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Top Stories - page 15

iPhone 16 Camera Control makes getting the shot a click away

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Camera Control Button iPhone 16 Pro
The Camera Control button on iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro gives you instant access to your camera AND camera settings
Photo: Apple

Apple It's Glowtime Event: The new Camera Control on the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models provides instantaneous camera access and other advanced features. With it, you can launch the Camera app, zoom in and out of your shot, initiate an AI-powered visual search and more — all with a simple tap, click or slide on the new capacitive button.

Bigger iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max beef up cameras and AI processing power

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iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max
Apple said iPhone 16 Pro models are the most advanced iPhones ever made (which it says every year, naturally).
Photo: Apple

Apple It's Glowtime Event:The new iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max handsets boast size increases, thinner bezels for larger screens, a leap in battery life and new features, including impressive camera and audio upgrades. And on top of that, the new A18 Pro chip brings enough raw processing power to handle resource-intensive Apple Intelligence functions, Apple said Monday at the “It’s Glowtime” event.

“iPhone 16 Pro has a stunning new design with innovations inside and out. It starts with a big improvement to the gorgeous pro displays,” said Greg “Joz” Joswiak, Apple senior VP of Worldwide Marketing. “They’re even larger at 6.3 inches on iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches an iPhone 16 Pro Max for the largest iPhone display ever, helping you see more and do more. These are by far our best iPhone displays ever.”

And they’re the best iPhones ever, which Apple CEO Tim Cook was sure to mention, as he always does.

Apple ‘It’s Glowtime’ event rumors: iPhone 16 and more

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Artwork from Apple's
The iPhone 16 lineup will steal the spotlight, but Apple has much more in store.
Image: Cult of Mac

The most important day of Apple’s year comes Monday, September 9. But there’s no reason for you to spend the weekend wondering what’s on the agenda for the “It’s Glowtime” event — we can spill the beans now: iPhone 16, AirPods 4, Apple Watch Series 10 and more.

We also already know what’s not coming at the September event, like MacBooks. Read on for all the details.

Apple Watch rumors: Series 10, SE 3, Ultra 3 are on the way

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Apple Watch Series 10 rumors
A slimmer Apple Watch Series 10 could be one of the wearables revealed September 9.
Image: concept_central/Cult of Mac

Both Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch SE 3 could be among the many products on the agenda for Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event on September 9. The situation with Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a bit more murky, however.

And speaking of murky, we don’t know whether any of these will offer blood oxygen monitoring in units sold in the United States.

4 new features coming to AirPods with iOS 18

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iOS 18 will bring several improvements to AirPods
iOS 18 will make your AirPods even better.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Like iPhones, Apple regularly updates AirPods with new features. iOS 18 will continue that trend by introducing several enhancements for Apple’s earbuds. They include interacting with Siri using head gestures, lowering audio latency while gaming, and more.

Read on to see what new AirPods features iOS 18 will bring to further improve the best earbuds for Apple fans.

AirPods 4 rumors: Dramatic change coming next week

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AirPods 4 rumors
AirPods 2 and AirPods 3 are on their way out. Here comes the fourth generation of Apple wireless earbuds.
Image: Cult of Mac

AirPods 4 could launch in just a few days to replace two models of wireless earbuds now in Apple’s lineup. Rumors indicate the new version will borrow a feature from the Pro models: Active Noise Cancellation.

And AirPods Max 2 could be in for a revamp next Monday, too. Probably not so for AirPods Pro 3, though.

Here’s what to look forward to in new AirPods variants when they’re unveiled at the “It’s Glowtime” event on September 9.

Save 35% on Beats Solo 4 headphones and immerse yourself in music

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Man wearing Beats Solo 4 wireless headphones.
Pretend you're at a concert every time you listen to music with a pair of Beats Solo 4 headphones, now on sale for $129.99!
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We’re not judging you for still using wired earbuds or headphones, but it’s 2024. You deserve audio accessories that free you up and make it feel like you’re enjoying a personal concert, like these Beats Solo 4 wireless headphones.

If you want an audio upgrade, these headphones’ ultra-plush ear cushions and custom 40mm transducers will do the trick. And while they list for $199, you can get a pair of Beats Solo 4 headphones for just for $129.99 with our new, open-box sale.

Labor Day sale: 20% off iPhone cases, Apple Watch bands, iPad stands and more [Still going!]

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Labor Day deals on SwitchEasy Apple accessories
The incredibly clever SwitchEasy EasySelfie Selfie Stick is just one of 100 items on sale.
Photo: SwitchEasy

Labor Day weekend is a great time to kick back, take a rest from work — and be thankful for the paycheck that lets you buy tons of Apple Labor Day sale items. The Cult of Mac Store marks the holiday this year by taking 20% off everything from SwitchEasy.

That’s 100 products to choose from! The company makes a wide variety of cool accessories for Apple Watch, AirPods, AirTag, iPhone, iPad, MacBook and more, like various chargers. So whatever Apple gear you have, check out these Labor Day deals on SwitchEasy Apple accessories.

California’s controversial AI safety bill moves closer to reality

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California passes AI safety law
For better or worse, California leads the way on reigning in the potential dangers of powerful AI models.
Photo: Pexels-cottonbro

California’s legislature passed a hotly contested AI safety bill Thursday — the groundbreaking Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act (SB 1047).

The controversial bill, which awaits Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature before it can become law, introduces the first major AI regulations in the United States. It could have far-reaching implications for tech companies and users alike.

Full-size travel keyboard with numpad folds to be surprisingly portable [Review] ★★★★

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ProtoArc XK01 Tri-Fold Bluetooth Keyboard review★★★★
ProtoArc XK01 offers all this but folds for easy stowing.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The ProtoArc XK01 Tri-Fold Bluetooth Keyboard is ready to make your business trips more productive. It’s full size, with a numpad and function keys, too. But it folds down to fit easily in a briefcase.

