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Apple wins a technical Emmy for its breakthrough video compression format

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FireWire lands Apple its first Emmy.
No, it's not for any of the shows on Apple TV+.
Image: The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences/Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has won another Emmy Award — but, no, it’s not for any of the great shows you’ll find on Apple TV+. Instead, on Thursday Apple was awarded an Engineering Emmy Award for its ProRes video codec, the high quality video compression format Apple developed — which is now standard issue in the movie business.

The award was given to Greg Wallace, director of video apps engineering at Apple. The awards show also featured a short video from Apple engineers Peter Chou and Mitchell Oslick. Check out the video below.

PSA: Season finale of Tehran debuts on Apple TV+, more

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Tehran season finale
What's on Apple TV+ today?
Photo: Apple

Apple’s celebrated spy drama Tehran reaches the end of the road Friday as the Apple TV+ airs its season finale.

The episode, titled “Five Hours Until the Bombing Run,” is one of three new shows on Apple TV+ this week. It means that, for the uninitiated, the entire series is now available for viewing. (Plus non-subscribers can tune in to watch the Halloween animated classic It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.)

7 nuggets of truth from Apple’s latest earnings call

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All-time high Mac sales power Apple to new heights, if not record earnings.
All-time high Mac sales power Apple to new heights.
Original photo: Markus Spiske/Unsplash CC

COVID-19 both helped and hurt Apple earnings in the company’s most-recent financial quarter. CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri discussed the nitty-gritty details of the results Thursday. They also shared what’s really going on with Apple as it tries to keep releasing best-selling products in the middle of a pandemic that’s upended the world economy and ordinary people’s lives.

Here are seven things we learned from Apple’s Q4 2020 earnings call.

Huge Mac sales drive record-breaking earnings for Apple

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Apple Q4 2020 earnings: Mac sales (and services) drove revenues to record highs last quarter.
Mac sales (and services) drive Apple revenues to record highs once again.
Photo: Rachel Moenning/Unsplash CC

Apple pulled in more revenue last quarter than in any previous July-through-September period, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Growth came from sales of Mac and iPad, as well as revenue from services.

But iPhone revenue was down dramatically because of the delayed release of the iPhone 12 series. That hurt earnings significantly.

Beautiful video preview will get you howling for Wolfwalkers

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‘Wolfwalkers’ is headed for theaters and Apple TV+.
Wolfwalkers, from a highly-decorated animation studio, debuts on Apple TV+ in December.
Screenshot: Apple/Cartoon Saloon

To get audiences primed for Wolfwalkers, Apple debuted on Thursday a “Legendary Prologue” for what will be first animated movie on Apple TV+. It introduces viewers to a medieval world where humans can transform into wolves.

Watch the video preview now.

The best bacon-tossing game you’ll play this year gets a sizzling update

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Bacon 2
Now with 30 percent more bacon-tossing.
Photo: Chris Yarzab/Flickr CC

To put it mildly, 2020 hasn’t been the best year on record. It’s been a year that, at various times, makes you mad enough to throw things — like, err, bacon?

This oddball bacon-tossing concept is at the center of a game called *ahem* Bacon — The Game. Created by the excellent indie developer Philipp Stollenmayer (Sometimes You Die), it’s a strangely addicting game which I’ve played, off and on, for the past couple of years.

Today, Stollenmayer cranked up the crispiness by adding another 30 levels to the quirky game. If you’ve not played it before, this is a great time to give it a whirl. Or a toss.

Apple may have underestimated the popularity of iPhone 12 Pro

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iphone12
iPhone 12 Pro could be a lot more popular than even Apple expected.
Photo: Donel Bagrov

Apple was seemingly banking on the iPhone 12 being its most popular new handset this year. But it appears the company may have underestimated just how popular the new iPhone 12 Pro is with users.

According to Digitimes, Apple is ramping up orders for the LiDAR Scanner exclusive to the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max models.

Joke unboxing shows just how ‘mini’ the iPhone 12 mini could have been

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iPhone 12 mini unboxing
Apple's new iPhone 12 mini is small. But not quite this small.
Photo: Weibo

The iPhone 12 mini won’t ship until November 13, but a video doing the rounds on Chinese social media shows an unboxing of Apple’s new miniature iPhone. Well, kind of.

The joke video shows the unboxing of an impressively accurate, shrunk-down copy of Apple’s iPhone mini. It’s reminiscent of the tiny cellphone in 2001’s Ben Stiller comedy Zoolander. And it’s kind of awesome.

Apple temporarily shutters Philadelphia store during protests

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Apple Store temporarily closed.
Store will be closed through November 4.
Photo: Apple

Apple temporarily shuttered its Apple Walnut Street retail store in Philadelphia as the city is rocked by protests and riots following the killing of a black man, Walter Wallace Jr., by police.

According to Apple’s website, the store is closed from now through at least November 4. An asterisk on the page lists this as “special store hours.”

Apple could introduce 1TB iPhone storage option

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iPhone 12 Pro in Pacific blue
You can never have enough storage!
Photo: Apple

According to Apple leaker Jon Prosser, Apple could almost double the storage of its current top-of-the-range iPhone — by introducing the first 1TB iPhone.

At present, Apple’s maximum iPhone storage option tops out at 512GB. The storage for Apple’s top iPhones has been capped at this figure for the past three years since the iPhone XS and XS Max. This year, the base option of the iPhone 12 Pro was doubled to 128GB from the minimum 64GB of the iPhone 11 Pro.

Apple earnings: Can iPad and Mac pick up the iPhone slack again?

