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News - page 68

Apple Watch Series 10 could lack advanced new health features

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Apple Watch Series 9 with Mulberry Sport Band on desk
Don't expect blood pressure monitoring on Apple Watch Series 10.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The upcoming Apple Watch Series 10 could sport a thinner design with a bigger display, but it sounds like new health sensors won’t arrive this year. Apple also plans to use a faster processor on its next-gen wearable, possibly laying the groundwork for new AI features.

A weird AirPods rumor and more on the ‘Vision Air’ [The CultCast]

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AirPods Pro product shot with The CultCast podcast logo and
Future AirPods might come with cameras on board.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: AirPods … with cameras?!? The latest AirPods rumor sounds a little nuts, but Apple wowed us with weird features before. Plus, we discuss the latest on the Vision Pro — and how Apple might cut costs to produce a cheaper “Vision Air” headset.

Also on The CultCast:

  • ChatGPT integration on iPhones, Macs and iPads aside, Apple reportedly got something big out of its OpenAI partnership.
  • Griffin shines a light on a little trick everybody with an iPad Magic Keyboard needs to know.
  • A doctor says the Apple Watch can detect one of the leading causes of fatal heart attacks.
  • We discuss some of the weirdest Apple products that never made it to reality. The prototypes look wild!

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Google wants iPhone users to stop using Safari for web search

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Google search on iPhone
Google wants iPhone users to move away from Safari for web search.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

A new report details that Google wants to reduce its reliance on Apple for search revenue. Despite being the leader in search, Google pays Apple billions of dollars yearly to remain the iPhone’s default search engine.

iPhone searchers comprise about 36% of Google’s total search revenue.

Outlanders 2 brings hot and cold new town-building environments to Apple Arcade

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Outlanders 2: Second Nature from Pomelo Games
Outlanders 2: Second Nature is one of three new games now on Apple Arcade.
Image: Pomelo Games/Apple Arcade

Outlanders 2: Second Nature, a town-building strategy game, offers new players new tropical and wintery environments to build in, much more resources to work with, and more challenges.

It’s one of three games to launch on Apple Arcade on Wednesday, along with Punch Kick Duck+ and Zen Koi Pro+.

Noel Fielding gets second turn as Dick Turpin as Apple TV+ series renewed

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Ellie White, Noel Fielding, Marc Wootton and Duayne Boachie in 'The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin' on Apple TV+.
Ellie White, Noel Fielding, Marc Wootton and Duayne Boachie in The Completely Made-Up Adventures Of Dick Turpin on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

The world’s most unlikely highwayman will be back — Apple TV+ reportedly renewed The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin for season two on Wednesday.

The comedy-adventure series stars British comedian Noel Fielding as a ludicrously impossible version of the legendary British criminal.

This top webcam captures crisp video [Setups]

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Logitech c920s pro webcam
This Logi webcam takes high-def video so you look like a pro on calls.
Photo: Logitech

The difference between a good webcam and a mediocre one can be revealing — you either look and sound good or you look and sound like crap. So if you’d rather take the professional road to quality videoconferencing and self-made videos, a good device like the Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam in today’s M1 MacBook Air is a great way to get there.

Apple TV+ takes a bigger bite of streaming

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Apple TV+ market share Q2 2024
Apple TV+ keeps catching up to its larger rivals.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple TV+’s share of the U.S. streaming market grew in the second quarter of 2024. It’s now ahead of Paramount+ and just behind Hulu.

The streaming service has increased significantly in popularity — three years ago, it had a third of the market share it does now.

Apple Watch can detect leading cause of heart attacks, doctor says

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Apple Watch's heart rate monitor
Apple Watch's heart rate monitor can detect heart blockages.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch can detect a leading cause of heart attacks — an unadvertised capability that could have big implications for health monitoring — according to a Dutch doctor.

After using the Apple Watch’s electrocardiogram feature, Dr. Ruud Koster, a cardiologist from Amsterdam, accidentally discovered that he had a potentially fatal heart blockage that caused myocardial ischemia. The doctor wrote a paper about his experience and now recommends that the Apple Watch be studied for its ability to alert wearers about potentially deadly heart blockages.

World’s most unpopular emoji: Did your favorites make the list?

