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News - page 533

Mac makes IBM employees more productive and happier

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IBM
Once rivals, IBM later embraced the Mac, and now thousands of its employees are users.
Photo: Apple

Research by IBM found that its employees who use a Mac are more likely to exceed expectations on performance reviews than co-workers with PCs. Mac’s users also make larger high-value sales deals.

Long-time Mac users should find this delightfully ironic, as IBM helped popularize the PC back in the 1980s.

Apple TV+ exec leaves less than two weeks after launch

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Apple TV
Kim Rozenfeld is no longer a part of Apple's team.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV+ has lost its head of current scripted and unscripted programming less than two weeks after it made its big debut.

Kim Rozenfeld will continue working alongside Cupertino through his own company, Half Full Productions, as part of a new deal. Apple is expected to get first dibs on new content.

Why ‘sexist’ Apple Card is Cupertino’s worst nightmare

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Sexist Apple Card accusations are tech's latest example of biased algorithms
Apple Card was meant to be the solution, not part of the problem.
Photo: Apple

Cupertino pitched Apple Card as the greatest credit card in history. Instead, the card generated negative PR based on accusations that the algorithm used to decide credit limits is discriminatory.

Even Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak complained about the supposedly sexist algorithm. Woz said he received 10 times more credit than his wife, despite sharing bank accounts and assets. Here’s how Apple became the latest tech giant to be accused of algorithmic bias — and what that means.

Take a sneak peek at upcoming Apple Lisa documentary

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Take a sneak peek at upcoming Apple Lisa documentary
The Lisa was a crucial machine in Apple's history.
Photo: Auction Team Breker

A forthcoming documentary will tell the story of the Apple Lisa, quite possibly the most important “flop” in the company’s history.

Before Macintosh: The Apple Lisa is planned for release in early 2020. With that date approaching, computer historian and director David Greelish shared some early scenes and the poster with Cult of Mac. Check them out below.

Truth Be Told premieres ahead of Apple TV+ debut next month

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Truth-Be-Told-premiere
Truth Be Told stars Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul.
Photo: Apple

A brand-new Apple original this week premiered in Los Angeles, California, ahead of its Apple TV+ debut. Truth Be Told starring Octavia Spencer will be available for streaming on December 6.

The limited drama series, based on the novel Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber, follows a podcaster who is compelled to reopen the murder case that made her a national sensation.

Disney+ is live and ready to download from the App Store

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Disney+ is live and ready to download from the App Store
Disney+ has the potential to be a leviathan in the streaming game.
Image: Disney

The Disney+ app is officially available to download through the App Store. The subscription service features an extensive back catalog plus new shows, including the Star Wars spinoff The Mandalorian.

And, just like that, the streaming war just got a whole lot more intensive!

New 3D sensor in 2020 iPad Pro could accelerate Apple AR

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There are plenty of AR apps but few people have heard of them. An Apple veteran has been tasked with changing that.
Tablets are a good way to view augmented reality, and Apple’s next AR push could start with the 2020 iPad Pro.
Photo: Apple

An iPad Pro in development for next year will be the first with a 3D scanner capable of creating digital representations of real-world objects, according to an unconfirmed report. This will supposedly be used in augmented reality and virtual reality applications.

This scanner will next appear in the 2020 iPhone, and in AR/VR goggles and glasses in coming years.

16-inch MacBook Pro launch could be any day now

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16-inch MacBook Pro concept
An extra-large MacBook Pro could be out this week. Perhaps.
Concept: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Don’t give up hope for the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Multiple sources indicate that the launch Apple’s biggest laptop in years could be imminent.

Even if it wasn’t announced in October, as so many people expected.

Tiny HyperJuice 4-port charger pumps out 100 watts

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Sanho HyperJuice with MacBook, iPad, and more.
Sanho HyperJuice can charge all your Apple gear at once.
Photo: Sanho

Sanho calls its newly-unveiled HyperJuice “the smallest 100W charger on the market.” Despite the svelte design, it has a pair of USB-C ports that can put out 100W, dual USB-A ports that max out at 18W, and swappable power prongs.

It’s on Kickstarter now, available for well below the eventual regular price.

Apple Watch Series 6 could handle scuba diving

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swimmer wearing apple watch
Apple Watch is already swim-proof, but the next version could take that to new depths.
Photo: Apple

It’s not exactly going out on a limb, but respected Apple expert Ming-Chi Kuo predicts next year’s Apple Watch Series 6 will be offer better performance than the current one, and include improved wireless speeds.  Still, with the launch about likely 10 months away, it’s not surprising that only a few vague generalities can be said about Apple’s next wearable.

What’s more interesting is a mention of enhanced water resistance that raises the possibility of taking this device to the bottom of the sea.

iPhone 11 Pro flexes its muscles in muscle car film

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Carfection episode shot on iPhone 11 Pro
As seen through an iPhone 11 Pro.
Screenshot: Carfection/YouTube

The YouTube channel Carfection is car porn and episodes are shot to hook an auto buff teetering on the brink of addiction.

