Apple isn’t the only major brand removing the charger from the box of its latest flagship phone. As noticed on Reddit, Xiaomi has announced that its upcoming Mi 11 phone won’t include a charger. The rationale is familiar. Many people already have old...

You’re not alone if you’re having problems getting your newly gifted iPad or Apple Watch up and running. As AppleInsider first reported, Apple is warning of iCloud account and sign-in issues (ongoing as we write this) that appear to have started on C...

Successful entrepreneurs can’t stop talking about how much they read. Mark Zuckerberg reads a new book every two weeks while Elon Musk attributes much of his success to reading. And yet, we average people never have enough time to flip through mounta...

Happy holidays! If your celebration includes some extra time at home then start by checking out Devindra Hardawar’s suggestions for binge watching. If you unwrapped a new console, then the best games for your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X / S are ju...

So you’ve been given or bought yourself an Apple Watch for the holidays. Congrats! Whether you’re a first-time smartwatch user or just new to watchOS, wearing an Apple Watch can feel like a big change in your daily life. You don’t want to just strap...

Apple's iCloud backend is suffering from an unknown problem that appears to be causing new device setup and account activation failures.An unspecified issue with Apple's iCloud Account and Sign In service began to impact a subset of users at around 1:45 a.m. Pacific, according to Apple's System Status webpage.No information is provided with the advisement and Apple notes the issue is ongoing.

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If one thing has become clear since the release of iOS 14, it’s that there was a lot of pent-up demand for home screen widgets on the iPhone. A variety of third-party applications have added home screen widget support over the last several months, but one app has stood out from the rest: Widgetsmith.

If you’ve just unwrapped a new iPhone, Widgetsmith is one of our must-have applications for giving your device a personalized aesthetic.

Widgetsmith comes from David Smith, who’s the developer behind several popular Apple Watch and iPhone apps including Watchsmith, Sleep+ +, and...

There are a lot of great new features included with Apple’s latest products. Whether you just got one new Apple device or several of them, follow along with a roundup of our most popular tutorials and videos to learn the best tips and tricks for your new iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, Apple TV, AirPods, HomePod, and more.

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The post Best tips and tricks for using your new iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, more appeared first on 9to5Mac.

If you just got a new iPhone, there are lots of things you can do to make the most of the great cameras you now have in your pocket. I’ve selected some of the best camera and photo editing apps that will help you enhance your shots with your iPhone.

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! Dave and I talked how Amazon destroys its competition and partners. We also looked at Ted Lasso, and a quick take of the AirPods Max, and the new Beatles movie.

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If you just unwrapped a new Apple Watch this morning, there are a variety of tips and tricks that can help you get the most out of your new wearable. Read on for some guidance on our favorite Apple Watch features for health, activity, customization, and more.

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The post Here are some of the best features to try on your new Apple Watch appeared first on 9to5Mac.

If you’re looking to add a new iPad Air to your household this Christmas, you should take a look at Amazon’s highest rated case made by ZUGU called the Alpha case. This company focuses all its energy on one thing, iPad Cases. It strikes the right balance between durability, lack of bulk, aesthetics and maximizing the iPad’s full usability potential. Let’s take a look:

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The post ZUGU Alpha Case: Hands-on with Amazon’s highest rated iPad Air 4 case appeared first on 9to5Mac.

The holidays are usually a time to get together with family to bond but, for obvious reasons, they’re going to look a little different this year. You might be meeting outdoors, sitting six feet apart or using Zoom to chat from hundreds of miles away....

From cars and refrigerators to factory equipment and appliances, ordinary objects are joining the Internet of Things (IoT) every day. The number of physical items that can connect to and exchange data through the internet is continuously growing, in...

iLounge has a special deal on the BANDO 2.0 Multi-Functional Slim Wallet, which allows you to go out and about with a minimalist cash and card storage accessory.

Don’t like the bulk a traditional wallet brings? The slim wallet from BANDO is the perfect solution for you. It has a small footprint and yet can store up to 10 cards and a handful of bills, thanks to the sturdy band and card organizer.

