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iPhone will soon protect you from endless spam calls

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Spam call
With iOS 13, calls like these can go straight to voicemail.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Billions of spam calls were made last year, but Apple is doing what it can to save us from the frustration of robocalls. iOS 13 will let users automatically send incoming calls to voicemail if they came from someone unknown. And this system is actually smarter than just checking the user’s phone book.

Craig Federighi predicts macOS Catalina’s Project Catalyst will benefit iPad too

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Craig Federighi Apple SVP of Software Engineering
Apple’s software chief expects those who develop apps for Mac or iPad to start creating software for both.
Photo: Apple

Project Catalyst enables developers to easily port their iPad applications to Mac. It’s an important part of macOS Catalina, and is expected to bring a rush of new software to Apple’s laptops and desktops. But the company’s head of Software Engineering says the iPad will gain as well.

Rather than developers specializing in Mac or iPad, as is typical now, Craig Federighi sees devs using Catalyst to create great new software for both platforms.

iPad Pro case gets medieval on your tablet [Review]

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Twelve South’s BookBook vol. 2
This is an iPad Pro case, believe it or not.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Twelve South’s BookBook vol. 2 goes beyond just protecting your expensive iPad Pro; it adds old-world charm. This case transforms Apple’s tablet into an elegant leather-bound hardcover book.

We tested the updated version of the BookBook with our 2018 iPad Pro, so don’t miss our hands-on review.

Luna Display not giving up in the face of Apple’s Sidecar

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Luna Display easily converts an iPad into a second screen for your MacBook Pro.
Luna Display promises to be better than Apple Sidecar at making an iPad into a Mac’s external display
Photo: Astro HQ

macOS Catalina enables an iPad to function as a second screen for a Mac, but one of the companies that already offers a solution for this job isn’t throwing in the towel. The founders of Astro HQ promise that their Luna Display and Astropad will offer a superior experience to Apple’s Sidecar, especially for creative professionals.

There’s also a new version of their software out today that offers better image quality on a connected iPad.

Viral ad mocks insane price of Apple’s Pro Stand

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Pro Stand
Apple quickly moved on from this slide.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s competitors are quickly taking aim at the outrageous price of the company’s new Pro Stand that was revealed at the WWDC 2019 keynote this morning.

Taiwan-based electronics company MSI tweeted out a funny mock-ad this week comparing the price and specs of the Pro Stand with its latest 34-inch 5K monitor and it’s going viral all over the internet.

Apple has the wrong attitude toward mouse support on iPad [Opinion]

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An iPad trackpad?! Too bad it’s only a dream.
It could be so much better.
Photo: Brydge

Apple will finally bring mouse support to iPad (and iPhone) when it rolls out major software updates this fall — and that’s awesome. Finally, you will gain full control over your device without needing to lift a finger.

But I think Apple takes the wrong attitude when it comes to mouse support on iOS.

Its current approach could hold back development of the feature later on, and could negatively impact people who really need it. It also goes against Apple’s mission to make the iPad a laptop replacement.

iOS 13 safeguards private info stored in Contacts

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Gaia GPS
Giving your mapping app access to your address book shouldn’t also include your child’s SSN.
Photo: Gaia GPS

A change in iOS 13 blocks third-party applications from accessing the Notes field in the Contacts app. This is because many people have the bad habit of storing confidential information in this field, forgetting that they then give mapping, social networking and other types of apps access to all their Contacts data.

The change isn’t Apple fixing a security hole the company itself introduced. Instead, iPhone and iPad are compensating for users storing personal information insecurely.

Apple Watch throws out a lifeline to stranded paddleboarder

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Apple Watch saves life of paddleboarder
Nearly two years after this Apple event, the Apple Watch aids in the rescue of a stranded paddleboarder.
Screenshot: Apple/YouTube

A woman paddle-boarding windy ocean waters near Massachusetts was rescued after using her Apple Watch to call 911.

The breathless woman told a Lynn Fire Department dispatcher that the wind took her “out to sea,” and she was unable to paddle back to the shoreline at Nahant Beach.

Capture cinema-quality video with this iPhone stabilizer [Deals]

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Vilta Gimbal
This handy iPhone platform offers super stable video, long battery life, and easy access to camera controls.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The camera on the iPhone has reached an unbelievable level. In terms of image quality, it’s competitive with dedicated, high end cameras. So when it comes to video, the weakest – and wobbly-est – link is still the hand that holds it.

Only a small number of Macs will support Sidecar in macOS Catalina

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Luna Display easily converts an iPad into a second screen for your MacBook Pro.
Third-party solutions are far from dead.
Photo: Astro HQ

Not many Apple computers will be left out in the cold when its big macOS Catalina upgrade rolls out this fall. But even if your Mac is compatible, it might not be able to take advantage of every feature.

Sidecar, which lets you use an iPad as a second screen, will only support a limited number of machines. If your Mac is getting a little long in the tooth, you’re probably going to be out of luck.

