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News - page 350

30-inch Apple Cinema Display of yore still dazzles [Setups]

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Even at 10 or 15 years of age, a 30-inch Apple Cinema Display can still be insanely great.
Even at 10 or 15 years of age, a 30-inch Apple Cinema Display can still be insanely great.
Photo: brazzy2010@Reddit

Redditor brazzy2010 has a super-simple setup with a tremendous asset to go along with an M1-powered MacBook Air. It’s a 30-inch Apple Cinema Display from more than a decade ago. Its exact age is unknown, but it could be up to 16 years old.

Not only does the elderly display still work — with the right connectors, it still dazzles.

Apple TV+ scores 2 Oscar noms as streaming dominates

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Apple TV+ enters the world of auteur animation with new animated film Wolfwalkers.
Wolfwalkers was one of the Apple movies to get a nomination.
Image: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ has picked up its first ever Oscar nominations — although it still looks like a bit of an underachievement for the Cupertino tech company.

With Academy Award noms now announced, Apple has picked up two: Best Animated Feature Film for Wolfwalkers and Sound Design for Greyhound. The results will be announced April 25.

We don’t know anything about iOS 15 yet. And that’s great, because Apple spoilers suck.

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iPadOS 14 is good but iPadOS 15 just needs some new features to even better.
Things have been reassuringly quiet on the iOS 15 front.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

We don’t know anything about iOS 15 yet. And I’m totally OK with that. By comparison, this time last year we already knew plenty about iOS 14. This year, Apple’s somehow managed to keep leaks to virtually zero — despite the fact that many Apple engineers are working from home right now.

Here’s why I’m not shedding any tears over the lack of leaks. And why, frankly, I’d be happy if that same secrecy extended to other Apple products, too.

Joyful AirPods Pro ad will make you want to ‘Jump’

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AirPods
Apple's new AirPods ad is full of pep.
Photo: Apple

Apple shows off the untethered joyfulness and Active Noise Cancellation/Transparency features of its AirPods Pro in a new ad, titled “Jump,” which Apple debuted over the weekend.

The ad depicts an AirPods Pro user breaking social distancing rules as he moves through a vibrant city, playing jump-rope and otherwise pulling off some impressive acrobatic moves. It’s a fun two-minute ad set to the 2020 song “Fallin’ Apart” by Young Franco.

Days of explosive growth for AirPods may already be over

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AirPods Pro with black background discounts
AirPods have been a massive winner for Apple since 2016.
Photo: Apple

The massive growth days of the AirPods may already be over, according to renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a new note to clients seen by Cult of Mac, Kuo said he anticipates a year-over-year decline in AirPods shipments in 2021. If true, this would be the first year in AirPods history that sales didn’t experience explosive growth.

Goodbye, iMac Pro … and good riddance! [Cult of Mac Magazine 392]

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Goodbye, iMac Pro ... and good riddance.
Farewell ... and don't let the door bang you on the bezel on your way out.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

The iMac Pro was sleek and fast and capable and ultimately … uninspired.

That’s Cult of Mac writer Luke Dormehl’s take on Apple’s recently expired pro all-in-one. He serves up a compelling “Dear John” letter to a weird period in Mac history. And it doubles as a lovingly hopeful look at what the future holds.

If you want to peer even deeper into the Cupertino crystal ball, we’ve got a hot mess of new rumors and leaks this week as we speed toward a probable Apple event on March 23. Catch up with this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it to enjoy on iPhone or iPad, or get the stories below in your browser.

When the music stops: Apple discontinues full-size HomePod

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The HomePod -- a beautiful body with the brain of an idiot.
The originally HomePod is going away but the HomePod mini is going strong.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

The $299 version of Apple’s HomePod smart speaker has been discontinued. The company is already selling out of its remaining supply.

But that doesn’t mean Apple is getting out of the smart speaker business — it’s pleased with the launch of the more affordable HomePod mini.

HBO Max’s cheaper ad-supported tier won’t include first-run films [Updated]

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HBO Max’s free tier won’t include first-run films
The upcoming HBO Max free-with-ads version can be watched on every type of Apple computer.
Photo: WarnerMedia

You might want to put the HBO Max app on your iPhone after all. WarnerMedia said Friday there’ll be a more affordable version of the streaming service starting in June. But it’ll require watching ads.

And don’t expect to watch movies the same day as they appear in the theaters on the ad-supported version.

Apple TV+ nabs The Jet docuseries about an epic ‘90s Pepsi ad

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‘The Jet’ on Apple TV+ will hark back to the crazy days of the 1980s.
‘The Jet’ on Apple TV+ will be about an ad, a Harrier fighter plane and 7 million Pepsi Points.
Screenshot: Pepsi

The team that created McMillion$ is making a new documentary series for Apple TV+ about an outrageous Pepsi ad from the 1990s that seemingly promised a Harrier combat jet as the ultimate grand prize in a contest. The Jet will cover someone’s attempt to collect enough points in the “Drink Pepsi, Get Stuff” contest to win the aircraft.

iPhone might get in-screen Touch ID this year

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Touch ID might be back in the iPhone 13
The iPhone 13 could be Apple’s first with an in-display Touch ID scanner.
Concept image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A growing number of voices predict that the next-generation iPhone will come with a fingerprint scanner built into its screen. If true, it will mark the welcome return of Touch ID to Apple’s premium models after several long years.

