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iOS 14 beta 4 adds TV widget, fixes bugs [Updated]

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iOS 14 Beta 4 makes it easier to watch TV on your iPad
Just tap on the Apple TV widget to jump to your favorite shows in iPadOS 14.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A highlight of iOS 14 beta 4 is a TV widget on the Home screen, giving users easy access to shows in the Apple TV app. And the Weather widget returns for iPad users, among a handful of other tweaks.

Apple released the public beta Thursday after seeding it to developers earlier this week.

Leaked iPhone 12 display shows the notch isn’t shrinking

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iPhone x battery percentage
There’s new evidence the iPhone 12 notch will be the same size it’s been for years.
Photo: Apple

A supposed image of the iPhone 12 display hardware shows that the screen cutout in the upcoming handset remains the same size as in its predecessors.

Earlier this year, we heard unconfirmed reports that this feature, usually called the notch, would shrink considerably in the iPhone 12. That’s not going to happen, if the image that leaked out Thursday is legit.

Twitter update lets you control who can reply to your tweets [Updated]

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Apple's Twitter account and other high-profile accounts hacked in massive Bitcoin scam.
New feature helps keep out the trolls.
Photo: Ravi Sharma/Unsplash CC

The latest update to the Twitter app for iOS allows users to limit who can reply to their tweets. Twitter started testing the feature with a small number of users in May. Thursday’s update rolls it out to everyone.

Update: Twitter admitted Thursday that it got ahead of itself. It announced this feature in the release notes of its latest iOS app, but then told The Verge “the ability to limit replies on tweets is not currently available to everyone.”

Apple could ‘lead the industry’ in AI, says Cupertino’s machine learning boss

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John Giannandrea
Apple's AI boss says machine learning is being used in more places than ever.
Photo: Apple

Apple is using machine learning technology in more and more of its features, John Giannandrea, the company’s senior vice president for machine learning and AI strategy, reveals in a new interview with Ars Technica.

Giannandrea, who joined Apple from a job at Google, said “there are increasingly fewer and fewer places in iOS where we’re not using machine learning.” This stands in strong contrast to a few years ago — and even the point at which Giannandrea landed his Apple job.

US could boot more of China’s ‘untrusted’ apps from the App Store

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app-store
TikTok may only be the first app targeted.
Photo: Apple

The Trump administration wants to eliminate “untrusted” Chinese apps from the App Store as part of a multiphase “Clean Network” plan to cut down on potential security risks from China.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the United States will crack down on apps with parent companies based in China. The two specific apps mentioned are TikTok and WeChat. However, Pompeo simply used these to illustrate the kinds of apps that could get the boot.

Lady Gaga will host a new Apple Music show starting Friday

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Gaga Radio
Coming soon to an Apple Music show near you.
Photo: Lady Gaga/Apple Music

The song “Radio Ga-Ga” gave Lady Gaga her stage name, and now, years later, she has her own radio show. And it’s debuting this week on Apple Music.

Gaga Radio will premiere at 11 a.m. Pacific on Friday, and run every Friday for the whole of August. In a tweet announcing the new show, Gaga invited listeners to hear her and her Chromatica collaborators “talk about the inspirations, making the record & more!”

Oscar-winning director’s iPhone short is all about the joy of shooting vertically

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Damien Chazelle
You don't need widescreen vistas to tell an amazing story.
Photo: Apple

People who shoot iPhone videos vertically are often mocked for having committed some nigh-unforgivable sin. Well, you count Academy Award-winning director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land) among the guilty. And he’s far from embarrassed about it.

Apple Wednesday debuted a short film shot by Chazelle using his iPhone 11 Pro. In the “Vertical Cinema” short, the Oscar-winning filmmaker shows how vertical shooting can be used to breathe new life into existing movie tropes. Lots and lots of movie tropes. Check it out below.

This shoestring iPad Pro setup is both flexible and frugal [Setups]

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This might be the most unusual iPad Pro stand yet.
This might be the most unusual iPad Pro stand yet.
Photos: Craig Smith

For law teacher Craig Smith, working from home meant improvising. And the inexpensive but effective DIY setup he concocted throws together a couple of strange Apple bedfellows: He uses a vintage PowerBook G4 to elevate his main computer, an 11-inch iPad Pro.

“I needed a little more room to spread out and not feel claustrophobic,” Smith told Cult of Mac. “So, I moved my setup to the dining room table that seats six, as I have little need these days to use it as a spot to actually dine.”

That’s when he got creative with ergonomics and pressed his vintage PowerBook into service as an iPad stand.

Apple TV+ nabs detective drama from Robert Downey Jr.’s production company

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Apple picked up to rights to a TV series created by Robert Downey Jr.’s production company.
Robert Downey Jr.’s production company created a crime drama for Apple TV+.
Photo: Team Downey

A detective drama from Robert Downey Jr.’s production company is reportedly headed to Apple TV+. The series centers on a down-at-the-heels cop trying to solve a decades-old cold case.

Downey, best known for playing Iron Man in numerous Marvel movies, might take a role in the show.

This Apple Store Easter egg is popping!

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The Apple Store app hit a milestone
The Apple Store app hit double digits, and you can join in the party.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Apple Store app debuted 10 years ago, and laid an Easter egg to recognize this milestone.

