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Tech NewsApple
Apple’s Favorite Anti-Right-to-Repair Argument Is Bullshit
Increasingly, it seems, our gadgets are not wholly owned by us—that when some component breaks, we are at the mercy of the giant companies that charge us out the ears for repair parts and services. One of the tech industry’s favorite lines of defense with respect to upholding repair monopolies is “safety,” but advocates have … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsApple
FAA Bans Some Recalled MacBook Pro Models From Flying, Citing Fire Risk
The Federal Aviation Administration has “banned select MacBook Pro” units from flying in the air after Apple issued a warning that some contained batteries that pose a fire risk, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. The ban applies to some 15-inch MacBook Pros with Retina Displays sold between September 2015 and February 2017; these were subject to … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsApple
Apple’s New Messy TV Teaser Prompts a Lot of Questions, Most Notably: Why?
It feels like it’s been years—rather than mere months—since Apple introduced its roster of original programming for its forthcoming streaming service Apple TV+. But even prior to its official announcement, reports were already swirling that its offerings were so dull that the product was being referred to internally as “expensive NBC.” And reader, if a … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsApple
Mophie’s 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad Isn’t AirPower, But It’ll Have to Do [Updated]
When Apple announced that its promised multi-device AirPower charging pad was officially been canceled, people immediately began wondering what might take its place. After all, just because Apple had given up, that didn’t mean people didn’t want a simple and convenient way to recharge a range of Apple products. So now, almost half a year … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
You’ll Probably Get Approved for an Apple Card—but Be Wary
Wondering if you’ll get approved for the Apple Card? Turns out you probably don’t have to. Goldman Sachs, the bank issuing the card, is reportedly approving applications from subprime applicants, according to CNBC. That’s not a bad thing, per se. With its payments and spending tracking features, the Apple Card was clearly built with the … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Report: Apple Has Activated Software Locks on iPhone Batteries to Discourage Third-Party Repairs
Apple has activated a “dormant software lock” that effectively kneecaps third-party replacement batteries on some newer models of iPhone, according to a report from iFixit on Wednesday, by disabling access to battery health data unless the replacement has been installed by Apple or an authorized service provider. iFixit wrote that this appears to be an … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsApple
Apple’s Version of ASMR Is Like Nails on a Chalkboard to Me
Once again, Apple has made shivers run down my spine—but not in a good way. Today, as part of its “Shot on iPhone” campaign, Apple released a series of four ASMR videos to its YouTube channel. There’s some lady whispering about weird shit, a dude carving wood, crunching noises on a hike, and what’s supposed … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
The Apple Card Rollout Has Begun—With a Whopping 10 Videos Teaching You How to Use It
The Apple Card is finally here—for some of us. Today, people who were accepted into the early preview program got an invite and 10 videos detailing how to use the card itself. Why 10 videos? Shouldn’t using a credit card be intuitive by now since most of us have been shackled with one since early … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Touch ID Will Reportedly Return to iPhones in 2021 With Apple’s New In-Screen Fingerprint Sensor
As impressive as Apple’s FaceID tech is, when it was first introduced on the iPhone X in 2017, many still maligned the loss of Touch ID, a feature that hasn’t been included on any new iPhones over the past two years. However, according to a new report from one of the world’s most well-respected Apple … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Apple’s Handy AirDrop Feature Has a Creepy Downside
Apple products might cost a small fortune, but one neat thing about its ecosystem is it’s easy to seamlessly share files between devices. Except according to a newly published report, there might be a creepy downside to all that convenience. If you’ve got Bluetooth enabled and use AirDrop or share your wifi passwords, anyone with … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Apple Regulatory Filings Suggest Two More iPad Models Coming in 2019
Apple has filed two model identifiers for new iPads into the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) database, Apple Insider reported on Saturday, listed as A2200 and A2232. That follows on five prior entries by Apple into the database this year (A2197, A2228, A2068, A2198, and A2230). Little is known about the new models revealed in the … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsApple
Apple Contractors Reportedly Overhear Sensitive Information and Sexy Times Thanks to Siri
First Amazon, then Google, and now Apple have all confirmed that their devices are not only listening to you, but complete strangers may be reviewing the recordings. Thanks to Siri, Apple contractors routinely catch intimate snippets of users’ private lives like drug deals, doctor’s visits, and sexual escapades as part of their quality control duties, … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Did Steve Jobs Harass Spotify’s CEO With Weird, Breathy Phone Calls?
It’s no secret that Spotify and Apple have beef. But according to a Variety interview with the authors of a new book, Spotify Untold, that beef dates all the way back to 2010 when Steve Jobs would purportedly prank call Spotify CEO Daniel Ek… and just breathe deeply into the phone. What? For context, at … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Apple Shutters Hong Kong Stores Early as Protests Against Chinese Government, Crackdowns Escalate
Amid mounting unrest and a night of violence in Hong Kong, Apple is among the retailers that have chosen to shut stores or close them early citywide, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Demonstrators have taken to the streets for seven straight weeks there in protest of a (now-suspended) Hong Kong government bill to … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsApple
Apple Planning to Jazz It Up With Some Original Podcasts: Report
With Apple poised to further expand its services to better compete with its streaming rivals—whether or not its offerings will be any good—it was probably only a matter of time before we learned that the company has its eye on podcasts as well. The question is, will they be any good? Citing sources familiar with … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsApple
Apple Disables Watch Walkie Talkie App Due to Security Flaw That Let You Eavesdrop on iPhones
Due to an unspecified security vulnerability, Apple has decided to disable the Walkie Talkie app as it could potentially allow a person to eavesdrop on another’s iPhone. The Walkie Talkie app was introduced in WatchOS 5 and lets you voice chat directly with other Apple Watch users via your wrist. News of the bug was … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
We’ve Got All Your Summertime Apple Rumors Right Here
It’s hot, all the fireworks have been lit, and we’re still two months out from when Apple traditionally announces a new batch of iPhones. But that hasn’t stopped rumors and leaks from swirling including speculation about the next AirPods, the death of a once highly touted feature, what Apple has planned for 2020, and more. … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Apple Just Gutted Its Laptop Lineup
A new round of laptops appeared in the Apple Store this morning, which is bad news if you ask me. Yesterday, there were four distinct models of MacBooks. Now, there are two. Neither of them is particularly impressive. Let’s start with the faithful departed. Apple just killed the only MacBook Pro with physical function keys … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Apple’s iOS 13 Lets Us Fake Intimacy in FaceTime by Correcting Our Gaze to Look Into the Camera
It appears Apple is testing out a feature that will help users fake some intimacy during video calls. There’s a new feature in the third developer version of iOS 13 beta, called FaceTime Attention Correction, which corrects your gaze to make it look like you’re staring into the camera. App designer Mike Rundle was among … Continued