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News - page 569

British Airways snaps up 15,000 iPhone XR units for cabin crew

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British-Airways-iPhone-XR
Probably should have waited a few weeks.
Photo: British Airways

Imagine buying a brand new iPhone just weeks before Apple introduces an upgrade. Now imagine buying 15,000. That’s exactly what British Airways has done for all its cabin crew members.

The handsets are being pre-loaded with apps that can be used to “offer a more personalized service,” BA says. It’s part of a £6.5 billion plan to step up customer support over the next five years.

Spotify now matches Apple Music’s 3-month free trial

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Spotify app now playing screen
Spotify and Siri are finally a team.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Spotify is now matching Apple Music’s generous three-month free trial for new subscribers.

The offer is available to eligible individual and student users who sign up for any Spotify Premium plan, starting today. It will be extended to support Duo and Family Plans in the coming months.

You can now pre-order Powerbeats Pro in new colors

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Powerbeats Pro Moss 1
Headphones will ship August 30.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s acclaimed Powerbeats Pro wireless headphones are now available to pre-order in ivory, moss, and navy color options. Previously, they were only available in black.

The wireless headphones retail for $249.95. They will start shipping August 30, and will arrive in Apple Stores on that same day as well.

Tim Cook has Trump on speed dial

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President Trump: Apple encryption could protect ‘criminal minds’
Tim Cook has no problem picking up the iPhone to call President Trump.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

President Donald Trump and Tim Apple, err, Tim Cook are BFFs. Well, according to Trump at least.

Describing Cook as a “great executive,” Trump says the Apple CEO isn’t afraid to pick up the phone and call whenever there’s something on his mind. “He calls me, and others don’t,” Trump said, comparing Cook to other execs.

Samsung’s #greendontcare GIFs are the weirdest Apple diss ever

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Samsung's GIF
A look at some of Samsung's Apple-dissing GIFs.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung seems pretty triggered (as the kids say) by people dissing its green Android text message bubbles, compared to the blue bubbles of Apple’s iMessages. So much so, in fact, that it’s created a whole bunch of animated GIFs to, err… do something?

The GIFs portray scenes like a green snake eating blue bubbles and a creepy green salamander being inappropriately touchy-feely with a distressed blue bubble. Hey, it probably sounded hilarious when it was described in the team meeting!

Court backs ex-Apple engineer who says he was left off inventors’ list

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Find my iPhone
Inventor worked on "Find My iPhone," among other features.
Photo: Apple

The ex-Apple engineer who claims he helped invent “Find My iPhone” and other features has beaten Apple in a preliminary court hearing.

Apple lost its bid to dismiss the former employee’s lawsuit earlier this week. The suit claims Apple left him off a list of five patents on which he was a rightful co-inventor. Along with “Find My iPhone,” Darren Eastman also notably worked on Passbook, the electronic ticketing system.

2019 iPhone to bring tougher glass, even better Face ID

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iPhone 11 R and 11 Max on fence post
These iPhone 11 dummies should be a lot like the real thing.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

This year’s iPhone refresh will introduce new “shatter-resistance technology” and even better Face ID, according to a new report.

It is claimed users will be able to unlock Apple’s next-generation handsets from multiple angles — like when they’re lying flat on a table — thanks to a new Face ID sensor with a wider field of view.

Apple discontinues Jony Ive’s pricey design book, marking end of an era

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Designed by Apple in California book
Apple's high-end book paid tribute to work created over two decades.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s removal of the pricey Designed by Apple in California book from its online store marks the end of an era.

Apple released the book, which retailed in two sizes for $199 and $299, in November 2016. The retrospective paid homage to the design work of Jony Ive since the late 1990s. Now that Ive is no longer at Apple, the company seemingly decided to draw a line under the book as well.

Feds will retest iPhones for excessive radio-frequency radiation

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iPhone-7
Your trusty old iPhone 7 might be a rule breaker.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

An independent lab claims that the iPhone 7 emits more radio-frequency radiation that is allowed by the FCC. And the iPhone X skirts the line.

The tests, done at the behest of the Chicago Tribune, have reportedly caused the FCC to examine whether these and other cell phones meet its safety guidelines. That doesn’t make them a cancer risk, though.

Apple TV+ might make over $1 billion in its first year

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Apple TV
Jason Momoa‘s “See” is expected to draw subscribers to Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV+ could lure a whopping 12 million subscribers in its first year, an analyst predicts.

The streaming video service, which Apple plans to launch this fall after spending more than $1 billion on original shows, will be be playing serious catchup with rivals like Netflix. But Cupertino wields some key advantages.

Last chance! Save $10 on this gorgeous Apple Watch stand by Twelve South

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Twelve-South-Forte
Get your stunning Forté stand at a sweet discount.
Photo: Twelve South

Give your beloved Apple Watch one of the prettiest charging stands money can buy and get $10 off for a limited time.

