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News - page 577

Apple brings True Tone to MacBook Air, faster chips to MacBook Pro

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The late-2018 MacBook Air with Retina display.
They’re now more affordable, too.
Photo: Apple

Apple has updated the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro for the back-to-school season. And they’re now more affordable.

The newest MacBook Air now ships with a True Tone display — just like its more expensive siblings. The newest 13-inch MacBook Pro is powered by faster Intel chips, while the entry-level model now offers a Touch Bar with Touch ID.

Fortnite bags new Air Strike item that’s absolutely crazy

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Fortnite-Air-Strike
Will we love it, or will we hate it?
Photo: Epic Games

Fortnite’s latest content update is out right on schedule. This week’s release finally brings the much-anticipated Air Strike item fans have been waiting for — and it doesn’t disappoint.

The device looks like a largely inoffensive canister of smoke when you first pick it up. But throw it at an opponent and they’ll soon find themselves being bombarded by missiles from above.

Wall Street worries put the hurting on Apple’s suppliers too

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iPhone 8 Foxconn box
A whole lot of companies rely on Apple.
Photo: Feng

It’s not just Apple which relies on, well, Apple to make money. There’s a whole ecosystem of other companies orbiting the giant Cupertino sun, too. And they’re all affected by whatever news raises or lowers Apple’s share price.

That’s what took place this week when Wall Street’s latest wobble about Apple sent out shockwaves through the supply chain. As a result, a whole lot of companies which do business with Apple suffered their own sympathy stock declines.

Apple may be gearing up to launch four new iPhones in 2020

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The iPhone XS Max is 25 percent larger than any previous iOS handset. So how is it as an iPad mini replacement?
Remember the days when Apple released just one iPhone per year?
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple could add to the growing number of new iPhone models it introduces each year. According to an analyst at J.P. Morgan, Apple will introduce four new iPhones in 2020.

This will include three versions boasting OLED screens and 5G modems, plus one lower cost “value” model.

As Jony Ive leaves, Apple employees keep calm and carry on

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apple park
A survey of Apple employees apparently found them ruffled but unpanicked after their company's head of product design announced he's leaving.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

If you’re looking for a clear voice on what Chief Design Officer Jony Ive leaving Apple means for the company, don’t look to current employees. Almost as many of them think the change will be good as think it will hurt the iPhone maker.

Still, a large majority are confident that Apple will remain a strong company without him.

New iPhone 11 processor should smoke Android’s best

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TSMC 7nm processor
Apple chips keep shrinking, which makes them more efficient.
Photo: TSMC

This fall’s iPhone models will supposedly include a processor able to outperform any Android handset. It apparently won’t be just a little bit better, either. The source for this unconfirmed report on the A13 chip says it will offer “a one-year advantage” in graphics performance. Multi-core performance supposedly will get a large boost, too.

Apple goes all in on classic Texas Hold’em app

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Apple Texas Hold’em
The updated version of Apple’s Texas Hold’em doesn’t need a clickwheel to play.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

If you loved playing Texas Hold’em on your iPod in 2006, we have great news for you. Apple has brought this classic game back with a significant redesign.

And, unlike the original version, it’s free.

iPhone thief posts selfie on victim’s Instagram

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Suspect in a stolen iPhone case posts selfie on victim's Instagram
The best way to get caught with a stolen iPhone is to post a selfie.
Photo courtesy of: Kearny Police Department/Facebook

New Jersey detectives are searching for an iPhone thief who may ultimately aid in his own capture because he posted a selfie on the victim’s Instagram feed.

The Kearny Police Department recently released the above photo asking the public for some Face ID and information that could help them locate the man.

Real-world 5G is 2.7x faster than 4G

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2020 could be Apple's greatest year so far
The US is well ahead of the rest of the world in 5G speeds.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple fans might be underwhelmed by 5G because they’ll have to wait another year for an iPhone with this replacement for LTE, but there’s a lot to look forward to. A new study of finds that users can expect the new technology to bring download speeds that are 2.7 times faster than 4G.

New Apple ad says Face ID is safer than Touch ID

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faceid
Face ID is almost too easy to use.
Photo: Apple

Apple tossed some shade at its own product in a new ad that promotes Face ID.

The hilarious new ad shows how much easier it is to use Face ID over Touch ID as a vegged-out guy relaxes in his reclining chair and is too lazy to touch his iPhone XR to see who’s texting him.

Prepare to laugh:

6 months using only an iPhone camera leaves pro photog inspired

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Photographer Noe Alonzo used only an iPhone for six months
What could you do with an iPhone as your only camera? Plenty says Noe Alonzo.
Screenshot: Noe Alonzo/YouTube

Photographer Noe Alonzo gave himself a challenge that some people called ridiculous: He worked exclusively with his iPhone 7 Plus for six months.

The results proved stunning. Even more surprising to Alonzo, his project landed him new clients — and gave him humbling insights into his own creativity.

Apple’s ‘two spiritual soulmates’ have left the building

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Walter-Isaacson-Jony-Ive
Without Jobs and Ive, Apple can’t design, Isaacson says.
Photo: CNBC

Walter Isaacson says Apple has lost “these two spiritual soulmates who just lived and breathed the beauty of products.”

The Steve Jobs biographer believes the company still know how to execute, but that it has missed out on a number of opportunities for exciting new products — including an Apple TV set.

Original Apple-1 manual goes up for auction for $10,000

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A page from the original Apple-1 documentation.
A page from the original Apple-1 documentation.
Photo: RR Auction

Unless you’re Scrooge McDuck, an international arms dealer or some other wealthy individual, chances are that you won’t be able to afford an Apple-1 at auction anytime soon.

But don’t give up hope of owning a piece of Apple’s first computer. An extremely rare original Apple-1 manual (remember when computers came with those?) has just come up for sale. And it’s only expected to cost $10,000!

Beta users can now sign into iCloud using Face ID or Touch ID

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The latest Apple betas offer the option of signing in with Face ID or Touch ID.
The latest Apple betas offer the option of signing in with Face ID or Touch ID.
Screenshot: Charlie Sorrel

Users running the latest iOS 13, iPadOS 13 or macOS Catalina betas can now sign into iCloud using either Face ID or Touch ID.

If you’re using these beta versions, visiting iCloud in Safari will present a pop-up asking if you want to log in using biometrics.

Bill Gates: Steve Jobs was a wizard, but I was immune to his spells

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Steve Jobs Macworld autograph
Steve Jobs (possibly) writing an incantation.
Photo: RR Auction

There are plenty of words used to describe Steve Jobs, but “wizard” isn’t one of the ones we hear too often.

That’s exactly what Jobs was, however, according to Microsoft co-founder and long-time Jobs frenemy Bill Gates. Speaking on CNN, Gates said that Jobs accomplished his Apple-correcting wizardry by “casting spells.” But Gates, as a “minor wizard,” was immune to Jobs’ hocus pocus.

Huawei founder says Apple is the inspiration behind its privacy policy

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Chinese company Huawei wants the media buzz that would come with releasing the world's first foldable phone.
Huawei doesn't want to be known as the alleged Chinese spy phone brand. Unsurprisingly.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr CC

Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei says that, when it comes to user privacy, Apple is the company he models his approach on.

Huawei has been under fire for possibly posing a spying-related security risk, resulting in a temporary U.S. ban. However, Zhengfei says that it would not provide data to the Chinese government at any cost.