on Zoom calls seriously. After all, their job has always been remote and will remain so, even when others return to offices following the COVID-19 pandemic.

UGenya806’s setup centers on an M1 Mac mini tethered to dual Dell 24-inch 4K monitors and a CalDigit TS3 Thunderbolt 3 Dock. The mini is connected wirelessly to a Magic Keyboard and a Magic Trackpad.

A stand-mounted MacBook Air rounds out the mix, but is usually used separately as a standalone machine, not with the peripherals.

Apple calls on devs to embrace super-speedy 5G connectivity

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Killian filed that 5G thing. I’m reading it now. Do you want me to hold it for tomorrow’s newsletter just in case?
"Up your 5G game," Apple says.
Photo: Apple

Apple is encouraging iPhone and iPad app developers to up their 5G game and embrace super-speedy connectivity.

In a new guide titled “Optimize your app for 5G,” Apple says “5G networking can provide even more opportunities to take advantage of high-bandwidth and low-latency connections in your app.”

It also outlines the benefits the technology can bring to things like games, streaming, machine learning, and augmented reality.

Eurasian Economic Commission publishes details of iPhone 13 models

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This concept image shows how the iPhone 13 notch might shrink.
Coming later this year.
Artists concept: Cult of Mac

Signs of the new iPhone 13 series showed up in a database belonging to the Eurasian Economic Commission this week. In all, seven new iPhones appeared under the model identifiers A2628, A2630, A2634, A2635, A2640, A2643 and A2645.

The EEC is frequently a good place to look for future Apple releases. All devices being released in Eastern Europe, Western Asia and Central Asia must be registered there if they use encryption technology. That includes the iPhone.

Xbox cloud gaming for Safari rolls out to everyone soon

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Xbox Cloud Gaming for iPad and iPhone
A public launch is scheduled "in the next few weeks."
Photo: Microsoft

The ability to play Xbox games in Safari on your iPhone and iPad will soon be available to everyone.

Microsoft this week confirmed its new cloud streaming web app, which has been in beta testing since April, will roll out “in the next few weeks.” What’s more, it’s soon going to get even more powerful.

Dave Bautista makes his entrance in the trailer for season 2 of See on Apple TV+

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See series two
He's here!
Photo: Apple

The trailer for season two of Apple TV+ series See gives us our first glimpse of new star Dave Bautista in the post-apocalyptic series. Bautista is best known for playing Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, as well as for his Batista-bombing escapades as a former heavyweight champ in WWE.

In See season two he plays Edo Voss, brother of Jason Momoa’s character Baba Voss. Check out the trailer below.

iOS and iPadOS 15 let devs hide sensitive info in lock screen widgets

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iOS 15 lets devs hide lock screen widgets
Keeping your data safe.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

iOS and iPadOS 15 give app developers the ability to hide sensitive information in lock screen widgets until a device has been unlocked.

The change is part of an upgrade to the WidgetKit framework, first introduced in iOS and iPadOS 14 last year, and will be particularly useful for things like banking and budgeting apps.

Trump administration subpoenaed Apple as part of White House leaks investigation

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President Trump: Apple encryption could protect ‘criminal minds’
Trump and Apple had something of a mixed relationship.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

When people talk about “Apple” and “leaks” in the same sentence, they’re usually referring to rumors about upcoming products. But the Justice Department of the Trump administration took the step of subpoenaing Apple in an effort to quell White House leaks during the Trump presidency.

Specifically, it sought to gain information from Apple regarding data from the accounts of at least two Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee, their aides, and family members — including one minor. The New York Times reports that the gag order on the subpoena only expired this year, allowing those investigated to know they had been under scrutiny.

Apple hires exec who led BMW’s electric car division

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The BMW i3 electric vehicle could someday be joined on the road by an Apple car.
The head of development for the BMW i3 electric vehicle allegedly joined the Apple car project.
Photo: BMW

Ulrich Kranz, who once developed electric cars for auto-giant BMW, has reportedly been hired by Apple. He’ll become an important part of the Mac-maker’s ongoing efforts to create a self-driving Apple car.

Hands on: Safari in iPadOS 15 forces tabs on everyone

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Hands On: Safari in iPadOS 15 forces tabs on everyone
iPad users will find browser tabs unavoidable in the version of Safari in iPadOS 15.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The redesigned Safari web browser in iPadOS 15 makes tabs an inescapable part of browsing. The new system is more space efficient, but forces many people to change the way they use their iPad.

I work in Safari on iPad all day every day, so I used the first iPadOS 15 beta to test the modifications that are coming. Here’s what I like. And what I don’t.

Teen dev re-creates ‘nostalgic’ iOS 4 as standalone app called OldOS

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OldOS
What's old is new.
Photo: OldOS

The days of iOS 14 are numbered. Here in June 2021, it’s all about … err, iOS 4?

At least, that’s the case for Zane Kleinberg. While most of the Apple fanbase is focused on the newly announced iOS 15, teen developer Kleinberg painstakingly remade iOS 4 — which Apple released in 2010 — from the ground up as a standalone app. He calls it OldOS, and you can try it out for yourself today.

“What I’ve created [with] OldOS is iOS 4 beautifully rebuilt in SwiftUI,” the up-and-coming developer told Cult of Mac. “In essence, the app is something of an emulator, or perhaps, a second operating system that lives inside an app on your phone. It’s really designed to be a near-functioning, near-pixel-perfect re-creation of iOS 4.”