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News - page 592

Qualcomm criticized for using internal Apple documents in court

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Anti-robocall bill is one step closer to being passed into law
FTC argues that Qualcomm should have introduced documents earlier.
Photo: Pexels

The legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm may be settled. But that hasn’t stopped Qualcomm from bringing up Apple’s name in court.

As part of a hearing to stop the enforcement of an antitrust ruling, Qualcomm used internal Apple documents as evidence. And the U.S. Federal Trade Commission wasn’t too happy about it.

Clever concept fixes iPhone’s incoming call problems

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Incoming call
Please make this real.
Photo: Vinoth Ragunathan

The way iPhone handles incoming calls is probably one of the worst UI elements still around in iOS. Instead of only showing a small alert, the entire screen is taken hostage by a caller. This especially sucks in the age of endless robocalls, yet Apple has shown no motivation to change all of that.

Concept designer Vinoth Ragunathan has come up with a clever solution that fixes all that and it doesn’t even require much work on Apple’s part. All you would have to do is swipe up to dismiss the screen.

New Mac Pro grille is actually a terrible cheese grater

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Cheese grater pro
You *could* use the Mac Pro to grate cheese. But you won’t be happy.
Photo: Winston Moy

The new Mac Pro sure looks a lot like a cheese grater, but it turns out that it’s pretty bad at grating cheese.

YouTuber machinist Winston Moy painstakingly re-created the complex circular structure of the new Mac Pro grille using his Shapeoko mill to put Jony Ive’s work to the test. The video of the entire process proves quite fascinating. However, the end result kind of disappoints.

Skip to the 5:30 mark to see it in action:

Grab your wand! Harry Potter AR game apparates into App Store early

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The first AR Harry Potter game promises spell casting in the real world
The first AR Harry Potter game promises spell casting in the real world
Photo: Niantic and WB Games

A much-anticipated game set in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World just launched a day early. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite has been compared to Pokemon Go, as gameplay revolves around using a phone to find augmented-reality objects scattered around the real world.

Apple warns U.S. tariffs would hurt its global competitiveness

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Activist shareholders push Apple on why it booted Hong Kong protest app
Activist shareholders push Apple on why it booted Hong Kong protest app
Photo: Fredrik Rubensson/Flickr CC

Apple warned U.S. trade representatives this week that President Donald Trump’s plan to impose more tariffs on Chinese goods will negatively impact its contributions to the U.S. economy.

In a letter written to U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer, Apple urged the government not to impose tariffs. The new set of tariffs would make Apple’s products more expensive and give Apple’s competitors an advantage.

Kindle Oasis 3 makes reading at night more comfortable

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Amazon kindle oasis bath
You could achieve the same effect with a nicotine-stained ziplock bag.
Photo: Amazon

One new feature in the upcoming Kindle Oasis will make a huge difference to many people. The new model adds a Night Shift-style display capable of shifting color to match the warmer light of evening.

Other than that, the new Kindle Oasis is almost exactly the same as the current model. But this great new addition means no more cold blue pages when you’re reading in bed at night.

Apple recalls 15-inch MacBook Pro batteries that may overheat

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Been waiting to pull the trigger on a 2018 MacBook Pro? Now's the time!
Apple says you should stop using affected machines.
Photo: Apple

Apple is now inviting some 15-inch MacBook Pro owners to return their machines for a battery replacement.

The company says some aging units “contain a battery that may overheat and pose a safety risk.” The problem affects machines sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017.

Apple is asking customers to stop using their MacBook Pro if it is eligible for a free battery replacement.

Tim Cook’s fight for LGBTQ rights earns him ‘Champion Award’

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Tim Cook talks diversity, sustainability, and coming out as gay
Cook’s award shelf is quickly running out of room.
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook will receive the “Champion Award” from GLSEN later this as recognition for his ongoing fight for LGBTQ rights.

Cook says he is “grateful” for the honor and insists Apple’s commitment to inclusion helps it do its “best work, each and every day.” This is one of several awards he has earned for his efforts since becoming Apple CEO.

This might be a bad time for Apple to move out of China

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Foxconn employees accused of $43 million iPhone scam
Tim Cook speaks with a worker on an iPhone production line.
Photo: Apple

Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives thinks this could be a bad time for Apple to shake up its supply chain by moving iPhone manufacturing out of China.

In a note to clients, Ives singles out the first 5G iPhone and the launch of Apple TV+ as reasons why Apple should seek to minimize stress right now. In other words, Apple execs could do without the “gargantuan” headache that shifting around its supply chain would involve.

Be very careful about buying used Nest security cams [Update]

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Nest-camera
Who’s watching you through your Nest?
Photo: Nest

UPDATE: See the statement received from Google at the bottom of this story.

