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iOS 13.4 beta 2 brings more tweaks to Mail toolbar

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iCloud folder sharing is in iPadOS 13.4 and iOS 13.4
iCloud folder sharing finally arrives in iPadOS 13.4, and iOS 13.4 too.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded the second beta build of iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4 to developers this morning bringing a bunch of bug fixes and some small new features to the iPhone and iPad.

Included among the changes are some more changes to the controversial toolbar in the Mail app. Apple also added some under-the-hood improvements and some changes to how location authorization works in apps.

Use the hidden autocomplete in Apple Watch’s Scribble to send text messages

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fountain pen
Autocomplete metaphor.
Photo: Aaron Burden/Unsplash

Unless you hate yourself, or you have an uncommonly close relationship with Siri, anytime you need to reply to a message on your Apple Watch, you pull out your iPhone. Scribble, the watch’s laborious handwriting-recognition input, is fine for very short replies, but it takes so long for anything else that it makes T9 text input look appealing.

But what if there was some kind of iPhone-esque Scribble autocomplete? What if I told you that this hidden feature is already there, and that you just never noticed it? Prepare to have your mind blown.

Apple seeks dismissal of Servant plagiarism lawsuit

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Apple TV+ Servant promo image.
Apple defends against plagiarism allegations.
Photo: Apple

Apple asked a federal judge on Tuesday to toss a movie director’s lawsuit, arguing similarities between her work and the Apple TV+ series Servant are “common” and “unprotectable ideas” found in other works.

Francesa Gregorini’ has accused Apple, and Servant’s creators M. Night Shyamalan and Tony Basgallop’s of ripping off her 2013 film The Truth About Emanuel. Both movie and television series features a traumatized parent who hires a babysitter to care for a baby that turns out to be a doll.

10 more Apple Stores in China reopen to masked customers

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Apple Store in Qingdao
The Apple Store in Qingdao was the first to close amid coronavirus concerns.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple is unlocking the doors to 10 more Apple Stores in China but will remain vigilant as health officials try to contain the deadly coronavirus.

The stores set to reopen today are listed on the store page of Apple’s website. The 10 stores, including the first one closed due to the outbreak, will operate at reduced hours.

Apple has 42 retail sites across China.

Qualcomm’s new cellular modems could finally take 5G mainstream

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Qualcomm headquarters
This could be the modem which appears in the 2020 iPhone.
Photo: Qualcomm

Qualcomm has announced its new Snapdragon X60 5G modem, its third-gen 5G chip which offers improvements over its Snapdragon X55 and X50 predecessors.

While there is no confirmation that this is the case, this could very well be the modem chip that is used in the forthcoming generation of 5G iPhones. Apple patched up its rocky relationship with Qualcomm last year over the company’s 5G technology.

Apple sues former App Store manager over book that spills insider secrets

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Apple's not happy about former Apple employee Tom Sadowski's new book, App Store Confidential.
Apple's not happy about the new book App Store Confidential.
Photo: Murmann Verlag

Apple is suing former German App Store manager Tom Sadowski and his publisher over App Store Confidential, a new book that reveals “business secrets” Apple says Sadowski wasn’t legally allowed to disclose.

Cupertino’s lawyers are asking Sadowski and publisher Murmann Verlag to destroy all manuscripts of the German-language book, and to recall any copies currently in circulation. Apple says the book contains information that is of “considerable economic value” to the company.

Apple moves production of some high-demand devices to Taiwan

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Apple logo on store
Apple has a backup plan.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple is shifting a portion of AirPods, iPad and Apple Watch production from China to Taiwan as the tech giant continues to deal with coronavirus-related delays in China.

The virus, called COVID-19, has forced Apple to diversity on the fly its China-reliant production model. Much of the country remains quarantined and restricted in travel, and Apple assembly and supply partners are unable to operate at full capacity.

Get all the video tools you need in one app [Deals]

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Filmage
This app is a one-stop app for HD screen recording, fully featured editing, fast conversion and multi-format video playback.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Making videos on Mac is easy, if you have the right tools. But subscriptions to creative software suites are expensive, and can take up a lot of space. Often, they’re too complicated for casual users.

Not so with Filmage Screen, a single app that offers a one-stop shop for all your HD video needs.

Analysts aren’t worried about long-term impact of coronavirus on Apple

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money
Analysts think investors will need to weather the storm first, though.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

While it’s a distant second to the human impact of coronavirus, the outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus in China has caused plenty of disruption for Apple and its manufacturers.

But although Apple has already had to rein in its quarterly projections as a result, analysts watching the Cupertino firm aren’t getting unduly concerned. The majority of firms remain bullish when it comes to Apple’s prospects for near-term growth.

