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Top stories - page 301

Mac shipments shoot up an amazing 36%

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Apple iMac 2019
Mac shipments went through the roof last quarter.
Photo: Apple

Shipments of Apple Macs increased a full 36% year-over-year during the second quarter of 2020, according to a market-research firm. The growth is pegged to individuals, companies and schools buying computers to make remote work and learning possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.

iOS 13.6 golden master means the future’s almost here

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iPhone car key feature is a rumor no more.
A fortunate few can use iOS 13.6 to unlock their car. Only a handful of models are supported at launch.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded what might be the last version of iOS 13 and the iPad equivalent exclusively to developers on Thursday. This “golden master” update brings the debut of CarKey, allowing iPhones to unlock or start vehicles. There are other new features as well, not just bug fixes.

In addition, what are apparently the final betas of watchOS 6.2.8 and tvOS 13.4.8 went to developers too.

Send new downloads to App Library for a tidy Home screen in iOS 14 [Pro tip]

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How to send new apps to App Library
Don't organize all your iPhone apps manually.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Pro-tip-4 iOS 14 makes it easier than ever to keep a tidy Home screen, thanks to the ability to hide Home screen pages and its brilliant new App Library. Here’s how to send new downloads to the App Library automatically so that you don’t have to worry about cleaning up yourself later on.

Start testing exciting new iOS 14 features with first public beta

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WWDC 2020 brought iOS 14 with iPhone home screen widgets, hurray!
Put widgets wherever on the home screen you like in iOS 14.
Screenshot: Apple

After giving developers access to iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 betas in June, Apple on Thursday let the general public test prerelease versions, too.

The are significant upgrades, packed with features that won‘t be available in non-beta form until autumn.

New Apple course shows educators how to teach coding with Swift and Xcode

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Apple-in-school
A new course taught by Apple will help educators learn to teach Swift and Xcode.
Photo: Apple

Apple on Thursday unveiled a free course to train educators to teach others how to program in Swift and Xcode, tools used to write apps for iPhone and Mac.

In addition, Apple improved its Develop in Swift and Everyone Can Code curricula. And it’s adding new remote learning resources for parents and teachers educating children at home.

Brilliant deals on Beats, Bose and Sony headphones for those who don’t like AirPods

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headphones-deals
A whole bunch of options to choose from!
Image: Cult of Mac

If your ears just don’t get along with AirPods, check out these awesome deals on headphones from Beats, Bose, and Sony instead. You can save up to $119 on some of the hottest models for a limited time only.

There are both in-ear and on-ear options to choose from — as well as wireless speakers, if you prefer.

Get the most from your iPhone’s augmented reality features [Deals]

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MagiMask
These AR goggles make the most of immersive games, interactive learning and 360-degree movies.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The power of the new iPhones to produce augmented reality experiences is really amazing. Thanks to powerful graphics processing and cameras, it’s possible to overlay convincing 3D images over the real world.

Unfortunately, the only way to get that AR experience is typically through the phone screen — but not so with this headset and accessories.

Easily control outdoor lights with Meross waterproof HomeKit outlet [Review]

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Meross Smart WiFi Indoor/Outdoor Plug review
Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night bothers this Meross smart outlet.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Add Siri voice control to your outside spotlights with the Meross Smart WiFi Indoor/Outdoor Plug. It’s waterproof and actually offers two plugs, each separately controllable with Apple’s HomeKit.

I tested this home-automation accessory around my house. Here’s how well it lives up to regular use.

Apple retail stores launch one-on-one ‘Shop with a Specialist’ service

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TO deal with COVID-19, Apple Store offer ‘Shop with a Specialist’ service.
“Shop with a Specialist” puts you one-on-one with a salesperson at Apple Stores.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Schedule a visit to an Apple Store and you’ll have an expert standing by just to answer your questions. That’s the promise of the “Shop with a Specialist” program that launched Wednesday.

While this is a touch of luxury, it’s also a necessity brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple is trying to keep its retail locations from being overcrowded. That apparently means limiting the number of customers to one per salesperson.

Tell LinkedIn users how to pronounce your name properly

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Tap the little speaker icon to hear the LinkedIn name pronunciation
Tap the little speaker icon to hear the name pronunciation
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

If you’re applying for jobs and want to help recruiters avoid an awkward moment as they struggle to pronounce your name, a new LinkedIn feature can help.

It just takes a minute to record the proper pronunciation of your name and add the audio clip to the networking and job-search platform. Here’s how to do potential recruiters a solid — and how to have a little (possibly ill-advised) fun if you dare.

Filter disruptive wavelengths from your phone’s screen [Deals]

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Ocushield Anti-Blue Light Screen Protector
Block out disruptive blue light from your iPhone without turning the screen a weird shade of orange.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Our eyes, minds and bodies are sensitive to light. Different wavelengths have different effects, just like the times of day they correspond to. So for all the hours we spend staring at our phones, it’s no surprise that it can make a real impact on our health.

iPhone 12 dummy vids and packaging leak get us stoked for the future

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These iPhone 12 dummy units show what the real handset might look like.
As these iPhone 12 dummy units show, Apple’s 2020 handset is expected in a wide range of sizes.
Photo: Marques Brownlee

iPhone 12 dummy models supposedly show how this upcoming handset will look in various sizes. Reliable leaker Marques Brownlee got his hands on some, and videoed them in action.

Meanwhile, a separate report claims to show the packaging of the iPhone 12, adding weight to rumors that this handset won’t come with a wall charger.

iOS 14 beta 2 adds Files widget, other tweaks

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iOS 14 beta 2 adds a Files widget.
The new Files widget is the biggest change in iPadOS 14 and iOS 14 beta 2.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded the second beta versions of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 exclusively to developers Tuesday. The most notable new feature appears to be a widget for the Files app, giving users access to recently used files directly from the Home screen.

