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News - page 725

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.

Alex Jones ‘patriots’ rush to App Store to download Infowars app

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Infowars app
Alex Jones' media empire is falling, but his followers can still get their fix from iOS and Android apps.
Photo: Infowars

Fans of Infowars radio host Alex Jones have flocked to the Apple App Store to grab what’s left of his voice on social media.

The iOS app Infowars Official was ranked the fourth most popular news app earlier today, less than 48 hours after Apple and other tech companies booted Jones off its social media platforms.

macOS Mojave plays nicer with Outlook than ever

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Mojave
macOS Mojave beta 6 includes an improved Migration Assistant. Meanwhile beta 5 was released to the public.
Photo: Apple

The tool Apple built to help Windows users switch to a Mac underwent significant improvements in the latest beta of maxcOS Mojave. It can now transfer accounts and documents from Microsoft Outlook.

This is the major change in macOS Mojave beta 6, which was released to developers yesterday. 

iOS 12 beta 5 isn’t just for developers anymore

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Erfon emoji_WWDC18
Memoji are one of the fun new features already available in iOS 12 beta 5.
Photo: Apple

Developers got access to the fifth iOS 12 beta last week, and now anyone who’s interested can install this pre-release version on their iPhone and iPad.

While work is still progressing on iOS 12, and the full version isn’t anticipated until September, the betas have proved surprisingly stable.

Load any audio file into Castro by dropping it into an iCloud folder

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Podcasting is like radio, only way better castro
Podcasting is like radio, only way better.
Photo: Tom Page/Flickr

Castro, one of our favorite podcast apps, just added two really great new features that aren’t yet available elsewhere. The first is the ability to load any audio file into the app, just by dropping it into a folder in your iCloud Drive. The second lets you preselect the podcast chapters you want to listen to.

Fortnite 5.20 update adds new shotgun, Steady Storm mode

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Fortnite Steady Storm game mode
Fortnite will expand its reach even further.
Photo: Epic Games

Prepare to do battle with a brand new shotgun in Fortnite Battle Royale.

Epic Games’ latest update is available now with the double-barrel shotgun, a new Steady Storm game mode, and a whole host of improvements and fixes. Players can finally view challenges during a match, while mobile players can enjoy motion controls.

Why $1 trillion milestone changes the way Apple is valued

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Apple adds 5 new vice presidents to its executive lineup
Apple adds 5 new vice presidents to its executive lineup
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

How high can Apple’s market value go? Less than a week after it became the first company to hit the $1 trillion mark, venture capitalist Gene Munster predicts that Apple’s value will continue to climb.

What makes Apple unique to investors, Munster said, is how its hardware seems to work as a subscription business. Many iPhone users, for example, upgrade to a newer handset every two or three years.

Instapaper’s new Premium plan goes live on return to Europe

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Instapaper punishes its European users use
Instapaper Premium unlocks awesome features.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Instapaper has finally returned to Europe following a GDPR blackout, and users can now subscribe to its new Premium plan to unlock additional features.

The service was pulled in the E.U. following the introduction of new data protection regulations, but now it’s fully compliant and ready to do business again. Here’s what you can expect if you upgrade with a Premium subscription.

Some U.S. citizens will be able to vote via app in midterm elections

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Apple News
For better or worse, technology will play a major role in the midterm elections.
Photo: Apple

In a possible glimpse at the future of elections, a small number of voters in November’s midtermS will be able to vote via mobile app.

The app will predominantly be used by West Virginian military personnel serving overseas. To vote, users must first register by taking a photo of their government-issued ID and a selfie-style video of their face. The app then uses facial recognition technology to make sure the registered voter is, in fact, the same person casting their ballot.

Military bans personnel from using location-tracking tech

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Significant Locations
This information shouldn't fall into the hands of enemies.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Whether it’s our phones, our fitness trackers, or even something as innocuous as a dating app, much of the technology we use on a regular basis tracks our physical location.

