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If David Lynch made an iOS game it would look a lot like Path to Mnemosyne

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Path to Mnemosyne screenshot
A puzzle game full of dreamlike (and sometimes nightmare) imagery.
Photo: DevilishGames

Path to Mnemosyne, an esoteric puzzle game featuring gorgeous hand-drawn grayscale art, is coming to the App Store. And it’s a doozy.

Having previously made waves on Steam in late 2018, in addition to launches on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, the critically acclaimed game’s forthcoming arrival on iOS will open it up to a whole new audience. If David Lynch made an iOS game it would probably look a lot like this.

How Apple’s self-driving car fleet fared on California roads last year

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Here's how Apple Car might eliminate blind spots
Will an Apple Car ever be available to buy?
Photo: Aristomenis Tsirbas/Freelancer

Only 23 of Apple’s registered self-driving cars were active between December 2018 and November 2019, according to data provided to California’s Department of Motor Vehicles. In total, Apple’s fleet of modified Lexus RX450h SUVs travelled 7,544 miles during the period.

That’s down from the 79,745 miles its vehicles travelled in the previous year.

Apple requires Chinese games to get government approval

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Millions play the Chinese games “Kings of Glory” and “Arena of Valor.”
“Kings of Glory” and its spin-off “Arena of Valor” are hugely popular in China.
Photo: Tencent Games

Apple reportedly asked for-pay game developers in China to prove they have government approval for their applications. This is requirement under Chinese law.

The iPhone maker didn’t say what would happen to games that don’t have approval.

Cloud gaming service Shadow pulled from App Store after reported Apple guideline infraction

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Shadow cloud gaming service image
Shadow's iOS app has been removed from the Apple App Store for reportedly violating developer guidelines.
Photo: Shadow

Cloud gaming service Shadow announced Wednesday that its iOS app has been removed from Apple’s App store for what that tech-giant called a violation of its developer guidelines. 

In a Reddit post, Shadow would not explain in detail those infringements or say if it even knows at this point what those are. It said it is working to resolve the issues and “bring Shadow back to every one of you mobile users as soon as possible!”

Tramell Tillman joins cast of Apple TV+ thriller series Severance

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tramell
Tramell Tillman will join Ben Stiller and Patricia Arquette in Severance.
Photo: Peter Hurley

Ben Stiller’s directorial TV series debut for Apple TV+, Severance, added another male lead to its roster today after striking a deal with Tramell Tillman.

Tramell, who can currently be seen in the Amazon series Hunters with Al Pacino, will play alongside Adam Scott in the thriller written and created by Dan Erickson.

Fixed Wi-Fi chip flaw leaves many Apple devices vulnerable to intrusion

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iPhone XR test
The iPhone XR uses a Wi-Fi chip that's affected by the vulnerability.
Photo: Apple

Security researchers discovered a critical flaw in Wi-Fi chips made by Broadcom and Cypress Semiconductor that were used in Apple devices.

The discovery was presented at the RSA security conference in San Francisco this morning, revealing that billions of devices could have been affected. Attackers could use the vulnerability to decrypt private data sent over the air. Most manufacturers have already released a patch to fix the issue, but it’s unclear how many of the devices have been updated.

The following Apple devices were affected:

Amazon adds HomeKit support to Eero routers

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eero
HomeKit comes to Eero.
Photo: Eero

Some of the best mesh-routers on the market is finally adding support for Apple’s HomeKit.

Eero revealed today that its devices can now be added to the Home app on iPhone and iPad. The update allows you to control aspects of the eero routers remotely and also adds extra protections for other HomeKit accessories in your house.

Souped-up selfie stick wants you to look good

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selfie stick with light
This little light shines.
Photo: Pictar

Tel Aviv-based Pictar wants to shine a light on your obsession for the perfect selfie.

Its new Smart-Light Selfie Stick comes with a detachable light plus a control panel in the handle to control camera functions and adjust the tilt of your iPhone.

Start work right with this one-click app and playlist launcher

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applescript
Writing this AppleScript is as easy as writing your shopping list.
Photo: David Ballew/Unsplash

Every morning when I sit at my Mac to start writing, I open the same apps and start the same iTunes playlist. This repetitive, tedious task is what computers are supposed to do for us, so I figured I’d make my Mac open up those apps, and start that music playing, all without me having to do anything.

That dream was quickly quashed — the Mac isn’t quite able to read my mind yet. So I settled for the next best thing: An AppleScript that I can leave in the Dock, and then click once to open everything. The best part is, it’s absurdly easy to make your own.

Shareholders meeting reveals Apple Store coming to India; Cook labels coronavirus ‘a challenge’

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steve jobs theater
Apple shareholders gathered at Steve Jobs Theater today for their annual meeting.
Photo: Apple

Apple hosted shareholders for an annual meeting Wednesday, and it was seemingly business as usual. CEO Tim Cook said the company will open its first Apple Store in India this year. He explained why Apple’s streaming service passed on a Friends reunion. He defended Apple’s role in FBI investigations when asked to retrieve iPhone data.

But the tech giant finds itself at an unusual moment in its history with a deadly coronavirus in China that halted business travel, crippled manufacturing, closed all 42 Apple Stores in the country and forced Cupertino to pull back on its March-quarter revenue protections.

