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See what the 2020 iPad Pro looks like on your desk with the magic of AR

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2020-iPad-Pro-AR
The 2020 iPad Pro looks good anywhere.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The first 2020 iPad Pro orders will start reaching customers next Wednesday, March 25. You don’t need to wait that long to see what it will look like on your desk, complete with amazing Magic Keyboard, however.

Using the power of augmented reality, Apple can put a virtual iPad Pro anywhere in your home. But be warned: If you didn’t already want a 2020 iPad Pro, you will after you see one right in front of you.

New Apple video shows off iPad Pro’s mighty LiDAR scanner

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Look inside the LiDAR scanner in the 2020 iPad Pro
The innovative LiDAR scanner in the 2020 iPad Pro is fast and accurate.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

A new Apple demonstration video surfaced Thursday, this one showing off the powerful marquee feature of the new iPad Pro, the LiDAR Scanner.

Words do not explain this augmented reality tool quite like seeing it being demoed by various developers.

iBauhaus traces iPhone design back to … 1920s Germany? [Book review]

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iBauhaus book
An intriguingly different look at the origins of the iPhone.
Photo: Luke Dormehl/Cult of Mac

Quirky but excellent new book iBauhaus traces Apple’s design principles to a German design school nearly a century old. Written by art expert Nicholas Fox Weber, the book won’t appeal to everyone.

If you’re exclusively interested in behind-the-scenes details of how Apple makes and sells its products, this book probably isn’t for you. If you shuddered through Jony Ive interviews heavy on design-speak, this definitely isn’t the book for you.

However, a certain segment of readers — myself included — will find iBauhaus really enjoyable. And they will learn a lot about the design of the iPhone along the way.

2020 iPad Pro gets a serious RAM upgrade

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2020 iPad Pro with Apple Pencil
Apple says the 2020 iPad Pro is well suited for 4K video editing, 3D design, and augmented reality.
Photo: Apple

Every 2020 iPad Pro reportedly includes 50% more RAM than most versions of its predecessor. This goes along with an enhanced processor.

In addition, Apple’s latest tablet also supposedly includes the U1 chip for directionally-aware AirDrop.

Update: Tests with Apple’s latest tablet confirm that it has 6GB of RAM.  However, it does not have the U1 chip.

Craig Federighi shows off awesome power of iPad trackpad

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Craig-Federighi-iPad-Pro
Craig Federighi and new iPad features? What more could you want?
Photo: Apple

Apple is bringing true trackpad support (and improved mouse support) to the iPad. Get ready to enjoy it by learning all the new gestures from Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering.

In a new video released by Apple Wednesday, Federighi demonstrates the improvements and shows how simple swipes can help you access Control Center, switch between apps in Slide Over, return to the Home screen, and more.

Essential accessories make working from home more comfortable, productive

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New to working from home? These essential work-from-home accessories will help you get the most out of COVID-19 isolation.
New to working from home? Here's how you can get the most out of it.
Photo: Hello I'm Nik/Unsplash CC

COVID-19 lockdowns mean more and more people will find themselves working from home. While everyone agrees that staying away from the office is the right thing to do, working from home nonetheless comes with certain challenges. These work-from-home accessories can help.

If you want to thrive in this new environment, you should consider investing in some or all of these items. They will make you more productive, and more comfortable, as you wait out the coronavirus pandemic. And, yes, I assume you already own a computer you can work on. (If not, those new iPad Pros look pretty hot.)

LiDAR scanner makes 2020 iPad Pro an augmented reality powerhouse

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Look inside the LiDAR scanner in the 2020 iPad Pro
The innovative LiDAR scanner in the 2020 iPad Pro is fast and accurate.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

The 2020 iPad Pro is the first Apple computer with LiDAR. This innovation enables the tablet to make an accurate 3D map of its location. Combine it with software improvements and this tablet is, in Apple’s words, “the world’s best device for augmented reality.”

And the LiDAR scanner might be usable for other purposes, as well.

