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Surprise iPad Pro refresh brings LiDAR Scanner, Ultra Wide camera, trackpad support

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2020-iPad-Pro-trackpad
It's powered by a new A12Z Bionic chip.
Photo: Apple

Apple surprised the world Wednesday with a brand-new iPad Pro that packs a LiDAR Scanner, Ultra Wide camera and studio-quality microphones. The tablet is powered by an improved A12Z Bionic chip that makes it faster than many laptops.

Consumers can order it beginning today from the Apple Online Store, with prices starting at $799.

Apple recommends best apps for working and staying at home during coronavirus crisis

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tulsa.apple.store.2
Everywhere's closing right now. Fortunately, apps can help us continue to get things done.
Photo: Brad Gibson / Cult of Mac

Massive numbers of people are self-isolating or working from home at the moment. As many challenges as that can raise, it is at least easier than it would have been previously thanks to the strong ecosystem of apps which can help with just such a scenario.

With that in mind, Apple has started adding more editorial content into the App Store, offering curated suggestions to suit people stuck home as a result of coronavirus.

Movies Anywhere tests letting users loan out iTunes movies

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Movies Anywhere combines digital purchases for a range of services.
Movies Anywhere will soon let you loan your digital movies to other people with Screen Pass.
Photo: Movies Anywhere

Movies Anywhere combines films bought through iTunes, Google Play, etc. into one service. And now it’s testing a new feature called Screen Pass that enables loaning your movies to other people.

It’s only in beta, and isn’t expected to be available to everyone until May. Which is too bad, because it would be really useful right now with so many in self isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus prompts Alto’s Adventure’s offer of free gaming for a week

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“Alto's Adventure” and “Alto's Odyssey“ are here to help while you’re self isolating.
Alto's Odyssey imagines snowboarding in the desert. And it’s currently free.
Photo: Snowman

Both Alto’s Adventure and Alto’s Odyssey are free for a week to benefit anyone quarantined by the COVID-19 epidemic. The developer, Snowman, made the move to “bring a little calm into your homes during these difficult times.”

These endless runner snowboarding games are beautifully designed. Alto’s Odyssey even won an Apple Design Award.

Cool work-from-home Mac setups show how to survive COVID-19 lockdown in style

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Instagram post on working from home
Dog and a fireplace sold separately.
Screenshot: coreyprol/Instagram

Many professionals around the world are getting their first taste of working from home as the world tries to slam the door on the spread of COVID-19. Some, like me, will make the adjustment within the first five minutes. Self-isolation is something you can get used to.

Others, though, will feel a little lost.

Inspiration is a click away, thanks to thousands of Apple users posting pictures of their work-from-home setups on Instagram.

Popcorn Time, the Netflix of piracy, returns just in time for COVID-19 binging

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popcorntime
Popcorn Time is back!
Photo: Cult of Mac

One of the easiest ways to pirate movies and TV shows is back just in time for the great stay-at-home coronavirus quarantine party of 2020.

Popcorn Time, the legendary app that was basically a Netflix for privacy, announced its return Tuesday on Twitter, saying its newest build, called “Love in the Time of Corona Version 0.4,” is available for download.

Grab it while you can.

ViDL is a great free YouTube and video downloader for Mac

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movie theater seats vidl
Download almost any video with ViDL.
Photo: Denise Jans/Unsplash

ViDL is a YouTube download app for Mac. It comes from Ole Moritz, developer of the amazing Pythonista and Editorial iOS apps. ViDL is a simple wrapper for the youtube-dl command-line tool, so if you already use that, you don’t need this. But the app is far easier to use than a command-line tools. Plus, it offers a built-in browser, in case you need to log in to a site to get access to the target videos. There’s even a ViDL Safari extension.

Universal Pictures to release new movies on iTunes while they’re still in theaters

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trolls
Trolls World Tour will be available on iTunes the day it hits theaters.
Photo: Universal Pictures

As cities across the United States start encouraging residents to stay home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at least one major movie studio is making big changes to how it releases films.

Universal Pictures revealed this week that its movies currently in cinemas will become available on iTunes and other on-demand services starting as early as Friday. But they won’t come cheap.

AltConf 2020 canceled due to coronavirus concerns

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AltConf won't offer a live stream event either.
Photo: Alt Conference

AltConf, the best Apple-focused conference not created by Apple, has been completely canceled for 2020 due to concerns about the current coronavirus pandemic.

Serving as an alternative to Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, AltConf gave developers and Apple fans the chance to mingle and learn from each other without paying for a pricey WWDC ticket.

Some 2020 iPhone models could miss out on new 3D scanner

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2020 iPhone concept
A 2020 iPhone concept imagines what the extra 3D scanner might look like.
Photo: PhoneArena

The 2020 iPhone is widely expected to include a 3D sensor on the back, but it’s reportedly not coming to every model of this upcoming handset. Code found in a leaked version of iOS 14 points to this feature only being in the Pro models.

Apple supplier withdraws its full 2020 projections after being hit hard by COVID-19

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Slickwrap iPhone 11Pro
Jabil produces components for the iPhone.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple supplier Jabil withdrew its full-year guidance Monday, after the “rapidly changing” coronavirus spread made its projections of growth for the year appear wildly unrealistic.

