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Apple will pay France $571 million in back taxes

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Apple France tax
Apple's tax bill in France will be deductible.
Illustration: Cult of Mac

Apple has agreed to pay French authorities around $571 million in back taxes, according to new reports.

Apple today confirmed the deal but did not disclose the sum itself. The agreement comes after a multi-year audit into Apple’s accounts by the French tax administration.

Apple could be planning another New York retail store

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Apple adds 5 new vice presidents to its executive lineup
Apple is close to finalizing a new real estate deal.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple is in “advanced talks” to lease space in the prestigious Hudson Yard complex in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.

The almost-completed 55 Hudson Yards office, which is part of the largest private real estate development in the United States by square footage, is home to hedge funds, major law firms… and, very soon, probably Apple, too.

Apple briefly regains place as most valuable public company

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Tim Cook talks diversity, sustainability, and coming out as gay
Apple was back at the top of the mountain yesterday!
Photo: Apple

For a long time, Apple stock was predictable in the way that 1980s Mike Tyson was predictable: steamrolling through challengers as it firmly held onto its status as all-conquering champion.

That changed last year as Apple’s market cap fell behind Amazon, Google, and even old rival Microsoft. But yesterday, for a few moments, it climbed back to the top of the mountain as the world’s most valuable company once again. For a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, that is!

Apple reveals what user data is being stored on Russian servers

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iOS 11.3 Beta 1
Local data storage law came into effect in 2015.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has revealed which user data is being stored on Russian servers as part of its compliance with a local law which came into effect in Russia in 2015. The user data affects only Apple users in the region, and includes their name, delivery address, email, and phone number.

A filing by Apple makes no mention of other forms of personal data, such as iMessages, documents, or photos. In the event of Apple employees, Apple also stores information such as passport numbers, income information, and more.

AirPlay 2 support could make your Roku way better

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AirPlay 2
Streaming TV from your iPhone could soon be as easy as getting an inexpensive Roku box.
Photo: Apple

iPhone, iPad and Mac should soon easily stream video to Roku boxes if an unconfirmed report is correct. Roku is reportedly talking with Apple about adding AirPlay 2 to its products. 

Apple has recently been working to significantly broaden the availability of its proprietary video and audio protocol.

AT&T’s bogus ‘5G E’ icon pops up on iPhones

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No matter what your AT&T iPhone says, everyone else says “5G E” is 4G.
No matter what your AT&T iPhone says, everyone else says “5G E” is 4G.
Photo: Cult of Mac/@Siddavarapu

iPhone is getting caught up in AT&T’s controversial rebranding of its LTE network as “5G Evolution.” Some developers who installed today’s iOS 12.2 update noticed that their iPhone claims to be connected to a “5G E” network.

All of AT&T’s competitors say that this network is 4G, but that hasn’t stopped the carrier.

LG’s gorgeous 4K monitor looks perfect for Macs

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The name of the LG 32UL750-W doesn’t roll off the tongue.
The name of the LG 32UL750-W doesn’t roll off the tongue, but it might be right for your Mac.
Photo: LG

A new 31.5-inch LG monitor costs a bit more than entry-level screens, but offers 4K resolution, wide viewing angles, and a very good contrast ratio.  There’s even a built-in USB hub.

Best of all, the LG 32UL750-W has a USB-C port so it can be easily connected to recent MacBooks, Mac desktops, and even the new iPad Pro.

HoloLens creator leaves Apple AR headset team

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With HoloLens, Microsoft enters the age of holographic computing. Photo: Microsoft
There’s been a slight setback at Apple’s secret team creating augmented reality smartglasses, like the ones being demonstrated here.
Photo: Microsoft

One of the designers of Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality (AR) smartglasses has left Apple.

Although exactly what Avi Bar-Zeev was working on is a secret, it was almost certainly a project to develop Apple’s own AR glasses.

How to back up your iCloud Photo Library

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Back up your precious — and totally non-creepy — memories.
Back up your precious — and totally non-creepy — memories.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Wait, what? Why would you want to back up your iCloud Photo Library? Apple takes care of that, right? After all, the clue is in the name — the library is stored in iCloud.

Not so fast. That’s true, but what if something screws up at Apple’s end? What if you lose access to your iCloud account? What if, what if, what if? In most cases, you’ll be fine, but being a good computer nerd, you probably understand the value of redundant backups. So today we’ll see how to make sure all your images are safely stored. Just in case.

Make converting video for any device easier and faster [VideoProc Giveaway]

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With VideoProc, you can process video quickly and easily.
VideoProc is an all-in-one video-processing tool for editing, adjusting and converting HD video.
Image: Digiarty Software

This post is presented by Digiarty Software.

iPhones are great for a lot of things. At the top of the list is creating and enjoying high-quality video. But unfortunately there are many potential snags.

Maybe you’re trying to watch a MKV, AAC or FLV video that creates a format conflict. Or you’ve bounced HEVC video through an old version of QuickTime, Final Cut Pro, iMovie or some other editing software that makes it incompatible. If you’re trying to play an iPhone-shot video at 4K and 60 frames per second, it might not vibe well with certain video players. If you shot your video on a drone or GoPro, that can also create a host of compatibility problems.

