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Top stories - page 471

Cavalier Maverick may be the most stylish smart speaker yet [Review]

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Cavalier
Feast your eyes on this beauty!
Photo: Cavalier

Boasting superior sound quality and a high-quality finish that ditches metal and plastic for distressed leather and fabrics, Cavalier Maverick is one of the best smart speakers we’ve tried.

It’s a third-party Amazon Alexa, offering the same functionality as an Echo, but in a far more premium package. And with a pretty neat mobile twist, too.

Apple HR couldn’t care less if you have a college degree

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Apple leases new offices near to Apple Park
You can get hired at Apple even without a fancy piece of paper telling people you got a lot of book learning.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

The traditional life plan includes four years of college then a good job. But not everyone takes this path, and sometimes the lack of a college degree keeps some people from getting a job they are otherwise qualified for. But not at Apple.

Following a non-traditional career path is no problem getting hired at Apple. And that goes for positions beyond working at its retail stores.

Apple apparently gives up owning its own flagship stores in India

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apple-store-fifth-avenue-nyc-new-york
Apple India seemingly can't open its own a flagship store like the one in NYC, so it's forced to turn to franchisees to do it.
Photo: Simone Lovati/Flickr CC

It’s going to be years before Apple India can hope to open flagship retail stores. So the company is allowing local franchisees to open huge Apple stores in major cities to take their place.

India puts stringent requirements on companies who want to open retail stores, and so far Apple hasn’t met them.

Indiepaper, an open alternative to Instapaper and Pocket

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This book is definitely meant to be read later -- it's not even written yet.
This book is definitely meant to be read later -- it's not even written yet.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Instapaper and Pocket are the big two read-later services. The former locked out European users for months and months earlier this year, and the latter is, well, it’s fine I guess. Both of them do a great job of letting you save articles from the web and read them later in a clean, text-and-images-only format.

But what if you want something controlled just by you? A read-later service that doesn’t mine your saved articles to make recommendations — one that just turns your read-later list into nicely formatted, text-only articles. Then you should try Indiepaper. Let’s check it out right now.

iOS App Dock could migrate to the iPhone’s edges

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Phone side screens.could take the place of physical buttons and switches. And there'll be app icons and notifications on the edges, too.
Phone side screens.could take the place of physical buttons and switches. And there'll be app icons and notifications on the edges, too.
Photo: Apple

Apple is considering bending an iPhone display around the sides of the device, making additional room for buttons and status notifications.

This isn’t a new concept, as rival devices have does something similar for years. But Apple filed a patent for these side-screens just 9 months ago, so it’s clearly still interested in the idea.

Dark Sky weather app gets a complete redesign

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Some weather.
Some weather.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Another day, another new weather app. Dark Sky was already a big favorite, thanks to its hyper-local forecasts that tell you when it will rain outside your door, down to the minute.

Well, the app just got updated to version 6.0. According to the Dark Sky developers, it’s a completely new app — an update in name only. Let’s take a look.

Apple scraps a bunch of Watch bands ahead of September event

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Apple Watch bands
That Apple Watch band you wanted may be gone.
Photo: Apple

Apple has removed a bunch of Apple Watch bands from its online store while many others are sold out ahead of its annual September event.

It seems likely Apple will introduce new band designs and styles alongside Apple Watch Series 4 this fall. Regulatory filings for the new wearable all but confirm a new model is imminent.

Apple could fix Tesla’s crippling production problems

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Tesla
Apple expertise could help Tesla meet its production goals for the Model 3. And Tesla could help create the iCar.
Photo: Tesla

Tesla is struggling to get its cars into customer’s hands. Apple is quietly developing its own self-driving car. The two should team up, according to one investor.

Apple would provide its long experience in bringing high tech products to market. Tesla would contribute fresh ideas to the partnership.

Epic denies that Fortnite is coming to Apple TV [Update]

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Fortnite Steady Storm game mode
Fortnite will expand its reach even further.
Photo: Epic Games

Updated 3:20 p.m. August 21: Epic Games says it does not plan to bring Fortnite to Apple TV after all. “References to tvOS in the Fortnite files are the result of general Unreal Engine support for the Apple TV platform,” the company said in a statement sent to CNet.

The original report follows….

Fortnite Battle Royale already supports more platforms than most games, but it seems it hasn’t finished expanding its reach. New evidence suggests the biggest game on the planet will soon be available on Apple TV.

Logitech’s new vertical mouse packs pro features into ergonomic design

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The Logitech MX Vertical ergonomic mouse is here to save your wrist.
The Logitech MX Vertical is here to save your wrist.
Photo: Logitech

To create its new vertical mouse, Logitech borrowed from its expertise creating peripherals for players of first-person shooters. The goal? A kill shot aimed straight at the ugly heart of repetitive strain injuries.

