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News - page 776

Apple warns macOS users that it will drop support for 32-bit apps

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macOS update
A macOS update adds support for Messages in iCloud.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has begun issuing notifications to macOS users that confirm plans to drop support for 32-bit applications.

“This app needs to be updated by its developer to improve compatibility,” reads the warning users will see when they load a 32-bit app for the first time in macOS High Sierra 10.13.4. This is the final version of macOS that will allow 32-bit apps to be opened “without compromise.”

Fortnite still down after 12 hours due to database failure [Update]

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Fortnite mobile down
No one can play Fortnite right now.
Screenshot: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

No, it’s not just you — no one can play Fortnite right now.

The hottest game on the planet is down — and has been for over 12 hours — as a result of a database failure. Epic Games is in the process of carrying out major upgrades to its database systems, but there’s no word on when Fortnite will be playable again.

HomePod inventories pile up after early demand dies quickly

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Apple HomePod volume controls
HomePod sales are already suffering.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has been forced to cut HomePod orders as inventories continue to build up in its retail stores, according to a new report.

The $349 speaker enjoyed a promising start when it made its debut in February, but demand has fallen quickly as smart speaker shoppers turn to more affordable options from the likes of Amazon.

Twitter follows Apple’s lead on gun emoji

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Pistol emoji going away
Twitter's version of the pistol emoji is being replaced with a squirt gun. Apple made this switch years ago.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The pistol emoji has been rejected by Twitter. Instead, its place is being taken by a bright green squirt gun.

Apple was the first to replace this controversial emoji with a harmless pool toy, and many other companies have followed suit.

Apple ranks among world’s most trusted tech companies

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Apple takes privacy seriously
This privacy pledge in iOS 11.3 is why people can trust Apple.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

People trust Apple. A recent survey found that only a tiny percentage of Americans think the iPhone maker is irresponsible with their personal data.

That’s good news for Tim Cook and co., who have worked hard to differentiate themselves from Facebook, the least trusted tech company by a wide margin.

Here’s what Apple Watch may look like with bigger display

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Series 3 6 months on
Apple Watch is getting a bigger display in 2018.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch is set to get some of its biggest upgrades ever this year, including a bigger, brighter display.

Rumors have suggested Apple plans to increase the display on the Apple Watch Series 4 by about 15%. The move could add more room for a bigger battery, but a new concept mockup of the Apple Watch Series 4 shows Apple could squeeze the bigger display into the current design.

Check it out:

Apple might be losing its lead in augmented reality to China

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Augmented Reality version coming soon
An augmented reality version of this game could have web a huge win for Apple.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

While ARKit gave Apple an early lead when it comes to augmented reality apps, a highly respected analyst thinks a Chinese company has nearly caught up.

As evidence, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo points out that the AR version of enormously popular game Honour of Kings will land on iPhone and Oppo’s inexpensive Android phones at the same time.

Day of reckoning looms for old, slow Apple Watch apps

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watchOS 1 app warning
Opening a watchOS 1 app on a device running that latest beta of watchOS 4.3.1 gets this warning.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The latest watchOS beta warns that support will end soon for applications that haven’t been updated for years. This is part of an ongoing push by Apple to get all third-party apps that were written for the first-generation Software Development Kit updated to something more recent.

Unfortunately, this drive is instead causing some developers to drop their out-of-date Apple Watch apps.

Forget HomePod — check out Ikea’s amazing new home speaker

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eneby ikea speaker
The Eneby is $300 less than a HomePod, and it's not like Siri works properly anyway.
Photo: Ikea

Ikea’s new Eneby speaker may not pack the smarts of a HomePod or an Amazon Echo, but it’s great-looking and it’s pretty cheap. The new range of Ikea Bluetooth speakers starts at $49. If all you want is a nice, easy speaker for the living room, kitchen, or even the backyard, you should take a look.

iOS 11 also breaks genuine Apple displays on repaired iPhones

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Cult of Mac buyback

Photo: Warren R.M. Stuart/Flickr CC

Apple’s most recent iOS updates are causing problems with iPhone displays that have been fitted by third-party repairers. It was initially believed that unauthorized parts were the cause of the issue, but it seems there’s something bigger happening under the hood of your devices.

Even genuine Apple displays don’t work properly if they’re not installed by Apple.

Check out the first (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 8 unboxing video

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RED iPhone
Apple is circumventing the traditional media once again.
Photo: Marques Brownlee

The new (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition iPhone 8 won’t start arriving until Friday, but one lucky YouTuber has received an early unit from Apple. Popular YouTuber Marques Brownlee was gifted a pre-release RED iPhone 8 Plus, and has posted an unboxing video online.

