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News - page 452

iPhone’s popularity among Gen Z hits all-time high

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In December, Apple will offer free coding classes to teach kids and teens.
Teens tap Apple Watch and iPhone as top favorites.
Photo: Apple

The COVID-19 pandemic has done nothing to damage iPhone’s popularity among teens. A survey of 5,200 ‘Gen Z’ teens shows 85% own an iPhone and 88% expect an iPhone to be their next phone, both new all-time survey highs.

The Piper Sandler survey found those numbers up 3% from a year ago. Apple Watch also nabbed the top spot for wearables in the firm’s study that was conducted from February 17 to March 27 as many of the teenagers questioned were living in quarantine.

Amazing Mac calculator Soulver adds handy QuickSoulver panel

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calculator
Normal calculator apps are so last century.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Soulver is my favorite Mac calculator app, because it doesn’t act like a normal calculator. Imagine that you have a piece of paper on which you jot calculations. Then, the paper works out the results for you. Soulver is like that — you type in the sums, and it solves them. You can rework the problems, just like you could on paper, and you can save the whole sheet. And now, in v3.3, the app’s maker added a brand-new Spotlight-like QuickSoulver popup panel that lets you perform instant calculations.

Apple fine-tunes Safari Technology Preview with big batch of bug fixes

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safari-preview
Preview gives devs early access to advances in Safari web technologies.
Photo: Apple

Developers received a new build of Apple’s Safari Technology Preview this morning. The experimental browser gives devs a sneak peek at upcoming web technologies for macOS and iOS.

Safari Technology Preview release 104 contains a huge number of bug fixes and other under-the-hood improvements, and it’s available on both macOS Mojave and macOS Catalina.

COVID-19 might not kill on-site Apple internships this summer

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internship
Apple internships are a bit more serious than those portrayed in the horrendous movie The Internship.
Photo: 20th Century Fox

Apple and other big tech companies are scrambling to update their summer intern roles in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

Google, Microsoft, Twitter and IBM all revealed to Axios that they will be moving all of their internships to online-only positions for the summer. One of the only major companies that plan to have on-site roles is Apple, but many of them will be online too.

Google offers 2 months of free Stadia Pro gaming service

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Google’s Stadia will run on MacBooks and iPads, not just Android devices.
This free trial to the Google Stadia Pro cloud gaming service gives your Mac, iPhone or iPad access to top-tier games.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Google said Wednesday that it’s offering two free months of the cloud-based gaming service Stadia Pro to gamers in 14 countries. This includes access to nine games, including GRID, Destiny 2: The Collection, and Thumper.

The company is doing this to help combat feelings of isolation many might be feeling during the COVID-19 outbreak.

As China’s Wuhan ends lockdown, iPhone app a necessity to travel

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China's QR code for health risk
Green means go. Yellow or red sends you back to quarantine.
Photo: Alipay

Residents of Wuhan, the Chinese city where the COVID-19 pandemic began, were free to move about Wednesday after a government-ordered lockdown was lifted, but only if they have the “green light” on their iPhone.

Freedom comes with a QR code residents are required to carry on mobile devices like their iPhones – and can be restricted at any moment should the scanned code flash the wrong color.

HBO Go, HBO Now drop support for older Apple TV models this month

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HBO-Now
There is another way to enjoy HBO services on Apple TV, however.
Photo: HBO

HBO on Wednesday confirmed its HBO Go and HBO Now services will drop support for second- and third-generation Apple TV units this month. Users will no longer be able to stream starting April 30.

The change is being made “in order to provide the best streaming experience,” the company said. There are other ways to enjoy these services on older Apple TV boxes, however.

Germany and Taiwan crack down on Zoom use by officials

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Zoom video conferencing for Mac
Some countries are worried about Zoom's security.
Photo: Zoom

Germany and Taiwan are cracking down on governmental use of videoconferencing app Zoom amid concerns that it might be too risky to use.

