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News - page 716

Get ready to splash some serious cash on this year’s iPhones

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2018 iPhone compared to 2017 iPhone X
Last year's iPhones will soon be thought of as the “affordable ones.”
Photo: Jonas Dähnert

We’re less than 12 hours away from Apple unveiling its new iPhones, and analysts are taking a last stab at predicting the prices of the company’s new handsets.

The bad news? Provided their estimates are accurate, this year’s top-end iPhone could blow past the $1,000 price barrier of the iPhone X — as the success of last year’s handsets showed that there is no upper limit yet for how much people will pay. And the lower cost model likely isn’t too far behind!

Apple, Samsung crush a troll’s hotspot patent

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hotspot-2-600x244
A patent troll claimed to own the rights to the entire concept of a mobile hotspot. Not any more.

It’s not every day that Apple and Samsung can find grounds for cooperation, but even these arch rivals can agree about stomping on a patent troll.

The two companies managed to convince a federal court to rule invalid a patent related to mobile hotspots created by smartphones. The patent had been held by a company that only used it to sue other companies.

Readdle’s awesome productivity apps hit 100 million downloads

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Readdle 100 million downloads
It's been a wild ride for Readdle.
Photo: Readdle

If you use a lot of productivity apps on iOS, the chances are one of them was made by Readdle. The Ukrainian company has built some of the biggest and best software for getting things done, including Spark, Scanner Pro, and PDF Expert.

Readdle launched its first app in 2007, just a few months after the very first iPhone went on sale. Since then, it has built 40 products and assembled a team of 135 people in eight locations around the world.

This week, Readdle hit a major milestone: 100 million downloads. Here’s how it happened.

eBay’s new tech controls your iPhone with head movements

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HeadGaze uses the iPhone X 3D camera to move an on-screen cursor with subtle head motions.
HeadGaze uses the iPhone X's 3D camera to move an on-screen cursor with subtle head motions.
Photo: eBay

The TrueDepth camera on the iPhone X is what makes FaceID and Animoji possible. But a brilliant intern at eBay used to tech to create head-tracking software that can be used to control the iPhone.

HeadGaze has just been made open source, so any developer can build it into their own software.

Gorgeous concept video shows off beautiful iPhone XC colors

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iPhone XR concept video
This might be the most colorful iPhone lineup ever.
Photo: ConceptsiPhone

There’s less than 24 hours to go until Apple’s official trailers for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XC are available for the masses to view. Until then, this concept trailer is the next best thing.

Showcasing the five gorgeous color options the iPhone XC is expected to come in, the concept ad created by Gunho Lee will have you salivating with lust for the 2018 iPhone lineup. The only hard decision to make will be which color do you want?

Enjoy:

Phoneslinger is a fancy fanny pack for iPhone photogs

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Phoneslinger
Mobile photography from the hip.
Photo: Cozyspeed

The serious iPhone photographer has forsaken their DSLR and the weight of a bag full of gear. But they’re running out of pockets.

That’s because mobile photographers, much like a DSLR shooter, are starting to carry some of the same accessories: lens attachments, filters, a battery, jump drive, and a tripod.

Carrying a bag feels like a cumbersome step backward. A Phoneslinger could keep you quick on the draw.

Sell your old Apple devices now to get the best price

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iPhone X
Ready to ditch your iPhone X already? There's still time to get a great price!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

There’s still time to sell your old iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch and get the best price before new devices are unveiled at tomorrow’s big Apple event.

Cult of Mac’s buyback program makes it incredibly easy to turn unwanted gadgets into real cash, and we typically pay more than any other service. What’s more, you can get a quote now and hold onto your device until your upgrade arrives.

Find out how much your Apple devices are really worth today — before the prices drop!

Redesigned MacBook Air is coming, just not tomorrow

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Get a MacBook Air for $200 off
Don't give up hope for an improved 2018 MacBook Air. But don't expect it too soon, either.
Photo: Apple

Apple is about to refresh much of its product line, with new iPhones, iPad Pros, and Watches anticipated. However, an updated MacBook Air announcement tomorrow isn’t likely.

The company is expected to introduce an improved version of this budget laptop, but not until later in the year.

