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Apple’s quarterly report will continue ‘flattening out’ of earnings

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European Commission could get even tougher on tech in 2020
Earnings are likely to remain flat.
Photo illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

My colleague Buster Hein described tomorrow’s Apple earnings call as the company’s “most boring” earnings report of the year. And it seems like analysts aren’t rushing to disagree with him.

Looking at analyst expectations for Tuesday shows that, overall, people have pretty low expectations. And that’s all part of a “flattening out” of Apple earnings.

16-inch MacBook Pro will pack more screen into the same space

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2015 MacBook Pro 15-inch Retina
The new MacBook could squeeze a 16-inch display into a 15-inch form factor.
Photo: Apple

The rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro will take a page out of the iPhone X’s playbook. According to a new report, it will slim down its bezels to include a larger LCD display in the “same body” as the current 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple has reportedly asked Quanta to make the next-gen laptop, which will ship in September.

5G expected to feature in all 2020 iPhone models

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iPhone XS crazy performance means speed at your fingertips.
Apple can
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

5G connectivity will feature in all three iPhone models launching next year, according to a new research note from a trusted analyst.

Apple has reportedly made the feature a priority as an increasing number of Android handsets launch with 5G support. Its $1 billion acquisition of Intel’s modem business has also allowed it to speed up its 5G rollout.

Anti-meme law could punish image sharers with massive fines

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Meme law

Photo: ActionNetwork.org

Memes are a core part of online life, providing us with an internationally understood means of visual conversation allowing folks to make light of the absurdity of today’s world with co-opted images taken from popular media.

Which, of course, means that lawmakers want to shut it down. A new bi-partisan bill currently working its way through Congress could do exactly that. It threatens seriously big fines for anyone who shares protected material online.

Best iPad Pro keyboard cases for people on the go [Reviews]

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The Smart Keyboard Folio turns the iPad into a laptop, but there are better options.
The Apple Smart Keyboard Folio is the best-known iPad Pro keyboard case, but it’s not the best option for everyone.
Photo: Andrea Nepori

Add a keyboard to your iPad Pro and it becomes a powerful but extremely portable laptop. So many people see the potential that companies make an array of keyboard cases. The range of designs gives buyers choices depending on what they want most: portability, protection, price, etc.

We’ve tested plenty of them; here are our picks for the best available.

Even more new iPad models could be in the pipeline

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'Today at Apple,' artists try to make a living.
Expect new iPad models in Apple Stores this fall.
Photo: Apple

Two more Apple tablets were added to a Eurasian intergovernmental agency’s database. This pushes the number of mystery iPads expected soon up to seven.

So far, this database has been a very accurate predictor of upcoming Apple devices.

Kanex USB-C hub becomes part of your iPad Pro [Review]

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Kanex iAdapt 6-in-1 Multiport USB Type-C Docking Station review
The Kanex iAdapt Docking Station clips securely to your iPad Pro, adding significantly to its capabilities.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Kanex’s USB-C hub clips solidly to the side of your 2018 iPad Pro, adding HDMI and USB-A ports, dual memory card readers, and even a 3.5mm audio jack. It can be used alongside Apple’s popular keyboard folio or without.

This latest entry in the iAdapt line offers a very unusual design that wraps around a corner of the tablet, so we tested to see how well it stands up to real-world use.

Apple Lisa, transformed! [Cult of Mac Magazine No. 307]

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Apple Lisa, transformed! Cult of Mac Magazine No. 307
A vintage Apple Lisa computer gets a modern makeover and more.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

An Apple fan who turned a broken Lisa computer into a powerful machine explains how he dragged the vintage machine into the 21st century in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine.

Grab the free mag now to learn all about John McLearan’s unique passion project. In addition to the cover story, you’ll get the best Apple news and opinion of the week. Plus, product reviews and how-tos with a distinctly Apple focus. (Want to read in your browser instead? Get all the top headlines below.)

Siri accidentally overhears more than we realize

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Siri Alexa in voice report
Sometimes Siri is listening when we don’t mean it to.
Photo: Apple

It’s been widely reported that voice control systems like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri use people in their quality-improvement process, not just algorithms. But Siri and others might be accidentally overhearing to what we say more than we realize, and humans in the loop are getting an earful.

A new report warns that Apple contractors have heard “confidential medical information, drug deals, and recordings of couples having sex.”

Apple’s smart moves start to pay off in India

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iPhone XS in India
Apple is working to lower hefty iPhone prices in India, which are sometimes higher than US prices.
Photo: Apple

Apple has a slender percentage of Indian handset sales, but there’s cause for optimism. We spoke with Anshika Jain, an analyst at Counterpoint Research, to see whether the changes Apple has been making to its business practices in India started to bear fruit during the second quarter of this year, and what they might mean for the future.

Quirky smartphone case frees you from tyranny of the touchscreen

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smartphone case with mechanical buttons
Tired of the touchscreen? Try pressing an old-fashioned mechanical button.
Screenshot: Snap Research/YouTube

We can press and swipe our way to productivity with the touch screen on a smartphone. But the nerve endings in our fingers still long for the tactile engagement – that click – from pressing a button.

