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News - page 586

Pock puts your Mac’s Dock in the Touch Bar

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Pock dock and settings
In deep with Pock.
Photo: Pock

Pock is a very neat little utility for folks with Touch Bar MacBook Pros. All it does is replace the Touch Bar’s tools with swap-in “widgets,” or sets of tools. One of these puts the Mac’s own Dock into the Touch Bar, which is an amazing idea. But there are several other widgets available, with more to come.

Phantom MacBook appears briefly in FCC database

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2019 MacBook Pro
The FCC just accidentally leaked some info on an upcoming Apple laptop.
Photo: Apple

5The FCC just signed off on an Apple laptop that hasn’t been announced yet. This could be the 16-inch MacBook Pro that’s been the subject of recent rumors. Or it might be just a speed-bumbled version of an earlier model.

Xiaomi digital avatars totally rip off Apple’s Memoji

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Xiaomi Mimoji vs. Apple Memoji
One of these is an Apple Memoji and the other a Xiaomi Mimoji. Can you tell which is which?
Photo: Xiaomi/Memoji

There’s something slightly familiar about Xiaomi’s new Mimoji 3D avatars. And by “slightly familiar” we mean this feature debuting in the Chinese company’s latest phone is a complete knockoff of Memoji, the animated avatars Apple introduced last year.

Third betas for iOS 13 and iPadOS arrive for devs

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ios13
Users can't wait to get their hands on iOS 13.
Photo: Apple

Apple seeded the third beta build of iOS 13 and iPadOS to developers this morning, bringing a host of new tweaks and bug fixes to test devices just before the 4th of July break.

iOS 13 beta 3 arrives just over two weeks after Apple dropped the last developer beta. The first iOS 13 public beta came out a week ago. Apple also released the third betas of tvOS 13, watchOS 6 and macOS Catalina today.

Ireland probes Apple’s compliance with strict EU privacy rules

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Anti-robocall bill is one step closer to being passed into law
EU law sets strict privacy rules, and it’s the job of an Irish commissioner to be sure Apple is following them.
Photo: rawpixel.com/Pexels CC

Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner is looking into whether Apple is following all the requirements of the EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation privacy law.

The DPC has three investigations going into Apple’s business practices, each covering a different aspect of the GDPR legislation. There are far more ongoing probes into how Facebook handles user privacy.

The Apple Car could have the best bumper ever

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apple car
A rendering of an Apple car with a different kind of bumper
Photo: Motor1

Dying to see what Apple’s idea of a car looks like? Here’s a bumper.

OK, so a patent, like the one for an extendable bumper awarded to Apple today, doesn’t exactly give us a detailed picture. But we at least see one more piece of evidence Apple remains a committed player in the future of cars – whether we drive them or not.

Jony Ive is leaving Apple at a time it’s pivoting to Services

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Apple services
Services is based on software, not hardware.
Photo: Apple

There’s a plenty of court intrigue about the reasons for Jony Ive leaving Apple.

John Arlidge, who interviewed Ive for the U.K.’s Sunday Times in 2013 and 2014, has an interesting take. In an article for Wired, Arlidge points out that Ive’s split from Apple comes at a time when it’s pivoting away from hardware.

Rally or not? Apple stock is at a ‘key technical juncture’

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AAPL stock
Should you be excited about Apple stock? This chart could tell you.
Image: CNBC

Apple shares increased 2% on Monday, buoyed by the news that the burgeoning trade war between China and the U.S. could be over.

In all, AAPL is up almost 30% for the year. But according to an equity strategist, what happens next could be crucially important. It’s either very good news for Apple, or very bad.

Confirmed: Samsung’s new iPhone XS Max rival will arrive on August 7

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Galaxy-Note-10-Unpacked
You’ll be able to watch the event online.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung today issued invites for a big Galaxy Unpacked event on August 7. The South Korean company is expected to unveil its newest rival to the iPhone XS Max — the much-anticipated Galaxy Note 10.

We recently got a glimpse at leaked photos of the device, which will offer a giant edge-to-edge display with a tiny camera cutout.

You can now enjoy Spotify Stations on the road with CarPlay

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CaPlay 1
Spotify Stations is like your own personal radio station.
Image: Spotify

Spotify has updated its Spotify Stations app with support for CarPlay. The app is intended to provide a radio station-like experience, which customizes itself to your tastes.

With its latest update, you no longer need to use your iPhone to access the app. If you’re a CarPlay user, you can do it right from your dash.

Apple has a surprising plan to save iPhone in China

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The 2018 iPhone models aren't going to have an in-display Touch ID fingerprint scanner.
Touch ID could be back, but not as you know it.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple could have a surprising trick up its sleeve to save the iPhone in China.

