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With macOS Mojave, Apple gives Mac some much-needed love

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Mojave
High Sierra is dead. Long live macOS Mojave!
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of Mac Developers received an early look at macOS 10.14 today, which bears the far-less-silly-than-last-year’s-High-Sierra name “Mojave.” After what Craig Federighi called a “four year mountain bender” Apple’s heading to the desert for its next-gen Mac OS.

For its 2018 iteration, Apple is introducing a dark mode, some nifty Finder updates, added privacy, and an all new, redesigned Mac App Store. Here’s what you need to know.

tvOS 12 brings cinematic sound to Apple TV

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tvOS12
Apple TV now supports the Dolby Atmos sound bar.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of MacApple TV introduced a better picture in 2017 with 4K HDR. In 2018, tvOS 12 will add cinematic sound to match.

Apple announced today that tvOS 12 will support the Dolby Atmos soundbar for an audio format that gives movie sound a kind of 3-D effect. The addition of Dolby Atmos makes Apple TV the only streaming device that supports both Dolby Vision and Atmos.

watchOS 5 is ready to push Apple Watch into the future

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apple watch
watchOS 5 makes Apple Watch more useful than ever.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of Mac Apple is adding more ways for Apple Watch wearers to stay active and connected with watchOS 5, its biggest software update for its wearable in 2018.

Developers got an early preview of watchOS 5 today at WWDC 2018 and it’s packed with UI tweaks and a bevy of new features that make Apple Watch a better exercise companion and communication device.

Stocks app finally comes to iPad in iOS 12

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stocks on ipad_WWDC18
Stocks! On iPad!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of Mac Tim Cook finally got his way — the Stocks app will appear on iPad in iOS 12. And the app also gets a bunch of improvements, so that Stocks might no longer be the first app you hide away in a “junk” folder when you get a new iPhone.

ARKit 2.0 will make you actually want to use AR

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ARKit
Apple is taking ARKit to the next level.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of Mac ARKit was last year’s big WWDC announcement. This year Apple introduced ARKit 2.0 and, if we weren’t convinced before about the potential of augmented reality, Apple’s presentation went a long way to changing our minds!

The update to the world’s largest AR platform introduces a new more easily sharable file system, improved face tracking, more realistic rendering, 3D object detection, and — most exciting of all — shared experiences.

Apple previews iOS 12 with ARKit 2.0, huge performance boost

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iOS 12
iOS 12 rolls out to all this fall.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of Mac We just got our very first glimpse at iOS 12 during Apple’s big keynote at WWDC.

The new update, which will be available for free this fall, includes ARKit 2.0 with new experiences and support for multiplayer games, grouped notifications, group FaceTime calls, and new apps.

iOS 12 also promises huge performance improvements across all compatible devices — especially older models that have struggled with previous releases.

WWDC 2018 live blog: Apple unveils its frameworks for the future

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Get in on all the Apple action with our WWDC 2018 live blog.
Are you ready for all the Apple action?
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of Mac The first major Apple keynote of 2018 is just hours away, and it’s going to be a doozy. Apple is expected to give us our first look at iOS 12 and macOS 10.14, plus new software for Apple TV, Apple Watch and Apple Music. Some new hardware might also be in the cards as well, but we’ll have to wait until Tim Cook takes the stage to find out.

The WWDC 2018 keynote is set to kick off at 10 a.m. Pacific and we’ll be at the event and live-blogging all the festivities. Come on in and enjoy the fun with us!

Reliable Apple analyst predicts cheaper 2018 iPhone models

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An artist compiled various rumors about the 2018 iPhone into images, including this one.
Until this fall, these artist's conceptions of the 2018 iPhone models are all there is.
Photo: DBS Designing

Just about everyone agrees that Apple is prepping three iPhone models for release this fall. Analysts don’t agree on what these will cost.

Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a long history of being generally correct about Apple’s plans, said today that these devices will have lower prices than some might fear.

Window cleaners look like tiny ants in latest Apple Park flyover

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Apple Park
"What is this, a campus for ants?!"
Photo: Matthew Roberts/Maverick Imagery

Just in time for WWDC, drone videographers Duncan Sinfield and Matthew Roberts have uploaded new drone flyover videos of Apple Park.

The videos show that landscaping is continuing on the spectacular site and more people than ever are working there. Most astonishing of all is a glimpse of the 24-hour window cleaning crew, reminding us of just how massive Apple’s shiny new headquarters actually is. Check out the videos below.

ARKit 2.0 will allow multiplayer games in the same space

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ARkit
AR will no longer be a solo affair.
Photo: Dent Reality

At WWDC, Apple could debut new multiplayer AR tools which allow two iPhone users to share the same augmented reality space.

