Ed Hardy - page 12

This iPad trick can end your Face ID woes

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Fix Face ID on iPad
If you think there's something wrong with Face ID on your iPad, it could be it's set to be too picky.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

I’ve read complaints online that Face ID on iPads is defective. I think what’s happening instead is that the biometric security system in Apple’s tablets has been set to be overly exacting. If it seems like Face ID is not working on your iPad, changing a single security setting can help.

I turned off the Require Attention setting on my iPad Pro and it made Face ID noticeably better. Presto, unlocking anything on my iPad became quick and easy. Previously, it felt like the computer was working to avoid giving me access.

Admittedly, changing this setting made my tablet a little bit less secure. But that’s a very small risk for a significant gain in usability. I recommend it to anyone who uses an iPad and thinks Face ID is not working properly.

English Premier League turns to iPhone to track offside soccer players

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Soccer ball (football)
An array of iPhones will act as video assistant referees at soccer matches in England.
Photo: Markus Spiske/Pexels

Correctly determining when soccer players are offside turns out to be surprisingly difficult. And the English Premier League turned to an unusual source for a fix: an offside-detection system powered by dozens of iPhones.

The same system might someday be used to track players in other sports, too.

This theory makes sense of those crazy iPhone 17 Slim rumors

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AI-generated image of
What will the "iPhone 17 Slim" look like?
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

Leaks tell us Apple is prepping a super-slim version of next year’s iPhone 17 without all the features of the Pro models but with a price that’ll make it the most expensive in the lineup. These reports left many of us skeptical. Would anyone pay more for a slim-but-stripped-down iPhone?

But let’s change the rumor slightly — what if Apple is prepping a super-slim iOS handset that folds? If the recent leaks are actually about the iPhone 17 Fold, they make a lot more sense.

SD card with amazing 8TB of storage coming from Western Digital/SanDisk

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An 8TB SanDisk SD card will probably look much like this.
An 8TB SanDisk SD card will probably look much like this.
Concept: SanDisk/Cult of Mac

Western Digital has been showing off its upcoming SD card with a whopping 8TB of storage capacity. And if that weren’t enough, the company’s SanDisk subsidiary is also prepping a tiny microSD card that can hold 4TB.

The days when a bulky external hard drive was necessary to carry around a huge collection of files are almost over.

Patreon iPhone app forced to charge Apple’s 30% App Store fee

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Patreon is the premier crowd-funding app for creators.
Sending money to creators via the Patreon iPhone app is likely about to cost more.
Image: Patreon

Patreon, a service that many authors, artists, etc. use to get funding from fans, has to switch its iPhone/iPad application to Apple’s in-app purchase system by November. The company criticized the requirement on Monday, and pointed out this will add Apple’s 30% App Store fee to all new memberships purchased through the iOS software.

But Patreon isn’t being singled out — Apple makes virtually all applications use its purchasing system. Not that’s everyone is happy about it.

iPhone 16 Pro camera button will make taking pictures a snap

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Closeup of iPhone 15’s new Action button.
iPhone 16 Pro is supposedly getting yet another new button.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

A button being added to the iPhone 16 Pro models is designed to act like the shutter button on DSLR cameras, according to information leaking out of Apple. That includes doing much more than simply taking pictures when pushed.

After years of keeping the iPhone buttons to a minimum, the number continues to expand.

What to expect from iPad 11 and iPad mini 7

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iPad 11 and iPad mini 7 leaks and speculation
iPad mini 7 is right around the corner. And so is iPad 11.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Rumors indicate the iPad 11 is nearly here, and an iPad mini 7 is in development, too. Neither tablet has been updated in years, but that could change this autumn. Finally! We can look forward to better performance and maybe Apple Intelligence.

Here’s what’s likely coming in late 2024 to Apple’s budget tablet, and what we’ve heard about an iPad mini 7 release date.

