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Japan’s Fair Trade Commission investigates Apple again

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Apple Japan required carriers to subsidize iPhone
Apple is accused of abusing its power with suppliers.
Photo: Apple

Japan’s Fair Trade Commission is investigating Apple’s tactics for selling iPhones in the country.

The Japanese FTC thinks Apple might have abused its power by pressuring Japanese suppliers into unfavorable deals. Questionable methods allegedly include providing free technology and expertise to Apple affiliates, stopping them from selling to other companies, and making them shoulder costs for unforeseen problems.

Apple might give hackers special iPhones to plug security problems

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The CIA has a team of more than 5,000 hackers.
This is what a real hacker looks like. Dry ice is not optional.
Photo: Brian Klug/Flickr CC

Apple has historically not been a company in favor of people jailbreaking its devices. So why would Cupertino give hackers special iPhones to help them find weaknesses in iOS? To patch those problems, of course!

According to a new report, Apple will announce plans this week at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas to hand out such devices to security researchers. Apple also will introduce a new Mac bug bounty program to reward anyone who finds security problems in macOS.

We probably know when Apple will introduce the iPhone 11

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iPhone 11R and 11 Max on wooden railing
You haven't got too much longer to wait!
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 11 could be in your hands in just 45 days, the president of Japanese telecommunications company SoftBank may have accidentally revealed.

Speaking at an investor event over the weekend, SoftBank President Ken Miyauchi suggested that the new iPhone will be available September 20.

Inateck’s USB-C hub brings back ports you forgot you need [Review]

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Inateck 8-in-1 USB-C Hub
This 8-port hub lets you hook your Mac or iPad Pro up to almost anything.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The designers of Inateck’s latest USB-C hub obviously believe that too much is never enough. It has eight ports, including the typical USB-A and HDMI ones but also some real legacy ports, including Ethernet and even VGA. There’s also a built-in removable USB-C cable for use on the go.

There’s a lot to test here, but I put this full-featured hub through its paces. Plug into my review to see what I learned.

This is what happens if you try to put a folder named ‘Dropbox’ in iCloud Drive

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A dropped box
A dropped box.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Dropbox is getting increasingly bloated and annoying — on the Mac, at least. When iOS 13 ships later this year, you’ll be able to share whole iCloud folders with other people, so you can ditch DropBox altogether. But how will you switch?

One thing you can’t do is just drag your Dropbox folder into iCloud Drive. iCloud just won’t let you. In fact, you can’t even create a new folder and name it “Dropbox.” WTF?

AT&T gives free Spotify Premium to unlimited subscribers

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Spotify discover weekly, daily mix, playlists, and sharing features
This should help Spotify grow its subscriber base.
Photo: Ian Fuchs

AT&T is ready to sweeten the deal for some of its monthly subscribers by offering free Spotify premium as of its new entertainment perks.

The carrier revealed its new entertainment perks today that also gives customers the option to choose HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz or Pandora as their free entertainment options. Even if you don’t have a qualifying wireless plan, you can still get some other Spotify perks.

Fossil’s Gen 5 watches offer better iPhone integration

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Fossil Gen 5 smart watches
Fossil unveiled the first Wear OS watches that can make iPhone calls.
Photo: Fossil

Fossil’s fifth-generation smart watches run Google’s Wear OS, but they don’t reject iOS users. Users will be able to make and receive phone calls when connected to an iPhone over Bluetooth, a first for wearable with this operating system. These wrist-worn devices also can go multiple days on a single charge.

The company just unveiled its first Gen 5 models in a range of colors.

New Apple Card site shows exactly how you can get one

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Apple Card
We can't wait for Apple Card.
Photo: Apple

Apple Card inched a little bit closer to its public launch today with the unveiling of a new website that walks users through the sign-up process.

The new wallet.Apple.com provides details on the application process as well as offers visitors the option to get notified when Apple Card launches. Tim Cook revealed during the company’s earnings report last week that the launch is slated for sometime in August.

Facebook and YouTube would be more profitable without advertising

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the Facebook logo on an iPhone 6 Plus
Facebook would be more profitable if users paid a monthly subscription fee.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Many of our favorite applications are free because advertisers pay for them. But what if that changed? How much would you pay for Facebook or YouTube without advertising… and without these apps profiling everything about you?

A survey conducted by a market-research firm found that subscription fees people would pay for these apps would make them more profitable than they are now.

