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iPhone 14: Under-display Face ID still a work in progress, may be delayed

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iPhone 14 without notch
What the front of iPhone 14 might look like.
Photo: Jon Prosser/Ian Zelbo

It’s probably best not to get too excited for under-display Face ID in next year’s iPhone 14. Despite Wednesday’s big leak hinting at the upgrade for 2022, one analyst warns the technology is still very much a work in progress.

In recent years, manufacturers have been working to put front-facing cameras behind their smartphone displays in an effort to eliminate notches and holes. And the results, perhaps unsurprisingly, have been a mixed bag.

iPhone 14 leak could trigger full wrath of Cupertino

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iPhone 14 concept skips the screen notch and camera hump.
Is this really what the 2022 iPhone will look like?
Image: Front Page Tech/RendersbyIan

Jon Prosser’s iPhone 14 leak is every Apple fan’s dream — and Tim Cook’s biggest nightmare.

The audacious revelation, dropped Wednesday morning via Prosser’s YouTube channel, Front Page Tech, showcased what next year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max might look like.

The exclusive iPhone 14 renders look so sweet that they might give pause to anyone contemplating buying an iPhone 13 later this month. That’s the nightmare part of this equation — and likely the part that makes Prosser nervous. Angry Apple executives might unleash all the company’s massive legal resources to stop him. And maybe even exact revenge.

Twitter wants you to join ‘Communities’ for shared interests

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Twitter's new Communities feature will let you tweet at people who share your interests.
Twitter's new Communities feature will help you tweet at people who share your interests.
Photo: Twitter

Twitter is testing a new feature called “Communities” via an invitation-only roll-out on iOS and the web, with Android to follow at some unspecified point. It will help users find and join groups with shared interests and direct tweets to them.

Hackintosh makes due in lieu of Apple Silicon Mac [Setups]

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A Hackintosh forms the core of this three-display setup.
A hackintosh forms the core of this three-display setup.
Photo: GrandeNJR@Reddit.com

If you’re out there pimping your computer setup on a Mac social media list, but you don’t have a Mac, what do you do? Well, you could flex your Hackintosh laptop and surround it with some Apple gear to make things look good.

Redditor GrandeNJR took that route with his recent post, “Not a real Mac (Hackintosh), but do my other Apple products make up for it?” Or at least he appeared to take that route.

Spoiler alert: Here’s a sneak peek at next year’s ‘iPhone 14’

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iPhone 14 leak
'iPhone 14' could be made from titanium.
Concept: Front Page Tech/RendersbyIan

Apple’s next-generation iPhone 13 refresh is already old news. Just one week before Cupertino’s big event, a leaker is already spilling details on next year’s even bigger “iPhone 14” upgrade, which is expected to come with no notch and a titanium design.

Here’s what you can expect.

Last chance: Save on amazing Monowear bands, accessories for Apple Watch

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Monowear-collection
Prices start at just $17.60.
Photo: Monowear

It’s your last chance to enjoy 20% off all Monowear bands and accessories for AirPods and Apple Watch in the Cult of Mac Store’s Labor Day sale.

You’ll find comfortable nylon, sturdy stainless steel, and luscious leather options to choose from, with prices starting at just $25.60. You can also pick up AirPods cases and travel accessories for even less.

Apple TV+ is the only streaming service that takes your privacy seriously

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Spatial audio for Apple TV in tvOS 15
Most streaming services are watching you while you watch them.
Photo: Apple

Almost every video streaming service except Apple TV+ is selling your data to third-party companies and tracking your viewing habits for targeted ads. A new report from Common Sense Media exposes the loose privacy policies employed by most streaming providers, including Amazon and Netflix.

“Many viewers know that free streaming apps are most likely selling their personal information, but most viewers may not know that most paid sub‐ scription streaming apps are also selling users’ data,” warns the report.

iPad stocks left to dwindle ahead of next week’s Apple event

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iPad stocks dwindle
Making way for a new model.
Photo: Apple

Availability of the eighth-generation iPad is becoming scarce ahead of next week’s big Apple event. The 10.2-inch device is “currently unavailable” in some markets, while others face shipping delays of three to six weeks.

Apple is expected to introduce a new ninth-generation iPad, with a slimmer chassis and more powerful processor, this fall.

Logi Dock packs plenty of ports, pretty lights and a built-in speakerphone

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Logi Dock hub with speakerphone
An all-in-one hub that hopes to make working from home easier.
Photo: Logitech

The new Logi Dock from Logitech is an all-in-one hub that’s designed to make working from home — and all the dreaded online meetings that come with it — a little more bearable. It packs almost all the ports you’ll ever need, one-touch meeting controls, and a built-in speakerphone.

