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Mythic Quest: Quarantine turns lockdown into laughs on Apple TV+

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Mythic Quest: Quarantine“ is coming to Apple TV+.
The Apple TV+ comedy Mythic Quest airs a quarantine-themed episode next week.
Photo: Apple TV+

The characters of Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet are quarantined at home like the rest of us, and it’s not going well. Their dysfunctional video chats are the subject of a special episode of this Apple TV+ show.

It’ll hit Apple’s streaming video service a week from today. But you can watch the trailer now:

Defending Jacob nears boiling point in ‘Wishful Thinking’ [Apple TV+ review]

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Betty Gabriel and Chris Evans anchor the uniformly strong crime drama Defending Jacob.
Betty Gabriel and Chris Evans anchor uniformly strong crime drama Defending Jacob.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ crime drama Defending Jacob nears its climax in Episode 6. The writers crank up the tension and the danger in ways that finally take the series out of the ordinary and into the more obviously fictional and generic.

Thankfully, director Morten Tyldum knows how to handle a flagrant crime show incident without it seeming more overblown than the series can handle. (Spoiler alert: Some key plot details will follow.)

China prepares to retaliate against Apple for US sanctions on Huawei

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iPhone sales
Apple could be caught in the middle of the trade war between the U.S. and China.
Illustration: Cult of Mac

The Trump administration on Friday announced a new rule aimed at blocking Huawei from getting the processors it needs to make phones, networking equipment and more. The Chinese government reportedly threatened to retaliate against Apple and other American companies.

Newton fans (including Woz!) meet online to geek out about long-discontinued device

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Organizer Paweł Piotrowski during the 2020 Worldwide Online Newton Conference.
Organizer Paweł Piotrowski during the Newton conference.
Photo: Paweł Piotrowski

A recent online conference dedicated to Apple’s much-maligned Newton drew dozens of fans from around the world — including Steve Wozniak and other Apple alumni.

After the 2020 Worldwide Online Newton Conference — the first gathering dedicated to the groundbreaking PDA in a decade — event organizer and Newton superfan Paweł Piotrowski marveled at the lasting impact of the handheld, which Apple discontinued almost 25 years ago.

“It is unbelievable that this old technology still connects people who make friendships because of their shared love of a small green device,” Piotrowski, who works as a college lecturer and live-stream technician in Edinburgh, Scotland, told Cult of Mac. “I’m glad this conference was able to build on that.”

Facebook snaps up GIF-sharing giant Giphy for $400 million

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Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade
Facebook has a new acquisition under its belt.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Most of the world might be tightening its belt as the economy stumbles thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but don’t count Facebook among them! According to a report first published Friday by Axios, the social media giant is buying GIF-making and sharing website Giphy for an enormous $400 million.

We talk AirPods Studio, Apple’s super-secret pro headphones, on The CultCast

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CultCast 442: AirPods with health sensors
Over-ear Apple headphones sound like music to our ears.
Image: The CultCast

This week on The CultCast: Details leak on AirPods Studio, Apple’s super-secret, over-ear pro headphones. Plus: Cupertino is opening for business as Apple gets ready to get back to work. And we wrap up with a high-tech “oregano” grinder, mini at-home beer tap, and an electric bike cruiser styled like a vintage moped, in an all-new Under Review!

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Wiggle through Winding Worlds on Apple Arcade

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Winding Worlds is a more grownup Apple Arcade game.
Solve puzzles and help a mysterious cast of characters in Winding Worlds.
Photo: KO_OP/Apple

Winding Worlds promises to be a “world-wiggling puzzle journey.”

The latest addition to Apple Arcade is in the same genre as the classic Monument Valley, where players solve puzzles to work their way through a story. KO_OP  describes its creation as “a heartwarming tale of grief, love, truth, and acceptance.”

Learn the best ways to create, promote and monetize YouTube content [Deals]

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The Complete Content Creator Bundle for YouTube
Turn your passion into a lucrative side hustle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Things are weird in the world, but it’s a golden age for the digital content creator. People are looking for videos to keep them entertained and informed like never before. So if you’ve got an idea, talent or creative drive, this bundle of resources will help you connect with an eager audience on one of the biggest platforms of all: YouTube.

