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How to share photos safely with Shortcuts

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Removing geodata won’t always protect a photo’s location
Removing geodata won’t always protect a photo’s location
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Did you know that every photo you send via iMessage, or other messaging services like WhatsApp, contains all that photo’s location data? If you snap a picture in your home, anyone who’s receives that photo will be able to see where you took it on a map.

The same goes for uploading images to online auction sites, or internet forums. The good news is that it’s easy to sanitize your images with Shortcuts.

Apple puts big Facebook critic in charge of privacy practices

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Apple
Apple is serious about keeping your personal data safe.
Photo: Apple

One of Facebook’s biggest critics is teaming up with Apple, which as it turns out, has also been one of Facebook’s biggest critics lately.

Former Facebook employee Sandy Parakilas has reportedly been hired by Apple. Instead of levying criticism at Facebook though, Parakilas has reportedly been hired to help Apple examine its own privacy policies.

Sonos will add Google Assistant to its speakers this year

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Sonos supports AirPlay2
Sonos speakers connect to over 80 streaming services.
Photo: Sonos

CES 2019 bug Sonos is about to add a new weapon to its smart speakers that will help make it even more competitive against Apple’s HomePod.

The company revealed today that it plans to bring Google Assistant to its smart speakers later this year. Beta testing for the new feature has already begun, allowing Google’s Siri-competitor to be the main voice input on some Sonos speaker models.

Grovemade’s sleek dock charges Apple Watch in style

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Apple Watch
Grovemade has a knack for making beautiful accessories.
Photo: Grovemade

CES 2019 bug Grovemade, makers of some of our favorite wooden accessories for Apple devices, have finally come out with a dock for Apple Watch. And per usual, it’s absolutely gorgeous and subtle at the same time.

Designed to be a dock that doesn’t stick out like an ugly gadget stand, the Grovemade Apple Watch Dock will enhance your desk space with its clean style and seamless functionality.

Take a closer look:

Elgato’s new Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock packs all the ports

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Elgato Thunderbolt Pro Dock
Bring ports back to your MacBook.
Photo: Elgato

CES 2019 bugIf you just upgraded to a new MacBook, you’re probably finding it hard to live without all your favorite ports. But if you pick up Elgato’s new Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock, you won’t have to.

The Pro Dock packs the most popular ports you’ll need — including Gigabit Ethernet, DisplayPort, and two card readers — eliminating the need for a bunch of different dongles.

These iPhone cases don’t make you choose between style and protection

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Altigo
Three layers of protection in five colors.
Photo: Altigo

Start-up companies often introduce themselves to the market with a single product. Accessories brand Altigo launched in November with a colorful line of sleek headphones and iPhone cases.

Now two months later at its first CES, Altigo debuts more mobile lifestyle accessories to its growing product line.

Fornite made almost half a billion on iOS alone in 2018

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Fortnite iOS 14
Everyone should welcome skill-based matchmaking.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Fortnite is like an unstoppable freight train that continues to plow through players’ wallets month after month. Despite controversial changes and additions to its insanely popular Battle Royale mode, it shows no signs of slowing down.

Even on mobile the game has been incredibly successful, with almost half a billion dollars made on iOS alone in 2018. A whopping $69 million of that was raked in during December, Fortnite’s best month so far on iOS, according to new data.

Apple rewards Korean cops who caught counterfeit accessories

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Lightning cables that plug into USB-C ports charge your iPhone more quickly.
Haul included counterfeit cables and earphones.
Photo: Apple

Apple is planning to present police officers in South Korea with a plaque to celebrate their work cracking down on almost $1 million worth of fake accessories.

The fake products were supposedly shipped in from China under the guise of being official Apple products. Their distributors are under investigation for potential fraud and trademark violation.

Samsung’s first foldable phone is coming early this year

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This early prototype Samsung foldable phone suggests how the Galaxy X might look.
The so-called Galaxy Flex be Samsung’s first foldable phone.
Screenshot: Samsung

CES 2019 bugIf you’ve been waiting to splash your cash on a foldable smartphone, you’ll be pleased to know that the wait for Samsung’s first is almost over.

The so-called Galaxy Flex will go on sale during the first quarter of this year. It will feature the Infinity Flex display that Samsung showcased at a recent developers conference, and it could cost as much as $2,550 in the U.S.

There are 5 different ways to open this secure smart lock

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Lockly 2
The most secure smart lock yet?
Photo: Lockly

CES 2019 bug In the same way that Apple has given us Face ID, Touch ID and good old-fashioned passcodes, so too does Lockly’s new Secure Pro smart lock offer a multitude of ways for users to unlock it.

In addition to a keypad, there’s also a fingerprint scanner, voice assistant integration, and connected mobile app. Oh, and a regular key, of course — just in case you’re one of those people.

Tim Cook got a big pay rise last year

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Tim Cook earnings apple
Tim Cook took home a tidy paycheck in 2018.
Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Tim Cook took home $15.7 million in compensation for his role as Apple CEO in fiscal 2018, a 22 percent raise on his earnings the previous year.

The figure is approximately 283x the median Apple employee’s pay, which stood at $55,426. That average is more than Amazon’s $30,000 median, but significantly lower than Facebook’s $240,430 and Alphabet’s $197,000.

Aura band makes your Apple Watch even smarter

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Aura Band
Everything that makes the Aura Band great is coming to Apple Watch.
Photo: Aura

CES 2019 bugThere aren’t many health and fitness statistics Apple Watch can’t track, but to make up for some of those that are missing, there’s the impressive new Smart Strap from Aura.

