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News - page 799

Apple willing to go to court to clear up ‘misunderstanding’ in France

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App Store
France isn't happy about the App Store.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has responded to the French government’s plans to take it to court over what French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire calls its “abusive trade practices.”

While the French government is critical of Apple for taking a non-negotiable cut of the profits from developers who use its App Store platform, Apple has taken the opportunity to remind everyone of just how good its “app economy” has been for many devs.

Google Lens lets iPhones identify books, flowers, more

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Google Lens in action
Google Lens can pull the contact information out of a business card.
Photo: Google

The image-identification technology in Google Photos is now in the iOS version of this software. Google Lens can find objects and text in pictures and then provide more information. For example, by examining a photo of a business card, the artificial intelligence can pull out all the contact information.

Stylish, portable Pod Pro keeps Apple Watch ready to go [Watch Store]

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nomad
The Pod Pro charges Apple Watch and iPhone simultaneously. Nomad Rugged Strap with Black hardware shown above.
Photo: Nomad

Charging the Apple Watch while traveling can be a little tricky. Generally, I lug along a super-long charging cable and a wall plug to get the job done when on holiday.

Nomad — makers of great Apple Watch straps and accessories — offers a stylish and super-portable charging solution called the Pod Pro. The Pod Pro wraps that lengthy charging cable neatly inside a stylish, round enclosure that also holds a massive 6000 mAh of power — enough to keep Apple Watch juiced up all weekend long.

Read on to learn more about this amazing, portable charging puck, and check out the Pod Pro in our Watch Store!

GrayKey iPhone unlocker could be a black market goldmine

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GrayKey can bypass iPhone security
GrayKey can bypass iPhone security. It’s supposed to be only for police but...
Photo: Ed Hardy/ Cult of Mac

More details have come to light about the GrayKey iPhone unlocker, and it turns out it’s even more likely to fall into the wrong hands than first thought.

This tool is very expensive, and is intended for use only by law enforcement, but stolen units could someday be available on the black market where they would be a goldmine for identity thieves.

iPhone could double as driver’s license

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Sample mDL
One state is testing replacing drivers licenses with a mDL app.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPhones already replace credit cards, and a pilot program is exploring the next logical step: a digital drivers licence.

Delaware just began testing a mobile driver license (mDL) with some state residents, checking if a smartphone application can be kept secure while offering real advantages over plastic cards.

Samsung’s true Face ID rival won’t arrive until 2019

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Face ID
Face ID maps your face with 30,000 infrared dots.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s huge lead over Samsung in mobile facial recognition won’t be threatened anytime this year.

Samsung is supposedly working on adding a 3D mapping facial recognition sensor to its next flagship smartphone, but according to a report from Asia, the supplier won’t have it ready until 2019.

New Logitech gaming speaker brings light show to your desktop

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Logitech G560 PC Gaming Speaker
The Logitech G560 speaker adds a new dimension to audio for gamers: color.
Photo: Logitech

Logitech’s new speaker system adds a new dimension to gaming: color. LEDs hidden in the front and back of the speaker bathe your desktop and the wall behind your computer in light.

That’s fine for making your room look like a disco palace while listening to music. But it’s really designed to make video games more immersive.

Intel redesigns processors to eliminate massive flaws

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Intel eighth-gen
Is Apple working on new Mac chips in Washington County?
Photo: Intel

Intel has redesigned its processors to help eliminate the Meltdown and Spectre flaws once and for all.

Its eighth-generation Core and Xeon chips use protection through partitioning, along with the latest software patches, to kill all three variants of the bug. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich warns, however, that “there is still work to do” to ensure users stay protected.

Spotify skips Siri with new voice command feature

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Spotify
You won't have to listen to music you don't like.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Music service Spotify has added a voice search feature to its iOS app that allows users to find song tracks, albums, and playlists.

The new test feature takes Siri out of the equation. With Apple trying to grow its music streaming service, it never allowed Spotify to integrate with Siri, including with Apple’s first smart speaker, HomePod.

Apple’s new ‘Families’ page puts parental controls in one place

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parental controls
Apple is responding to concerns from investors and the general public.
Photo: Apple

Responding to concerns about smartphone addiction among younger users, Apple rolled out a new “Families” page to describe the parental controls and safety features currently available on the company’s devices.

The page reveals how parents can track their kids’ location, monitor purchases, and filter what their children can see on their devices. It also reviews Apple’s privacy and health-related features, along with sharing among family members, and Apple’s focus on education.

Apple’s acquisition of Shazam now in the hands of antitrust regulators

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Shazam iPhone
Apple must wait for EU approval.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple has formerly requested approval for its Shazam acquisition from the European Commission.