The saffiano canvas material that makes up the wallet lasts decades and is virtually weatherproof. Aside from the pull tab organizer for cards and the band for bills, it has a secret compartment where you can stash important memory cards or keys. Silicone grip dots keep the wallet from sliding around and ensures peace of mind.

The Bando 2.0 Multifunctional Slim Wallet normally costs $30 while we at iLounge are giving it away for just $23.95. You get 20% off with our deal!

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Just a few days ago developers were being notified that they qualify for the App Store Business Program, which lowers the commission cost in the App Store by 15%.

Today, some developers are going online and reporting that they already see lower commission rates on their respective apps.

The App Store Small Business Program was revealed in November as part of Apple’s way to reduce developer commission fees from 30 percent to 15 percent. Developers who earn less than $1M annually, as well as newcomers may be eligible for the program.

The change in rate of proceeds to 15% seems to be active already. I’m seeing proceeds of $5.09 for $5.99 in the United States. Thank you, Apple. pic.twitter.com/5VurdAOFNO

— Aditya Rajveer (@AdityaRajveer)...

Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagon recently went on LinkedIn following Apple’s announcement of its autonomous car project.

Apple’s Project Titan is up and running and was announced by Apple on Monday. The company mentioned how it could begin production by as early as 2024. Furthermore, the news claimed that the Cupertino-based company will be utilizing a new battery technology that can increase driving range and keep battery costs down.

Diess went on LinkedIn and replied that he’s ‘looking forward’ to new competitors within the auto industry. The move has also caught the attention of Morgan Stanley, an investment bank that believes Apple has the ingredients needed to make it work.

Apple’s car project started in 2014 and underwent staff cuts, change of direction and restructuring before finally moving forward. In December it was rumored that Apple had moved Project Titan’s leadership to John Giannandrea.

No further details have been divulged other than the...

From December 13–24, thousands of 9to5Mac readers and creatives discovered the work of 56 artists and teams creating in nearly three dozens cities across the world. The 12 Days of Apple Stores wouldn’t have been possible without your support and creativity. As a thank you, enjoy these festive wallpapers for your Home Screen.

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When you buy your first-ever iPad, Apple makes it particularly quick and easy to get going. As soon as you get your second, though, then you need to take these certain steps to get the new one working just how you like.How to set up a new iPadPerhaps the most likely thing is that you are buying a new 10.2-inch iPad as a replacement for the old one. A new model will be faster, it's bound to have a bigger screen, and now that you know how you use it, you can pick one with the right storage capacity for you.

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For two days only, accessory maker Speck is knocking half off its entire lineup of products, delivering the year's top discounts on protective cases for your new iPhone, iPad, MacBook and more.Half off Speck casesThe sitewide Christmas Day sale at Speck offers savings of 50% off a variety of cases and bags to protect and tote your Apple devices, perfect for those shiny gifts received for the holidays.

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Did Santa drop off a new M1 MacBook Air under the tree last night? macOS Big Sur comes with many great apps, but there is a whole world of third-party apps that make the Mac even better.

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The post New Mac for Christmas? Here are some of the best apps to download appeared first on 9to5Mac.

If you’ve ordered a new iPhone 12, you’ll notice that the box is a whole lot slimmer than in previous years. That’s because the bulkiest accessory is gone: the power adapter. In fact, Apple has removed the charger from all iPhones it sells, so whether you’re spending $399 on an iPhone SE or $1,399 on a maxed-out iPhone 12 Pro Max, you need to bring your own charger.

Any old charger and Lightning cable you have lying around will work, of course. But if you’ve been using Apple’s old 5W adapter, it’s a perfect time to upgrade. For the first time, Apple is supplying a USB-C-to-Lightning cable in all iPhone boxes to allow for fast charging, so all you need is the right charger.

To read this article in full, please click here

Apple updated its iPad Pro earlier this year by including a new faster A12Z Bionic chip and a slew of features such as the addition of LiDAR sensor and an ultra-wide camera. The iPad Pro continues to be the top of the line iPad with a starting price tag of $799 for the base model.

