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Facebook Assistant is taking on Siri and Alexa [Updated]

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Facebook Portal
The Facebook Portal smart display is getting a digital assistant with artificial intelligence.
Photo: Facebook

Facebook is going into the voice-driven digital assistant race. Its AI tech will go into the line of Facebook Messenger-driven smart displays this social networking/advertising company launched last fall, as well as other future devices.

Samsung’s folding smartphones break on Day 1

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Galaxy Fold front
The Galaxy Fold has some major problems.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s new Galaxy Fold smartphone has a serious problem with its folding display.

Multiple early reviewers are reporting that the display has broken after just one or two days of use. It appears that the hinge on some units is defective, causing the screen to be unusable.

Check out these tweets of the carnage:

Microsoft unveils monstrously expensive Surface Hub 2S

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Microsoft
The Surface Hub 2S is yuuuuuge!
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft unveiled its vision for the future of collaborative computing today and if your business wants in on the action, it won’t be cheap.

The Windows-maker’s newest PC is giant touchscreen that can be wheeled around from meeting room to meeting room, allowing everyone in the office to work together on one display. There’s a 50-inch model that is set to come out in June, but the company also teased an ungodly 85-inch version of the Microsoft Surface Hub 2 that will come down the pipeline in the future.

You can now use Apple Pay inside Uber Eats

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Uber Eats Apple Pay
Ordering food just got even easier.
Photo: Uber Eats

It’s now easier than ever to pay for Uber Eats orders, thanks to the arrival of Apple Pay.

The food delivery service has finally adopted Apple’s mobile payments platform in almost 20 countries. It makes completing a transaction as easy as tapping your finger or scanning your face.

Revamped Find My iPhone app may get Tile-like item tracker

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Tile will speak out against Apple in Congress antitrust hearing
A Tile tracking tag can be used find lost items. Apple is reportedly designing a rival.
Photo: Tile

Find My iPhone and Find My Friends are currently separate applications, but Apple is reportedly going to merge them in future versions of iOS and mac OS, and add useful features.

In addition, the company is supposedly developing its own tracker tag that will apparently compete with Tile.

You’ll still have to wait until 2020 for an iPhone with 5G

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iPhone XS crazy performance means speed at your fingertips.
Apple can
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has settled it’s long-running legal dispute with Qualcomm. It almost certainly means that Qualcomm will again supply modem chips for the iPhone. But we won’t see a 5G iPhone any sooner.

A new report warns that Apple will still struggle to catch up with rivals like Samsung, which have already launched 5G handsets, and that the first iPhone with 5G still won’t arrive before 2020.

Qualcomm CEO won’t dish the dirt on how much Apple agreed to pay up

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
We don't know how much much cash was spent, but it was probably enough to buy a decent island.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple and Qualcomm may have made up again, but the two parties aren’t going to spill the beans regarding exactly how much their financial settlement involved.

Speaking on CNBC today, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf said that he wouldn’t discuss the payment Apple agreed to in the settlement. However, he did note that the two companies are excited about working together once again.

Apple seeks next-gen Lidar sensors for possible Apple Car

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Apple Car might be coming, but will it be special?
Coming soon to a road near you? Maybe.
Photo: Aristomenis Tsirbas/Freelancer

Apple is reportedly in talks with Lidar makers regarding sensors that could be used for its Apple Car initiative.

A commonly used surveying tool, Lidar measures distances between objects. It works by firing a pulsed laser light, then measuring how long it takes to bounce back. While not exclusively used in self-driving cars, that’s the application the technology is most synonymous with.

Producer of canceled Steve Jobs musical faces $6 million lawsuit

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walt-mossberg-steve-jobs
Musical would have told the story of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates' rivalry.
Photo: Joi Ito/Flickr CC

An abandoned 2016 musical about the rivalry between Steve Jobs and frenemy Bill Gates has resulted in the producer being sued for $6 million.

The musical’s producer allegedly told investors he had funding from Microsoft for the project. In fact, the musical was $1 million in debt at the time. It was ultimately canceled just two weeks before it was due to open.

