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News - page 54

iPhone 17 Pro Max renders give early glimpse of next Apple flagship

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iPhone 17 Pro Max renders: Front and rear
iPhone 17 Pro Max renders show it might not look just like its predecessors.
Photo: Wylsacom

With purported details of the iPhone 17 Pro Max appearing online many months before the device’s launch, a Russian YouTube channel prepared renders that reveal what Apple’s next top-tier handset could look like.

Don’t expect last year’s model with just a few tweaks. According to rumors reflected in the new renders, 2025 will bring a substantial redesign, including potential changes to the humps on the device. Learn more about these design updates.

Why you might hold off installing first iOS 18.3 beta

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iOS 18.3 beta
iOS 18.3 beta 1 is here, but consider leaving it alone.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3 and iPadOS 18.3 to developers Monday. However, the unusual timing of the release means all but the most committed — and best-equipped — beta testers should probably wait until beta 2 arrives.

Still, there are plenty of new Apple Intelligence features that might make their debut in these new versions.

Affordable new 4K security camera for HomeKit includes color night vision

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Eufy Indoor Cam E30
This is Eufy's second HomeKit-compatible security camera.
Photo: Eufy

Eufy expanded its HomeKit ecosystem Monday with the release of the Indoor Cam E30, a sophisticated 4K security camera priced at $69.99. It’s a big upgrade from the 2020 model, marking Eufy’s second HomeKit-compatible camera launch in recent months following September’s S3 Pro Outdoor Cam. E30 upgrades include advanced pan-and-tilt mobility and color night vision through lighting.

Silo getting complete story arc as Apple TV+ greenlights season 3 and 4

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Take a sneak peek Common, Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Robbins in 'Silo' season 2
Common, Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Robbins star in “Silo.”
Photo: Apple TV+/Cult of Mac

Don’t worry about getting left hanging by Silo. The sci-fi mystery series will go all the way to the conclusion of its story now that Apple TV+ gave the go-ahead for two more seasons on Monday.

It’s really not a surprise — Silo is one of the most popular shows on any streaming service, and draws praise from critics too.

“I’ve loved every minute of bringing Juliette to the screen and am immensely proud of what we’ve all created with Silo since the first episode,” said Rebecca Ferguson, who stars as Juliette Nichols in the series. “I have always felt passionately about telling the entire story contained within Hugh Howey’s books, so I couldn’t be happier that audiences around the world have enthusiastically embraced the show.”

App Store reveals most popular apps and games of 2024

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top apps and games
Apple's lists of most-downloaded apps and games are out.
Photo: Apple

Apple unveiled its annual roundups of top apps and games — that is, those most downloaded titles — across iPhone, iPad and Apple Arcade platforms Monday. The comprehensive year-end lists are featured on the App Store’s Today tab. They offer insights into user preferences across more than 30 countries and regions. And once again, free app and games dominate, overlapping with recent App Store Award winners.

First folding iPhone could arrive by 2026

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Concept folding iPhone
Apple's folding iPhone might arrive sooner than you think.
Concept: Ran Avni

Hoping to boost sales, Apple could launch its first folding iPhone as soon as 2026, according to The Wall Street Journal. The foldable phone reportedly will follow a super-thin model — which previous rumors called the “iPhone 17 Air” or the “iPhone 17 Slim” — as Apple shakes up its stagnant smartphone lineup.

“It looks like Apple is looking towards hardware innovation to drive user upgrades,” BayStreet Research analyst Cliff Maldonado told the Journal. “The iPhone 16 will be the last of the boring aesthetic phones.”

The MacBook of our dreams, plus our first picks for best of 2024! [The CultCast]

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The CultCast episode 677 logo, plus an AI-generated image of a futuristic laptop that's definitely not a 5G OLED MacBook Pro
Apple plans to make the MacBook Pro of our dreams. Just don't hold your breath.
AI image: Image Playground/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: According to the latest Apple rumors, the 5G OLED MacBooks we’ve been anticipating forever are finally on the way … in 2026.

