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News - page 563

AirPods sales could shoot up 40% this year

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airpods
AirPods are tiny, but they’re big business.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s wireless earbuds are selling better than most people realize. The company is on track to sell 50 million pairs by the end of this year, according to an industry analyst.

That’s up from 35 million in 2018. The product only debuted in 2016.

Apple fans seem receptive to the concept of a foldable iPhone

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Folding iPhone 2
UBS thinks a foldable Apple device could launch in 2021.
Photo: Foldable News

Samsung’s Galaxy Fold ran into a bunch of problems, but it seems many iPhone owners remain interested in seeing what Apple could do with the foldable form factor.

According to a new UBS survey of customers, iPhone owners show a “generally higher” level of interest in foldable handsets than other groups.

An afterlife Steve Jobs appears in new driving awareness ad

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Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs as he appears in the new ad.
Photo: Transport Accident Commission

Whether it’s as the subject of a rap t-shirt or a manga comic book, the likeness of Steve Jobs pops up in some pretty unusual places.

The latest? As a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it “cameo” in an Australian ad aimed at reducing car accidents as a result of texting behind the wheel. The ad depicts Jobs, alongside the likes of John Lennon and Shakespeare, in a discussion set in the afterlife. Seriously.

Apple Watch continues to run roughshod over the competition

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Apple-Watch-4
Almost 1 out of every 2 smartwatches shipped last quarter was an Apple Watch.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch continues to dominate the fast-growing global smartwatch market, according to new figures from Strategy Analytics.

The firm notes that smartwatch shipments grew 44% in the second quarter of 2019. In total, 12 million smartwatches shipped — with Apple Watch making up almost one out of every two smartwatches sold.

Apple boot camp teaches Swift coding to educators

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Swift Crypto will help more developers than ever to build secure applications
Apple wants to teach the world to code. Well, so long as they code in Swift.
Photo: Apple

Part of getting Apple devices into classrooms involves educating teachers, as well as students. For that reason, Apple recently staged a week-long Teacher Coding Academy for educators in the Southwestern City Schools and Columbus City Schools district.

The boot camp set out to teach Apple’s coding language Swift to teachers. This is so that they can go on and pass on the knowledge to kids.

Disney reveals $13 bundle with ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+

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Disney+ is live and ready to download from the App Store
Disney+ launches in November.
Photo: Disney

Apple TV+ and Netflix are about to get some serious competition from Disney’s upcoming streaming bundle that will combine three services into one.

Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed to investors during the company’s third-quarter earnings call today that customers will be able to get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for $12.99, the same price as Netflix.

Magnificent metal band makes Apple Watch super-suave

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Monowear-metal-band-front
A super stainless steel band that won't break the bank.
Photo: Monowear

Upgrade your Apple Watch with a magnificent metal band from Monowear.

Made from strong stainless steel, and priced at just $49.99, they’re color-matched for the best finish and they make everyone’s favorite smartwatch look even more suave.

Apple forces popular VoIP apps to be rewritten to protect user privacy

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Facebook Messenger on an iPad
Facebook Messenger is fun, chatty... and always running in the background whether you’re using it or not. Always.
Photo: Facebook

A change in iOS 13 that limits what applications can do when running in the background will force a rewrite of Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and other apps that offer voice calls.

While these developers will be inconvenienced, the goal is to increase the battery lives and performance of all iOS devices. The change will also make iPhones and iPads more secure.

Mesmerizing exploration game Journey comes to iOS

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Journey game for iOS
Journey is less a game than an experience.
Photo: Annapurna Interactive

Journey has been described as more a work of art than a game. It depends on its amazing visuals and Grammy-winning music to draw players into a mysterious world. And now iPad and iPhone users can experience it for themselves.

When Journey debuted in 2012 it was awarded a Guinness World Record for “The Most Awards won by an Independent Game.”

Apple could drop the 15-inch MacBook Pro

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2019 MacBook Pro
The already slender MacBook bezels could nearly disappear in the 16-inch version.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s next MacBook Pro will reportedly fit a 16-inch screen into the same size chassis as the current 15-inch model. An industry analyst says Apple plans to take the logical step and drop the smaller screen option.

This would keep Apple’s laptop lineup simple, with just 13-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pros, and a 13-inch MacBook Air.

