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Google is once again calling on Apple to adopt a more open text messaging standard after accusing Cupertino of benefitting from bullying.

It comes after a report highlighted the struggle some teens face when using an Android device, which results in broken group chats and green bubbles — as opposed to blue ones — when texting peers who own an iPhone.

A former iMessage manager explained the reasoning behind the differences in Apple’s defense. But some might (rightly) say the arguments hold no value today, with text messaging in a better place than it was when iMessage landed.

European are joining forces in a bid to block iCloud Private Relay — a feature Apple introduced in iOS and iPadOS 15 to bolster its privacy protections. It seems some have already begun disabling it on cellular plans.

A group, which include Vodafone and T-Mobile, has signed an open letter that says Private Relay prevents them from obtaining “vital network data,” and will impact their ability to “efficiently manage telecommunication networks.”

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It’s OK to admit it: Our love of the latest tech is essentially spurred by our desire to have a cabinet full of James Bond-worthy spy gadgets. But did you know that those awesome super-spy inventions aren’t just the stuff of fiction?

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This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Even more details surface about Apple’s hardware plans for 2022. If last year was “modest” (LOL), this year looks jam-packed with major updates. We’re talking redesigned AirPods Pro, a new Apple monitor, even-more-impressive MacBook Airs and … an iPhone? You gotta be kidding us.

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple hits $3 trillion market cap, albeit briefly.
• A giveaway that features a great-looking charger from Journey.
• The most interesting products out of this year’s big CES trade show in Las Vegas.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

There is a lot to get HomeKit fans excited at this year’s CES tech showcase in Las Vegas. Quite a few companies announced products that will support Apple’s home-automation system, including lights, door cameras and more.

Glitzy projects like concept cars get more attention, but HomeKit accessories are more likely to make people’s lives better.

Apple TV+’s newest animated kids show is all about accessibility. El Deafo, based on the book by Cece Bell, focuses on a little girl who loses her hearing just before the start of school. She goes on misadventures as she learns to navigate the world with the help of her imaginary superhero alter ego. And she learns to love herself in the process.

The show is, if anything, a little too effective at making you feel for this young girl’s struggles. El Deafo is at times too affecting and sad for words — much to the credit of the writer, performers and animators. But it’s an open question whether kids are ready to feel so much on top of everything they’re already dealing with.

Like a lot of companies showing their wares at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, Anker is addressing today’s hybrid WFH culture with new gear. Through its AnkerWork division, it rolled out a video bar webcam with sound to help improve your video calls. Through its Nebula brand come a couple of crowd-funded premium laser projectors. And the company had a few other items, as well.

Apple TV+ reportedly bought the rights to a film about the life of Audrey Hepburn. And Rooney Mara, best known for her role in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will take the lead.

It’s just one of many projects with big stars headed for Apple’s streaming service.

Two monumental events happened this week. Apple became the first U.S. company to be worth an astonishing $3 trillion. And a day later came the official end of BlackBerry — a series of phones that once dominated the market.

The collapse of BlackBerry is proof that today’s winners aren‘t inevitably tomorrow’s. While in the coming years Apple could become the first company to reach $4 trillion, it also could start down a path that ends in failure.

Here’s some of what Apple will do so it doesn’t end up like BlackBerry.

In recent years, CES, the world’s largest consumer electronics confab, has become quite the major auto show. After all, consumer tech and automotive tech keep blending more and more. For CES 2022, automakers like BMW, Cadillac, Hyundai, Mercedes and Sony — wait, who? — really put some crazy futuristic concepts into high gear.

Overall, the mix of ideas ranged from mildly interesting to jaw-dropping. You had the prosaic news, like Amazon Fire TV integrating with Ford and Lincoln vehicles and YouTube video appearing in Volvos. But you also had the wild stories, like some concept cars that look like they belong elsewhere in the galaxy and others that change colors by themselves.

Meanwhile, the projected year when Apple might release an autonomous car through Project Titan keeps getting pushed back despite keen interest in the project.

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iPhone SE could go without a significant design upgrade until 2024, according to one tipster. This year’s refresh is expected to add 5G connectivity and beefier internals, but it probably won’t look any different to the last iPhone SE.

When Apple does finally get around to giving its most affordable smartphone a lick of paint, it is expected to look a lot like iPhone XR or iPhone 11, but with “a slightly smaller screen.”

Apple Fitness+ is getting a number of upgrades that will help users who have vowed to get fitter and healthier in 2022. Starting next week, new Collections and Time to Run features will roll out for the first time, with more to come later.

Collections is a curated series of workouts and meditations designed to help users reach a certain goal — like running their first 5K or improving their sleep. Apple describes Time to Run as a new “audio running experience.”

If you thought drone photography was super-expensive, think again. Right now, you can grab this top-rated Black Drone with Dual HD 4K Camera on sale for just $74.95.

That’s a 16% discount off the regular price of $89.

Apple suppliers have began preparing shipments of second-generation AirPods Pro ahead of their introduction later this year, according to a new report.

AirPods Pro 2 are expected to come with a revised design that does away with stems, as well as improved audio quality — including support for lossless Apple Music tracks. They could also be a lot easier to find when they go missing.

Dropbox has finally begun testing a brand-new Mac app that runs natively on Apple silicon chipsets. It comes after the company originally said it had no plans to support M1 chips, which was met with backlash from irritated users.

The new app is available to only a small number of people for now, but Dropbox reportedly plans to offer a beta to all Mac users by the end of this month.

The person responsible for overseeing the transition from Intel to Apple silicon left the company. Jeff Wilcox was Director, Mac System Architecture before his departure.

He summed up his previous role by saying he “led the transition for all Macs to Apple Silicon beginning with M1 chip.” That was one of the most important projects at Apple in recent years, though it’s one that’s wrapping up.

It’s good to be the CEO — Apple chief executive Tim Cook was paid $98.7 million in 2021. That’s a combination of a base salary, an incentive plan and other compensation, but the lion’s share is in Apple stock.

Other top Apple executives also have 8-figure annual compensation packages, if not anywhere close to Cook’s.

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Work on a folding iPhone reportedly goes on. Apple is secretly testing “multiple prototypes that contain foldable displays,” according to a reliable tipster.

But the company is also watching closely to see if foldable phones will turn out to be a fad without staying power.

At CES 2022, Nanoleaf said an upcoming firmware update will make its lighting products the first third-party border routers for HomeKit-over-Thread devices available now and coming out in the future.

The firmware update, due to roll out in the first quarter of 2022, will broaden Nanoleaf products’ support for Thread, improving devices’ connectivity and reliability over home networks.

The Aura Air cleanses and disinfects indoor air, getting rid of viruses, bacteria and mold. And the professional system will soon be upgraded to support Apple’s HomeKit automation system.