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world's most unpopular emoji
Supersize collected the 14 least popular emoji worldwide and in the United States.
Image: Superside

A whole gaggle of once-popular emoji seem to be falling out of favor among texters and others, according to a new report from creative subscription service Superside. So now you can see if your faves made the list of the world’s most unpopular emoji.

“When conducting our study, it was shocking to see some once-popular emoji among the most endangered globally,” a Superside spokesperson told Cult of Mac. “As new emoji continue to emerge, it will be quite interesting to see if these rankings might change as the years go on and trends change.”

And what happens to deeply unpopular emoji, anyway? In a word, nothing.

Resident Evil 7 biohazard infects iPhone and Mac, no console needed

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Resident Evil 7 biohazard screenshot
You'll can now play Resident Evil 7 biohazard on your Apple device.
Screenshot: Capcom

Resident Evil 7 biohazard by Capcom launched Tuesday on iPhone 15 Pro, top-tier iPad models and M-series Macs. The horror title is the latest AAA game to hit these Apple devices.

Two other games in the series are already available for premium Apple devices, and Resident Evil 2 Remake is in the process of being ported, too.

Apple chip orders suggest high demand for AI-boosted iPhone 16

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iPhone 16 rumors
Apple Intelligence could fuel an iPhone "supercycle" this year.
Photo: Sonny Dickson/Cult of Mac

Apple has increased its order of next-generation A18 chips from TSMC to between 90 million and 100 million units, according to a new report. That suggests it may anticipate increasing demand for its upcoming Apple Intelligence-boosted iPhone 16 series. An increase of roughly 10 million units over last year is nothing to sneeze at.

Vision Pro’s App Store gains support for alternative payment methods in EU

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Vision Pro on display at an Apple retail store.
Pay for Vision Pro apps through third-party payment methods in the EU.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cut of Mac

Apple has added support for alternative payment methods to the visionOS App Store. This move comes following the release of visionOS 1.2 in early June.

The Vision Pro’s App Store will support alternative payment methods only in the EU, where the headset launches on July 12.

Ending soon: 22% off this handy camera accessory

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EasySelfie is a versatile selfie stick, tripod and camera remote.
EasySelfie is a versatile selfie stick, tripod and camera remote.
Photo: SwitchEasy

There are some photographs you just can’t get — or get well — without a selfie stick. And if that selfie stick is also a portable tripod and a camera remote, all the better, right? That’s the SwitchEasy EasySelfie. It does it all.

If you hurry, you can get it in the Cult of Mac Store for just $34.99 (22% off). However, this sale ends next Wednesday!

Apple puts iPhone X plus original AirPods and HomePod on ‘vintage’ list

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iPhone X plus original AirPods and HomePod on ‘vintage’ list - AirPods (1st generation)
The original AirPods are now on Apple's "vintage" list, along with the original HomePod and iPhone X.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple officially designated some classic products “vintage” Monday, as it put iPhone X plus original AirPods and HomePod on the “vintage” list. That’s a classification that the iPhone giant includes prior to the products becoming “obsolete” and no longer serviced.

Mechanical gaming keyboard revs up Mac mini rig [Setups]

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NZXT Function mechanical gaming keyboard
This wired mechanical gaming keyboard from NZXT is hot-swappable.
Photo: NZXT

For those unfamiliar with NZXT, it’s a company based in Los Angeles that makes high-performance gaming PCs and the gear that goes with them. Today’s M1 Mac mini setup relies on a raft of NZXT devices, including a NZXT Function keyboard. It’s a customizable mechanical keeb designed for gamers with some pretty high-level functionality.

Parents will love locking and hiding apps in iOS 18

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Lock apps in iOS and iPadOS
Don't want your child to watch Netflix on your iPhone? Just lock the app.
Screenshot: Apple

It won’t be long before parents can hand their iPhone or iPad to a small child and be sure they don’t go on the web or accidentally make a phone call. The ability to lock apps so that they require Face ID to open is coming in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. Apple has consistently introduced new features to enhance privacy and security, as seen in updates covered by apple.news.

I tested the new feature, and while it isn’t as useful as being able to make separate accounts for different users would be, it’s still a welcome change.

