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News - page 487

Apple lobbies EU lawmakers on AI policy

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European Commission on artificial intelligence
The European Commission is drafting rules on artificial intelligence. Apple seems to want a say.
Photo: European Commission

Apple apparently wants to make sure the European Union doesn’t put too many restrictions on artificial intelligence. John Giannandrea, Apple’s AI chief, is reportedly in Brussels while lawmakers debate new rules on machine intelligence.

Is neumorphism the big new look for iOS 14?

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Flat UI elements, bolstered with real-world visual cues, make neumorphism easy to
Flat UI elements, bolstered with real-world visual cues, make neumorphism easy to "read."
Photo: MazePizel/Dribbble

Take one look at any screenshot from a pre-iOS 7 iPhone, and you’ll wonder how we ever used such a hideous interface for so many years. The skeumorphic design language included so much fake wood, glossy plastic and gray gradient that there’s almost nowhere to put the actual contents of the app.

iOS 7 went way too far in the opposite direction, with flat white pages and skinny text. Is that a button? Is it just a label? Can I press it? Who knows? We’re still suffering from this UI ambiguity today, in iOS 13. Text got thicker, but it’s still hard to know what to press, and what is just there to be read.

Clearly, there’s a space between these two extremes. Something as clean as iOS 7 and, at the same time, as obvious and usable as iOS 6 and previous versions. But what would that look like? I know what I want it to look like. It’s called “neumorphism,” and it looks fantastic.

MacBooks may be in short supply after March

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The MacBook Pro has a Touch Bar, and a better display.
The coronavirus outbreak means it isn’t a good time to procrastinate on a MacBook purchase.
Photo: Apple

Now might be the best time to buy that MacBook you’ve been considering. Factory shutdowns in China because of the coronavirus outbreak will reportedly lead to shortages of components needed to make laptops.

Low-cost iPhone skirts virus-related delays for March release

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iPhone assembled in India
Coming soon with a 2?
Photo: Indian Express

The long-awaited successor to the popular iPhone SE remains on track for launch sometime next month, a top analyst on Apple’s supply chain in China said.

TF International Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo said in a note to investors that coronavirus has not impeded production of the budget-friendly iPhone. The new handset is known as either the iPhone SE 2 or iPhone 9.

iPad Pro refresh expected this March, but supplies could be limited

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This 2020 iPad Pro render is based on rumors
Big camera improvements are top of the list for the 2020 iPad Pro.
Photo: OnLeaks/iGeeksBlog

Apple is expected to deliver a big iPad Pro refresh this March, and that’s still on track despite the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, according to a new report. Supplies could be limited at launch, however, with production likely to be slow to ramp up until after April.

Warren Buffett’s investment firm unloads more than $800 million of Apple shares

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Buffett
Warren Buffett has been a long-time Apple supporter.
Photo: CNBC

Warren Buffett’s investment firm Berkshire Hathaway sold more than $800 million of Apple stock in the last quarter of 2019.

Buffett is probably Apple’s most famous investor and cheerleader. Berkshire Hathaway is the Cupertino tech giant’s biggest shareholder, with an estimated 5.4% stake in the company.

Sonic at the Olympic Games will race into App Store in time for Tokyo 2020

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Sonic 1
When it comes to the speediest around, Usain Bolt better watch his back!
Photo: Sega

It’s the Olympic Games this summer — and Sonic the Hedgehog and friends are ready to help mark the occasion.

Coming to iOS May 7, the game will pit Sonic against the villainous Dr. Robotnik/Eggman in a battle for, err, sporting excellence in Tokyo. It sounds kind of crazy, but looks like it could be a fair amount of fun. Check out the trailer below.

Apple Maps transit directions expand reach across Europe

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iOS 9 transit maps
Now live in France, Germany, Spain, and more.
Photo: Apple

Apple Maps transit directions are now expanding their reach across Europe.

The feature was previously available in only a handful of regions outside the United States. It can now be enjoyed in cities across France, Germany, and Spain as part of Apple’s mission to improve functionality for Europe in 2020.

iPhone captured 75% of India’s premium smartphone market last quarter

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Foxconn moving additional iPhone production to India as coronavirus disrupts work
The iPhone just had a record quarter in India.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple captured a record 75.6% chunk of the premium smartphone market in India, a report by International Data Corporation (IDC) claims.

That market segment covers handsets $500 and above. That’s undoubtedly impressive, although it’s still a fraction of the overall market in a country where the average phone price is $159 and the average annual income is $1,892.