It’s available solo, or with a travel mouse, or as the centerpiece of a bundle with the mouse plus a USB-C hub and multi-port wall charger.

I fully tested the folding keyboard with my 13-inch iPad Pro, plus the other components, too.

When to expect the iPhone 16 release

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When to expect the iPhone 16 release date
It's almost here!
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 16 is almost here — the release date is less than 3.5 short weeks away. We know the day Apple will announce the new models, which means we can make a solid estimate of the iPhone 16 launch date.

Even better, long-held Apple habits point to the same release date.

Why you should install the iOS 18 beta on your iPhone today

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Why you should install the iOS 18 beta on your iPhone today
The latest iOS 18 beta is remarkably stable. Why wait?
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Ed Hardy//Cult of Mac

You’ve wanted to try iOS 18 since Apple showed it off in June but held off for fear of massive bugs. But the current iOS 18 beta is nearly the final one — and it’s really quite stable. Put it on your iPhone now and jump ahead of friends and co-workers by about a month.

And there are great new features to try, including a fully customizable Home Screen, an improved Control Center, a new Passwords app, and more.

6 hidden tips and tricks for AirPods

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6 Secret AirPods Features
Master your AirPods with these six tricks you’d have to really dig to find.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

AirPods are the wireless earbuds that ordinary Bluetooth headphones want to be when they grow up. They’re seamlessly integrated with your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad and Mac. They’re deceptively simple — but if you want to get more out of them, you need to dig through Settings. These AirPods tips will show you where to look to unlock maximum functionality.

I did some spelunking and found six super-handy hidden features you might not know about.

iPhone 16 event invite leaks [Update: It’s a hoax]

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iPhone 16 Apple event invite leaks
A leaked invite to Apple's iPhone 16 launch event could confirm three details about it.
Image: Majin Bu

A supposedly leaked Apple invite for the iPhone 16 event looks like a well-executed hoax. The date, the event title and even the fake invite’s color palette seemed to confirm previous leaks about Apple’s upcoming iPhone lineup. However, a video editor who goes by Lore claims he created the invite as a prank.

“Fun fact: i made the ‘leaked’ Apple Event invite in less than 10 minutes using figma and an Ai generated texture and i sent it to the leaker just because i was bored,” Lore wrote Tuesday on X.

In a message to Cult of Mac, Lore confirmed that he created the bogus invite mainly because he was “sick and had nothing to do.” Read Cult of Mac’s interview with the 14-year-old Italian video editor who fooled the internet with his fake iPhone 16 invite.

Concept artist says Apple’s lawyers are playing nice … so far

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Folding iPhone mockup by Antonio De Rosa
Designer Antonio De Rosa's concept for a folding iPhone Air may have attracted the ire of Apple's IP lawyers.
Photo: Antonio De Rosa/ADR Studio

After receiving an ominous note from an Apple attorney, concept artist Antonio De Rosa is waiting to find out how, exactly, the company wants him to alter his photorealistic images that depict unreleased Apple products.

De Rosa said he wants to work with Apple to resolve the situation. But when asked what he thinks will happen if he doesn’t make changes to his Apple concept images, he sounded slightly intimidated by the powerful tech company.

“I don’t know,” De Rosa said in an email to Cult of Mac, “but honestly I don’t want to find out.”

Designer’s Apple product concepts may look a little ‘too real’ [Updated]

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Antonio De Rosa ADR iPhone Air concept
Here's a recent De Rosa concept for a folding iPhone Air.
Photo: Antonio De Rosa/ADR Studio

From the “he must be doing something right” department: An Apple attorney sent a note and called designer Antonio De Rosa this week, asking him to adjust some of his design concepts for possible new Apple products because they look “too real,” according to De Rosa, CEO of ADR Studio.

“I received a call from an Apple attorney asking me to adjust some of my concepts because they were considered too realistic,” De Rosa wrote Wednesday on X. He told Cult of Mac it came as quite a shock.

Update: De Rosa responded to Cult of Mac‘s initial inquiries and we included them below.

How to fake your GPS location for Pokémon Go and other fun stuff

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Fake It Till You Make It
This free, open-source app makes it easy to fake your GPS location.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

You can use a free Mac app called LocationSimulator to hide your real location on your iPhone. It works great as a Pokémon Go spoofer. Just set it up, then plug your phone into a Mac and tell it where you want to “be.” You don’t need to jailbreak your phone or install anything on it.

When using LocationSimulator, every app on your iPhone will use this new GPS location. It’s useful for maintaining privacy — for instance, if you’re posting screenshots online, it’ll mask your real home address. Developers can use it, too, for testing location features in their apps.

Best of all, you just need a Mac. LocationSimulator is free and open-source.

AirPods Pro 2: A must-have for Apple users and a solid choice for anyone [Review] ★★★★

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At a glance, they could be AirPods Pro, but they're AirPods Pro 2, with many internal upgrades.★★★★
At a glance, they could be AirPods Pro, but they're AirPods Pro 2, with many internal upgrades.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro look almost exactly like the original model released in 2019. But they’re upgraded in every way that matters most, thanks mainly to the new H2 processor. In this in-depth AirPods Pro 2 review, I’ll run through all the ways Cupertino gave its flagship noise-canceling earbuds a boost.

Apple may not have gone as far as it could have in some ways. But still, the second-gen AirPods Pro are among the best earbuds on the market and a worthy upgrade for almost anyone. They’re particularly great for those who use lots of Apple gear and love how seamlessly their devices can work together.

Let’s take a look at, and a listen to, the second-gen AirPods Pro, aka AirPods Pro 2.