Apple explains iTunes changes in macOS Catalina

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Apple Music in macOS Catalina
So long, iTunes!
Photo: Apple

Apple’s plan to ditch iTunes starts this fall with the release of macOS Catalina, which will offer standalone apps for Music, Podcasts, and TV.

WWDC offered a brief glimpse at how other things — like syncing iOS devices — would work after the update. Now Apple has published a new support document that explains everything for those who are still confused.

The document promises that “all of your favorite iTunes features” will still be available in Catalina. And it tells you where they will be.

Fortnite adds brand new Storm Flip item, Quick Heal on mobile

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Fortnite Storm Flip item
Try Fortnite’s new Storm Flip item today.
Photo: Epic Games

Fortnite’s latest patch is out and there are lots of changes for Battle Royale players to look forward to.

The version 9.20 release adds a brand new Storm Flip item, a Quick Heal button on Android and iOS, and a long list of bug fixes and improvements. There’s no sign of the heavy shotgun and revolver, though.

These Mac models won‘t get macOS Catalina

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No macOS Catalina
There are some older Macs that can’t upgrade to macOS Catalina.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple is hard at work on the replacement for macOS Mojave. The next version will include new features focused on privacy, accessibility and performance. But that‘s a bit hollow for notebooks and desktops that can’t install the upgrade.

Fortunately, Apple extended support for macOS Catalina to as many devices as possible.

Mac Pro’s monster price tag is actually a steal

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Mac Pro
The new Mac Pro drew a lot of attention in the demo room.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2019 bug That outrage you’re feeling over the cost of Apple’s new Mac Pro is your first clue this computer is not for you.

In fact, it’s not a computer, it’s a workstation. And for those who work in jobs requiring fast, sophisticated set-ups, the new Mac Pro — even once they pay for all the beefy components — comes with a fair price tag.

Time and location triggers make Shortcuts far more useful in iOS 13

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Shortcuts iOS 13
This is Shortcuts in iOS 13. It looks great.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple’s Shortcuts app is already great, but in iOS 13 it gets even better. You can still create simple or complex workflows to do all kinds of tasks, from downloading YouTube videos or setting a quick meditation timer to resizing a whole folder of photos. But until now, you had to trigger those shortcuts manually.

In iOS 13, your iPhone or iPad can run a shortcut at a preset time or when you arrive at a specific location. This is huge.

Apple prods devs to give ‘Sign in with Apple’ top billing

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Sign in with Apple
Get ready to see this button everywhere.
Photo: Apple

Sign in with Apple could give Facebook and Google some serious headaches when it launches as part of iOS 13 this fall, however, Apple’s strict rules could bring some pushback.

Not only will Apple require all apps that use third-party login services like Facebook to also support Apple’s privacy-focused login service, but it is also asking that the button be placed above competitors’ options.

Safari in iPadOS is almost as good as macOS [Opinion]

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Safari in iPadOS desktop-class browsing
At WWDC, Apple Safari and Desktop Engineer Charles Ying promised iPadOS will include a full-featured browser.
Photo: Apple

Apple promised the Safari browser coming to iPads later this year will be “desktop class.” That’s a vague term, but tests with the first beta of iPadOS 13 show that it comes very close to the macOS version. There’s still room for improvement, though.

Even so, this is a major milestone for Apple’s tablets. Limitations in Safari have held the iPad back for far too long.

Find the best VPN for Mac and other operating systems

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You know you need to get a VPN, and this ranking site helps you make an informed choice of provider.
You know you need to get a VPN, and this ranking site helps you make an informed choice of provider.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This post is presented by VPNRanks

By now, you ought to know that going online without a VPN is downright irresponsible. There are countless threats to your security and privacy roaming the web, not to mention the irritation of location-based content restrictions. But there are seemingly just as many VPN options to choose from, so where to begin?

Fraudsters steal whopping $19 million worth of iPhones

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Fraudster steals $16k from victim posing as Apple tech support
A wide-ranging criminal enterprise devoted to stealing new iPhones has been broken up by police.
Photo: Donald Tong/Pexels CC

Criminals allegedly used identity theft to steal thousands of iPhones from across the United States over several years. Their scheme involved assuming stolen identities and going to stores run by wireless carriers to pose as customers looking for upgrades to new models.

iOS 13 opens door for Spotify to use Siri

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Spotify Premium update October 2018
Jamming out on Spotify using Siri is finally possible.
Photo: Spotify

One of the best features on Apple Music could soon make its way onto Spotify thanks to iOS 13.

Apple is finally making it possible for Spotify and other music, podcast and audio apps to use Siri. Not being able to integrate with HomePod or Siri were two of Spotify’s many complaints in a recent open letter slamming Apple. When iOS 13 comes out that will finally be possible.

Tech company workers are split on Apple monopoly

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App Store
Is the App Store a monopoly?
Photo: Cult of Mac

Nearly 75% of Apple employees are behind Tim Cook’s recent declaration that the App Store is not monopoly.

A recent survey found that Qualcomm and Spotify employees are the biggest Apple haters with over 80% responding that recent App Store monopoly claims are legit. The overall tech industry appears to be split on the case though with 54% of employees from the biggest companies taking Apple’s side.