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News - page 591

Samsung: Galaxy Fold delay won’t affect new iPhone XS Max rival

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Samsung-Galaxy
The Galaxy Note 10 will be here in August.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Samsung fans will be pleased to hear that the ongoing Galaxy Fold delay won’t affect the launch of its upcoming Galaxy Note 10.

A company official has confirmed to Korean media outlets that its newest iPhone XS Max rival is on track for an August launch. The statement comes after some rumors suggested its arrival would be pushed back.

Microsoft plans dual-screen Surface tablet with Android apps

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Microsoft-Surface
It will look very different to a standard Surface tablet.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft is rumored to be working on a new dual-screen Surface tablet that will run Android apps.

The slate, which is codenamed Centaurus, will reportedly pack two 9-inch displays that fold together like a book. Supply chain sources expect it to launch in the first quarter or first half of 2020.

Bill Gates calls failure to challenge iOS his ‘greatest mistake’

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Microsoft should have been Apple's biggest mobile challenger, Bill Gates says.
Microsoft should have been Apple's biggest mobile challenger, Bill Gates says.
Photo: Statsministerens kontor/Flickr CC

Former Microsoft CEO and Steve Jobs frenemy Bill Gates says his company massively missed out by failing to challenge Apple on smartphones.

Describing his “greatest mistake ever,” Gates said the failure to become Apple’s main competitor in the mobile space cost Microsoft $400 billion.

Apple scraps plans for supercharged iPhone camera sensor

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iPhone camera
Quantum dot technology was reportedly too pricey.
Photo: Apple

Apple has cancelled a contract with British company Nanoco. The company was working on technology that could have improved future iPhone cameras.

Nanoco is a leader in so-called “quantum dot” technology. This allows camera sensors to gather light with more efficiency than traditional silicon. However, Apple reportedly ditched plans after finding that the sensors would be too expensive to produce.

Fortnite is getting a revamped revolver this week

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Fortnite-modern-revolver
It looks new, but will it be better than the original?
Photo: Epic Games

This week’s Fortnite update will see a revamped revolver introduced to Battle Royale.

Epic is now teasing the weapon’s arrival in-game after it was first leaked out in the version 9.30 update files. It looks very different to the original revolver, but its short description suggests it will be functionally similar.

16-inch MacBook Pro could arrive sooner than you think

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MacBook-Pro-concept
A concept for how a next-gen MacBook Pro could look.
Photo: Viktor Kadar

A new 16-inch MacBook Pro is coming this fall, according to analysts at IHS Markit. This would give it the largest screen size of any MacBook Pro model currently available. (Although it still would be smaller than the dearly departed 17-inch model.)

The analysts claim Apple will unleash the new laptop at the company’s September media event alongside the new iPhone.

Nintendo fires takedown notice at fan-made Mario Royale

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Mario-Royale
But it’s not dead yet!
Screenshot: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Mario Royale, the fan-made game that brought the battle royale genre to the classic Super Mario Bros. universe, has been slapped with a takedown notice from Nintendo.

The good news is that the game isn’t dead. Its creator has swapped out Mario for a custom character and made a few other changes to avoid Nintendo’s wrath. You can still enjoy it in your browser for free.

New ads show off iPhone encryption, recycling, and privacy

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iPhone recycling 1
Not every important feature of the iPhone is immediately visible.
Photo: Apple

Not every feature that makes the iPhone special is an immediately visible one like fancy new displays or new color options. Some of the things which make iOS great are under-the-hood features like its focus on encryption, privacy in the App Store — and even Apple’s sustainable focus on iPhone recycling.

Those are three of the topic highlighted in a series of new ads. Apple shared them to its YouTube channel in Australia over the weekend. Check them out:

App Store testers plow through up to 100 apps per day

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Apple removes 17 malware apps which secretly clicked on ads
Nothing makes it onto an Apple App Store without a human looking at it. That takes less time than you might think.
Photo: Apple

With close to two million applications in its software stores, Apple reportedly doesn’t have much time to devote to testing most new submissions. Details leaking out about the process show that a typical app either gets approved or blocked in 5 or 10 minutes.

A lot of them get blocked.

What’s new in iOS 13 beta 2 [Cult of Mac Magazine No. 302]

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What's new in iOS 13 beta 2? Find out in Cult of Mac Magazine.
We dug through the latest iOS 13 beta so you wouldn't have to.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

If you’re not ready to chance running the latest iOS 13 beta on your daily driver, let Cult of Mac take the risk for you. We found some great new features in iOS 13 beta 2 — along with some neat fixes and plenty of rough edges.