Apple cuts cost of 2024 MLS Season Pass by 50%

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Apple cuts cost of 2024 MLS Season Pass by 50%
Enjoy the rest of the MLS season at a sweet discount, starting now.
Photo: Apple

 Soccer fans can watch the rest of the MLS season for $49. That’s half what Apple typically charges for an MLS Season Pass.

Subscribers can stream every match plus analysis and exclusive content. No Apple device required. If you’re wondering how much is MLS Season Pass, you can find more details in the first look at iPhone 17 Air’s alleged design.

Future AirPods could use IR cameras for in-air gesture control

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AirPods Pro in an open case ... an early Black Friday deal drops price
The IR cameras can help improve the spatial computing experience.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple could equip a future AirPods variant with camera modules. The earbuds may incorporate an IR camera, like the one Apple uses for iPhone’s Face ID.

This will apparently help the AirPods Pro to better integrate with the Vision Pro and improve the spatial computing experience.

Vision Pro might not get Apple Intelligence until 2025

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Vision Pro on display at an Apple retail store.
Apple Intelligence could take a while to come to the Vision Pro.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple will reportedly bring Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro. The AI-powered features will not arrive alongside iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, but will eventually come to Apple’s AR/VR headset.

Many Apple Intelligence features would greatly benefit visionOS and help speed up its existing workflows.

All the new comedies and dramas on Apple TV+ in summer 2024

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Apple TV+ series coming summer 2024
Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Vince Vaughn all headline series on Apple TV+ in summer 2024.
Photo: Apple TV+/Cult of Mac

Apple TV+ subscribers are getting new comedies and thrillers to enjoy in summer 2024. And there are plenty of big-name stars, too. Eight new shows debuted between the beginning of June and the end of August (and a film to boot).

Here’s what’s new on Apple’s streaming service or coming in the next two months.

What’s next for Apple Watch, AirPods Pro and Vision headset [The CultCast]

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A photo of Apple Watch with the words
Sounds like this year's Apple Watch might bring the biggest screen ever.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We’re excited about a bigger Apple Watch screen, dubious about a cheaper Vision headset tethered to an iPhone or Mac, and excited about new features coming soon to AirPods Pro.

Also on The CultCast:

  • The latest iOS 18 beta brings a few new features, including a couple we haven’t talked much about.
  • iPhone repairs are about to get a little more user-friendly.
  • Sorry, EU. No Apple Intelligence for you! Is Apple actually scared to deploy its AI suite to Europe, or is Tim Cook playing chicken with EU regulators?

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

The 8 weirdest unreleased Apple products

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8 Craziest Apple Prototypes
These unfinished concepts go back 40 years.
Image: Apple/Jim Abeles/Canoo/DongleBookPro/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple only shows off its finished products, which makes the company’s secret prototypes and early concepts all the more fascinating. Details of these first-draft designs usually don’t come out until years after Apple dreams them up and discards them. Even if you’re well-versed in Apple history, these alternate-history unreleased Apple products will intrigue and confuse.

The wild and crazy ideas go back more than 40 years. If anything, it proves that Apple continuously skates toward the next hit. The quest for innovation continues, no matter whether the company is in dire straits or cruising on success. Keep reading or watch our video to see the wildest Apple products that might have been.

Telepathic teen braves Earth’s alien surface in WondLa [Out now on Apple TV+]

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WondLa: Eva and Rovender on Apple TV+
Eva and Rovender are main characters in WondLa on Apple TV+
Photo: Apple TV+

Given all the doomsday bunker TV shows in recent years — Silo, Fallout, The Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt, Doomsday Bunkers — you knew an animated version for kids and families would come along eventually. And it has. In the WondLa, a teen born and living underground is forced to a surface of Earth populated by aliens and covered in otherworldy plants and animals.

So what happened to all the humans?

Update: The ambitious animated adventure series is now on Apple TV+. All seven episodes of the first season are available to stream immediately.

Want to save big bucks on great desktop speakers? Try these. [Setups]

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Edifier R1280T powered speakers setup
Edifier makes high-quality audio products for mid-range budgets.
Photo: [email protected]

Looks like today’s computer setup user spent bigger bucks on an M2 MacBook Pro and an epic ultra-wide curved display, and smaller bucks on a good sound system. That’s smart, because you can get high-quality near-field-monitor speakers for your desktop without spending a mint — if you go with something like this user’s Edifier R1280T speakers.