The iPad Pro features an almost all-screen design on the front and it comes in two versions: 11-inch and 12.9-inch. The major news this year was the introduction of Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro. The new keyboard magnetically attaches to the iPad Pro and offers almost laptop-like functionality with a trackpad and keyboard. The keyboard also makes the iPad Pro float in the air like the screen of an iMac.

Improved AR experiences and better photography

The LiDAR sensor on the 2020 iPad Pro is supposed to help improve augmented reality (AR) experiences. Apple continues to invest heavily in the world of AR; rumours also suggest that the company is working on its own AR enabled glasses....

Whether you buy the mini, Max, Pro, or simple iPhone 12, one thing is for sure: You’re going to want to slap a case on it. Even with a new stronger ceramic coating on the screen and a thinner, more grippable design, the iPhone 12 is still dressed all in glass, so you’ll need to protect it from slips, scratches, and of course, fingerprints. Here are our favorite cases so far.

Note: The MagSagf charging section only means that the charger won't stick reliably to the iPhone once the case is on. You'll still be able to charge it with either a MagSafe or Qi charger.

To read this article in full, please click here

What a difference a year makes. Apple began 2019 as a technology company but it's started January 2020 as a television, news, gaming and financial firm too — and it may be that mix that meant it would not only cope with the coronavirus of 2020, but grow even bigger.January 2020 for Apple. L-R: Rack-mounted Mac Pro, Jennifer Aniston in "The Morning Show", and the CoronavirusAt a casual glance, Apple was facing much the same issues in January 2020 as it was a year before. There were problems for the company with China, it was at the center of multiple controversies, and it didn't exhibit at the Consumer Electronics Show. Yet if there were familiar issues, still the Apple of January 2020 was not the same company that it was in January 2019.

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Much has been said about the case that Apple included with the AirPods Max. Outside of putting the headphones into ultra-low power mode, it doesn’t provide much protection. The lack of functionality is an opportunity for third-parties, though. Today, WaterField Designs is announcing a new AirPods Max case that will also put the headphones into ultralow power mode.

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The post WaterField Designs launches the...

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s December 25th, and the staff of O’Grady’s PowerPage wanted to wish you a merry Christmas, a happy Solstice, a joyous Kwanzaa, and an amazing Hanukkah. We’ll be taking the day off to spend time with friends and family, but we’ll be back Monday, December 28th, with all the Mac, iOS, and […]

Apple updated the standard budget-friendly 10.2” iPad at its September event. The device now packs a much faster A12 Bionic chip compared to the previous generation’s A10X which was starting to show its age. Apart from that, the company has not changed much about the iPad. The new model does ship with a faster USB-C 20W charger whereas the previous generation model used to ship with a much slower 12W charger. However, the connector on the 10.2” iPad still remains to be a Lightning connector; it ships with a Lightning to USB-C cable.

The iPad still packs the same Retina Display with a resolution of 2160×1620 with a ppi (pixels per inch) of 264. The display on the iPad is fantastic for casual day to day use, however it still is not a laminated display as the one found on the higher end models such as the iPad Air or iPad Pro. Having a laminated display, reduces the gap between the glass and the display, making content on the screen look much better. However, packing a...

Apple Car is once again in the news as Reuters appears to have gained some information from sources. However, Goldman Sachs analyst Rod Hall believes that Apple Car could be a “services-supporting” product instead of a regular car. Apple has years of experience in building hardware and software but has also recently invested heavily in services as well. 

Goldman Sachs analyst says that Apple has expertise in building “battery technology” for its tech products such as the iPhone, the iPad, and the Mac. He also adds that the company has experience in managing power across its products which could turn out to be an advantage for Apple in building a battery powered car.

“Given the potentially low profit opportunity for Apple, a key question in our opinion is why Apple is attracted to autos,” writes Hall. Major automakers struggle to survive; Tesla struggled for years to stay afloat in the very competitive auto industry.

Years of experience in tech...

