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Smiling Apple fans show off their new haul of devices

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iPhone XS fan in Singapore
One happy new iPhone owner in Singapore.
Photo: Apple

Forget Amazon’s Prime Day, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday — if you’re an Apple fan, the biggest non-holiday day of the year is new device day. And it’s finally here!

As of 8am local time on Friday, September 21, the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4 go on sale around the world. While we’re still a few hours away from that time rolling around in the U.S, a number of places in the world have already received their devices. And, boy, do their customers look happy!

Massive lines form at Apple stores for iPhone XS launch

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line for iPhone X
If you didn't pre-order, get ready to wait in line.
Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac

Hordes of Apple fans hoping to get their hands on the new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are starting to form massive lines at the company’s stores all over the globe.

The two new iPhones and Apple Watch Series 4 go on sale Friday, September 21 but there will only be a limited supply available. Some of the iPhone XS Max models sold out within the first few minutes of preorders being opened, but that hasn’t stopped some fans from trying their luck by waiting in line, even if it means standing in the rain for hours.

Check out some of these huge lines:

First iPhone XS orders start arriving on customers’ doorsteps

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iPhone XS Max
Apple's September event was enormous.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone XS is already being delivered to some lucky customers on the far side of the globe.

Apple fans in the U.S. still have over 12 hours to wait before their iPhone XS pre-orders start being delivered, but in New Zealand that pre-ordered the iPhone XS, XS Max and Apple Watch Series 4 are already reveling in their new devices.

How to let Dashlane and 1Password autofill passwords in iOS 12

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Dashlane password manager vs web browser: Don't rely on your web browser to keep track of your passwords.
Now you can replace the iCloud Keychain with the app of your choice.
Photo: FirmBee/Pixabay CC

One fantastic new feature of iOS 12 is that password manager apps can integrate into the built-in password autofill. You know how when you tap a password field in Safari, and it offers to fill the password in from your iCloud Keychain? It’s pretty handy right?

Now it can also serve up passwords form third-party apps like Dashlane and 1Password. And that’s not all.

Galaxy A7 one-ups Apple with three-camera smartphone

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Galaxy A7
Samsung's latest has three cameras.
Photo: Samsung

While the camera upgrades have some Apple fans considering paying the price of a MacBook for an iPhone, Samsung announced a three-camera smartphone today that will retail for about $400.

While Apple is reportedly on track for a three-camera iPhone sometime next year, the Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 joins Huawei’s P20 Pro as the only handsets to feature a third rear-facing lens.

Amazon rolls out better (and wackier) new Echo products

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microwave
Amazon's new microwave is super smart.
Photo: Amazon

Amazon hosted its annual “secret” event this morning in Seattle where the company unleashed a tidal wave of new Alexa-powered Echo products that are designed to take on pretty much every major tech company in the world.

From its new microwave to a pricey new subwoofer, Amazon has a new product for pretty much everybody at every price point. The event was so action-packed it was hard to keep up with the catalog of new options, but we’ve rounded them all up so you can figure out what Alexa products you should splurge on next.

Check out all these new goodies:

First iOS 12.1 public beta offers Group FaceTime

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FaceTime group calls iOS 12
Group FaceTime is back! Sort of. You can call 32 friends at once if you're all willing to install iOS 12.1 public beta 1.
Photo: Apple

Anyone who’d like to try out iOS 12.1 can now do so. Apple just seeded the first public beta, a couple of days after the developer-only version.

Be warned: those who are going to trade in their current iPhone for a shiny new iPhone X’s tomorrow absolutely should not install this.

Ferrite Recording Studio 2.0 is a podcaster’s dream

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Short of recording Skype, Ferrite does everything you need to make a podcast.
Short of recording Skype, Ferrite does everything you need to make a podcast.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

If you record podcasts, audio interviews, or anything else were you need to record and edit a bunch of people talking, then you may already know about Ferrite Recording Studio. It’s an app designed for the exact purpose, making it easy to gather your audio “footage,” edit it, and then post it to your outlet of choice.

Version 2.0 just launched, and it makes the app better than ever.

Apple monitors your iPhone usage to assign you a ‘trust score’

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Apple Maps reservation OpenTable
Apple is watching to be sure your device is really being used by you, and has begun giving each an iPhone trust score.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In an attempt to prevent fraudulent purchases from the iTunes Store, Apple has begun giving each iOS device a “trust score.” Exactly how this is computed isn’t known, but one of the factors is how many phone calls and emails are sent and received by the phone or tablet.