EU antitrust regulators confirmed last month that they had launched an investigation into the deal following concerns from seven European countries. Apple will get a decision next month, but it may not be final.

Falling iPhone X demand means Apple suppliers are suffering

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iphone x
iPhone X sales may not have been quite what Apple hoped for.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Disappointing iPhone X demand is singled out as one major reason why the revenue of major Taiwanese manufacturers declined year-on-year in February.

Combined sales for nine Apple suppliers fell 4.8 percent in February, representing a two-year low. This is reportedly linked to Apple slashing iPhone X orders in half for the January through March period, although some suggest that actual demand could be even lower than that.

Oddmar is a Viking-themed platformer from the makers of Leo’s Fortune

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Oddmar
Could this be one of the year's best iOS games?
Photo: Senri & Mobge

The makers of the excellent 2014 game Leo’s Fortune are back with a new action platformer, and this time they’re shifting their their focus from the cartoony world of Leo, which looked like it came straight out of a Pixar movie, to something based on Viking and Norse mythology.

While the game won’t arrive until later this spring, the developers just dropped a trailer for Oddmar — and it looks kind of awesome, with all the graphical gorgeousness we’d expect. Check it out below.

iPhone manufacturer accused of using unauthorized parts

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iPhone 8
Incident allegedly occurred at a factory manufacturing iPhone 8 Plus models.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has reportedly suspended production at one of its iPhone manufacturing plants in China as the result of the use of unauthorized components.

The story concerns a Wistron plant in Kunshan, China, where the iPhone 8 Plus is manufactured. Production has allegedly been suspended for two weeks, although Wistron insists that this is not true and that, “operations remain completely normal.”

6 awesome videos show off iMac Pro’s impressive power

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iMac Pro demo video
Erin Sarofsky created this video on an iMac Pro.
Photo: Apple

Apple asked six filmmakers to create short videos that highlight the cababilities of the recently-released iMac Pro. The results debuted today: trippy, abstract films that are mesmerizing to watch.

All are quite short (under 30 seconds) and include a quick plug for the computer, and so could be turned into advertisements, either online on TV.

Street Fighter hits the actual streets in new ARKit demo

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Street Fighter II in AR shows that old games can learn new tricks.
Street Fighter II in AR shows that old games can learn new tricks.
Screenshot: Abhishek Singh/YouTube

All the Yoga Flames, Dragon Punches and Sonic Booms of Street Fighter II spill out into the real world in a new demo that mixes classic gameplay with augmented reality.

Michigan-based software developer Abhishek Singh‘s “Real World Warrior” edition of Street Fighter II features all the familiar characters, moves and sounds of the original. But now, the game’s arena is the outside world.

“I loved playing [Street Fighter] as a kid with my sister on an actual arcade machine,” Singh told Cult of Mac. “I was thinking about multiplayer experiences and this kind of popped into my head.”

Apple might give Siri a total makeover

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Siri Alexa in voice report
So selfless, that Siri.
Photo: Apple

Siri is in trouble. Apple’s AI assistant is way behind the competition, and a new report indicates that Cupertino’s coders can’t agree on how to fix Siri — or even if it should be fixed.

Anonymous sources, supposedly from inside the Apple development team, say there’s no strong vision of what Siri should be.

There’s already strong demand for next iPhone

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Next iPhone
Many Apple smartphones users are looking ahead to the next iPhone.
Photo: Apple

Nearly a quarter of current iPhone users already plan to buy Apple’s next smartphone — even before they know what new features it will bring. That’s the most surprising finding from a new poll, which also shows demand for iPhone upgrades has stabilized at a high level.

Heavy demand for an unannounced product shows trust in Apple. That’s welcome, as the company’s reputation has slipped a bit.

Rare Mac laptop rakes in more than $16,000 at auction

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Hap Plain
This early backlit Mac laptop sold on eBay for more than $16,000.
Photo: Hap Plain

An Apple prototype of an early laptop, one of only four known to exist, sold on eBay Tuesday evening for more than $16,000.

It was the second time the owner of the Apple Macintosh Portable M5126 – fully functional and with a rare-for-its-time backlit screen – tried selling the test device on the auction site. Last month, bidding closed at just over $10,000 but the buyer backed out.

You should stop using your AmazonBasics battery packs now

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AmazonBasics battery pack
Steer well clear of AmazonBasics battery packs
Photo: Amazon

If you own an AmazonBasics portable battery pack, you should stop using it now. Amazon has recalled more than 260,000 units following 53 reports of overheating in the U.S. alone.

Six different models, sold between December 2014 and July 2017, have been condemned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) this week.