By sending electricity through your body (without hurting you), the Smart Strap can measure your weight, fat, muscle mass, and more. It won’t cost you much more than a regular Apple Watch band, either.

Tim Cook: New services coming to Apple in 2019

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Tim Cook
Unsurprisingly, he won't spill the beans on what they are.
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook teased new services that will be coming to Apple users this year. Responding to questions about falling iPhone sales during a CNBC interview, Cook stressed the way that Apple’s services division has grown significantly in the past several years.

“The services are on a tear,” Cook said. “On services, you will see us announce new services this year. There will more things coming.”

Preorder this keyboard that’s a brilliant match for the 2018 iPad Pro

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Brydge for 2018 iPad Pro makes this tablet into a notebook.
Brydge for 2018 iPad Pro makes this tablet into a notebook.
Photo: Brydge

CES 2019 bugThe wait for Brydge’s sweet add-on keyboard for the new iPad Pro is almost over. The company today began taking pre-orders for an accessory that fully embraces the concept of turning this tablet into a laptop.

This premium keyboard has an all-aluminum casing and ships with a magnetic cover that protects the back of the iPad.

This might be our first look at the iPad mini 5

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New mages could be of the rumored iPad mini 5.
New mages could be of the rumored iPad mini 5.
Photo: Mr-white

Images posted online might be our first glimpse of the next iPad mini. A new version of this small tablet is rumored to be out this year.

While the leaked pictures reveal a few details about the iPad mini 5, they don’t answer some pressing questions.

Switch on your iPad’s super-dim, low-light mode

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A glitter ball represents the concept of low-light and accessibility low-light filter
A glitter ball represents the concept of low-light and accessibility.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Turned the screen brightness on your iPad (or iPhone) all the way down? Still too much light for you? Reading in bed next to someone whose eyelids seem to amplify light the same way a magnifying glass turns the sun into a death ray for ants?

Then this tip is for you. With a simple triple-tap of the top button or Home button on your iPad, you can dim the screen way beyond its usual limit.

Although your whining, over-sensitive bed partner will likely just start complaining about the noise of those button taps instead.

Tim Cook claims Apple’s long-term health has ‘never been better’

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Tim Cook and Ivanka Trump
Tim Cook's year is off to a rocky start.
Photo: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to make an appearance on CNBC investing show Mad Money later today to defend Apple in light of recent setbacks.

The company warned last week that iPhone upgrades for the last quarter were lower than expected. After investors received the guidance on lower revenue for Q1 2019, Apple shares continued their downward slide, which has been pretty much nonstop since the company posted its Q4 2019 results.

Recharge your iPad in a flash with Satechi’s sleek new charger

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The Satechi 75W Dual Type-C PD Travel Charger has ports for all your gadgets.
The Satechi 75W Dual Type-C PD Travel Charger has ports for all your gadgets.
Photo: Satechi

CES 2019 bugUnlike Apple’s wall chargers that have just a single USB-C port, the Satechi 75W Dual Type-C PD Travel Charger has a pair of them. It also boasts two USB-A ports.

Satechi also just used the Consumer Electronic Show to launch a cheaper 30W Dual-Port Wall Charger.

Here are all the TV sets adding AirPlay 2 support

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AirPlay 2
Sign up for SmartCast 3.0 access today.
Photo: Apple

One of the nice surprises to come out of CES this week is that a bunch of TV manufacturers are finally adding AirPlay 2 support to their latest sets. To help you keep track of which ones, Apple has published a list of TVs that are compatible with its streaming platform.

These are the ones to look out for if you want to send content to your TV over AirPlay.

Control Ikea’s new blinds with HomeKit

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Ikea’s new blinds work with your iPhone via homekit.
Ikea’s new blinds work with your iPhone via HomeKit or a dedicated app.
Photo: Ikea

Too lazy to get up and close the drapes? Then you need Ikea’s new HomeKit-enabled blinds, Kadrilj and Fyrtur. These new powered blinds have already launched in Germany, and can be integrated with your home hub, your Alexa, or your Google Assistant.

Retro mic turns your iOS device into a portable studio

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Samson Satellite mic
The Samson Satellite USB/iOS Broadcast Microphone brings the studio into the field.
Photo: Samson Technologies

CES 2019 bugFor musicians, podcasters and streamers, “the studio” is an iOS device in a living room, coffee shop or some crazy live event.

Samson Technologies rolled out a new microphone at CES this week that promises to gather studio-quality audio no matter the location.

Bento box-inspired case stores all your new gear in style

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bento
Running out of storage space to take all your Apple accessories on the road? The crowdfunded BentoStack solves your storage problems with a compact, multi-compartment storage solution.
Photo: Wiplabs

So you made quite a haul during the holidays, now where are you going to store all your new gear?

Japanese Bento boxes are synonymous with convenience, and have many designated compartments to hold and carry a variety of foods — all in one spot. Wiplabs has taken this centuries-old idea forward with the BentoStack, an all-in-one container for organizing all your Apple accessories.

Launched on June 1st, the BentoStack is Wiplabs’ latest crowdfunded product to reach the masses. The ultra-compact design will keep up to 10 Apple essentials organized — Bento box style!

Fortnite bags new weapons, including an old favorite

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Fortnite suppressed sniper
Look out for the suppressed sniper in Battle Royale.
Photo: Epic Games

This week’s Fortnite update adds a number of new weapons to the game, including an old fan-favorite. Dual pistols can now be found in almost all Battle Royale game modes, alongside a brand new silenced sniper rifle.

The update will also bring “balance adjustments” for the boom box, the X-4 Stormwing plane, and dynamite.