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Teenager who hacked Apple’s servers gets 8 months’ probation

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hacking pic
Teenager got off without a jail sentence.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The Australian teenager who hacked into Apple’s servers and downloaded sensitive data has been given probation in place of a jail sentence.

The verdict was announced on Thursday. The teenager, who carried out the hacking between June 2015 and April 2017, has not been named because their identity as a juvenile offender is protected under Australian law. They were 16-years-old at the time that the first hacking incident took place.

David Hockney’s new stained glass window was designed on an iPad

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iPad
Design a window? There's an app for that.
Photo: Westminster Abbey

British artist David Hockney has unveiled a new stained glass window at London’s renowned Westminster Abbey, commissioned to celebrate the reign of The Queen.

So far, so ordinary, you might think? Except that this window was designed by Hockney on his iPad, before being turned into a 28 x 11.5-foot window by a stained glass studio.

iPhone XS selfie cam is so beautiful it spawned an ugly conspiracy theory

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iPhone XS beautygate
"Beautygate" – Does the front-facing camera of the iPhone XS smooth too many blemishes?
Photo: chemicalsam/Reddit

The iPhone XS and its front-facing camera are supposed to help its owners make better self-portraits. However, some think their iPhone selfies look better than they should.

Users are taking to internet forums like Reddit to question whether Apple added an undisclosed beauty filter to the front-facing camera on the iPhone XS and XS Max. Some are even posting side-by-side selfies taken with an XS and an older handset to make a case that the newest iPhone has more than deeper pixels and an improved portrait mode going for it.

Apple tells Senate privacy is a ‘fundamental human right’

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Apple
Bud Tribble has been with Apple longer than any other employee.
Photo: CSPAN

Apple’s VP of software technology, Bud Tribble, made an appearance before the U.S. Senate’s Commerce Committee today to advocate for an overhaul of privacy laws in the country.

During the hearing, Apple was joined by other figures from tech giants like Google, Amazon, Twitter, and others to advise lawmakers on the current state of internet privacy. Tribble told lawmakers that Apple views privacy as a “fundamental human right,” but the company went short of offering solutions.

Apple Watch Series 4 packs smaller batteries than Series 3

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Man’s brand new Apple Watch turns out to be toilet plunger
Man’s brand new Apple Watch turns out to be toilet plunger
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch Series 4 lasts up to 18 hours on a single charge — just like its predecessors — and it somehow manages that with significantly smaller batteries.

An official Product Information sheet confirms Apple’s latest wearables have around 20 percent less battery capacity than Series 3 devices. It’s a testament to the power efficiency of the new components.

iOS 12.1 will bring Dual SIM feature to iPhone XS and XS Max

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When iPhone Dual SIM support appears in iOS 12.1, it will be possible to use two service plans at once with Apple's latest models.
When iPhone Dual SIM support appears in iOS 12.1, it will be possible to use two service plans at once with Apple's latest models.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A hotly anticipated feature wasn’t available when the iPhone XS models arrived last week, but Apple is hard at work bringing Dual SIM support to these new handsets. This cutting-edge features is included in the first iOS 12.1 beta.

When the full version of the operating system update becomes available later this fall, the iPhone XS and XS Max will be able to simultaneously connect to two cellular providers.

Scriptable controls your iPhone with JavaScript

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Scriptable works a lot like Siri Shortcuts, only more difficult.
Scriptable works a lot like Siri Shortcuts, only more difficult.
Photo: Scriptable

Now that you’re finally getting used to iOS 12’s new Shortcuts app, here comes Scriptable, a new automation app that runs JavaScript. It can make powerful and deep connections with your iPhone or iPad — working with the Files app, for example, or Reminders.

Why would you want such a thing? Well, maybe you know how to program JavaScript. Scriptable lets you take your code, and integrate it with iOS. You can make your own scripts and use them to automate iOS. For instance, how about creating something as simple as a custom save menu that lets you rename files as you save them?

Working Apple-1 sells to mystery buyer for $375,000

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RR Auction 1
The computer sold to a mystery buyer online.
Photo: RR Auction

A rare working Apple-1 computer, one of just 200 built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, has sold at auction for $375,000.

The computer is thought to be just one of only around 15 Apple-1 models still in working order. The auction took place in Boston, MA, on Tuesday. The buyer was an “anonymous businessman,” who placed his bid online.

Second Apple Watch Series 4 supplier added to meet demand

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Apple Watch Series 4
Customers sure love their new Apple Watch Series 4!
Photo: Apple

The Apple Watch Series 4 may be the first “must have” generation of Apple’s wearable device, and manufacturer Quanta Computer is working to full capacity to make sure it reaches as many customers as possible.

According to a new report, Quanta Computer’s capacity for the new Apple Watch at its factory in Changshu, eastern China is already “fully loaded.” In an effort to deliver even more of the devices, Apple has recruited a second supplier — Compal Electronics — which will start mass production in November.

iOS devs can now create public beta links through TestFlight

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Apple's TestFlight is used to beta test apps before they're ready for prime time.
Expect easier access to iOS app betas.
Photo: Cult of Mac

It’s now easier than ever for iOS developers to distribute beta versions of their apps.

Apple is allowing them to share public URLs, which allow for quick enrollment when opened on an iPhone or iPad, through TestFlight. Developers no longer need an email address for every tester.

Apple removes controversial Siri Suggestions for fake news

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BuzzFeed/Safari
One of the controversial suggested sites.
Screenshot: BuzzFeed/Safari

Apple removed several questionable websites serving up fake news and conspiracy theories via Safari’s “Siri Suggested” search results.

