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News - page 418

This rig streamlines communication [Setups]

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MacBook Pro Setup
This setup was designed to get work done.
Photo: Luke Peluso

Luke Peluso runs a mid-sized IT company from his desk so organization is essential. He has to be in constant communication with his team and his clients. That is why he uses both a MacBook and an iPad: the MacBook for work, and the iPad for communication.

His MacBook is a 2019 13-inch MacBook Pro and he primarily uses it for “agency management type software and few Windows-only apps.” The iPad is the 2019 iPad Pro that he uses with a Brydge Pro+ Wireless Keyboard. The iPad is for “iMessage and Zoom meetings,” Peluso says, and that having “separate large device just for communications is very helpful.”

Apple TV+ locks in Defending Jacob‘s creator for more new shows

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Chris Evans plays a conflicted district attorney in Defending Jacob on Apple TV+.
The man who brought “Defending Jacob” to Apple TV+ will develop more shows for the new streaming service.
Photo: Apple

The writer, director and showrunner of Defending Jacob reportedly agreed to a long-term deal to make additional shows for Apple TV+. Their first collaboration went so well that Mark Bomback signed a exclusive agreement with Apple.

Apple Arcade pulls plug on games that don’t keep players hooked

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‘Grindstone’ is a hit on Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade allegedly cited Grindstone as the sort of gripping game it’s looking for.
Photo: Capy Games

Apple reportedly stopped paying for the development of multiple titles that had been headed for its gaming subscription service. The iPhone makers allegedly told the developers this spring that their creations just weren’t engaging enough.

Boys State trailer somehow makes politics look like summertime fun

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First Boys State trailer makes politics look fun.
Who says politics needs to be nasty?
Image: Apple TV+

It might seem totally impossible in 2020, but upcoming Apple TV+ documentary Boys State makes politics look fun. The first trailer, which Apple released Tuesday, introduces some of the real-life young men who engage in an annual Texas tradition that’s basically summer camp for citizens.

That might sound nerdy and dry, but the first promo spot crackles with energy. It feels almost like a mashup of Election, Dazed and Confused and Napoleon Dynamite (with a little bit of Little America and, hopefully, Meatballs, thrown in to spice things up).

Verizon or T-Mobile might be best option for your 5G iPhone

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T-Mobile 5G service
T-Mobile offers 5G in more areas than any of its rivals. But Verizon is faster.
Photo: T-Mobile

It’s not too soon to pick out the best 5G network for your 5G iPhone. And right now, there are two top contenders, according to testing dozen by an analytics firm. Verizon offers the fastest download speeds by a wide margin. And T-Mobile offers 5G in a much broader area.

But AT&T is in there swinging too.

Connect your Mac and TV at 5G speeds with Hyper Mirror

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Hyper Mirror includes a transmitter and a receiver.
Hyper Mirror plugs into a computer and wirelessly streams video to a TV.
Photo: Hyper

There’s no need to string HDMI cables between your Mac and TV with Hyper Mirror. This accessory streams video with the mmWave technology normally found in 5G networks.

Connect a computer to an external display with no wires or additional software. A Wi-Fi network also isn’t necessary.

Here’s how iOS 14 could be paving the way for ‘glassOS’

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glassOS concept 3
This is how notifications and widgets could look on glassOS.
Photo: Jordan Singer

It’s still not clear exactly when Apple’s AR glasses are going to be available, but 25-year-old product designer Jordan Singer says that Apple has left enough breadcrumbs in its code to offer a compelling glimpse of what a possible glassOS might look like.

“I don’t usually like to speculate on what Apple is going to do next, but this time I found too many coincidental examples of new UI in iOS 14 that seems to be able to translate nicely to a pair of glasses,” Singer told Cult of Mac. “I’d like for this concept to give insight into how Apple is foreshadowing the future.”

Struggling Apple display-maker enjoys its first profitable quarter in more than 3 years

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iPhone sales
Japan Display makes LCD displays for iPhones.
Photo: Apple

Apple display-maker Japan Display has just eked out its first quarterly profit in more than three years, Reuters reports. The firm made an $87.26 million net profit for the quarter. That’s compared to an almost $900 million loss in the same quarter last year.

