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News - page 364

Controversial anti-tracking feature is about to go live in iOS 14

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Your iPhone will soon offer a bit more privacy.
With iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4, applications will have to ask if they can track you.
Graphic: Apple

Apple seeded to developers the release candidates for iOS 14.4 and the iPad equivalent on Thursday. It’s probably the last step before a public release. Among other changes, these new versions will apparently give iPhone and iPad users the option to block third-party applications from tracking them.

Devs can also install watchOS 7.3 RC and tvOS 14.4 RC, which became available Thursday too. But macOS Big Sur 11.2 is still on Beta 2.

Trump snagged the very first 2019 Mac Pro

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Apple CEO Tim Cook talked Mac Pro with President Trump
“Mr. President, we have some lovely parting gifts for you.”
Screenshot: White House

It’s good to be the president. People just give you things, like the first 2019 Mac Pro assembled in Austin, Texas. Tim Cook gave this pricy computer to Trump, probably after the president toured the factory.

Beeper app promises to bring iMessage to Android and Windows

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Beeper brings iMessage to Android and Windows
15 different chat platforms in one.
Photo: Beeper

Beeper is a new all-in-one chat app that merges 15 different platforms into one. That sounds pretty interesting already, but what makes Beeper really exciting is its promise to put iMessage on Android and Windows.

The app, from Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky and his team, is “using some trickery” to make the impossible possible. But you’ll have to cough up a monthly subscription fee if you want to take advantage of it.

Apple’s first VR headset could be an expensive disappointment

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Oculus Quest
Apple's first headset could be around the same size as Oculus Quest.
Photo: Oculus

Don’t expect too much from Apple’s first virtual reality headset. A new report warns that Cupertino’s first stab at a wearable VR system, which could come in 2022, will be expensive with a limited set of capabilities.

The device is believed to be designed primarily as a “niche precursor” to more ambitious AR/VR glasses that Apple plans to launch later.

Next iPhone lineup may bring smaller notch, better sensor-shift cameras

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iPhone 12 review
We're used to the notch now, but we wouldn't say no to a smaller one.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple will finally shrink iPhone’s notch for its next-generation devices, according to a new report citing sources in the company’s supply chain. Plus, all of the devices will pack even greater sensor-shift stabilization cameras.

It is believed design changes and upgrades to the iPhone’s front-facing Face ID camera and sensors will make the notch shrink possible.

You can now run Ubuntu Linux on an M1 Mac via USB

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Linux on an M1 Mac
Download all the files you'll need today.
Photo: Corellium

It’s now possible to run Ubuntu Linux on an M1 Mac, thanks to an early build made available by Corellium. The operating system is booted from a USB stick, leaving macOS completely unchanged.

All the files you need can be downloaded now from GitHub, and Corellium says an installation tutorial is on the way.

Wrestling Empire brings mobile grappling hijinks to App Store [Updated]

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Wrestling Empire image
Slamming its way into the App Store soon.
Photo: Wrestling Empire

Edit: Like the creepy girls intoning the return of The Undertaker at Judgment Day 2000, “He’s here.” Or, at least, the game is. You can download it for free from the App Store, with in-app purchases.

There are plenty of subjects I’ll happily geek out about. But pro wrestling and Apple are both prominent players in the top tier. Imagine, then, my excitement when the two get brought together like some odd-couple tag team.

The latest example in this limited convergence genre? A new game called Wrestling Empire, which is set to superkick its way into the App Store soon. Check out the trailer.

Why a portless iPhone would be a nightmare

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Apple, please don’t saddle us with a portless iPhone. This wouldn't be better.
This wouldn't be better.
Photo illustration: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A reliable source says Apple is considering stripping the Lightning port from future iPhone models and replacing it with … nothing. Hopefully, it’s not too late to stop this terrible, terrible idea.

A portless iPhone is possible. And there are even a few advantages. But the significant drawbacks make the idea something that should be dropped like a burning bag of poo.

Apple cuts iPhone 12 mini production to meet stronger Pro demand

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Get the Phone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini with no extra wait.
iPhone 12 mini isn't as popular as its bigger brothers.
Photo: Apple

Apple reportedly cut iPhone 12 mini production so it can meet stronger demand for the pricier iPhone 12 Pro.

Cupertino’s smallest handset apparently accounted for just 6% of all sales during the iPhone 12 series’ launch period last fall. And it suffered from lackluster demand ever since.

iPad mini 6 might get the big redesign it deserves

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2021 iPad mini is about to become a lot more useful.
The 2021 iPad mini could be about to get a lot less mini.
Photo: Pigtou/xleaks7

Apple’s smallest tablet is allegedly about to get the redesign so many people have hoped for. The screen bezels in the 2021 iPad mini will shrink significantly, supposedly allowing the display to increase to over 9 inches and become nearly edge-to-edge.