Lisa Kudrow’s Time Bandits becomes a surprise hit

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'Time Bandits' on Apple TV+
The Apple TV+adaptation of Time Bandits is for the whole family.
Photo: Apple TV+

Some people were skeptical when Apple TV+ turned the 1981 cult classic movie Time Bandits into a comedic adventure series for all ages. But it’s hard to argue with success — for the second week, the show starring Lisa Kudrow is one of the most popular on any streaming service.

And Jake Gyllenhaal’s crime drama Presumed Innocent continues to pull in a huge audience.

Apple Maps finds its way onto the web [Updated]

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Apple Maps finds its way onto the web
You can now use Apple Maps on a Windows PC.
Screenshot: Apple/Cult of Mac

A Mac or iPhone is a no longer needed to access Apple Maps — a web version reached public beta testing Wednesday. It allows users to get driving and walking directions from a web browser, including Chrome and Edge on Windows PCs.

Update: Several weeks after the initial release, Apple Maps on the web now works on a broader selection of web browsers.

Hit comedy Shrinking returns this fall for season 2 [Updated]

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Shrinking season 2 on Apple TV+
The cast of Shrinking is coming back to Apple TV+ for season 2.
Image: Apple TV+/Cult of Mac

Shrinking, the hit comedy starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford as therapists with problems of their own, returns to Apple TV+ on October 16. Friday’s’s announcement came with a tiny teaser video for season 2.

This is another entry in Apple’s collection of shows with a radical premise: People in sitcoms don’t have to be horrible to each other.

Update: Apple TV+ posted on social media about Shrinking season 2 on August 5, then pulled the post and video shortly afterward. The teaser trailer came back on Friday.

Elevate your iPad with this cover/stand combo [Review] ★★★★

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Logitech Keys-to-Go 2 review★★★★
Mageasy Lift case/stand brings your iPad up to nearly eye level.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Mageasy Lift Standing & Folding Folio iPad Case folds into a stand that raises your tablet screen up closer to eye level. It’s a trick that really helps it stand out from the competition (see what I did there?).

It can also be folded into other shapes to provide a range of viewing angles. And when on the go, the case wraps completely around the iPad to protect it.

I tested the Lift with my 2024 iPad Pro.

Here comes the incredible shrinking Mac mini

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Mac mini vs Apple TV size comparison
The Mac mini (on left) could be as small as an Apple TV (on right).
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple is going to shrink the next Mac mini when it adds an M4 processor, according to an often-reliable source of insider information. The desktop could be the size of an Apple TV.

So, Mac micro?

iPad Air with OLED screen might launch in 2026 after all

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OLED iPad Air preview
An iPad Air that replaces the traditional LCD with an OLED might be only a couple of years away.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

An iPad Air with an OLED display rather than the current LCD seems a safe bet considering the number of leaks indicating one is in development. But sources can’t agree on when — the latest report says 2026.

That said, Apple already has an OLED tablet for those who want one now.

New iPhone, Mac and iPad patches fix a nasty bug

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iOS 17.6.1 fixes a problem with Apple's Advanced Data Protection.
iOS 17.6.1 fixes a problem with Apple's Advanced Data Protection.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple released iOS 17.6.1, iPadOS 17.6.1 and macOS Sonoma 14.6.1 on Wednesday. These are patches to fix a problem with Advanced Data Protection, a collection of tools to keep data and communications safe in the cloud.

While there are no new features, the updates are nevertheless important.

Samsung’s tiny flash drives double in capacity

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Samsung Type-C USB Flash Drive now offers up to 512GB of storage capacity
This Samsung USB-C flash drive is small but offers outsized storage capacity.
Photo: Samsung

The itty-bitty Samsung USB Type-C Flash Drive is now available with up to 512GB of storage capacity — twice as much as before. And the company’s miniature USB-A version also doubled in capacity.

Plus, the 256GB versions are on sale at some nice discounts.