You might want to think twice about buying used Nest security cameras.

A new report reveals that secondhand models can allow previous owners to spy on new users — even if they correctly follow Nest’s instructions on resetting the device. There’s currently no fix for the security flaw.

Customs officials seize stash of fake iPhone components in Hong Kong

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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?
Make sure you trust the companies you're buying from.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

$120,000 of knockoff parts for iPhones and other handsets have been seized by customs officials in Hong Kong. The parts were being used to repair handsets sent in from countries including the United States, U.K. and Australia.

The director and manager of the company were arrested during a raid on the company’s offices in the city of Tuen Mun. The offices were being used as a workshop and warehouse. One hundred phones sent in for repairs were found onsite.

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box is a great puzzle game for iOS

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Diabolical Box
This title originally appeared on the Nintendo DS.
Image: Level-5

The classic Nintendo DS puzzle game franchise Professor Layton continues to roll out on iOS.

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, the second game in the series, was first released in Japan back in 2007. An English language version showed up in North America in 2009. A decade later, and you can finally play it on your iPhone or iPad.

Affinity Publisher is incredibly powerful, surprisingly affordable

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Affinity-Publisher-Mac
Affinity Publisher does it all — and plays nicely with other Affinity apps.
Photo: Serif

Serif just delivered its latest Affinity app for Mac and PC — and it looks like an essential purchase for publishers.

Affinity Publisher is a professional desktop publishing client that has Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo baked-in for seamless vector design and image editing. It’s packed full of other useful features, too, and it won’t break the bank.

Google Assistant is a better virtual pharmacist than Siri

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Apple debuts HomePod in India at its cheapest price yet
Would you ask Siri about your medication?
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

If you have a query about your prescription drugs, you’re better off asking Google Assistant than Siri or Amazon’s Alexa. That’s the conclusion of a new piece of research, published in the journal Nature Digital Medicine.

While you’re best off asking a human doctor, of course, the research was intended to see how accurate Google, Amazon and Apple’s AI assistants are at explaining the 50 most commonly prescribed medicines.

Catalyst versions of Messages and Shortcuts on the way to macOS

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iMessage effects
A look at one of the new animations on Messages.
Screenshot: Steve Troughton-Smith

Apple is working to bring new versions of Messages and Shortcuts to Mac, according to code discovered in the latest beta of macOS 10.15 Catalina.

The code was uncovered by developer Steve Troughton-Smith. This would be the first time Shortcuts is available on macOS devices. While Messages is currently on Mac, it looks to be getting a big overhaul.

Apple Watch will continue to dominate for years to come

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Apple Watch Series 4 Solar System Watch Face
Apple Watch won’t have serious rivals in the foreseeable future.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch has the lion’s share of smart watch sales today, and that’ll hold true through at least 2023, according to a market-research firm. This ultra-mobile computer will stay in the lead as the entire market for wrist-worn wearables grows strongly.

Sales of AirPods and other hearables are also expected see healthy growth in the coming years.

Apple Card beta opens to thousands of retail workers

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Apple Card
By design, Apple Card helps customers understand and track their spending.
Photo: Apple

Apple is rapidly expanding the beta program of its credit card by letting thousands of its retail employees test it out.

With a public launch slated for later this summer, Apple is reportedly working out the final kinks with an internal group so it can launch on time this summer.

Apple’s first apps ported from iOS get more ‘Mac-like’

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Project Catalyst Twitter
Apple uses Twitter to demo porting iPad software to Mac because its own offerings are... not so good.
Photo: Apple

The first four applications Apple ported from iOS to macOS Mojave last year met with a certain amount of criticism for feeling like they were still iPad software. An Apple executive has promised these will become more “Mac-like.”

Learners will love Roli’s colorful, light-up piano keyboard

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musician playing roli lumi
Look at how much fun it is to play. Just look.
Photo: Roli

Roli is best known for its squishy, multitouch, pressure-sensitive music keyboards and controllers. Those are great. But the new Roli Lumi goes in a different direction. It’s a small portable keyboard with light-up keys. And not the kind of light-up keys you might see in a movie set during the 1970s disco scene: These light up keys help you learn to play the piano.

Piano lessons will never be the same.

Apple becomes world’s fourth-largest gaming company

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Fortnite iOS 14
Everyone should welcome skill-based matchmaking.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple is now the world’s fourth-largest gaming company, according to a new report.

It is ranked higher than gaming giants like Nintendo, EA, and Activision — thanks mostly to the popularity of mobile gaming on iPhone. Apple is estimated to have earned $9.453 billion from games during 2018 alone.