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Adobe’s Project Gemini enhances iPad drawing and painting

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Project Gemini
Project Gemini aims to perfect the mobile drawing and painting experience.
Photo: Adobe

Adobe is developing new drawing and painting software for illustrators with a next-generation program called Project Gemini.

The announcement came with a pun – “we went back to the drawing board” – but artists likely received the words with relief as opposed to an eye roll.

Firmware update adds AirPlay 2 support to Libratone ZIPP speakers

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WWDC 2017 AirPlay 2 device makers
Craig Federighi highlights speaker makers adding AirPlay 2 support at WWDC 2017
Photo: Apple

At WWDC 2017, Apple announced speaker support for the Home app, powered by an update to AirPlay. While introducing Airplay 2, they highlighted several speaker makers that would add support for the new protocol. Nearly a year later, iOS 11.4 finally launched with support for the updated wireless audio protocol.

As of today – 4 months after becoming available in iOS – speaker manufacturer Libratone has made good on their AirPlay 2 promise.

Adobe shows off ‘real’ Photoshop on iPad

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Photoshop on iPad
“Real Photoshop” is coming to the iPad this year.
Screenshot: Adobe

Adobe is bringing Photoshop CC to iPad in 2019 and in its announcement this morning, it placed emphasis on one word: real as in real Photoshop.

Photoshop on iPad will have all the might of the desktop version but with the pencil and touch workflow of the tablet. The work will automatically and seamlessly sync to the desktop.

Your Apple Watch could monitor how you’re recovering after a hip op

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App Home Screen Apple Watch Series 4
This is Apple's second major medical study.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple has teamed up with medical device company Zimmer Biomet to explore ways to make the Apple Watch into a valuable tool for people recovering from knee and hip replacement surgeries.

The two companies are collaborating on a clinical study to examine why certain patients recover from these procedures faster than others. The Apple Watch will be used for gathering data from participants.

iPhone Upgrade Program users can start process of getting iPhone XR today

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iPhone Upgrade Program 2
It's like being a celebrity whisked through the pre-order process.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone XR, the handset which scored the main event spot in Apple’s most recent media event, opens up for pre-orders this Friday. However, if you’re a loyal enough Apple fan to be a member of its iPhone Upgrade Program, you can begin the process of getting your hands on an iPhone XR today.

That’s due to a pre-approval feature, which will speed you through Friday’s checkout process like a celebrity being ushered through airport security.

Apple donates 1,000 watches for eating disorder study

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Man’s brand new Apple Watch turns out to be toilet plunger
Apple Watch is being used in yet another research study.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is donating 1,000 Apple Watches for a new study intended to track binge eating. The Binge Eating Genetics Initiative (BEGIN) is being run by the University of North Carolina. The Apple Watches will be used to track the heart rate of participants when they binge on food.

This is just the latest example of how Apple’s wearable device is being used in research studies.

Apple snaps up music analytics firm Asaii

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apple-music
Asaii's platform could help improve Apple Music.
Photo: Apple

Apple has acquired a music analytics startup called Asaii, according to a new report.

It is believed the acquisition, which could help Apple deliver better recommendations to Apple Music subscribers, cost less than $100 million. Asaii claims its platform can pick out the hottest artists “10 weeks to a year” before they even hit the charts.

Apple debuts a pair of new Apple Watch ‘how to’ videos

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Apple Watch 2
New videos showcase Apple Watch’s Workouts and Emergency SOS features.
Photo: Apple

With the Apple Watch Series 4, Apple’s wearable devices have moved firmly into the territory of “must have” tech products. And Apple wants to make sure that potential customers know everything they can do!

As a result, the company unleashed a pair of new “How to” videos over the weekend — showcasing how to use the Apple Watch’s Workout feature and its Emergency SOS mode. Check them out below.

Cult of Mac Magazine: It killed me to return my iPhone XS Max!

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Cult of Mac Magazine Issue 266: It killed me to return my iPhone XS Max!
The sadness ... it's unbearable!
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

After a week of being spoiled rotten by the iPhone XS Max’s big, beautiful screen, Cult of Mac writer Killian Bell did the unthinkable. He returned his iPhone XS Max to its rightful owner.

You’ll find that heartbreaking story and much more in this week’s issue of our magazine. It’s free and it’s fun to read on an iPad or iPhone. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes now. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

Cops warned to not even look at suspects’ iPhones

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faceID
Getting access to a suspect's phone requires police officers not look at it too many times themselves.
Photo:

Face ID brings a special challenge for law enforcement. Police need to be careful to not do anything that an iPhone might use as an attempt at facial recognition. They risk the phone locking itself in a way they can’t easily circumvent.

It all comes down to contradictory laws on passwords and biometric security systems.

Replaceable batteries make Tile the tracker you’ve been waiting for [Review]

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Tile will speak out against Apple in Congress antitrust hearing
A 2018 Tile Pro can be used for years now that the battery can be swapped out.
Photo: Tile

For much too long, the best key finder had a significant flaw. A Tile Pro or Tile Mate helps you keep track of your keys, the remote, or other items, but each only lasts a year. Then you have to buy another one because the battery can’t be replaced. That finally changes in the new 2018 version. Plus they have a greater range.

We tested the latest versions of the regular and Pro versions of the Tile tracker to see if they live up to their promises. 

Score 4 premium Mac apps for less than $20 each [Deals]

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We've rounded up four top-shelf productivity apps for Mac, each discounted by more than half.
With big discounts on new Macs, it’s a great time to upgrade.
Photo: Cult of Mac

To make the most of your Mac, you’ve got to have the right apps. So we’ve rounded up four top-shelf apps at super-low prices. There’s a pair of powerful iTunes alternatives, a superpowered calendar app, and an enhanced contacts app.

Best of all, each is going for less than half the usual price!

Apple employee spotted walking streets wearing giant backpack with sensors

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Apple Maps
Google has been doing this for years.
Photo: Dante Cesa

Apple’s mapping fleet is moving on two feet to get a closer look at your local streets.

We’ve seen Apple’s mapping vans roaming the U.S. for years now, but this week an Apple employee was spotted walking around San Francisco with a huge backpack that packed a bunch of sensors to gather data for the Apple Maps revamp.

Check out the setup:

Face off! Developers cook up custom Apple Watch faces

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watchOS 5 Face
Apple's new watch faces are great, but we want more!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The pressure is building on Apple to finally add third-party watch faces to the Apple Watch after a couple of developers have shown how easily they can be made.

Custom watch faces have been the most-requested feature for the Apple Watch since the original version came out in 2015. Nike and Hermes have been the only sources for third-party watch faces, but iOS developer Steve Troughton-Smith has found a hack around that. If you’re curious about the best Apple Watch face options available, there are some fantastic choices.

Use Shortcuts to share a beautiful grid of your photos

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Shortcuts created this photo grid with just a few taps.
Shortcuts created this grid with just a few taps.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Today we’re going to make a Siri Shortcut that takes a bunch of photos you took — today, or any day — and combines them into a great-looking photo grid. It then shares that grid with friends. All you have to do it tap a button or speak a Siri command.

This is a really great way to share photos of an event, a trip to a fancy restaurant, or just an overview of your day. It also shows how easy it is to build a powerful shortcut to perform a task that would take forever to do manually in Photoshop. Let’s check it out.

Apple Phone concept brings new twist to iPhone’s iconic notch

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Meet the Apple Phone.
Meet the Apple Phone.
Photo: Antonio De Rosa

Apple’s iconic notch on the iPhone X and iPhone XS has already spawned a number of Android imitators, but concept designer Antonio De Rosa has an idea that could throw a curveball at the competition: move the notch to the left.

In a series of new concept renderings, De Rosa argues that Apple should change the name of the iPhone to Apple Phone while also giving it a new look and a fancy stylus.

Take a look:

Your new iPhone deserves a minimalist case that lets it shine

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Totallee's latest line of iPhone cases offer a layer of protection that doesn't obscure the devices' subtle design.
Totallee's latest line of iPhone cases offer a layer of protection that doesn't obscure the devices' subtle design.
Photo: Totallee

This post is presented by Totallee.

Apple devices are appealing for many reasons, and chief among them is their exacting design. The in-hand feel of an iPhone is as key to owning one as any other hardware or software features. So why would you want to hide that subtlety inside a bulky case?

How to check if your Facebook account was hacked

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FAcebook
Some of the alerts you might see in the Facebook app.
Photo: Facebook

30 million accounts on Facebook were recently hacked with attackers gaining access to highly sensitive personal information.

The FBI is investigating the hacking an has asked the company not to reveal who was behind it. Facebook originally disclosed the hack to the public two weeks ago saying 50 million accounts were compromised. That number has now been reduced to just 30 million, but the amount of data stolen makes it the worst attack in Facebook’s history.

Instagram wants to tap out on infinite scrolling

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Instagram lawsuit
A Chrome extension can bring your hidden "Likes" out in the open.
Photo: Pixabay

The days of scrolling through your entire Instagram feed may soon be coming to an end.

Instagram is reportedly testing a new feature that would allow users to move through posts by tapping on the screen. The feature works similar to the way you currently navigate through Stories and could make people spend even more time in the app.

Taking the new Apple Watch Series 4 on vacation [Review]

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Mickey Mouse Disney Apple Watch Series 4
The Apple Watch Series 4 made a vacation to Disney World more convenient.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

In 2015, I purchased my wife a stainless steel Apple Watch (series 0) for her birthday. Since then, she’s used it to track hundreds of workouts, reply to thousands of texts, and triage countless notifications. She’s also told me nearly every day for the past year that she hates it and it never works right.

While that might be a bit of an exaggeration, she has a point. The original Apple Watch is slow and unresponsive. Plus, some features have become frustratingly unreliable (looking at you, Siri).

This year, we decided to upgrade her Apple Watch in time for our family vacation to Disney World. It was the perfect opportunity to test Apple’s magical wrist communicator at the most magical place on Earth.

New Apple case shows iPhone XR’s true colors

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Clear case 2
Coming soon to an iPhone XR near you.
Photo: 9to5Mac

Apple didn’t make a big thing about iPhone XR accessories that will be available when the less-expensive device launches later this month. However, an eagle-eyed iPhone XR fan (try saying that several times fast) spotted a new clear iPhone XR case mentioned in one of Apple’s regional press releases.

In Canada, and potentially other locations, a line tucked away in the iPhone XR press release notes that Apple will release a clear case for its LCD handset. We presume it will be available in the U.S. as well.

Sell your iPad now in time for a big upgrade

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iPad-Pro
Grab yours before it’s too late!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Even surge protectors are getting smart [Deals]

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Gain complete control of your power usage with this WiFi-enabled smart surge protector.
Gain complete control of your power usage with this WiFi-enabled smart surge protector.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Just a couple years ago, few imagined owning a HomePod or Echo, but now we’re shouting to one from the kitchen asking for recipes. Everything’s going smart these days, from refrigerators to light bulbs and everything between. So don’t be surprised if soon you find yourself plugging in a smart surge protector.