Guitar-wielding student marshals nifty light show [Setups]

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Nanoleaf Shapes give you interesting lighting options.
Nanoleaf Shapes give you interesting lighting options.
Photo: arnaki_gkioulmpasi@reddit

If one thing catches your eye first about Redditor arnaki_gkioulmpasi’s setup, it’s probably the interesting light show on the wall behind it. That array is made up of Nanoleaf Shapes that can be arranged any which way.

Those cool-looking lights, along with a Yeelight Screen Light Bar Pro atop the Dell 32-inch curved 4K monitor and a standing lamp next to the desk, keep eyestrain to a minimum.

Apple Car could drive Apple to $3 trillion market cap

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Apple Car
Could this be what pushes Apple to its next financial milestone?
Photo: Torsten Dettlaff/Pexels CC

The arrival of the Apple car could push Apple’s market capitalization to an almost unimaginable $3 trillion, analysts at Citigroup and Wedbush claim.

Since Apple is currently worth $2.05 trillion, that would mean a surge of approximately 50% on its present value. Apple is already the most valuable public company in the world.

Latest Apple Pay offer grants discounts on groceries and meal boxes

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Apple Pay
You've got until next week to take advantage of the offer.
Photo: Apple

Apple has teamed up with grocery and meal deal services Instacart, HelloFresh, and Daily Harvest for its latest Apple Pay offer.

Running from now through March 17, users can receive two free months of Instacart Express membership, plus $5 off their first order, along with reductions on HelloFresh, and Daily Harvest. Check out more details below.

Apple accuses former employee of leaking trade secrets to the press

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Apple Glass concept from the Hacker 34.
VR glasses is one of the secret projects that a former Apple employee might have leaked to the press.
Concept: the Hacker 34

Apple filed a lawsuit against Simon Lancaster on Thursday, accusing the former employee of leaking company secrets to the media.

He worked at Apple as a materials engineer for over 11 years, helping to design upcoming products. That gave him access to information not publicly available. Apple alleges he traded that info for personal gain.

Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment signs first-look deal with Apple TV+

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Imagine Entertainment signs first-look deal with Apple TV+
Ron Howard and Brian Grazer might make films for Apple TV+.
Photo: Ron Howard and Brian Grazer

Apple TV+ now has a first-look deal with Imagine Entertainment, who produced films like A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13. The agreement could bring movies from this long-running production company helmed by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer to Apple’s streaming video service.

Apple’s custom 5G modem might make 2023 iPhone faster than ever

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An Apple 5G modem might look like this
An Apple 5G modem is allegedly in development, and could be in iPhones in a few years.
Artists concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple’s move away from Qualcomm modems could begin in 2023. Analysts predict that all the iPhone models released in that year will use 5G modems Apple designed itself.

This is another example of Apple developing critical components for its products in-house rather than depending on an outside company.

Game developer plays with wide and tall screens [Setups]

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A game developer makes good use of wide and tall monitors.
A game developer makes good use of wide and tall monitors.
Photo: linden_park@Reddit

UK-based Redditor linden_park just updated their setup while working in the early development phase of a new life simulator game set in space among multiple planets and space stations. Covering all that intergalactic territory, it helps to have both wide and tall screens.

Australian antitrust committee eyes Apple’s lucrative Google search deal

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Is Apple’s deal to make Google Safari’s default search engine anticompetitive?
An Australian government agency is probing Apple and Google for anticompetitive practices.
Photo: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels CC

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is gathering data for a report on whether Google and Apple abuse their ability to pick default web browsers and search engines in their operating systems to squeeze out smaller competitors.

And Australia is just one of many countries probing the business practices of big tech companies. These investigations might eventually be followed by lawsuits or legislation that forces Google, Apple, Facebook, etc. to change the way they do business.

Toyota boss welcomes Apple car competition, with caveats

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Toyota Avalon CarPlay
Toyota President Akio Toyoda touts his company's experience in the car industry.
Photo: Toyota

Toyota’s President Akio Toyoda has chimed in on the possibility of an Apple car, saying the automotive industry welcomes new players with “the potential to breathe [fresh] life into the auto industry and give customers a wider range of choices.”

However, he threw minor shade at new arrivals like the Cupertino tech giant, noting how much more experienced Toyota is. “After making a vehicle, I’d like them to be prepared to deal with customers and various changes for some 40 years,” Toyoda said during a Thursday press conference by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.

India’s iPhone factory reopens after last year’s riots

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Apple supplier is increasing its ability to build masses of iPhones in India
Riots broke out at the factory in December.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple contract manufacturer Wistron has reopened the iPhone factory in Karnataka, southern India. The factory was temporarily closed late last year after riots broke out over unpaid wages.

According to the Economic Times, it is currently operating with a reduced workforce of around 6,000 people. This is around half the number that it had late last year. Wistron will reportedly gradually scale back up the numbers.

Apple car could follow iPhone’s successful manufacturing model

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What route will Apple take to produce an electric vehicle?
What route will Apple take to produce an electric vehicle?
Photo: carlos aranda/Unsplash CC

After talks with potential automotive partners stalled, Cupertino could stick with its key iPhone manufacturer to produce an Apple car, a Thursday report from Bloomberg suggests.

This would mark a big change in Apple’s strategy for breaking into the auto industry. The company previously looked to hook up with an established automaker — albeit seemingly with Apple receiving top billing.