How Apple Watch apps’ death spiral nearly killed my iPhone app

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Developing watch apps ain't easy
Developing watch apps ain't easy
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Two years ago, my partner and I launched an Apple Watch app to complement our iPhone fitness app. Little did we know that our embrace of Apple’s smartwatch would threaten the very existence of the gym app we’d been developing since 2012.

Each year since we launched Reps & Sets, we updated it to keep up-to-speed with all the cool new features Apple rolled out at its Worldwide Developers Conference. That all changed last year, though. That’s when we discovered that, by adding support for Apple Watch, we had inadvertently taken a poison pill that could effectively kill our iPhone app.

It doesn’t have to be this way. With a few key changes, Apple could turns things around and reinvigorate the Apple Watch app ecosystem.

Apple’s self-driving car fleet lags behind Waymo and GM

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Apple Car
Apple's first self-driving Lexus.
Photo: Bloomberg

Apple’s fleet of self-driving cars is expanding at an astonishing pace after starting with just three vehicles a year ago.

New records posted by the California Department of Motor Vehicles reveals that Apple currently has the third largest number of autonomous cars in the state, but it’s closing the gap on the Google’s self-driving car project that holds the number two spot.

Why iPhone XS is a brilliant name for Apple’s new phone

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iPhone X
Turns out iPhone XS shouldn't be pronounced "iPhone 10 S."
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

You might be pronouncing the name of Apple’s next smartphone incorrectly. And this goes beyond the confusion resulting from people not calling the iPhone X the “iPhone 10”. But it’s related.

It turns out the “S” in the iPhone XS doesn’t mean what you think it means.

Don’t expect new Beats headphones at Apple’s iPhone event

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Beats
2018 Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons with his Beats.
Photo: Beats by Dre

Apple’s huge iPhone keynote tomorrow won’t give any stage time to the company’s Beats-branded headphones.

Despite being the largest headphone brand in the world and inking a sweet new deal with the NBA, new Beats headphones aren’t planned to be revealed at Apple’s biggest event of the year.

Leaked iPhone Xr SIM card trays reveal new color options

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6.1-inch iPhone color options
This could be an early glimpse of the iPhone 9.
Photo: Slashleaks

The 2018 iPhone lineup is shaping up to be the most colorful Apple ever put out, based on new leaked images of alleged SIM card trays destined for the iPhone 9 (or iPhone Xr or Xc — whatever Apple calls it).

Photos of the SIM card trays surfaced on Twitter this morning. It’s hard to tell if they’re legit. But if they are indeed destined for Apple’s cheaper 6.1-inch iPhone model, there will be at least five color options to choose from. Including brown!

Take a look:

California Apple Store is robbed twice in less than 24 hours

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Apple adds 5 new vice presidents to its executive lineup
Maybe time to hire some extra security!
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

The Apple Store crime spree continues in California.

While another Apple Store robbery in the state may not be a shock, the number of times this particular store has been robbed certainly is. Monday’s robbery of the Apple Store in Roseville marked the fourth time in 20 days that the outlet has been burglarized — and the second in just 24 hours!

Instagram tests user tagging feature in videos

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Instagram lawsuit
Hopefully it won't be long before it rolls out for all users.
Photo: Pixabay

Instagram is testing a new feature which lets users tag their friends in video posts, instead of simply still photos. The feature is currently being trialled with a small number of users, although hopefully it won’t be too long before it rolls out to everyone.

The feature works in a similar way to tagging photos, only that instead of overlaying tags on top of the content, there is a page titled “People in this Video” that shows everyone in a video.

iPhone X and iPad Pro imports risk being banned in South Korea

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Ex-student sentenced to 3 years in prison for massive iPhone scam
Apple is accused of violating a patent belonging to one of South Korea's top research institutes.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A number of Apple devices, including the iPhone X and iPad Pro, run the risk of being banned from South Korea, the home of Apple’s long-time frenemy Samsung.

The Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy is currently investigating allegations that Apple has infringed on a patent belonging to KAIST, a public research university based in South Korea. The investigation period has already been extended twice, and BusinessKorea suggests that the regulatory commission is likely to make its “final determination” in favor of KAIST.

