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News - page 759

Apple promises APFS support for Fusion Drives soon

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APFS
Maybe look for it at WWDC.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple will share news regarding APFS for Mac Fusion Drives “very soon,” claims Apple’s software engineering VP, Craig Federighi.

Short for Apple File System, APFS was introduced with the arrival of macOS High Sierra. It’s optimized for modern Apple devices that increasingly rely on flash storage, but Apple’s Mac Fusion Drives — which combine regular hard disks with a small amount of flash storage — weren’t supported beyond the first few beta versions.

Windows 10 code suggests Microsoft isn’t done battling iPhone

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Windows 10 Mobile
Windows phones could be about to make a comeback.
Photo: Microsoft

New code discovered in Windows 10 suggests Microsoft isn’t ready to give up its fight against the iPhone just yet.

Microsoft’s mobile platform as we know it is all but dead, but it looks like the company is hard at work on yet another operating system that could power its long-awaited Surface Phone.

Here’s what Foxconn will manufacture at new Wisconsin facility

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iPhone sales drive Apple’s biggest supplier to big profits
Foxconn's U.S. facility will open in 2020.
Photo: CBS

The percentage of each iPhone made in the U.S. may increase, claims a new report, suggesting that manufacturer Foxconn’s proposed Wisconsin factory will be used for producing small and medium-sized LCD — and possibly eventually OLED — smartphone displays.

That’s a change in strategy from the original plan, which reportedly focused on large-sized displays for televisions and monitors. Foxconn allegedly made the decision due to cost considerations.

Apple now lets you download a copy of all the data it has on you

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Apple data privacy
Apple’s Data and Privacy website launched last year
Photo: Apple

Apple is now giving users the opportunity to download a copy of all the data the company has collected from them. This includes App Store and iTunes activity, Apple ID account and device information, online and retail store activity, AppleCare support history, and more.

The tool is part of Apple’s new Data and Privacy website, which also allows users to correct any information Apple holds about them, and deactivate their account completely.

Disgruntled users are suing Apple over its ‘defective’ MacBook keyboard

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MacBook butterfly keyboard
The butterfly switch made MacBook keyboards thinner. It also reportedly broke them.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s MacBook butterfly switch keyboards are landing its makers in court, thanks to a new class action lawsuit which was filed in California court this Tuesday.

The class action suit alleges that Apple is selling a product that is known to be defective. In particular, it claims that the keyboard stops working as it should when dust and other particles begin to build up under the keys. As a result, customers can be made to pay out hundreds of dollars in repairs in cases where the laptop is no longer under Apple warranty.

FBI admits it has far fewer unlockable iPhones than claimed

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FBI director says Feds still can't unlock iPhone in Pensacola shooting case
The FBI's argument why it needs an iPhone 'backdoor' just got a lot weaker.
Photo: Dave Newman/Flickr CC

FBI director Christopher Wray has said multiple times that his agency has 7,775 locked phones involved in investigations that it can’t access. Now, the law enforcement agency admits the number is far smaller.

Previously, Wray argued that the large number of unlockable devices is why Apple needs to build a ‘backdoor’ into iOS for police.

Major 2018 iPhone component already in production

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Apple A12 replaces A11 Bionic
The A11 Bionic is a fine processor, but the Apple A12 is expected to be even better.
Photo: iFixit

The Apple A12 processor, the heart of the 2018 iPhone, is reportedly already being manufactured. It’s being produced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which has made Apple’s chips for years.

Even though the next iPhone isn’t expected until fall, TSMC isn’t getting a head start. It takes about three months to convert silicon into a microprocessor.

Gemini Photos saves your iPhone storage from unwanted photos

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Gemini Photo
Gemini Photos makes cleaning your library a breeze.
Photo: MacPaw

Ever take 50 photos just to get that one perfect shot? Snapping the perfect frame isn’t easy, but cleaning up the extra photos is even worse.

The folks at MacPaw have come out with a new app that makes deleting all your unwanted photos a breeze and even helps you find your best shots.

T-Mobile isn’t America’s ‘Best Unlimited Network’

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T-Mobile isn't America's Best Unlimited Network.
A regulatory arm of the Better Business Bureau told T-Mobile to stop claiming it's the ‘Best Unlimited Network.’
Photo: T-Mobile

T-Mobile uses the self-bestowed accolade ‘Best Unlimited Network’ in its ads. But now an advertising regulatory body told the carrier to knock it off.

To be clear, this recommendation by the National Advertising Division (NAD) isn’t binding. But it’s significant enough that T-Mobile is appealing the decision.

Recharge your Apple Watch with this bendy, on-the-go dock

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bobine
We rounded up our favorite stands and docks for Apple Watch Series 3 from some of the best brands on the market. Perfect for dads and future graduates!
Photo: Bobine

If you are an Apple Watch wearer then you already know that there’s about a million and a half individual accessories that you can buy for it. But why pay a lot to get a bunch of accessories when you can get Bobine Watch — a flexible, on-the-go Apple Watch dock.

