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News - page 358

Surprise! Apple might unveil mixed-reality headset in 2021

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This Apple VR headset concept
The Apple VR headset might jump from concept to reality sooner than expected.
Concept: Antonio De Rosa

Apple supposedly will announce its first virtual reality/augmented reality headset “in the next several months,” according to a very reliable source. It could be as quickly as WWDC 2021.  That’s well before other predictions.

While the iPhone-maker hasn’t committed to any such device, its VR headset has been the subject of many leaks. But no one can agree on when it’ll reach customers. Most recent reports have pointed to some point in 2022, though.

Cloud architect builds man shed to beat all man sheds [Setups]

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This man shed sports multiple screens.
This man shed sports multiple screens.
Photo: CourseEcstatic6202@Reddit

Sometimes a setup promoted on social media stops you dead in your tracks, and it’s not because you’re excited about the hardware. Sometimes it’s the amazing, hand-built “man shed” where the setup lives that stuns you.

Such is the case with CourseEcstatic6202’s offering on Reddit. The cloud architect — let’s just call him “CE” — works in Amazon Web Services on California’s central coast. He designed and built a beautiful little house for his MacBook Pro-based setup in his back yard.

Buy one get one free on strong, stylish SwitchEasy cases for iPhone 12

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SwitchEasy case for iPhone 12: The Skin is a simple silicone option that's slim and lightweight.
Bag brilliant iPhone cases from as little as $14.99.
Photo: SwitchEasy

Keep your shiny new iPhone 12 protected and in pristine condition with some high-quality cases from SwitchEasy. They’re brilliantly designed and well-built. And when you buy one from the Cult of Mac Store right now, you’ll get another absolutely free.

This deal ends Friday, April 2, so enjoy it while you can!

Samsung factories in USA, Europe, and China now powered by reusable energy

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Samsung punks Apple by building a temporary store right in front of Apple's flagship Spanish store.
Samsung is increasing its emphasis on renewable energy.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Apple frenemy Samsung has achieved its goal of using 100% reusable energy in its factories in the USA, Europe, and China. It announced the sustainability drive in 2018, and achieved 92% reusable energy by the close of 2019.

Samsung has not yet revealed whether it plans to try and push this same focus on reusables to other parts of the world that it operates — including its home turf of South Korea.

Apple invests in app that lets indie artists share music more easily

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UnitedMasters image
App makes it easier to post music on Apple Music.
Photo: UnitedMasters

Apple is investing millions of dollars in UnitedMasters, a music distribution platform for independent artists. The company makes an app that’s designed to help indie musicians release music to streaming platforms.

UnitedMasters lets users upload their music to platforms like Apple Music within seconds. They can then get paid royalties through PayPal.

Apple finally stops assuming ‘Asian’ is synonymous with porn

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Apple finally stops assuming 'Asian' is synonymous with porn
Poorly written iPhone software treated ‘Asian’ as though it was always porn. It’s being fixed.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

For much too long, the iPhone’s built-in pornographic content blocker prevented searches just because included the word “Asian.” Apple reportedly fixed the issue in the latest beta of iOS 14.5. But the problem is still in place for everyone not running the pre-release software.

Belkin’s iPhone mount follows your face for better video recordings

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Belkin unveiled multiple MagSafe accessories on Tuesday.
Clip an iPhone into the Belkin Face Tracking Magnetic Phone Mount with MagSafe and you’re ready to record your next YouTube video.
Photo: Belkin

 The Belkin iPhone mount with Face Tracking Magnetic Phone Mount and MagSafe uses facial recognition to keep an iPhone’s camera constantly pointed at the user, taking the place of a cameraman.

It uses MagSafe to hold the handset in place, and Belkin also unveiled a range of other MagSafe accessories on Tuesday, including clip-on batteries in two sizes.

Why Apple should make iPad landscape-first

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iPad needs to be redesigned to be landscape-first
This is how most people hold their iPad.
Photo: Roberto Nickson/Pexels CC

Apple is holding its iPad wrong. The company designs its tablets as if the best way to hold one is in a portrait orientation. But landscape is actually more common, and Apple should make changes to the iPad’s design to reflect that.

Apple Maps begins offering COVID-19 airport travel guidance

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Apple Maps begins offering COVID-19 airport travel guidance
Finding out the rules your local airport has in place to fight COVID-19 is as easy a checking Apple Maps.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple Maps now displays airport COVID-19 health measures data, making it easier for travelers to find airport health guidance.

With vaccinations becoming more widespread, air travel is picking up. But airports still have requirements for passengers. Finding out what they are for each airport is now as simple as opening Apple Maps.

AirFly Pro is a little dongle that makes AirPods even more magical

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Twelve South AirFly Pro with AirPods Pro
Every AirPods owner needs an AirFly Pro.
Photo: Twelve South

AirPods might be one of the best accessories Apple has ever made. But there’s a quick and easy way to make them even better: Pair yours with the AirFly Pro from Twelve South.

This second-generation dongle lets you connect your AirPods or AirPods Pro to almost anything. It has better battery life than its predecessor, and supports two pairs of headphones simultaneously.

You can order yours today.

Adobe bundles 3 pro iPad apps into half-price subscription

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Adobe Design Mobile Bundle includes Illustrator and Photoshop for iPad. And more.
Design like a pro and save a bundle with a collection of Adobe creative apps for iPad.
Photo: Adobe

The new Adobe Design Mobile Bundle combines professional-grade iPad apps for photo editing, graphic design and social media into a single subscription. And the subscription cost is 50% below the software collection’s previous price.

