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News - page 907

Apple Watch with LTE might not make phone calls on its own

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Apple Watch goal
Apple Watch Series 3 might add LTE (in addition to other cool features).
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The rumored Apple Watch with LTE may not work for phone calls, according to new research from a reliable Apple analyst. Instead, Apple will focus on improving the user experience with the untethered wearable.

That’s the main takeaway from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. However, his Wednesday research note offers other predictions about the upcoming hardware update.

Apple manufacturers in Taiwan hit by major power outage

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iphone
Taiwan relies on Apple business a whole lot. And vice versa.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Three iPhone component manufactures experienced an unexpected — and unwanted — disruption this week, when a major power outage in Taiwan temporarily brought production to a halt.

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, PowerTech Technology and ChipMOS Technologies are all chip assemblers and testers, which make a variety of components for Apple — including the iPhone’s Wi-Fi, baseband, fingerprint chips, and more.

Carpool Karaoke ads show off the series’ big celebrity pairings

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Carpool Karaoke
Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner are stars of HBO's Game of Thrones.
Photo: Apple

To hype its new Carpool Karaoke series on Apple Music, Apple has debuted two new teaser ads, offering a preview of what fans can expect from the show.

One ad features Game of Thrones stars Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner as they belt out Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and Miley Cyrus’ song “Wrecking Ball,” and get ready to prank fans. The other ad includes Ariana Grande and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane singing show tunes.

Check them out below.

Blurry photos purport to show mythical Apple TV set

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Apple TV
The future of TV is blurry, apparently.
Photo: Benjamin Geskin/Twitter

Blurry images that popped up online supposedly show the testing of an Apple OLED television set of around 60 inches in size. The photos were shared on Chinese social media before being circulated by mobile leaker Benjamin Geskin on Twitter.

And, just like that, longstanding rumors of an Apple TV set reignite!

Apple will throw $1 billion at original programming over next year

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A photo of an iPhone with U.S. money on the screen
To compete with Netflix, Apple's ready to pull its wallet out.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly preparing a $1 billion “war chest” which it will spend on acquiring or producing original content over the next year.

That sum is around half of what HBO spent on production last year. The jewel in HBO’s crown is Game of Thrones, which it has aired since 2011. Apple SVP Eddy Cue is reportedly aiming for Apple to offer up to ten new shows, which could rival Game of Thrones in scope.

Apple hires former WGN America chief to bolster video team

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Matt Cherniss
Matt Cherniss will oversee Apple's new worldwide video unit.
Photo: WGN America

Apple has hired former WGN America and Tribune Studios chief Matt Cherniss as it looks to bolster its original video efforts.

Cherniss will reportedly oversee the company’s new worldwide video unit, serving under Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, the former presidents of Sony Pictures Television, who joined Apple back in June.

Amazon Instant Pickup offers essential items in 2 minutes or less

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Amazon Instant Pickup
Instant Pickup offers "need-it-now" items in record time.
Photo: Amazon

Amazon is making last-minute shopping even more convenient with its new Instant Pickup service.

Available for free for Prime and Prime Student subscribers, the service lets you order “need-it-now” items that are available to collect in two minutes or less, including food, cold drinks, and of course, Amazon gadgets like Echo and Fire TV.

MacBook upgrades give Apple a second quarter sales boost

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MacBook
MacBook sales are up again around the world.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Recent upgrades to the 12-inch MacBook helped provide Apple with a 17.1 percent notebook sales boost during the second quarter of 2017. The company remains fifth in overall market share, but it has been able to widen the gap between itself and sixth-placed Acer.

Street Fighter IV: Champion Edition gets three new characters this week

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Street Fighter IV
Coming soon to an iPhone near you.
Photo: Capcom

Street Fighter IV: Champion Edition landed on iOS last month and, true to its promise, it’s already introducing updates designed to keep the gaming experience fresh.

This week, the game will introduce fan favorite characters Evil Ryu, Guy, and Gouken, all of whom will be available to players as free downloads.

Apple tightens returns policy in Hong Kong to combat iPhone 8 scalpers

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face tracking
Apple wants to make life harder for scalpers.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has tightened up its online sales policy in Hong Kong, noting that it will not “accept return for online orders placed on, and after August 15th, 2017.”