Disney+ price jumps 15%; password sharing crackdown imminent [Updated]

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Disney+ logo
The price for watching Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and more goes up soon.
Photo: The Walt Disney Company

The cost of streaming Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ goes up this autumn. The three streaming video services are ready to watch on Mac, iPad, iPhone or Apple TV. It’ll just cost a bit more in a few months.

The new prices could be important to those currently getting these services free or cheaply by sharing passwords. Disney CEO Bob Iger warned that a crackdown on the practice starts soon.

Why Apple’s dodgy deal with Google should have ended years ago

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Apple Google privacy meme
Google can no longer pay Apple to weaken iPhone's privacy protections.
Graphic: Imgflip

Apple should never have entered into the deal that had Google paying billions every year to be the default search engine for iPhone, Mac and iPad. And it’s shameful that it’ll take a court order to finally make Apple do the right thing

A company that claims to carefully protect the privacy of its users shouldn’t be part of an arrangement that steered those users toward Google, whose business is built on privacy violation.

Paying Apple to be Safari default search engine makes Google a ‘monopolist’

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Google search on iPhone
Google paying Apple to be Safari's default search engine is a big no-no.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

A U.S. federal judge ruled Monday that Google paying Apple billions to be the default search engine on iPhone and other devices is a violation of antitrust law. He said it makes Google a monopolist.

This is the result of a court case brought by the Department of Justice against Google. Apple isn’t directly involved, though its annual income may have just dropped by $15 billion or $20 billion. Or more.

Apple’s new Distraction Control in Safari is not an ad blocker

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Apple's new Distraction Control in Safari is not an ad blocker
While Distraction Control in Safari will be useful, don't call it an ad blocker.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple added Distraction Control to the Safari web browser in the iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia 15 betas released Monday. The new feature allows users to remove elements they find irritating or distracting from web pages.

Some have called Distraction Control an ad blocker. It’s not. Or certainly not a very good one.

Get ready for ‘kid-friendly’ Apple Watch SE

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Get ready for a 'kid-friendly' Apple Watch SE 3
Boring colors might be thing of the past with Apple Watch SE 3.
Concept graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch SE 3 will come in a plastic casing, if a noted source of Apple insider info is correct. Skipping the usual aluminum case will allow the wearable to come in a broad array of colors, potentially making it more appealing to younger buyers.

It’ll also likely be cheaper to make, which is important for Apple’s budget wearable.

Samsung shakes up mobile team over ‘Apple design plagiarism’

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Apple Watch Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
One of these was designed by Apple. The other only looks like it was.
Photo: Apple/Samsung

Add Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong to the list of people who think his company’s new smartwatch and wireless earbuds are much too similar to Apple’s. He reportedly got angry at executives of Samsung’s mobile (MX) division for approving such copycat devices.

One company executive allegedly admitted his company’s new wearable products are “Apple design plagiarism.”

Presumed Innocent is the most popular series on streaming … again

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Jake Gyllenhaal and Renate Reinsve in Presumed Innocent, now streaming on Apple TV+.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Renate Reinsve in Presumed Innocent on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

The Apple TV+ crime drama Presumed Innocent has been among the most watched shows on streaming since launching in mid-June, according to analysts. Season one of the series — which stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a man who might, or might not, have murdered the woman he’s having an affair with — recently wrapped up, and the opportunity to bingewatch all the episodes pushed the show to become the most viewed on any streaming platform, according to analysts.

Plus, the reimagining of Time Bandits found a big audience, and Natalie Portman’s Lady in the Lake had another strong week.

iPad shipments surge as customers snap up Apple’s new premium tablets

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2024 iPad Pro helped turn around Apple tablet shipments in Q2 2024.
2024 iPad Pro helped turn around a long slowdown in Apple tablet shipments.
Photo: Apple

The number of iPads shipped during Q2 2024 grew sharply when compared to the same quarter of last year, according to market analysts. It’s the first year-over-year increase in Apple’s tablet shipments since 2022.

The long-awaited launch of powerful new iPad models is credited for the improvement.