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Doqo turns iPad Pro into MacBook with 7 ports [Review]

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Doqo keyboard with 12.9-inch iPad Pro
The Doqo keyboard with 12.9-inch iPad Pro has advantages even over a MacBook.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Anyone who longs for the days when MacBooks came with tons of ports can look to the Doqo, an iPad Pro keyboard case that includes a pair of USB-A ports, HDMI, memory card readers, and more. There’s also a trackpad and full-size keyboard. This could be the touchscreen laptop you’ve been hoping for.

I’ve extensively used the Doqo keyboard with a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and explore its advantages and problems in this review.

Apple crams celebrities into first Carpool Karaoke season 3 trailer

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carpool-karaoke
Carpool Karaoke is going to an all-new level this season.
Photo: Apple

Carpool Karaoke is back for a third season and it’s packed with more celebrity appearances than ever before.

The first trailer for Carpool Karaoke season 3 was posted to show creator James Cordon’s YouTube channel this afternoon revealing some big changes coming to the show in 2020. Apple still hasn’t given an official release date for season 3, but the new slate of celebrity pairings have us hyped for its debut later this year.

See how many celebs you can name:

Rocket League will drop support for macOS in March

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Rocket-League
A reminder macOS is no good for gaming.
Photo: Psyonix

Rocket League developer Psyonix today confirmed it will drop support for macOS (and Linux) in March.

Players will need to switch platforms to continue enjoying the game — or play without its beloved online multiplayer. The move could be a blow to Apple’s rumored plan to enter the desktop gaming market.

Apple finally ends Safari support for Adobe Flash

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Adobe Flash is almost dead
Ding dong, Adobe Flash is dead. Almost.
Photo: Adobe/Cult of Mac

Adobe Flash, once a hugely popular way for web browsers to provide multimedia, is almost dead. And Apple is helping bring on the funeral by completely removing support for the Flash plugin from the latest Safari Technology Preview.

Twitter now lets you add emoji reactions to direct messages

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Twitter-emoji-reactions
Sometimes an emoji says it all.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Twitter now lets you add Facebook-style emoji reactions to direct messages.

There are currently seven to choose from — one more than Facebook offers — including the familiar thumbs up, laughing face, and love heart. They help Twitter keep up with rival messaging platforms, such as iMessage.

This Command key shortcut will change how you use your Mac

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command key
Take command.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

There are two kinds of Mac users. The sad, harried folks who don’t know how to use this easy, essential, life-changing Command key trick. And the happy, efficient, relaxed people who learned it years ago. If you’ve seen the movie Back to the Future, it’s like the difference between the two 2015 versions of George McFly, before and after Marty screws around with the 1950s. This trick will change your life.

Are you ready?

Why TikTok could become Apple Music’s scariest rival

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2020 is the year everyone wants to be TikTok famous.
Peace of mind for parents.
Photo: Aaron Yoo/Flickr CC

It’s the year 2020 and absolutely everyone is making a streaming service, including TikTok.

The budding social network is hard at work inking licensing deals for its upcoming music streaming service, Resso, that will compete against Spotify and Apple Music. TikTok owner ByteDance reportedly struck a deal with the agency Merlin, which represents tens of thousands of artists, paving the way for the company to launch its music app globally.

Shifting focus from being a video-sharing app to creating a music platform may seem like an odd move for TikTok. But after months of binging on TikTok videos, I’m convinced it could become the biggest threat to Apple Music and Spotify.

Advertisers panic as iPhone users turn off GPS tracking

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iOS 13.3 in beta
iOS 13 has made it easier for users to shut down location tracking.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Location data, for a long time a river of gold that enriched companies with digital ad revenues, is starting to dry up as more and more consumers deactivate location tracking on their smartphones.

The growing shortage of GPS data became pronounced shortly after the launch iOS 13, which features a pop-up option to cut off tracking if your iPhone detects an app gathering data on your whereabouts.

Servant‘s weird focus on food makes Apple TV+ show extra-eerie

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Food is important in Apple TV+’s Servant
Food isn’t just something the characters eat in Servant on Apple TV+.
Screenshot: Apple

Servant is deliberately creepy, and what the characters are eating is an important part of setting that tone. A video by Apple TV+ explains how what’s being cooked and eaten expresses the emotions of the characters in this psychological thriller.

Watch it now:

Apple partners with gyms to reward Apple Watch wearers

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Apple Watch app to monitor athletic performance
Taking Apple Watch to the gym can earn you some perks.
Photo: Apple

Wearing your Apple Watch to the gym can now earn you some perks and in some cases, a discounted monthly membership.

Apple revealed its new Apple Watch Connected gym partnership today that is supposed to incentivize Apple Watch wearers to hit the gym more. Initial launch partners include Basecamp Fitness, Orange Theory, YMCA and Crunch Fitness with more gyms expected to be added throughout 2020.

Apple says EU’s potential charging cable mandate ‘stifles innovation’

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iPhone Lightning connector
New regulations could force Apple to ditch Lightning cables in Europe.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple today argued against the European Union’s demands for standardized charging cables for smartphones and other devices.

New regulations being considered by the EU could force Apple to ditch the iPhone’s familiar Lightning connector for an industry-wide alternative. Apple said the move “stifles innovation” and hurt smartphone buyers.