Apple video continues to push devs to use app subscriptions

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App Store
Apple apps no longer dominate App Store search results.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s efforts to encourage developers to use in-app subscriptions continued this week with a new video published to its developer portal.

“Developer Insights” highlights the benefits of a subscription model with reoccurring payments, and features testimonials from app makers who are already enjoying a subscription model. Apple has already held meetings with developers to warn them that one-time purchases are dying.

Apple Pay now accepted at 7-Eleven stores across the U.S.

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7-Eleven Apple Pay
Shopping at 7-Eleven just got even easier.
Photo: 7-Eleven

You can now use Apple Pay (and Google Pay) at 7-Eleven stores across the United States.

“Most stores” will be accepting Apple’s mobile payments service by the end of this month, the retailer says. Gurmeet Singh, CDO and CIO of the company, says it’s one more reason why you should shop at 7-Eleven.

Facebook’s ban of Alex Jones was prompted by Apple

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Alex Jones at a rally of people claiming the 9/11 terror attacks were carried out by the U.S. government.
Alex Jones at a rally of people claiming the 9/11 terror attacks were carried out by the U.S. government.
Photo: 911conspiracy/Flickr CC

Apple’s decision to boot five of far-right conspiracy theory website InfoWars’ podcasts off its platform was the trigger for Facebook doing the same with several of host Alex Jones’ pages on the social network.

The factoid was revealed in a new profile of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, published in the New Yorker. Apple has since banned Jones from the App Store permanently.

Apple’s big and bougie store on Paris’ Champs-Élysées opens in November

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The Champs-Élysées location doesn't get away with the giant glass doors found on other recent flagship Apple Stores.
The Champs-Élysées location doesn't get away with the giant glass doors found on other recent flagship Apple Stores.
Photo: Apple

There are few streets more ritzy than the Champs-Élysées. That’s likely why an Apple Store is opening there this fall.

At the same time, the company is closing its location in the Carrousel du Louvre, underneath the pyramid in front of this world-famous museum.

New chip gives Google smartwatches a battery boost

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Qualcomm's upcoming processor might make Google's Wear OS more competitive.
Apple Watch doesn't face much real competition, but a new Qualcomm processor will improve one of its rivals.
Photo: Google

After teasing it for months, Qualcomm today unveiled its processor designed for Wear OS smartwatches. The Snapdragon Wear 3100 is intended to put Google’s smartwatch platform on the map, instead of a distant third place.

The highlight of the new chip is improved battery life. Qualcomm is promising 4 to 12 extra hours of use, depending on the tasks the wearable is asked to perform.

Stop waiting for iOS 12

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iOS 12 features
iOS 12 has a lot to offer. Why are you waiting?
Photo: Apple

The full release of iOS 12 is right around the corner. If you just can’t wait, it turns out you don’t have to. The last beta version Apple introduced is extremely stable. And it’s available now.

You could be among the first to play around with all the new iOS 12 features. You could be the first to send a Meemoji message to your friends. There’re some nice benefits to not waiting, though admittedly it’s mostly bragging rights.

Why AT&T customers could have a first shot at a 5G iPhone

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AT&T logo
AT&T is way, way ahead of the competition in rolling out mobile 5G.
Photo: Luismt94/Wikipedia CC

Anyone eagerly awaiting a 5G iPhone probably should be an AT&T subscriber. This wireless service provider will have mobile 5G service in a dozen cities before any of its rivals have it in even one.

Still, rival Verizon hit a milestone today by making the world’s first 5G NR call from a smartphone-size device.

Trump tariffs may jack up Apple Watch prices by 20%

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Yeah, we're pretty incredulous about your ideas, too, Mr. Trump.
Thanks Donald!
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

Trump’s latest round of proposed tariffs will negatively impact Apple’s revenues but according to some numbers crunched by an Apple analyst, investors shouldn’t worry about the company’s profits being hit too hard.

Apple revealed last week that some of the proposed tariffs would hurt the profitability of Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod and Apple Pencil. Price increases would be passed on to consumers, however, it probably won’t be more than a 20% jump.