Bundle of new developer OS betas highlight iPad Up Next widget functionality

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iPadOS 13.4 includes an improved Up Next home screen widget.
See locations in the Up Next home screen widget in iPadOS 13.4 beta.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Up Next widget on the iPad home screen gets a handy tweak in iPadOS 13.4, showing the location of upcoming events if they’ve been specified in the Calendar. This is just one of the improvements in this version, which is still in beta testing,

But the release is getting closer, as Apple just released the third beta of iPadOS 13.4 to developers. Plus, there are new pre-release editions of macOS 10.15.4, iOS 13.4, tvOS 13.4 and watchOS 6.2.

How to mute any word in Twitter with a long press

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mute button
Mute tweets.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

One of the best Twitter features is the mute. You can pick any keyword, hashtag or person, and shut them up for as long as you like. This works in various Twitter apps, but if you’re using the official Twitter app, you can mute these keywords just by long-pressing them.

Shareholders demand Apple stop kowtowing to China [Updated]

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AllOfUS says Apple helps censorship in China
Locking China out of the supply chain.
Photo: AllOfUs

Apple will try to fight off an attempt by an investor activist group to force it to stop banning applications when requested by the Chinese government. A vote on this will take place as Apple’s annual shareholders meeting today, where China is expected to be a major topic of discussion for multiple reasons.

Update: This proposal was voted down 59.4% to 40.6%, according to Reuters.

iPhone 12’s big Wi-Fi upgrade could pave the way for Apple Glasses

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Apple glasses
Is that what 802.11ay Wi-Fi is really all about?
Photo: Martin Hajek

The next-generation Wi-Fi technology rumored to be coming to this year’s iPhone lineup could be used primarily to connect your Apple Glasses, a new report suggests.

The 802.11ay standard promises lightning-fast speeds and stellar connectivity, but it probably won’t replace the Wi-Fi standards you’re already familiar with in most cases.

Cable company Altice USA adds streaming app to Apple TV

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Altice One on Apple TV
The Altice One app is available on Apple TV today.
Photo: Altice USA

The nation’s sixth-largest cable TV provider announced Wednesday the addition of an Apple TV app to its streaming service beating Roku to the punch in the competitive streaming video market.

Altice USA provides broadband and pay television in 21 states to some 3.3 million subscribers through its Optimum and Suddenlink brands.

The deal with Apple comes as more and more Americans cut their cable TV cords in favor of streaming services.

Upcoming Steve Jobs auction a treasure trove for Apple fans

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Steve
Want to own a piece of Steve Jobs memorabilia? Of course you do.
Photo: Stanford University

A treasure trove of Steve Jobs-related goods is going under the hammer in an upcoming March auction titled, well, the Steve Jobs auction.

Organized by RR Auctions, the lot consists of various Apple-related items. These include a PowerBook signed by Jobs, an original Apple-1 computer, and an incredibly rare Apple II document signed by Jobs, previously belonging to Apple’s first industrial designer Jerry Manock.

Add a serious mobile charging hub to your car [Deals]

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ChargeHub Main
Become road-trip proof by adding between 3 and 6 ports to your car.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

With mobile devices, the need for power follows us everywhere. There’s never enough outlets, so it’s good sense to ensure you can access one wherever you go, including on the go. These deals from ChargeHub offer enough outlets for everybody from three to six ports perfect for lots of passengers and long trips.

Apple made the No. 1 and No. 2 smartphones in the world last year

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iPhone XR portrait mode
iPhone XR was the year's most popular handset.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone XR was the world’s most popular smartphone last year, claims market research firm Omdia. The iPhone 11 followed in second place.

In its Smartphone Model Market Tracker report, released Tuesday, Omdia says Apple shipped 46.3 million iPhone XR handsets in 2019. That’s more than double the 23.1 million units it shipped in 2018 (although it was only released on October 26 that year.)

Last Jedi director reveals why you’ll never see a bad guy using an iPhone

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JLC-iPhone-Knives-Out
Jamie Lee Curtis (not a bad guy) using an iPhone in Knives Out.
Photo: Vanity Fair

Apple makes some of the coolest products in the technology industry, which is one of the reasons why you see them in so many movies. But have you ever noticed that only the good guys use Apple products?

That’s because Apple won’t let the bad guys use devices like iPhone on-screen, according to movie director Rian Johnson.

Apple supplier hires ‘SARS hero’ to help it battle back against coronavirus outbreak

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Foxconn employees accused of $43 million iPhone scam
Tim Cook meets with a Foxconn assembler during a previous trip to China.
Photo: Apple

Apple manufacturer Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, has hired a man dubbed the “SARS hero” by Chinese state media as part of its efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus.

83-year-old scientist Zhong Nanshan is credited with finding the right way to treat SARS, the severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by a novel coronavirus, which spread between late 2002 and mid-2003. Foxconn says that he will act as a consultant for its coronavirus prevention and rehabilitation efforts.

Subscription music services dominate, music downloads fall below $1 billion

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Music licensing company takes aim at Apple Music for illegal streaming
It's all about the music subscription services these days.
Photo: Stas Knop/Pexels CC

Music streaming subscription services grew 13% in the United States in 2019, while iTunes-style downloads continued to decline.

According to a new report by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), streaming accounted for 79% of the overall music industry in the U.S. Physical sales, such as CDs and vinyl accounted for 10%, while downloads experienced the biggest decline — making up just 8% of revenue.

NTSB criticizes Apple for role in fatal Tesla crash

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A Tesla Model X similar to this one crashed in 2018.
Sounds like the Tesla app could do with a bit of work.
Photo: Tesla

The National Transportation Safety Board criticized Tesla for a 2018 crash that killed the driver, but also said Apple played a role in the accident.

The driver was an Apple employee, and was using his iPhone with the car in Tesla’s Autopilot mode.