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Apple’s $3,000 VR headset could boast 8K display, advanced hand- and eye-tracking

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Apple VR headset: If a $3,000 price tag doesn't scream
If a $3,000 price tag doesn't scream "niche product," what does?
Photo: Hammer & Tusk/Unsplash CC

Apple’s mixed-reality headset could cost around $3,000, solidifying its status as a niche luxury item, The Information claims in a new report.

The device supposedly will boast high-resolution 8K displays and some smart eye-tracking technology. Plus, more than a dozen built-in cameras could track wearers’ hand movements.

Top Apple engineer moves to mysterious new project

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What is top Apple hardware engineer Dan Riccio up to now?
What is top Apple hardware engineer Dan Riccio up to now?
Photo: Apple

Dan Riccio, one of Apple’s top designers, is moving to a mysterious new role in Cupertino.

After joining Apple in 1998, Riccio worked on loads of groundbreaking products, from the first iMac to last year’s AirPods Max and the M1-powered Macs. Now, he’s become Apple’s “vice president of engineering.”

Going forward, Riccio says he will be “focusing all my time and energy at Apple on creating something new and wonderful that I couldn’t be more excited about,” according to a press release Monday.

Ditch Google for another search engine inside Safari [Pro tip]

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Change default search engine in Safari
Bing, DuckDuckGo, and others are available.
Image: Cult of Mac

Safari pro tips bug We want to help you master Safari. Cult of Mac’s Safari Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of Apple’s web browser on iOS and Mac.

Google has long been the default search engine inside Safari, but it’s not your only option. With a simple settings change, you can find what you’re looking for with Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo or Ecosia instead.

Find out how in this Safari pro tip.

Apple leaps to the defense of its crazy AirPods Max case

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The AirPods Max case is easy to mock. But it does the job.
The AirPods Max case may look odd, but the designers point out it’s very efficient.
Photo: Apple

AirPods Max are controversial for a number of reasons. For one, there’s the $550 price tag. But the odd-looking case Apple designed for these over-the-ear headphones also drew plenty of mockery.

The designers of AirPods Max defended their creation in an interview published Thursday.

Interesting Apple Watch concept totally rethinks a basic feature

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An Apple Watch concept gets complications out of the way
What if your Apple Watch face was pristine because the complications were hidden out of the way?
Screenshot: A Better Computer

Apple Watch offers watch faces that’s do much more than tell time. But a user thinks the extra snippets of information — called complications — junk up the appearance of the wearable. They created an Apple Watch concept that moves them off the display and onto the pop-up window that’s currently the Control Center.

M1 Mac mini runs Windows 10 far faster than Microsoft Surface Pro X

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M1 Mac mini running Windows 10
Even with a workaround, Macs with Apple Silicon have good performance running Windows 10 for Arm.
Photo: Cult of Mac

New tests show relatively speedy performance for a Mac mini with an ARM-based Apple M1 processor running the ARM version of Windows 10. Even though the OS is running as a virtual machine, benchmarks show the device can handle X86 applications far faster than the Microsoft Surface Pro X, which also uses an ARM chip.

Apple squashes iPhone 12 mini Lock Screen bug with iOS 14.2.1

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iPhone 12 mini held up
If your iPhone 12 mini touchscreen has a Lock Screen bug, you need iOS 14.2.1.
Photo: Apple

Apple today released a small “bug fix” update for iPhones. iOS 14.2.1 takes care of problem that caused the iPhone 12 mini’s touchscreen to not always respond on the Lock Screen. A couple of other small problems were taken care of too.

In an unusual move, there is no iPadOS equivalent for this update. It’s iPhone only.

M1 MacBook Air blows away predecessors, every other CPU in benchmarks

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MacBook Air power
Apple's fastest MacBook yet.
Photo: Apple

Early benchmark results for the new M1 MacBook Air have begun surfacing online, and boy are they impressive. Not only does Apple’s newest ultraportable blow away its predecessors, but its M1 chip outperforms every other mobile CPU on the market.

That’s even more astounding when you remember the new MacBook Air has a completely fan-less design that stays silent no matter how hard you push it.

With iPhone 12, Apple finally ditches its outdated ‘S’ naming. I couldn’t be happier.