The news was shared in a recent Reuters report. While short on details, the report suggests that it will be able to do this while minimizing the amount of personal data that is sent to servers.

Apple Music gets a web player ahead of WWDC

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Apple Music on the web
Apple Music comes to your browser.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Improvements to Apple Music could be showcased at WWDC later today — but one new feature has slipped out early. A new web player gives Apple Music fans the ability to sample and enjoy full tracks in their browsers.

How to watch the WWDC 2018 keynote live stream

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WWDC 2018 Keynote banner
As ever, WWDC was a
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of MacGetting ready for today’s WWDC 2018 Keynote? Of course you are. You probably already stocked up on popcorn, or those filthy Haribo candies, and have a fresh bag of coffee beans ready to grind (or a crate of the manchild’s alternative, Club Mate).

All you need now is a live stream of the show. Let’s see how to watch the WWDC 2018 Keynote on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and even PC.

Apple has a new plan for cutting down manufacturing costs

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MacBook butterfly keyboard
Apple is now handling ordering for even tiny components like MacBook screws.
Photo: Apple

Apple is known for exerting a lot of control over the manufacturing of its products, and it’s reportedly set to ramp up this control even further.

Beginning with its new MacBook models, Apple will reportedly carry out direct pricing negotiations for the screws and assorted non-key metallic and plastic parts used on its devices, which are currently purchased directly by its contracted supply partners.

Woman in Canada is fined for using Apple Watch while driving

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apple watch 1
Don't use the Apple Watch while driving, y'all!
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

A woman in Canada has been fined for using her Apple Watch behind the wheel of her car.

Victoria Ambrose was charged with distracted driving and told that an Apple Watch is no safer “than a cellphone taped to someone’s wrist.” She had argued that the existing 2009 law about distracted driving did not apply because it referred to a “handheld wireless communication device.”

Tim Cook congratulates WWDC scholarship winners

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Tim Cook with a 2018 WWDC scholarship winner.
Tim Cook with a 2018 WWDC scholarship winner.
Screencap: Apple

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of MacThe winners of scholarships to Apple’s worldwide developers conference got a special bonus: the opportunity to meet CEO Tim Cook.

These students used their coding skills to demonstrate that they belong at this year’s WWDC. In return they receive free admission, free lodging, and help with travel expenses if needed. 

Third lawsuit filed over ‘defective’ MacBook Pro butterfly keyboard

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MacBook butterfly keyboard
Another lawsuit accuses Apple of knowingly using a defective MacBook Pro butterfly keyboard in laptops like this one,
Photo: Apple

Thinking perhaps that third time’s the charm, another lawsuit has been filed claiming that the keyboard used in the MacBook Pro is defective. Like the two prior ones filed last month, this seeks to become a class action.

All of these suits claim that the keys in Apple’s laptop can become permanently jammed, and a very expensive fix requires replacing the entire keyboard and other components.

Cult of Mac Magazine: Hidden Apple Watch metric tells if you should exercise, and more!

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cover
Heart rate variability is a new metric that reveals your stress level and whether you have recovered from your last workout. We show how you can use it to optimize your training and more!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine: Imagine if your Apple Watch could tell you which days were best for you to do a workout, and what kind of workout you should do. Well it can, sort of, thanks to a hidden feature that few people have yet discovered or know how to use.

You’ll find that story and more in this issue. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

Save big on awesome apps for your Mac [Deals]

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We've rounded up some of the coolest Mac apps at the lowest prices.
We've rounded up some of the coolest Mac apps at the lowest prices.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Your Mac’s a mighty machine, but it needs great apps to be at its best. So we’ve rounded up some of the top titles at the lowest prices, from a powerful mind-mapping program to a ‘Netflix for Mac apps’, a powerful iOS manager and more. Everything in this list is discounted by a third or more, read on for more details:

This wireless iPhone charger can stand up to splashing water

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ONYXX charger
Not even water can stand between an iPhone and this charger.
Photo: CheeNYC

Our iPhone charging cables will soon disappear thanks to the promise of wireless chargers. CheeNYC, a relatively new Qi tech company, has a beauty aptly named ONYXX.

It is smooth black and shiny, looking very much like the gemstone with the same name, especially when it is wet. The ONYXX is made for the outdoors with components that are resistant to dust and “splashing” water.

This is the most important setting you can enable on your iPhone

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iPhone Data Protection is better than 10 padlocks.
Data Protection is better than 10 padlocks for your iPhone.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

There’s a security setting in iOS that will erase everything on your iPhone, resetting it back to a blank, factory-state slate if you tap in the wrong passcode 10 times. It’s called Data Protection, and I never wrote a how to on this because I figured everyone would have it switched on. After all, who wouldn’t want that kind of excellent security if ever they lost their iPhone?