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News - page 674

Apple quietly introduces new iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands

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Apple’s new silicone cases for iPhone XS
Apple’s new silicone cases for iPhone XS and XS Max.
Photo: Apple

Apple has quietly added some new iPhone XS cases and Apple Watch bands to its Online Store.

Its silicone cases and sport bands now come in hibiscus, mellow yellow, and pacific green. Apple has also added the celestial teal, olive flak, and smokey mauve Nike Sport bands that were made available through nike.com earlier this month.

Apple Music coming to Echo smart speakers next month

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Echo Dot
You'll soon be able to play Apple Music on your Amazon speaker.
Photo: Amazon

In an early Christmas present to Apple fans with an Amazon Echo, Apple Music is coming to Amazon’s line of smart speakers next month. Apple Music will be available as an option on Echo devices starting December 17.

“Music is one of the most popular features on Alexa,” said Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices. “We’re thrilled to bring Apple Music – one of the most popular music services in the U.S. – to Echo customers this holiday.”

Apple’s troubled Melbourne flagship store has been pushed back a year

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Oz new store
The original, now abandoned design for Melbourne's flagship Apple Store.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s proposed flagship Apple Store in Melbourne, Australia’s Federation Square has been pushed back at least a year. Work was originally scheduled to start in early 2019. However, now it won’t begin until 2020 — with the eventual opening taking place in 2021.

If it even happens at all, that is.

Target’s Apple Pay freeze-out may be thawing

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Target trolleys in store
One Target store is reportedly now accepting Apple Pay.
Photo: Mike Mozart/Flickr CC

The days of Apple Pay not being accepted at Target could be coming to an end. According to a number of users on Twitter, the Target store in San Francisco is currently accepting Apple Pay purchases.

While this has yet to be rolled out to Target’s other 1,821 stores, this suggests the company may be changing its stance on Apple’s mobile payment service.

Apple kicks hundreds more apps out of China’s App store

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The Chinese market is very important to Apple.
The Chinese market is very important to Apple.
Photo: Apple

Apple continues to remove third-party applications from the Chinese version of the App Store for violating its terms of service. It reportedly removed 718 apps this week.

This isn’t the first time there’s been a purge from this software store. But this time none of the applications were breaking Chinese law, just Apple’s own rules.

Get your inexpensive iPhone battery replacement while you can

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iPhone batteries
Battery brand no longer complicates an iPhone repair job.
Photo: iFixIt

If you weren’t tempted by an iPhone XR or XS, and you’ve decided to hold onto your older handset for another year, you should really consider getting the battery replaced. This will add years of usefulness. 

Even better, Apple is offering a special deal that makes it just $29. But this low price is available only for one more months.

Apple’s Product(RED) contributes over $200 million to fight AIDS

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Buying the PRODUCT(RED) version of the iPhone XR contributes to ending the AIDS epidemic.
Buying the PRODUCT(RED) version of the iPhone XR contributes to ending the AIDS epidemic.
Photo: Apple

iPhones, cases and other products in Apple’s Product(RED) line are more than just colorful; they’ve so far been responsible for $200 million going to pay for HIV/AIDS counseling, testing and medication.

Apple partnered with (RED) 11 years ago, with purchases of select products contributing to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

It only costs $5 to game Apple’s Podcast charts

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podcast
Making a "chart-topping" podcast isn't that hard.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Scoring a top spot on Apple’s podcast charts is a lot easier — and a lot cheaper — than most listeners probably realize.

Many podcast fans use Apple’s charts on iTunes and its iOS app to find new shows and gauge what’s popular right now. However, an intriguing new report reveals that some shows are paying for a place at the top and its shockingly inexpensive to game the charts.

Are Mac users jealous of the iPad Pro? [Opinion]

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Is the 2018 iPad Pro or a MacBook a better option for you?
Is the 2018 iPad Pro or a MacBook a better option for you?
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Anyone who thinks you can’t get “real work” done on an iPad is nuts. Likewise, anyone who claims Apple’s tablet is not a real computer sounds like somebody arguing that the 1984 Mac wasn’t a real computer because it didn’t have a text-based command-line interface.

