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Thieves rob Apple Store in San Mateo, escape with 40 items

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Apple Store San Mateo
A (somewhat retro) picture of the Apple Store in San Mateo.
Photo: Apple

An Apple Store in San Mateo’s Hillsdale Shopping Center was targeted by a trio of thieves Thursday night. They escaped from the San Mateo robbery with 40 Apple products.

The San Mateo robbery was reported at 9.01pm Thursday. Cops arrived within two minutes, but the thieves had already escaped. A high-speed pursuit then took place. However, the thieves got away.

iPhone 11 Pro and … one more thing? We talk Apple event leaks on The CultCast

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CultCast 404
According to a noted Apple leaker, a One More Thing is coming our way.
Image: The CultCast

This week on The CultCast: A noted leaker says the September 10 Apple event will include a mythical “one more thing.” Plus: More leaks shine a light on next week’s iPhone announcements; a new turbocharged Apple TV is on the way; and Apple Watch will finally get a long-awaited feature.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain..

Apple TV Events app updated ahead of Sept. 10 keynote

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Apple Events app
Apple will unveil new iPhones next week.
Photo: Apple

With Apple’s next keynote event just days away, Apple has updated its Apple Events app for Apple TV. If you own an Apple TV and want to watch Tuesday’s event from the comfort of your couch, this is the app you need.

The September 10 “By innovation only” event kicks off at 10am Pacific/1pm Eastern. A new wallpaper hints at the event’s theme, which many are predicting refers to the new color options for the iPhone 11.

Southwest Airlines customers can now pay with Apple Pay

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Southwest Airlines app
Another way to make your journey a bit easier.
Photo: Southwest Airlines

Apple Pay users flying Southwest Airlines can now use Apple’s mobile payments service for their travels. Customers can use Apple Pay to pay for tickets as well as ancillary services, such as meals, during flights.

“Providing modern digital payment solutions to our Customers is critical,” said Christopher Priebe of Southwest Airlines. “The launch of Apple Pay enhances our ability to sell flights, as well as ancillary products using one of the most widely-used digital wallets in North America.”

Anker’s ultra-slim charger is just right for your iPad [Review]

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Anker PowerPort Atom III
The Anker PowerPort Atom III is minuscule for a 30W charger.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Wall chargers made with gallium nitride (GaN) transistors can be considerably smaller than ones that use silicon instead. An outstanding case in point is the Anker PowerPort Atom III Slim, which is tiny but can still put out 30W to quickly power up an iPad Pro or even a MacBook.

We tested this svelte USB-C battery charger in the field. Read on to see how well it lives up to its promise.

Build your own Apple I replica with this handy kit

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SmartyKit Apple-1 replica
This Apple-1 replica can be assembled in a few hours.
Photo: SmartyKit

An original Apple-I unit recently sold for $471,000 but you can assemble your own replica for much, much less.

Steve Wozniak designed and hand-built the original back in 1976. Anyone who wants to assemble their own today can buy the parts and instructions from SmartyKit.

This cute, rubberized keyboard packs proper piano-style keys

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Arturia MicroLab
Looks small, feels big.
Photo: Arturia

This is the new MicroLab from Arturia. It’s a USB MIDI keyboard you can hook up to your Mac, your iPad or your iPhone. It’s tiny — but how does it differ from the zillion other portable MIDI keyboards littering the pages of Amazon? Two ways.

One is that it has a bunch of clever design features that make it great for travel or small desktop setups. The other is that it has big, proper, velocity-sensitive keys, instead of the stupid junky keys on almost every similar MIDI keyboard.

Samsung cancels all Galaxy Fold preorders ahead of launch

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GalaxyFold
The Fold launch as been a total fiasco.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung finally revealed the new launch date for the Galaxy Fold this morning, but if you already pre-ordered, you’ll have to get back in line.

Emails were sent out by Samsung to all customers that pre-ordered the Fold to notify them that their pre-order has been canceled so the company can “rethink the entire customer experience.”

iOS 13 is probably ready for you right now

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iOS 13.1 beta 1 adds Books reading goal, brings back almost every feature dropped in previous betas.
iOS 13.1 beta 1 brings back almost every cool feature dropped from previous betas.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

After the release of iOS 13.1 beta 2, iOS 13 is probably good enough for you to install and use. I’ve been running the new iPadOS on an old test iPad since the very first version, and it has been glitchy all the way. But as of the latest developer beta, almost all of the problems have been ironed out.

So, is the iOS 13 beta really stable enough to install?

Apple fans can’t wait to pay big bucks for a 5G iPhone

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2020 could be Apple's greatest year so far
Some people are willing to pay a lot for a 5G iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

There’s growing interest in a 5G iPhone, according to survey done by a market-analysis firm. Almost a quarter of current users of Apple handsets would be willing to pay more for an iPhone with a higher-speed wireless connection than the cost of the company’s top-tier device today.