Type in the right words and you can join the celebration with balloons.

10 reasons why I’ll miss Phil Schiller

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As Phil Schiller steps down from his role as Apple's SVP of worldwide marketing, it's clear the company won't be the same without him.
It won't be the same without him.
Photo: Globovisión/Flickr CC

For long-time Apple fans like myself, Tuesday marked the end of an era. Phil Schiller stepped down from his role as VP of worldwide marketing.

Schiller was the last of the OG — a stalwart onstage companion to Steve Jobs, long before it was fashionable to watch Apple keynotes. Schiller was there at all the seminal moments in Apple history, including the launch of iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. Back in the day, he and Jobs were a remarkable double act. Jobs would announce the products, and then Schiller would stride in to perform the demos.

Fortunately, Schiller’s not gone for good. In his new role as an Apple Fellow, he will still keep an eye on the App Store and Apple Events. But I wanted to take this opportunity to remember the man, the legend, that is Phil Schiller. Here are the top 10 reasons why I’ll miss him.

7 features Apple should steal from Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

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Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
There are some features in the new Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra that Apple should put in the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Samsung’s newly unveiled Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will have to take on the iPhone 12 Pro Max after Apple launches it this autumn.

Samsung’s top-tier handset offers seven features iOS fans should hope will show up in Apple’s next flagship iPhone. But the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra also has some real problems.

Virginia launches first US COVID-19-tracking app using Apple-Google API

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Virginia's COVIDWISE contact-tracing app uses the Exposure Notifications API developed by Apple and Google.
Contact-tracing app is now live.
Photo: Virginia Department of Health

Virginia launched its COVIDWISE contact-tracing app Wednesday, becoming the first state to use Apple and Google’s Exposure Notifications API to fight COVID-19.

The app uses Bluetooth Low Energy to anonymously track people’s interactions. Then it notifies users who have likely been exposed to infected individuals so they can take appropriate precautions, such as isolating themselves.

Ring of magnets could make iPhone 12’s wireless charging easier

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iphone x
Wireless charging could be easier on iPhone 12.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The new iPhone 12 chassis could include a mysterious circular array of 36 magnets inside its chassis, possibly to help with wireless charging, suggest new images posted to Weibo and shared by the EverythingApplePro Twitter account.

Apple has yet to release a native wireless charger for iPhone. Its most notable move in this direction was the AirPower wireless charging mat, which was announced by Apple and then canceled. Rumors since then suggest that Apple might be continuing work on the project.

An introduction to every Apple Fellow in company history

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Phil Schiller
Phil Schiller is far from the only Apple Fellow in company history.
Photo: Apple

On Tuesday, it was announced that Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, will transition into a new role as an Apple Fellow. This honorary position is one that Apple recognizes for a person’s outstanding contribution to the company in some capacity.

But while many newer Apple fans may not be familiar with the role, it’s one that’s been part of Apple dating back to the 1980s — even if this is the first time in more than 20 years that Apple has inducted someone into the club.

Here’s what you need to know about the other Apple Fellows:

Apple Maps expands Look Around coverage to a country outside U.S. for the first time

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Look Around
At a time when travel is difficult, this may legitimately be your best way to look around Japan.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple Maps’ Look Around feature, the company’s answer to Google Street View, has expanded to its first international market. Look Around is now available for four of Japan’s biggest cities — including Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya, and Osaka.

UCLA explores using Apple Watch, iPhone to diagnose depression

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UCLA doctors are looking into new tools for diagnosing depression.
An iPhone and an Apple Watch could be important tools for diagnosing depression.
Photo: Negative Space/Pexels CC

UCLA launched a new study on Tuesday, sponsored by and in collaboration with Apple, designed to help revolutionize detection and treatment of depression.

It’ll follow the daily routines of Apple Watch and iPhone users, and examine the relationship between this data and symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Phil Schiller’s new role as Apple Fellow means big promotion for Joz

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Phil Schiller
Schiller has guided Apple's marketing efforts for more than 30 years.
Photo: Apple

Apple on Tuesday said that Phil Schiller, the company’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, will move on to become an Apple Fellow.

Schiller continues to report directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook in his new position, which involves leading the App Store and Apple Events. Greg “Joz” Joswiak takes up Schiller’s previous role.

New iMac packs faster internals into all-too-familiar shell

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2020 iMac: The new iMac looks just like the old one (only faster).
The new iMac looks just like the old one (only faster).
Photo: Apple

The wait for Apple’s newest iMac is over. Cupertino today dropped a faster all-in-one with an even more glorious Retina 5K display, an upgraded 1080p FaceTime camera, and improved speakers and microphones.

You can order your new 27-inch model today, starting from $1,799,

Warren Buffett’s Apple holdings are now worth more than $100 billion

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Buffett
Warren Buffet is Apple's biggest investor.
Photo: CNBC

Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and big-time Apple booster, now has a share of the company worth upward of $100 billion.

Even more impressive? Buffett’s firm Berkshire Hathaway reportedly spent on around $35 billion to secure its 5.7% stake in Apple. That’s a pretty darn great return on investment — and Apple’s only climbing higher.