Finish him! Mortal Kombat-themed iPhone brutalizes your wallet

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MK iPhone
Spine-tearingly expensive.
Photo: Caviar

Back in my misspent youth I pumped no shortage of spare (and non-spare) change into arcade machines to play Mortal Kombat II. Jump forward more than a quarter-century and MK fans eager to empty their pockets faster than that can shell out for a new custom iPhone 12 Pro model.

Made by the company Caviar, the handset features an image of the Kunai harpoon weapon belonging to everyone’s favorite undead yellow-clad ninja Scorpion. It’s also emblazoned with the immortal words “Get over here!”

And all it will cost you is somewhere north of $6,140.

Fortnite maker complains about Apple to UK regulator

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Epic Games mocked Apple with a ‘1984’ parody.
Epic Games vs. Apple has been raging since last summer.
Screenshot: Epic Games

The battle between Apple and Fortnite maker Epic Games rages on as the latter has filed a complaint with the UK’s competition regulator, complaining about Apple’s alleged anticompetitive behavior.

The UK Competition and Markets Authority earlier this month revealed that it had opened an investigation of Apple. This followed complaints from app developers that its conditions are not fair. Now Epic is chiming in to add its support to the complaint.

All-virtual WWDC 2021 will kick off June 7

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WWDC 2021
WWDC goes virtual again this year. Does that mean no April product launch event?
Photo: Apple

Apple will kick off this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 7. And, for the second year running, this will be an all-virtual event, the company said Tuesday.

The WWDC festivities will run through that week, offering what Apple calls “unique insight into the future of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.”

A15 chip production for iPhone 13 is almost underway

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Apple A14 is made with an amazing 5nm production process.
A14 chip? Pffft... it's all about the A15 chip these days.
Screenshot: Apple

Production on Apple’s next-gen A15 chips will reportedly start up in May, using the same 5-nanometer fabrication size as last year’s A14 chip. However, this year’s A-series chip refresh will boast an “enhanced” manufacturing process that should result in superior performance next to the A14 processor.

This is approximately what you would expect to see in terms of both the schedule and nanometer jump between iPhone models. Apple typically is underway with production by around May, ready for the September iPhone launch. There is also usually an upgrade (or, in terms of minimum feature size, downgrade) in nanometers every couple of years.

Apple works on a new remote for next-gen Apple TV

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Apple TV Siri Remote
Will Apple ditch the Siri Remote?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is working on a new remote for its next-gen Apple TV, 9to5Mac reports. While the story doesn’t share specific details about the rejigged remote, it suggests Apple might move away from the controversial Siri Remote that debuted with the fourth-gen Apple TV.

People often single out the Siri Remote as one of the more controversial designs in Apple history. It sits alongside the “hockey puck” mouse of the iMac G3 and the dodgy, upside-down charging of the Magic Mouse 2 in Apple’s hall of infamy.

Apple opens the door to indie repair shops around the world

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It’ll soon be easier to find reliable iPhone, iPad or Mac repairs.
Indie repair shops around the globe get access to genuine Apple parts and training
Photo: Apple

The Apple Independent Repair Provider program will soon be available in nearly every country where Apple products are sold, making it easier for users to find a reliable place to get their smartphone, laptop or other device fixed.

The program gives repair providers of all sizes access to genuine Apple parts, tools, repair manuals and diagnostics to fix iPhones, Macs and other devices.

Scratch AirPods 3 off the agenda for Apple’s April event

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AirPods 3 might borrow some features of AirPods Pro.
New AirPods could replace 2019’s AirPods 2 in Apple’s lineup. But not soon.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

There’s a growing consensus among tipsters that, despite what what said earlier, AirPods 3 will not debut at the Apple April event. It seems the company’s next generation of truly wireless earbuds aren’t going to reach customers until later in 2021.

HyperJuice 5000mAh battery pack magnetically attaches to iPhone 12

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HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack for iPhone 12 adds 5000mAh to your handsets.
HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack for iPhone 12 charges the handset without wires, cases… anything else needed.
Photo: Sanho Hyper

HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack for iPhone 12 makes charging as easy as placing the power bank on the back of Apple’s latest handsets. The two devices will cling together while the iPhone is getting juiced up, no wires or clips necessary.

Apple Watch Explorer Edition could be the first great rugged smartwatch

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Apple Watch Explorer Edition could be Apple's answer to the ultra-popular G-Shock series.
A rugged Apple Watch could compete with the ultra-popular G-Shock series.
Photo: Moritz Kindler/Unsplash CC

A ruggedized version of Apple Watch could take the device’s lifesaving smarts to new extremes.

The so-called Apple Watch Explorer Edition, rumored to be in the works with a possible release as early as this year, could be Cupertino’s answer to Casio’s ultra-popular G-Shock watches. The benefits of implanting Apple Watch’s advanced sensors into such a beefy body seem like a no-brainer.

Apple Watch’s blood oxygen sensors, heart rate monitors and fall detection can make a difference in the daily life of average folks. But they could prove far more valuable to wearers snowboarding down frigid slopes, climbing up sand dunes or mountains, scrabbling over mud and rocks or diving the ocean’s depths.

Such extreme environments, in which adventurous humans test their limits, are just dying for an injection of Apple Watch smarts.

Apple TV+ preps stunning nature documentaries for Earth Day

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‘ The Year Earth Changed’ premieres on Apple TV+ on April 15, 2021.
The Year Earth Changed is just one of the nature documentaries coming to Apple’s streaming service in April.
Graphic: Apple

The Year Earth Changed is a fresh documentary showing how animals around the world recovered during the year COVID-19 kept humans in lockdown. The show, which will be narrated by David Attenborough, will premiere on Apple TV+ in time for Earth Day.

The streaming service is also about to air the second seasons of its documentary series Tiny World and Earth At Night In Color.