Brownlee’s take on the “seriously red” iPhone? That it’s pretty darn great — and the palette swap from white to red frontage, compared with last year’s iPhone, is much appreciated. Check out his video below.

Haunting Russian game The Mooseman is coming to iOS

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Mooseman
Could this be one of the year's most visually beautiful iOS games?
Photo: Vladimir Beletsky

The Mooseman, a beautifully evocative 2D adventure game, is coming to iOS next month.

Having launched on Steam last year, the game is already a proven winner with players. Boasting a gorgeous wintry palette and plenty of Russian lore thrown in for good measure, The Mooseman puts you in control of a mystical character with the ability to see beyond the physical world. Check out the trailer below.

Fortnite on iOS gets Port-a-Fort, squad commands and more

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Fortnite
Team Rumble just got a lot better.
Photo: Epic Games

Fortnite Battle Royale’s weekly content update has rolled out on iOS, adding the new Port-a-Fort grenade, squad commands, and more.

Epic has also addressed a whole bunch of pesky bugs — including one that caused weapons to hover in the air when switching quickly between items. There are big changes for consoler and PC players, too.

Zuck is prepared to drag Apple into Facebook’s congressional hearing

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Facebook employees
Apple has had its share of data scandals too, Facebook's CEO notes.
Photo: Facebook

Steve Jobs once promised a “thermonuclear war” against Google. Here in 2018, it seems more like Apple is in more of a Cold War with fellow tech giant Facebook — based on recent comments made by both companies.

While we’ve argued before that the congressional investigation of Facebook only helps Apple, it seems that Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is doing his best to hurt Apple, too. Here’s how.

Apple must shell out $502.6 million to feed ‘patent troll’

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
Apple has to pay out half a billion buckaroos in damages.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple must pay $502.6 million to patent holding company (read: so-called “patent troll”) VirnetX Holding Corp., a federal jury in Texas has ordered.

This is the latest installment in a dispute that now stretches back eight years. The patents Apple has allegedly infringed one include ones related to secure communications, used by FaceTime, VPN on Demand and iMessage.

DIY iPhone memory upgrade is possible, but not worth it

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upgrade iPhone memory
A new video shows that upgrading iPhone memory is major job, and an expensive one.
Photo: Strange Parts

Ever wondered what it would take to give your iPhone more storage? Apple charges a lot for additional room; maybe you could save a bundle by buying a low capacity version and upgrade the iPhone memory yourself.

A hobbyist successfully took his iPhone from 16GB to 128GB. But as he showed in a video detailing the process, it was a heck of a lot of work.

FTC: Third-party repairs don’t invalidate your iPhone warranty

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Illegal warranty seal
The FTC said warranty seals like this are illegal. Companies can't forbid third-party repair work.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Federal Trade Commission warned companies today not to tell customers that using independent repair facilities invalidates the warranties on their phones, video game consoles, or cars. Doing so is a violation of U.S. law.

It’s not clear if Apple was singled out by the watchdog agency. But it could have been.

Tim Cook gives Saudi prince firsthand tour of Apple Park

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Apple Park
Tim Cook and Prince Mohammed strolling through Apple Park.
Photo: Saudi Embassy

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Apple’s new headquarters in California as part of his tour across the western U.S., during which he aims to change the country’s perspective on Saudi Arabia.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was on hand for Salman’s tour of the newly completed Apple Park. The prince even got a special presentation inside Steve Jobs Theatre that focused on Apple’s modern voice applications.

Check out some of the pics:

iPhone still reigns supreme among U.S. teens

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iphone x
Teens prefer iPhone over Android four-to-one. And that number is increasing.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Figuring out teens is a challenge for parents and teachers, but there’s one thing you can count on: teenagers love iPhone. A new study shows that a whopping 82 percent of them own one.

And that number is likely to increase. The survey indicates that 84 percent of teens say their next phone will be from Apple.

Apple grabs sci-fi show based on Asimov’s Foundation trilogy

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Apple TV Closer
Apple is making a TV show of the trilogy that inspired Star Wars
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is ready to tackle one of the most ambitious sci-fi projects in the history of Hollywood after the company greenlit a new TV series based on Isaac Asimov’s Foundation.

The new TV show is being produced by Skydance Television with David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman signed on to write the series that’s about a galactic empire of humans living on multiple planets across the galaxy.