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Mac shipments shoot up an amazing 36%

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Apple iMac 2019
Mac shipments went through the roof last quarter.
Photo: Apple

Shipments of Apple Macs increased a full 36% year-over-year during the second quarter of 2020, according to a market-research firm. The growth is pegged to individuals, companies and schools buying computers to make remote work and learning possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.

iOS 13.6 golden master means the future’s almost here

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iPhone car key feature is a rumor no more.
A fortunate few can use iOS 13.6 to unlock their car. Only a handful of models are supported at launch.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded what might be the last version of iOS 13 and the iPad equivalent exclusively to developers on Thursday. This “golden master” update brings the debut of CarKey, allowing iPhones to unlock or start vehicles. There are other new features as well, not just bug fixes.

In addition, what are apparently the final betas of watchOS 6.2.8 and tvOS 13.4.8 went to developers too.

Send new downloads to App Library for a tidy Home screen in iOS 14 [Pro tip]

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How to send new apps to App Library
Don't organize all your iPhone apps manually.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Pro-tip-4 iOS 14 makes it easier than ever to keep a tidy Home screen, thanks to the ability to hide Home screen pages and its brilliant new App Library. Here’s how to send new downloads to the App Library automatically so that you don’t have to worry about cleaning up yourself later on.

Samsung might follow Apple by not including a charger with handsets

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Does everyone really need a Samsung charger in 2020?
A free Samsung charger with every phone might soon be a thing of the past.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung is reportedly considering not bundling a wall charger with future phones. This comes after reports that archrival Apple is considering the same move for the iPhone 12.

The goal is allegedly the same for both companies: reducing production costs. Taking the charger out of the box would also make shipping cheaper.

New Apple course shows educators how to teach coding with Swift and Xcode

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Apple-in-school
A new course taught by Apple will help educators learn to teach Swift and Xcode.
Photo: Apple

Apple on Thursday unveiled a free course to train educators to teach others how to program in Swift and Xcode, tools used to write apps for iPhone and Mac.

In addition, Apple improved its Develop in Swift and Everyone Can Code curricula. And it’s adding new remote learning resources for parents and teachers educating children at home.

Brilliant deals on Beats, Bose and Sony headphones for those who don’t like AirPods

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headphones-deals
A whole bunch of options to choose from!
Image: Cult of Mac

If your ears just don’t get along with AirPods, check out these awesome deals on headphones from Beats, Bose, and Sony instead. You can save up to $119 on some of the hottest models for a limited time only.

There are both in-ear and on-ear options to choose from — as well as wireless speakers, if you prefer.

Quibi insists that it has a lot more fans than reported

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Quibi
Quibi is taking a different approach with streaming.
Photo: Quibi

According to mobile analytics firm Sensor Tower, 4.5 million people have downloaded bite-sized video subscription service Quibi since its highly publicized launch. Of these, around 8% are continuing to use the service.

However, Quibi says that this estimated number of paid subscribers is “incorrect by an order of magnitude.”

Get the most from your iPhone’s augmented reality features [Deals]

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MagiMask
These AR goggles make the most of immersive games, interactive learning and 360-degree movies.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The power of the new iPhones to produce augmented reality experiences is really amazing. Thanks to powerful graphics processing and cameras, it’s possible to overlay convincing 3D images over the real world.

Unfortunately, the only way to get that AR experience is typically through the phone screen — but not so with this headset and accessories.

Apple’s retail tax bill on UK sales is surprisingly low

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Cash app with cash money
Apple paid $7.8 million, according to a new report.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple paid 6.2 million British pounds ($7.8 million) on U.K. retail sales of $1.37 billion and gross profits of $337 million last year, a report published by i News claims.

The publication viewed Apple’s latest annual results filing at Companies House, and found that Apple Retail UK was able to reduce its pre-tax profit to only $39 million after accounting for costs and expenses.

TikTok reigns as world’s most downloaded non-gaming iOS app in June

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TikTok continues to dominate the App Store in 2020.
TikTok continues to dominate the App Store in 2021.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

TikTok enjoyed another month at the top of the App Store charts in June, becoming the most downloaded non-gaming iOS app, according to a new report from Sensor Tower.

The leading app analytics firm says the Chinese social video app was installed more than 87 million times last month on iOS and Android. That represents an impressive 52.7% increase from June 2019.

European Union will rule on Apple’s $16 billion tax case next week

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International governments plan to rethink tax rules for the ‘digital age’
Apple has been disputing the fine since the moment it was levied.
Photo: Pixabay/Pexels CC

The second-highest court in the European Union will make a ruling next week regarding Apple and Ireland’s appeal of a $16 billion fine in back taxes for Apple.

The European Commission ordered Apple pay the sum in August 2016. This was based on a so-called sweetheart deal under which Apple allegedly received favorable tax rates in Ireland.