It also features pretty lights that will let you know when a meeting is about to start. What more could you want?

Twitter tests new edge-to-edge interface for images and video on iOS

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Twitter tests new interface on iOS
A little inspiration from Instagram?
Photo: Twitter

Twitter looks set to finally take full advantage of the larger displays packed into modern smartphones. It is currently testing a new edge-to-edge interface that gives you a better look at images and videos in your timeline.

A new teaser video posted by Twitter on Twitter, and embedded below for your enjoyment, offers an early glimpse at what’s to come.

Top Apple car exec hits off-ramp, heads for Detroit instead

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That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Apple Car. The Apple Car is way down the highway. But Apple has the pedal to the metal.
The man reportedly running Apple car development has taken an exit.
Photo illustration: Cult of Mac/Wikipedia CC

Development of an Apple car just hit another speed bump. Doug Field, who’d reportedly been managing the project, just left to join the Ford Motor Company.

This is surely a blow to Apple’s secretive automotive efforts. And the company was already multiple years away from having anything to put in a showroom, according to the latest leaks.

Apple’s ‘California streaming’ invite hints at iPhone 13 features

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Apple’s 'California streaming' event invite hints at iPhone 13 features
Does this image suggest new camera features for the iPhone 13?
Photo: Apple

Some people love to carefully examine Apple event invites as though each one serves as a crystal ball that can show the future. The one that went out Tuesday might have been crafted to suggest that the iPhone 13 will be better at taking pictures of stars. Or maybe it hints that Apple’s virtual-reality headset will be unveiled.

On the other hand, it could be nothing more than a pretty picture.

How to see the AR Easter egg hidden in Apple’s September 14 event invite

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How to see the AR Easter egg in Apple’s September 14 event invite
The Apple September event invite has a beautiful but hidden augmented-reality feature.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Hidden in Tuesday’s invite to the Apple September event is an augmented reality Easter egg. It’s part of the company’s ongoing move to draw more attention to AR — and make its event invites cooler than anyone else’s.

The graphic for the event is the Apple logo floating over a lake in the evening. iPhone users can transfer that design to the real 3D world, and pass through it into a star-lit virtual space.

Check out Philips Hue’s new light show (and its Spotify partnership)

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The Signe floor lamp and a light strip add ambiance.
The Signe floor lamp and a light strip add ambiance.
Photo: Signify/Philips Hue

Signify, the parent company of Philips Hue, put the word out last week that funky new lighting products are coming. Some are out now and some will light up later. A new partnership with the music platform Spotify has launched, too.

Several items offer the gradient technology Philips Hue added last year to its Play Lightstrip.

It’s official: Apple confirms iPhone 13 event for September 14

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Apple iPhone 13 event invite
Just one week away.
Photo: Apple

Apple today confirmed it will host its next big keynote on Tuesday, September 14. The “California streaming” event will likely be focused on iPhone 13, as well as Apple Watch Series 7 and a possible third-generation AirPods upgrade.

You’ll be able to watch the whole thing live online when it kicks off at 10 a.m. PDT.

Last chance: Save 20% on the Button Remote for Apple TV and more from Function101

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Function 101 Apple TV button remote
Bag yours for under $24.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Function101 is now offering 20% off select products purchased through the Cult of Mac Store.

Save on the brilliant Button Remote for Apple TV, which we just gave a glowing review, as well as the excellent BentoStack and Cable Blocks. The discount ends later today, so enjoy it while you can.

WhatsApp’s promise of end-to-end encryption may be a complete lie

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WhatsApp encryption message
WhatsApp says no one — not even WhatsApp — can read your messages.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WhatsApp promises to protect every one of its 2 billion users with end-to-end encryption that ensures their messages cannot be seen by anyone outside of the original conversation. But does it live up to that promise?

A new report alleges that the Facebook-owned messaging platform uses artificial intelligence and more than 1,000 contract workers to examine “millions of pieces of users’ content” using “special Facebook software.”

That’s despite Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg telling the U.S. Senate in 2018 that “we don’t see any of the content in WhatsApp.”

UK carrier hints at September 14 launch for iPhone 13

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Sky Mobile iPhone 13 teaser
Are you ready?
Photo: Sky Mobile

iPhone 13 could make its much-anticipated debut on September 14, according to teasers from one U.K. carrier.

Sky Mobile is already giving customers the opportunity to pre-register for “all the info on the upcoming big announcement.” Those who do will get access to an exclusive offer on the “next generation” device.