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Buster Hein - page 138

How to add your own custom band to Apple Watch

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You can add a custom strap to Apple Watch. Photo:  Lewis Hilsenteger/Unbox Therapy
You can add a custom strap to Apple Watch. Photo: Lewis Hilsenteger/Unbox Therapy

Got an shiny new Apple watch but hate the band it came with? You could order a new one from Apple’s website and wait a few months for it to come it. Or if you bought the Apple Watch with the Classic or Modern buckle, there’s a simple way to modify it so you can add any strap you want.

Lewis Hilsenteger at UnBox Therapy published a new video revealing a dead-easy way to add third-party bands to your Apple Watch. The best part is it doesn’t even require a third-party connector, and you don’t have to destroy your current band in the process. All you need is a pentalobe screw driver, an Apple Watch, and your new band of choice.

Watch the full how-to below:

Annie Leibovitz unmasks the villains of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

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starwars.0.0
The Star Wars universe is about to get some new baddies.

You’ve seen the latest Star Wars trailer like 50 times, and you’re probably still wondering, “Who is that guy under the sick mask?!”

OK, well, there are a couple of awesome masked characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the most talked about has to be the three-pronged-lightsaber-wielding Sith named Kylo Ren. As part of today’s May the Fourth festivities, Vanity Fair sent famed photographer Annie Leibovitz to reveal that Adam Driver will play the new villain.

Apple Watch’s hidden port can be used for charging

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This hidden port may be the key to future Apple Watch accessories.
Apple Watch's secret port could be the key to accessories. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch owners may have noticed there’s a tiny port hidden inside the groove of the bottom band connector. Before the watch’s release there was some speculations whether the port just be used for diagnostics, but the Reserve Strap have discovered third-parties can use it to recharge the smartwatch.

The company originally developed an Apple Watch battery band that used the inductive charge to transfer power. Now that they’ve had time to dissect the Apple Watch they’ve found out you can just transfer battery power straight through the port, and they’ve come up with a much more elegant design to work with it.

iPhone-loving Manny Pacquiao gives Samsung a jab

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Photo: Manny Pacquiao/Twitter
Pacquiao used a Galaxy S6 ringside, but uses iPhone at home. Photo: Manny Pacquiao/Twitter

Manny Pacquiao is expected to have made $80 million off the very boring ‘fight of the Century’ this past weekend just off the ticket sales. Pac-Man made a few extra million on the side too by becoming the latest iPhone-loving celebrity to convert to a Samsung salesman.

As part of the sponsorship, Pacquiao – who’s tweeted from an iPhone from years – crafted his tweets on a Samsung Galaxy S6, including two selfies he posted at weigh-in and on his way to the ring with Jimmy Kimmel. Samsung also filmed an entire behind-the-scenes video of Pacquiao on a Galaxy S6 Edge. But now that the fight’s over and Pac-Man’s cashed in, he’s back to using Apple devices.

Here’s the Samsung spokesman’s latest tweet, sent from an iPhone.

Apple’s aggressive music ambitions draw DOJ scrutiny

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Apple has big ambitions for its new music streaming service.
Beats redesign is coming to WWDC 2015. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s big Beats Music relaunch might be revealed next month at WWDC, and Apple is trying to clear a path through Spotify and YouTube by strong-arming labels into killing freemium music services.

The aggressive tactics have triggered the Department of Justice to look into Apple’s business practices for its upcoming music streaming service, according to a report from the Verge, claiming high-ranking music industry execs have already been interviewed.

How to fix a busted Apple Watch on your own

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You can make repairs to Apple Watch on your own. Photo: iFixit
You can make repairs to Apple Watch on your own. Photo: iFixit

The Apple Watch is one of the most impressive feats of engineering to come out of Cupertino. When it comes to repairing Jony Ive’s wearable yourself, you’re not going to get much help though, so the brilliant minds at iFixit have already come up with a few repair guides.

iFixit published four guides today on how to repair various parts of the Apple Watch that will help make your fixes a breeze. Unfortunately, iFixit says pretty much any repair you make yourself will break the Apple Watch’s NFC chip, but they’ve got a guide on how to fix that two.

Here’s are some of the quick fixes you can make to Apple Watch yourself:

Upper East Siders snub their noses at Apple Store

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Not all New Yorkers want another Apple Store. Photo: Apple

Most neighborhoods would kill for an Apple Store, but if you’re an elitist living in New York City’s Upper East Side, the thought of Apple fanboys camping out near your five-story townhouse is just absolutely horrid.

