“Apple is all-in on augmented reality. But where will it lead?” That’s a pretty standard view of Apple’s experiments with visual AR, aka overlaying virtual objects onto the real world, via the iPhone’s camera and screen.

But Apple is already providing a fully immersive AR overlay onto the real world, to millions of users — only it isn’t using a screen. AirPods are augmented reality. They are also a part of a new computing paradigm that Apple snuck into the world without telling anybody. This paradigm currently consists of AirPods, iPhone, Apple Watch and the HomePod. And it is as discreet and low-key as it is important.

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with China’s chief market regulator Thursday, a trip likely to attract the tech giant more criticism as tensions fester between the mainland and Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.

Cook’s meeting in Beijing comes one week after it removed a live map app from the App Store that was being used by protestors. Cook said the app, HKmap.live, was pulled after Hong Kong officials presented “credible information” the app was used to target individuals and property with violence where no police were present.

Are you really getting the most out of your Mac? Are you sure? This bundle of premium Mac apps will boost your productivity, turbocharge your creative pursuits, and generally spice up your computing life.

The Magnificent Mac Bundle includes nine apps with a variety of uses. Separately, they run more than $350. But you can pay what you want for the whole enchilada, thanks to Cult of Mac Deals!

Apple is expected to deliver pricier “AirPods Pro” with noise cancellation later this month, according to a new report.

Images of the buds were leaked by Apple in an iOS 13.2 beta earlier this month. They are expected to offer multiple listening modes and could cost around $100 more than the regular models.

This week on The CultCast: iPhone SE 2 is almost here! And its specs and price are surprisingly good… Plus: finally! Long awaited camera upgrades are coming to iOS 13; Apple TV+ finally lays out the details of their launch shows; and AMC’s new movie streaming is going to take on Apple Movies with a genius feature Apple can’t possibly match.

Our thanks to Belkin for supporting this episode. Belkin Cables are built to last and supported with a 5-year warranty. If you’re tired of broken burnt out cables, switch to Belkin, and save 30% off your order with code CultCast at checkout.

Apple this week premiered Dickinson, an original show coming to Apple TV+, at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, New York.

The half-hour comedy series based on rebellious young poet Emily Dickinson will be available November 1. It is the second show Apple has premiered this week following For All Mankind.

Google Maps already alerts drivers about crashes and other traffic slowdowns, but the app is just now allowing users to report these incidents on their iPhone.

This has long been a feature of Waze, Google’s other iOS navigation app.

A highlight of the Apple Watch is the ability to tell if the wearer has a heart problem called atrial fibrillation, and rival wearable-maker Fitbit is working to add AFib detection to its smart watches.

You know how you can double-press the side button on your Apple Watch, and then wave it over a contactless terminal to pay with your credit card? Wouldn’t it be great if you could do the same with your Mac login password? Instead of having to type your password to authenticate yourself, you’d be able to double-tap the Apple Watch’s side button to do it instantly.

Well, now you can do exactly this — if you’re running macOS Catalina.

Apple is making quick progress on the development of macOS 10.15.1, publishing its second beta build this morning.

macOS 10.15.1 beta 2 arrived for developers today, less than a week after the first beta dropped. The latest dev seed brings a host of bug fixes as Apple tries to patch up some of the holes in macOS Catalina, which launched earlier this month.

Everyone who signed up for a free trial of Apple Arcade when this gaming service launched is about to be charged for their first month. The 80+ titles currently available give plenty of options, but anyone who hasn’t warmed up to it should drop out before they get their first bill.

Fortunately, iOS makes this a snap.

In iOS 13, Slide Over goes from being a useful-but-annoying novelty, to being an essential utility. Instead of only letting you dock one app window to the side of the screen, and sliding it out for a quick look or edit, Slide Over is now fully integrated.

In iOS 13, you can have multiple Slide Over panels, you can switch between them as easily as switching apps on an iPhone, you can open almost anything into a Slide Over pane, and you can easily turn a Slide Over app into a full-screen app. Here’s how it all works.

Emily Dickinson’s poems often dealt with death and immortality, and that’s reflected in the second trailer for Apple TV+’s Dickinson. She finds herself facing the personification of Death, as well as struggling to make her poetry immortal in a world of men.

Watch it now:

The send message button on the iPhone is misaligned and for most of us, a 3-pixel discrepancy won’t cause heartburn.

But a few designers are reaching for the antacids this week after one of their own pointed out the misalignment on Twitter.

Adobe is finally close to bringing real Photoshop to iPad. But before you get too excited, you should know that the first version of the app will ship without some key features.

Early testers have described the current state of Photoshop as “rudimentary,” according to a new report. It seems it won’t be replacing its desktop counterpart anytime soon.

iOS 13 is now running on an impressive 55% of all iPhone models introduced in the last four years. It has taken less than a month for adoption to reach that figure. And it puts iOS 13 on par with iOS 12.

iPadOS, now its very own operating system, has reached 41% of all iPads introduced during the same time period.

When you set out to learn a new language in 2019, the first approach that comes to mind probably involves an app. And apps are useful, no doubt, but most can only take you so far. To really learn a language, you need the feedback of someone who can correct your pronunciation.

When  a native speaker isn’t available, Mondly uses advanced technology to make up the difference — in 33 different languages!

The A13 Bionic chip packed into the iPhone 11 series is significantly faster than its predecessor across the board. New tests have confirmed Apple’s claims of a big increases in both processing and graphics performance

And just as you might expect, the A13 blows its rivals out of the water.

Netflix warned investors that the upcoming launch of Apple TV+ and Disney+ could generate “modest headwinds” when it comes to new subscriber growth. Despite the warning, Netflix shares surged in after-hours trading today after it reported better-than-expected earnings.

In a letter to shareholders, Netflix didn’t sound too worried about the upcoming streaming wars. The company pointed out that it’s already been competing against streamers and regular TV for over a decade now.

Are you maintaining a healthy Mac? It doesn’t have to be difficult. CleanMyMac X offers all the tools you need to ensure your machine is always speedy and safe.

The latest version of the app stops malware in its tracks, ensures your apps are always up to date, and keeps your Mac running as fast as it can be.

It also helps you weed out system junk from the darkest depths of your machine, and it’s three times faster than its predecessor.

Apple TV+ is starting to stock up on new movies.

Apple has inked its second film deal with indie studio A24, which is already working with the iPhone-maker on Sofia Coppola’s next movie. The two companies are set to produce an adaptation of the critically acclaimed young adult novel The Sky Is Everywhere written by Jandy Nelson.

The Federal Communications Commission reportedly will grant approval for the multibillion-dollar merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. This is one of the last hurdles before the third- and fourth-largest U.S. carriers can blend into a single entity almost as large as AT&T and Verizon.

iOS updates usually prove pretty reliable. Even during the buggy beta phase of a new iOS version, the updates themselves usually run without a hitch. But sometimes they do get stuck. Or they seem like they got stuck.

Here’s how to tell the difference between those two scenarios. And, if your iOS update really did hang, what to do about it.

Look no further than this contemporary leather cuff if you want an Apple Watch band that’s super-stylish and insanely comfortable.

It’s Monowear’s most comfortable band yet, and it’s available now from the Cult of Mac Store in two terrific color options. The cuff is compatible with all versions of Apple Watch in all sizes. Order yours today!

While there are multiple options for using an iPad as a Mac’s second screen, Luna Display is adding a twist: the option to let one Mac take over another Mac’s screen.

This, for example, lets an iMac easily use a MacBook’s display.