Find out what we liked (and what we didn’t) in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine for iOS. Or hit the links for the usual roundup of top Apple news, reviews and how-tos.

Brexiteer doesn’t want her shiny new EU iPad

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Logitech Slim Folio Pro review
Apple's market share climbed 4% last quarter.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The dutiful iPad has found itself in the middle of the United Kingdom’s bitter divide over leaving the European Union.

A freshly sworn-in member of European Parliament cried foul over being issued an iPad, implying to followers on Twitter the device was nothing more than a pricey perk.

But her grandstanding backfired when critics informed her that the iPad is a cost-saving tool for her to do her job.

If you’re using an AirPort, you should upgrade it ASAP

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AirPort Express
Anyone with an AirPort Express like this one should install the latest security update.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple discontinued the AirPort line of wireless routers last year but continues to support them, including efforts to keep out hackers. The US government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a statement urging users of networking equipment to install a new firmware patch to block attacks.

Google has made its last iPad rival

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Google Pixel Slate tablet
Pixel Slate is the last Google tablet you’ll ever see,
Photo: Google

Google won’t make any more tablets, and dropped plans to introduce two models it was prepping for release.

No reason was given, but heavy competition from Apple’s iPad line had to have been a factor.

Physician uses Apple Watch to diagnose atrial fibrillation on the go

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Apple health care
Apple Watch’s ECG is incredible.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch has proven to be a lifesaver many times over for its owners but now it’s also being used to help save people that don’t even own one.

A physician in San Diego recently shared how he used the ECG on his Apple Watch Series 4 to detect atrial fibrillation in someone while chilling at a restaurant. And it probably saved the person’s life.

Sluggish iPhones sales leave Apple with surplus OLED problem

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iPhone X
The iPhone X was the first iOS device to get an OLED display.
Photo: Apple

Weak iPhone sales over the last two years could cause Apple to bring OLED displays to the iPad or MacBooks a bit earlier than expect.

Apple owes Samsung Display hundreds of millions of dollars because it agreed to purchase a certain amount of OLED displays per year. With iPhone sales in a slump, Apple hasn’t bought as many OLEDs as it promised but the two sides are reportedly discussing alternative solutions other than sending a giant pile of cash to Samsung.

Apple yoga challenge wants you to get bent today

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Yoga Day Activity Challenge
Yoga brings more benefits than just these stickers.
Photo: Apple

It’s the International Day of Yoga, and Apple created a yoga Activity Challenge to urge Apple Watch wearers to participate.

The reward is three stickers to be that can be used in Messages and FaceTime. Also, you’ll be more flexible from doing yoga.

Court sides with criminal defendant who refused to unlock his iPhone

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GrayKey can bypass iPhone security
Should criminals have to unlock their iPhones?
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A Florida appeals court has sided with a criminal defendant who refused to turn over his iPhone passcode to the cops.

The 1st District Court of Appeal was responding to a 2018 robbery case in Alachua County. Previous courts had come to conflicting decisions about whether the defendant must reveal how to unlock his devices.

Foxconn founder urges Apple to move manufacturing to Taiwan

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Terry Gou
Departing Foxconn chairman Terry Gou has some words of wisdom for Apple.
Photo: Voice of America/Wikimedia Commons

Terry Gou, departing founder of Apple’s biggest supplier Foxconn, has urged Apple to move manufacturing out of China. Gou suggests that Apple select neighboring country Taiwan as a location.

This would allow Apple to avoid any tariffs that come from the United States’ burgeoning trade war with China.

Big changes coming to iPhone, and tvOS gets some long-awaited features, on The CultCast

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CultCast 393
Ming-Chi Kuo says some big changes are coming to iPhone.

This week on The CultCast: New iPhone rumors point to some big changes coming in 2020. Plus: Leander gives his take on the new betas; two long-awaited features are finally coming to tvOS; and scientists say iPhone is making teenagers too … horny.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain..

AT&T is America’s fastest LTE mobile network

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AT&T logo
AT&T came out on top.
Photo: Luismt94/Wikipedia CC

AT&T has beaten out its rival networks to claim the title of fastest LTE carrier in the United States.

That’s according to a new rundown of mobile networks by PCMag. The publication issues its report every year, with Verizon and AT&T typically battling back and forth for first place. This year was AT&T’s turn — marking the first time in six years that it’s managed to overthrow Verizon.