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A lighter approach to understanding contact tracing

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Done properly, contact tracing could help defeat COVID-19 (and Big Brother, too).
Done properly, contact tracing could help defeat COVID-19 (and Big Brother, too).
Image: Envato

Friday’s announcement that Apple and Google are teaming up to create a contact-tracing program to stop the spread of COVID-19 generated more questions than answers.

We broke down how these apps could help with our Cult of Mac explainer on the subject. However, we also found a more lighthearted, comic resource that addresses the ins and outs of contact tracing.

AirPower wireless charging pad project reignited with A11 chip to manage heat issues

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This sleek wireless charging pad can juice up a Qi-enabled iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods all at once.
Apple is reportedly working on a new design of its charging pad that controls heat.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Apple is working on a totally re-designed, wireless charging pad with the ability to route power to exact areas to prevent overheating, according to Front Page Tech analyst Jon Prosser.

Prosser reported Friday that engineers on Apple’s Sharing and Proximity team and working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic recently received prototype units of something called “C68”. AirPower isn’t mentioned by name, but descriptions and details appear to match Apple’s failed charging mat.

Meross smart plug makes HomeKit home automation easy and cheap [Review]

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Meross Smart WiFi Plug Mini review
Insert the Meross Smart WiFi Plug Mini into a wall socket and you can control it from anywhere in the world.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Meross Smart WiFi Plug Mini is an inexpensive and easy-to-install way to get started in home automation. This smart plug lets you control a lamp, fan or other appliance without needing to touch it. Support for Apple’s HomeKit and Amazon Alexa means voice commands, or automated schedules, are all that’s necessary.

I tested a pair of these accessories for a week, and can report on how they perform in daily use.

Security firm finds sketchy ‘fleeceware’ apps in iOS App Store

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app-store
The App Store may not always be impervious to "Fleeceware."
Photo: Apple

A cyber-security firm in the United Kingdom has identified 32 iOS apps that it dubs “fleeceware” for subscriptions and in-app fees that amount to a form of online fraud.

More than 3.5 million iOS users installed the apps, most of which were image editors, QR and barcode scanners, horoscope and fortune-telling apps and face filters for selfies. Two astrology apps making the list are among the first 20 in top-grossing iPhone apps in the UK.

TikTok commits $375 million to COVID-19 relief

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2020 is the year everyone wants to be TikTok famous.
TikTok has been keeping us entertained while stuck at home.
Photo: Aaron Yoo/Flickr CC

TikTok is chipping into the global fight against COVID-19 with one of the largest financial contributions we’ve seen yet from a major tech company. The video-sharing platform has been one of the biggest bright spots of joy and inspiration during this quarantine age, and now it’s ready to pay it back.

On Thursday, the company revealed it is pledging $375 million in relief that will be distributed in various ways to individuals, hospitals, companies and other organizations.

iOS 14 could allow app previews without a full download

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App Store
You might soon be able to use applications without downloading them with iOS 14 Clips.
Photo: Graham Bower

iOS 14 will reportedly be able to run part of third-party applications, giving users access to some of their features without them needing to install the entire app on their iPhone, according to a published report. How much of each application would be available in these “Clips” would be up to that app’s developer.

Fresh iOS 14 concept brings big changes to Calendar, iMessage, Music app and more

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iOS 14
Another iOS 14 concept to get you hyped for the real thing.
Photo: Jack Phillip

Some of the most anticipated iOS 14 features that allegedly leaked though an early beta build of the upcoming software are on full display in a fresh iOS 14 concept that’s full of stuff like widgets on the home screen, list view for apps, new call alert screen and more.

The new iOS 14 concept created by Jack Phillip imagines how Apple’s planned mentions feature for iMessage would work, while also tossing in some new ideas, like a list view in Calendar, a Habits app, an overhaul of the Music app’s UI and so much more.

These are our favorite features:

Tim Cook will field employee questions on COVID-19 during virtual meeting

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Apple CEO Tim Cook shows off a face shield Apple is making for medical workers.
Town hall meeting via FaceTime.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Tim Cook will host an Apple-wide virtual meeting later this month that will give employees the opportunity to pose questions to Apple’s CEO.

Apple sent a note to employees about the meeting on April 8, a report published Thursday by Bloomberg News states. Apple asks employees to submit questions in advance by the end of Saturday. Employees are encouraged to open up about their experiences working during the COVID-19 pandemic.