Also on The CultCast:

  • A quick rundown of some of the fun new features in iOS 18.2.
  • Apple Watch Ultra 3 might gain a feature that could save your bacon in an emergency. Plus, Cupertino’s still working on another potentially lifesaving feature we’ve been waiting on for years.
  • And we wrap up with the first installment of our top picks for the best stuff of 2024.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Super-size folding iPad won’t have visible screen crease

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Folding iPad concept
A folding iPad remains on Apple’s drawing board.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

One of Apple’s design goals for a much-rumored iPad with a 20-inch folding display is that the screen won’t develop a visible crease, according to a reliable source of insider information.

Whether the folding device will be a Mac or an iPad isn’t clear yet — but it’s possible it will be both!

Apple Magic Mouse could get a modern makeover

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Black Magic Mouse box
Magic Mouse might finally get a refresh.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple is planning to revamp the Magic Mouse with hand gestures, voice commands and more. And it may even move the controversial bottom charging port. The current design is over 15 years old, introduced back in 2009.

Since then, the Magic Mouse received minor upgrades, including the switch to an oddly-located Lightning port and, eventually, USB-C.

Apple to start making AirPods in India from 2025

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AirPods 4 charging case
'Make in India' AirPods are coming soon.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

After ramping up iPhone manufacturing in India in recent years, Apple will begin producing AirPods next year.

Apple’s supplier, Foxconn, will start assembling the wireless earbuds at a new factory near Hyderabad, Telangana, in Q1 2025. Trial production is already underway at the facility. Stay updated with the latest applenews on Apple’s expanding manufacturing footprint.

Apple TV+ notches record 29 Children’s & Family Emmy nominations

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Apple TV+ Children's & Family Emmy nominations
"Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock" amassed an impressive 10 nominations.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ scored a record 29 nominations in the upcoming 3rd Annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, showcasing a growing influence in family entertainment, the streamer said Friday. The nominations span 10 different programs, highlighting the streamers diverse content portfolio for youngsters.

Refresh your screens with these vibrant, cubist wallpapers

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best new wallpapers
Never mind the holiday themes, let's have some colorful cubism.
Photo: Basic Apple Guy

Designer Basic Apple Guy started the last month of 2024 by releasing yet another fresh and interesting set of wallpapers for your Apple devices. They’re the “vibrant and minimal cubist-inspired” Liminal Spaces series, released December 2. They might be the best new wallpapers I’ve seen this month.

And they’re certainly an interesting alternative to holiday themes. For me, the light, colors and shapes composed in the wallpapers brought to mind not only cubist art, but abstract expressionist Richard Diebenkorn’s landscape paintings.

Apple to discontinue iPhone 14 and iPhone SE sales in the EU

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iPhone 14 in purple
Apple will soon take iPhone SE and iPhone 14 off the shelves in the EU.
Photo: Unsplash

Apple will reportedly stop selling the iPhone SE (3rd gen) and iPhone 14 in the EU by the end of this year. It will do this to comply with the EU’s directive, which mandates all smartphones to use USB-C for charging.

Apple only switched to USB-C on its smartphone lineup with the iPhone 15’s launch in 2023.

Your WhatsApp calling experience is getting an upgrade

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WhatsApp calling improvements
Voice and video calling in WhatsApp is about to get much better.
Photo: WhatsApp

WhatsApp is rolling out some much-needed video and voice calling improvements to improve the experience. These include new video effects, improved video call quality, and more.

Thanks to WhatsApp’s popularity, it is used to make over 2 billion calls daily. So, these improvements should benefit a wide section of users.

Apple’s 2025 Apple TV and HomePod to use in-house Wi-Fi chip

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HomePod mini is one of the devices that can be a Thread 1.3.0 border router.
2025 HomePod mini can use Apple's in-house Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple will switch to its in-house “Proxima” WI-Fi and Bluetooth chip on its devices starting next year. The chip will debut on the Apple TV and HomePod mini next year.