Leaker counters claim of Apple AR glasses in 2022; affirms rollout next year

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Apple glasses
Apple’s rumored augmented reality glasses ... coming 2021 or 2022?
Photo: Martin Hajek

Apple’s widely rumored augmented reality glasses will be released sometime between March and June of 2021, according to leaker and YouTuber Jon Prosser, contradicting a report Thursday from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that the product is on course for its debut in 2022.

Mario Kart Tour lets you join friends in Team Races mode

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Mario Kart Tour multiplayer mode
You can play with and against strangers, too.
Photo: Nintendo

Mario Kart Tour version 2.1.0 has arrived in the App Store, bringing a slew of new features to Nintendo’s popular kart-racing title.

The update went live on Thursday. Its biggest new addition is the presence of a Team Races mode, allowing players to form into four separate teams for races. This adds an extra bit of zip to the game’s multiplayer mode, which went live for players everywhere in March.

Goodbye A10: Apple’s next entry level iPad could get A12 chip upgrade

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Slide Over
Apple's next iPad could get a nifty performance boost.
Photo: Maarten van den Heuvel/Unsplash

Apple’s next entry level iPad, shipping later this year, will boast an A12 chip, according to Apple leaker @L0vetodream.

While the message, posted on Twitter, is short on details, L0vetodream has previously carved out a decent track record for making Apple “predictions.”

Apple’s A-series chipmaker is going to build a $12 billion factory in the US

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Apple chipmaker racing ahead with its next next-gen nanometer process
New factory will be located in Arizona.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple A-series chipmaker TSMC announced Friday its intentions to build and run a new semiconductor fabrication plant in the U.S.

The new plant will be built in Arizona, with “support from the U.S. federal government and the State of Arizona,” a report published Friday by Digitimes claims. It will use TSMC’s 5-nanometer process to manufacture up to 20,000 semiconductor wafers per month. The iPhone 12 is widely expected to boast 5nm chips.

Trump proposes new tax that could hurt Apple in a big way

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Apple CEO Tim Cook talked Mac Pro with President Trump
New tax would hurt companies making products outside the U.S.
Screenshot: White House

President Donald Trump’s on again/off again friendship with Apple could switch to “off again” if he institutes proposed taxes on American companies that produce goods outside the United States.

Intended as an incentive to boost U.S. manufacturing, this would nonetheless hurt Apple — which produces the overwhelming majority of its devices overseas, mainly in China.

Compelling crime drama Defending Jacob gets brand new episode on Apple TV+

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Defending Jacob
The plot thickens in episode six.
Photo: Apple TV+

Episode six of Defending Jacob debuted on Apple TV+ Friday, providing fans with another episode of the compelling crime drama to enjoy as the week comes to a close.

Titled “Wishful Thinking,” Apple’s preview for the episode reads as follows: “Andy and Klein explore two last-ditch efforts to prove Jacob’s innocence.”

Apple 2020 Supplier Responsibility study focuses on challenges of coronavirus in the workplace

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apple-supplier-responsibility-report
Apple's 2020 Supplier Responsibility progress report focuses on protecting its supply chain partners in a new world of COVID-19.
Photo: Apple

Apple released its 2020 Supplier Responsibility progress report Thursday detailing what steps it is taking to increase safety and protect supply chain workers worldwide in the shadow of the ever-challenging coronavirus outbreak.

Written by Sabih Khan, Apple’s senior vice president of operations, a letter accompanying the report in PDF details changes that Apple has made to protect its supply chain partners, such as strict adherence to social distancing, limiting density, and health screenings.

Facebook Messenger Rooms can handle calls with up to 50 people in US

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facebook.messenger.rooms
Facebook Messenger Rooms allows users to host video calls of up to 50 people free of charge.
Photo: Facebook

Facebook took on Zoom and FaceTime Thursday by enabling its new video-calling service, Messenger Rooms, to make free calls between as many as 50 people.

The feature was announced last month, and is available now is the US and Canada. It’ll be rolled out globally next week, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Mophie’s latest mobile power bank recharges iPhones wirelessly or via USB-C

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Mophie Powerstation Wireless XL
Mophie Powerstation Wireless XL wirelessly charges an iPhone, and can itself be wirelessly charged.
Photo: Zagg/Mophie

The Mophie Powerstation Wireless XL juices up iPhones with wireless charging or through a USB-C fast charge. And there are even more options to replenish this 10,000mAh power bank, as it receives power through a Lightning port, USB-C or wireless charging.

The product launched Thursday, and Apple likes it enough to add the product to its online store.