Inspired by the best Apple products, the Twelve South Forté fuses shiny chrome and luxury leather for a positively premium look. And it works with any Apple Watch and any band.

Waze embraces YouTube Music for a happier commute

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YouTube Music and Waze
YouTube Music and Waze are now friends.
Photo: Google

The latest move by the Waze navigation app to make driving a little more fun involves built-in controls for YouTube Music. This allows drivers to make changes to the music streaming through their iPhone or Android without leaving the Waze app.

iOS 13 beta 8 brings Apple’s big update closer to launch

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iOS 13 on an iPhone X
Have you upgraded yet?
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple is picking up the pace on its iOS 13 development by seeding the eighth beta build of the upcoming software release to developers today.

iOS 13 beta 8 and iPadOS 13 beta 8 arrive less than one week after Apple released the last beta build to developers. It’s a clear sign that the last of the bugs are getting squashed in order to ready the big update for the public launch next month.

Why massive Apple TV+ budget is a genius strategy

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CEO Tim Cook before a picture of actors, directors, and producers of Apple TV+ original shows.
Spending big on star power for Apple TV+ is really smart.
Photo: Apple

On the surface, Cupertino’s decision to spend massive piles of money on its upcoming Apple TV+ streaming service seems crazy.

Is this a company with too much money being suckered? Is it a huge display of hubris (as some say of Apple Park)? Or is it, just possibly, a clever strategy that could win Apple the streaming war?

Here’s why I think that third answer is the correct one. Dig a little deeper, and Apple’s spending spree looks nothing short of brilliant.

Database exposes loads of incoming Apple products

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While not a literal crystal ball for seeing the future, the EEC database gets close when it comes to Apple products.
While not a literal crystal ball for seeing the future, the EEC database gets close when it comes to Apple products.
Photo: Jennifer Hubacher/Pexels CC

Multiple new MacBook, Apple Watch, iPod touch and iPhone models are coming this fall, according to a database that’s so far been very accurate about upcoming products. It belongs to the Eurasian Economic Commission, which become a gold mine for information on Apple computers that are right around the corner.

Famous American Psycho scene gets Apple Card upgrade

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scene from
Is that titanium? "Nice!"
Photo: Universal Studios/YouTube

The Apple Card is the newest status totem and that gave one YouTuber and fan of the 2000 film American Psycho an idea for the re-editing of one scene.

The scene shows cocksure investment banker Patrick Bateman and his yuppie, Italian-suited colleagues vainly comparing the designs of their business cards, each whipping their’s out so to speak.

TV drama will show how Spotify ‘beat Apple’

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Spotify is adding 2x as many monthly subscribers as Apple Music
The battle for our ears. And listening dollars.
Photo: Spotify

Streaming giant Spotify’s history shows a company that rose from nothing to take on Apple — and won. Well, kind of. At least, that’s the story that may be told in a new screen adaptation of Spotify’s rise to prominence.

While it’s not yet in production, the UK division of Swedish film and TV company Yellow Bird (the company behind the Swedish Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) just acquired the adaptation rights to the recent book Spotify Untold.

Think of it as The Social Network, only about the world of streaming music.

Apple takes steps to crack down on Kazakh government eavesdropping

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pin safari tabs
Kazakh government wanted to create a method to monitor what users were typing.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple, Google and Mozilla have joined forces to stop the Kazakh government from creating an internet surveillance system that uses their respective web browsers.

Safari, Chrome and Firefox will all block a government encryption certificate. This certificate would make it possible for the Kazakh government to read anything typed inside a browser, including passwords.

This year’s iPhone could come with a USB-C charger

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iPad 2018 USB-C charger cable
Apple introduced the USB-C charger with last year's iPad Pro.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple will drop the 5W charger that comes with the iPhone and instead ship the iPhone 11 with a USB-C charger.

That’s according to a tweet from ChargerLAB, which claims to have an inside line on Apple’s plans, via the supply chain.

Apple Newton fans need to be in Seattle on September 28

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Love Notes to Newton traces the history of a device ahead of its time.
Newton documentary will be accompanied by a Q&A from original MessagePad team.
Photo: Love Notes to Newton

Love Notes to Newton, a documentary about Apple’s ill-fated but influential Newton MessagePad, is getting a big screen showing. The documentary will be shown at the Living Computers Museum + Labs in Seattle, Washington on September 28.

It’s accompanied by a Q&A session with several members of the original Newton team who worked at Apple. If you’re an old-school Apple fan, this is a great opportunity to get the inside story.

Apple tests out new OLED suppliers for future iPhone refresh

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iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
BOE Technology could join Apple's supply chain next year.
Photo: Apple

Apple is said to be “aggressively testing” OLED screens from other suppliers ahead of a 2020 iPhone refresh.

Cupertino reportedly wants to diversify its supply chain next year. It currently relies heavily on Samsung for OLED panels, with LG Display making only small contributions for the iPhone XS lineup.