The iPad vs. Mac debate certainly isn’t new.  Only the devices have changed.

I think that the folks making these arguments are jealous of the iPad Pro, or scared that it will become more important to Apple than their Macs. They want to use it instead of their Mac, but at the same time they’re unwilling to change anything about how they work. Instead, they want the iPad to be a touchscreen Mac with a detachable keyboard.

Elvis is in the building for hilarious Apple FaceTime ad

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Don’t miss Apple’s hilarious Elvis-themed Group Facetime ad.
Don’t miss Apple’s wacky Elvis-themed Group Facetime ad.
Screencap: Apple

Apple gives us the gift we really want: more Elvis. Specifically, a collection of Elvis impersonators scattered around the world using Group FaceTime to share their love of the King of Rock and Roll.

This iPhone ad highlights the best new feature in iOS 12.1, the ability to make FaceTime video calls to multiple people simultaneously.

Watch it now:

Instagram uses AI to make app accessible to visually impaired users

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Instagram fact checking
Instagram will use fact-checking teams to identify false information.
Photo: Instagram

Instagram will be more accessible to the visually impaired thanks to new changes the photo-sharing platform launched today.

“With more than 285 million people in the world who have visual impairments, we know there are many people who could benefit from a more accessible Instagram,” the company wrote on its Info Center page announcing two new tools.

Sixth-gen iPad now available through Apple’s refurb store

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iPad2
This iPad was aimed at students.
Photo: Apple

Looking for a new iPad for the holidays, but not quite ready to splash out on Apple’s high end iPad Pro models? No problem: Apple’s refurb store just picked up the sixth-gen 9.7-inch iPad, with prices starting at $279 for a 32GB model.

The sixth-gen iPad was announced on March 27, 2018, during Apple’s education-focused event in Chicago. It retails for $329 new.

This $43,000 Apple Watch will appeal to your inner oligarch

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golld Apple Watch
This Series 4 will cost serious dollars.
Photo: Caviar

Caviar, a Russian company that tricks out iPhones in gold and precious gems, has an Apple Watch Series 4 “for those who cannot be surprised easily.”

So let’s see if that’s you. How does $43,850 strike you?

The headline may have ruined the surprise, but you might be startled once you learn the details that got the watch to that price point.

Give big love and soul to your Apple Watch with these rustic, hand-crafted bands

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Partnered with the Apple Watch, Strapley is a product of elegant, rustic simplicity.
Partnered with the Apple Watch, Strapley is a product of elegant, rustic simplicity.
Photo: Kristal Chan/Cult of Mac

Sourcing the best Apple Watch bands and accessories for Cult of Mac readers is a huge priority for our Watch Store. We hit the mark with Strapley’s distressed-leather bands for Apple Watch, available at our Watch Store just in time for the holidays!

These stunning bands are crafted in-house and look like no other Apple Watch band on the market. Equally elegant and rustic, they’re versatile enough to elevate your Apple Watch. Don’t believe us? Check out our unboxing video:

Apple rolls out fourth macOS 10.14.2 beta

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Get ready to go dark with macOS Mojave Dark Mode.
Get your hands on the latest beta today.
Photo: Apple

Registered developers can now get their hands on Apple’s fourth macOS 10.14.2 beta.

It comes just two weeks after the release of the third beta, and it focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements. It doesn’t look like Apple has made any significant changes in this release.

75 percent of users have upgraded to iOS 12

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iOS 12
iOS 12 is outpacing iOS 11 in terms of adoption.
Photo: Apple

Three-quarters of iOS users have upgraded to iOS 12, data released by analytics firm Mixpanel suggests. According to the firm’s records, around 75 percent of users have upgraded to iOS 12, around 20 percent are still on iOS 11, and the remainder are using a previous version.

