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How to use Mac menus from the keyboard

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help menu shortcut
Help!
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

There’s nothing a Mac nerd likes more than using keyboard shortcuts. Actually, there’s one thing — telling people about Mac keyboard shortcuts. Either way, you’re going to love this tip, which lets you access the menu bar menus of any and all Mac apps, using just the keyboard.

Hit the magic key combo, and you can quickly type to find any menu command by name.

AirPods Pro supply problems couldn’t stop Apple’s surging wearables business

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Finally! AirPods Pro bring active noise cancellation.
They were tough to get at Christmas, but they still made Apple a lot of money.
Photo: Apple

When Apple reported an all-time record for quarterly revenue Tuesday, it got a big boost from one of its smallest products: the AirPods Pro.

Despite severe supply constraints, the new wireless earbuds helped Apple sell $10 billion worth of wearables and accessories in the holiday quarter, a 37% jump from a year ago, the company reported. Revenue for the wearables sector grew 17% to a new all-time record of $12.7 billion.

Take a look at the secret app Apple uses to test iPhone hardware

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iQT
The iQT app is for Apple Technicians only.
Photo: Holt's iPhone Help

Ever visit the Apple store for an iPhone repair and notice the Genius Bar uses special diagnostic apps you’ve never seen before?

Apple keeps its internal-use apps on tight lockdown, but thanks to a forgetful iPhone technician, Apple nerds just got an in-depth look at a secret app called iQT that’s used to make sure every single feature on your iPhone is working properly.

Apple exec takes the stage at CES to talk about the importance of privacy

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Apple exec turned up at CES to talk about the importance of privacy
Apple is big into privacy.
Photo: Apple

CES-2020-bug-2Apple has made its return to CES for the first time in 28 years, as a representative of the world’s biggest tech company appeared on-stage at the world’s biggest tech conference.

Apple wasn’t showing off new products, however. Instead, Jane Horvath, Apple’s senior director of global privacy, participated in a panel Tuesday titled “Chief Privacy Officer Roundtable: What Do Consumers Want?” The panel also included representatives from Facebook, Procter & Gamble, and the FTC.

7 magnificent metal bands for your new Apple Watch

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metal-bands-Apple-Watch
Metal bands are the perfect Apple Watch upgrade.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

There’s no better way to upgrade your new Apple Watch than with a high-quality metal band. And there are so many terrific options out there to suit any budget.

We’ve rounded up seven of our favorites from big brands like Juuk, Speidel, and Rilee & Lo. Prices start at just $11.99

How to hand off music from your iPhone when you arrive home

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Libratone Zipp mini black white airplay 2 support
The Libratone ZIPP and ZIPP mini offer great sound quality, and now supports AirPlay 2
Photo: Connect to any AirPlay speaker, automatically.

Imagine arriving home, listening to music on your iPhone. You want to start that music playing on your home speakers instead, only you don’t want all the hassle of using Control Center, or the AirPlay panel, to do the connection manually.

If you own a HomePod, all you have to do is hold your iPhone near it, and playback will transfer. But what about regular AirPlay speakers? Can you hand off to those? Yes! You can. With a quick one-time setup, you can have the music or podcast app switch from your headphones, and play on any AirPlay speaker you have at home.

Does Apple’s Night Shift mode really work? New study questions its effectiveness.

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The Night Shift mode on Apple products may not be worth the hype. Using dim, cooler lights in the evening may be more beneficial to our sleep and health.
The Night Shift mode on Apple products may not live up to the hype.
Photo: Envato Elements

Blue light from iPhones or MacBook Pros might not be keeping people up at night as originally thought, according to new research.

The bottom line … the Night Shift mode on Apple products — meant to dial down the amount of blue light emitted by displays — may not be as effective as expected. Using dim, cooler lights in the evening, and bright, warmer lights in the day might prove more beneficial to our health.

Magic Keyboard and Mouse in silver and black require buying $6,000 Mac Pro

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Apple Magic Keyboard in black and silver is surprisingly expensive.
Getting the new Apple Magic Keyboard in black and silver costs much more than you might expect.
Photo: Apple

A black-and-silver Magic Keyboard, Mouse 2 and Trackpad 2 debuted in Apple’s product lineup today, but only a fortunate few can order them. As it stands now, these accessories are only available for people who also buy a 2019 Mac Pro.

But that’s likely to change soon.

2021 iPhone might signal the end for Lightning port

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At least one iPhone will lose Lightning in 2021, according to one report
At least one iPhone will lose Lightning in 2021, according to one report
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple will begin to phase out Lightning connectivity on iPhones beginning with a 2021 flagship that will “provide the completely wireless experience,” analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told investors today.

