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iPadOS 14.5 finally adds emoji search [Updated]

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iPadOS 14.5 adds emoji search. Finally!
Finding just the right emoji to say what you mean gets easier in iPadOS 14.5.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

iPhone fans were first able to search for emoji last year, and Apple is finally bringing this feature to iPads. It’s built into the iPadOS 14.5 beta 1 released to public beta testing on Thursday.

Also, those with the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad get a horizontally-oriented boot screen.

Controversial anti-tracking feature is about to go live in iOS 14

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Your iPhone will soon offer a bit more privacy.
With iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4, applications will have to ask if they can track you.
Graphic: Apple

Apple seeded to developers the release candidates for iOS 14.4 and the iPad equivalent on Thursday. It’s probably the last step before a public release. Among other changes, these new versions will apparently give iPhone and iPad users the option to block third-party applications from tracking them.

Devs can also install watchOS 7.3 RC and tvOS 14.4 RC, which became available Thursday too. But macOS Big Sur 11.2 is still on Beta 2.

Apple Watch could spot COVID-19 symptoms a week before it strikes

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Apple Watch Series 6
Two studies suggest Apple Watch could be a useful diagnostic tool.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Smartwatches such as Apple Watch could detect COVID-19 infections a week before the wearer feels sick or would test positive for the novel coronavirus, two medical studies suggest.

Since such devices can identify subtle changes in heart rate that might indicate an early infection, they could spot asymptomatic individuals, who make up a sizable proportion of COVID-19 cases.

Apple Car would only need 2% of mobility market to equal iPhone revenue

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Making a car could produce a massive windfall for Apple.
Making a car could produce a massive windfall for Apple.
Photo: Possessed Photography/Unsplash CC

Apple would only need to capture 2% of the mobility market with a possible Apple Car to equal the revenue that it currently gets from the iPhone, according to Morgan Stanley researchers.

While that’s certainly easier said than done, it’s an interesting observation when considering Apple’s chances of turning its automotive plans into a potential financial windfall.

Leaked prototype turns the clock back to early days of Apple Watch

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Apple Watch
The Apple Watch has come a long way since its early days.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

A Twitter user by the name of @AppleDemoYT has posted images online they claim to be an early Apple Watch prototype, built as part of the pre-production process before Apple introduced the device in 2015.

Such prototypes are very rare, with Apple preferring not to show images that shed light on how it develops products. Somehow this one made it out in one piece — provided it’s legitimate, of course.

Apple owes us a dedicated Apple TV+ app

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Apple owes us a dedicated Apple TV+ app
An updated Apple TV app makes it easier to find Apple TV+ original shows and movies. Slightly easier.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The Apple TV app tries to do too much. It tries to be too much. And this lack of focus damages the Apple TV+ streaming service. Still, a design change in iOS 14.3 and the iPad equivalent makes it just a little bit easier for subscribers to find Apple TV+ shows and movies.

The small tweak doesn’t go far enough, though. It’s only a tiny step in the right direction. What’s truly needed is a dedicated Apple TV+ app.

Apple’s autonomous car unit gets a new driver

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The Apple Car won‘t look anything like this. At all.
The Apple autonomous vehicle project is now part of the company’s AI division.
Illustration: Cult of Mac

Apple’s self-driving car division is reportedly on the move, but not in the usual way. The project has been transferred into Apple’s artificial intelligence division.

The reorg comes at the retirement of Bob Mansfield, who’d been managing the company’s not-so-secret autonomous vehicle development.

Apple Watch, MacBook tipped for big redesigns in late 2021

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Monowear-Urban-Canvas-Apple-Watch-3
New iPads with mini-LED displays could come even sooner.
Photo: Adel Neal/Cult of Mac

Apple will introduce a redesigned Apple Watch and MacBook lineup in late 2021, according to one reliable analyst.

Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities expects Apple’s next-generation wearable to bring “innovative health management functions.” He also told investors iPhone 12 is off to a strong start.

M1 Mac mini faster than all Intel Macs in single-core benchmarks

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New M1 Mac mini gaming
Now that's fast!
Photo: Apple

Apple’s newest Mac mini, its first desktop with an Apple Silicon M1 chip, is substantially faster than all Intel-based Macs in single-core tests, according to new Geekbench benchmarks.

The only machines that come close to matching its performance are the newest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro — also powered by M1 chipsets. The 27-inch iMac lags far behind in the same tests.

iPhone 12 Pro blows away Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in real-world speed test

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An iPhone 12 Pro speed test against Galaxy Note 20 Ultra was no contest.
There’s no doubt which handset is faster, iPhone 12 Pro or Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
Photo: PhoneBuff

The new iPhone 12 Pro takes the crown as the fastest smartphone. It significantly beat the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in a speed test designed to evaluate real-world use.

Apple’s new processor and additional RAM helped push its handset over the top.

iPhone 12 ‘scratchgate’ is a figment of the imagination

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An iPhone 12 scratch test is no big deal.
iPhone 12 display won‘t get scratched any more than other phones.
Screenshot: JerryRigEverything

The iPhone 12 display is no more likely to get scratched than its predecessors or competitors. A rigorous test disproves an early report that Apple’s latest is easily susceptible to this type of damage.

