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News - page 639

iOS 13 concept gives iPad the features it desperately needs

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iOS 13
Apple, please steal this.
Photo: Léo Vallet

There are less than 100 days until WWDC 2019 and new iPad features are looming large on the mind of Apple fans.

In a new iOS 13 mockup, concept designer Léo Valle suggests some simple, yet groundbreaking features that would make the iPad a true Mac replacement. Some of these features probably won’t make the cut on iOS 13 this year, but even if one makes it’d be a game-changer.

Epic teases exciting changes for Fortnite season 8

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Fortnite season 8
Are you ready for Fortnite season 8?
Photo: Epic Games

Fortnite season eight will finally land later this week, and it’s going to bring massive changes to Battle Royale.

Epic Games has already published two teasers that give little away, but a number of exciting details have now been confirmed. Fans can look forward to the removal of planes and improved team communication.

T-Mobile falls behind rivals in super-fast 5G

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T-Mobile 5G service
T-Mobile will start offering 5G service only after its biggest rivals do.
Photo: T-Mobile

Bad news for T-Mobile USA customers: this carrier has delayed the rollout of its faster 5G data service until some time after June of this year.

That’s going to put it behind its US rivals even as the first 5G phones are starting to appear.

Ejector makes your Mac’s eject key useful again

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Make eject great again.
Make eject great again.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Take a look at the top right corner of your keyboard. Unless you’re using a recent MacBook, you’ll see a vestigial Eject key. It used to be used to eject CDs, DVDs and even floppy disks back in the olden days. Now it sits there doing nothing1.

I wonder how many eject keys are manufactured each year? How much plastic is wasted? Truly, we humans do not deserve this Earth.

Sorry, back to the point: Ejector is a Mac app that reclaims this useless plastic square, turning it into a way to eject USB drives and more.

App Store devs can offer discounts to win back subscribers

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App Store subscriptions
There are three new subscription options to choose from.
Photo: Apple

Apple is giving iOS, macOS, and tvOS developers the ability to offer discounted subscriptions in an effort to win back past subscribers.

A new article posted to App Store Connect details the change and explains the three options developers will have to choose from — including a free trial period like those offered to new customers.

Is iPhone in danger of losing its photography crown? [Opinion]

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iPhone camera
The Nokia 9 PureView has five main cameras.
Photo: Nokia

On Sunday, Nokia quietly launched a first-of-its-kind smartphone called PureView with an array of five main cameras on its backplate.

Apple set a high bar just two years ago with the dual-camera iPhone 7 Plus. In a year where iPhone users are waiting for Apple to release its first model with a third camera, it’s hard not to feel like Apple has fallen behind in the mobile photography space it defined and owned.

Apple credit card may not be a massive hit for company

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Tim Cook earnings apple
Apple could launch a co-branded credit card as soon as this spring.
Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s rumored credit card with Goldman Sachs may be attention-grabbing news, but it may not have a huge impact on the company’s bottom line.

In a note to investors, analysts at Bernstein write that the launch of an Apple-branded business card would be “likely immaterial.”

Warren Buffett isn’t rushing to stock up on Apple shares

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Buffett
Warren Buffett has been a massive Apple cheerleader.
Photo: CNBC

Warren Buffett has been one of Apple’s biggest investor cheerleaders. However, the 88-year-old super investor says that he’s not going to be adding to his holdings unless prices go down.

“If it were cheaper, we’d be buying it. We aren’t buying it here,” Buffett told CNBC‘s “Squawk Box.”Apple: I don’t see myself selling – the lower it goes, the better, I like it, obviously.”

Apple’s privacy beliefs may be hitting publishers in the wallet

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Apple News
Apple is gearing up to launch its subscription news service.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Some publishers are not impressed by the ad revenue they’re receiving from Apple News. Ad rates from the platform can reportedly be shockingly low — with one publication earning “low five-figures” per month, and another making less than $1,000 each month.

One big reason for this may be Apple’s privacy stance. This makes it hard for advertisers wanting to get hold of user data. That’s because Apple News doesn’t allow certain types of data gathering or user targeting.

Apple is ‘very aware’ of concerns over high iPhone prices

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Which new iPhone is for you? It really comes down to size.
Apple knows the iPhone is getting too expensive.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple COO Jeff Williams says the company is “very aware” of concerns over the rising cost of the iPhone and Mac computers.

Williams, who delivered a brief speech at Elon University in North Carolina on Friday, also disputes analysts’ estimates of component costs for Apple’s products. (Results of a recent teardown suggested a 256GB iPhone XS Max can be manufactured for just $443.)

Yes, Tim Cook does read your ‘Dear Tim’ emails

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Tim Cook and Ivanka Trump
Your email might even help dictate Apple's future moves.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook reads what customers say in their emails to him — and sometimes their suggestions do trigger actual change in products.

That’s according to a new report which notes that these “Dear Tim” emails are often read by an assistant. The most relevant ones are then forwarded onto Cook. Where necessary, they are then pushed to employees in other departments.

Handsome co-worker gets bokeh’d in Apple’s latest ad

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Depth control 2
Well, that's one way to do it!
Photo: Apple

Apple continued its run of bokeh-related iPhone ads over the weekend. In its new “Depth Control” ad, a jealous partner blurs a handsome male co-worker out of a photo of his girlfriend/wife, using the depth of field function.

Come to think of it, that sounds a lot less funny in writing than it comes across on screen. As a slice of everyday iPhone use, though, it certainly raised a smile. Check it out below.

$2,600 Huawei folding phone makes Samsung’s look cheap

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The Huawei Mate X folding phone
The wait for the Mate X continues.
Photo: Huawei

When jaws dropped at the $1,980 price of Samsung’s first folding phone, Huawei said “Hold my beer.” The Chinese company just took the wraps of its own flexible handset that will go for a mind-blowing €2,299 (roughly $2,600).

