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News - page 671

The Podfather’s watch packs a hefty $49,000 price tag

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Tony Fadell watch
Maybe the price on that Apple Watch Series 4 isn't so steep.
Screenshot: Hodinkee

Tony Fadell invented the iPod and hundreds of millions of people bought one. But he can’t expect those kinds of sales with his latest creation – a watch costing $48,800.

The Ressence Type 2 has a relatively modest price tag in the luxury watch space. A brand like Patek Phillipe can fetch a couple hundred thousand dollars just for a used timepiece.

DuckDuckGo gives Apple Maps a tiny victory over Google

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DuckDuckGo searches can now include Apple Maps data without violating your privacy.
DuckDuckGo searches can now include Apple Maps data without violating your privacy.
Photo: DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo teamed up with Apple to  protect user privacy for map and address-related searches. Their agreement gives users of the search engine access to continually updated maps, enhanced satellite imagery and more without exposing their data.

The pairing seems natural as both Apple and DuckDuckGo have taken strong stances on protecting user privacy.

Nike kills shoelaces with new iPhone-controlled sneakers

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Marty McFly would've loved these.
Marty McFly would've loved these.
Photo: Nike

Nike is on a mission to kill shoelaces for good with its new pair of app-controlled sneakers, which made their official debut today.

Taking a page right out of Back to the Future II, Nike’s new Adapt BB self-lacing shoes pack wireless connectivity, and a custom motor and gear train, to give athletes a perfect fit without having to fuss with retying their laces.

Netflix hikes prices for U.S. subscribers

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Netflix on iPad
Prepare to pay more for Netflix.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Netflix has confirmed another price hike for subscribers in the United States — its biggest increase since it launched 12 years ago.

The company’s most popular plan, which offers high-definition streaming on up to two different devices simultaneously, will now cost $13 a month, up from $11 a month.

Netflix says it will use the cash to “continue investing in great entertainment.”

3 reasons Apple definitely shouldn’t buy a movie studio

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Some analysts think Apple should snap up a movie studio. Bad idea!
Analysts want Apple to snap up a movie studio. We disagree.
Photo: Naoya Fujii/Flickr CC

How can Apple’s streaming video service battle established competitors like Netflix? Simple: Buy a movie studio.

That’s the battle cry from certain Wall Street analysts, who suggest that Apple use its Scrooge McDuck-style cash pile to buy everything from Sony Pictures to Disney.

As sexy as that idea might sound on paper, however, in reality it would be a terrible idea. Here are three reasons why.

German court rules against Qualcomm in ongoing Apple feud

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Qualcomm patents
Qualcomm previously won an iPhone ban in the country.
Photo: Qualcomm

The recent court-appointed sales ban on certain iPhone models in Germany could be at risk. That’s thanks to a decision by a German court on Tuesday, who ruled against Qualcomm in its patent case against Apple.

The regional court in the city of Mannheim threw out the Qualcomm suit, claiming that the patent was not being violated due to Apple’s use of Qualcomm chips in its older iPhones. Qualcomm has said it plans to appeal.

DJ Charlie Sloth will bring fire to the booth on Beats 1

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Charlie Sloth 1
Charlie Sloth is joining Apple from the BBC.
Screenshot: Beats 1/YouTube

Former BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJ Charlie Sloth has officially joined Apple. The Charlie Sloth Rap Show on Beats 1 starts 12pm PT/3pm ET on Saturday January 19.

“I feel that U.K. music is in a place that it’s never been in my whole time supporting the culture in the way that I have,” Sloth told Beats presenter Zane Lowe in an interview. “I feel that it’s desired in a way it’s never been before globally — and with Apple Music and Beats 1 I feel that I offer something to these artists in the UK that no other platform can offer at the moment.”

Apple wildly underestimates demand for cheap iPhone batteries

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Right to Repair
Apple's first 5nm chips are expected to ship in iPhone and iPad this year.
Photo: iFixit

Apple reportedly replaced a whopping 11 million iPhone batteries last year — 10 times as many as anticipated.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has already cited this as one of the reasons why new iPhone sales are slowing. It is believed the company expected to perform between 1 and 2 million replacements under its heavily-discounted $29 program.

iPod touch could make a comeback in 2019

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iPod touch 1
Remember the iPod touch? Sort of?
Photo: Apple

Apple’s phone-less iPhone might be getting a refresh. A leak indicates a new version of the iPod touch is in development.

And this might not be the only iOS product coming out of retirement: other recent reports have an updated iPad mini in the offing.

Apple Health Records initiative off to good if shaky start

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Health records firm worried policy supported by Apple will hurt patients
Your health records from over 160 hospitals, doctors, etc. can be collected so they're viewable on your iPhone.
Photo: Apple

Patients who’ve used the system Apple created to let iOS users see their medical history right on their mobile device are generally pleased with it.

That said, a small survey of users also showed there’s still room for improvement in this method for accessing health records.

