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News - page 335

Rumored iPhone satellite communications could be for serious emergencies only

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Rumored iPhone satellite communications could be for serious emergencies only
Stuck in the middle of nowhere? Someday your iPhone might be able to summon help even if you can’t get a cell signal.
Photo: Cult of Mac/Max Pixel

A second trusted source for insider Apple information says future iPhones will be able to communicate with satellites, exchanging texts and possibly phone calls. But new leaked details indicate this feature will be more limited than some might hope.

It would still be a significant advancement by Apple. The company reportedly is even considering launching its own satellites.

Soak up weird rock history in new Apple TV+ Velvet Underground trailer

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Young Lou Reed appears almost prayerful in one of the many still photos from the documentary.
Young Lou Reed appears almost prayerful in one of the many still photos from the documentary.
Photo: Apple TV+

The first Apple TV+ trailer for the upcoming film The Velvet Underground — director Todd Haynes’ first documentary — takes you on whirlwind tour of the history and milieu around the avant-garde rock band as it rose to become a major influence on music and culture.

Kingston rolls out ‘record-breaking’ USB-C 3.2 flash drive

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The high-speed Kingston DataTraveler flash drive comes in sizes up to 1TB.
The high-speed Kingston DataTraveler flash drive comes in sizes up to 1TB.
Photo: Kingston

Kingston Digital, the flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology, is rolling out its new DataTraveler Max. The company said the USB-C 3.2 flash drive “delivers record-breaking speeds up to 1,000MB/s read and 900MB/s write to make it one of the fastest USB drives on the market and the first of its kind.”

Primephonic purchase will power Apple’s standalone classical music app

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Apple buys Primephonic: Apple Music's classical catalog will get a big boost from Primephonic.
Apple Music's classical offering will get a big boost from Primephonic.
Photo: Samuel Sianipar/Unsplash

Apple Music’s purchase of classical music service Primephonic will give fans of the genre a richer experience, Cupertino said Monday.

Apple said it will work to incorporated the service’s features into a standalone classical app that will launch next year. The company promised high-quality audio, expert recommendations and playlists, exclusive audio content, “extensive contextual details on repertoire and recordings” and other advanced features for classical fans.

Ancient iBook, The Cult of Mac hardcover, Lego cars — what’s not to like? [Setups]

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Spot the old iBook on the shelf to the right and The Cult of Mac hardcover under the display.
Spot the old iBook on the shelf to the right and The Cult of Mac hardcover under the display.
Photo: [email protected]

We last saw Redditor 17parkc after they took delivery of their lovely new blue 24-inch iMac in May. Now it looks like they moved to a new studio apartment with a few new toys. Actually, in one case, an old toy — an iBook from back in the day, sometime around the turn of this century.

Apple AR glasses launch could mark end of Tim Cook era

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2018 interview with Tim Cook suggests Apple was working on iCloud backup encryption
Tim Cook wants to stick around for one more big Apple product hitting the market.
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook has been Apple CEO for 10 years and he’s considering his exit strategy. But it won’t be soon because the executive will wait until the launch of “one more major new product category,” according to a new report.

Expand your iMac’s connectivity with new HyperDrive multi-port USB-C hubs

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The new HyperDrive hubs attach to your iMac, allowing easy port access.
The new HyperDrive hubs attach to your iMac, allowing easy port access.
Photo: Hyper

Accessories maker Hyper rolled out new HyperDrive 6-in-1 and 5-in-1 USB-C hubs today to expand what you can do with your 2021 24-inch iMac. And they look pretty good doing it, too.

The two new hubs don’t just add connectivity options with a variety of ports. They also clamp right onto the bottom of your iMac and feature faceplates in seven colors to match your machine.

Apple TV+ teaser for The Problem with Jon Stewart reveals Sept. 30 premiere date

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Apple TV+ teaser for ‘The Problem with Jon Stewart’ reveals Sept. 30 premiere date
Jon Stewart returns to TV a month from today
Photo: Apple TV+

The Problem with Jon Stewart — the late-night talk show host’s much-anticipated return to TV — is now scheduled to debut September 30. It’ll be exclusively on Apple TV+, though the show also has a YouTube channel. And there’ll be a companion podcast.