Of course, the Mate X is loaded  with truly cutting-edge features, especially a 6.6-inch screen that opens to 8 inches. There’s also 5G. 

If nothing else, these two models should cut down on the criticism of the price of the iPhone XS Max, which looks relatively cheap at a mere $1,099.

Don’t give up hope for a 5G iPhone this fall

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No matter what your AT&T iPhone says, everyone else says “5G E” is 4G.
It’s not impossible that a 5G iPhone will launch this fall. Right now, there’s just AT&T’s fake “5G E.”
Photo: Cult of Mac/@Siddavarapu

Intel says its 5G modem won’t be used in any phones until next year. This is Apple’s preferred modem maker but not it’s only option. 

The company is reportedly considering other sources to provide the necessary modem for a 5G iPhone possibly coming this fall.

How gesture controls could bring multi-touch to Mac [Cult of Mac Magazine No. 285]

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Gesture controls could replace 3D Touch and bring multi-touch to the Mac (finally!).
Gesture controls could replace 3D Touch and bring multi-touch to the Mac (finally!).
Cover: Graham Bower and Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

With gesture controls apparently about to become a thing, it’s time to look at how they could work on future iPhones and Macs. In this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine, we show how gesture controls could take the place of the dying 3D Touch. And, even better, how they could bring multi-touch to the Mac at long last.

Download the latest free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine for iOS. Or hit the links below to get the latest news, reviews and how-tos from our website.

Some of your favorite iOS apps are feeding your data to Facebook

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Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade
Oh look, another Facebook controversy.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Deleting your Facebook account isn’t enough to stop some apps from sending deeply personal information about you to the social network.

The Wall Street Journal found a wide range of apps that send personal information to Facebook even if you don’t have an account. Health apps and real estate apps were discovered sending a lot of information to Facebook and the type of data might surprise you.

How gesture controls could replace 3D Touch and bring multi-touch to the Mac [Opinion]

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Hovering your finger over an icon could bring up more options
Hovering your finger over an icon could bring up more options
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Next week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, LG looks set to unveil a revolutionary new smartphone with gesture controls. In a brief teaser video, the South Korean tech giant boldly promises the end of multi-touch — the way we’ve all been interacting with smartphones ever since the iPhone launched in 2007.

A gesture sensor could pick up hand movements in front of the device, rather than requiring physical interaction with the screen itself. So, for example, you could point at a button from a distance, rather than actually needing to tap the glass screen to select it.

In reality, I doubt that gestures will replace multi-touch anytime soon. However, I do think Apple could make intelligent use of this new tech. It could replace 3D Touch (which Apple looks set to scrap), and it could serve as a clever way to finally bring multi-touch to the Mac.

Galaxy S10+ tops iPhone XS in new camera rankings

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Galaxy S10+ camera
Can Samsung's top-rated camera system convince you to switch?
Photo: Samsung

The ink on all the press Samsung is getting for its new line of Galaxy smartphones is barely dry, but the camera on the S10+ already has received top marks from testing lab DxOMark.

One of five new Galaxy phones launched this week, the S10+ tied two Huawei handsets as the best-rated smartphones for mobile photographers.

Exciting concept shows what a folding iPhone could look like

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Folding iPhone 2
Would you like a folding smartphone from Apple?
Photo: Foldable.News

Samsung showed off its foldable smartphone this week, and while it’s clearly a first-generation model, it’s got a lot of people excited. Foldable phones have the potential to combine our phones and tablets in a way that offers a big display and a pocket-size form factor, all in one.

What would a foldable iPhone look like? With help from industrial designer Roy Gilsing, the folks over at Foldable.News have taken a swing at showing us.

Infographic highlights how Apple brand dominates other companies

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European Commission could get even tougher on tech in 2020
Apple is one heck of a powerful brand name around the world.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s been around for more than 40 years. However, it wasn’t until surprisingly recently that it became the company we know today; a surefire lock for titles like the world’s most admired company.

An astonishing new data visualization highlights this. Using Interbrand’s “brand value” as its metric, it shows just dominant Apple has been in the last several years. And how surprisingly late it entered the list of world’s most valuable brands.

Samsung could use sneaky trick to delay foldable iPhone

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Galaxy-Fold-inside
Could it be here any day now?
Photo: Samsung

Samsung has beaten Apple to the foldable smartphone, and it could have a sneaky trick up its sleeve to prevent the iPhone-maker from catching up quickly.

Analysts expect Samsung to hold off on selling its Infinity Flex displays to delay a foldable iPhone. It’s unlikely Apple would be able to source flexible OLED displays elsewhere.

Huge Apple hardware updates are on the horizon, this week on the The CultCast

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CultCast 376 MacBook Pro
Apple's about to update everything.

This week on The CultCast: a totally new 16” MacBook Pro; a new 6K cinema display; new Mac Pro; new AirPods; new iPads and iPhones; even a new iPod Touch… according to a new report, Apple’s about to make huge updates to their ENTIRE product line. This could be one of the best hardware releases in years.

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..

Apple Watch’s heart-reading tech may have saved another life

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Apple Watch Series 4 redesigned heart-rate monitor
Apple Watch's heart monitoring tech has helped another person.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch’s EKG heart rate monitor has possibly saved the life of yet another person.

According to a new report, the Apple Watch belonging to a man in Bothell, Washington was used to diagnose atrial fibrillation. Sometimes shortened to “a-fib” or “AF,” this refers to an irregular, fast heartbeat. It even won over skeptical medics in the process, proving that does apple watch detect heart attack.