News - page 338

iPhone 12 users can take advantage of the built-in MagSafe charger with the Twelve South Forté. This stand quickly powers up the handset while also raising it up so it’s ready to be used hands free.

Apple likes the design enough to put it on Apple Store.

Apple’s much-rumored AR glasses reportedly suffered a setback and might not be out as soon thought. The wearable augmented-reality accessory could have gone into production in the first quarter of 2022, but that’s now supposedly unlikely.

Apple debuted iOS 14.5, with its App Tracking Transparency feature, on Monday. But if you updated your iPhone or iPad, and haven’t seen a flurry of alerts about apps wanting to track you, don’t be concerned. The controversial privacy feature is working as advertised.

That’s because the new privacy tracking prompt, which asks users if they want to allow an app to track them on other companies’ apps and websites, will only show up when a developer agrees for the feature to go live on their specific app. Until they push it live, they’re blocked from tracking users via Apple’s Identifier for Advertisers (aka IDFA).

Rose Byrne’s dark comedy Physical just got a release date: June 18. And Apple TV+ also dropped a teaser trailer for the show set during the exercise craze of the 1980s.

Get your first taste of the comedy/drama now:

Apple is being accused of engaging in sneaky behavior when it comes to its advertising strategy. According to a Wall Street Journal report, advertisers who are targeting iPhone users say they will “get more data about ad performance if they buy Apple’s ad space than if they buy through third parties.”

iOS 14.5 offers new privacy oriented features that let users opt out of tracking for personalized ads. However, Apple also sells ads itself in the App Store, News, and Stocks. It has recently been bolstering its efforts in this department.

European Union competition chief Margrethe Vestager is reportedly set to this week issue charges against Apple suggesting that its control of the App Store violates EU rules.

According to the Financial Times, the announcement will be made late this week. This is based on conversations with “several people with direct knowledge of the announcement.”

The M1 chip just made its way to the new iMac and iPad Pro, but Apple’s already hard at work on its successor. According to a new report from Nikkei Asia, mass production of the M2 chip is already underway.

It is expected to debut as soon as early July, initially for use in a redesigned MacBook arriving in the second half of the year. Like the M1 chip, the M2 is being made using the 5-nanometer process developed by TSMC, the company that makes Apple’s A-series chips.

Apple is donating money to support relief efforts in India as the country grapples with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, CEO Tim Cook said.

“Amid a devastating rise of COVID cases in India, our thoughts are with the medical workers, our Apple family and everyone there who is fighting through this awful stage of the pandemic,” Cook wrote in a tweet sent to his 12.8 million Twitter followers.

iOS 14.5 is the best update of the pandemic era because it works with your Apple Watch to remove the hassle of unlocking your iPhone while wearing a face mask. You don’t have to type in your passcode every single damn time. The phone just unlocks. Like it’s supposed to.

But the trick does require an Apple Watch. If you’ve been on the bubble about getting one, this feature should go a long way toward convincing you. It serves as yet another elegant example of how Apple’s ecosystem offers users simple solutions to modern life’s annoyances.

The just-released PopGrip Slide Stretch lets users keep a handle on their iPhone 12 without interfering with the MagSafe charging system. That’s because the new gadget from PopSockets lets the PopGrip slide back and forth on the back of the handset.

Apple Clips 3.1, a new version of the free video-creation app, adds fun augmented reality effects that map themselves to a room and the people in it. The goal is unique videos that people can then share on social media.

And Apple promised to start making monthly content releases with new filters, stickers and more.

The fresh emoji appearing in iOS 14.5 will set your heart afire. Or at least let you show that in texts. The new collection of pictographs also includes some new faces, and plenty of additional variations to show how we couple up in the 21st century.

iPad users get the same emoji thanks to iPadOS 14.5 and macOS 11.3, which also launched on Monday.

macOS Big Sur 11 was apparently such a significant update that Apple doesn’t have much to add in follow ups. Version 11.3 launched Tuesday bringing a collection of tweaks but not big changes.

Apple on Monday gave all iPhone users access to iOS 14.5. And iPad users can install iPadOS 14.5  Today’s updates bring a ton of new features, including unlocking an iPhone with an Apple Watch while wearing a mask.

