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Buster Hein - page 155

Destroy your foes in Vainglory, the epic game Apple used to showcase iPhone 6

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Vainglory take
Vainglory takes iPhone 6 graphics to a new level. Photo: Super Evil Megacorp

Super Evil Megacorp stole the show during Apple’s iPhone 6 keynote in September thanks to ‘Scarf Guy’ and the kick-ass MOBA he was demoing called Vainglory. Now they’re ready to steal your afternoon by making their highly anticipated game available in the U.S.

We’ve been dying to enter the battle of Vainglory ever since we got our first look behind the scenes of the game, and now after months of waiting, the online battle that’s designed to push your iPhone 6 to its graphical limit is finally ready for all the destruction you and your foes can handle.

Meet Marc Newson’s gorgeous Beretta boomstick

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beretta-newson2

Marc Newson is tag-teaming design at Apple now with Jony Ive, but that’s not stopping him from working part-time on some incredible part-time projects. We saw Newson redesign the beer keg, now he’s taking aim at redesigning Berretta’s classic shotgun.

Berretta unveiled Newson’s redesign of its 486 shotgun at an event last night in London. The boomstick has been updated with a 21st century design, adding a new opening lever design to go with the intricate engravings.

Take a look:

Crystal Baller: iPad Pro problems, web-based Apple Maps, and other wild rumors

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crysalballer1

We get slammed 24/7 with new Apple rumors. Some are accurate, most are not. To give you a clue about what’s really coming out of Cupertino in the future, we’re busting out our rumor debunker each week to blow up the nonsense.

The Apple rumor mill is going into hibernation mode over the winter, but that’s not stopping a few juicy bits from leaking out. This week we’ve got rumors of Apple Maps coming to the web, the giant iPad facing production problems, and the first batch of Apple Watch orders.

Step up to our crystal ball and see which rumors are likely to come true in 2015.


MacBook orchestra steals the spotlight in Microsoft’s latest ad

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Skype's latest ad is all about the Mac. Photo: Microsoft
Skype's latest ad is all about the Mac. Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft’s been doing a stellar job promoting Apple lately, securing placement of its “iPad-like tablets” on CNN and the NFL. But it looks like Redmond has decided to give up and start pushing Apple products.

Microsoft published an ad on Facebook today that highlighted Skype’s ability to keep people in sync, but the real headliner is a huge orchestra of MacBooks — and there’s not a PC in sight.

The ad features a photo of a conductor in New York City’s Bryant Park, surrounded by an array of 11 MacBooks connected to the city’s celebrated subway musicians. Microsoft’s ad comes with the tagline, “The world’s first digital orchestra stays in sync with Skype,” but it looks like the MacBooks and iPhones (as well as the musicians using them) steal the show.

Watch the MacBook orchestra’s performance below.

iPhone 8 concept fast-forwards fanboys to 2018

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Photo: Steel Drake/Behance
Will the iPhone look like this by 2017? Photo: Steel Drake/Behance

Pre-orders for the iPhone 6 began just over two months ago, but I’m already looking forward to shelling out cash for the iPhone 8 now that Steel Drake published this glass unibody iPhone concept.

The design keeps its familiar form factor but wraps the bottom and top edges with a glass display. Given Apple’s success rate with Sapphire glass, making this thing might not be conceivable until 2018, but there’s still plenty of time for Jony to make it happen. The designer decided to swap out the rear aluminum shell with a stiffening plate on the sides. The finished look is simple, a little curvy, and drop dead gorgeous.

Check it out:

FTC presses Apple on protections for HealthKit data

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Apple's reputation as a mobile health company is growing. Photo: Apple
FTC wants to know who sees your Health data Photo: Apple

Apple’s HealthKit app for iOS 8 is great at capturing and storing personal health data from tons of sources, but according to a Reuters report, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission wants to know what it plans to do with all of it.

The FTC has reportedly met with from, seeking assurances that sensitive health data scooped up by the Apple Watch and other apps won’t be used without users’ permissions.

Sony will stream the best of cable to your iPad by 2015

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playstation-vue
Playstation Vue is bringing cable TV to the iPad. Photo: Sony

Sony announced its plans to replace your cable box today with its new Playstation Vue cloud-based TV service, that offers live access to 75 of cable’s best channels, without a monthly contract. And it’s coming to iPad too.

The invite-only TV service that’s designed to replace cable will begin to roll out in November to beta testers on the Playstation 4 and PS3, but Sony says it plans to bring Vue to ‘non-Sony devices’ like the iPad, at some point in 2015.

Fantastic photo-editing app VSCO Cam is finally available on iPad

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Together at last. VSCO now works on iPhone and iPad. Photo: VSCO
Together at last. VSCO now works on iPhone and iPad. Photo: VSCO

When it comes to photo-editing apps on the iPhone, VSCO Cam has pretty much been the gold standard for the last few years. But to make the experience even better, the app is finally coming to the iPad.

