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iMessage flaws leave iPhone open to hijacking

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Messages iOS 10
That doesn't mean you should stop using it.
Photo: Apple

Security researchers have uncovered new flaws in iMessage that could give hackers control of your iPhone or iPad.

Apple has already patched five similar bugs, but several are still present in recent versions of iOS. What makes these particularly concerning is that a potential attack requires no input from the user.

Apple wants to build new Mac Pro in US

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Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR orders start Tuesday
Who knew?
Photo: Apple

Apple would prefer to build the upcoming Mac Pro in the United States. In fact, the company is trying to make it happen, CEO Tim Cook said Tuesday.

“We’ve been making the Mac Pro in the United States and we want to continue doing that,” Cook said during Apple’s earnings call. “We’re working and investing currently in the capacity to do so. We want to continue to be there.”

16-inch MacBook Pro might be first to get new scissor keyboard

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MacBook Keyboard
The keyboard in the newest MacBooks have the same problem as earlier ones.
Photo: Apple

One of the worst problems with the MacBook Pro and other Apple notebooks is finally going to get fixed this year.

Apple reportedly will move away from its controversial butterfly keyboard in favor of a more reliable design. And according to the best Apple analyst in the game, the new keyboard will come to the 16-inch MacBook Pro first.

Is viral FaceApp stealing your photos? Not all of them

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FaceApp
FaceApp uses AI to deliver impressive photo effects.
Photo: FaceApp

Impressive artificial intelligence that delivers some of the most convincing facial effects has made FaceApp incredibly popular in recent weeks. But there’s some concern over what happens to your photos when you use it.

The good news is FaceApp won’t steal your entire photo library. However, some of your images will end up on its servers.

Newest 13-inch MacBook Pro brings unbelievable speed boost

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2019 MacBook Pro Fortnite
It's not clear what is causing the problem.
Photo: Apple

Apple promised its newest 13-inch MacBook Pro would deliver faster performance than the previous model. But we weren’t expecting to be up to 83% faster!

That’s the kind of speed increase you’re getting with the latest model, according to early benchmarks. It gives existing owners a massive reason to upgrade — even if they have no interest in the Touch Bar.

Apple may be gearing up to replace controversial MacBook keyboard

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MacBook butterfly keyboard
The butterfly keyboard design hasn't been one of Apple's most popular innovations.
Photo: Apple

Many fans hated the controversial butterfly switch keyboard that Apple introduced in 2015. While it’s since worked to improve it, the MacBook keyboards’ low-travel design has caused plenty of handwringing among the Mac faithful.

They might not be around for too much longer, however. According to a new research note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is set to replace them with a whole new keyboard switch mechanism. This will debut with the 2019 MacBook Air.

Tim Cook discusses Jony Ive departure in memo to Apple employees

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Jony Ive
Jony Ive is finally free.
Photo: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook sent a memo to all Apple employees Thursday informing them that long-time Chief Design Officer Jony Ive is leaving the company.

Instead of talking about the giant hole Ive will leave behind, Cook spun the Apple design guru’s exit as an “important evolution” for the company. He also talked about how great it will be for everyone as Ive pursues his passions as head of his new design firm, LoveFrom.

Mystery MacBooks pop up in Eurasian database

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The days when you could get a 17-inch MacBook Pro like this one could be returning.
A rumored replacement for 2012’s 17-inch MacBook Pro might have just appeared in a regulatory body’s database.
Photo: Apple

Much-anticipated additional 2019 MacBooks have apparently just shown up in a Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) database.

There are seven variations listed, one of which could be the super-size model a trusted analyst says is on the way.

Why photographers won big-time at WWDC

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photographers and new Mac Pro
Apple has a pretty good idea on how to make photographers and filmmakers happy.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2019 bug The WWDC keynote delivered exciting news for every Apple user, but for photographers of all stripes, Monday was their jackpot.

Professional photographers and filmmakers finally got a new Mac Pro that can handle ambitious workflows.

Operating system updates due out this fall for Mac, iPhone and iPad will bring a slew of new features for editing and organizing.

The iPad will be an even more capable tool in the field and changes to the iPhone camera should tamp down those worries that Apple was falling behind the likes of Huawei, Samsung and Google.

And we’re not even talking about the new hardware coming this fall.

What to expect from WWDC 2019

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WWDC 2019
It’s going to be big!
Photo: Apple

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference is just days away and it’s shaping up to be one of the most software-packed events in the company’s history.

New software for the iPhone, iPad, Mac and more will be shown off for the first time when Tim Cook takes the stage on June 3rd. Most of the event will be focused solely on Apple’s biggest software updates of the year, but there’s a chance we could see some new hardware too.

iOS 13 wishlist: 6-ish ways Apple could improve audio

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This is what pre-iOS 13 audio looks like to a visitor from next year.
This is what pre-iOS 13 audio looks like to a visitor from next year.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

 

There’s one big thing I wish for when I kneel next to my bed at night, cross my fingers and think of iOS 13: better audio. Not better quality audio. That’s already great. I just want better control, and better features.

