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Hacker knits Mac ROM scarves to boot up your fashion game

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Mac ROM scarves
Code to keep your neck warm.
Photo: KnitYak

You could safely assume that computer hackers and people who knit have little to talk about. One activity is clearly analog and seemingly old-fashioned while the other pre-occupies the mind of a tech geek.

Fabienne Serriere blows up that assumption by being both. She combines the two rather different activities to make eye-catching scarves imprinted with Mac ROM code.

Get super-slim wireless charging wherever you need it [Deals]

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Wireless Charger
Charge your iPhone wirelessly with this glowing Qi charger.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you want in on wireless charging, buying a Qi-enabled device like an iPhone X is just the start. You also need a wireless charging pad (and no, you’re not getting an AirPower.).

Why not go with one that’s affordable, low-profile and portable? (And that actually exists, for that matter.)

Death of AirPower: What no one’s talking about! This week, on The CultCast

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AIrPower CultCast 382
AirPower's dead! But the real problem is why...
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: The death of AirPower — the real problem that no one is talking about. Plus: 2019 iPhone rumors point to some wildly useful new features; more evidence the 2018 MacBook, Air and Pro keyboards are still having problems. And we wrap up with a review of Leander’s favorite wireless charging mat, Lewis’ take on the new AirPods 2, and Erfon’s got a favorite new podcasting gadget on an all-new Under Review.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain..

2019 iPad mini holds up in brutal bend test

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2019 iPad mini bend test
That’s gotta hurt.
Photo: JerryRigEverything

Apple’s efforts to make the iPad as thin as possible mean that their fragile aluminum frames have been known to bend easily. But the new iPad mini holds up surprisingly well in a brutal bend test.

Unlike its larger siblings, the fifth-generation slate remains perfectly intact when shaped to look like a banana.

App Store downloads fall, but revenues still rise

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Apple pays $467k for doing business with blacklisted app developer
Fewer iOS apps were downloaded from the App Store last quarter. But the money is still pouring in.
Photo: Apple

The number of downloads from Apple’s iOS App Store declined slightly last quarter, according to a report from market analysis firm Morgan Stanley.

However, revenue from iOS software is increasing, up 15 percent year-over-year.

How to change your Apple Pencil tip

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Apple Pencil tips are as easy to swap as they are to lose.
Apple Pencil tips are as easy to swap as they are to lose.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Ounce for ounce, Apple’s replacement Apple Pencil tips are probably more expensive than gold1. It will cost you $20 for four of the tiny things, all of which are ridiculously easy to lose.

But if you use your Pencil for anything more than the odd casual stroke, sketch or swoosh, you’ll eventually need to replace a worn tip. The good news is that it’s easy. The bad news? That price.

This may be the best USB-C hub you can buy for your iPad Pro

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The sun finally came out, so I took this photo outside.
The sun finally came out, so I took this photo outside.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Ever since I got a 2018 iPad Pro last year, I’ve gone through a drawerful of USB-C hubs. And finally, I’ve found one that works. Or rather, one that works without any odd, annoying or inexplicable behavior. It’s the Kingston Nucleum, it doesn’t have quite enough ports, and it’s just great.

Apple chip supplier will be maxed out by 2019 iPhone orders

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iPhone X Unleash ad
Apple will require a lot of chips for this year's iPhone refresh.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s primary chip supplier will see production capacity pushed to the limit by 2019 iPhone orders, according to a new report.

TSMC has been tasked with supplying next-generation 7-nanometer chips for this fall’s refresh. It is expected to start mass-production of what will likely be the A13 during the third quarter.

Alleged 2019 iPhone chassis makes room for 3 cameras

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2019 iPhone chassis leak
A third camera lens is looking increasingly likely for this year's iPhone.
Photo: Weibo

A smartphone chassis, allegedly destined for the 2019 iPhone, has leaked out on Chinese social media.

The metal plate seems to indicate Apple’s next-generation handset will have an additional rear-facing camera. And just as other rumors have hinted, they will be arranged in a strange triangular formation.

Logitech’s keyboard case puts the ‘pro’ in iPad Pro [Review]

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Logitech Slim Folio Pro review
Apple's market share climbed 4% last quarter.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Amidst calls for a touchscreen MacBook, Logitech introduced the next best thing: a keyboard case that converts the 2018 iPad Pro into a laptop. The Slim Folio Pro has a backlit keyboard and a design that protects the tablet and the attached Apple Pencil.

We fully tested this just-released accessory for businesspeople and students, so don’t miss our review. Or our comparison of Logitech’s latest with the similar Apple Smart Keyboard Folio.

How to ditch your Mac for an all-iPad lifestyle

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Your new iPad pro has some neat tricks up its sleeves.
Your new iPad pro has some neat tricks up its sleeves.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Are you thinking of switching from the Mac to the iPad? Maybe you’re sick of your MacBook’s glitchy keyboard, or you would prefer to be able to remove the keyboard altogether when you don’t want it, and use touch instead?

Or perhaps you’re tempted by the cheaper pro apps on iOS, or the portability, or you just can’t see the point of a 27-inch iMac on your desk when all you do is read and write.

Whatever your excuse, switching from macOS to iOS is easier than ever. Thanks to iCloud, and a host of great apps and accessories, switching can be almost seamless. Let’s see what you need.