New reports claim the company is working on a smartphone exclusively for the Chinese market. The device is expected to be significantly more affordable and will include an under-display fingerprint scanner in place of Face ID.

Apple still struggling to make a sound in Europe’s smart speaker market

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Apple debuts HomePod in India at its cheapest price yet
Google and Amazon continue to lead.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

There’s a new challenger to the smart speaker throne — and, no, it’s not Apple’s HomePod.

According to the latest data from IDC, in Europe Google has overtaken Amazon as the market leader in smart speakers. Google Home devices accounted for 45.1% of shipped smart speakers in the region in Q1. That beats Amazon’s 41.8%. Apple’s HomePod doesn’t even even get a mention.

Tim Cook slams alleged rift with Jony Ive as ‘absurd’

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2018 interview with Tim Cook suggests Apple was working on iCloud backup encryption
Cook says the projects the design team is working on will blow you away.
Photo: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook is firing back on a report that surfaced over the weekend claiming design boss Jony Ive drifted away from the company.

Ive allegedly stopped coming into Apple HQ as frequently once the first Apple Watch launched, according to the Wall Street Journal‘s report. The newspaper also claimed Tim Cook’s inattentiveness to the design team caused the two sides to grow apart. Responding to an NBC reporter via email, Tim Cook said the story is “absurd.”

Unique iPhone battery case charges AirPods, too

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Power1 iPhone battery case also stores and charges AirPods
The Power1 is an iPhone battery case and AirPods charging case in one.
Photo: Power1

People who carry their iPhone and AirPods everywhere might really use the Power1. Not only does this battery case charge the handset, it includes a built-in AirPods charging case.

It’s just been fully funded on Kickstarter, but there are still pre-release specials available.

AirPods top Galaxy Buds in new water test

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Galaxy buds
The Galaxy Buds are bulkier than AirPods but not as durable.
Photo: Samsung

Apple’s wireless earbuds face some new competition from Samsung’s cheaper Galaxy Buds, but a new water-damage test shows the cheaper price tag comes at a cost.

Neither AirPods or Galaxy Buds boast waterproofing but do have some water resistance. The folks at CNET pitted the two earbuds against each other in a new real-world test along with the new Powerbeats Pro and the results were pretty bad for Samsung lovers.

Australian cricket team depends on Apple Watch for max performance

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Apple Watch app to monitor athletic performance
Coaches monitor the performance of the Australian Women’s Cricket Team via Apple Watch.
Photo: Apple

The Australian Women’s Cricket Team uses Apple Watches to optimize their training and improve their performance while also reducing the risk of injury. An app allows coaches to monitor training load and heart rate, but also mood and sleep data.

macOS Catalina revives Expansion Slot Utility app for new Mac Pro

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Expansion-Slot-Utility-Catalina
Expansion Slot Utility reborn in macOS Catalina.
Photo: Steve Moser

Apple’s latest macOS Catalina beta revives the long-lost Expansion Slot Utility app for the new Mac Pro.

Now updated to version 2.0, the app helps users configure things like video cards, audio adapters, and more. It went away for a while after the introduction of the 2013 Mac Pro — but it will be called into action again when the 2019 Mac Pro makes its debut.

Samsung CEO calls Galaxy Fold ‘embarrassing’

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Apple invents a unique, no-crease folding iPhone screen
Apple invents a unique, no-crease folding iPhone screen
Photo: Samsung

The CEO of Samsung Electronics personally took responsibility for the Galaxy Fold debacle. However, he promises his company is fixing the problems that delayed the launch of its first folding-screen handset, and still intends to release it.

AudioKit’s retro ’80s synthesizer now works inside your favorite music app

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Even the promo pictures are pretty 1980s.
Even the promo pictures look pretty '80s.
Photo: AudioKit

Here’s some pretty big news for iOS musicians: AudioKit’s Digital D1 synth is now an Audio Unit. What? That means that, instead of running as a standalone app, you can now run it as a plugin inside your music app of choice. It also means you can run more than one copy, putting one instance on each track of GarageBand, for instance.

And what makes D1 more interesting than other synths for iOS? A few things. One, it’s open source and built by volunteers. Another is that it looks and sounds amazing. And finally, it’s totally ’80s, giving you the synth sounds of pop music’s best decade. Radical.

’CrescentCore’ malware attacks your Mac, evades antivirus tools

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CrescentCore-Flash-update
Don’t install Flash Player. Not even the real one.
Photo: Intego

Security researches have discovered new malware that targets macOS users and evades popular antivirus tools.

“CrescentCore” is distributed as a DMG package that’s disguised as Adobe Flash Player. It can now be found on multiple websites — one of which is “a high-ranking Google search result,” according to Intego.