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Strapa band for Apple Watch puts fine Italian leather on your wrist [Review]

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Strapa band for Apple Watch
A leather band that doesn't disappoint.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

If you want a leather Apple Watch band that feels great, looks spectacular, and is built to last you years, you should really do yourself a favor and check out the wonderful Ingenium band from Strapa.

It’s made using leather sourced from one of the finest tanneries in Italy, plus 316L surgery-grade stainless steel buckles and adapters. I’ve been using one for months now, and I highly recommend it.

10 reasons why I’ll miss Phil Schiller

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As Phil Schiller steps down from his role as Apple's SVP of worldwide marketing, it's clear the company won't be the same without him.
It won't be the same without him.
Photo: Globovisión/Flickr CC

For long-time Apple fans like myself, Tuesday marked the end of an era. Phil Schiller stepped down from his role as VP of worldwide marketing.

Schiller was the last of the OG — a stalwart onstage companion to Steve Jobs, long before it was fashionable to watch Apple keynotes. Schiller was there at all the seminal moments in Apple history, including the launch of iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. Back in the day, he and Jobs were a remarkable double act. Jobs would announce the products, and then Schiller would stride in to perform the demos.

Fortunately, Schiller’s not gone for good. In his new role as an Apple Fellow, he will still keep an eye on the App Store and Apple Events. But I wanted to take this opportunity to remember the man, the legend, that is Phil Schiller. Here are the top 10 reasons why I’ll miss him.

7 features Apple should steal from Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

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Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
There are some features in the new Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra that Apple should put in the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Samsung’s newly unveiled Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will have to take on the iPhone 12 Pro Max after Apple launches it this autumn.

Samsung’s top-tier handset offers seven features iOS fans should hope will show up in Apple’s next flagship iPhone. But the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra also has some real problems.

Virginia launches first US COVID-19-tracking app using Apple-Google API

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Virginia's COVIDWISE contact-tracing app uses the Exposure Notifications API developed by Apple and Google.
Contact-tracing app is now live.
Photo: Virginia Department of Health

Virginia launched its COVIDWISE contact-tracing app Wednesday, becoming the first state to use Apple and Google’s Exposure Notifications API to fight COVID-19.

The app uses Bluetooth Low Energy to anonymously track people’s interactions. Then it notifies users who have likely been exposed to infected individuals so they can take appropriate precautions, such as isolating themselves.

Master the many facets of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign

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The Essential 2020 Adobe CC Mastery Bundle
Master the fundamentals and advanced features of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Adobe Creative Suite includes some of the world’s most powerful tools for visual creators. However, the vast array of features in software like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign mean steep learning curves.

The Essential 2020 Adobe CC Mastery Bundle can help. This bundle of Creative Suite lessons covers everything from the basics to highly advanced usage of Adobe’s most powerful tools.

Ring of magnets could make iPhone 12’s wireless charging easier

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iphone x
Wireless charging could be easier on iPhone 12.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The new iPhone 12 chassis could include a mysterious circular array of 36 magnets inside its chassis, possibly to help with wireless charging, suggest new images posted to Weibo and shared by the EverythingApplePro Twitter account.

Apple has yet to release a native wireless charger for iPhone. Its most notable move in this direction was the AirPower wireless charging mat, which was announced by Apple and then canceled. Rumors since then suggest that Apple might be continuing work on the project.

An introduction to every Apple Fellow in company history

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Phil Schiller
Phil Schiller is far from the only Apple Fellow in company history.
Photo: Apple

On Tuesday, it was announced that Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, will transition into a new role as an Apple Fellow. This honorary position is one that Apple recognizes for a person’s outstanding contribution to the company in some capacity.

But while many newer Apple fans may not be familiar with the role, it’s one that’s been part of Apple dating back to the 1980s — even if this is the first time in more than 20 years that Apple has inducted someone into the club.

Here’s what you need to know about the other Apple Fellows:

Apple Maps expands Look Around coverage to a country outside U.S. for the first time

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Look Around
At a time when travel is difficult, this may legitimately be your best way to look around Japan.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple Maps’ Look Around feature, the company’s answer to Google Street View, has expanded to its first international market. Look Around is now available for four of Japan’s biggest cities — including Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya, and Osaka.

UCLA explores using Apple Watch, iPhone to diagnose depression

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UCLA doctors are looking into new tools for diagnosing depression.
An iPhone and an Apple Watch could be important tools for diagnosing depression.
Photo: Negative Space/Pexels CC

UCLA launched a new study on Tuesday, sponsored by and in collaboration with Apple, designed to help revolutionize detection and treatment of depression.

It’ll follow the daily routines of Apple Watch and iPhone users, and examine the relationship between this data and symptoms of depression and anxiety.

How to save a backup of all your Gmail

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Ho
It’s surprisingly easy to make a copy of everything in your Gmail account.
Photo: Killian Bell/Ed Hardy

There are lots of reasons you might want to make a copy of everything in a Gmail account. Maybe you’re done with Google and are switching to an Apple email account. Or you’re leaving a job or school where you were issued a Gmail account. You don’t want to leave behind years of messages.

