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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?

Apple joins Foxconn and Microsoft in $108 billion fund focused on A.I.

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
New fund will be organized by SoftBank.
Photo illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has teamed up with investors including Foxconn, Microsoft and… the National Bank of Kazakhstan to participate in a new “technology mega fund.”

The $108 billion fund is organized by SoftBank Group Corp. The goal is to focus on investing in A.I. related technologies.

CBS All Access coming to Apple TV Channels next week

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Apple TV
Look out for CBS All Access on July 29.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

You’ll be able to tune into CBS All Access on Apple TV Channels next week.

CBS has confirmed that support for Apple’s new service will be rolled out on Monday, July 29. It’s not yet clear how much it will cost for those who subscribe through the TV app, however.

Apple Music may reduce free trial to just one month

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A new ad for Apple Music shows a one-month free trial.
Apple's new banner ad.
Photo: Apple

Right from the start, Apple Music offered a three-month trial to new users to try and get them to subscribe. In some cases, this even extended all the way up to a six-month free trial before users would have to pay a dime.

Apple may be shifting away from this strategy, though. A new banner ad on Apple’s website mentions a one-month tryout period for the streaming music service.