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No, the 2020 iPad Pro doesn’t have Apple’s spatially aware U1 chip

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2020 iPad Pro with official wallpaper
A great iPad. But not a U1 chip in sight.
Photo: Apple

Daring Fireball‘s John Gruber said Monday that he has confirmed “with a little birdie” that there is indeed no U1 chip in the new iPad Pro.

The U1 Ultra Wideband chip debuted with the iPhone 11. It allows the iPhone to detect its exact position relative to other devices in the same room. That gives it a sense of spatial awareness for things like targeted AirDrop by pointing one iPhone at another to share a file.

Apple will stream One World: Together at Home COVID-19 concert, donates $10 million

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One World: Together at Home 1
Concert will take place next week.
Photo: One World: Together at Home

Apple will join platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, and others in streaming a multi-hour music and entertainment broadcast, called One World: Together at Home. It is intended to support the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

The “global live-cast,” announced Monday, will take place on April 18. It promises to feature musical performances from a number of big names such as Lady Gaga, Elton John, Alanis Morissette, Billie Eilish, Chris Martin, Paul McCartney and Keith Urban.

Researchers turn to iPhone-connected wearable to study COVID-19 symptoms

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whoop
Whoop's simple band provides deep insights into your health.
Photo: Whoop

Whoop is the latest wearable being enlisted to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical researchers hope the fitness band company’s data could prove an invaluable tool for measuring symptoms caused by the coronavirus.

The Cleveland Clinic and Central Queensland University in Australia are partnering with Whoop to study changes in respiration rates. Whoop’s wearable collects health data 24/7. It could possibly be used to create an early warning system for people infected by COVID-19 but not exhibiting symptoms yet.

CBS turns to FaceTime and Zoom to shoot new episode of All Rise

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All-rise
The cast of All Rise will be practicing social distancing while filming.
Photo: CBS

CBS has found a novel way to continue filming its TV show All Rise during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The courthouse legal drama will film a virtual episode using FaceTime, WebEx and Zoom from the actors’ homes making it the first primetime show to be filmed while still practicing social distancing.

Totallee UV Phone Sanitizer kills germs, and recharges your iPhone

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Totallee UV Phone Sanitizer and iPhone charger
An iPhone placed in the Totallee UV Phone Sanitizer will be bathed in UVB and UVC rays.
Photo: Totallee

Drop your iPhone into the Totallee UV Phone Sanitizer and a pair of ultraviolet lights will kill the germs and bacteria that handsets tend to get coated in. And, as a bonus, this accessory also works as a wireless phone charger.

Totallee makes no promises this product works against the novel coronavirus that’s causing the current pandemic. But earlier studies have shown that the UVC light this accessory emits is effective against other viruses.

Brilliant iOS 14 concept adds multiple docks to iPhone Home screen

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ios-14
We need this ASAP.
Photo: Alessandro Chiarlitti

A brilliant new iOS 14 concept shows how useful it would be to have multiple docks at the bottom of the iPhone’s Home screen.

The multiple-dock UI, published by designer Alessandro Chiarlitti over the weekend, would basically let you toggle between different widgets at the bottom of the screen. That would give you quick access to music controls and other apps without opening them.

Check it out in action:

Sling TV promises week of free streaming service, no strings attached

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Sling TV
The “Stay in and Sling” offer promises 7 days of Sling TV, with no credit card required to sign up.
Photo: Sling TV

It’s not necessary to enter credit card info to sign up for a week of free Sling TV live channels and on-demand movies. The streaming service includes CNN, HGTV Cartoon Network and much more. And it’s all available for seven days with no strings attached to people sheltering at home during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Outrun is a beautiful, privacy-first iPhone running app

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outrun
Run, in private, with Outrun.
Photo: Bruno Nascimento/Unsplash

Outrun is a privacy-focused run-tracking app that integrates with the Health app. (It’s also a seminal arcade racing game from 1986, but that’s not what we’re talking about today.) The Outrun running app is a great alternative to all those running and cycling apps that upload and/or sell your data to anyone who wants it, or drive you crazy with ads. Or both.

Google Maps spotlights nearby delivery and take-out restaurants

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Google Maps adds Takeout and Delivery buttons
Tap on the Delivery or Takeout buttons in Google Maps to see open eateries that are closeby.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A pair of easy-to-see buttons have been added at the top of the Google Maps iPhone and Android apps to help users find restaurants in their area that offer takeout and delivery service. These point people toward nearby eateries still offering service during the coronavirus crisis.

Will people pay for Quibi’s snack-size shows? Free trial might help

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Nicole Richie as Nikki FreSh
Nicole Richie is Nikki Fre$h.
Screenshot: Quibi/YouTube

A new streaming service started Monday — but put down the remote. You won’t find Quibi on your television.

Instead, Quibi – its title a mashup of the words quick and bites – brings short-form entertainment through an app downloaded to an iPhone or iPad. If you are just hearing about Quibi, here’s a quick primer on the new streaming service.

Give your videoconferencing calls killer audio quality

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Not every videoconference audio setup has to be as janky as this.
Not every videoconference audio setup has to be as janky as this.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

You’ve probably made more video calls in the last few weeks than you’ve made in the previous few years combined. And if they were on your iPhone or iPad, then they probably sounded great. But what if you’re using a Mac, with its prehistoric mics1?