The move comes ahead of the launch of the eagerly-anticipated iPhone 8, and is intended to deter scalpers from buying up massive quantities of the iPhone to sell at a premium, and then returning those they don’t manage to sell.

Apple Pay snubbed by Beijing public transport app

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Beijing public transport
It's easier to commute if you're an Android user.
Photo: Oemaix/Flickr CC

Apple hasn’t always had the easiest time in China, and the latest reminder of this is the launch of a new scheme allowing users of Beijing’s transport system to pay through an app — although it’s not available on Apple Pay, or even iOS.

Instead, the service is only available via Android app, with the likely reason for the iOS lockout reportedly being because Apple sticks to its proprietary Apple Pay system, rather than supporting third-party payment apps.

Macphun photographers to get retooled Aurora HDR 2018

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AuroraHDR2018
Aurora HDR from Macphun will soon have a new interface and great power.
Photo: Trey Ratcliff/Macphun

Imaging software company Macphun today announced a faster, more powerful version of its popular Aurora HDR.

Available for pre-order next month, Aurora HDR 2018 includes a redesigned user interface, speed upgrades in RAW imaging processing and merging and masking performance, and a lens correction tool that fixes chromatic aberration, vignetting and other forms of distortion.

Google will pay $3 billion to remain top search provider on iOS

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Google logo
Amount will bolster Apple's services business.
Photo: Google

Google could pay Apple as much as $3 billion this year in order to remain the default search engine on iOS devices, a new report claims.

The claim comes from Bernstein analyst A.M. Sacconaghi Jr. If true, it would represent a sizable increase from the $1 billion that Apple was paid by Google for the same reason back in 2014.

Apple Watch Series 3 will bring LTE but no design changes

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Apple Watch
Apple Watch Series 3 will look exactly the same as its predecessors.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch Series 3 will be a significant upgrade thanks to LTE connectivity, which will allow you to use apps and receive notifications without being tethered to your iPhone over Bluetooth.

But one reliable analyst warns that the new model will look exactly the same as its predecessors.

Good luck getting your hands on HomePod this December

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Apple's new HomePod smart speaker is ready to rock your house.
HomePod will launch in December, but supplies will be constrained.
Photo: Apple

Apple HomePod manufacturer Inventec Appliances warns that the device will be in limited supply when it launches this December.

Analysts expect the company to ship just 500,000 units by the end of 2017. However, supplies are anticipated to improve in 2018, when Foxconn will help with manufacturing duties.

Apple rolls out sixth betas for iOS 11, macOS High Sierra, tvOS 11 and more

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iPhone 7 iOS 11
A redesigned Control Center is one of many changes to look forward to in iOS 11.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s sixth betas for iOS 11, macOS High Sierra, tvOS 11, and watchOS 4 are now available to download for registered developers.

This rollout comes just one week after Apple seeded its fifth beta releases, which indicates the company is close to finalizing these updates for their public debut this fall.

Apple Watch Series 3 on track to launch this fall

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Apple Watch
It will deliver a big boost to one Apple supplier.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch Series 3 is on track to launch this fall, with shipments expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.

Apple partner Quanta Computer will enjoy a successful end to 2017 as a result, with revenues already up as a result of increased demand for notebooks and servers.

Pikachu Snapchat filter lets you turn yourself into a Pokémon

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Snapchat dysmorphia
Pika the new Snapchat filter to turn yourself into a Pokémon
Photo: Snapchat

Snapchat has paired up with The Pokémon Company to debut a Pikachu filter that turns users’ faces into that of the famous yellow electric Pokémon.

Best of all, whenever you open your mouth you’ll hear Pikachu’s instantly recognizable voice as the animated character leaps onto the screen to strike a pose!

Apple credited with significantly boosting Taiwan’s exports to the U.S.

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
Apple's a money-printing machine right now.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Excitement over the iPhone 8, and Apple’s better-than-expected iPad sales, have driven a number of Apple suppliers in Taiwan to experience massive growth in the last financial quarter.

Taken in their entirety, the strong financial performance of Apple’s suppliers was enough to increase Taiwan’s overall export revenue to the United States in July by a massive 12.5 percent year-on-year in U.S. dollars. For those keeping track at home, that’s pretty darn impressive!