Despite the laudable goal of preventing fraud, an iPhone trust score is something likely to raise the hackles of privacy advocates. Still, Apple promises that it’s not tracking its users.

iPhone XS reveals its secrets in first teardown video

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The first iPhone XS teardown video shows the unusual L-shaped battery.
The first iPhone XS teardown video shows the unusual L-shaped battery.
Photo: FixjeiPhone

The iPhone XS debuts tomorrow, but a video showing this device being disassembled is already available. This not only gives the first look at the internal components but reveals some of the details about this smartphone.

Perhaps the most unusual feature of Apple’s new high-end model is the L-shaped battery.

iPhone XS and Apple Watch Series 4 pre-orders are shipping

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Apple Watch Series 4
Apple's fancy new devices are on the way!
Photo: Apple

Many of the folks who set their alarms to pre-order Apple’s new products last week are receiving alerts stating that their orders have shipped. These include orders for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4.

The earliest delivery dates for the devices are for September 21. This is the same day they should theoretically go on sale in stores, although the most popular models are unlikely to be available straight away.

Get hands-on training in Adobe, WordPress and other content-creation tools [Deals]

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Dig into 60 hours' worth of lessons in the many tools and platforms used in digital design and content creation.
Dig into 60 hours' worth of lessons in the many tools and platforms used in digital design and content creation.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

There are tons of tools for creating or publishing digital content, from Photoshop and WordPress to Sketch and HTML. Anyone looking to break into the digital content industry faces a steep learning curve. That makes this massively discounted lesson bundle a very valuable resource indeed.

Watch how Apple Watch 4’s stunning motion faces were made

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Watch faces
Apple created its Apple Watch videos the old fashioned way.
Screenshot: Cool Hunting

If you’ve wondered how Apple set about creating its stunning new Apple Watch Series 4 motion faces, a new behind-the-scenes video will shed some light.

The biggest shocker? That the high resolution videos — incorporating fire, water, and vapor — weren’t generated on a computer. In fact, they were shot in a studio with real elements. And they look all the better for it.

Eager fans are already standing in line for the iPhone XS and XS Max

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iphone XS
Apple fans are an enthusiastic lot.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max go on sale tomorrow morning, and — as has become tradition — fans are already lining up.

One report published today claims that, by noon local time on Thursday, around 250 people had already lined up outside an Apple Store in Singapore. The person at the front of the line had flown from Vietnam the previous day, and had started queuing at 6 a.m. Thursday.

Deliveroo will deliver food to your exact spot in the iPhone XS queue

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Deliveroo
A Deliveroo driver in the U.K.
Photo: Shopblocks/Flickr CC

Deliveroo, a popular online food delivery company which operates in 84 cities around the world, has come up with an ingenious idea to appeal to folks with money to spend: Deliver food to people as they queue up waiting for the next iPhone.

The service is letting people order food from relevant eateries by Deliveroo, and then have it delivered to their precise spot in the line. It’s available in a total of 12 countries. Sadly, the U.S. is not one of them!

Marco Rubio wants Apple to shed light on data-stealing Mac app

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Senator Rubio
Rubio is upset about a Mac app that was found to be sending user data to China.
Photo: Senator Rubio

Florida Senator Marco Rubio isn’t happy about Mac apps. Specifically, he’s not happy about Mac apps stealing user data and sending it off to remote servers in China. And he’s perhaps most unhappy that Apple failed to act sooner than it did.

In a letter sent Wednesday, Rubio voiced his complaints to Apple CEO Tim Cook. In it, he asked why Apple failed to immediately act upon information it had about an app, Adware Doctor, which was behaving in a malicious manner.

Everything you need to know about Bedtime for iPhone

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Bedtime tells you when to go to sleep, and when to wake up again.
Bedtime tells you when to go to sleep, and when to wake up again.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

If you’re still using your iPhone’s alarm clock to wake you up in the mornings, you’re about to be amazed at how awesome waking up can become. Right there inside the Clock app is a Bedtime tab, which will make using olde-timey iPhone alarms seem like carrying a wind-up travel alarm clock with you on a business trip.