In an internal memo, the German foreign ministry restricted use of the service. The country said security and data-protection weaknesses make Zoom too dangerous to use, according to newspaper Handelsblatt. Taiwan also banned official use of Zoom for the same reasons.

iPhone-maker sees huge revenue increase as production ramps up

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Analyst complains iPhone’s average selling price is slipping
Apple isn't out of the woods yet, though.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Foxconn, Apple’s largest manufacturing partner, has reported a whopping 59.9% increase in revenue for March 2020 as production ramps up following COVID-19 disruptions.

It’s not all good news for Apple fans, however. One report warns that while some facilities are running at full throttle, plans for some new products have been scuppered by travel restrictions.

iPhone-compatible Foci wearable promises to keep you focused on task at hand

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flow while playing piano
Foci's app means your iPhone will snitch on you when you're not paying attention.
Photo: Foci

Concentrating on what you’re doing can be tough at the best of times. Right now, with coronavirus-induced fears about everything from health to economic instability, isn’t the best of times.

A new iPhone-compatible wearable called Foci aims to help boost focus and productivity, however. It’s a small wearable device that clips to your waist and promises to track your breathing and cognitive states using machine learning technology. It then prompts you with gentle vibrations and reminders about whether you’re paying attention.

Forza Street will speed into the App Store next month

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Forza Street
Remember to socially distance while you street race. And wash your hands afterwards.
Photo: Forza Street

Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios’ Forza Street racing game is coming to iOS on May 5. The free-to-play street racing game originally debuted for Windows 10 as Miami Street back in May 2018. It was then officially brought under the acclaimed Forza franchise banner last year, when it was promised for a future mobile release.

Forza Street features a diverse range of real-world cars and a cool night setting. Its approach to racing certainly sounds a little… different, though.

Check out the trailer below.

Apple TV 3 owners plagued by YouTube errors

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Apple TV
There is a workaround.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

A growing number of third-generation Apple TV owners are experiencing errors when attempting to watch YouTube content.

It seems the problems occur when watching certain videos, while others play just fine. One user who contacted Apple was told that the problem is on Google’s end — not with Apple TV.

Clips update adds mouse, trackpad, and Bluetooth keyboard support for iPad users

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Clips
Update adds biggest changes for iPad. But iPhone users benefit, too!
Photo: Apple

Apple has updated its Clips video creation app, adding mouse, trackpad and Bluetooth keyboard support for iPad users running iPadOS 13.4 or later.

While iPadOS 13 introduced basic mouse support, iPadOS 13.4 added much improved cursor control. And Apple’s Clips app, which lets users combine video clips, photos and music into sharable videos, has reaped the benefits!

Apple supplier Foxconn will start building ventilators in the United States

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iPhone sales drive Apple’s biggest supplier to big profits
Foxconn is doing its part in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: CBS

Apple contract manufacturer Foxconn is going to join the fight against the coronavirus by developing and manufacturing ventilators in the United States, a Wednesday report by Bloomberg and Reuters claims.

Foxconn has confirmed the news, although it has not said where it will make the medical equipment. According to Medtronic, Foxconn’s partner in the endeavor, they will be built in Foxconn’s controversial Wisconsin plant.

Bite-sized video subscription service Quibi racks up 300,000 downloads on day 1

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Quibi
Move over Netflix? Here comes Quibi!
Photo: Quibi

Original streaming video platform Quibi racked up 300,000 downloads on day one, claims a report from leading app analytics platform Sensor Tower.

In a market overloaded with subscription streaming services, Quibi’s twist on the formula is to offer snack-sized shows running 10 minutes or less. These are designed to be watched primarily on mobile.

Apple’s first earnings report during COVID-19 pandemic set for April 30th

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Apple earnings
Circle April 30, 2020 on your calendar.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Investors won’t get their first glimpse at just how badly the COVID-19 pandemic hurt Apple’s business until the very end of April.