The computer will also reportedly get in-screen Touch ID and a hole-punch camera.

LG reportedly gives up on iPhone display manufacturing

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2020-iPhone-SE-lineup-hero
LG lost out on orders for the newest iPhone SE.
Photo: Apple

LG is reportedly ending its production of LCD displays for iPhone after posting losses of $4.5 billion over the last five years. The South Korean company is also said to be considering leaving the smartphone market.

The news comes as LG continues to suffer steep declines in smartphone shipments, with its devices now accounting for just 2% of the worldwide smartphone market, according to the latest estimates.

ParcSlope stand gracefully supports MacBook or iPad

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Twelve South ParcSlope is a desktop productivity stand.
ParcSlope props up either a MacBook or an iPad, making them easier to work on.
Photo: Twelve South

Some stands are designed for laptops, others for tablets. The ParcSlope from Twelve South is both. The desktop accessory, announced Tuesday, elevates the back edge of either a MacBook or iPad, allowing the user to either type more easily or draw on the touchscreen.

AirPods Max teardown finds mystery chips, screwy screws and impressive engineering

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iFixit AirPods Max teardown finds much to like
An AirPods Max Teardown wouldn’t be complete without an X-ray of Apple’s new over-the-ears headphones.
Photo: iFixit

iFixit took a deep dive into AirPods Max, fully disassembling Apple’s over-the-ear headphones. What they found in the teardown was a startling number of different types of screws. But also a craftsmanship that helps justify the hefty price tag.

Apple’s new Spotlight feature highlights ‘singular’ podcasters worth listening to

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Apple Podcasts
New feature is all about interesting creators worth seeking out.
Photo: Apple

A new Spotlight feature in Apple’s Podcasts app will promote “singular voices in podcasting” to help new listeners discover them. Apple plans to profile a new creator each month. The first is Celebrity Book Club podcaster, comedian and filmmaker Chelsea Devantez.

New ‘Shot on iPhone’ images showcase what’s possible with iPhone 12

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iPhone 12 Pro Max image
NKCHU from China took this stunning image using an iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Photo: Apple

Whether it’s the iPhone 12 mini or the high-end iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple’s latest handsets are pretty darn great when it comes to taking photographs. To show just how good, on Tuesday Apple released a lineup of images, snapped using its latest iPhones.

From hyper-detailed close-ups to moody interiors to gorgeous landscapes, they show off just how versatile Apple’s new camera phones actually are.

Hyundai could pass Apple Car collaboration off to Kia

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Kia
Apple's partner on the Apple Car project could be Kia.
Photo: Nils Bogdanovs/Unsplash CC

Hyundai’s Kia Corporation will reportedly be the company responsible for working with Apple on the electric, self-driving Apple Car project, a new report states.

As per the South Korean news outlet, eDaily, “If Kia decides to do this, the Apple Car production base will be at Kia’s Georgia plant in the US.”

Ted Lasso scores hat trick of Critics Choice nominations for Apple TV+

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Jason Sudeikis plays a clueless college football coach in the Apple TV+ comedy series
Jason Sudeikis plays a clueless college football coach in the comedy series.
Photo: Apple TV+

Popular Apple TV+ comedy series Ted Lasso earned three nominations in the upcoming 26th annual Critics Choice Awards.

The show, about a hapless Kansas football coach who is somehow hired to lead a U.K. soccer team, earned nods for Best Comedy Series, Best Actor in a Comedy Series (lead actor Jason Sudeikis, who plays the title role) and Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (for Hannah Waddingham, who plays club owner Rebecca in the show.)

Apple extends free repair program for faulty MacBook Pro models

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MacBook
Apple's replacement program sorts out a big display flaw.
Photo: Apple

Apple has quietly extended a free repair program covering faulty 13-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2016. The laptops in question suffer from a problem related to the display backlight.

Initially, Apple’s repair program — announced in May 2019 — covered the laptops for up to four years after they were purchased. Now Apple has extended that to five years.

Tasty renders show 2021 iPad Pro with mystery magnetic connectors

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This might be the 2021 iPad Pro.
The basic design of 2021 iPad Pro will supposedly be much like its predecessor, but with some interesting enhancements.
Render: xleaks7/Pigtou

Apple will build even more magnets into the 2021 iPad Pro, according to a tipster. The same source also rendered images supposedly based on CAD drawings of the upcoming 12.9- and 11-inch versions.

Other changes rumored for Apple’s next top-tier tablet include an improved screen and optional 5G.