Not only does Bedtime wake you up with soothing sounds, it also tracks your sleep. It even reminds you when it’s time for bed! Let’s check out what it does and how to use it.

Crazy Rich Asians director shoots poor short film on iPhone XS Max

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dancer
One of the best B-Boys in the Hollywood busts out his moves for iPhone XS Max.
Photo: Jon M. Chu

Need more proof that the iPhone XS and XS Max are the most amazing cameras Apple’s ever made?

John M. Chu, director of the breakout hit movie Crazy Rich Asians was enlisted to shoot a new short film shot entirely on the iPhone XS Max. This is not the first time an A-list director has only used the iPhone to make a movie, but what stands out about Chu’s short is he used zero equipment. No lenses. No lights. No stabilizers. Just the iPhone in his hand.

Watch the full short film right here:

Hot new Apple Watch feature gives wearers a serious dose of FOMO

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walkie-talkie
Walkie-Talkie is the best new watchOS 5 feature.
Photo: Apple

The new Walkie-Talkie app is being lauded by Apple Watch owners as the best new feature that came out as part of watchOS 5. But for some wearers, there’s a serious problem: they can’t find anyone to talk to.

Walkie-Talkie gives Apple Watch owners the ability to turn their wrist into a sort of digital two-way radio transceiver to talk with friends and family. It’s a super-convenient way to have short bursts of conversation when you don’t want to talk on the phone. If you don’t have any friends with a compatible Apple Watch, though, there’s no way to get in on the action.

Twitter has been full of people feeling the pains of Walkie-Talkie FOMO the last few days:

HomePod kills where it matters most: Making money

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Siri Lights
Apple is in business to make a profit, and HomePod sales are bringing in more revenue than any of its rivals.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Weak HomePod sales caused it to fall off of the list of top 5 smartspeakers during the second quarter of this year. But there’s a very important metric where this product is beating all its rivals.

And it’s a category where Apple excels: making money.

Apple completely dominates premium smartphone sales

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iPhone X
Sales of the iPhone X were vastly higher than the equivalently-priced Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Samsung sells more phones than Apple, and its high-end devices like the Galaxy S9 get lots of attention. That means Samsung sells as many top-tier models as Apple, right? Nope, not even close.

Apple sells close to twice as many premium phones as its top rival. In this case, “premium” is any handset costing over $400. Which is a fairly low bar.

How to add a second face to Face ID in iOS 12

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alternate appearance Face ID
The Cult of Mac dress code makes it hard to use Face ID at work.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

In iOS 12, iPhone X owners gain the option of adding an alternate appearance in Face ID. If you’re a drag queen, if you regularly wear protective head and face gear for your job, or if you’re Bono and you’d like to be able to use your iPhone for that one hour a day that your doctor recommends you remove your sunglasses, an alternate appearance will help your iPhone recognize you.

Can you use it to let a second person access your iPhone? Perhaps. Here’s how to set it all up.

iOS 12.1 beta appears to confirm USB-C on new iPads

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Both the 2018 iPad Pro tablets have undergone the most significant redesign yet.
Both the 2018 iPad Pro tablets have apparently undergone the most radical redesign yet.
Photo: MySmartPrice

Apple’s first beta for iOS 12.1 is starting to be a fountain of leaks regarding the new iPad Pros set to come out this fall.

After revealing yesterday that new iPads are on the way, it appears that iOS 12.1 beta 1 has also confirmed the long-cited rumor that the new iPads will come with a USB-C port.

DNC urges Democrats to dump Android for iPhone

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GrayKey can bypass iPhone security
iPhone security impresses the new head of information security at the Democratic National Party.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Democratic National Committee has a solution for improving its smartphone security: switch to iPhone. It suggests that Democratic organizations get rid of all their Android devices.

This is especially true if the phones are from ZTE, a company with ties to the Chinese government.

How to turn Apple Watch into a walkie-talkie

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watchOS 5
watchOS 5 turns Apple Watch into a walkie-talkie
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

You don’t need to buy the new Apple Watch Series 4 to get one of this year’s coolest new features on it.

As part of the watchOS 5 update released earlier this week, Apple introduced a new Walkie-Talkie app that lets you chat back-and-forth with other Apple Watch owners. The Walkie-Walkie app works no matter the distance between you and your friend. And it’s so easy to use, it might become your favorite new way to communicate.

Apple’s new video shows exactly how to use it.