Residents and businesses of the posh neighborhood are banding together in opposition to the construction of an Apple Store that might attract flocks of peasants along with all their shouting, and screaming, and barbecues. Ewww!

Steve Jobs’ business cards from Apple, Pixar and NeXT go up for auction

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stevejobs1
Kate Winsley praised the Steve Jobs biopic and co-star Michael Fassbender.

Steve Jobs memorabilia collectors can now grab the holy trifecta of business cards while also doing a bit of good along the way.

Three of Jobs’ business cards from his days at Apple, Pixar and NeXT are up for auction, with proceeds going to The Marin School in California. Bidding started at $600 but it’s already up to $2,405.

Here’s a look at the cards you’ll win if you place the high bid:

Apple Store’s neutered Watch app won’t let you shop

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Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

Amazon and Target have already embraced the wearable-future, where all the hassles of online shopping can be managed from your wrist. Today, the official Apple Store app is getting into the game too, with a new update that finally brings support for Apple Watch, even if it doesn’t have a buy button.

You won’t be able to purchase your next Apple Watch from your wrist, or check out different Sport band options, but there are still some pretty useful features for shoppers on-the-go.

Check out some of the things the neutered app can do:

Ford CEO refuses to let Apple and Google take the wheel

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Don't expect pure CarPlay in Ford vehicles anytime soon. Photo: Apple
Don't expect pure CarPlay in Ford vehicles anytime soon. Photo: Apple

Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto are the two hottest options right now for car infotainment systems, but if you’re hoping that Ford will give you a pure CarPlay experience in one of their upcoming vehicles, you might as well keep on waiting for the mythical Apple Car.

Ford currently supports both CarPlay and Android in a limited capacity, but for now its CEO says the company will only allow the two systems to serve as secondary interfaces to its primary navigation system, SYNC.

Steve Jobs’ favorite musician thinks we’re all going to own an Apple Watch

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John Mayer and Steve Jobs at the iPod Mini unveiling. Photo: Apple
John Mayer and Steve Jobs at the iPod Mini unveiling. Photo: Apple

John Mayer is world renowned for his skill at plucking strings on a guitar while singing breathy love lyrics. He’s also well known as a lover of expensive mechanical watches, but when it comes to the future of wrist wear, Mayer admits pretty much everyone’s just going to buy an Apple Watch now.

“We’re all going to end up with the Apple Watch, I don’t care what you say,” says Mayer. “Even if you have to wear it on your right hand.”

Apple Watch Sport may cost less than $85 in components

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The guts of the Apple Watch are shockingly inexpensive. Photo: iFixit
The guts of the Apple Watch are shockingly inexpensive. Photo: iFixit

Tim Cook told investors on Monday to not even try to guess how much Apple’s supply chain costs are, but that’s not stopping some analysts from trying to determine the cost of Apple Watch components

IHS Technology toredown the 38mm Apple Watch Sport this week, and according to the firm’s estimates, Apple’s $350 timepiece costs less than $85 for all the components.

Time Warner CEO ‘pretty confident’ Apple TV service is on the way

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We're finally going to get the TV experience we deserve. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s streaming TV service has long been a force of fodder for the rumor mill, but according to Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, it’s already a foregone conclusion.

During Time Warner’s earning’s call on Wednesday, Bewkes told investors that he’s ‘pretty confident’ will launch a service that streams TV over the Internet, and we might not have to wait much longer to finally see it.

Defective part slows Apple Watch rollout

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Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac
Problems with a key component appear to have slowed Apple Watch's launch. Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch has been in short supply ever since its hype-filled launch, and a new report claims that it’s all the Taptic Engine’s fault.

Defects in the key Apple Watch component were found in the Apple’s supply chain, severely limiting early supplies of the wearable, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

Apple Watch marketing whiz defects to DKNY

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Former Apple Watch Marketing whiz, Hector Muelas. Photo:
Former Apple Watch marketing whiz, Hector Muelas, has jumped ship for the fashion industry. Photo:

Apple poached talent from fashion brands leading up to the Apple Watch launch, but the tables turned this week as Donna Karan International revealed it has sniped some talent from the tech giant.

Apple wants Siri to give you navigation instructions like a human

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Apple Maps instructions might get a lot more 'human' soon.
Apple Maps instructions might get a lot more 'human' soon. Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

Getting direction from a computer sucks, but that could soon change based on a new patent filed by Apple for “Humanized Navigation Instructions for Mapping Applications.

