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News - page 724

Apple is cracking down on gambling apps

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Coronavirus could have a surprisingly positive impact on App Store revenue
Trouble is, not all the apps removed are actually gambling apps!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is cracking down on gambling content in the App Store. The problem is that some of the apps caught in the crossfire don’t have very much to do with gambling at all.

Several developers have noted on social media that their apps — ranging from a Polish magazine to a game that lets you send Xbox game clips to buddies — have been removed from the App Store as part of the purge.

Apple may be forced to back down in India privacy clash

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Apple supplier is increasing its ability to build masses of iPhones in India
This could be one fight Apple won't win.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple may have “won” its standoff with the FBI over privacy, but it’s unlikely to be able to repeat the same feat in a clash with the Indian government on the same topic.

A new article published by Reuters runs down the various obstacles Apple faces in its battle with India’s telecom regulator over an anti-spam app, which Apple believes infringes on user privacy. And while nothing is settled yet, this looks like one fight Apple won’t be winning!

iOS 12 brings big improvements to iPhone’s Portrait mode

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truedepth iphone x camera portrait lighting
Portrait mode never looked so good on iPhone.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

iOS 12 packs a whole host of significant improvements that Apple didn’t get a chance to showcase during its WWDC preview. One of those, according to one developer, is a greatly-enhanced Portrait mode for compatible iPhone models.

The image below highlights the impressive difference between a Portrait photo taken with iOS 11 and another taken with iOS 12.

You can now enjoy Roku’s free channel on your iOS devices

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Roku
A new way to watch free movies.
Photo: Roku

Want to give the Roku experience a go, but don’t own a Roku TV streaming device? Today may be your lucky day, since Roku has announced that its free, ad-supported streaming service, the Roku Channel, is now available for people to watch, via the internet, on your smartphone, tablet, or personal computer.

To access the content — which includes plenty of good, albeit slightly older movies like The Matrix trilogy, in addition to other content — you’ll simply need to create a Roku account.

iPhone supplier sees increasing Face ID orders ahead of new devices

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Face ID attention awareness
Face ID can now recognize a second person.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

One of Apple’s manufacturing partners is enjoying a sizable boost in revenue off the back of increased orders for Face ID components.

Lumentum’s vertical-cavity-surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), a key component of the flood illuminator and dot projector inside iPhone X, is in high demand as Apple prepares its next-generation iPhone and iPad lineups for a fall debut.

Apple and Verizon begin an ‘exclusive partnership’ with music deal

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apple-music
Get an extended trial of Apple Music with your Verizon Unlimited plan.
Photo: Apple

U.S. telecoms try to lure new customers with free streaming services. Verizon has teamed up with Apple to offer half a year of Apple Music at no additional cost.

What’s even ore interesting is that the wireless provider calls this “just the first step in an exclusive partnership with Apple.”

Apple celebrates young developers at Chicago store event

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Everyone Can Code
Chicago's Mayor attended the event.
Photo: Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Apple held a special “Today at Apple” session on Wednesday at its Michigan Avenue, Chicago store to celebrate young developers.

The event took place under the banner of Apple’s “Everyone Can Code” initiative, and featured students who had participated in the “One Summer Chicago” program, giving a public demonstration of their Swift-coded apps.

Apple ‘monitoring’ Infowars app, but it’s staying for now

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Alex Jones
Alex Jones' podcasts are bad, but his app is... okay?
Photo: Infowars

Earlier this week, Apple booted five of Infowars‘ six podcasts out of iTunes and its Podcasts app, but made the decision to keep the company’s app in the App Store.

In a statement, Apple has said that it continues to support “all points of view” being represented in the App Store, but notes that it will continue to review the situation.

View your medical records from dozens of hospitals on your iPhone

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Health records firm worried policy supported by Apple will hurt patients
Health records firm worried policy supported by Apple will hurt patients
Photo: Apple

The goal of Apple’s Health Records initiative is to enable iOS users to see their medical history right on their device. Hospitals need to share their data for this to work, and Apple is getting a strong response.

When Apple introduced this addition to the Health app in January, there were just a dozen hospitals and clinics participating. That number has grown dramatically in the intervening months.

The iPhone keyboard could have looked this bad

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A pair of iPhone concept devices called Wallabies.
These iPhone "Wallaby" prototypes were the way early iPhone keyboard concepts were tested.
Photo: Ken Kocienda

The designers of the very first iPhone had a problem: how to get a workable on-screen keyboard into 2.0-by-1.3-inch space. Apple designer Ken Kocienda explains the difficulties in an excerpt from his upcoming book. 

His 304-page description of his 15 years at Apple isn’t out yet, but he gave an early look at a keyboard concept that didn’t work out. 

