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Is Apple’s modular Mac Pro doomed to flop?

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Mac pro
The new Mac Pro will bring in the bags for Apple.
Photo: Erfon Elijah

Two whole years ago, Apple promised pro users that it would completely revamp the Mac Pro. Apple teased that it’s making a modular system that will have the flexibility professionals need.

With Worldwide Developers Conference 2019 on the horizon, our first glimpse of the modular Mac Pro could be less than two months away, but The CultCast host Erfon Elijah is ready to douse your hopes of getting a new dream machine this year.

In his latest video, Erfon goes over all the reasons why the modular Mac Pro sounds amazing in theory but could be a giant dud. From a design that looks like some IHOP flapjacks to pricing concerns, there’s some good evidence to be skeptical about the new computer, especially when you consider Apple’s recent track record with its “Pro” machines.

Watch Erfon count down the reasons why the next Mac Pro might flop.

Apple might turn iPads into second Mac screens

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Luna DIsplay is great for people who travel with a Mac and an iPad.
macOS 10.15 might have a feature that’s already available from Luna Display.
Photo: Astro HQ

Turning a tablet into an external display for a laptop isn’t a new idea, but Apple is reportedly going “all in” by building this feature into the next version of macOS.

The iPad will supposedly  function as a touchscreen for Mac software, which should catch the eye of digital artists.

Huawei confirms it has had no contact with Apple over 5G chips

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The iPhone XS Max screen delivers more of that OLED awesomeness.
iPhone 11 will do little to reverse falling shipments.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Huawei says it has had no contact with Apple regarding the supply of 5G chips for a future iPhone lineup.

The Chinese smartphone-maker has previously stated it would be willing to work with its rival on a 5G iPhone. However, Apple has not been in touch — despite its struggle to obtain chips elsewhere.

Handheld flash gives iPhone photos studio pop

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Xenon Flash
The Xenon Flash will bring studio control to mobile photography.
Photo: LIT Vision

Smartphone camera advances have been jaw-dropping. Engineers continue to advance low-light performance, while adding computational effects like bokeh and embedding additional cameras with telephoto and ultra-wide lenses.

However, with all the challenges the camera teams solved, one feature lags behind – the flash. But the smartphone photographer who wants to add a hint of studio-quality light, and control in shaping it, will soon have a wireless Bluetooth flash. It should add the pop to their pictures that they desire.

Swedish publisher takes issue with Apple’s ‘feudal lord’ behavior

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Coronavirus could have a surprisingly positive impact on App Store revenue
Apple is trying to embrace subscription services.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A Swedish publisher has accused Apple of acting like a “whimsical feudal lord” in its monopolistic App Store practices.

In an open letter, publishing giant Schibsted says that, while Apple presents itself as being a more ethical company than other tech titans, it “constitutes a threat as big as Facebook and Google.”

Charging Apple Pencil doesn’t play nice with car key fobs

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Are you drawn to draw with your new Apple Pencil 2?
Apple Pencil is great for many things. Playing nice with your key fob isn't one of them.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Apple devices famously “just work.” There are occasional lapses, however.

According to an updated support document, Apple has revealed one slightly unusual (and annoying) interaction. Users who are charging the Apple Pencil 2 with their iPad Pro may run into issues unlocking their cars using a key fob.

iPad 2 heads for Apple’s obsolete list

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iPad 2 is so old it doesn’t have a Lightning port. And it has a single speaker.
iPad 2 is so old it doesn’t have a Lightning port. And it includes just a single speaker.
Photo: Apple

An early Apple tablet is about to be put out to pasture. The second-generation iPad is reportedly going on the “vintage and obsolete products” list at the end of this month.

Most people might be surprised to hear that this device, released in 2011, isn’t already listed as obsolete.

‘Shot on iPhone’ mini-documentary goes under the sea

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A “Shot on iPhone” film about wildlife conservationists visits a watery realm.
A “Shot on iPhone” film about wildlife conservationists visits a watery realm.
Photo: Apple

A short documentary about the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme is the latest entry in the “Shot on iPhone XS” campaign, which shows what’s possible with the the advanced cameras in Apple handsets.

The 8-minute video is a full of crystal-clear video taken beneath the waves. Watch it now:

Apple TV+ hires new head of documentaries

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Molly Thompson brings decades of experience to the Apple TV+ management team.
Molly Thompson brings decades of experience to the Apple TV+ management team.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple’s upcoming streaming video service now has someone in charge of documentaries. Molly Thompson previously held a similar role at A&E Networks.

Action and comedy shows have so far grabbed the most attention at Apple TV+, but clearly educational programming will play a big part too.

Apple unleashes barrage of fun new iPad Pro videos

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IPad Pro
You’ve never seen iPad tricks like these.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s campaign to convince everyone that the iPad Pro is a true PC replacement continued today with a barrage of six new videos extolling the tablet’s many uses.