Rather than receiving instructions from an emotion-less robot, Apple’s new patent would make Siri’s turn-by-turn directions sound more like they’re coming from your buddy in the passenger seat by mixing in references to restaurants and landmarks.

Here’s some examples you might here, instead of just being told “in 500 feet, turn right”:

Apple Watch users show off their creativity with custom app layouts

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Apple Watch
Did you know you can customize your Apple Watch app homescreen? Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch is the most personal device you’ll ever use, and it’s not just because you wear it all day.

This is the most customizable Apple product we’ve ever seen. Everything from clock faces to the app homescreen can be tweaked to your personal tastes. Early Apple Watch owners have already come up with a myriad of different ways to change the app homescreen so that it’s just not a giant blob of randomness. Some are a bit crazy, while others are down right brilliant.

Check out out some of the best custom layouts below:

Apple plans to return $200 billion to shareholders by 2017

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Apple profits
Shareholders are getting a huge payday from Apple.
Illustration: Cult of Mac

Along with revealing last quarters monstrous profits, Tim Cook has announced that Apple is increasing its capital buyback program to the tune of $140 billion.

Apple’s Board of Directors have authorized an increase of more than 50 percent to the company’s program to return capital to shareholders. Under the new plans, Apple will give a total of $200 billion in cash back to stock holders by the end of March 2017.

“We believe Apple has a bright future ahead, and the unprecedented size of our capital return program reflects that strong confidence,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While most of our program will focus on buying back shares, we know that the dividend is very important to many of our investors, so we’re raising it for the third time in less than three years.”

You can read the full press release below:

Apple posts monstrous Q2 2015 results with $58 billion in revenue

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Apple raked in the cash last quarter.
The iPhone is still a money printing machine for Apple. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has released the numbers for its Q1 2015 financial results, and they’re monstrous.

Not only did Apple manage to have the second most successful earnings in the company’s history, but it blew past Wall Street’s expectations with a monstrous $58 billion in revenue, leading to $13.6 billion in profits – both of which are records in Q2.

“We are thrilled by the continued strength of iPhone, Mac and the App Store, which drove our best March quarter results ever,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’re seeing a higher rate of people switching to iPhone than we’ve experienced in previous cycles, and we’re off to an exciting start to the June quarter with the launch of Apple Watch.”

Apple shares were trading up about 2% on the day and closed today at $132.65, just under that company’s all-time high. Here’s a closer look at Apple’s impressive numbers:

Liveblog: Apple looks to make history with Q2 2015 earnings call

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Apple earnings are on the way. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple earnings are on the way. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo:

In less than an hour, Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will reveal whether iPhone 6 sales have continued to sail past Wall Street’s expectations. We’ll be on hand to liveblog all the action from the Q2 2015 Apple earnings call.

The results are expected to be monstrous, thanks to strong demand for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus carrying over from last quarter’s historic results. Wall Street is expecting Q2 2015 to be the second-biggest quarter in the history of Apple, with revenue believed to top $56 billion, for 23 percent year-over-year growth.

Apple only needs to sell more than 58.1 million iPhones to make it the second-biggest quarter ever, but what we’re most anxious to hear is whether Tim and Luca drop some Apple Watch numbers on us.

The call begins at 2 p.m. Pacific, but the liveblog action starts now. Keep this tab open and come back throughout the day for coverage and commentary.

Apple Watch Sport has better display than pricier models

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Is Apple Watch demand waning?
Apple Watch already has a ton of apps. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple is pushing into new territory with the Apple Watch, by making it the first device to come from Cupertino that uses an OLED display. One of the reasons Apple’s never brought OLED displays to the iPhone is they’re more challenging to engineer than long-established LCDs.

Apple hasn’t given us too many details about the Apple Watch’s display yet, other than telling us it’s a ‘Flexible Retina Display’ but the team over at DisplayMate have put the new display to the test, and came away with a shocking discovery: Apple Watch Sport has a better display than the Apple Watch Edition.

Apple Watch marathoner shatters personal record

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Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

Former super model Christy Turlington Burns has been counting down the weeks leading up the London Marathon by blogging about her experience training with the Apple Watch.

Burns revealed new details about the Apple Watch leading up to its release, but now that the marathon is over and she’s crossed the finish line, Burns can add awesome another feature to her blog: it helped her break a personal record.