A device called Palm brings back a once-promising name

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Palm
The Palm name will return to the smartphone market, according to federal documents.
Photo: desmorider - http://flic.kr/p/7KY6dt

Palm, once considered a darling of innovation, disappeared from hands thanks to a series of ill-fated mergers and game-changing smartphones, including the iPhone.

Now Palm, or least the name, is poised for a comeback with an Android smartphone later this year.

Lightroom might be the best camera app on iOS

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Lightroom easily bests the other RAW apps
Did you know that Lightroom had a camera? It does, and it's amazing.
Photo: Matt Birchler

If you want to shoot great RAW photos on your iPhone, you should use Adobe Lightroom. That’s right. According to tests, Adobe’s excellent photo editing app also has an amazing camera built-in. And best of all, it’s free, provided you don’t mind signing up for an Adobe ID.

2018 MacBook Pro owners complain of crackling speakers

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Apple MacBook Pro keyboard
How’s the sound on your 2018 MacBook Pro?
Photo: Apple

Apple’s latest MacBook Pro lineup has bigger and better speakers than previous machines, but some users haven’t been enjoying improved sound.

Instead, they hear crackling when they play music or watch videos. The issue appears to be affecting both 13- and 15-inch devices, and it’s not yet clear what’s causing it.

Google Pixel 3 XL leaks out in early unboxing photos

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Google Pixel 3 XL leak
Meet Google’s competitor to iPhone X Plus.
Photo: Mobiltelefon.ru

Google’s upcoming Pixel 3 XL, which will arrive this fall to do battle with Apple’s larger iPhone, has leaked out early in a series of unboxing photos.

The images give us our best look yet at the device and its packaging, and they confirm some of its specifications. The most notable change this year is a new edge-to-edge display with a notch that’s noticeably fatter than iPhone X’s.

Amazon’s Prime Now app lets Whole Foods shoppers get curbside pickup

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Whole Foods
It's easier than ever to eat healthy.
Photo: Whole Foods

As if Amazon customers needed yet more to make their Prime subscription worth it, select Prime users can now take advantage of a new curbside grocery pickup feature at their local Whole Foods.

The feature allows users of the Prime Now app to shop online for fresh produce and then, on orders over $35, elect to pick up the packed groceries in store. They can do this within one hour of placing their order — or, for a charge of just $4.99, within 30 minutes.

Jin Lee’s Korean epic Pachinko is headed to Apple TV

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Pachinko
Pachinko, the story of a Korean family's tumultuous move to Japan, will be a TV series.
Photo: Grand Central Publishing

Apple was the high bidder for the rights to create a TV series based on Pachinko, a best-selling book about a Korean family written by Min Jin Lee.

This is one of nearly two dozen TV programs Apple is paying to produce, even though the company has announced no plans for a video service. Yet.

Tim Cook: We’re not doing Apple Music for the money

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Tim cook
Apple has a smart strategy when it comes to music.
Photo: Apple

In a short interview for Fast Company, Tim Cook raves about his love of music, and talks about Apple’s reasons for getting into the space with Apple Music.

“I couldn’t make it through a workout without music,” Cook said. “Music inspires, it motivates. It’s also the thing at night that helps quiet me. I think it’s better than any medicine.”

Apple Watch helps Aussie man discover a hole in his heart

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Apple Watch alerts user of irregular heart rhythms in sleep
The heart-rate monitor in an Apple Watch can help diagnose a surprising variety of health problems.
Photo: Apple

People sometimes say the loss of a loved one has left a hole in their heart. A young Australian man discovered he had a literal one. And this serious medical condition wouldn’t have been diagnosed without his Apple Watch.

The heart-rate monitor on his smartwatch found that his heart was beating far too fast when he was asleep. This caused him to seek medical attention.

Snapchat blames big redesign for decline in active users

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Snapchat
Snapchat has reported its latest quarterly earnings.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Snapchat has blamed the lingering effects of its disastrous redesign for a decline in its number of daily active users.

The messaging company reported its Q2 earnings yesterday. One of the key takeaways was that the number of people using Snapchat daily shrank from 191 million last quarter to 188 million this quarter. CEO Evan Spiegel blamed the 1.5 percent decrease on, “disruption caused by our redesign.”

We read Apple’s 19-page privacy declaration so you don’t have to

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Apple Maps reservation OpenTable
Among other iPhone privacy topics, Apple explained to U.S. lawmakers that if your iPhone is tracking you, it's because you've given it permission to.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Privacy has become a hot-button issue, and a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives recently sent Apple some questions about iPhone privacy protections. These were about location tracking, audio recordings, and third-party applications.

The in-depth responses spell out Apple’s strong commitment to iPhone user’s privacy in all these areas.