April revealed this afternoon that it will host a conference call with investors on Thursday, April 30, at 2 p.m. Pacific. The company said in February that it expects revenues to come in lower than its guidance due to the coronavirus outbreak that shut down Apple’s stores and production pipeline during the quarter.

iPad ventilator simulators play crucial role training doctors during COVID-19 crisis

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An iPad and Mac simulator is helping medical workers learn to use ventilators during the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: Hamilton Medical

A ventilator simulator app for iPad and Mac is helping medical workers quickly learn how to use the life-saving machines during the coronavirus pandemic. The software, originally developed for classroom use, is now being used to train doctors on the fly as demand for ventilators — and professionals who can operate them — soars due to COVID-19.

The free simulator software looks and operates just like the Hamilton-C6, a state-of-the-art ventilator sold by Switzerland-based Hamilton Medical AG, one of the world’s largest medical ventilator manufacturers. Much like a flight simulator for pilots, the iPad app allows medical professionals unfamiliar with mechanical ventilators, or simply rusty after years of not using them, to practice adjusting settings without endangering lives.

“You don’t want to practice on a real patient, so that’s why we developed this simulator that basically provides that interaction,” Alexander Starcevic, director of marketing at Hamilton Medical AG, told Cult of Mac. “It provides you with a real interface that you have on the real ventilator. In addition, you have behind this a patient model that actually responds to what you’re setting.”

How to lock your Netflix profile with a PIN

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netflix.logo
Netflix just added a bunch of new profile and parental controls.
Photo: Brad Gibson / Cult of Mac

Netflix finally made it possible to keep your personal profile private from other people using your account with a new update today that lets users create individual pins.

The new feature is part of a larger update that improves on parental controls, allowing content to be filtered based on age and other criteria. If you have kids and don’t want them to have access to your profile and the content on it, or you just got a roommate who always messes up your “Continue Watching” queue, you’ll find the new pin feature to be extra useful.

Apple pledges $50 million to bail out indie record labels

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Apple Music is preparing for invasion
Apple is ready to help its indie music partners hurt by COVID-19 shutdowns.
Photo: Apple

Apple has created a $50 million advance fund to help independent music labels and distributors pay their artists and keep operations afloat.

The global lockdown in an effort to slow the COVID-19 outbreak has been particularly brutal to independent labels. Music stores, in-person venues and TV/movie productions are all closed, killing sales, licensing income and anticipated revenues from shows now canceled.

iPhone-controlled LED face mask is the apocalyptic tech we deserve

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face-mask
You can make your own LED face mask if you don't want to buy it.
Photo: Lumen Coutre

Face masks are the hottest trend of 2020 whether we like it or not. If you’re looking to level up your mask game while also supporting a good cause, Lumen Couture’s new LED Matrix Face Mask is exactly what you need.

Lumen Couture founder Chelsea Klukas —  who is also a product design manager at Oculus — revealed her iPhone-controlled LED mask this week. The device lets wearers draw their own designs and text that are displayed on the front of the mask using a flexible LED panel to unlock endless possibilities.

Facebook’s mushy chat app Tuned lets couples privately document their love story

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screenshots of Tuned
Aww, isn't that adorable?
Screenshot: Facebook/Apple App Store

Facebook wants to give you and your boo some space, so it created a chat app for iPhone users in love.

Tuned is the product of Facebook’s New Product Experimentation Team. The engineers designed the new iOS app to give couples the tools to build a “digital scrapbook.” This is not a dating app, but an app for two people who are already dating.

Apple Maps highlights food deliveries and pharmacies

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Apple Maps helps you find food and medicine in the COVID-19 crisis.
Apple Maps helps you find food and medicine during the COVID-19 crisis.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple Maps has been tweaked to make it easier to find businesses people are more likely to need during a shelter-in-place order. The default navigation app for iPhone now gives greater prominence to grocery stores and food delivery than it does to restaurants and fast food chains.