You can charge Apple Watch within view on a nightstand, desk, or even while driving. Bobine Watch is a great gift for gadget-loving dads and upcoming grads, and is super versatile. It’s also available now in Cult of Mac’s Watch Store.

Apple ropes in new showrunners for Amazing Stories reboot

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Amazing Stories
Expect the unexpected.
Photo: Ace Books

Apple has finally found a replacement to guide the development of its new TV show Amazing Stories.

“Once Upon a Time” co-creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis have signed a deal with Apple to be the new showrunners for Amazing Stories, a reboot of Steven Spielberg’s anthology TV show from the 1980’s.

Here’s why bartenders wear Apple Watch

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Apple Watch buyers
Apple Watch is convenient among service workers who aren't allowed to check their phones on the job.
Photo: Christopher Lavan/Nyloon

If you’re not convinced you need an Apple Watch, you might be able to justify one if your job forbids you from checking your phone.

This makes the wearable particularly popular within the service industry, according to an informal survey of airline attendants, bartenders, waiters, baristas and TSA employees published Monday.

Reports of looming Siri makeover are not fake news, just a little old

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HomePod
Maybe we're not getting a new, Siri-powered HomePod this year after all.
Photo:

It looks like Siri suffered a bit of a hangover from WWDC 2017. Monday’s reports of a Siri makeover to be unveiled at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference look like nothing but old news.

The cheeky nuggets, which came straight from Siri when asked about the upcoming event, appear to be leftover responses designed to create buzz about last year’s WWDC.

1Password 7 for Mac warns if you’ve been pwned

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1Password 7 for Mac
There's a new Watchtower feature in 1Password 7 for Mac, and an improved 1Password mini.
Photo: AgileBits

1Password 7 for Mac notifes users of breaches, warn of bad habits, and highlights vulnerable passwords. 1Password mini has a new look, and there’s a new sidebar with a dark theme.

It’s the first really significant update in over two years.

Side Winder reels in MacBook’s charger cables

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No more tangles with the Side Winder cable tidy
No more tangles with the Side Winder cable tidy.
Photo: Fuse Reels

This is the Side Winder, a spinning reel for your MacBook’s power brick that coils and spools out both the mains and the DC cables from the brick in seconds. It adds a little bulk to the charger, and in return it promises to free you from tangles and knots, forever.

Apple issues invites for big WWDC keynote

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WWDC 2019
Apple CEO Tim Cook on stage for WWDC 2018.
Photo: Apple

Apple has started issuing press invites for its big WWDC keynote on June 4.

Attendees will be treated to a preview of iOS 12 and the next major updates to macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. Apple could also surprise us with some new hardware.

Instagram lets you mute accounts you don’t want to see

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These Instagram tips will help you connect with photographers who share your interests.
We don’t want to see photos from everyone we follow.
Photo: Lee Peterson/Cult of Mac

Instagram is finally giving us the ability to mute accounts that we don’t want to see in our feeds.

The feature lets you weed out annoying friends without actually unfollowing them. You will still be able to view their profile if you choose to, and you can unmute them anytime you want.

Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia will march onto macOS this month

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Total War
Coming soon to a Mac near you.
Photo: Feral Interactive

Fancy hurling yourself back in time to the British Isles, circa 878 AD? If so, and if you’re a fan of the battle-heavy strategy games, you may be pleased to hear that Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia is coming to macOS this week.

Released on PC earlier this month, the game allows you to pick between the English, Welsh, Gaelic, or Vikings and battle for dominance. While you’re doing this, you’ll make and break alliances, build armies, and play your way through a number of different campaigns. Check out the trailer below.

Starbucks is beating Apple, Google and Samsung at mobile payments

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Apple Pay finally overtakes Starbucks in mobile payments
Starbucks is doing a great job of persuading customers to use its mobile app.
Photo: Nicky Colman/Flickr

Apple and Google may be two of the biggest companies in the tech industry, but they’re both losing to Starbucks when it comes to one important metric.

No, we’re not talking about numbers of coffees made per year, but rather the success of their respective mobile payment services. According to a new report, the Starbucks mobile payments app is currently outperforming Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay to cement its place as the most successful mobile payments app.

Massive iPhone sales buck the trend in falling smartphone market

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iphone x
Suddenly Apple's record quarter seems even more impressive!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple had an even better start to 2018 than you might think. While it’s now well known that Apple had a record first three months of the year, that doesn’t take into account what the rest of the smartphone market was doing during that time.

In fact, according to a new report by analysts at Counterpoint, the overall U.S. smartphone market declined 11 percent versus the same time last year. Apple, on the other hand, shipped a record 16 million handsets in Q1 — representing a 16 percent increase year-on-year.

Clips goes soccer mad with new World Cup update

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soccer
We'd call it "football" but we don't want to start a war in the comments section.
Photo: Mxmystro/Flickr

Ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on June 14, Apple has updated its Clips video app with a soccer-themed refresh.

The free apps allows users to combine video clips, photos and music into short videos that they can share with friends and family. To add some flair to these videos, it’s possible to utilize filters, emoji, stickers, captions and more. The new Clips update includes new soccer graphics.