Benjamin Mayo

Update: This bug has now been fixed via a server-side update.

Here’s a funny bug. On the newest versions of iOS and macOS, you cannot search for a plus sign (the ‘+’ symbol). Try it. Using Google search in Safari, type a search query in the unified address bar that includes the plus sign. When you press “Go” to search, the symbol will be removed from the output.

Similarly, you can search in the search field of Google page — and you will end up on a page with the + sign stripped. It looks like it has been replaced by nothing, but it has actually been replaced by a space character.

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Ming-Chi Kuo had already predicted that the first ARM Mac will arrive as soon as the fourth quarter of this year. Unsurprisingly, Kuo says that even more Macs will transition to ARM in 2021 and beyond, including desktop machines, with Apple adopting an “aggressive processor-replacement strategy”.

Presumably, Apple will start with a lower-end laptop form factor and slowly work its way up the line. Kuo says that replacing Intel with ARM CPUs of Apple’s own design will bring significant cost savings as well as the expected performance and battery life gains.

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Earlier this month, 9to5Mac reported on a new ‘Gobi’ augmented reality app present in the internal iOS 14 builds. MacRumors today adds that one of the experiences inside that application currently is a spatial ten pin bowling experience that is only activated at a certain street that is within a 5-mile radius of Apple Park.

Moreover, MacRumors has included a photo of what they claim to be one of the controllers Apple is using to test its AR headset. Physically, it looks very similar to the HTC Vive Focus controller.

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Apple is said to be considering a delay to its planned launch schedule for the next-generation range of iPhones. The 5G iPhone, widely referred to as the ‘iPhone 12’ series, was apparently meant to ship in September according to a report from Nikkei.

However, the current global climate has led Apple to discuss if it should delay the phone by a few months. In addition to the obvious supply constraints, Apple is reportedly worried that customer demand for a new flagship phone will be weak as the coronavirus has affected consumer confidence and spending.

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As highlighted in a new report from Bloomberg, Apple’s current rules prevent makers of game streaming services to get an app on the App Store. The rules disallow an app from acting as a game repository that can contain content from other publishers.

This means burgeoning services like GeForce Now, xCloud, PS Now, and Google Stadia cannot access iPhone and iPad customers.

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With the iPadOS 13.4 update, you can now use a mouse or trackpad with your iPad as a complement to the touch experience. Apple is naturally promoting the Magic Keyboard accessory for iPad Pro, but you can use any USB or Bluetooth input device like the Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse, too.

You can use the cursor to do pretty much everything you can do with your finger, like press buttons, switch apps, and edit text. It is similar but not identical to a PC experience. Here’s how you can customize the cursor input on your iPad to make it suit you.

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The Disney+ streaming service is today launching in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Austria. You can download the app now for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. Note that Disney+ requires Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD. The older third-generation Apple TV (which lacks an App Store) is not supported.

You can subscribe to Disney+ for £5.99 per month or £59.99 per year. The streaming service offers a large library of TV shows and movies from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic in addition to exclusive originals only available on Disney+ like The Mandalorian.

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In a press briefing today, Vice President of the United States Mike Pence announced that Apple will be donating 2 million masks. Update: Apple CEO Tim Cook has now confirmed on Twitter that it is helping to source supplies to aid Europe and United States healthcare systems.

In the wake of the current coronavirus pandemic, the US healthcare system needs resources for patients and resources for doctors. Masks are one such resource that are in short supply. This week, a new law was signed that makes it much easier for companies to make industrial masks without fear of liability. It appears Apple is joining the cause.

Update 3/24: VP Pence now says Apple is donating 9 million N95 masks to medical workers.

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When Apple TV+ launched, it was praised for its exceptionally high bit-rate streaming quality. However, that is set to change for the time being for customers across Europe (and possibly other markets soon).

European officials have instructed streaming services to reduce the amount of bandwidth their services use, in order to reduce strain on internet networks. Usage of streaming services has picked up substantially in recent weeks in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Naturally, when people are in isolation, they tend to watch a lot more TV than normal.

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It’s Friday, which means it’s an Apple TV+ release day. Given how so many of us are isolating indoors, hopefully this helps pass the time.

Available in the TV app today, you can watch Apple’s first major original film ‘The Banker’ starring Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie, the latest episode of Amazing Stories starring the late Robert Forster, and a Carpool Karaoke episode with the cast of Stranger Things.

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Apple will release iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4 on March 24, for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users. In addition to features like redesigned Mail toolbar and iCloud folder sharing, iPadOS 13.4 brings support for trackpad to the iPad platform for the first time.

This will obviously be a big selling point for the 2020 iPad Pro announced today, but the new Magic Keyboard with trackpad accessory is also backwards compatible with the 2018 iPad Pro. You can also connect an external Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse over Bluetooth, allowing iPad Air, iPad mini and even $329 iPad users to take advantage of the new cursor support in the OS.

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Apple has announced a new MacBook Air with a Magic Keyboard and a new $999 price point for all customers, and a discounted $899 price for the education market.

The MacBook Air now replaces the butterfly keyboard with a Magic Keyboard similar to what Apple debuted in the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The internal specs have also been given a boost.
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With more of us working from home than ever in the current climate, that also means more of us than ever are facing the dongle problem.

I have been working from home for many years now, and if you have a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, I highly recommend investing in a Thunderbolt 3 dock. Here’s why.

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IMAX and Apple today announced that the planned April 3 theatrical release for the highly-anticipated ‘Beastie Boys Story’ documentary has been postponed, as reported by Deadline.

The news should be unsurprising given the evolving coronavirus situation. Most IMAX theaters have already closed as a result of latest public health guidance.

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A new iPad with model identifier A2229 has today been added to the Eurasian Economic Commission database. This database has served as a reliable indicator of upcoming products in recent years, as Apple must report new products that feature encryption technology in order to sell the device in the Eurasian region.

The model identifier corresponds to an iPad Pro model spotted in Chinese Apple documentation, as found by iPhone in Canada. Three other as-yet-unannounced models were also listed, referencing new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros in WiFi and cellular configurations.

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Apple appears to be winding down sales of Powerbeats3, as stock starts to dwindle on Apple.com (some colors still available as of publishing). So if for some reason you want the outdated model, act quickly.

However, almost everyone should instead be looking forward to the new Powerbeats that were officially announced today, which come with more battery life and a cheaper starting price. Beats has set up a new page on its website that is dedicated to the Powerbeats range, which highlights all of the new features and compares to the more premium Powerbeats Pro models.

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The financial markets continue to be incredibly volatile as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to spread around the world. Apple shares have plummeted more than 12% as the market opens, starting the week off at $243.

Late on Friday, Apple announced that it would close all retail stores outside of Greater China until March 27.

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Apple has today been served a 1.1 billion euro fine from France. The French authorities said that Apple had created illegal agreements within its distribution network and abuse of “economic dependence” of independent resellers.

The decision comes from the French competition authorities after many years of investigations. In addition to Apple’s fine, fines were also imposed on two of Apple’s wholesalers for unlawfully agreeing on prices.

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