Photoshop celebrates its 30th birthday with new features for iPad

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Photoshop-Object-Selection-iPad
The new Object Selection tool works like magic.
Photo: Adobe

Photoshop turns 30 today, and to celebrate this massive milestone, Adobe is rolling out some handy new tools for the iPad version of its app.

The latest update brings an Object Selection tool and Type settings. They help bring Photoshop for iPad a little bit closer to the desktop version, and they’re part of Adobe’s mission to deliver a “continuous stream” of new features.

There are some nice additions for Photoshop on desktop, too.

Cash quiz app HQ Trivia may not be dead after all

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HQ Trivia 1
HQ Trivia had its moment in the sun, before beginning its decline.
Photo: HQ

One-time App Store sensation HQ Trivia has been thrown a lifeline after the company behind it initially announced that it was shutting down. On Twitter, HQ CEO and co-founder Rus Yusupov said that, after negotiations, they have found a tentative new home for the business.

“We have found a new home for HQ, with a company that wants to keep it running,” Yusupov wrote. “All employees, contractors and players are top priority. Severance will be paid and you will be able to cash out.”

Keyhub keyboard does double duty as 9-port USB-C hub

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Kolude KD-K1 Keyhub is both keyboard and hub.
The Kolude KD-K1 Keyhub combines two important accessories into one, saving on clutter.
Photo: Kolude

The Kolude KD-K1 Keyhub merges keyboard and multiport hub into one accessory — it’s right there in the name. The designers included scissor-switch keys in an aluminum casing, as well as nine ports, including USB-A and HDMI.

It extends the connectivity of Macs and iPad Pro, and all the ports are easily accessible.

Larry Tesler, the Apple employee who invented cut, copy and paste, dies at 74

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Larry Tesler
Larry Tesler worked for Apple from 1980 through 1997.
Photo: Yahoo!

Larry Tesler, a pioneering computer scientist who worked at Apple from 1980 to 1997 and created computerized cut, copy and paste, died Monday at the age of 74.

Tesler served as VP of AppleNet and Apple’s Advanced Technology Group. During his time at Apple, he played a key role in the development of products ranging from the Lisa to the Newton MessagePad.

And that was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to his contribution to computing.

Smash hit Alto’s Odyssey sandboards onto Mac

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Alto
2018's App Store stunner is finally available on Mac.
Photo: Snowman

Two years after it debuted in the iOS App Store, Alto’s Odyssey has finally arrived on Mac.

The long-awaited follow up to 2015’s brilliant Alto’s Adventure endless snowboarding game transposes the action to a desert sandboarding setting. The resulting game is a luscious graphical stunner that will keep you playing for hours!

Airlines might have a solution for terrible in-flight Wi-Fi

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Delta Air Lines
Delta is one of the companies working to offer better in-flight Wi-Fi.
Photo: Delta

A collaboration between airlines and internet service providers has come together to improve in-flight Wi-Fi.

They have created a modular system of hardware and software that can be rapidly upgraded as better, faster wireless options emerge.

Coronavirus less likely to hurt Samsung than Apple

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Samsung Galaxy S20 isn’t made in China
Samsung depends more on Vietnam for production than China, so the Galaxy S20 series probably won’t be in short supply.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung is less exposed to the negative effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in China than many of its rivals, including Apple.

But the opposite is true of Huawei, a China-based smartphone-maker likely getting hurt more than Apple.

Marshall brings active noise cancellation and USB-C to over-the-ear headphones

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Marshall
These are some of the best looking headphones we've seen.
Photo: Marshall

Marshall’s best over-the-ear headphones finally gained active noise cancellation (ANC) with a big update that pushes the vintage-inspired cans into the modern age.

The new Monitor II ANC headphones were revealed by Marshall this morning and along with adding ANC to put them on par with AirPods Pro, the headphones also have a nifty multi-directional control knob that lets you easily control music and phone functions without touching your phone.

March or April? Reports clash over iPhone supply

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Foxconn iPhone assembly
A Foxconn assembly plant in China.
Photo: Foxconn

Apple’s contract iPhone assemblers in China are far from operating at full capacity and will likely miss its production schedule on a budget-friendly iPhone.

If the report by a major economics news site in Japan is true, Apple would postpone rumored plans for a March announcement of an iPhone 9 or SE 2.

Stardew Valley’s massive 1.4 update is coming soon to iOS

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Stardew-Valley-1-4-iOS
It's just waiting for Apple's approval.
Photo: Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley’s gigantic version 1.4 content update is coming soon to iOS. It brings a new farm map, fish ponds, a new end-game mystery, and more than 60 brand-new items. There are also 14 music tracks and “hundreds” of fixes.

The update is already live on Android (it first rolled out on PC and console late last year), and it’s now waiting for Apple’s approval before it hits the App Store.