The last time Japan Display recorded a net profit was in the October through December quarter way back in 2016. Since then, Apple has lent a hand to keep the display-maker — which once made the majority of Apple’s iPhone screens — afloat.

Sketchy report claims weak orders for 5G iPhones in 2020

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Render shows iPhone 12 camera with three lenses
There may be more to the story than initial report claims.
Photo: Pigtou/xleaks7

The iPhone 12 isn’t even out yet, and already the first report is out suggesting that it’s disappointing in terms of order numbers from Apple. A report published by Digitimes Tuesday says that mmWave-enabled 5G iPhone orders this year are likely to reach only around 15-20 million units. That’s half the previous supply chain estimate of 30-40 million units.

The paywalled report said that this is “intensifying competition” among Apple suppliers who bank on the iPhone as a large piece of their business.

macOS Big Sur’s Digital Color Meter icon is a little off and it’s driving people crazy

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Digital Color Meter Big Sur 1
Spot anything weird about that pipette?
Photo: Roel Van Gils/Apple

When it comes to design, Apple’s not a lazy company. Cupertino sweats the small details, which — like that anecdote about Van Halen’s “no brown M&Ms” concert rider — shows it sweats the big details, too.

That’s why Apple fans seem so surprised to see that the icon for macOS Big Sur’s Digital Color Meter has something, well, just a little off about it. Can you see what’s wrong?

Belkin Thunderbolt 3 dock is ready for a professional office on the go

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Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core includes 8 ports.
Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core can be the hub of your mobile office.
Photo: Belkin

Belkin’s newly-unveiled multiport adapter uses Thunderbolt 3, not just USB-C, and can drive two 4K monitors at 60 Hz. But that’s just the start, as the Dock Core can also transfer data over a USB-C connection at up to 40 Gbps. Plus it includes Gigabit Ethernet, a pair of USB-A ports, audio in/out, and more.

It’s designed to be part of high-performance mobile office, as it does not need a second power source.

A dual-monitor rig can still be minimal [Setups]

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MacBok Pro Setup
You won't find much clutter on this desk.
Photo: @ jordanpulmano

Jordan Pulmano is a professional cinematographer and photographer so he wanted a desk with style, specifically minimalist style. He has two LG 27-inch FreeSync monitors. He got his first in 2017 and liked it so much he decided to get a new one. They are both held up by a pair of North Bayou Monitor Stands. He thought about getting a dual monitor stand but he rearranges his desk a lot and did not want to remove a monitor and have one arm exposed.

He has both the Magic Mouse and Keyboard. The setup is MacBook-run but he stows his laptop in a VIVO Sliding Laptop Tray. This gives him a convenient place to store his MacBook while freeing up space on his desk.

Apple offers declined customers a ‘Path to Apple Card’

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Apple Card works hand-in-hand with iPhone
If your hopes of becoming an Apple Card cardholder were denied, you could be getting a second chance.
Photo: Apple

Apple and Goldman Sachs are reportedly giving a second chance to people whose Apple Card applications were rejected. The “Path to Apple Card” program explains why they were denied, and gives users a chance to fix the problems.

New York Times bails on Apple News

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‘The New York Times’ kicked Apple News to the curb
Don’t expect to see The New York Times in Apple News any more.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

New York Times articles stopped appearing in the Apple News app on Monday. The newspaper ended its partnership with Apple because the Times wants a more direct connection between itself and its customers.

This is not just about the Apple News+ subscription service. Content from this source no longer appears in the free version either.

Apple Design Awards celebrate the year’s most beautiful, innovative iOS apps

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Apple Design Awards 2020: These are the eight apps Apple thinks you should check out.
These are the eight apps Apple thinks you should check out.
Photo: Apple

The eight winners of this year’s Apple Design Awards showcase “outstanding app design, innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement,” the company said Monday.

