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Leaker counters claim of Apple AR glasses in 2022; affirms rollout next year

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Apple glasses
Apple’s rumored augmented reality glasses ... coming 2021 or 2022?
Photo: Martin Hajek

Apple’s widely rumored augmented reality glasses will be released sometime between March and June of 2021, according to leaker and YouTuber Jon Prosser, contradicting a report Thursday from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that the product is on course for its debut in 2022.

Fancade is a massive iOS game collection app that lets you create your own

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New iOS app Fancade lets you play existing games or make your own.
New iOS app Fancade lets you play existing games or make your own.
Image: Fancade

What could be better than a mobile app that lets you play masses of games, like an old-school arcade squeezed onto your iPhone? A mobile app that lets you play masses of games and make your own new ones.

That’s what Swedish developer Martin Magni created with Fancade, a new iOS app launching Thursday. It offers a huge collection of mini-games, all created using the app itself, along with a drag-and-drop game-maker that lets you create your own.

Access your Mac’s hidden Bluetooth debug menu

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bluetooth keyboard mouse
Troubleshoot your Mac's Bluetooth connections.
Photo: Amy Hirschi/Unsplash

Got Bluetooth problems like a glitchy mouse or an unreliable keyboard? Maybe a screwy trackpad or poor headphone connection? Any of those problems could result from a glitch in your Mac’s Bluetooth radio. Maybe you’ve already tried everything — unpairing your devices, resetting them or even creating a pristine new user account on your Mac solely for troubleshooting purposes.

You may even know about the hidden Bluetooth menu that appears when you option-click on the Bluetooth menu bar icon. But did you know that there’s another, deeper, super-hidden menu with extra troubleshooting tools? There is. Here’s how to fix Bluetooth problems when nothing else seems to work.

Apple over-ear headphones with interchangeable parts coming ‘later this year’

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Beats-Studio3-sand-dune
But COVID-19 could spoil that plan.
Photo: Apple

Apple will deliver its new over-ear headphones, with interchangeable ear pads and other parts, “later this year,” claims a Thursday report from Bloomberg.

The company is said to be working on at least two variations of the product, including one “premium version” and another focused on fitness with a lighter design. Like AirPods Pro, they will be wireless with active noise-cancellation.

Give your videoconferencing calls killer audio quality

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Not every videoconference audio setup has to be as janky as this.
Not every videoconference audio setup has to be as janky as this.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

You’ve probably made more video calls in the last few weeks than you’ve made in the previous few years combined. And if they were on your iPhone or iPad, then they probably sounded great. But what if you’re using a Mac, with its prehistoric mics1?

No worries. Through the magic of technology, you can use a better mic with your Mac’s Skype or FaceTime. (As a bonus, it also might make you feel more comfortable during videoconferences.)

How to get new music notifications in Apple Music

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new music notifications
Never miss new releases from your favorite artists again.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

You may have seen a notification from Apple Music at some point. It popped up, told you about a new album from a favorite artist, and you thought, “Thanks Apple Music! That’s great news.” Finally, you thought to yourself, this is a machine doing what machines are supposed to do. Then maybe you clicked on that notification, and the Music app launched, but didn’t go to the artist or album. Or perhaps you dismissed the alert, and when you opened the Music app later, you were confused because you couldn’t find the notification anywhere.

Now, Apple has (maybe) fixed this problem. Instead of just plain old lock-screen notifications, the Music app will now show you new music alerts inside the app itself. Here’s how to switch them on.

CarKey screenshots show how drivers will start their cars via Wallet app

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CarKey access type 1
Here's how you'll interface with CarKey.
Photo: DongleBookPro

A new CarKey feature for iOS 14 will let drivers start up compatible vehicles from their iPhone or Apple Watch, using a digital car key in their Wallet app. Leaked screenshots that appeared on Twitter this week show what the user interface might look like.

Tapping on the digital car key in the Wallet app will reveal the car model and automaker. It also offers the ability to share your key with another person. And an Express Mode works without requiring Face ID or your passcode.

New MacBook Air announced with $999 starting price, Magic Keyboard and 6K display support

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Apple_new-macbook-air-wallpaper-screen_03182020
Low price, new keyboard, two times faster.
Photo: Apple

Apple updated its MacBook Air lineup Wednesday, adding a redesigned scissor-switch Magic Keyboard, twice the storage, a reported two times faster CPU and a lower price tag starting at $999.

Apple said the new MacBook Air comes with twice the storage capacity of the previous model. The new base model starts at 256GB, with up to 80% faster graphics performance. It also supports the Apple 6K Pro Display XDR.

These Control Center tricks let you take control of Do Not Disturb

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grid of doorbells
Do Not Disturb.
Photo: Serge Le Strat/Unsplash

This is a trick I use almost daily, and until I showed it to a friend yesterday, I didn’t realize that it might not be generally known. Most people know about iOS’ amazing Do Not Disturb mode, which stops users from being pinged by incoming messages and app notifications all the time. But did you know about the great do not disturb shortcuts built into the Control Center?

Late 2020 iPad Pro could be the first with a next-gen Mini LED display

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2018 iPad Pro sizes: 2018 iPad Pro sizes
Apple has big plans for iPad Pro in 2020.
Photo: Apple

An upcoming iPad Pro refresh could be the first to introduce a next-generation Mini LED display, a new report reveals.

Innolux is said to be joining Apple’s supply chain this year specifically to supply new iPad Pro panels. Jingdian, another Mini LED supplier, is expected to be the primary supplier and may have already started shipping orders.

Use the hidden autocomplete in Apple Watch’s Scribble to send text messages

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fountain pen
Autocomplete metaphor.
Photo: Aaron Burden/Unsplash

Unless you hate yourself, or you have an uncommonly close relationship with Siri, anytime you need to reply to a message on your Apple Watch, you pull out your iPhone. Scribble, the watch’s laborious handwriting-recognition input, is fine for very short replies, but it takes so long for anything else that it makes T9 text input look appealing.