Cops can’t force you to unlock phone with face or fingerprint scan

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Face ID iPhone X
Face ID is the start of a new wave of biometric security.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Being forced by police to unlock your smartphone with your face or fingerprint is illegal, a California judge recently ruled.

Previous U.S. judges had ruled that cops could use biometric data to make you unlock your device, but not your passcode. The newest ruling could be a landmark case for protecting the privacy of citizens, although law enforcement officials aren’t terribly excited about it.

Lonely egg cracks Kylie Jenner’s record for most likes on Instagram

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Instagram egg
The world's most-liked egg.
Screenshot: world_record_egg/Instagram

A photo of an unremarkable egg has dethroned model and influencer Kylie Jenner for the most-liked post of all time on Instagram.

The egg popped up on Jan. 4 through an anonymous user who made it clear the egg was gunning for Jenner.

The creator of @world_record_egg egged on the community with this caption: “Let’s set a world record together and the most liked post on Instagram. Beating the current world record held by Kylie Jenner (18 million)! We got this.”

Apple says Qualcomm refused to sell it chips for iPhone XS and XR

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Qualcomm headquarters
Qualcomm and Apple's legal war has no end in sight.
Photo: Qualcomm

Apple wanted to use Qualcomm’s LTE modems in the iPhone XS and iPhone XR this year, but according to Apple COO Jeff Williams, Qualcomm refused to sell Apple its chips due to their current legal disputes.

After using both Intel and Qualcomm modems in the 2017 iPhone lineup, Apple says it planned to use chips from both companies again on the 2018 iPhones. Qualcomm’s refusal to sell Apple chips forced Intel to scramble to make up for the extra production.

Why Apple should buy a major movie studio

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A reboot of Amazong Stories is one of the many shows coming to the Apple TV service.
A reboot of Amazing Stories is coming to Apple’s TV service, but one analyst says it needs much, much more content.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The best way for Apple’s upcoming streaming video service to compete against already established competitors like Netflix is to buy a movie studio, according to an industry analyst.

Apple is reportedly going to introduce its video service in the first half of this year, and the analyst recommends buying Sony Pictures, Lionsgate or another studio to increase its offerings.

Adobe Lightroom now supports Shortcuts

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I sent this image to Lightroom with a Shortcut.
I sent this image to Lightroom with a Shortcut.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Adobe’s Lightroom, perhaps the best photo-editing app on iOS, now supports shortcuts. That is, it supports one shortcut, letting you load photo into it from the camera roll, or any other place your find images in iOS.

Wouldn’t a simple Open In… option suffice? Perhaps, but by adding just one simple shortcut, Adobe has also added quite a few powerful possibilities.

Nike’s futuristic self-tying shoes will be controlled by iPhone

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Kyle Kuzma
Kyle Kuzma's reaction to Nike's self-tying shoes is priceless.
Photo: Nike

Nike just posted a major teaser for the release of its self-lacing shoes set to debut tomorrow and it looks like the iPhone will play a major role with the new sneakers.

The teaser video Nike put out today shows some popular basketball players trying on the new shoes. Nike appears to have created an iPhone app that lets you adjust the laces without touching your feet. Even though the shoes can’t be seen in the video, it’ll certainly get you hyped for the future of basketball shoes.

Watch some of the NBA’s stars get wowed:

Stunning concept shows how iPhone could evolve in 2019

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iPhone XI concept
Would you spend $1,000 on this?
Photo: Waqar Khan

With iPhone sales falling, Apple needs to do something special in 2019 to convince fans to upgrade to its next-generation smartphone lineup. One fan might just have the answer.

Waqar Khan’s gorgeous new concept imagines an “iPhone XI” with big improvements, including a third rear-facing camera and a smaller notch. Would you spend $1,000 on it?

Apple Pay could hit Czech Republic and Slovakia soon

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Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
Apple Pay is continuing its march to global dominance.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Pay could land in Slovakia and the Czech Republic over the next couple of months, a new report claims. A local news source suggests that Apple’s mobile payment service is likely to launch in either late February or early March.

This could make the markets the 33rd and 34th locations to receive Apple Pay, after it launched in Germany back in December.

Apple stops you playing different music on iPhone and HomePod

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HomePod market share
The new HomePod could offer a neat new feature.
Photo: Apple

If you want to stream different tracks on different devices from Apple Music, you’ll need two subscriptions. It was previously possible to listen to one track on your iPhone while enjoying another on HomePod in a different room, but not anymore.

Apple says this was a bug — not a feature — and it has finally been fixed.

Apple buys 50 business class seats to Shanghai every day

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United Airlines
A United Airlines flight attendant uses an iPhone.
Photo: United Airlines

Apple shells out a total of $35 million every year to buy 50 business class airline seats from San Francisco to Shanghai.

The numbers were shared by United Airlines, which revealed that Apple is the airline’s biggest customer at San Francisco International Airport. While Apple’s products are, famously, “designed by Apple in California,” the majority of its supply chain is based in China. Tim Cook has also talked about the importance of China as Apple’s second-biggest market.