Apple adds 4 new Animoji to iOS 12.2

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iPhone X Animoji
Animoji are too much fun!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The latest iOS 12.2 beta Apple seeded to developers today brings four new Animoji options to iPhone X, XS, XR and XS Max owners.

Now iPhone and iPad Pro users can choose between the new giraffe, shark, boar and owl Animoji characters during FaceTime calls and in the effects option for iMessage.

This is what they look like:

Juuk rolls out aluminum bands to fit Apple Watch Series 4

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juuk
The Vitero Ruby Grey aluminum band is now compatible with Series 4.
Photo: Juuk

If you’ve got a new Series 4 Apple Watch, but have been lamenting that the precision aluminum bands from Hong Kong-based Juuk don’t fit, fret no longer.

After painstaking detective work and many hours of redesign, the fruits of Juuk’s labors are starting to hit the market. Currently the Vitero Ruby Grey, Vitero Cosmic Grey and Ligero Obsidian are available for the Series 4 Apple Watch, with more to follow.

Warby Parker’s AR app lets you virtually try on frames

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Warby Parker app
Those glasses are virtually perfect.
Photo: Warby Parker

Warby Parker tried and then scrapped virtual eyeglass fittings with augmented reality. The technology didn’t quite fit with the experience of trying on an actual pair of frames.

Now the e-commerce brand is confident that what you see on your iPhone is what you’ll get, thanks to an iOS app update that uses the TrueDepth cameras of all X-class iPhones.

Apple seeds second beta of iOS 12.2 to devs

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iOS12
iOS 12.2 is bringing a bunch of new features to iPhone and iPad.
Photo: Apple

Apple is starting off February by serving up a fresh new beta for developers with the release of iOS 12.2 beta 2.

The new beta comes just over a week after Apple seeded the first build of iOS 12.2. That update brought Apple News support to testers in Canada, as well as new Downtime feature that lets you schedules periodically limit the number of apps you can access.

Apple plans to limit accelerometer and gyroscope access in Safari for iOS

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close all tabs
You might not be stuck with Safari for much longer.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple plans to limit Safari’s access to the accelerometer and gyroscope inside your iOS device in an upcoming software update.

iOS 12.2 will prevent websites from having access to motion data by default, rendering certain content unusable — even on Apple’s own website. Users will be able to change this inside Safari’s settings, however.

Target stores now accept Apple Pay in the U.S.

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Target trolleys in store
Apple Pay is now available with one of the top U.S. retailers.
Photo: Mike Mozart/Flickr CC

Target has started rolling out Apple Pay support at all its stores across the United States. The stores’ upgraded NFC-enabled payment terminals mean that the retail giant now accepts Apple’s mobile payment solution, along with Google Pay, Samsung Pay and contactless credit and debit cards.

It’s certainly big news for any retailer with 1,821 stores to hop on the Apple Pay bandwagon. But this is especially significant since Target was previously a notable holdout to this technology.

Apple Watch wearer saved by fall detection in Norway

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fall detection
The fall detection feature in Apple Watch Series 4 can distinguish between a fall, a trip and a slip.
Photo: Apple

The ECG on the Apple Watch Series 4 has made a lot of news for alerting some wearers to potentially fatal heart problems.

Now, the watch’s fall detection feature grabs its own hero headline.

A 67-year-old man in Norway was home alone when he fainted and suffered a hard fall in his bathroom that left him unconscious. There, he might have stayed had the Series 4 watch he was wearing not sent alerts to first responders.

Apple will reward teen who discovered FaceTime bug

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CNBC 1
Apple's FaceTime bug allowed people to eavesdrop on others.
Screenshot: CNBC

The 14-year-old kid who accidentally discovered the recent FaceTime eavesdropping bug has been told by Apple that he will be eligible for the company’s bug bounty program.

Apple set up its bug bounty program in 2016, offering rewards of up to $200,000 for security researchers who find vulnerabilities on the company’s software platforms. It’s not clear how much Grant Thompson can expect to claim from Apple — although it will reportedly go toward his college tuition savings.

Spend just minutes a day to finally learn a foreign language [Deals]

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Backed by speech recognition, this app will help you reach intermediate Spanish in just 20 minutes a day.
Backed by speech recognition, this app will help you reach intermediate Spanish in just 20 minutes a day.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Making the resolution to learn a new language is easy. Like any commitment, seeing it through is harder. So unless you’re surrounded by native speakers, you’ll need to find another way to carve out time each day and get feedback on your progress.

Take a peek at the concept art behind Apple’s iconic 1984 ad

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A still from the classic Apple
This is a shot from one of the most iconic ads of all time.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s “1984” Macintosh commercial isn’t just the most iconic Apple ad in history, but one of the greatest advertisements ever created anywhere.

Now, three-and-a-half decades after the ad aired, the original storyboard for the commercial has popped up online. It offers a glimpse at the process which led to Blade Runner director Ridley Scott’s masterful ad.