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Future Apple Watch bands could change colors to match your outfit

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Apple’s new Watch bands.
Color changing bands could be a game-changer for Apple Watch.
Photo: Apple

Buying multiple Apple Watch bands may soon become as outdated as mechanical watches.

Apple recently patented a brilliant idea for a chameleon-like Apple Watch band that can change colors to match what you’re wearing. Sometime in the future, you might be able to snap a picture of the color you’re wearing, and have Apple Watch match it in an instant. It’s about to get a lot harder to make fashion faux pas.

Apple in talks with another supplier over futuristic MicroLED displays

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watchOS 4 is great and all, but what's coming in watchOS 5?
A new Apple Watch doesn’t have to break the bank.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly in talks with another supplier as it works to bring MicroLED displays to future devices.

Taiwan’s PlayNitride has gained approval to invest $17.1 million in a new MicroLED production facility in the Hsinchu Science Park — and it seems Apple could be one of its first customers.

Streamline your Mac workflow, master iOS 11 and more [Week’s Best Deals]

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Master iOS 11, streamline your Mac workflow, and more with this week's best deals.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Fall has finally arrived, but the Cult of Mac Store is staying warm with a fresh shipment of hot new deals. This week, we’ve got a comprehensive bundle of iOS 11 courses that’s yours for whatever you want to pay. Plus, we’ve got a 1080p snaking camera, a tool for streamlined file sharing, and an app for clearing gigs of space on your Mac. Everything is top shelf and hugely discounted. Read on for more details:

Upgrade your iPhone photography game, and more [Deals]

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From clip-on camera lights to double-sided phone mounts, these are the iPhone accessories you're looking for.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Your iPhone is a splendid device. But to make the most of its potential, you need the right accessories. That’s why we’ve rounded up a group of accessories that covers all the bases. We’ve got a double-sided magnetic phone mount, and trio of extra long, MFi-Certified Lightning cables. On top of that, we’ve got a clip-on light and a set of five lenses that’ll transform the way you take photos with your phone. Plus, most are discounted by more than 70 percent. Read on for more details:

Apple won’t go all-in on OLED until 2019

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The iPhone 8 won't be cheap.
The iPhone 8 will be the first to get OLED.
Photo: iDropNews

Apple may not put an OLED screen on every new iPhone this year, but a new report is claiming all iPhones will pack the new display tech within two years.

According to the latest rumor out of Apple’s supply chain in Asia, the Cupertino plans to double adoption of OLED panels in 2018 before going all-in in 2019.

The next iPhone may cost more than $1,000

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ceramic iPhone
The next iPhone is going to be gorgeous.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Upgrading to Apple’s next iPhone won’t come cheap.

The price of the top-of-the-line iPhone is set to increase to more than $1,000, according to a new report that claims the device will pack an OLED display that stretches across the entire front of the phone.

Sublime night-skiing video shows off brilliant LED technology

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Custom LED suits and a small fortune in equipment to make a 12 minute movie: so worth it. Photo: Philips Ambilight TV
Custom LED suits and a small fortune in equipment to make a 12 minute movie: so worth it. Photo: Philips Ambilight TV

Filmed on location at the Alyeska resort in Alaska, the Alaskan wilderness, and the Golden Alpine lodges in Canada, this incredible film of extreme skiing will light up your screens on October 19.

The 12-minute video was created to show off the color and light technology of Phillips Ambilight TV. To do so, the filmmakers created LED ski suits and let loose their pro skiers in the Alaskan and Canadian mountains.

Check out the gorgeous preview in the short teaser below.

Future MacBooks Could Be Powered By The Sun [Patent]

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solar-powered-MacBook

A new Apple patent awarded this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office suggests future MacBooks could be powered by the sun. In its filing for an “Electronic device display module,” which was first submitted back in 2010, Apple describes a notebook with a double-sided display that has photovoltaic cells on its back for solar charging. 

Cloud Crockpot Is Just The First Thing Belkin Wants You To Connect To Net [CES 2014]

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Probably the world's first connected crockpot. Shiny! Credit: Eli Milchman

CES 2014 bug

LAS VEGAS, CES 2014Belkin is really hopping onto this connected-home thing with fiery fervor. They already have a formidable array of Internet-connected devices in their WeMo line — switches, plugs, motion detectors — and now they’ve added light bulbs and a DIY WeMo interface that can be adapted for use with practically anything that’s powered by electricity. Oh, they’ve also just come out with a big, shiny cloud-connected crockpot so you can cook dinner from the office.

Check Out This Awesome Print Ad For The Moto X [Video]

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When your smartphone’s biggest selling point is its customization options, you need to get a little creative with your print ads. And that’s exactly what Motorola has done for the Moto X. In the January edition of Wired magazine, the company has a full-page ad with built-in LED lights that allows you to change the color of the Moto X printed on the page.