Apple could give iPhone 8 an SE-style overhaul

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iphone 8
Would you be onboard for a new iPhone 8?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Plans for an iPhone SE 2 may have gone the way of the dodo, but Apple may not have abandoned its iPhone SE philosophy of squeezing new components into an old iPhone form factor.

According to a new report, Apple plans to release a new version of the iPhone 8 with new, up-to-date internals. While users probably won’t get Face ID, they may get an A13 processor, redesigned printing circuit board, and more.

Indian government wants Apple to boot TikTok out of the App Store

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TikTok 1
TikTok has come under fire in India.
Photo: TikTok

Update: Apple and Google have both removed TikTok as requested. While the app is no longer available for download, those who have previously downloaded it can continue using it.

TikTok, the popular — albeit controversial — Chinese video-sharing app, has run into problems in India. The country’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has reportedly asked Apple and Google to remove the app from their respective app stores.

The issue will be heard in the Supreme Court on April 22, but the app could potentially vanish from stores before then.

5G iPhone now virtually certain in 2020 [Opinion]

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2020 could be Apple's greatest year so far
While a 5G iPhone won’t come as soon as we might hope, the wait won‘t be as long as we might fear.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Most people probably shrugged their shoulders at the news Apple and Qualcomm ended their long, bitter legal war. But this is actually going to benefit every iPhone user.

It means that Apple is almost guaranteed to introduce a handset with super-fast 5G next year. Before now, there was some question about whether that was possible.

What the critics are saying about the first Tim Cook biography

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thumbnail for tim cook promo
Have you read the new Tim Cook book yet?
Photo: Kristal Chan/Cult of Mac

The first-ever biography of Apple CEO Tim Cook hits bookstores today, and it’s written by none other than Cult of Mac founder, Leander Kahney.

I haven’t heard from Leander in god knows how long while he’s been writing this book. But based on the early reviews, it appears like it was all worth it. No one has written a full book about Cook until now. Leander’s book, Tim Cook: The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level, details how Cook took on Steve Jobs’ mantle. While nearly any other human would have crumbled under that pressure, Cook thrived.

Early reviews for the book have been coming in all week, and so far they’re pretty positive. Here are some of the highlights.

Netflix can’t wait to compete against Apple and Disney

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Apple TV
Kim Rozenfeld is no longer a part of Apple's team.
Photo: Apple

Netflix doesn’t seem worried at all that Apple and Disney are launching their own competitive streaming services by the end of 2019.

In its latest report to investors, Netflix cited Disney and Apple as its biggest upcoming competition, but instead of fearing the two companies’ platforms, Netflix swears its actually excited about the competition.

Apple and Qualcomm end their long legal war

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Qualcomm patents
It’s finally over!
Photo: Qualcomm

The legal war between Apple and Qualcomm is finally over.

In a surprise announcement, the two companies revealed that they have agreed to drop all litigation against each other, bringing an end to a dispute over royalities and patent infringements that spanned multiple countries.

MacBook Air display mysteriously brightens after macOS update

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MacBook Air 2018
If your MacBook Air seems a little brighter recently, you’re not imagining it.
Photo: Apple

Installing the latest macOS version on a 2018 MacBook Air increases the maximum screen brightness.

Apple’s own description of this notebook indicates that the highest potential brightness level is now 400 nits. That’s much higher than with this laptop launched.

Sell your old iPad and bag a bargain upgrade today

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The new camera dumps all over the one in the first-gen iPad Pro.
It’s a great time to upgrade your iPad.
Photo: Andrea Nepori

Amazon and Best Buy are now offering some of the biggest discounts we’ve seen on Apple’s latest iPad Pro lineup. And you can make yours even more affordable by selling your old model when you upgrade.

Cult of Mac offers real cash for your old Apple devices, and we typically pay more than anyone else. What’s more, it’s incredibly quick and simple, and we will even buy back battered tech in need of repair.

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.