Easily control outdoor lights with Meross waterproof HomeKit outlet [Review]

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Meross Smart WiFi Indoor/Outdoor Plug review
Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night bothers this Meross smart outlet.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Add Siri voice control to your outside spotlights with the Meross Smart WiFi Indoor/Outdoor Plug. It’s waterproof and actually offers two plugs, each separately controllable with Apple’s HomeKit.

I tested this home-automation accessory around my house. Here’s how well it lives up to regular use.

Latest Tablo over-the-air DVR holds 700 hours of commercial-free shows

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The Tablo QUAD 1TB can hold a crazy amount of TV shows
A new Tablo over-the-air DVR holds about a month of HD shows, and can stream them to your Apple device without ads.
Photo: Tablo/Cult of Mac

A Tablo over-the-air DVR released this week boasts 1 terabyte of internal storage. That’s enough space to hold 700 hours of HD shows. This digital video recorder from Nuvyyo captures up to four shows at once off free local airwaves, then streams them to a phone or tablet without ads.

Apple retail stores launch one-on-one ‘Shop with a Specialist’ service

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TO deal with COVID-19, Apple Store offer ‘Shop with a Specialist’ service.
“Shop with a Specialist” puts you one-on-one with a salesperson at Apple Stores.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Schedule a visit to an Apple Store and you’ll have an expert standing by just to answer your questions. That’s the promise of the “Shop with a Specialist” program that launched Wednesday.

While this is a touch of luxury, it’s also a necessity brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple is trying to keep its retail locations from being overcrowded. That apparently means limiting the number of customers to one per salesperson.

Tom Hanks dives deep into Greyhound‘s thrilling sea battles

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‘Greyhound’ launches on Apple TV+ on July 10.
Tom Hanks gives us an inside look at the naval action shown in his new Apple TV+ film, Greyhound.
Photo: Apple

Tom Hanks wrote and stars in Greyhound, a feature film about World War II debuting Friday on Apple TV+. In a new video, the beloved actor talks about the real-life story it depicts: the challenges of Allied ships crossing the Atlantic infested with Nazi submarines.

Watch Hanks’ inside look at his upcoming film now:

Tell LinkedIn users how to pronounce your name properly

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Tap the little speaker icon to hear the LinkedIn name pronunciation
Tap the little speaker icon to hear the name pronunciation
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

If you’re applying for jobs and want to help recruiters avoid an awkward moment as they struggle to pronounce your name, a new LinkedIn feature can help.

It just takes a minute to record the proper pronunciation of your name and add the audio clip to the networking and job-search platform. Here’s how to do potential recruiters a solid — and how to have a little (possibly ill-advised) fun if you dare.

Thunderbolt 4 brings only incremental advances over Thunderbolt 3 [UPDATED]

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Thunderbolt 4 coming later in 2020
Apple and Intel developed Thunderbolt, and a new version debuts later in 2020.
Photo: Intel

Intel unveiled the specs for Thunderbolt 4 on Wednesday without bringing dramatic changes to this connectivity standard built into most Macs. Still, any computer running the new version has to offer an upgraded set of specifications, including the ability to handle a pair of 4K monitors.

Update: Apple promised to build Thunderbolt 4 into future Macs. “We remain committed to the future of Thunderbolt and will support it in Macs with Apple silicon,” an Apple spokesperson told The Verge.

FTC and Justice Department reportedly investigate TikTok

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U.S. investigations of TikTok gather steam.
TikTok's not going away just yet.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

Both the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department launched probes into allegations that TikTok breached an agreement regarding child-privacy protections, Reuters reported Wednesday.

News of the investigations follows a story earlier this week claiming the U.S. government might ban TikTok for security reasons.

Apple takes its iPhone independent repair program international

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Apple repair program
Apple's making it easier to get your out-of-warranty iPhone safely repaired.
Photo: Apple

Apple has added new locations in the U.S., Europe, and Canada to its out-of-warranty Independent Repair Provider Program for iPhones.

The program launched in the United States last fall. Today it is expanding out of the U.S. for the first time. It’s also announcing that a total of more than 700 registered independent repair providers are now available across America.

HomeKit-compatible EufyCam 2 Pro smart camera now available from Best Buy

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Anker eufyCam 2 protects your privacy.
Anker eufyCam 2 protects your privacy.
Photo: Anker

Anker has launched its new HomeKit-compatible smart security camera. The EufyCam 2 Pro, exclusive to Best Buy, boasts 2K resolution and free local video storage.

It also carries over the 365-day battery life, on-device human detection software, and “user-friendly interface” of the previous generation EufyCam camera.

Filter disruptive wavelengths from your phone’s screen [Deals]

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Ocushield Anti-Blue Light Screen Protector
Block out disruptive blue light from your iPhone without turning the screen a weird shade of orange.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Our eyes, minds and bodies are sensitive to light. Different wavelengths have different effects, just like the times of day they correspond to. So for all the hours we spend staring at our phones, it’s no surprise that it can make a real impact on our health.