Jabil, which provides integrated circuit components for the iPhone, had hoped to increase its core earnings by 21% and revenue by 6% this year. Instead, in the last quarter it missed its earnings estimates by $60 million.

Get to the Choppa! Fortnite update adds helicopters for the first time

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Fortnite-Choppa
Take off today in Battle Royale.
Photo: Epic Games

Fortnite’s newest update lets players take to the skies in helicopters for the first time. The new Choppa can be found in various locations during Battle Royale matches. It joins motorboats as the game’s second vehicle.

Other changes and improvements in Fortnite’s version 12.20 update include the ability to create locker presets, a new Spy Games game mode, and more.

UK’s biggest-selling independent iPhone retailer will shut all 531 standalone stores

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531 Carphone Warehouse standalone stores will be no more after April 3.
Photo: Eyre Square Centre

Carphone Warehouse, Great Britain’s largest independent iPhone retailer, said Tuesday it will shut all of its 531 stores as competition intensifies and mobile phone sales move online.

The decision will impact almost 3,000 employees, according to the retailers parent company, Dixons Carphone. It hopes to relocate 1,800 of those positions to take new roles in the business.

Samsung Rising details the battle between Galaxy and iPhone [Book review]

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Samsung Rising tells how Apple pushed Samsung to be No. 1.
How Apple pushed Samsung to be No. 1.
Photo: Samsung Rising

New book Samsung Rising tells the story of Apple’s biggest rival in the smartphone era. It chronicles Samsung’s decades-long ascent, and the fierce competition between the South Korean tech giant’s Galaxy smartphones and the iPhone.

Smartly written and reported by veteran journalist Geoffrey Cain, Samsung Rising will certainly keep your brain active and your fingers flipping pages.

U.S. International Trade Commission opens patent-infringement investigation into Apple, others

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Apple is named in the investigation.
Photo: Laurenz Heymann/Unsplash

The U.S. International Trade Commission is opening up an investigation into companies, Apple included, that may have infringed on touchscreeen patents belonging to Irish company Neodron. The ITC also names Amazon in the investigation, in addition to a number of others.

Neodron has asked the ITC to issue cease-and-desist order. This would bar manufacturers allegedly infringing on the patent from selling relevant devices until the matter has been resolved.

Score a massive 3TB of cloud backup for life [Deals]

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Degoo 3TB
Stay secure with 3TB of super secure backup storage from Degoo, for life.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Cloud storage is an essential part of any good backup plan. But cloud storage is also expensive. So this huge discount on a massive 3TB of secure cloud storage is one of those deals you can’t refuse. Right now, you can get Degoo Premium’s Lifetime 3TB Backup Plan for $69.99, a 95% discount.

New 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro on the way, filings reveal

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iPad Pro makes a posted for Dickinson
Are you excited about getting your hands on a new iPad?
Photo: Apple

New 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPads look to be gearing up for release, according to information found in pre-release database filings.

An iPad with the model identifier A2229 was added to the Eurasian Economic Commission database Monday. This iPad database filing is necessary for devices to be sold in Russia and other countries. Meanwhile, listings for models including new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros, were spotted in Chinese documentation later that day.

Apple Stores unlikely to reopen March 28; now closed ‘until further notice’

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Apple-Stores-closed
It's not yet clear when they will reopen.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Apple Stores outside of Greater China now look unlikely to reopen on March 28 after Apple on Tuesday updated its notices to read “closed until further notice.”

A banner displayed at the top of the company’s website makes it clear to visitors that its retail locations are out of action for now. Apple insists, however, that it remains “committed to providing exceptional service to our customers.”

Analyst thinks Apple should buy Disney to help give Apple TV+ a boost

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Disney+
Buying Disney would certainly solve Apple's shortage of Apple TV+ content.
Photo: Disney

Apple should seize on the current market volatility to buy the Walt Disney Company, Rosenblatt Securities analyst Bernie McTernan wrote in a recent note to clients.

The note, published Friday, suggests that Apple should seize on the opportunity of Disney’s recent stock price decline to acquire the Hollywood entertainment powerhouse. Disney closed Monday at $95.01, giving the company a market cap of $171.53 billion. It’s been trading below $100 since last week, following the temporary close of its theme parks, former CEO Bob Iger stepping, and ongoing issues related to coronavirus.

Mac mini Pro concept proposes easily stackable, modular upgrades

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This Mac mini Pro concept is very modular.
This proposed Mac mini Pro could get more storage, or a graphics processor, just by placing a new module on top of it.
Photo: Kevin Noki

A concept artists imagines a Mac mini Pro that can be upgraded simply by placing an SSD or GPU module on top of the main computer. And his basic design borrows quite a bit from the “cheese grater” Mac Pro that launched in 2019.

Watch a video teaser for this concept now:

Apple HQ and Bay Area stores will remain closed until at least April 7

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apple-hq
Apple is a hard-working place.
Photo: Apple

Six counties in the San Francisco Bay Area initiated a shelter-in-place mandate Monday that will force businesses, including Apple stores, in the area to temporarily shut down for three weeks. The goal is to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Nearly 7 million people will be forced to stay inside except to visit grocery stores, pharmacies or doctor’s offices. The new mandate means Apple stores in the area will remain closed longer than Apple’s originally intended time frame. The company initially intended to reopen its stores on March 27.