Sketchy report claims Apple will resurrect iPhone SE this fall

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iPhone SE 2 with edge-to-edge display and notch
Is a dream iPhone SE upgrade on the way?
Photo: Olixar

Apple is preparing an entry-level “iPhone XE” that will be introduced this fall, according to a sketchy new report.

The device is claimed to be an iPhone SE successor with huge improvements, including an edge-to-edge display and Face ID. It could also pack Apple’s latest A12 Bionic processor.

Stark is a new kind of guitar amp for iPad

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Stark looks as good as it sounds.
Stark looks as good as it sounds.
Photo: Klevgrand

A new music app release from Klevgrand is always something to get excited about. And a new guitar amp simulation app? Almost as rare as an in-the-wild sighting of an AirPower mat. Combine both, at an introductory price of just $10, and you have a pretty special day. The app is called Stark, and it’s also the first Audio Unit amp sim for iOS.

Here’s what you’ll find inside the new iPad Air

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iPad Air 3 teardown
The new iPad Air, torn apart.
Photo: iFixit

The new iPad Air has suffered a customary teardown after finding its way into the hands of iFixit.

As expected the device shares a lot in common with the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. But if you look closely, you’ll find Apple has made a whole bunch of big changes that make this more of a mid-range iPad than a smaller flagship.

Here’s what was found under its hood.

Apple secures new supplier for Apple Watch Series 5 screens

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new Apple customers
Apple Watch could be better than ever next year.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Japan Display will supply OLED screens for the upcoming Apple Watch Series 5, according to a new report.

This will be the Japan Display’s first foray into OLED screens. The deal is said to be a “breakthrough” for the company, which has been suffering as a result of Apple’s move from LCD to OLED displays for the iPhone.

How to get Apple News outside the U.S.

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Who doesn’t want to read all the most important news of the day?
Who doesn’t want to read all the most important news of the day?
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

This post could more correctly be titled “How to get Apple News outside Australia, Canada, the U.K. and the U.S.” Those are still the only places that Apple News is available, almost four years after the service’s launch in September 2015.

Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to get the app even if you don’t live in one of those countries. Here’s how.

How to use Keynote to make interactive diagrams

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Key. Notes. Pretty funny right? Right?
Key. Notes. Pretty funny right? Right?
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Sometimes, when I want to wire up a few guitar pedals and connect them to my iPad, maybe via a mixer or audio interface, I make a diagram before I plug everything in. But the trouble with drawing a wiring diagram on the iPad is just the same as drawing it on paper: If you want to move a component, or change the routing, you have to erase the wires and redraw them.

There are apps made for this. Omnigraffle is one, and it’s great. But it also costs $60, which is too much just for a few diagrams.

Then I thought, what about using Keynote, Apple’s free presentations app? Doesn’t it do diagrams? It does, and it’s quite good.

Why Apple was right to scrap AirPower [Opinion]

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AirPower
Apple hasn't given up on wireless charging pads.
Photo: Apple

Let me be among the first to thank Apple for killing the wireless charging pad known as AirPower.

While tech commentators try to rank this failure against other doomed Apple products, I feel grateful that Cupertino pulled the plug. AirPower, an ambitious attempt to use multiple coils to charge an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods, was a public health hazard.

iPad mini 5 teardown uncovers big improvements on the inside

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iPad mini 5 teardown
This is what's inside the new iPad mini.
Photo: iFixit

The fifth-generation iPad mini has started making its way into the hands of early adopters. One unlucky unit ended up with iFixit, which has already torn it apart to show us what’s inside.

Unsurprisingly, it’s not a whole lot different to its predecessor. But there are plenty of new chips and components under the hood.

Did Apple reverse its revenue slide? We’ll know April 30.

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apple park
The end of 2018 went badly for Apple. We’ll know soon how it’s doing in 2019.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

We’ll soon know if Apple made progress drumming up more demand for the latest iPhones in Asia. Weak demand in China caused a surprising year-over-year drop in Apple’s total revenue during the last quarter of 2018.

CEO Tim Cook and co. have just scheduled an earning call with investors for April 30. We’ll find out then if the company managed to improve its situation during the first three months of 2019.

How to merge PDFs on iOS

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This is how we used to merge PDFs before computers.
This is how we used to merge PDFs before computers.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Contrary to what you might expect, merging PDFs is easier on your iPhone than on your Mac. On the desktop, you first need to open both PDFs in the Preview app, and then work out how to combine the two of them. On the iPhone or iPad, you can select your PDFs in the Files app (or in the Mail app, or anywhere else you find them), and use a quick shortcut to combine and save them in one go.

It’s instant, foolproof, and Just Works™. Let’s see just how easy it is to merge PDFs on iOS.

Spring has sprung! Keep it fresh with these colorful Apple Watch bands

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Time to get a fresh start and look the part.
Time to get a fresh start and look the part.
Photo: Juuk

Whether you’re in need of a sport band, a luxe leather strap, or cool stainless steel, your search ends here.

Sure, you could go all out on Apple’s new Spring lineup with prices reaching as high as $489, but if you’re like me and putting away the cash for bigger and better hardware upgrades down the road, then these totally affordable and equally stylish bands are just for you.

Check out this watch store guide and find your perfect color match this season for price tags as low as $25.