Fortunately, it’s easy to back up everything in a Google email account. But it’s not quick. Plan accordingly.

Phil Schiller’s new role as Apple Fellow means big promotion for Joz

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Phil Schiller
Schiller has guided Apple's marketing efforts for more than 30 years.
Photo: Apple

Apple on Tuesday said that Phil Schiller, the company’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, will move on to become an Apple Fellow.

Schiller continues to report directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook in his new position, which involves leading the App Store and Apple Events. Greg “Joz” Joswiak takes up Schiller’s previous role.

New iMac packs faster internals into all-too-familiar shell

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2020 iMac: The new iMac looks just like the old one (only faster).
The new iMac looks just like the old one (only faster).
Photo: Apple

The wait for Apple’s newest iMac is over. Cupertino today dropped a faster all-in-one with an even more glorious Retina 5K display, an upgraded 1080p FaceTime camera, and improved speakers and microphones.

You can order your new 27-inch model today, starting from $1,799,

Warren Buffett’s Apple holdings are now worth more than $100 billion

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Buffett
Warren Buffet is Apple's biggest investor.
Photo: CNBC

Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and big-time Apple booster, now has a share of the company worth upward of $100 billion.

Even more impressive? Buffett’s firm Berkshire Hathaway reportedly spent on around $35 billion to secure its 5.7% stake in Apple. That’s a pretty darn great return on investment — and Apple’s only climbing higher.

Turn any text into an instant audiobook with this highly rated iOS app

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Speechify
Speechify scans and converts any text to speech so you can "read" faster and retain more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Reading is essential to daily life and staying informed, but so is listening. In an age of podcasts, audiobooks and multitasking, many of us have adjusted to take in information through our ears while our eyes are busy doing other things.

Plus, some people simply retain information better through listening rather than reading. That was the case with Cliff Weitzman, who struggled with learning because of dyslexia. So he built a simple but powerful tool that makes any text instantly listenable.

Trump’s TikTok standoff could wind up hurting Apple

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U.S. investigations of TikTok gather steam.
Apple relies on both the U.S. and China.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

President Donald Trump’s dispute with TikTok and other Chinese tech companies could wind up hurting Apple.

Trump threatened to ban TikTok from the United States if Beijing tech company ByteDance does not sell the app by Sept. 15. (Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok. Apple on Tuesday shot down a rumor that it was interested in buying the social media company.)

According to multiple reports, China could respond to the United States’ “bullying” over TikTok by hitting back in its own way. The language in the reports, some of which come from government-backed Chinese newspapers, is vague. However, others suggest Apple could be an obvious target of China’s wrath.

Bag PNY’s 240GB portable SSD for less than half price today only

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PNY-SSD
Just $32.99 — down from $79.99.
Photo: PNY

PNY’s ultra-portable 240GB solid-state drive is ideal for anyone who needs extra storage that they can take with them everywhere. And for today only, you can bag yours from Best Buy for less than half price.

The drive works with both Macs and Windows machines, as well as iPad Pro. Get yours for just $32.99!

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

Apple creating China-based supply chain exclusively for local market

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Apple's relationship with Foxconn on the rocks
Apple is rethinking its supply chain.
Photo: Apple

Apple is reportedly putting together a supply chain consisting of exclusively Chinese manufacturers to build iPhones for the China market.

This is at the same time that Apple is trying to expand its supply chain. That is partly so as to lessen its reliance on China. Apple has also been building iPhones in India which are aimed at the local market there.

ProtonMail developer says Apple is a ‘monopoly’ that crushes competition

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ProtonMail app
ProtonMail is the latest company to take issues with Apple's App Store policies.
Photo: ProtonMail

The makers of secure email service ProtonMail are the latest developers to speak out about Apple’s control of the App Store.

In a blog post published Monday, founder and CEO Andy Yen wrote that Apple has become a “monopoly, crushing potential competitors with exploitative fees and conducting censorship on behalf of dictators.”

Ted Lasso’s heart is too big to bench [Apple TV+ review]

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Jason Sudeikis is the titular Ted Lasso
Jason Sudeikis is the titular Ted Lasso in the mostly winning comedy series.
Photo: Apple TV

Created for a diverting if not particularly funny web short, Jason Sudeikis‘ clueless coach Ted Lasso now has his own Apple TV+ series. The question is: Is there enough meat on the bones of the premise to support a comedy series?

Like the NBC Sports promos that spawned the character, Ted Lasso is about an American coaching football in England — and being sorta kinda unfit for the demands. Fish-out-of-water, culture-clash comedies are as old as film comedy itself. And there’s certainly potential in the idea of an old-fashioned Southern gentleman dropped into tough-as-nails, hyper-masculine soccer culture. But ultimately, the high-concept stuff isn’t what works in Ted Lasso’s favor. You must get past the show’s premise to get to the good part.