Check out the demonstration video below.

Rapidly Mutating iblazr LED iDevice Flash Now Works With DSLRs Too

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The dizzying pace of iblazr‘s evolution has been difficult to keep up with over the last month.

It started out as an iDevice flash with four Cree-made LEDs that plugs into the 3.5mm jack. Then it gained a diffuser, and a short while later its designers added a reflective backing and redesigned the lens over the LEDs.

Now, the little flash has a cold-shoe adapter that’ll allow it to be mounted onto a DSLR.

These Clever Lamps Are Powered By Chewed Apple MagSafe Power Cords

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Apple’s MagSafe power cord is one of the most underrated MacBook features ever, but unfortunately, they’re not very durable. We’ve all seen MagSafe cords become nearly unusable after a years’ worth of bending and wrapping, or if you’re like Toronto-based artist Brian Richer, your dog eats them.

After doing some tinkering, Brian found that his chewed MagSafe cords still passed enough power to light up some LEDs. Rather than tossing them in the trash, Richer has managed to salvage the cords to power his gorgeous, minimalist lamps.

Here are some close ups:

New iPad To Launch This September, But New iPad Mini Could Be Delayed [Rumor]

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Apple is gearing up to launch its fifth-generation iPad this September, according to sources in its supply chain. The device is expected to offer a new form factor much like the iPad mini’s, as well as some backlighting modifications and better battery life.

We may have to wait a little longer for the second-generation iPad mini, however. The sources claim Apple is still deciding whether to bring a Retina display to the 7.85-inch device, and if it does, the launch could be delayed until “the end of the fourth quarter.”

Don’t Miss Our CES 2013 Picks For Most Lust-Worthy Tech On Our Newest CultCast

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That’s a wrap, folks! The 2013 Consumer Electronics Show is done and over, but after walking the tech-packed floors and press events for days, we’re ready to reveal the gadgets that had us yelling “shut up and take the money!” Get the full scoop on our newest CultCast!

Plus, don’t miss our own Deputy Editor John Brownlee regale us with the hilarious story of a press event gone so wrong, the internet can’t stop buzzing about it.

All that and more on our newest and final live-from-Vegas CultCast! Subscribe now on iTunes to catch our all-new episode, or easily stream new and previous episodes via Apple’s free Podcasts App. And while you’re at it, be sure to download our other 3 daily CES recap episodes to hear our favorite booths of shows past and funny stories from the show!

Hold Onto Your Hats! Apple’s Next iPad Mini To Get Retina Display [Rumor]

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You new iPad mini's display could look ancient in 12 months.
You new iPad mini's display could look ancient in 12 months.

Yeah, this is one of the least surprising rumors you’ll hear all day. But it’s sure to delight those who are holding out for an iPad mini with a Retina display. According to industry sources in Taiwan, Apple will indeed be “enhancing” the display resolution of its second-generation iPad mini, introducing a 2058×1536 panel with 326 pixels-per-inch.

Cute Bluetooth DrBlinky Flashes Your Alerts

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To be honest, I’m writing about DrBlinky for two reasons, both of them frivolous. One is the name: DrBlinky. Who couldn’t love a name like that?

The other is the Indiegogo pitch video, a triumph of cheesiness and amateur earnestness, but in a (very) good way. Put it this way — if Will Ferrell and Ricky Gervais ever teamed up to do a parody Kickstarter-style promo, it would look like this.

Apple Reportedly Tells Suppliers To Prepare For Next-Gen iPad In ‘Mid-2013’ [Rumor]

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Could iPad mini demand mean we'll have to wait longer for the next iPad?
Could iPad mini demand mean we'll have to wait longer for the next iPad?

DigiTimes has a rather poor track record when it comes to Apple rumors, so it’s always best to take its reports with a healthy heap of salt. The latest claims that Apple has informed its suppliers to prepare for a next-generation iPad in “mid-2013.” The Cupertino company has always launched its latest tablet around March, it is expected next year’s model will come slightly later.

The report also claims that Apple is working to reduce the number of LED backlights in the new model in an effort to simplify its manufacturing process.

Apple Patents Illuminated Touchpads That Could Appear In Future MacBooks

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Your keyboard lights up, so why shouldn't your trackpad?
Your keyboard lights up, so why shouldn't your trackpad?

If you’ve got a fairly recent MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, you’ll know that typing in a dark room is a breeze thanks to its backlit keyboard. It now seems as though Apple is looking to extend this feature to the trackpad as well. In a new patent filing entitled “Illuminated Touchpad”, the Cupertino company describes a new touch-sensitive input technology that doesn’t just light up, but also provides an “improved feedback mechanism.”