VSCO 4.0 was released today with a redesigned look just for the iPad. Previously, iPhotogs could use the popular photo editor/social network on their iPads as a blown-up iPhone app, but the fresh design and new features will make you want to ditch your iPhone altogether. Take a look:

12 design secrets spilled by Jony Ive

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The world's most famous designer, Jony Ive. Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

Jony Ive made a rare public appearance at the Design Museum in London yesterday, where he discussed a range of topics with museum director Deyan Sudjic. Everything from the future of design, to Jony’s work at Apple popped up in the conversation, but the most intriguing parts where the insights into Jony’s design process.

Sir Jonathan told hopeful designers that great design requires you to reject reason and comes with an enormous amount of failure, but he also shared some insights on how he’s become so successful as Apple’s Senior VP of Design.

Here are 12 secrets for designers Jony spilled last night:

Apple’s giant iPad could face display production issues

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The iPad Pro could delay the iPad Air, cancel the iPad mini.
The iPad Pro screen could be nearly as big as your MacBook's Photo: CURVED
Photo: CURVED

Apple’s gigantic 12.9-inch ‘iPad Pro’ could be facing serious production issues, according to top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who believes the tablet won’t enter mass production until the second quarter of 2015.

In a note to investors this afternoon, the KGI Securities analyst revealed that his sources say Apple will use an oxide display panel on the iPad Pro for a higher resolution, better color saturation, and quicker response, but putting that type of screen on the iPad Pro will take more time.

Apple to build flagship store in historic L.A. district

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The Broadway Trade Center in LA, circa 1920. Photo: Army Arch/FlickR
The Broadway Trade Center in LA, circa 1920. Photo: Army Arch/FlickR

Apple is looking to open a flagship store in downtown Los Angeles’ historic Broadway Trade Center, reports the Downtown LA Examiner, which claims its heard whispers that Cupertino plans to invade the massive building that nearly occupies an entire city block.

The Broadway Trade Center building was recently purchased by New York real estate firm Waterbridge Capitol earlier this year for around $130 million, but it the company may have already scored its first tenant.

Turn Notification Center into a game with this fun iOS 8 widget

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Untitled 3

Apple’s introduction of widgets in iOS 8 has already created some great new tools for iPhone users, but if you’d like to add a little fun to your Notification Center, Overglide has a widget adds a widget to the boring place where you usually just get calendar and email notifications.

Overglide for iOS 8 turns your Notification Center into a game by embedding its simple paper airplane game into the Today pane, giving you instant gaming access no matter what app you’re in.

Beats drops new Solo2 wireless headphones

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Photo: Beats
The Beats Solo2 headphones are now wireless. Photo: Beats
Photo: Beats

Beats Electronics today announced it’s releasing its first new headphones since officially Apple-owned company earlier this year. The new headphones are an updated version of the Solo2 headphones, that brings wireless capabilities to the popular headphones, so you’re no longer tethered to your iPhone when kicking out the jams.

How Apple avoids paying taxes on iTunes revenue

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iTunes is down!. Photo:
Apple paid nearly zero taxes on iTunes in Europe. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s tax tactics in Ireland have landed the company in Congress’ hot seat this year, but another European nation has also helped Apple wiggle its way out of paying massive taxes on its iTunes revenues.

Apple reportedly took advantage of Luxembourg’s complex and corporation-friendly taxation system to get out of paying taxes on its iTunes revenue in Europe. The country has a 29% corporate tax rate, but after negotiating a deal, Apple paid only $25 million in taxes out of the $2.05 billion in iTunes revenue. Apple’s not the only American company exploiting Luxembourg’s tax laws either, with some companies paying less than 1% of revenue.

Here’s how Apple avoids paying nearly all taxes in Europe:

Chinese programmer installs Windows 95 on iPhone 6

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The iPhone 6 now runs Windows 95. Photo: XYQ058775
The iPhone 6 now runs Windows 95. Photo: XYQ058775

The iPhone 6 is the best smartphone Apple’s ever created, but for those that think iOS is starting to look a little old and dated, a Chinese programmer has figured out how to install an entirely new operating system over iOS. Unfortunately, it’s Windows 95.

Chinese programmer xyq058775 posted the picture above as proof that he finagled Microsoft’s ancient OS onto the enormous display of the iPhone 6. To pull off the trick, the programmer used a tool called iDos, which simulates the 16-bit DOS environment.

Everything worked great, he says, except he discovered he couldn’t upgrade to Windows XP. If you’d like to take the plunge on your iPhone, you can grab the full instructions from his post (as long as you can read Chinese).

Via: Techcrunch

Instagram finallay let’s you fixx typoes

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Clear your search history to start fresh.
Instagram typos are finally a thing of the past. Photo: Instagram
Photo: Instagram

Few things on Instagram are more embarrassing than a horrific typo right in the middle of your caption, but starting today Instagram is finally going to let sloppy texters like myself go back and edit captions.