No worries. Through the magic of technology, you can use a better mic with your Mac’s Skype or FaceTime. (As a bonus, it also might make you feel more comfortable during videoconferences.)

Apple goes behind the scenes of the human connections in Amazing Stories

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amazing-stories
Amazing Stories is now available on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple

The last episode of Amazing Stories season 1 already aired last week, and if you haven’t binged the Steven Spielberg-led series yet, Apple’s new behind-the-scenes look at the show will have you ready to dive in.

Apple published an inside look of Amazing Stories today on YouTube with interviews from executive producers Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz. The duo, along with cast members from each episode, discuss their drive to create fantasy and sci-fi stories that still resonate with the complexities of human reality. To be honest, I always thought the show looked kind of boring but this new featurette has me pretty intrigued.

Take a look:

iOS 14 could bring new wallpaper settings, Home screen widgets

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iOS-14-wallpaper-leaks
Apple may give us brand-new wallpaper options in iOS 14.
Photo: DongleBookPro

The latest iOS 14 leaks hint that new wallpaper settings and Home screen widgets are coming to iPhone and iPad.

Apple is expected to separate its default backgrounds into categories. It also might give users the ability to place real widgets anywhere they like on their Home screen — a feature Android has had for more than a decade.

Last chance! Save 20% on all Twelve South accessories

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Twelve-South-collage
Get all these and more at a sweet discount!
Photos: Twelve South

Save 20% on the Cult of Mac Store’s entire lineup of awesome accessories from Twelve South. AirPods cases, iPhone chargers, iPad stands and more are all available at a discounted rate for a limited time only.

The sale includes some of Twelve South’s most popular products, including HiRise Wireless, AirSnap, and BookArc. The discounts disappear tonight, so enjoy them while you can!

Tim Cook will give virtual commencement speech to Ohio State graduates in May

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Tim Cook commencement
Cook during a previous commencement address.
Photo: George Washington University

Along with just about every other part of the education system right now, commencement addresses are going virtual. And who better to deliver one than the much sought-after commencement speaker whose company created FaceTime?

Announced by Ohio State University, Apple CEO Tim Cook will give a virtual address to graduating students this May. The speech will be broadcast online May 3.

iPhone resellers in China slash prices as sales fall

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iPhone-discount-Suning
Shoppers can save as much as $212 on iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

iPhone resellers in China are offering big discounts on Apple’s latest handsets in an effort to reverse falling sales amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suning, one of Apple’s largest retail partners in China, is offering discounts of up to 1,500 yuan (approximately $212) on the iPhone 11 series. The move is expected to trigger further price adjustments on other 4G smartphones.

Carriers and retailers prepare for imminent ‘iPhone 9’ debut

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iPhone 9
Coming soon to a pocket near you?
Photo: ConceptsiPhone

There’s more evidence that the new low-cost iPhone alternately referred to as the iPhone SE/iPhone SE 2/iPhone 9 is about ready to launch, thanks to two pieces of fresh evidence which appeared over the weekend.

The first is a placeholder page on the major Chinese retailer JD.com. The second is a reference to the “iPhone 9” in a Verizon document about iPhone trade-ins. While there’s no more detail on the phone itself, it suggests that the new iPhone is indeed on its way.

Samsung’s plan to beat TSMC to 3-nanometer chips suffers setback

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Apple chipmaker racing ahead with its next next-gen nanometer process
Apple's current chips are made with the 7-nanometer process.
Screenshot: Apple

The A-series chip in this year’s iPhone 12 is going to include one of the world’s first 5-nanometer chips, created by Apple partner TSMC.

But chipmakers are already looking beyond 5-nanometers when it comes to developing the ultra powerful chips of tomorrow. Rivals TSMC and Samsung, both of whom have previously made A-series chips for Apple, are busy exploring 3-nanometer production processes.

However, according to a report published Monday, Samsung just hit delays with their attempts at creating the next-next-gen chip process.

Apple is expected to deliver new 13-inch MacBook Pro in May

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2019 MacBook Pro
The first with a Magic Keyboard?
Photo: Apple

Apple’s much-anticipated 13-inch MacBook Pro refresh will arrive next month, according to one popular tipster.

Recent reports claim it will be Apple’s first 13-inch MacBook Pro with a vastly improved Magic Keyboard. The refresh may also bring faster Intel processors, improved speakers and perhaps even a larger display.

New York Times, IFTTT, Medium, others add ‘Sign in with Apple’ support

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Sign in with Apple
Everyone's hopping on Apple's privacy-conscious feature.
Photo: Apple

A number of big name services have added their support for Apple’s privacy-conscious “Sign in with Apple” feature by integrating it into their apps. These include The New York Times, IFTTT, Medium, Strava, Ritual, Freshii, Fiverr, and more.

It shows how rapidly adoption of the service is increasing ahead of Apple’s June 30 deadline for apps to implement the feature. This deadline was recently pushed back from April 30.

Apple could snap up virtual reality company NextVR for estimated $100 million

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NextVR
Acquisition would help bolster Apple's virtual reality efforts.
Photo: NextVR

Apple could be in the process of acquiring California-based virtual reality company NextVR, according to a report published over the weekend.

The rumored acquisition, supposedly for an amount in the region of $100 million, is reportedly quite far along. Although it hasn’t closed yet, employees are already being told about possibly relocating from San Diego to one of Apple’s offices.