Knowing the potential security risk this poses, the Pentagon banned deployed military personnel from using tech with active location-tracking features.

Apple Music adds new Friends Mix playlist

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apple-music
Grab the latest update from the Play Store now.
Photo: Apple

You don’t want to be that guy who’s never heard the track all your friends are raving about. But if you use Apple Music, you don’t have to be.

The new “Friends Mix” playlist makes it easy to enjoy the songs your friends can’t get enough of. It’s updated every week, and you can enjoy it now across all devices.

EU may force iPhone to switch from Lightning to USB

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These MFi-certified Lightning cables are sheathed in steel and designed to last forever.
What if your iPhone and iPad had a standard USB port instead of a Lightning one?
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Apple has its Lightning connector and everyone else has USB. But EU regulators are considering whether they need to force a common standard for phone chargers.

The idea is to cut down on the 51,000 tons of old chargers and cables thrown away each year.

Apple chipmaker is back up and running after malware attack

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chips
Hopefully this won't cause delays for the iPhone.
Photo: Intel

After being knocked out of commission over the weekend by a computer virus, iPhone chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) was back up and running on Monday.

According to the manufacturer, the problem was caused by a ransomware attack from the infamous WannaCry ransomware cryptoworm. This ransomware attack first struck in May 2017, requiring victims to pay a bitcoin ransom in order to decrypt their files.

Privacy is the secret sauce that makes Apple Pay Cash special

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Apple Pay Cash
Apple Pay Cash has one big advantage over its rivals.
Photo: Apple

From Apple Pay Cash to Venmo, there’s a growing number of peer-to-peer payment services that allow you to send cash to your friends. But which one is the safest to use?

Respected product testing publication Consumer Reports recently tested out the main apps in this space — including Apple Pay Cash, Venmo, Square Cash, Facebook Messenger, and Zelle. Although the report says that all of them work, Apple Pay Cash has one very important selling point that gives it the edge over its rivals.

The WiDuo Apple Watch and iPhone charging pad back in stock [Watch Store]

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wiDuo
The WiDuo is specifically designed to blend in with Apple's minimally-designed products.
Photo: Wiplabs

For lovers of versatility, and Apple gear, I bring you a two-in-one charging solution for iPhone and Apple Watch. Who doesn’t enjoy a twofer?

The WiDuo by Wiplabs is a beautifully minimalist charging pad that provides up to 20 percent faster charging that many of its wireless competitors. And, it’s cute and sleek to boot. Pop it in a bag or briefcase for on-the-go charging.

Android Pie spotlights Google’s broken upgrade system

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Android 9 Pie is now available to a handful of people who own the right devices. Everyone else gets to wait.
Android 9 Pie is now available to a handful of people who own the right devices. Everyone else gets to wait.
Photo: Google

Google released Android 9 (Pie) to the public today, which should completely thrill the tiny percentage of Android users who can install it. For many, the wait for an upgrade will be months. For others, buying a new device is the only option to access this version.

Contrast this with iOS, which is always available to virtually everyone who wants it on the day it’s released.

Inexpensive LCDs could stay in Apple’s iPhone lineup until 2020

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2018 iPhone compared to 2017 iPhone X
The 6.1-inch iPhone anticipated for this fall apparently won't be Apple's last with an LCD screen.
Photo: Jonas Dähnert

LG has reportedly been contracted to create LCD panels for an iPhone model that will be released next year. If true, it means that Apple is definitely planning a phone with a traditional LCD in 2019, and isn’t going to all OLED screens. At least not yet

An earlier unconfirmed report indicated that this fall’s LCD iPhone will be the company’s last. That’s perhaps not surprising. given that OLED displays are superior in several ways

Developers get their mitts on iOS 12 beta 6

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iOS 12
Developers, and others testing iOS 12 beta versions, already get to take advantage of the faster performance promised at WWDC.
Photo: Apple

Apple is moving along through the beta phase of releasing iOS 12. The first version was released back in June, and today sees the debut of iOS 12 beta 6.