After less than two weeks on the market, AirPods Max got its first third-party accessory on Friday with the announcement of a WaterField Designs product designed to replace Apple's much maligned Smart Case. WaterField Designs AirPods Max Shield Case WaterField Designs' AirPods Max Shield Case is a leather clamshell that encapsulates the entire set of headphones, not just the ear cups. It has a leather exterior, a foam core, and a plush interior to cradle your headphones.

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The Mac business continues to grow as Apple has released decent machines in the last few months since 2016. Not to say that all the Macs in the last four years were bad but they had major flaws. Also, the fact that most people are staying and working from home has resulted in people buying more Mac computers. As a result, the revenue of the Mac has risen by 50% year-over-year in Q3 of 2020. 

The MacBook Pro packed a butterfly keyboard which in many cases would stop working with even a small amount of dust settling in. The MacBook Air’s design required the CPU to throttle while the fan inside was only cosmetic and did not serve any purpose, as said by many tech experts. The 15” MacBook Pro was too thin to dissipate heat and, similar to the MacBook Air, did not have a proper cooling system.

The Mac is great again!

Things started to change for the Mac when Apple launched the 16” MacBook Pro in 2019. It fixed most of the major flaws of the 15” MacBook Pro. The...

Apple on Thursday began to roll out a new App Store commission structure through its Small Business Program, lowering fees to 15% for developers who earn less than $1 million a year.Initially scheduled to launch on Jan. 1, 2021, the policy, which halves Apple's customary 30% commission rate, is now active for certain developers who were accepted into the App Store Small Business Program.Early availability was noted in a tweet from Apparent Software founder Jacob Gorban, who saw Apple's take of sales from his Mac app ImageFramer dip to 15% today. Other developers have reported identical cuts to App Store fees, though benefits are not yet widely available.

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We reported yesterday that eligible developers were notified by Apple about the App Store Small Business Program going live imminently. According to some developers, Apple is already charging a lower commission on App Store sales.

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The post Developers report Apple is already charging lower commission on App Store sales appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Tomorrow at noon WarnerMedia will release Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max, and if you have a subscription and the right device, then you can watch it in the highest quality possible with 4K, HDR (either HDR 10 or Dolby Vision) and Dolby Atmos audio. Whe...

They were promised a $650 holiday bonus from their company. It wasn’t an act of corporate goodwill, though, but a particularly tone deaf phishing test. And instead of extra cash, those who failed were assigned extra work. That’s what happened to arou...

iLounge have a special deal on the PURE Car Air Purifier Premium Ionizer & Car Charger (2-Pack), which allows you to get clean air and charge your devices while driving.

PURE Car Air Purifier is different from others in that it can capture smoke, bacteria, pollen and odors in just a few seconds. Not only that, but it kills them as they circulate. Simply plug it in and enjoy a fresh smell each time you get inside your vehicle, thanks to the 5.6 million negative ion concentrations and multi-needlepoint ionization technology.

But that’s not all the device does. Along the body is a USB port for charging compatible devices. It has 3.0 capability, which means you get quick charge even when you’re out and about. PURE Car Air Purifier comes in three distinct colors and each one is stylish and adds more functionality to your dashboard.

The PURE Car Air Purifier Premium Ionizer & Car Charger normally costs $79 while we at iLounge are giving it away for just $39....

Apple has recently announced that protective plywood will be used to preserve Black Lives Matter murals painted around its Apple Pioneer Place location and saved for ‘future donation’.

Pioneer Place had its glass windows smashed on May 30 as part of the unrest in Portland. The Cupertino-based company had to put up plywood boards to keep people from getting in. Then, an artist named Emma Berger painted Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd portraits on the boards, along with other community artists. Berger is also known for having a social media profile named Flat Rabbit Studio.

Apple says that today it will put protective plywood over the Black Lives Matter...

Apple has recently begun letting developers know that they have been accepted for the App Store Small Business Program.

The App Store Small Business Program allows developers to get reduced App Store fees. Announced in November, the platform takes 15% off for those who are earning less than $1M per calendar year. Signing up for the program has been available since December 3 and it’s only today that Apple has been sending out notices.