The OS updates also bring App Tracking Transparency, a controversial change that makes it harder for apps to track users for targeted advertising. Other upgrades include new emoji, fresh Siri voices, additional features for Apple’s news and map apps, support for the just-announced AirTag trackers and a wholesale redesign of the Podcasts app.

watchOS 7.4, which is necessary for the new mask-friendly Face ID feature, and tvOS 14.5 also became available today, along with macOS Big Sur 11.3.

A group of media, tech, and ad companies in Germany have made an official antitrust complaint about Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature.

The group, which represents Facebook among other companies, is concerned about the effect the new privacy feature will have on the ad business. It also claims that the feature could wind up hurting users by making apps more expensive.

Redditor KunalBH bought a compact, no-frills Anker keyboard to use with his iPad in 2017. Now he’s asking the universe for help finding a worthy replacement (or additional) keyboard for his MacBook Pro-based setup.

Passionate suggestions are pouring in. See below for some of the leading contenders.

Apple is ramping up its investments in the U.S., announcing Monday its plans to make “new contributions of more than $430 billion” as well as adding 20,000 new jobs across the country within the next five years.

According to Apple, it has breezed past its original five-year-plan, laid out in 2018, for investing $350 billion in the U.S. economy. It is now increasing this — with a particular focus on next-gen chip development, AI, and 5G innovation.

Tim Cook reportedly shocked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg when, during a July 2019 meeting, he told the social media magnate that he should delete all user data Facebook had gathered outside of its core apps.

According to The New York Times, the meeting between the two had been called to try and restore peace between the Silicon Valley tech giants. Zuck had asked cook how he should respond to the then-current Cambridge Analytica scandal, during which many users had had data gathered about them without express permission.

Apple came up short at Sunday night’s Oscars, losing its Best Animated Feature nomination (for the great animated movie Wolfwalkers) to Pixar’s Soul.

As brilliant as it was (and Cult of Mac‘s resident reviewer hailed it as the best animated flick of the year) Wolfwalkers was very much a long shot. This would have been Apple TV+’s first Oscar. Instead, it was scuppered by Pixar winning its 11th (!!) award in the Best Animated Feature category.

There are some changes in the 2021 iPad Pro that shouldn’t be overlooked, even as most of the attention has gone to the speedy M1 processor and gorgeous mini-LED display. Some of the differences are good, but not all.

Here are five things you shouldn’t miss about Apple’s new top-tier tablet.

This week, Cult of Mac is giving away three classy Apple Watch bands from Monowear. You have a chance to win the brand-new burnt orange Perforated Leather Band in your choice of two sizes.

Monowear’s Perforated Leather Band is made with the highest-quality leather. Finished with classy, motor-sport-inspired perforations, it will keep your wrist cool. And it makes you look cool to boot.

Previously available in black, brown and burgundy, Monowear’s perforated band looks great in the new burnt orange color. Known to promote motivation, orange is a color that radiates happiness and warmth. If your Apple Watch is in need of a vibrant pop of color, be sure to enter this giveaway.

iMac … iPad Pro … Apple TV 4K … AirTag …

So much new Apple hardware, so little time!

And that’s not to mention the purple iPhone or the upgrades and updates coming to Apple Podcasts, Apple Card and more. Jump right into all our coverage of this week’s big “Spring Loaded” Apple event in Cult of Mac Magazine. (And if you’re already caught up on that, you’ll find plenty of other Apple news, reviews and how-tos.)

Our iOS mag is free and makes reading easy and fun, but you also can find the headlines below.

The 12.9-inch 2021 iPad Pro unveiled April 20 is slightly thicker than its predecessor. And that’s enough to prevent the latest tablet from being a good fit with the Apple Magic Keyboard released last year. But apparently the fit is just close enough.

Update April 29, 2021: Apple added a paragraph to its support document for this keyboard that says:

“The first generation of the Magic Keyboard (A1998) is functionally compatible with the new iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation) with Liquid Retina XDR display. Due to the slightly thicker dimensions of this new iPad Pro, it’s possible that the Magic Keyboard may not precisely fit when closed, especially when screen protectors are applied.”

Music fans rejoice! 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything is an upcoming Apple TV+ documentary series exploring the musicians and soundtracks that shaped the culture and politics of 50 years ago.

It’ll premiere on Apple’s streaming video service on Friday, May 21.

The M1 Mac processor in the recently-revealed 2021 iPad Pro forced Apple to reiterate that it’s not planning to combine macOS and iPadOS. According to two top-level executives, the company is producing the best Mac and the best iPad it can make. Not a mashup of them.