Undulating roads, sumptuous light, purring engines, a slow pan on every line and curve, Carfection uses an arsenal of cinematic gear to achieve perfect shots.

Would an iPhone 11 Pro used to shoot a recent episode on a special edition Mustang sate Carfection’s car lovers?

Controller support coming to Call of Duty: Mobile ‘soon’

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Call of Duty: Mobile racks up amazing 100m downloads in first week
It may be back, but probably not.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Activision has confirmed that it will bring controller support to Call of Duty: Mobile “soon.”

The game’s publisher says it is finalizing the plans ahead of a future update. It sounds like it will implement special matchmaking measures for those who choose to use physical buttons and sticks.

Here’s to the brave ones: Apple pays tribute to vets on Veterans Day

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Here's to the brave ones: Apple pays tribute to vets on Veterans Day
Apple offers a 10% discount to military veterans.
Photo: Samuel Branch/Unsplash

Apple has changed its home page for Veterans Day, paying tribute to those who fight to keep America free.

Its home page features a banner reading: “Here’s to the brave ones. We’re proud to honor America’s veterans and service members this Veterans Day and every day.” It links to a webpage with a reminder of Apple’s 10% discount for vets.

Exciting ‘iPhone 12’ concept imagines dramatic design changes

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iPhone-12-concept
It's like an iPhone 4 for the modern day.
Photo: PhoneArena

Your brand-new iPhone 11 is about to look outdated already thanks to these exciting “iPhone 12” concept images.

The renders imagine what next year’s refresh will look like based on the rumors that have surfaced so far. It takes design cues from the iconic iPhone 4 while improving on what we have today.

Billionaire’s son who bought Apple Watches for his dog lands on China’s credit blacklist

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Billionaire's son who bought Apple Watches for his dog lands on China's 'discredited' list
He seemed so careful with his cash, too.
Photo: Wang Sicong

The son of a Chinese billionaire who infamously bought two luxury Apple Watch Editions for his pet dog has been placed on the country’s official list of financially discredited individuals.

A court decision means that he can no longer fly first class, go on expensive vacations, or buy luxury products. Unless he’s bought new Apple Watches in the meantime, that should severely curtail his pet’s future time-keeping abilities!

Apple Watch owners get Roku controls on their wrist

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Roku-Apple-Watch
Leave that phone in your pocket.
Photo: Roku

Roku just debuted a new Apple Watch app that lets you control its streaming devices from your wrist.

You can use the app to launch your favorite Channels and control media playback. You can also use its voice recognition capabilities to search for movies and TV shows.

iPhone 11 triumphs during Alibaba’s record-breaking Singles Day in China

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Apple boots smelter and refiners in crackdown on conflict minerals
Today is one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Today is Singles Day in China, the Alibaba version of Amazon’s Prime Day — and, from the sound of things, Apple has done pretty darn well out of it.

This year’s 24-hour shopping event has surpassed last year’s 213.5 billion yuan (more than $30 billion) record for gross merchandise value sold. The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max were reportedly two of the top-selling items during Singles Day.

Woz: Apple should ‘share responsibility’ for sexist Apple Card

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Apple Card’s ‘elite card’ status is hitting retailers in the wallet
Some users suggest that a discriminatory algorithm may be determining Apple Card scores.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s co-founder Steve “Woz” Wozniak is one of a number of Apple Card owners concerned about a possible sexist algorithm used for determining credit limits.

On Twitter, Woz said that he received 10x more credit on the card than his wife. “We have no separate bank or credit card accounts or any separate assets,” Wozniak clarified. “Hard to get to a human for a correction though. It’s big tech in 2019.”

The great MacBook disaster [Cult of Mac Magazine 322]

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MacBook disaster: Can Cupertino fix this sorry state of affairs?
Can Cupertino fix the sorry state of the MacBook?
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

That butterfly keyboard. Those missing ports. The annoying lack of easy upgrades. Cult of Mac’s Charlie Sorrel makes a good case that the current MacBook lineup is a disaster. Can Apple turn it around?

Get his take (as well as his list of the top MacBook alternatives) in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. You’ll also get plenty of Apple news, reviews and how-tos — all for free.

macOS Mail bug exposes portions of encrypted emails

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MacMail
Your encrypted emails on Mac might not be as private as you think.
Photo: Apple

Apple failed to kill a bug in the Mail app for macOS for months despite its potential to expose private details in emails that the user thought was encrypted.

Security researcher Bob Gendler first discovered the flaw in July and notified Apple of it. Despite releasing four updates for macOS since that time, the privacy flaw still hasn’t been fixed. Apple says it’s working to resolve the issue soon though.