Everything from wedding planning to music making has been highlighted in Apple’s new series of iPad Pro videos. Most of the new video are how-to videos, but there is a fun new ad that features a ton of fancy iPad Pro twirling and keyboard flipping as one iPad Pro lover takes his beloved device on an important trip.

Watch all six right here:

Smart speaker installed base could top 200 million this year

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HomePod Volume Controls
Perhaps a rising tide of smart speaker sales will help HomePod.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The number of smart speakers like Amazon’s Echo and Apple’s HomePod in use around the world is expected to keep growing strongly for years to come. It could pass 200 million in 2019, and pass 500 million in 2023.

Analysts from Canalys indicate the installed base of these devices is now surpassing the number of smartwatches in use. And smart speakers could even outnumber tablets before the end of 2021, they say.

Even Apple can’t save America’s dying malls

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Apple store
Mall owners might be overpaying to bring Apple to shopping centers.
Photo: Apple

U.S. shopping malls are losing customers at an alarming rate and there appears to be little Apple can do to help save them.

Apple stores are usually viewed as an anchor store for malls because of their high sales volumes and foot traffic they bring in. But a new study found that experimental tenants like Apple aren’t drawing in extra traffic.

Hacked Etch A Sketch takes a pretty good picture

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Hacked Etch A Sketch
Making a photograph with an Etch A Sketch was not exactly a snap.
Screenshot: Martin Fitzpatrick/YouTube

The Etch A Sketch has had a Hall of Fame career, but little has changed with the red-framed mechanical drawing toy.

Then Martin Fitzpatrick got a hold of the white knobs – and used the toy to take a picture.

Beats unleashes army of athletes in new Powerbeats Pro ad

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Beats
LeBron has been rocking Beats since day one.
Photo: Beats

Some of the biggest names in sports can be seen rocking the new Powerbeats Pro in the latest video put out by Apple’s headphone company.

Beats’ new ad unleashes the Powerbeats Pro everywhere from the basketball court to the skate park as superstars like LeBron James and Serena Williams train to dominate their respective games. With over a dozen athletes making a cameo, the action-packed ad has a lot to take in.

How many familiar faces can you spot?

Mozilla petitions Apple to boost privacy with rotating ad IDs

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ipad-pro-smart-keyboard-safari
Rotating advertiser IDs make a lot of sense.
Photo: Apple

Mozilla, the company behind Firefox, is calling for Apple to boost user privacy on iOS by introducing rotating advertiser IDs.

Most iPhone and iPad users don’t know that they can block access to their unique ID, Mozilla says. Regularly rotating IDs would make it harder for companies “to build profiles of us over time.”

Sign the petition to pressure Apple into making a change today.

Founder of Apple’s most famous supplier is stepping down

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Terry Gou
Foxconn founder Terry Gou (right) says he's making the U.S. a bigger focus in 2020.
Photo: Voice of America/Wikimedia Commons

The founder of Foxconn, whose biggest customer, Apple, helped it rise to be the world’s top contract electronics manufacturer, says he plans to step aside to allow a younger executive to take over.

CEO Terry Gou did not give a timeline when he confirmed to a Reuters reporter his plans to resign from the Taiwan-based company he started with a loan from his mom around the same time Steve Jobs launched Apple.

iOS 13 details leak in juicy new report

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

iOS 13 will bring big improvements and a whole bunch of new features to iPhone and iPad users this fall.

Many of the changes have been spilled in a new report that cites people familiar with the update. You can look forward to a real dark mode, better multitasking, a font manager, and more.

Apple Watch helps save 80-year-old woman in Germany

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fall detection
Fall detection was one of the big features introduced with the Apple Watch Series 4.
Photo: Apple

The ECG feature on the Apple Watch Series 4 gets the lion’s share of headlines about potentially life-saving incidents. However, it’s the wearable’s fall-detecting ability which is the hero of the latest story of this kind.

In Munich, Germany, an 80-year-old woman fell in her apartment. Fortunately, her Apple Watch recognized what had happened and called emergency services.

Construction halts on Apple data center in Denmark

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Irishcenter
A mock up of Apple's proposed data center in Ireland.
Photo: Apple

Construction has been abandoned on Apple’s new data center in Denmark, according to local reports.

“There is no life” at the site after hundreds of workers for main contractor Exyte were sent home. It is believed Apple has terminated its agreement with the company following a dispute.

Apple vs. Qualcomm court case could be worth up to $30 billion

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Qualcomm patents
This could be the most expensive case of its kind.
Photo: Qualcomm

Apple’s battle with Qualcomm is a meeting of two tech titans — and the monetary amounts involved reflect that.

According to a new report from the Financial Times, the amount of money at sake dwarfs any previous IP or antitrust case. Apple and four companies in its supply chain are seeking $30 billion in damages from Qualcomm. Since Qualcomm generated “just” $5.7 billion in 2016, the fallout could be absolutely enormous.