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Fitness apps are getting a major workout during lockdown

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Can't go to the gym? Customize your Apple Watch to fit your home workouts.
With gyms closed, people are turning to their mobile devices.
Photo: Meghan Holmes/Unsplash CC

We already know that video conferencing apps like Zoom are booming as people work from home. But did you know that fitness apps are experiencing a similar golden age while people try and stay in shape (or get into shape for the first time) during lockdown while gyms are closed?

According to app analytics platform Sensor Tower, global downloads of health and fitness apps are already up a massive 47% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2020. And there’s still one month (or a third of the quarter) left on the clock.

Get the tools and knowledge you need to create great animations [Deals]

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Cartoon Animator 4
Make your creations come to life with this 2D animation software for Mac.
Photo: Reallusion

Animations aren’t just awesome and fun, though they are both. They’re also powerful ways of telling stories, sharing your ideas or promoting your brand. This deal includes all the tools — and all the knowledge — you need to start animating on your Mac.

The Complete Cartoon Animator 4 Pro Mac Bundle is perfect for any aspiring animator.

Apple TV+ series Dear… looks at ‘game-changing icons’ and the people they’ve inspired

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Dear... Apple TV+
Starring Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and, err, Big Bird.
Photo: Apple

Dear…, a 10-episode docuseries profiling the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, Spike Lee, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Big Bird (!), and others, has debuted on Apple TV+. The show focuses on telling the story of “game-changing icons” and how they have inspired individuals around the world.

All 10 episodes are available to watch today, rather than the one-episode-per-week rollout Apple employs for its top drama series. The executive producer of Dear… is Emmy and Peabody Award-winner R.J. Cutler of The September Issue documentary fame.

2021 iPhones could take advantage of power-saving Apple Watch display tech

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2020 iPhone 12 concept has a 99% screen to body ratio.
2021 iPhone could adopt new LTPO backplane technology.
Screenshot: Pallav Raj/ConceptsiPhone

The iPhone 12 isn’t out yet, but already the supply chain is working to develop new OLED screens for next year’s premium iPhones, according to a Friday report from Digitimes.

The screens reportedly will be made with a special low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) backplane technology. This could allow Apple to offer screens with a more dynamic refresh rate that consumed less power.

These are the changes Apple Park is making as employees return from lockdown

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Apple leases new offices near to Apple Park
Apple Park is starting to get back to normal.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

Just as it has with reopening Apple Stores, Apple is putting protective measures in place to keep employees safe as they return to Apple Park after lockdown.

These measures include optional COVID-19 swab testing, temperature checks, closed kitchens, social distancing measures, and an insistence on face masks.

Major Apple component maker Broadcom hints at iPhone 12 delay

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iPhone 12 with LiDAR scanner
Another source suggests iPhone buyers shouldn’t get their hopes up for a September iPhone 12 launch.
Photo: svetapple.sk

The CEO of chipmaker Broadcom said on Thursday an unnamed “North American mobile phone customer” won‘t be introducing a “next-generation phone” in the third quarter of this year, as it normally does. The release will occur in the fourth quarter instead.

This statement from Hock Tan is being widely interpreted to mean this iPhone component supplier doesn’t expect the next iOS handset to debut in September, the usual month.

iPhone Slide Pro concept makes moves Apple never will

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iPhone Slide Pro concept is not a folding iPhone.
A hidden second screen is the signature feature of the iPhone Slide Pro concept.
Photo: iOS Beta News/ ConceptsiPhone

A concept artist proposes Apple make a sliding iPhone, not a folding one. The iPhone Slide Pro boasts a second touchscreen that hides behind the primary one.

Watch a video of the concept device in action:

Apple TV+ could be in for a surge in subscribers

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Appletvpluslogo
There aren’t a huge number of Apple TV+ subscribers now, but that’s going to change.
Photo: Apple

Apple‘s streaming video service hasn’t taken the world by storm. But an analyst predicts strong growth in coming years will push Apple TV+ to over 100 million paid subscribers by 2025.

Samik Chatterjee from J.P. Morgan points out the service’s catalogue keeps getting bigger, with Apple willing to invest plenty of money to continue that trend.

US customs seize shipment of knockoff AirPods from China

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Seized AirPods knockoffs
Knockoffs were discovered by Pittsburgh Customs and Border Protection officers.
Photo: Pittsburgh Customs and Border Protection

Pittsburgh Customs and Border Protection officers seized a shipment of counterfeit AirPods and lightning charging cables over the weekend. The unauthorized knockoffs were part of a much larger collection of thousands of counterfeit goods — including 4,212 fake Roku remotes.

iOS 13.5.5 beta hints at possible Apple services bundle

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Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+
Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and Apple News+ could all be part of 'Apple Prime.'
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple seemingly hasn’t abandoned its possible plans for an “Apple Prime” service that combines all its subscriptions into one single package. In a report published late Wednesday, 9to5Mac discovered references in the iOS 13.5.5 beta code to a “bundle offer” and “bundle subscription” that didn’t previously exist.

The idea could be to offer a services bundle combination of Apple Music, Apple News+, Apple TV+ and, potentially, Apple Arcade, at a lower price than buying each individually. Whether it happens, of course, is another matter entirely.

Tim Cook asks people to ‘stand together’ against racism in open letter

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Tim Cook called for Ohio State University grads to embrace hope in a fearful time during his virtual commencement address.
Tim Cook's letter addresses "deeply rooted discrimination" in America.
Photo: Ohio State University

With the United States reeling after the videotaped death of George Floyd while in police custody, Apple CEO Tim Cook penned an open letter imploring people to “stand together” and acknowledge the reality of racism and “deeply rooted discrimination” in the country.

The letter, titled “Speaking up on racism,” comes after more than a week of protests and rioting. It appears at the top of Apple’s homepage today. You can read the whole thing below.

Adonit stylus both sterilizes your iPad and writes on it [Review]

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Adonit Note-UVC review
Adonit Note-UVC does two jobs. It’s both an iPad stylus and a UVC sterilizer.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Adonit Note-UVC is certainly a product for its time. While this stylus lets you take handwritten notes on a range of iPad and iPad Pro models, the standout feature is a pair of ultraviolet lamps that kill the germs and bacteria on your tablet screen (or any other object). The release is timed just right, with COVID-19 making so many people worried about potential infections.

I tested the Note-UVC as a stylus, and looked into how effective it is at sterilizing surfaces. The results of both might surprise you.

Developers get their mitts on first watchOS 6.2.8 beta

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watchOS 6.2.8 beta is out
watchOS 6.2.8 Developer Beta 1 starts the testing process for the next Apple Watch update.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple on Wednesday gave developers their very first look at watchOS 6.2.8. When it moves past the beta stage, this update squash some bugs. It’s not yet known if there will be any new features.

This beta version will not be released to the public. Average users will have the await for the final version.

Lawsuit accusing Apple of concealing slowing 2018 iPhone demand gets go-ahead

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2018 interview with Tim Cook suggests Apple was working on iCloud backup encryption
A shareholder lawsuit accuses Apple and CEO Tim Cook of making “materially false and misleading” statements about iPhone XS demand.
Photo: Apple

Apple must defend in court bullish statements made by CEO Tim Cook and other executives about 2018 iPhone demand. iPhone sales were actually slowing at the time, leading to a drop in the company’s share price.

A judge ruled Tuesday that a shareholder lawsuit accusing the company of deliberately misleading investors can go ahead.