The new Instagram 6.2 update was announced by the company this morning and along with giving Grammers the ability to fix their blunders, the app also added some new features to the Explore page as well.

iOS ‘Masque Attack’ vulnerability could be more dangerous than WireLurker

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Thought WireLurker was bad? Wait till you meet Masque Attack. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Thought WireLurker was bad? Wait till you meet Masque Attack. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Less than a week after WireLurker shocked the iOS community with its vulnerability, a new malware threat has been discovered that could be even more dangerous.

The FireEye mobile security research team announced today that they’ve discovered a new iOS malware threat called Masque Attack that mimics and replaces the legitimate apps on your iPhone with decoy apps that steal your personal information.

Masque Attacks are so lethally, they can replace your banking and email apps without you realizing it. The attack works by prompting you to install a fake update to a popular app like Flappy Bird, while secretly replacing your Gmail or banking app with a trojan horse masquerading as the real deal, only it’s designed to suck away all the personal data you feed it.

Here’s a video demo of how the attack works:

How to create killer GIFs on your Mac in 60 seconds

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Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

I love animated GIFs. As far as I’m concerned, they’re the greatest gift God ever bestowed upon the Internet.

While most Mac users probably think making them requires Photoshop and some superior skills, creating GIFs can be dead-easy for your Mom to do, as long as you know which tools to use. 

In fact, iOS 8 has made communicating solely through GIFs easier than ever thanks to third-party keyboards. With just a couple apps and some browser extensions, you can become a GIFmaster in no time and blow your friends away with your arsenal of GIFs.

Here’s how to create your own GIFs in minutes on your Mac.

Court docs reveal how Apple treats its suppliers (badly)

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GT Advanced
Back entrance to GTAT's sapphire plant in Mesa, AZ. Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Apple and its former sapphire supplier GT Advanced Technologies have stayed quiet about their disastrous relationship, but newly unsealed court documents reveal that the two companies never had a chance of making things work.

Judge Henry Boroff ordered the sealed documents to be opened on Tuesday, and one of the affidavits from GTAT CEO Daniel Squiller claims Apple used a “bait-and-switch” strategy that was massively one-sided. When GTAT balked at Apple’s terms, execs were told to stop trying to negotiate and “put on your big boy pants and accept the agreement.”

United Airlines gives Newark terminal $120 million iPad makeover

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United Airlines is going all-in on the iPad. Photo: United Airlines
United Airlines is going all-in on the iPad. Photo: United Airlines

Newark International Airport is renounced for its habitually tardy flights, but in an effort to woo (and distract) flyers, United Airlines announced today that it’s planning to give its main terminal an iPad makeover.

The airline is investing $120 million into a upgrade of its main terminal at Newark, which consistently ranks as one of the worst airports in the country, despite being the 14th most busy. To spruce up the terminal, United plans to rollout iPads and other tech flourishes that have become an expectation among fliers now.

Crystal Baller: Fireproof Macs, Apple Watch pricing, and 5 other wild rumors

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crysalballer

We get slammed 24/7 with new Apple rumors. Some are accurate, most are not. To give you a clue about what’s really coming out of Cupertino in the future, we’re busting out our rumor debunker each week to blow up the nonsense.

After staying quiet the past few weeks, the Apple rumor mill is erupting like Mt Kilauea with hot rumors about the Apple Watch’s possible launch date, gossip of the iPad mini getting discontinued, and our first iPhone 7 rumors of the year. Step up to the crystal ball and see which of these rumors are the real deal, and which are just pretenders.


Oddball USB stick offers infinite iPhone storage

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iBridge gives your iPhone extra storage. Photo: Leef
iBridge gives your iPhone extra storage. Photo: Leef

Slo-mo videos have become my favorite new thing to shoot with the iPhone 6 Plus now that Apple added the ability to spit out gorgeous vids at 240 FPS, but my slo-mo addiction comes at a heavy cost: storage space.

The best smartphone camera in the world doesn’t mean jack if your 16GB iPhone can’t hold another 30 second video, so the guys at Leef have come up with a brilliant solution to ensure you never run out of room for all your video. It’s called the iBridge, and while it might look an ordinary USB-stick, it has the extraordinary ability to add storage to both your iPhone and Mac.

Aaron Sorkin says Hollywood could make 10 more Steve Jobs movies

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Seth Rogen and Christian Bale as Jobs and Woz. Photo: GadgetLove
Seth Rogen and Christian Bale as Jobs and Woz. Photo: GadgetLove

Aaron Sorkin was tapped by Sony to write the ultimate Steve Jobs movie, but the Oscar winning screenwriter says despite tons of other movies and books written about Jobs, Hollywood could make 10 more Steve Jobs movies and they’d all be worth watching.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Sorkin discussed his relationship with the Apple co-founder, revealing that Steve actually tried to recruit Sorkin to help write a Pixar movie, and another time Steve hooked him up with an pre-released MacBook Pro because Sorkin told the media he’s written everything on a Mac.

Sorkin says he and Steve only talked three times, one of which was to help him fix a couple typos in his famous Stanford commencement speech from 2005, but Sorkin says the message and the words were 100% Steve.

Watch the full interview below: