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Former Apple health director wants to fix medical records mess

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Health
Wouldn't it be great if our full health records were easier to gain access to?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The Apple Health Technologies director who sold his previous health data startup to Apple in 2016 is taking on a new mission: fixing the broken medical records system.

Anil Sethi is still listed on LinkedIn as working for Apple. However, according to a new report, Sethi left the company last year to care for his sister, who subsequently passed away as a result of breast cancer. Instead of going back to Apple, Sethi has now started a new company, Citizen, which has since raised $3 million in venture funding.

Spotify picks up 8 million subscribers by copying Apple Music

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Spotify app now playing screen
Spotify and Siri are finally a team.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

When Apple Music made its debut, one of the biggest reasons to switch from rival streaming services was for its $15 family plan. But it wasn’t long before Spotify copied it — and it’s been paying off in a big way.

The bargain family plan helped Spotify attract another 8 million paying subscribers during the second quarter of 2018, taking its total number to 83 million worldwide.

Dashlane 6 is the all-in-one solution for identity protection

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Dashlane 6 identity protection dashboard
Dashlane: Everything you need to stay safe online.
Photo: Dashlane

Dashlane, the official password manager of Cult of Mac, just rolled out a massive update that helps keep your digital identity safe online.

Version 6.0 is an all-in-one solution for online risk prevention, identity monitoring, and identity restoration. Its revolutionary Identity Dashboard makes it easier than ever to find out how you might be vulnerable, and the steps you can take to bolster your security.

Here’s almost every wallpaper Apple has ever made for Mac and iOS

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Snow-Leopard
Did you have a favorite Apple wallpaper?
Photo: Apple

Do you want a blast of Apple nostalgia which takes you back to an earlier time in macOS or iOS history, but don’t want to go as far as actually using older hardware? If so, then you’re in for a treat, thanks to a new archive of classic Apple wallpapers which just popped up online.

Dating back to the classic Mac days of System 7 and the original iPhone OS (remember when it wasn’t yet called iOS?), the archive boasts full resolution copies of most of the vintage Apple background images.

Apple’s Search Ad campaigns expand to new countries

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Search ads
Not just available in the U.S. any more.
Photo: Apple

The App Store is bigger than even Steve Jobs likely dared hope, but with around 2 million apps battling it out for your attention, there’s a discovery problem.

To help with this, Apple introduced a program called Search Ads a few years back to help highlight individual apps through advertisements. Apple is now rolling out its Search Ads service to new countries, bringing the total number of supported markets to 13.

How to close all Safari tabs at once on iPhone and iPad

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Does your Safari tab view looked like an overstuffed Rolodex? We can totally help.
Does your Safari tab view looked like an overstuffed Rolodex? We can totally help.
Photo: Sarah Gerke/Flickr CC

You probably know the trick for closing lots of tabs in Safari on your iPhone. You enter the tab overview aka Rolodex view, and then swipe those tabs off the screen one by one. It’s even kind of fun, but if you have lots and lots of tabs open, then the fun wears off pretty fast. So you’ll be happy to hear that there is a better way. A much better way, in fact, that lets you close all your open tabs with one tap.

Samsung develops a new ‘unbreakable’ OLED display

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iPhone X
Samsung is no longer Apple's only OLED maker.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Samsung says it has developed a new “unbreakable” OLED display, which could be used for everything from smartphones to “military devices” (so you know it’s tough!). The rugged plastic panel can withstand repeated drops and extreme temperatures, the company says.

Having previously been the exclusive OLED panel provider for the iPhone X, Samsung now faces increasing competition from other companies that want a piece of the Apple pie. But the South Korean tech giant is fighting back!

2018 iPhone won’t be as fast as it could be

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Apple Watch
Rather than Qualcomm LTE modems, the 2018 iPhone will use chips from other suppliers that aren't as fast.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The Apple vs. Qualcomm battle just escalated to the point where the next iPhones won’t include LTE modems produced by this chipmaker. That means these iOS devices will be slower accessing the Internet.

Apple certainly has other options for LTE chips. But none are as good as Qualcomm’s products.

Emmy-winning actress joins Apple’s sci-fi epic See

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Alfre Woodward at Global Green USA's 12th Annual Millennium Awards.
Alfre Woodward at Global Green USA's 12th Annual Millennium Awards.
Photo: Global Green USA/ Flickr CC

Apple’s sci-fi drama See already has Jason Momoa from Aquaman, and now he’s joined by Alfre Woodward, who has no less than four Emmys and an Oscar nomination.

Aside from some of the cast, a director, and the writer, all we know about See is that it will be an “epic, world-building drama set in the future,” according to Variety.

Apple T2 chip might crash iMac Pro, MacBook Pro

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The Apple T2 chip could be the source of mysterious crashes afflicting two of Apple's newest computers.
The Apple T2 chip could be the source of mysterious crashes afflicting two of Apple's newest computers.
Photo: IFIXIT

Some iMac Pro units are subject to occasional hard crashes. The reasons are hard to pin down, but fingers are starting to point at the Apple T2 chip inside this computer. 

There’s also one in the 2018 MacBook Pro, and this new device is seemingly prone to the same problem.   

Tim Cook is ready to rock LoveLoud fest – with wise words

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LOVELOUD
Apple CEO Tim Cook will introduce the band Imagine Dragons Satuday at the LOVELOUD Festival in Utah.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple CEO Tim Cook will be among the speakers this Saturday at the second LoveLoud Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The music festival is staged by the LoveLoud Foundation, which was started in 2017 by Dan Reynolds, lead singer of pop band Imagine Dragons. The fest began as a way to promote acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community.

Unearthed interview shows Steve Jobs knew the iPhone would be ‘huge’

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jobs figure
This plastic model of Steve Jobs has a better vision of the future of smartphones than many rival CEOs.
Photo: DAM Toys

Ten years ago, Apple co-founder and  then-CEO Steve Jobs understood that smartphones were going to be a big deal. And he realized software would be an important part of that.

With 20/20 hindsight, it’s easy to dismiss that vision. But Jobs was talking in August 2008, a year after the release of the first iPhone, and only a month after the iOS App Store debuted. Most people had flip phones, and PCs dominated the computing landscape.

How to run Siri Shortcuts from Reminder alerts

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Get a reminder to log your run every day.
Get a reminder to log your run every day.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Today we’ll see how to put a Shortcut into a reminder, so you can just tap the reminder alert to run it.

For this, we’ll use the new iOS 12 Shortcuts app, or Apple’s existing Workflow app. For instance, you could have a reminder that pops up every morning at 9AM, telling you to log your run. In the pop-up alert, right there on the lock screen, will be a button to execute a Shortcut/Workflow to do just that. Tap it, and you’ll be able to log your run via a pop up.

And of course this isn’t limited to fitness, nor even to time-based reminders.

iPhone gobbles up 8 of 10 top-selling smartphone spots for Q2

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iPhone X
iPhone X sales are still booming.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone absolutely dominated its Android competition in the United States during the second quarter or 2018.

According to the latest data from the folks at Kantar, iPhones took 8 of the top 10 spots in smartphone sales, helping iOS gain market share at Samsung and LG’s expense.

IQ test of virtual assistants shows Siri’s smarts are on the rise

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

If Siri seems to be of greater service to you lately, an annual IQ test comparing virtual assistants shows its definitely getting smarter.

Loup Ventures annually peppers the various digital assistants with five categories of questions and when it comes to accuracy and comprehension of a user’s question, Google Assistant remains the best. Siri, however, is right behind Google while Amazon’s Alex and Cortana lags behind in that order.

Documents is the files app iOS deserves [Essential iOS Apps #42]

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Documents app main screen
Documents offers mobile access to all your files, across your servers and cloud storage products.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

50 Essential iOS Apps: DocumentsFor the last few years, discussions about whether you can do “real work” on iOS have circled the internet. One of the most commonly cited issues with iOS was the lack of a file browser. In iOS 11, Apple gave us the Files app, but it suffers from some major limitations. Documents by Readdle takes the file management on iOS to the next level.

How to make YouTube load up to 5x faster in Safari

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YouTube in Safari on iMac Pro
It’s easy to give YouTube a kick up the backside.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Have you ever wondered why YouTube is so much slower than all the other websites you visit in Safari? Did you know that you could make it up to five times faster with very little effort?

YouTube’s new design doesn’t play nicely with browsers that aren’t Google Chrome, but with some simple tweaks, you can switch back to its previous design and enjoy much faster speeds.

Here’s how.

Wood-inlay iPhone X case cures aluminum ennui [Review]

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Rustek Axis Inlay wooden iPhone case
Do you respect wood? Rustek does.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Just how much aluminum and glass can you take? If you’re a longtime Apple fan but you’re getting bored with your devices’ sleek surfaces, wood could be the answer.

In particular, wrapping your iPhone in a wooden case from Rustek might cure you of your aluminum ennui. With eye-catching graphics made of laser-cut wood veneers, these cases look really different.

YouTube tests confirm MacBook Pro’s thermal throttling issue is fixed

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MacBook Pro
Dave Lee was the person who first diagnosed the problem.
Photo: Dave Lee

The YouTuber who sounded the alarm over serious thermal throttling on the new Core i9 MacBook Pro confirms that Apple corrected the performance-killing problem.

Following the macOS High Sierra update Apple issued yesterday, YouTube tech reviewer Dave Lee uploaded a new video showing that the patch did its job. After the upgrade, his new MacBook Pro is running faster!

Apple display maker slashes its budget after second quarterly loss

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RED iphone
LG Display is one of Apple's main display makers.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple display maker LG Display supposedly faces an “uncertain outlook” after posting its second quarterly loss, based on falling prices for its services.

As a result of the disappointing earnings, LG has cut investment plans by $2.7 billion for the period through 2020. In an earnings call, LG’s CFO Don Kim blamed “uncertainty around the mobile market” for the firm’s decision.

Steam fights Discord with new Chat service, coming soon to iOS

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Steam Chat
Steam just made it a lot easier to talk to your teammates.
Photo: Valve

Steam is taking the fight to Discord with a new Chat service that makes it easier to communicate with teammates.

Chat can be used for voice and text, negating the need for third-party services, and it’s (obviously) designed with gamers in mind. It’s also headed to iOS soon.