Kuo also said there will be five new iPhones in 2020, four of which will feature OLED screens.

iPhone 12 lineup could bring more compact 5.4-inch model

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iPhone 12 might mix iPhone 11 and iPad Pro designs
Big changes are predicted for the 2020 iPhone lineup.
Photo: Ben Geskin

Apple’s next-generation iPhone 12 lineup could introduce a more compact 5.4-inch model, according to a new report.

The handset could be a Pro model, despite its smaller size, with a high-end OLED display supplied by Samsung. And it could replace the 5.8-inch option we’re already familiar with.

The high-end iPhone 12 Pro Max, on the other hand, could get even larger with a 6.7-inch display.

16-inch MacBook Pro wows writers in first hands-on reviews

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16-inch-MacBook-Pro
The wait is over.
Photo: Apple

Apple finally unleashed its long-rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro on the world this morning, and according to some lucky people who got to play with it early, it was well worth the wait.

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro pulled out plenty of surprises beyond its bigger display. Early hands-on reviews rave about the scissor keyboard, the new audio system, upgraded thermal management and of course, its beastly processing power.

Here’s what reviewers are saying about the new machine.

It’s not too early to dream of these iOS 14 features

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Split View on iPhone in iOS 14
An artist proposal for iOS 14 is a wishlist of great ideas, like bringing Split View to iPhone.
Screenshot: the Hacker 34

iOS 13 is still almost brand new, but some people are already looking ahead to the next version. An iOS 14 concept video is packed with suggestions likely to catch the eye of iPhone users, including support for multiple accounts, user-defined default applications, and far more.

Watch the concept video now:

AirPods Pro! We got ’em, and we discuss their pros and cons, on The CultCast

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CultCast 412
Let's talk about AirPods Pro...
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: AirPod Pros! You want them, we got them. We’ll tell you what’s new, what’s good, what’s not, and how they compare to the regular AirPods. We’ve got lots to say…. Plus: The first Apple TV+ reviews are trickling in, and, well … they’re not great.

Our thanks to Belkin for supporting this episode. Belkin cables are built to last and supported with a five-year warranty. If you’re tired of broken, burned-out cables, switch to Belkin, and save 30% off your order with code CultCast at checkout.

All the ways to take a screenshot in iPadOS

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An iPad Pro case can prevent your Apple Pencil from charging.
The Apple Pencil can now take screenshots!
Photo: Apple

Like skinning a cat, there’s more than one way to take a screenshot on the iPhone and iPad. And with the launch of iPadOS 13, there’s now one more way to snap a picture of your screen on the iPad.

Let’s check out all the ways to take a screenshot on an iPad running iOS 13.

Nixed bilateral charging could have been iPhone 11 Pro exclusive

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iPhone 11 teardown disassembled
Taking an iPhone 11 to pieces finds no sign of one rumored feature, but hints Apple Tags could still be on the way.
Photo: iFixit

A teardown of the iPhone 11 finds Apple’s less-expensive handset lacks any sign of inverse wireless charging. iFixit did discover hardware possibly related to this rumored feature in the iPhone 11 Pro series, however.

An X-ray of the iPhone 11 does turn up evidence of ultra-wideband support, however. That will prove important if Apple launches the item-tracking tags that also showed up in many rumors.

Apple TV+’s $5 pricing lays the smackdown on Netflix and Disney [Opinion]

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Apple TV+
Apple fires a $4.99 shot across the bow of rival streaming companies.
Photo: Apple

It’s rare that the take-home message from an Apple keynote is, “Wow, that’s far more affordable than I expected.” But that’s exactly the reaction Apple prompted when it revealed the $5-a-month price tag for its new Apple TV+ streaming service.

In one fell swoop, Apple just threw down the gauntlet to its streaming rivals. Your move, Netflix!

2020’s iPhone SE upgrade won’t bring edge-to-edge display

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Watch a iPhone SE 2 TV ad
No, the new iPhone SE won't look like this.
Screencap: Creative Concepts

A reliable source today echos claims that Apple is developing an iPhone SE upgrade for early next year.

The new low-cost handset will feature Touch ID, just as expected — but it won’t be the new in-display Touch ID technology that Apple could bring to other handsets in 2020.

That means there’s no hope of an edge-to-edge display.

Latest canceled Apple TV+ show might be bad omen [Opinion]

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Apple TV+ could have 26 million paying subs by 2025; 2.6 million currently
Tim Cook reportedly wants to make Apple TV+ shows aspirational in tone.
Photo: Apple

Cupertino’s costly decision to cancel an Apple TV+ series starring Richard Gere due to the show’s darker tone is the latest bit of evidence that Apple wants only family-friendly fare for its upcoming streaming video service.

A diet of uplifting, positive messages is certainly laudable. But that sort of high-minded approach could pose a major challenge for Apple. Should fans be worried?