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iPhone 12: Say
No sign of an iPhone 11s in sight.
Photo: Apple

There was something big missing from Tuesday’s iPhone 12 event. And, no, I’m not talking about AirTags, AirPods Studio, a new Apple TV, Apple Silicon Macs or live attendees.

The thing that went missing was an “S” at the end of the new iPhones’ names. The demise of the naming convention to indicate alternate-year iPhones marked the end of an era. And it’s totally a good thing.

How to see the huge AR easter egg hidden in Apple’s Oct. 13 event invite

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The invite to the Apple October event 2020 offers an augmented-reality easter egg.
The invite to the Apple October event includes a bit of augmented reality.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Hidden in Tuesday’s invite to the October Apple event is a hint that the company is about to make a big push into augmented reality.

The graphic for the event invite is the Apple logo surrounded by bubbles. iPhone and iPad users can transfer that design to the real 3D world, and put it in motion.

Fix battery drain, missing GPS data after updating to iOS 14, watchOS 7

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Fix GPS data loss iOS 14
It's not easy, but it's essential.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple has acknowledged problems with iOS 14 and watchOS 7 that can cause some users to lose GPS data and experience excessive battery drain on Apple Watch and iPhone — among other things.

There is a way to fix these issues and prevent future data loss, and it means resetting your devices. We’ll walk you through it.

Deciding between iPad Air 4 and iPad Pro could be a real struggle

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iPad Air 4 vs. 2020 iPad Pro vs. iPad 8
Apple’s current lineup of tablets offers a lot of overlap in features.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

The newly announced iPad Air 4 is going to make choosing a tablet harder. It borrows so many features from the 2020 iPad Pro models that many who might have gone for one of Apple’s professional tablets should choose this new model instead. But certainly not everyone.

Here’s how these devices compare, with the newly-unveiled iPad 8 thrown in for good measure.

Apple AirTags trackers could finally launch in October with iPhone 12

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Apple AitTags are going to have to take on Tile.
So far, leaks don’t show much about the design of Apple AirTags. Just that they’ll be round.
Concept drawing: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The long wait for AirTags comes to an end this autumn, according to an unconfirmed report. Leaks and rumors about Apple’s item-tracking tags kept circulating for literally the last year. But it seems the debut is right around the corner, at last.

How Apple made money in the middle of a crushing pandemic

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Apple reports another quarter of record revenue for Q3 2020. Can nothing stop the Cupertino juggernaut?
Can nothing stop the Cupertino juggernaut?
Photo: Bill Oxford/Unsplash CC

People around the world turned to Apple products at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. And the result was an 11% increase in Apple revenue during the June quarter. Some products contributed to that growth more than others.

The pandemic sent people buying Mac and iPad in huge numbers. But it hurt handset sales, despite a relatively strong launch for the iPhone SE. And Apple services experienced something of an off quarter, too.

Amazing iPhone 12 concept video shows all Apple’s upcoming smartphones

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This iPhone 12 concept video includes all four models, plus one more.
An iPhone 12 concept video compares the sizes of the four four models expected.
Photo: ConceptsiPhone

Apple is reportedly prepping no less than five upcoming iPhone models. A new concept video demonstrates every one of them, including the iPhone 12 series expected this autumn and the iPhone SE model supposedly launching in 2021.

Watch the concept video now:

Pack your Mac and gear in Ekster’s slim laptop sleeve [Review]

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Ekster Laptop Sleeve review
The Ekster Laptop Sleeve can hold your MacBook and a surprising number of accessories too.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Never carry your MacBook or iPad around “naked,” but a bulky case can be just too much. A laptop sleeve is a compromise, like the one recently released by Ekster. This protects your 13-inch computer, and includes room for a few accessories.

I’ve been using this leather-and-canvas folio for a couple of weeks. Here’s how is stands up to daily use.

Find a lost iPhone in the dark by using Apple Watch to light up its camera flash [Pro tip]

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How to light up iPhone's flash from Apple Watch.
Track down an iPhone faster at night.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Pro-tip-4Finding a lost iPhone isn’t too difficult if you own an Apple Watch. By simply tapping a button in Control Center, you can play a sound that will help you locate your mislaid device. It’s also possible to light up iPhone’s LED flash.

The trick can make it easier to find a lost iPhone in a dark room. This pro tip will show you how to use it.