Developers who earn under $1M for this year can qualify and experience 15% reduced commission rates. New developers in 2021 will be defaulted to the program moving forward. Those who earn $1M and above per calendar year are subject to a 30% App Store commission rate.

The Cupertino-based company mentioned that the program will affect a lot of developers, all of which have the same access in Apple developer programs and tools. The aim of the program is to support new jobs, provide more funds and generate more digital commerce within...

I've made peace with the fact that I'll never be anything more than a casual Microsoft Flight Simulator player. I'm not a hardcore "simmer," as devoted fans of the series call themselves. I've played the game off and on since its release, and like En...

Among the TV shows, magazines, and games services unveiled at Apple’s “Show time” event was a surprise entry into a category that couldn’t be further outside Apple’s wheelhouse: a credit card. Dubbed Apple Card, it’s not a traditional plastic credit card that gives you points on things you buy. Rather, it’s a whole new way to shop online and offline. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

What is the Apple Card?

The Apple Card is an Apple-branded credit card from MasterCard. Unlike the current Barclaycard Visa with Apple Rewards, which is a partner card, the Apple Card is owned and operated by Apple.

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Volkswagen AG Chief Executive Officer Herbert Diess said cash-rich technology giants invading the auto industry pose a much bigger challenge for the German manufacturer than traditional rivals like Toyota Motor. From a report: "We look forward to new competitors who will certainly accelerate the change in our industry and bring in new skills," Diess said in a LinkedIn post when asked about reports that Apple is developing a self-driving car. "The unbelievable valuation and the practically unlimited access to resources instill a lot of respect in us." [...] Diess mapped out a plan during an internal meeting last week to pit VW's huge Wolfsburg plant against Tesla's factory that's under construction outside Berlin. The electric-car maker's new site in Gruenheide is bound to stoke competition for engineers, workers and customers on VWâ(TM)s home turf. "I've said it before: the most valuable company in the world will again be a mobility company," Diess said. "It could be Tesla, Apple...

Apple introduced a new software feature with iOS 13 that helps prolong the life of your iPhone’s battery called “Optimized Battery Charging.” I’d love to see Apple not only expand it to iPad and Mac but also take a page out of Tesla’s book (and Dell, Samsung, others) and adopt a feature from its charging strategy.

Update 12/24/20: It’s now over a year since Apple released its Optimized Battery Charging feature and it hasn’t really been improved. And looking back on 2020 – a year with the pandemic and the launch of the first M1 MacBooks, full battery control for charging is definitely past due.

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Ringing in as the lowest price available, Apple's new M1 MacBook Air with high-end upgrades is $150 off exclusively for AppleInsider readers. Pick up the 8-core GPU model with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for $1,299 in your choice of Silver or Space Gray.Lowest price availableThe $1,299 price is courtesy of Apple Authorized Reseller Adorama when you shop through this activation link and enter promo code APINSIDER in the same browsing session. This particular configuration in your choice of Silver (promo code required) or Space Gray features the line's best 8-core GPU, along with 16GB of RAM (the max offered in the new M1 MacBook Air) and 512GB of storage. Our team has...

The Mayron Cole piano method is pretty comprehensive. And now it’s free.

If you ever wanted to learn to play piano, these guides and some sort of keyboard are all you need. The guides are available as PDFs, perfect for displaying on an iPad.

If you are stuck at home for some reason, consider learning to play the piano. Definitely satisfying to master a new skill.

∞ Read this on The Loop

Big Sur brings a frustrating interface change to notifications. This post documents the change in great detail. It’s all about the process of dismissing a notification, which is much harder than it used to be, both in terms of fine motor control requirements and low discoverability.

Read the post, see if you agree.

∞ Read this on The Loop

In a normal year, we'd say the holidays are a perfect time to kick back, relax and catch up on all the movies and TV you missed during the year. But given that many people have been stuck at home since March, with TV as a sole respite from the hellsc...

Most companies, no matter the industry or size, need technical support to operate a profitable business. That means employers are always on the hunt for talented and tech-savvy individuals, especially when it comes to networking and IT. As someone wi...