And this isn’t just specialized podcasting or music-making stuff. There are problems everywhere. You know how when you’re listening to music, and you open up the camera app, and your music stops playing? That kind of problem. Which is number one one on my list by the way. Check out the rest:

First 5G modem made by Apple won’t arrive until 2025

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This Intel modem will likely power the first 5G iPhone.
Intel pulled the plug on its 5G modems.
Photo: Intel

Apple’s custom-built smartphone modems likely won’t make their way into iPhones and iPads until 2025 at the earliest, according to a new report from The Information.

Intel’s strained relationship with Apple is on full display in the beefy report that reveals Apple had problems with Intel long before 5G modems became an issue. Back in early 2017, Intel struggled to supply Apple with an LTE modem destined for the 2018 iPhone lineup. Despite overhauling the modem four times, Intel nearly missed the deadline.

How Apple could turn personal data into a gold mine for the masses [Opinion]

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Apple is the best on privacy, but it's still not close to what we need.
Apple is the best on privacy, but it's still not close to what we need.
Photo: Ash Edmonds/Unsplash

Apple should be building a data marketplace for its users, not raising fears about privacy. Privacy is about preventing the leakage of personal data and does nothing about the ownership and monetization of that data.

Individuals should be getting paid for their data directly, not the companies that collect that data. And that should be the focus of Apple’s efforts.

Brilliant folding touchscreen MacBook concept is almost a reality

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Astro HQ’s MacBook concept has a flexible touchscreen in place of the keyboard and trackpad.
This MacBook concept has a flexible touchscreen in place of the keyboard and trackpad.
Photo: Astro HQ

Astro HQ, makers of Luna Display, dreamed up a macOS laptop concept with a foldable display that covers the entire interior of the MacBook. The design includes a touchscreen and Apple Pencil support.

Artists’ concepts are often impractical dreams for the future but a version of this can be assembled right now. Sort of.

iPhone XI renderings reveal all-new rear panel design and mute switch changes

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leaked iPhone XI
The back of the iPhone XI.
Photo: OnLeaks/CashKaro

Apple won’t unveil the 2019 iPhone lineup for at least another four months, but we already have a pretty solid idea on what it will look like.

New renderings based on leaked information reveal the iPhone XI and XI Max in all their glory. From the front, the new iPhones look pretty similar to the XS and XS Max. When you flip them over though you’ll notice a new triple-lens camera array and new unique rear panel made out of one piece of glass.

Take a closer look:

How Apple’s Operations department works [Cook book outtakes]

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Two Apple operations workers in a factory
Apple's operations, which Tim Cook headed up, is one of the company's secret weapons.
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook book outtakes: How Apple's Operations department works This post was going to be part of my new book, Tim Cook: The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level, but was cut for length or continuity. Over the next week or so, we will be publishing several more sections that were cut, focusing mostly on geeky details of Apple’s manufacturing operations.

Apple is famous for design and marketing, but a large part of the company’s success is due to the incredibly complex and efficient manufacturing organization Tim Cook masterminded with Steve Jobs.

No matter how beautiful its products are, the company would go nowhere without a world-class manufacturing and distribution operation that can make millions of devices in the utmost secrecy, to the highest possible standards, and deliver them efficiently all over the globe.

It’s an operation unprecedented in the history of industry. When Jobs and Cook started in 1998, Apple was doing $6 billion in business annually. It now does that every 10 days.

Apple News+ brings you all the magazines for $10 a month

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Apple News+ trial
Some aren't happy with Apple's tactics.
Photo: Apple

You can now find your favorite magazines inside Apple News.

A new subscription provides access to a wealth of periodicals from the likes of Vogue, Rolling Stone and The New Yorker. It also features content from The Wall Street Journal and The Los Angeles Times.

You can read as many as you like, as much as you like, for just $9.99 a month.

Please, Apple, sort out your product naming nightmare [Opinion]

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Jumbled letters
Apple's new iPads underline its problem with product naming.
Photo: Lucille Pine/Flickr CC

As thrilling as new Apple devices are, this week’s surprise hardware updates really screwed the pooch on one important front: product naming.

The “new” iPad Air and iPad mini join a lineup of tablets with a variety of features and price points that will boggle the minds of even the most ardent Apple fanatics.

How did Apple’s naming strategy go so far off the rails? For the sake of the average customer, Cupertino’s once-brilliant branding needs to kick into gear. Because right now, the toxic hellstew of Apple product names is utterly confusing.

Can Apple keep cannibalizing its core creations? [Opinion]

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Galaxy-Fold-inside
Folding smartphones could threaten both iPhone and iPad sales.
Photo: Samsung

Apple built its world-dominating status by being brave. Not only did it create hit products, but it never worried about “cannibalizing” existing products to make way for the future.

Will that same strategy hold true at a time when Apple’s dominance is faltering? If the company is going to thrive through the next wave of tech, it’s going to take a whole lot of Dutch Cupertino courage.

Apple has signed ‘many publishers’ for its subscription news services

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Apple News
Will Apple's subscription news service be a hit?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly having no problem signing up publishers for its proposed 50-50 revenue split deal for its news subscription service.

Despite the massive cut Apple is demanding, a new report claims that it has “already signed many publishers to deals.” These companies are banking on Apple being able to pull off an iTunes-style rescue of the news business. As such, they believe they’ll get a smaller piece of a big business, rather than a big piece of a small one.