Ron Okamoto, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations, said the four apps and four games honored “inspire not only their peers in the Apple developer community, but all of us at Apple, too.”

iPhone 12 Pro could support 4K video shooting at 240fps

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This iPhone 12 concept reflects all the latest rumors.
The iPhone 12's camera setup could be monster.
Photo: svetapple.sk

The top-end iPhone 12 Pro could support 4K at 120fps and 4K at 240fps video recording modes, claims a new video from Filip Koroy of EverythingApplePro. If accurate, this would be massive step up from the current iPhone 11 Pro, which offers 240fps in 1080p.

Koroy reportedly found evidence of the new high resolution, slow-mo format in the iOS 14 beta code. Whether this is accurate remains to be seen. If it is, it would be far above what is available in other smartphone models right now. It would also make it likely that Apple will sell a shedload of high storage handsets this year — or way more iCloud subscriptions.

Google Meet adding blurred backgrounds, images, and other new features

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Google Meet 1
Google Meet's new features will help it to better take on Zoom.
Photo: Google Meet

Thanks to people working from home and coronavirus lockdown, 2020 has been the year of videoconferencing apps — and Google Meet is adding a few new features to try and take on rival Zoom.

According to a new report from 9to5Google, Google Meet is working on new features that will allow users to add images or blur the background of their video calls. This is a feature that already exists for Zoom and Skype users, although this will be the first time it’s available on Google meet.

Metal Slug will make its return to the App Store with Code: J

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Metal Slug Mobile game J 1
Metal Slug will make its return to the App Store for the first time since 2016.
Photo: Metal Slug Code: J

Popular run-and-gun franchise Metal Slug looks to be returning to iOS for the first time since 2016’s Metal Slug Attack. Over the weekend, Tencent’s Timi Studios released a trailer for what they are currently calling Metal Slug Code: J.

From the look of it, it picks up the gameplay that the Metal Slug games are known for, with plenty of action, ridiculously overwrought vehicles, explosions, and more. However, it includes quasi-3D movement that wasn’t part of the original SNK games and a slightly more modern art style. Check out the trailer below.

iPhone 12 might not come with earbuds or charger in the box

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battery
You may need to buy your own charger for the iPhone 12.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 12 reportedly will ship without packaged earbuds, but according to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it might also lack another standard piece of kit in its box: a charger.

In a new note to clients sent over the weekend, TF International Securities analyst Kuo confirms as legitimate a recent photo of a 20-watt power charger for the new iPhone. However, he says it won’t come with the next-generation iPhone 12.

Fantastic to fugly: All the new app icons in macOS Big Sur

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macOS Big Sur on a MacBook Pro
What do you think of macOS Big Sur's new app icons?
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020There’s a lot to love about macOS Big Sur, but one thing that’s dividing Mac fans is its redesigned app icons. Some look good enough to eat. Others are so ugly they’ll make you want to use Windows (not really). And some have simply lost some of their charm as a result of simplification.

What do you think of Apple’s new desktop icon designs so far? Check out all of them right here.

Stunning concept video brings iPhone 12 rumors to life

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iPhone 12 rumors mix in this concept video.
The real iPhone 12 ads could look much like this concept video.
Screenshot: ConceptsiPhone

A new concept video beautifully combines iPhone 12 rumors into a three-minute ballet of tech. Done in the same style as Apple advertisements, it offers an early glimpse of what the real ads might look like when the 2020 iPhone models arrive this fall.

Watch it now:

WWDC 2020’s biggest reveals [Cult of Mac Magazine 355]

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Relive WWDC 2020's biggest moments.
WWDC 2020 gives us a clear vision of the bright future of macOS and iOS.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020 We didn’t get the new Apple hardware we expected during this week’s WWDC keynote, but we did get a whole bunch of hot new software. Get our take on upcoming updates to Apple’s biggest platforms — macOS Big Sur, iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7 and more — in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine.

Don’t miss our roundup of all the cool “hidden” iOS 14 features that Apple couldn’t squeeze into its slick virtual keynote. We’ll also toss in the rest of our coverage of this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, plus some handy how-tos and reviews. Read it all in the free mag (which you can download from the App Store) or in the links below.