“Apple stands for innovation and deeply cares about the customer experience,” Apple said in a statement to Cult of Mac. “We believe regulation that forces conformity across the type of connector built into all smartphones stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, and would harm consumers in Europe and the economy as a whole.”

Apple meets Ukrainian politician following Crimea Maps controversy

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Apple meets Ukrainian politician following Crimea Maps controversy
Vadym Prystaiko previously told Apple to stay out of politics.
Photo: Vadym Prystaiko/Twitter

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s VP of environment, policy and social initiatives, met with Ukraine’s foreign minister at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This looks to be their first meeting after the recent controversy in which Apple displayed the annexed Crimea as Russian territory in two of its apps.

Vadym Prystaiko previously told Apple that it should stay out of politics, and stick to “high-tech and entertainment.”

A brand-new Tetris game is already out on iOS

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Tetris-iOS
That didn't take long.
Photo: The Tetris Company

A brand-new Tetris game today landed on iOS — just a day after EA confirmed it is retiring its own lineup of Tetris titles.

The game promises to deliver the traditional Tetris gameplay experience millions of fans around the world already know and love. But this is not the Tetris Royale title that was announced last year.

Get this powerful VPN protection for up to 10 devices — on sale today! [Deals]

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VPN Unlimited Main
Protect your online activity and identity, while also bypassing annoying location-based content restrictions.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’re not using a VPN when you go online, what are you even doing? On public or private networks, it’s one of the best ways to stay secure and anonymous online, along with other benefits. So if you’re dragging your feet with a VPN, now’s the time to get on board.

How to make music like the Apple fan who made Steve Jobs dance

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How to make music like the Apple fan who made Steve Jobs dance
Jonathan Mann has written a song every day for the last 11 years. That's more than 4,000 songs.
Photo: Jonathan Mann

Few of us know what it’s like to have our music played at an Apple keynote, but 37-year-old Apple fan Jonathan Mann does. Way back in the days of the iPhone 4, he composed a song about Apple’s Antennagate PR disaster. Not only did it get played at an Apple event, it actually made Steve Jobs dance.

For the past 11 years, Mann has recorded a new song every day, using his trusty Mac setup. That’s more than 4,000 songs in total. Now he’s launched a new podcast revealing his creative process. And, true to form, the latest episode features a song about the Mac Pro.

“My first computer, when I was just a toddler, was an Apple IIe,” Mann told Cult of Mac. “My mom used it for work, and my favorite activity was just to hold down different keys on the boot screen and watch the letters go and go.”

Things are looking up for iPhone in Apple’s biggest untapped market

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iPhone sales are showing signs of life in India
iPhone shipments rebounded in India last year.
Photo: Apple

There are few big markets that Apple has yet to crack. But one of the biggest, India, it’s really struggled with. In a population of more than 1.311 billion people, Apple holds just a few measly percentage points of the local smartphone market.

But things may be looking up slightly, as a new report makes clear.

Multiple networks rejected Little America before Apple TV+ snapped it up

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Little America was rejected from multiple networks being Apple snapped it up
All 8 episodes of Little America now streaming on Apple TV+
Photo: Apple

Apple Originals series Little America was rejected by a multiple networks before it finally found a home on Apple TV+. That’s according to the show’s executive producer Kumail Nanjiani.

“We pitched to a bunch of different places, and the truth is some of these more traditional outlets that have been around for decades, were a little hesitant about the show,” Nanjiani told Forbes.

Apple Watch owner alerted of irregular heart rhythms in her sleep

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Apple Watch alerts user of irregular heart rhythms in sleep
Apple Watch is proving to be a wonder of modern health care.
Photo: Apple

A Kentucky woman says her Apple Watch detected atrial fibrillation, aka irregular heart rhythms, while she slept.

Rosemary Stiles told local newscaster WHAS11 that she had been feeling unusually tired and rundown. But she had no idea that this could potentially be a sign of something more serious.

UN alleges Saudi crown prince linked to hacking of Bezos’ iPhone

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iPhone X standing
Jeff Bezos’ iPhone X was allegedly hacked.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Allegations that the ruler of Saudi Arabia played a role in hacking Jeff Bezos’ phone made headlines around the world today. A forensic report indicates this was supposedly an iPhone X, and a WhatsApp account was used.

Bezos is more than the CEO of Amazon — he’s also the owner of The Washington Post, which has been critical of Mohammed bin Salman, the crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

How to block privacy-invading read receipts in email

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email read receipts
An untracked, artisanal email.
Photo: Erica Steeves/Unsplash

Did you know that your boss might be tracking when you open and read her emails? Or that anyone who operates a mailing list can see when you open their emails, thanks to read receipts?

But did you also know that it’s trivially easy to block read receipts? You can make your overreaching boss think that you never read her emails, or at least make her a bit more paranoid. Email tracking uses something called tracking pixels. Let’s see how to block them, and disable email read receipts on Mac and iOS.

Google finds 5 privacy vulnerabilities in Safari’s privacy tools

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safari
Apple's innovative Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature had some big flaws.
Photo: Apple

Google’s security researchers unearthed some huge security vulnerabilities in Safari that let users’ online behavior to be tracked.

Ironically, the researchers found the vulnerabilities in the Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature Apple added in 2017 to shield users from tracking in the first place.