Tim Cook’s lovely tribute to Toni Morrison draws clueless responses

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Tim Cook tweet about the passing of Toni Morrison
Not the place to bring up 5G.
Screenshot: Tim Cook/Twitter

Apple CEO Tim Cook used twitter this morning to reflect on the passing of American author Toni Morrison, thanking her for “the beauty you revealed in our world.”

Cook joined a chorus of tributes from people touched by Morrison’s novels. He pulled a poignant quote from an acceptance speech she gave in 1993 when she was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature.

Apple-owned FileMaker has a new name and focus

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FileMaker
FileMaker isn’t going away, but the company that makes it is expanding what it does.
Photo: Claris

FileMaker changed its name to Claris. That might sound familiar as it’s the name the company had when Apple founded it way back in 1986.

The move is part of expanding what it does, beyond making a relational database application.

Japan’s Fair Trade Commission investigates Apple again

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Apple Japan required carriers to subsidize iPhone
Apple is accused of abusing its power with suppliers.
Photo: Apple

Japan’s Fair Trade Commission is investigating Apple’s tactics for selling iPhones in the country.

The Japanese FTC thinks Apple might have abused its power by pressuring Japanese suppliers into unfavorable deals. Questionable methods allegedly include providing free technology and expertise to Apple affiliates, stopping them from selling to other companies, and making them shoulder costs for unforeseen problems.

Apple might give hackers special iPhones to plug security problems

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The CIA has a team of more than 5,000 hackers.
This is what a real hacker looks like. Dry ice is not optional.
Photo: Brian Klug/Flickr CC

Apple has historically not been a company in favor of people jailbreaking its devices. So why would Cupertino give hackers special iPhones to help them find weaknesses in iOS? To patch those problems, of course!

According to a new report, Apple will announce plans this week at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas to hand out such devices to security researchers. Apple also will introduce a new Mac bug bounty program to reward anyone who finds security problems in macOS.

We probably know when Apple will introduce the iPhone 11

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iPhone 11R and 11 Max on wooden railing
You haven't got too much longer to wait!
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 11 could be in your hands in just 45 days, the president of Japanese telecommunications company SoftBank may have accidentally revealed.

Speaking at an investor event over the weekend, SoftBank President Ken Miyauchi suggested that the new iPhone will be available September 20.

AT&T gives free Spotify Premium to unlimited subscribers

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Spotify discover weekly, daily mix, playlists, and sharing features
This should help Spotify grow its subscriber base.
Photo: Ian Fuchs

AT&T is ready to sweeten the deal for some of its monthly subscribers by offering free Spotify premium as of its new entertainment perks.

The carrier revealed its new entertainment perks today that also gives customers the option to choose HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz or Pandora as their free entertainment options. Even if you don’t have a qualifying wireless plan, you can still get some other Spotify perks.

Fossil’s Gen 5 watches offer better iPhone integration

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Fossil Gen 5 smart watches
Fossil unveiled the first Wear OS watches that can make iPhone calls.
Photo: Fossil

Fossil’s fifth-generation smart watches run Google’s Wear OS, but they don’t reject iOS users. Users will be able to make and receive phone calls when connected to an iPhone over Bluetooth, a first for wearable with this operating system. These wrist-worn devices also can go multiple days on a single charge.

The company just unveiled its first Gen 5 models in a range of colors.

New Apple Card site shows exactly how you can get one

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Apple Card
We can't wait for Apple Card.
Photo: Apple

Apple Card inched a little bit closer to its public launch today with the unveiling of a new website that walks users through the sign-up process.

The new wallet.Apple.com provides details on the application process as well as offers visitors the option to get notified when Apple Card launches. Tim Cook revealed during the company’s earnings report last week that the launch is slated for sometime in August.

Facebook and YouTube would be more profitable without advertising

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the Facebook logo on an iPhone 6 Plus
Facebook would be more profitable if users paid a monthly subscription fee.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Many of our favorite applications are free because advertisers pay for them. But what if that changed? How much would you pay for Facebook or YouTube without advertising… and without these apps profiling everything about you?

A survey conducted by a market-research firm found that subscription fees people would pay for these apps would make them more profitable than they are now.