Sonos goes on the Move with its first portable speaker

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Sonos Move
The Move goes where no Sonos speaker ever has before: away from Wi-Fi networks.
Photo: Sonos

The Sonos Move is the first speaker from this company that can be used outside of the home. To make that possible, it’s also the first time Sonos has made a Bluetooth speaker.

It offers Apple’s AirPlay 2 and multiple voice assistants, but not Siri.

This case makes newest iPad Air and iPad mini waterproof

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Catalyst-iPad-Air-mini
Catalyst won't let water ruin your iPad.
Photo: Catalyst

Summer might be almost over, but Apple’s newest iPads are ready for the beach — thanks to the ultra-rugged Catalyst case.

Now available for the most recent iPad Air and iPad mini, Catalyst makes your tablet completely waterproof, and keeps out unwanted debris like sand and dust. It can also handle accidental drops.

Apple sees ‘long-term potential’ in cryptocurrencies

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Antana/Flickr CC
An Apple Coin? Don't rule it out.
Photo: Antana/Flickr CC

Could an Apple cryptocurrency be coming? While it doesn’t sound like it’s on the immediate horizon, Apple Pay VP Jennifer Bailey recently suggested it’s not totally off the table.

It would fit with Apple’s growing embrace of financial services. The company got into mobile payments with Apple Pay in 2014 and released the Apple Card this year. Now, Cupertino appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach on cryptocurrencies.

Apple adman who created iconic commercials sues his former agency

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Apple
Duncan Milner left TBWA earlier this year.
Photo: Apple

A former Apple advertising creative lead, who worked on some of its biggest ad campaigns, has sued his former agency, TBWA. Duncan Milner claims wrongful termination based on age discrimination.

Following the retirement of TBWA boss (and Steve Jobs friend) Lee Clow this year, Milner was told that the company “couldn’t carry his salary anymore.”

iPhone 11’s gorgeous new color options spilled by case-maker

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iPhone-11-Pro-aura
The best one reminds us of another new smartphone.
Photo: Olixar/MobileFun

Stunning new color options for iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro are today revealed in new images from case-maker Olixar.

One supposed finish — which mixes light pastel pink, green and yellow — is similar to the stunning Aura color options available for Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 10.

Babies run amok in latest Dr. Mario World update

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Dr. Mario
Dr. Mario landed on iOS this summer.
Photo: Nintendo

Dr. Mario World, the latest Nintendo title to land in the App Store, just got a new update — adding 4 new doctors and 20 additional stages.

New doctors include Doctors Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, and Baby Daisy. While I’d quibble about the realism of someone being able to complete a 7-year+ medical course while remaining a baby, I don’t think that’s entirely the point.

Apple Music releases ‘Up Next Live’ EPs of summer Apple Store concerts

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Bad Bunny
Concerts were designed to promote up-and-coming artists like Bad Bunny.
Photo: Apple

Over the summer, Apple Music hosted a series of seven exclusive concerts at global Apple Stores. The concerts featured artists Bad Bunny, Omar Apollo, Khalid, King Princess, Daniel Caesar, Ashley McBryde, and Lewis Capaldi.

Anyone who missed them can now check out these rising stars in concert, courtesy of Apple’s “Up Next Live” EPs. Now streaming on Apple Music.

2020’s iPhone SE upgrade won’t bring edge-to-edge display

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Watch a iPhone SE 2 TV ad
No, the new iPhone SE won't look like this.
Screencap: Creative Concepts

A reliable source today echos claims that Apple is developing an iPhone SE upgrade for early next year.

The new low-cost handset will feature Touch ID, just as expected — but it won’t be the new in-display Touch ID technology that Apple could bring to other handsets in 2020.

That means there’s no hope of an edge-to-edge display.

The spectacular windows at Apple’s new Tokyo store look like giant iPhones

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Apple new store in Japan
Check out those beautiful rounded windows.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s opening its latest Tokyo Japanese Apple Store this weekend. To mark the occasion, it’s offering would-be shoppers a sneak peak.

In keeping with Apple’s love of embracing local culture, the new store makes use of in-store bamboo plants. There are also impressive two-story vitrine windows made from specially cast aluminum to create three-dimensional rounded corners. Resembling giant iPhones, these are the first of their kind at any Apple Store.

Check out more pictures below.

iPhone displays could offer built-in Touch ID by 2020

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Touch ID
But don't worry — Face ID isn't going anywhere.
Photo: Apple

Apple really is working to integrate Touch ID into future iPhone displays, according to a new report.

The company’s in-screen fingerprint-scanning technology could debut as early as 2020. It is expected work alongside Face ID on flagship handsets, giving users a choice between unlock options.

Apple TV+ is coming to Samsung Smart TVs

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Apple TV+ could have 26 million paying subs by 2025; 2.6 million currently
Apple TV+ could have 26 million paying subs by 2025; 2.6 million currently
Photo: Apple

You’ll need a subscription to enjoy to Apple TV+ when it lands later this year, but you may not need to purchase an Apple TV. The new video streaming service is also coming to Samsung Smart TVs.