With the release just happening, we don’t yet know if it has any surprises. Beta 5 eventually revealed quite a bit about Apple’s plans.

Even a fat Apple paycheck won’t buy an overpriced Bay Area house

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Apple salaries
Hardware engineers at Apple's Cupertino campus.
Photo: Apple

Your fantasy about working in Cupertino probably leads you to believe the pay is good. You would be correct, but according to more than half of the developers and supervisors at Apple, even their fat paychecks aren’t not enough to afford a house in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Some 60 percent of Apple workers, as surveyed by anonymous messaging app Blind, say home prices are too spendy even with salaries that exceed the national average by more than double.

T-Mobile’s cheap new unlimited data plan is always throttled

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t-mobiles-next-uncarrier-move-could-be-unlimited-streaming-video-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201510TMOUncarrier0517-jpg
T-Mobile calls itself the Un-carrier, and tries to undercut the prices of its competition. Its new Essentials plan is one example.
Photo: T-Mobile

T-Mobile just added a third unlimited data plan for your iPhone or Android. This one costs less than the others, but also offers less. And it comes wit a big caveat: it’s always subject to slowdowns.

No changes are being made to the earlier T-Mobile One and One Plus plans.

In-car AR system could let you FaceTime other vehicles

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Ford CarPlay
Apple has big plans for the future of in-car infotainment systems.
Photo: Ford

Here’s an idea that, on the surface, sounds totally dangerous: an in-car display that let you make FaceTime calls to people in different vehicles. I mean, keeping your eyes on the road is 2017, right?

In fact, the concept — which was the subject of a recent patent application from Apple — is pretty darn smart. Apple’s invention describes a future augmented reality windshield system that could project various bits of information as you drive in an autonomous or non-autonomous vehicle.

Google’s new Pixel 3 will fight iPhone from October

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Pixel 2
Prepare for new Pixels right after iPhone X Plus.
Photo: Google

Google is gearing up to deliver its next-generation Pixel 3 smartphones in October, a leaked marketing ad confirms.

The devices are expected to fight the iPhone with even larger edge-to-edge displays and new features. And just like the iPhone X, the Pixel 3 could make its way into the hands of YouTube content creators before it reaches other reviewers.

$1,000 iPhone X just the start of rising smartphone prices

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iPhone X laying down
I wanted a Galaxy S10, but I'm stuck with iPhone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s bet on a $1,000 smartphone has paid off in a big way, and that’s bad news for iPhone fans.

As the iPhone X continues to be Apple’s best-selling smartphone, analysts warn that it will encourage even higher price tags year after year. You can expect this year’s iPhone lineup to be even more expensive, and you won’t save much by shopping elsewhere.

Apple’s new iPhone strategy for world’s second-biggest market

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Apple supplier is increasing its ability to build masses of iPhones in India
Apple's got renewed focus on India.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple may be kicking all kinds of butt on the global stage, but it’s struggling in India, where the iPhone currently ranks 11th in the overall list of smartphones. To put that in perspective, Apple accounts for just 1 percent of India’s iPhone sales, with fewer than 1 million handsets sold in the first half of this year.

But it’s got a plan (well, several) to change all that.

Fortnite leak confirms Android users’ worst fears

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Fortnite Wingman Starter Pack
Yes, you'll need a Samsung to play Fortnite for Android.
Photo: Epic Games

Fortnite Battle Royale will be exclusive to Samsung devices when it finally comes to Android, a new leak has confirmed.

The upcoming Galaxy Note 9 or a second Samsung device will be required to play the game initially. Even if you happen to obtain the Fortnite package for Android, it won’t run on your handset until Samsung’s exclusive deal comes to an end.

It’s not yet clear exactly how long that will last.