The latest betas bring some small changes as well, of course. Development of these operating systems continues, with full releases expected this autumn.

Apple keeps tinkering with the best design for folding iPhone

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A folding iPhone might leave a portion of the screen always exposed.
Apple patented a folding iPhone with a section of the screen ialways available for notifications or other functions.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple has undoubtedly been investigating a folding iPhone for years because it keeps patenting designs. Including one awarded on Tuesday for an iPhone that folds closed while leaving a portion of the screen exposed to display status updates.

Wonderful wooden stands charge Apple Watch in style

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Anden-Valet
Man, these stands look good.
Photo: Anden

If you’re kind of a big deal. If you own many leather-bound books and an apartment that smells of rich mahogany. Then, boy, do we have the perfect Apple Watch charging stand for you.

Made in London from sustainably sourced walnut, cherry, and maple wood, these Anden stands add a touch of sophistication to any living room or home office. Get yours now from the Cult of Mac Store.

Get the alarm clock that’s also a Bluetooth speaker and wireless charger [Deals]

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Gotek Wireless Charging Music Station
It's a Bluetooth 5.0 speaker, wireless charger clock and more offering 8 hours of wireless playtime.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Some technology never goes out of style — it just gets better. The good old-fashioned alarm clock, for example, is ripe for an upgrade. This combination alarm clock, Bluetooth speaker and wireless charger checks that box.

Logitech’s high-end MX Keys and MX Master 3 get makeovers for Macs

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MX Master 3 for Mac and MX Keys for Mac - optimized for Mac and now in space gray.
The high-end MX Series keyboard and mouse from Logitech get a Mac-oriented overhaul.
Photo: Logitech

Logitech launched Mac versions of its popular MX Keys and MX Master 3 on Tuesday, giving the pro keyboard and mouse a space gray makeover and adding some Apple-specific tweaks.

Most of the changes seem totally awesome for the “Mac purists” Logitech is targeting with these high-end accessories. One change might not be so welcome, though, depending on your experience with Bluetooth peripherals.

The company also released a new Mac-oriented version of its smaller K380 keyboard in white and pink color options.

Greatness Code proves Apple TV+ is in the relationship business [Apple TV+ review]

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Greatness Code
What is the code for greatness? No one in the documentary series Greatness Code is going to tell you.
Photo: Apple TV+

There’s a reason this review only has one image in it: Apple TV+ doesn’t have any more press pictures for this show. Why? Because why should it? This paper-thin passel of hagiographies isn’t worth promoting.

Greatness Code, which debuts July 10, isn’t a show so much as it’s an investment in the big star athletes being interviewed. To say no to the project would have meant scuttling potential relationships with some of the biggest names in sports. But to admit it’s worth your time seems a bridge too far.

Greyhound is a totally Tom Hanks war movie [Apple TV+ review]

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Greyhound review Apple TV+: Tom Hanks World War II movie: Tom Hanks wrote this nuts-and-bolts movie about naval warfare.
Tom Hanks wrote this nuts-and-bolts movie about naval warfare.
Photo: Apple TV+

Tom Hanks is here to rescue a cargo convoy from the Nazis — and presumably you from your free time. His new movie, Greyhound, is being released straight to Apple TV+ this Friday after COVID-19 scuttled the film’s theatrical release. This means there’s nothing between you and some old-school, flag-waving thrills.

In fact, Greyhound is the very definition of old school. There’s no fuss, no muss: just a man, his crew and some German U-boats hiding out in the gray fog of World War II, ready to pounce on American soldiers.

Little Voice has a mechanical heart and an auto-tuned soul [Apple TV+ review]

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Sean Teale and Brittany O'Grady star in the contrived musical romance Little Voice.
Sean Teale and Brittany O'Grady star in musical romance Little Voice.
Photo: Apple TV+

The latest lightweight Apple TV+ crowdpleaser comes from producer J.J. Abrams, songwriter Sara Bareilles and writer Jessie Nelson. Little Voice, which debuts on Apple’s streaming service on July 10, hits every single beat you expect — and none you don’t.

There’s little chance you won’t experience precisely the emotional journey and reaction you’re anticipating just from looking at the show’s promotional materials.

If you wanna watch a scrappy, model-beautiful singer finally find her voice with help from a supportive and kooky family of zany outsiders, and then live her dream of being a star, then yeah, come on in.

These steel-jacketed Lightning and USB-C cables resist fraying and tangling [Deals]

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Evercable: Score the world's strongest phone cable, with 4.3 foot length, fast charging and data-transfer speeds.
Score what just might be the world's strongest phone cable, in either Lightning or USB-C.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Mobile devices depend on Lightning and USB cables to stay charged and synced, so it’s a bummer that those cables are so prone to fraying and breaking. Even in perfect shape, standard Apple cables tend to last just a few months. Not so with these Iron Man-worthy cables from Evercable.

Inside an indie dev’s ‘overnight success’ [Cult of Mac Magazine 356]

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It took 10 years of work to create StaffPad, an iPad music app that won an Apple Design Award.
It took 10 years of work to create StaffPad, the iPad music app that won an Apple Design Award.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

David William Hearn, co-creator of revolutionary iPad music notation app StaffPad, reveals the decade-long quest that earned the app an Apple Design Award.

You’ll find that story, plus the usual roundup of iPhone and Mac news and rumors, in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s packed with Apple how-tos and reviews, too. Download it to read the slick iOS mag on your iPad, or hit the links below to get the stories in your browser.

P.S. Don’t miss our Fourth of July sale in the Cult of Mac Store.