The announcement came in a video in which Stewart jokes about not looking quite as young as he used to. Watch it now:

iPhone 13 might offer service from anywhere via satellite calls and texts

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Globalstar satellites
iPhone 13 will reportedly be able to use satellites to exchange calls and texts.
Photo: Globalstar

The iPhone 13 will offer two-way communication with low Earth orbit satellites, according to a report from a reliable Apple analyst. If the prediction proves correct, making phone calls and exchanging texts via satellite connection will be possible with Apple’s next handset.

Picture-in-picture, video editing in your pocket, and another great email app [Awesome Apps of the Week]

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Awesome Apps of the Week
YouTube finally gets a much requested feature, Clips can make you a short-form video star, and another email app is a contender.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Maybe it’s the impending iOS, iPadOS and macOS updates, but in checking out the App Store this past week, everything seemed to be “bug fixes and stability improvements.” Those are great things to have, but they aren’t as cool or exciting as fresh features or hot new apps!

Fortunately, a long-awaited feature is finally coming to the YouTube masses. Plus, I found another email app worth checking out. And, if you’re hoping to become an influencer, we’ve got an app to help you level up your videos in this week’s Awesome Apps of the Week.

Latest iOS 15 beta is stable enough to try, but hold off on macOS Monterey

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9 great features you might have overlooked in iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey
Feeling brave? You can try the latest betas for iOS 15 or iPadOS 15. But stay away from testing macOS Monterey.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

It’s been a very weird summer for Apple’s beta program, with major changes happening months after the initial unveiling of the operating system upgrades. But iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 have finally reached the point where they’re stable enough for average users to try them out. The same goes for watchOS 8.

But that’s not true of macOS Monterey.

Google mercilessly mocks those pretentious Apple videos Jony Ive used to make

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Google hilariously mocks Jony Ive’s Apple product videos
“Engineered for optimal haptic feedback to deliver the satisfying feeling of… click.”
Screenshot: Google

A new video for the Google Pixel 5a pokes fun at the ones Jony Ive used to make gushing about the smallest details in designs of Apple products.

While an homage, the video also exhibits a cutting edge. It highlights the new Android smartphone’s headphone jack, a feature Ive removed from iPhones. Still, Apple fans shouldn’t miss this well-made parody:

Explore the charming mysteries of Baldo: The Guardian Owls

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Prepare for an epic adventure in ‘Baldo’ coming soon to Apple Arcade
Baldo: The Guardian Owls is an adventure game with a lot of influence from Studio Ghibli movies like Spirited Away.
Photo: NAPS team

Fans of Zelda can now try Baldo: The Guardian Owls, a puzzle adventure that debuted Friday on Apple Arcade. The look is inspired by the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibili.

Plus Asphalt 8: Airborne+, a classic racing game, also zoomed onto Apple’s gaming service.

Google could cough up $15 billion to remain default search provider in iOS

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Google Search on iOS and iPadOS
And that figure could rise to $20 billion in 2022.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Google could pay a whopping $15 billion to remain the default search provider on iPhone and iPad, according to one analyst. The figure could rise even higher, to as much as $20 billion, in 2022.

It is believed Google is willing to pay so much to ensure Microsoft and Yahoo, which may also be interesting in striking a deal with Apple, cannot break up the partnership Google has enjoyed for more than a decade.

Apple pays $100 million, agrees to App Store changes to settle dev lawsuit

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App Store
But do the changes go far enough?
Photo: James Yarema/Unsplash CC

Apple will make several changes to its App Store policies to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by developers, the company said Thursday. Cupertino also will cough up $100 million to create a “fund” for small app-makers.

As part of the deal, Apple will allow developers to inform customers about alternative payment methods outside of their iOS apps. But they won’t be able to mention those payment methods inside the apps themselves.

Apple Watch passes 100 million active users

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Apple Watch Series 6 is expected to look just like Series 5.
Apple Watch Series 6 is the best selling smartwatch in the world.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch recently passed an important milestone. There are now 100 million of them in active use according to a market analysis firm. And more than 50 million Americans have one.

The user base is one of the most important measurements of a product’s success. It shows how many people are actively using a device, as opposed to buying one, disliking it, then dumping it in a drawer.

YouTube picture-in-picture video on the way to all US iPhone, iPad users

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YouTube Picture in Picture is back. At least for now.
Picture-in-picture YouTube videos ... coming sometime to iPad.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

YouTube repeated an earlier promise to allow all iPhone users in the U.S. to watch video from its application in a small window while another app is open. And it expanded on the commitment by promising iPad will be included too.

But exactly when this will happen is a bit up the air.