It’s an impressive reminder of just how rapidly Apple users upgrade to the latest operating system.

Shine: Journey of Light looks and plays like a dream

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SHINE - Journey Of Light is a relaxing iOS game.
Looking for a dreamy new platformer for iOS? You've come to the right place.
Photo: Fox and Sheep GmbH

From Monument Valley to Alto’s Odyssey, there are some truly jaw-droppingly beautiful games on iOS. Eager to add its name to this list is Shine: Journey of Light, a refreshingly calming take on the platformer genre — in which you guide an orb of light through assorted caves, magical woods, and underwater labyrinths.

The goal is to find other orbs of light which, combined, will help light up the stars in the sky. Okay, so that might sound like nonsensical gibberish to the uninitiated, but the game is a dreamy stunner. Check out the trailer below.

Lack of in-built dust filters damages Macs, claims class action suit

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macOS high sierra
Class action lawsuit says Macs should come with built-in dust filters.
Photo: Apple

A growing class action lawsuit is seeking more plaintiffs to take Apple to court over its iMacs and MacBooks.

The accusation? That by selling computers without dust filters, Apple is willfully ignoring something which can interfere with the “functionality and use” of the high-end displays.

Qualcomm CEO says battle with Apple is nearing its end

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Qualcomm patents
Could the feud finally be coming to an end?
Photo: Qualcomm

Apple’s battle with Qualcomm has been raging on for the past two years, but an end could finally be in sight. Possibly.

In an interview with CNBC‘s Jim Cramer, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf said that the company is currently “on the doorstep” of a resolution with Apple.

iPhone XR isn’t a dud. It’s Apple’s best-selling model.

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Long-term iPhone XR demand could eventually lead to greater sales than the iPhone XS.
iPhone XS seems to be selling well, but iPhone XR sales are stronger.
Photo: Apple

In a change for Apple, its best-selling model isn’t its most expensive. A company VP says the iPhone XR has outsold the iPhone XS series since the cheaper device came out last month.

Perhaps this will allay recent nervousness about how well Apple’s latest device is selling.

Apple Watch discounts motivate people to move

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Apple Watch Series 4
Offering big Apple Watch discounts for exercise gets real results.
Photo: Apple

John Hancock gives its life insurance customers an Apple Watch for only $25, but they have to earn it by exercising. A new study shows that this program is very successful.

Participants increased their activity rates by over 30 percent. 

DJI’s Osmo Pocket is a tiny gimbal that shoots 4K video

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DJI
Osmo Pocket is impossibly small.
Photo: DJI

The biggest drone company in the world just came out with the world’s tiniest gimbal and it could be a total game changer.

DJI hosted an event in New York City today where the drone-maker unleashed its smallest creation ever: the Osmo Pocket. While most gimbal companies are busy making a big gimbal to put your iPhone or DSLR on, DJI just made a gimbal with its own camera that attaches to your iPhone.

Take a closer look:

‘Distracted Jim’ Morrison has the iPhone blues

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Jim Morrison with iPhone
The late Jim Morrison has a way of making us think about our addictions.
Illustration: Jason Kinsella

The late Jim Morrison had a lot to say during his short life. He poured his ideas into salient psychedelic rock music and imparted prophetic wisdom during interviews with the press.

Oslo-based adman Jason Kinsella set out to prove that some of Morrison’s thoughts on the power of media are truer now than some 50 years ago.

If you think iPhones are expensive now, try making them in USA

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Foxconn
These assembly workers could be American instead of Chinese if we’re willing to pay a lot more for our iPhones.
Photo: Foxconn

There’s a good chance the iPhone and other Apple products will be hit with tariffs in the Trump administration’s trade war with China. The president has repeatedly stated his simple solution: Make the iPhone in the United States.

But an analyst warns that moving assembly of Apple’s handsets to the U.S. would significantly increase their price.