Tim Cook calls for politicians to come together to address gun violence

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Apple revenues
Tim Cook wants politicians to put aside their differences.
Photo: Apple

After mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, Apple CEO Tim Cook called for lawmakers to come together to resolve the problem of gun violence.

“I’m heartbroken about what’s happening in my country,” Cook wrote on Twitter. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. It’s time for good people with different views to stop finger pointing and come together to address this violence for the good of our country.”

Apple ramps up R&D spending like there’s no tomorrow

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R&D
One of Apple's shiny R&D investment centers where it invents the future.
Photo: Apple

Apple spent more money on research and development in the past quarter than it spent in any three-month period in the company’s history. Q3 2019 R&D spending also accounted for the largest proportion of Apple revenue since 2003, back when the iPod ruled as Apple’s biggest seller.

At a time when the iPhone no longer accounts for most of Apple’s revenue, this level of investment suggests that there are some big things in the works in Cupertino.

2021 iPhones could boast both Face ID and in-display Touch ID

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iPhone
Touch ID could make a return.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple could release an iPhone with both Face ID and under-display Touch ID in 2021, a new report by renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims.

Before the iPhone X introduced Face ID, rumors abounded that Apple was trying to develop Touch ID that would work as part of the iPhone’s display. However, it supposedly ran into technical challenges.

12 Apple 1s turn computer festival into ‘Disneyland for nerds’

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Apple 1 collection at Vintage Computer Festival West
Twelve of the 70 Apple 1 computers still in existence were at the Vintage Computer Festival West this past weekend.
Photo: Erik Klein/Vintage Computer Federation

Only 70 Apple 1 computers are known to exist. But collectors gathered twelve of them over the weekend for the annual Vintage Computer Festival West at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif.

This is no small feat considering the fragility and rarity of the humble machine that launched a computing revolution — and one of the world’s most influential companies.

“They are the computers that started Apple,” Dag Spicer, senior curator for the museum, told Cult of Mac. “People are completely blown away.”

Apple Card isn’t for jailbreakers or cryptocurrency buyers

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Antana/Flickr CC
Not the card for Bitcoin lovers.
Photo: Antana/Flickr CC

Apple eagerly anticipated Apple Card could be the most consumer-friendly credit card on the market. However, there are a few rules that could put off a small number of users.

In Goldman Sachs’ customer agreement for the card, it notes that Apple Card is not for people who jailbreak their iPhones. And it can’t be used for buying Bitcoin, lottery tickets, and a few other things, either.

China tariffs may not make iPhones more expensive for customers

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iPhone XS Max
Ming-Chi Kuo thinks Apple will absorb the cost of increased import duties.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Don’t panic: the introduction of new import tariffs by President Trump isn’t going to make the next iPhone even more expensive!

That’s the message from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In his latest note to client, Kuo says that he thinks Apple will absorb the cost of any tariffs, rather than pass them on to customers.

Apple’s big earnings surprises [Cult of Mac Magazine No. 308]

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Find out about Apple's big earnings surprises in Cult of Mac Magazine No. 308
We learned something! (A few things, actually.)
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s record-breaking revenues weren’t the biggest surprise in this week’s earnings call. Usually tight-lipped Apple execs Tim Cook and Luca Maestri actually uncorked a few shocking revelations!

Read all about it in this week’s totally free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Grab the iOS version now to enjoy it on your iPad, or hit the links below to read in your browser.

You’ll also find plenty of other Apple news, analysis and opinion, including a call for transparency in the wake of Siri’s eavesdropping problem. Plus, we’ve got product reviews and how-tos — like one on cleaning the lint from your filthy iPhone.

Instantly expand your MacBook’s connectivity with one sleek hub [Deals]

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CASA Hub 5E
There's no need to limit yourself to the one or two ports that come with your MacBook.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

New MacBooks are true processing powerhouses, with tons of features for creating and consuming content of all kinds. But when it comes to connecting to other devices, they come up short. After all, most just have one or two Thunderbolt ports.

iPad and Amazon are the big winners in tablet sales

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The new iPad Air adds support for Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard.
The new 10.5-inch iPad Air is selling well.
Photo: Apple

Just two companies saw increased tablet sales in the second quarter of this year. Both Apple and Amazon enjoyed strong improvement, while all their rivals dropped.

Apple further increased its dominance of this market, as iPad now makes up 38.1% of all tablets sold worldwide, gaining 4 percentage points year over year.