This should head off anyone declaring “scratchgate” in the spirit of the iPhone 6’s actually real Bendgate and the MacBook’s Flexgate.

I want my Apple Music TV: Cupertino’s latest concept is fascinatingly retro

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MTV shirt
Is Apple reanimating the corpse of MTV?
Photo: Chris Benson/Unsplash CC

What’s old is apparently new. With Apple Music TV, the new streaming channel that plays music videos 24 hours a day, Cupertino created a 21st-century version of MTV that looks a lot like the 1980s.

The service — which is free to everyone in the United States, not just Apple Music subscribers — launched out of the blue Monday. More than a quarter century after the original MTV’s heyday, this is going to be fascinating to watch. Can it possibly work?

All the things we didn’t get at Apple’s ‘Hi, Speed’ event

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Hi, Speed event image with wishlist in background
Apple's "Hi, Speed" event offered up some nice updates to the iPhone 12 and HomePod, but left some boxes on the wishlist unchecked.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

It happens before every Apple event. The rumor mill, tech blogs (hello), and iPhone-obsessed nerds pin every hope, dream and desire on the next version of Apple’s devices.

More often than not, those desires are dashed, pushing those wants off to another event. While Apple’s iPhone 12 event showed the steps the company is taking toward iterating on its most popular device, there were also some things left on the wish list.

Case stickers appear to confirm ‘iPhone 12 mini’ naming

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These iPhone 12 dummy units show what the real handset might look like.
iPhone 12 will run from mini to Pro Max.
Photo: Marques Brownlee

An image that reportedly shows iPhone case stickers seemingly adds more evidence that Apple will call its smallest iPhone 12 model the “iPhone 12 mini.”

The pictures, posted on Twitter Thursday evening by Apple leaker DuanRui, follow a recent report from @L0vetodream suggesting that this year’s models will be called the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

New 10.2-inch iPad bumps up to faster A12 chip for same $329 price

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New 2020 iPad
The same great iPad, only faster.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s entry-level iPad, unveiled Tuesday during the “Time Flies” event, is better than ever with a faster processor and graphics, and gigabit-class LTE. It’s also just as affordable as its predecessor.

Order yours today ahead of its release this Friday for just $329 (or $299 if you’re a student).

Expect a glitzy show with plenty of new hardware at Apple’s September event

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The Apple September Event 2020 will surely take advantage of its virtual nature.
Apple software chief Craig Federighi is sure to take the virtual stage at Apple’s Sept. 15 event.
Photo illustration: Cult of Mac/Apple

Apple will hold an online event on September 15. That’s all we know for sure. But leaks, rumors and unconfirmed reports reveal much more, with multiple new devices supposedly on the docket — although maybe not the one you expect.

An event with no real people in attendance, it likely will follow the template of Apple’s virtual Worldwide Developers Conference from June, which drew much praise. Here’s what you can expect from Apple’s September event next Tuesday.

Faster Apple TV could get ‘upgraded’ remote with Find My feature

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Apple TV Siri Remote
But it may not come until 2021.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next-generation Apple TV could debut with an “upgraded” remote and a Find My remote feature, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

The new set-top box is also expected to be faster than previous models “for improved gaming.” But sources familiar with its development say we may not get our hands on it until next year.

World’s smallest iMac will make you feel like freaking Goliath

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This iMac mini is smaller than an iPad mini.
A custom-built iMac mini looks like Apple's desktop but it's so little!
Screenshot: Michael Pick/The Casual Engineer

If you never looked at the iMac and wished it was way, way smaller, then you’re not Michael Pick. He built what he calls the “world’s smallest iMac.”

The modder filmed a video demonstrating the process of creating this tiny, yet fully functional, computer. Watch it now:

iPhone 12 concept is just what we’ve been hoping for

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AN iPhone concept includes a smaller notch and a 120 Hz display.
Few people would be disappointed in this iPhone concept turned out to be real.
Photo: TECH 2 SEE/ConceptsiPhone

A new iPhone concept gives a visual demonstration of many of the rumors about the handset Apple is expected to unveil this autumn. But it also includes some hoped-for features that might not make the cut.

Watch the video now:

Focusing on major movies could prime Apple TV+ for success [Opinion]

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It's the perfect time for Apple TV+ to makes its move with movies.
It's the perfect time for Apple TV+ to makes its move with movies.
Photo: riviera 2005/Flickr CC

The deal to bring legendary director Martin Scorsese’s future films to Apple TV+ sounds like a gift for movie fans who subscribe to the streaming service.

But signing Scorsese and other top filmmakers could turn out to be a shrewd and self-serving move that benefits Apple, too. Focusing on films crafted by the world’s top directors could differentiate the fledgling Apple TV+ from dominant rivals like Netflix. And it looks like Apple might be timing the market perfectly.