The result of the company’s efforts is the Logitech MX Vertical. The ergonomic mouse, unveiled today, offers appealing features in a strangely beautiful design that looks something like a seashell.

Fresh new betas of iOS 12, macOS Mojave arrive for developers and the public

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There are new iOS 12 beta versions for developers and the public, as the same is true for macOS Mojave.
This isn't even all the devices that will run the betas Apple released today.
Photo: Apple

Monday is Beta Day at Apple. Today brought shiny new versions of iOS 12 and macOS Mojave. The newest versions are only for developers, but the public just got access to the iOS 12 and Mojave betas released to developers last week.

New betas of watchOS 5 and tvOS 12 for devs also launched today.

Expect a more powerful Mac mini Pro this fall

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Apple Mac mini
The 2018 Mac mini Pro is rumored to be much powerful than the "current" model, which hasn't been updated in almost four years.
Photo: Apple

The last time Apple gave any love to the Mac mini was way back in 2014. But a refresh is reportedly coming.

This inexpensive macOS desktop is apparently popular with developers and server farms. The 2018 mini is supposedly being created with these professionals in mind.

Everything you need to know about your iPhone camera’s aperture

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Here I could have blurred the netting by using a wider aperture.
Here I could have blurred the netting by using a wider aperture.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

A few days ago, we learned about the iPhone’s shutter, the part of the camera that “opens and closes” to let light onto the sensor. Today, we’re taking an in-depth look at the aperture, aka hole. The aperture is an opening in the lens that can be made bigger or smaller. Like shutter speed, its primary purpose is to control how much light reacts with camera the sensor (or film).

Also like shutter speed, aperture has some extra effects on how the image looks. Specifically, it can control how much of the image, front to back, looks sharp.

Use Siri Shortcuts to quickly send photos to your family

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siri shortcut share photos
Workflow Vs. Siri Shortcuts.
Photo: Cult of Mac

How do you send a photo to several of your family members? Do you compose a group message, adding all their various addresses and phone numbers manually? Do you have several existing threads, each with a different combo of family members?

Today, we’re going to see a much easier way to send a photo to multiple recipients using Siri Shortcuts (or Apple’s Workflow app). It’s so simple that it should be built in to the iPhone.

This is the date you can preorder your next iPhone

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6.5- and 6.1-inch 2018 iPhone models
We now have a fairly firm idea of when the 6.5-inch iPhone will debut. The 6.1-inch model isn't expected until months later, though.
Photo: OnLeaks

We already know quite a bit about the next-generation iPhones, and one of the remaining questions may have just been answered: when they’ll go on sale.

A German wireless phone provider has leaked part what we want to know: the date preorders will begin. The most likely release date can be extrapolated from that.

Hello Weather is my favorite weather app on iPhone and iPad [Review]

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You don't need a weather app to see what's going to happen here.
You don't need a weather app to see what's going to happen here.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

There are roughly a billion weather apps on the App Store, and several them are very good indeed. But my current favorite is Hello Weather, which was just updated to get some great international features, as well as some awesome radar maps. It’s so great-looking, and so easy to use, that it’s been my go-to weather app since I discovered it.

iPhone X notch might be on endangered list

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Apple Watch
The iPhone X notch isn't the "deal breaker" so many thought it would be, but the screen cutout could be replaced with an under-display camera in 2019.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The first camera that can be embedded under a phone’s display might launch next year. If this comes to pass, it would remove the need for the screen cutout in the iPhone and many rival Android models.

It’s no secret that companies are trying to develop in-display cameras. The promise that one will be on the market in 2019 comes from an unnamed source.

Use your iPhone to improve your state of mind for once [Deals]

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This meditation app offers guided meditation sessions and breathing exercises with tools for tracking your practice over time.
This meditation app offers guided meditation sessions and breathing exercises with tools for tracking your practice over time.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Let’s be honest, many of us have pretty unhealthy relationships to our phones. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Your phone can become a reminder to take your eyes off the screen and keep your mind centered.

Cult of Mac Magazine: Our Apple Watch Series 4 wish list, and more!

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cult of mac magazine
In this week's Cult of Mac Magazine: Apple looks set to unveil the biggest upgrade yet to its popular wearable.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine: With an update likely coming soon, Cult of Mac lays out our best guesses (and most fanciful dreams) for all the features that could be coming to Apple’s fantastic wearable.

You’ll find that top story and much more. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

Rack up and charge up to 7 mobile devices at once [Deals]

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With slots for 7 devices, this charging hub makes sure the tabletops are clear and everyone's devices juiced up.
With slots for 7 devices, this charging hub makes sure the tabletops are clear and everyone's devices juiced up.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

At home or at work, tabletops can get cluttered with mobile devices, and keeping them all charged can be a challenge. But with this high capacity organizer and charger, everybody’s device gets charged, and the desktop stays clear.