Instagram CEO says there’s no official iPad app because… they’re busy?

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Instagram volume indicator
iPhone? Heck, yes. iPad? Apparently not.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The iPad may be the world’s most popular tablet, but there’s no official Instagram app available for it — and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri says it’s because the photo- and video-sharing social network is just too busy to make one.

As reported by Verge editor Chris Welch, Mosseri said that “we only have so many people, and lots to do. … It hasn’t bubbled up as the next best thing to do yet.”

Apple Watch detects teen’s rare heart ailment

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Apple Watch heart rate monitor
An Apple Watch can constantly watch for problems with your heart.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

A 13-year-old Oklahoma boy sent a frightened text to his mother after his Apple Watch showed his heart rate was at 190 beats per minute while he was sitting still. But thanks to this warning — and a lengthy operation — he’s back to playing sports.

A USB-C charger packs more computing power than NASA’s first moon rocket

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Apollo 11 Guidance Computer with Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2
One of these two has a lot more computing power. It’s probably not the one you’d expect.
Photo: Wikipedia CC/Anker

Even today’s simplest accessories include more powerful computers than were used decades ago. To demonstrate, an engineer set out to prove that a USB-C charger from accessory-maker Anker includes a more capable CPU than the one that guided Apollo 11 to the Moon.

Swipe these Samsung ideas, Apple! [Cult of Mac Magazine 336]

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Apple should fold these Samsung features into the next iPhone.
Apple should fold these features into the next iPhone.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

With Samsung trotting out its newest smartphones — including one that folds like a clamshell, and one with an advanced camera system — it’s time to compare the South Korean company’s offerings to Apple’s gear.

Cult of Mac identified five features Apple should totally swipe from Samsung for the next iPhone. Find out about Samsung’s state of the art — and what it means for Apple — in this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine. The free iOS mag is stuffed with Apple news and opinion, tips and how-tos for Apple device owners, and product reviews and recommendations. Download it to read on iPad, or visit the links to this week’s top posts below.

Apple wants to ditch Qualcomm’s 5G antenna on 2020 iPhones

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Qualcomm headquarters
Sounds like Qualcomm and Apple still have a love-hate relationship.
Photo: Qualcomm

Qualcomm’s 5G antenna design isn’t up to par with Apple’s design standards, reveals a new report that claims Apple is building its own antenna for this year’s 5G iPhones.

Fast Company claims Apple has decided to do the design work itself on the 5G antenna but it will still use Qualcomm’s 5G modem chip. If true, Apple would be adding an extra level of difficulty for churning out a reliable 5G iPhone during one of its most anticipated upgrade cycles in years.

Health officials distribute iPhones to cruise ship hit with coronavirus

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iPhones for quarantined cruise passengers
Stranded passengers can get news and medical consultations with government-issued iPhones.
Photo: Jun Masuda/Twitter

Japanese health officials passed out some 2,000 iPhones to quarantined passengers stuck on board a cruise ship with an outbreak of coronavirus.

The iPhones will allow stranded passengers to consult with doctors, order medications and work through anxiety with mental health professionals.

Beijing Apple stores reopen with temperature scans and free masks

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coronavirus
Apple stores in China are taking coronavirus concerns very seriously.
Photo: Eunice Yoon/ CNBC

Apple retail stores in Beijing are taking customers’ temperatures and requiring them to wear surgical masks as the area tries to normalize amidst the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Five Apple stores in Beijing reopened their doors with limited hours today after being closed since last month. CNBC senior correspondent Eunice Yoon posted a video from one of the newly reopened stores and the inside is shockingly empty.

Take a look at the entrance process:

Google is readying its own Apple News competitor

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Apple News
Apple News+ growth has been unimpressive so far.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Google is allegedly planning to launch its own news aggregation service that will compete directly with Apple News.

The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that Google has been in talks with multiple publishers about paying a licensing fee for content used in its upcoming news product. So far it sounds like the company is mostly talking to publishers outside the US, but the company says it views the initiative as an important tool for an informed democracy.

Pro colorist pans Apple Pro Display with science and one-liners

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YouTuber Vincent Teoh reviews Apple Pro Display
World's best pro display? Vincent Teoh says not so much.
Screenshot: Vincent Teoh/YouTube

Professional colorist and YouTube HDTV reviewer Vincent Teoh says he cannot recommend Apple’s $5,000 Pro Display XDR to creatives who do commercial color grading.

But the pricey monitor’s “beautiful design will look good in the office of a divorce lawyer,” Teoh says.