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Apple earnings Q4 2020 will likely come down to iPad and Mac demand.
iPhone sales were likely weak last quarter so Apple earnings will depend a lot on Mac and iPad.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Weak iPhone sales likely pulled down Apple earnings in its last financial quarter. But the COVID-19 pandemic almost certainly pushed up demand for iPad and Mac. Still, total revenue is expected to be down slightly.

We’ll find out for sure Thursday when Cupertino announces its financial results from the July-through-September period.

Apple’s Clips app gets a massive upgrade aimed at influencers

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Apple Clips offers a simple way to combine video and images.
Clips 3.0 makes Apple’s free video creation app for iPhone and iPad easier to use.
Photo: Apple

Apple Clips 3.0, released on Wednesday, includes an improved user interface to make it easier to record video and then add effects to it. There are enhancements for both iPhone and iPad users.

This free software helps users combine video clips, photos and music into fun videos. It’s aimed at producing eye-catching content for TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and more.

Apple TV+ picks up lovable sports comedy Ted Lasso for surprise third season

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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+

AFC Richmond gets to keep its coach for years to come. Apple TV+ revealed Wednesday that it renewed its sports comedy Ted Lasso all the way through a third season.

The first season recently wrapped up, and received high marks from critics and audiences. And there’s plenty more to come

iPhone 12 ‘scratchgate’ is a figment of the imagination

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An iPhone 12 scratch test is no big deal.
iPhone 12 display won‘t get scratched any more than other phones.
Screenshot: JerryRigEverything

The iPhone 12 display is no more likely to get scratched than its predecessors or competitors. A rigorous test disproves an early report that Apple’s latest is easily susceptible to this type of damage.

This should head off anyone declaring “scratchgate” in the spirit of the iPhone 6’s actually real Bendgate and the MacBook’s Flexgate.

Antitrust complaint claims Apple’s crackdown on user tracking is unfair

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privacy WWDC
Apple is all about privacy.
Photo: Apple

A French antitrust complaint against Apple targets an iOS 14 feature that makes it tougher for companies to indiscriminately use tracking technology for mobile advertising.

The anti-tracking feature previously faced criticism, unsurprisingly, from companies that work in mobile advertising. However, this is the one of the first legal actions taken against Apple due to the feature.

Despite strong iPhone 12 preorders in India, Apple remains a bit player

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The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 price is now the same for all the top US telecoms.
Despite no 5G, the iPhone 12 is selling well in India.
Photo: Apple

Preorders for the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are “super high” in India, largely thanks to authorized resellers offering good trade-in deals and monthly installment payments, according to a report published Wednesday.

Apple doesn’t reveal iPhone sales figures anymore. That means Apple watchers must be on the lookout for other early signs to indicate how well new iPhones are doing. In India, at least, that appears to be pretty darn well for iPhone 12.

Apple stops signing iOS 14.0.1 as iOS 14 adoption nears 50%

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iOS 14.1 is almost here.
There's no turning back!
Photo: Cult of Mac

Upgraded from iOS 14.0.1 to iOS 14.1 and now having buyer’s remorse? Well, too bad: You can no longer downgrade.

To be clear, there’s no reason why anyone would want to go back after upgrading to the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. But now that Apple’s stopped signing the iOS 14.0.1 code, it’s no longer possible to go back even if you wanted to.

Apple snaps up AI company which could help make videos searchable in Photos app

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ADAM Elements iKlips C -2
Making videos smarter and more easily searchable.
Photo: ADAM Elements

Apple earlier this year snapped up an AI video company, Bloomberg reports. The Barcelona-based Vilynx uses AI technology to help analyze videos to understand what it shows by looking at text, visuals, and audio. This can be used to make the videos more easily searchable.

According to the report, Apple could use this tech to make its Photos app better by allowing users to search videos for people and objects the same way they currently can search photos. It could also help make Siri smarter or improve recommendations in the TV app and more.

Apple battles rocky relationship with biggest manufacturing partner

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Apple's relationship with Foxconn on the rocks
Apple's partnership with Foxconn isn't as rosy as it seems.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s partnership with Foxconn, its largest manufacturing partner, is “eroding” as a result of the supposedly shady tactics that Foxconn is using in an effort to boost profits, according to a new report.

It is claimed that Foxconn has exaggerated hiring counts, used Apple equipment to produce orders for other companies, and cut corners on component and product testing.

Jon Stewart returns to airwaves on Apple TV+

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Jon Steward headed to Apple TV+
The untitled show is expected to land next year.
Photo: The White House

Jon Stewart, former star of The Daily Show, has signed a deal to host a current affairs series for Apple TV+, a new report claims.

The show is said to center on “the national conversation and [Stewart’s] own advocacy work,” and will run for multiple seasons. Stewart will produce it through his own company, Busboy Productions.

Mophie redesigns Juice Pack iPhone battery case to make it universal

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The Mophie Juice Pack Connect
A revamped Mophie Juice Pack Connect charges your phone with a removable battery.
Photo: Zagg/Mophie

There’s no longer a need to buy a new Mophie Juice Pack battery case when upgrading your iPhone. A version launched Tuesday adds 5,000mAh of power to any handset that supports wireless charging, both iOS and Android.

In addition, Juice Pack Connect includes a phone grip that’s also a stand for the phone.

Samsung rumored to drop earbuds and charger from next phone after mocking Apple

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Samsung ad
But for how much longer?
Photo: Samsung

Samsung immediately mocked Apple when the company elected not to include EarPods and a charger with the iPhone 12. So of course rumors now suggest Samsung may follow suit by ditching a charger and earphones from its forthcoming Galaxy S21 box.

Samsung has not confirmed that this will be the case. But according to SamMobile, some observers think Samsung will leave out a charger and earbuds from its new handset. Others think Samsung might get rid of only the earphones.