But what if there was some kind of iPhone-esque Scribble autocomplete? What if I told you that this hidden feature is already there, and that you just never noticed it? Prepare to have your mind blown.

Apple is ‘likely to stick’ to plans for a September iPhone event

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Apple_Keynote-Event_Phil-Schiller-iPhone-11-Pro_091019
Yes, we will get our iPhone event in September. According to a supply chain rumor, that is!
Photo: Apple

Despite the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, Apple is going to “stick to its plans” for an iPhone event in September, according to a new report.

That is despite the fact that another report today claims that orders for the five-nanometer A14 chips for the iPhone 12 are likely to be 50-60% higher than for last year’s iPhone chips. In other words, the next-gen iPhones face both increased demand and, for now, reduced supply.

iOS 13.4 beta code hints at new Apple TV device

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Apple TV Siri Remote
Apple TV is due for an upgrade.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

An updated Apple TV 4K could soon roll out of Apple’s product pipeline, based on references to an unreleased product discovered in the latest iOS beta.

9to5Mac unearthed clues in iOS 13.4 beta 1 that signal a new Apple TV 4K is currently in development. Considering the company hasn’t released new Apple TV hardware since fall 2017, the wait for a new set-top box may not be much longer.

How to switch off iCloud backups, and why you might not want to

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iCloud backups locker room
Apple might keep iCloud backups locked in rooms like this one.
Photo: Liz Weddon/Unsplash

Last week’s revelation that iCloud backups can be accessed by Apple, and are regularly given to law enforcement agencies, came as a big surprise to many people. Isn’t Apple the company that claims to protect your data? While your iPhone or iPad is locked down, much of your iCloud data, including1 your iMessages, is available to Apple. The only way to prevent Apple, and government agencies, from accessing that data is to switch off iCloud backups, and make local backups instead.

AirPods Pro noise cancellation spoiled by firmware updates, users say

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AirPods-Pro-vs-AirPods
Have you noticed a change?
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

AirPods Pro’s brilliant noise cancellation feature gives them a huge advantage over regular AirPods. Except when that noise cancellation feature doesn’t work properly.

A growing number of users say their buds aren’t blocking out background noise as effectively as they once did. And testing confirms that to be the case.

Siri’s been reading my messages and I love it

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Announce Messages with Siri
Getting Siri to read iMessages is AirPod Pro’s best feature.
Photo: Cult of Mac

As of iOS 13, you can have your iPhone read out incoming iMessages through your AirPods. And this — along with their awesome sound and noise-canceling abilities — is my favorite feature of the AirPods Pro. On paper, it’s a small feature in a long list. But in everyday use, Announce Messages with Siri makes a huge difference in how I use my iPhone.

JBL takes on AirPods with cheaper, more colorful wireless buds

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JBL earbuds
These AirPods rivals are cheaper and, with their range of colors, more cheerful than Apple's.
Photo: JBL

CES-2020-bug-2Given what a ridiculously massive hit the AirPods have been for Apple, it’s no shocker that other companies are keen to jump aboard the wireless earbuds train with their own rival versions. This one, from America audio company JBL, looks highly reminiscent of Apple’s AirPods.

The main differences? It comes in a range of colors, and costs just $99.95. That makes it a cheap and cheerful alternative to Apple’s premium version.

Zagg loads up 10.2-inch iPad with keyboards and cases

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Zagg Slim Book Go and Zagg Messenger Folio
Versions of the Zagg Slim Book Go and Zagg Messenger Folio for the 2019 iPad were unveiled at CES 2020.
Photo: Zagg

CES 2020Those with the 10.2-inch iPad launched last year will soon have significantly more case options, thanks to announcements made today at CES 2020. Zagg unveiled a collection of three keyboard cases, while its Gear4 subsidiary added two protective cases.

Why I’m not holding my breath for Apple’s rumored gaming Mac [Opinion]

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https://www.cultofmac.com/443476/apple-music-exclusives-earn-artists-one-way-trip-to-spotify-hell/
Can Apple reinvent the Mac as a gaming powerhouse?
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly working on a new “gaming-focused” Mac that it will unveil at WWDC, a sketchy new rumor claims.

This machine would cost up to $5,000 and be a Mac rival to gaming PCs. It would take aim at the fast growing “e-sports” market, which Apple has not previously catered to. Could such a machine turn Apple into a gaming powerhouse? Anything’s possible, I guess. But I’ll only believe it when I see it.

Disable Turbo Boost to keep your MacBook cool

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disable Turbo Boost
Turbo Boost enabled.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Compared to an iPad, even the new 16-inch MacBook Pro runs pretty hot. In my first impressions post about the latest Apple laptop, I noted that the fans went crazy pretty much any time I switched it on. That has stopped now, thanks to two things: One is that my photo library is fully indexed, and the other is that I have disabled Turbo Boost.

But how?

Which buttons should Apple bring back next?

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Buttons. Who doesn't love them? What buttons should Apple add to its products going forward?
Buttons. Who doesn't love them?
Photo: Diomari/Unsplash CC

It may have nothing to do with Jony Ive leaving the company, but Apple has been adding buttons back to its devices. It’s a slow start, but hopefully it’s the beginning of a trend. The new 16-inch MacBook Pro added an Escape key, and a separate power button (you can press the Touch ID button). Plus, the recently introduced iPhone 11 battery case added a dedicated camera button.

After what seems like decades of removing useful hardware features, is Apple finally seeing the error of its ways? And, if so, what buttons would we like to see next? Let’s take a look at the current lay of the land.