5 reasons why iPad Pro’s new Magic Keyboard blows our minds

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iPad-Pro-Magic-Trackpad
Everything we wanted the Smart Keyboard to be.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s exciting new Magic Keyboard is going to make working on iPad Pro better than ever when the accessory debuts in May. It’s a huge improvement over the Smart Keyboard Folio in so many ways.

Prices start at $299, which makes the Magic Keyboard an expensive upgrade. For many iPad Pro users, however, it will be well worth it. Here are five reasons why the Magic Keyboard with trackpad blows our minds.

Apple doubles SSD storage capacity for Mac mini

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Mac mini ports
Prices stay the same, but storage goes up. That's a win-win!
Photo: Apple

Apple updated its entire Mac mini line Wednesday, offering double the SSD storage capacity at the regular price.

A $799 Mac mini is available with 256GB of PCIe-based SSD storage. Meanwhile, the $1,099 Mac mini now comes with 512GB of SSD storage as standard.

New MacBook Air announced with $999 starting price, Magic Keyboard and 6K display support

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Low price, new keyboard, two times faster.
Photo: Apple

Apple updated its MacBook Air lineup Wednesday, adding a redesigned scissor-switch Magic Keyboard, twice the storage, a reported two times faster CPU and a lower price tag starting at $999.

Apple said the new MacBook Air comes with twice the storage capacity of the previous model. The new base model starts at 256GB, with up to 80% faster graphics performance. It also supports the Apple 6K Pro Display XDR.

Surprise iPad Pro refresh brings LiDAR Scanner, Ultra Wide camera, trackpad support

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2020-iPad-Pro-trackpad
It's powered by a new A12Z Bionic chip.
Photo: Apple

Apple surprised the world Wednesday with a brand-new iPad Pro that packs a LiDAR Scanner, Ultra Wide camera and studio-quality microphones. The tablet is powered by an improved A12Z Bionic chip that makes it faster than many laptops.

Consumers can order it beginning today from the Apple Online Store, with prices starting at $799.

Samsung Rising details the battle between Galaxy and iPhone [Book review]

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Samsung Rising tells how Apple pushed Samsung to be No. 1.
How Apple pushed Samsung to be No. 1.
Photo: Samsung Rising

New book Samsung Rising tells the story of Apple’s biggest rival in the smartphone era. It chronicles Samsung’s decades-long ascent, and the fierce competition between the South Korean tech giant’s Galaxy smartphones and the iPhone.

Smartly written and reported by veteran journalist Geoffrey Cain, Samsung Rising will certainly keep your brain active and your fingers flipping pages.

Xvida’s brilliant battery pack lets you charge iPhone wirelessly anywhere

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The most convenient way to wirelessly charge on the go.
Photo: Xvida

Portable battery packs are a must-have for anyone who finds their iPhone running low on juice before the day is done. But who wants to tackle tangled cables on the go? With Xvida’s wireless charging battery, you don’t have to.

This 4,000mAh power bank packs Qi charging technology, so it can top up your iPhone — and a whole host of other devices — without wires. Bag yours today from the Cult of Mac Store.

6 things to do when you’re stuck at home in self-quarantine

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prison cell bars
Feeling locked up?
Photo: Denny Müller/Unsplash

Has the government in your city or country shut down everything due to COVID-19? Are the bars, gyms and other nonessential places closed? Are you stuck at home, cooped up with nothing but Facebook and Twitter to fan the flames of your outrage and fear?

Don’t worry. There are plenty of things to do at home. Why not take advantage of all that extra time and use it for something you enjoy?

Samsung Rising charts company’s ruthless quest to ‘beat Apple’ [Q&A]

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Geoffrey Cain goes deep on one of Apple's biggest rivals in his new book, Samsung Rising.
Geoffrey Cain goes deep on one of Apple's biggest rivals in his new book, Samsung Rising.
Photo: Marion Ettlinger

Apple vs. Samsung is the modern Apple vs. Microsoft — a battle between seemingly unstoppable tech titans. In his new book, Samsung Rising, author Geoffrey Cain charts the surprising story of the South Korean electronics giant. He also reveals how a burning desire to beat Apple drove Samsung’s successful strategies.