The recommended websites pointed users to posts about the “Pizzagate” hoax, Holocaust denier articles, and debunked race-based “science” stories. After BuzzFeed News alerted Apple to these bogus results, Cupertino promptly removed the recommendations.

Supply chain sources think high price could hurt iPhone XS orders

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iPhone XS box gold
Just like the iPhone X, folks are predicting gloom for the iPhone XS -- based on its price tag.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Déjà vu much? A new report claims that the high price of Apple’s new iPhone XS series is likely to result in a slow down in demand later in 2018, after the initial fanfare for the new devices fades. This is said to be particularly true for the iPhone XS Max, which costs up to $1,449 for the 512 GB version.

While that’s certainly a possibility, however, remember that many people predicted the same fate would befall the iPhone X last year — and they wound up being spectacularly wrong.

Apple News doesn’t pay off for publishers, despite traffic growth

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Apple News
Apple News is Apple's attempt to steal the news crown from Facebook.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple News is doing better than ever for Apple, but many publishers are still making barely anything from the platform.

According to a new report, lots of publishers are seeing big increases in traffic from Apple’s News aggregation service. However, due to the fact that Apple News keeps users inside its app, rather than redirecting to the original websites, this doesn’t necessarily translate into ad dollars for publishers. Far from it, in fact!

macOS 10.14.1 goes to developers as a beta

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Group FaceTime Mac
The most likely improvement in macOS 10.14.1 beta 1 is the return of Group FaceTime.
Photo: Apple

macOS 10.14 Mojave launched yesterday, but Apple already started testing the next version. Developers were just given access to a pre-release beta of macOS 10.14.1.

With availability so recent, it’s not yet known what’s in the new version. That said, the most likely enhancement is the return of Group FaceTime.

Hands-on with the TimePorter Travel Case for Apple Watch [Unboxing]

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TimePorter
This gorgeous capsule is both a case and a stand.
Photo: Twelve South

Traveling with Apple Watch is a fairly simple affair: strap on your watch and go. Traveling with all the extra accessories, however, is a serious pain in the butt.

There’s that 6-foot charging cable, for one, which always manages to get tangled up in my bag. Add extra Apple Watch bands and a wall plug, and you’ve got some serious carry, and we haven’t even mentioned dealing with the watch when you aren’t wearing it.

Twelve South has an answer to this conundrum, and it’s called TimePorter. And, Cult of Mac’s Nadine Kahney unboxes this great little case before our very eyes. 

iPhone XS Max production cost is shockingly low

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Open the iPhone XS Max and you'll see just $443 worth of components.
Open the iPhone XS Max and you'll see just $443 worth of components.
Photo: TechInsights

An estimate of the component costs for each iPhone XS Max shows that much less than half of the purchase price goes to producing the device. This is Apple’s most expensive phone ever — and likely its most profitable.

The cost of storage went up considerably but Apple managed to save money by removing some 3D Touch components from the display.

iPhone pix of craggy lunar surface sends photog over the moon

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iPhone moon pictures
Here's what you get when you mount an iPhone to a telescope.
Photo: Tom White

An iPhone 7 is not the first camera you’d think about when figuring out how to get good shots of the moon. It certainly wasn’t Tom White’s first choice.

But after trying to get his DSLR mounted to a telescope just so, White wondered if his iPhone could do the job. The end result feels like the view astronauts would have from an Apollo command module in the moon’s orbit.

Apple Watch fall detection might get you arrested

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fall detection
If you're doing something illegal, you could take a fall for slipping up.
Photo: Apple

An Apple Watch Series 4 can detect if you’ve fallen and automatically call 911 to get your injuries tended to. Or get you arrested, depending on the circumstances.

That’s the warning of privacy watchdogs, who point out that 911 calls invite in more than just emergency medical personnel.

Apple wants US to overhaul privacy laws

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Apple takes privacy seriously
Any future privacy legislation will likely have little effect on Apple as it already bends over backward to avoid collecting user information.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A high-level Apple executive will tell the the U.S. senate tomorrow that the iPhone maker is in favor of federal privacy regulations.

He’ll be testifying along with representatives of Google and other companies likely to argue against privacy laws.

How to find if iPhone XS and Apple Watch 4 are in stock near you

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iPhone Xs
Avoid lines and find the iPhone of your dreams with this tool.
Photo: Apple

Didn’t get in on the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max pre-order madness and are now lusting after the best smartphone display ever?

There’s a simple tool on the internet that can save you hours of searching so you get the iPhone you want today. All it takes is setting a few filters and you’ll be alerted as soon as your local store has the new iPhones or Apple Watch Series 4 in stock.

This is how the tool works:

Qualcomm accuses Apple of stealing trade secrets to help out Intel

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Qualcomm patents
The Qualcomm vs. Apple battle rages on.
Photo: Qualcomm

Qualcomm claims that Apple stole its chip technology and gave it to Intel — and it says it’s got the proof.

According to the chipmaker, Apple stole “vast swaths” of confidential information and trade secrets, which it used to improve the performance of chips made by Qualcomm rival Intel. The claims are part of a new court filing by Qualcomm.

Apple’s record share buyback credited with helping stock market boom

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bull Wall Street
Apple is helping the stock market go from strength to strength.
Photo: Sam Valadi/Flickr CC

Apple’s massive, record-breaking $226.6 billion stock buyback is credited with helping drive the longest-running bull market in U.S. stock market history.

A bull market refers to a market in which share prices are rising, thereby encouraging buying. A new report credits eight companies — including Apple — who have engaged in massive share buybacks as being part-responsible for this 9.5-year bull run. Together, they have formed, “a solid backbone of the stock market’s continued growth.”