By 2026, Apple will bring its in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module to the iPad and Mac.

Tim Cook and King Charles III visit Apple UK HQ [Photos]

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Tim Cook and King Charles Battersea photos
Tim Cook welcomed King Charles III to Battersea Power Station, Apple’s U.K. headquarters in London.
Photo: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook welcomed King Charles III of Great Britain to Apple’s U.K. headquarters Thursday in the iconic Battersea Power Station, Apple said. And it showed off a raft of photographs from the occasion, below.

“We were honored to welcome His Majesty King Charles to Apple Battersea — our home in the U.K. — and we’re proud to support The King’s Trust in its vital work educating and empowering young people,” said Cook. “We look forward to our continued growth here, building on more than 40 years of history in the United Kingdom.”

Puerto Rico joins U.S. states that let driver’s licenses go in Apple Wallet

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A digital version of a Puerto Rico driver’s license can now be stored in Apple Wallet.
A digital version of a Puerto Rico driver’s license can now be stored in Apple Wallet.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Puerto Rico now supports Apple’s digital ID system so driver’s licenses from the U.S. territory can be stored in the Wallet app on iPhone.

2024 is a banner year for the system, with five states or territories being added, doubling the previous total.

Google and Samsung’s new headset takes on Vision Pro

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Google and Samsung's Android XR headset
Here's what Google and Samsung's Android XR headset might look like.
Photo: Google and Samsung

In a strategic move that could reshape the mixed-reality landscape, Google and Samsung announced a partnership Thursday to develop a new mixed-reality headset running on the Android XR operating system, according to a new report. Clearly, the Google and Samsung Android XR headset directly challenges Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s headsets in the premium market.

The collaboration aims to create a more accessible and diverse ecosystem for extended reality (XR) devices, potentially offering buyers, including Apple users, alternative options in the growing mixed-reality space. More competition could impact both features and pricing, of course.

United gets on board with AirTag’s new way to find lost luggage

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United gets on board with AirTag’s new way to find lost luggage
United passengers who use AirTag can now easily tell the airline where their lost luggage is.
Photo: United Airlines

United Airlines built support for AirTag’s new Share Item Location into its app. This lets flyers easily show the airline the real-time location of the tracker tag hidden in their lost luggage.

The optional tracking feature debuted in iOS 18.2 on Wednesday.

iOS 18’s delayed feature rollout impacts iOS 19 development

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iOS 19 render logo
iOS 18's slow rollout of AI features is causing a domino effect.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Apple is gradually rolling out many of the big iOS 18 features showcased at WWDC24. iOS 18.1 marked the debut of Apple Intelligence, and with iOS 18.2, the company brought more AI features. This slow rollout is supposedly leading to many internal delays in iOS 19 features.

Expect to wait until 2026 for some new iOS 19 additions.

Monument Valley 3 strains our brains with more gorgeous puzzles

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Monument Valley 3 from ustwo
Monument Valley 3 would gladden the heart of M. C. Escher.
Image: ustwo games

Monument Valley 3 launched Tuesday, the latest edition in one of the best puzzle game franchises ever. The challenges offer the same M. C. Escher-esque defiance of visual perspective as their predecessors, but there’s a new twist: a sailboat.

ustwo’s latest creation is available for iPhone and iPad (plus) Android, but it’s a Netflix Games exclusive. A subscription to the streaming service is required to play.

Microsoft simplifies file transfers between iPhone and Windows PC

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Microsoft simplifies file transfers between iPhone and Windows PC with Phone Link and Link to Windows update
Moving files between iPhone and Windows is about to get easy
Image: Microsoft

Microsoft started rolling out an upgrade Wednesday to its Phone Link software and the Link to Windows app that promises seamless file transfers from iPhone to PC and vice versa.

The goal seems to be imitating the functionality of AirDrop, Apple’s simple system for wirelessly moving files between iPhones, Macs, iPads, etc.