Cain, a former reporter for Time and Fast Company, based his book on more than 400 interviews. Over the years, he spoke with top Samsung and Apple executives to gain an insider’s perspective on the battle between the two companies. In this exclusive interview with Cult of Mac, he serves up surprising insight into a tech rivalry for the ages.

Amazing Stories finds surer footing in second episode, ‘The Heat’ [Review]

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E’myri Crutchfield & Hailey Kilgore in the Apple TV+ show Amazing Stories
E’myri Crutchfield and Hailey Kilgore enliven the newest episode of Amazing Stories.
Photo: Apple

The second episode of the redesigned Amazing Stories finds its legs with a story of a track star caught between life and death.

If showrunners Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz have anything even a fraction as good as this up their sleeves for the rest of the season, Amazing Stories might prove the strongest of Apple TV+ shows, considering its short episode order.

How to force Safari to open tabs the way it should

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paper notebook with tabs
Tabs, just like those that Safari now messes up.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

At some point, fairly recently, Safari started opening new tabs to the right of the currently open tab, instead of opening them at the end of the tab bar, as nature intended. This means that you have to search for the newly opened tab, instead of just knowing exactly where it is. I can see the point of opening tabs next to the current one, but I don’t like it.

Happily, there’s a way to revert Safari’s behavior to the good old way — the way my grandmother, and her grandmother before her, dealt with their tabs. It’s a simple option inside Safari’s debug menu. Wait? Debug menu?

Apple confirms WWDC 2020 will go ahead in June with ‘all-new online format’

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Apple WWDC 2020
WWDC 2020 will go ahead, but as an online-only event.
Photo: Apple

Apple on Friday confirmed that its annual Worldwide Developers Conference will go ahead in June with “an all-new online format” and not take place at a conference center as has happened since the first WWDC in 1987.

The high-tech giant said the approach was essential amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but that it was determined to deliver a full program with an online keynote and developer sessions. Apple has also confirmed it will commit $1 million to local San Jose organizations to offset revenue loss as a result of WWDC going online-only.

How to stay informed about coronavirus without terrifying yourself

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COVID-19 coronavirus news got you down? Don't panic!
Don't panic! You can keep up with COVID-19 news without going nuts.
Photo: Simon English/Unsplash

Open up a newspaper, visit a news site or turn on the TV, and you’ll see the end of the world is nigh. And, of course, the COVID-19 coronavirus is serious business, especially if you are in one of the vulnerable categories.

But that doesn’t mean you need to panic. In fact, panicking about anything usually just makes things worse. So, how do you stay informed about the rapidly spreading disease without succumbing to media terror?

Meet Jerry Manock, the father of Apple’s Industrial Design Group

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Apple’s first proper industrial designer, Jerry Manock crafted the look of the Macintosh and other memorable computers.
Apple’s first proper industrial designer, Jerry Manock crafted the look of the Macintosh and other memorable computers.
Photo courtesy Jerry Manock

Jerry Manock is one of the great unsung heroes of Apple design. As the father of Apple’s Industrial Design Group, Manock made an indelible contribution to the company’s long line of hit products.

He may not be a household name like Jony Ive, but, starting with the Apple II, Manock played a massive role in making the company what it is today. In an exclusive interview with Cult of Mac, the 76-year-old industrial designer recounts many colorful stories about Cupertino’s past — including one that shows even Steve Jobs got nostalgic.

How to work from home without losing your mind

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Telecommuting tips: Who wants to go to an office when they can work from home like this?
Who wants to go to an office when they can work like this?
Photo: Nathan Riley/Unsplash

Thanks to the rapidly spreading COVID-19 virus, lots of people are being told to work from home. And that’s good, work-wise, because working from home can be relaxing, highly productive and, of course, very convenient. But depending on your family situation, your home layout and your guilty stress from feeling like you’re not doing enough, it also can be a nightmare.

Most of the Cult of Mac team works from home, so I asked for their top telecommuting tips. Here they are.