Snap, a company with the ideal name, is working with Columbia University on a smartphone case with mechanical buttons and dials to control our favorite phone functions.

Apple’s big spend on Intel modems is pocket change in Silicon Valley [Opinion]

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Samsung wants to follow Apple in building a giant services business
Samsung wants to follow Apple in building a giant services business
Photo: Mathieu Turle/Unsplash CC

The $1 billion Apple spent on Intel’s modem business is the second-largest acquisition in the company’s 42-year history.

Still, while a huge amount of money by most normal standards, rival tech giants regularly dwarf Apple’s big spend on Intel. For a variety of reasons, Apple just doesn’t roll that way.

Finally, iOS 13 can create reminders from Mail

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iOS 13's new Reminders app.
iOS 13's new Reminders app.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

We already know that Apple has completely made over the Reminders app in iOS 13, adding a new, more powerful layout, and some excellent quick-entry tools so you don’t have to tap the screen like a million times just to remember to take out the trash when you get home.

But Reminders has also gotten its virtual claws deeper into the rest of iOS. Today we’ll see two great integrations that you might not have heard about yet.

5 key things to watch for in Apple’s most boring earnings report of 2019

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Earnings call
Apple's Q1 2020 earnings report will probably break some records.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The most yawn-inducing Apple earnings call of the year is just days away, and Wall Street is eagerly anticipating the results — though maybe for reasons you wouldn’t expect.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri are scheduled to hop on the phone with investors at 2 p.m. Pacific next Tuesday for Apple’s Q3 2019 earnings call. Even though Apple doesn’t reveal quarterly sales for iPhones anymore, there are a lot of metrics to look for that could clue us in on how well or poorly the company is performing lately.

Keep an ear out for these five things during Apple’s July 30 earnings call.

Say goodbye to Sprint! T-Mobile merger gets green light

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sprint-will-stop-offering-two-year-contracts-to-smartphone-customers-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads20150814890791433_1f9247f163_h-jpg
You won’t be seeing these signs for much longer.
Photo: Sprint

The US Department of Justice just signed off on the biggest telecommunications deal in many years. This was the last real hurdle in the $26 billion merger of Sprint into T-Mobile.

The carriers had to agree to sell off some assets to win this approval. Still, every iPhone owner who’s a Sprint customer will soon be hearing from T-Mobile.

16-inch MacBook Pro details emerge, and the Apple Car lives, this week on The CultCast

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CultCast 398
The all-new 16-inch MacBook Pro could be right around the corner...
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: A new report gives us a price tag and release date for the upcoming 16-inch MacBook Pro. Then: A new hire signals that the Apple Car is far from dead; and there’s finally a way to get podcasts recommendations tailored just for you. Plus, stayed tuned for our favorite shows and Comic-Con trailer in an all-new What We’re Into!

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.

Last chance! Save 20% on the Ullu Pocket Wallet for iPhone

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Ullu-Pocket-Wallet-4
The Pocket Wallet is a beauty.
Photo: Adel Neal/Cult of Mac

It’s your last chance to save 20% on Ullu’s outstanding Pocket Wallet for iPhone.

The slimline sleeve wraps your iPhone in luxurious Italian leather, and comes in nine gorgeous finishes. It also has space for your credit cards so you can leave your old wallet at home.

Get yours now before the discount disappears on Sunday!

6 classic Mac games you can enjoy on iOS

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Flashback
This was a game-changer for computer games back in the day.
Image: MobyGames

With a constant stream of new, console-quality games in the iOS App Store, and subscription gaming service Apple Arcade on the way, there’s arguably never been a better time to be an Apple gamer. Yet despite all the great new iOS games, sometimes you just want to relive your misspent youth.

This week, Paul Cuisset’s classic Mac platformer Flashback blasted its way into the App Store. To mark the occasion, we dug up some of the best classic games that graced vintage Macs but now can be played on your iOS device. Check them out.

Trump: Apple won’t receive special treatment for Mac Pro parts

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Mac Pro cheese grater
You might be better off with iMac Pro instead.
Photo: Apple

President Donald Trump said Friday that Apple will not receive special treatment for Mac Pro components made in China.

Apple submitted multiple requests asking the Trump administration to exclude certain Mac Pro parts from a 25% import tariff. But Trump says the U.S. government will not extend any special waivers or relief to Cupertino.

“Make them in the USA,” Trump tweeted.

You’ll be shopping with Apple Card in just a few weeks

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Apple Card
Apple Pay could launch in the first half of August.
Photo: Apple

The eagerly anticipated Apple Card is set to launch in the first half of August, a new report claims.

Apple originally promised a “summer” release for the credit card. Given that summer starts in late June and ends late September, this would put it exactly halfway through the season. Just in time for some vacation spending!

Stay secure and anonymous online with this powerful, discounted VPN [Deals]

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PIA Mac iOS
This powerful VPN is full of security features, easy to use, and works on up to 10 devices at once.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When you go online, you face tons of lurking threats to your security and privacy. You also can encounter annoying content restrictions based on your location or IP address. All these problems can be addressed by a virtual private network, so why aren’t you using one?