Buster Hein - page 41

PC shipments are finally back on the rise

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MacBook butterfly keyboard
A new petition accuses the MacBook 'butterfly' keyboard of failing when a single speck gets in the wrong place.
Photo: Apple

Worldwide personal computer shipments are finally making a comeback after a six-year slump in sales.

The latest report from Gartner estimates that during the second quarter of 2018 PC shipments finally grew year-over-year for the first time since the first quarter of 2012. With 1.4% overall growth for the market, PC makers have a lot to be happy about, and Apple’s shipment numbers were some of the best in the bunch.

National Geographic turns top 2018 travel photos into iPhone-friendly wallpapers

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humpback whale
A humpback whale calf spotted off the coast of Japan.
Photo: REIKO TAKAHASHI

Some of the best photos from National Geographic’s travel photographers of the year are now available as free wallpapers for iPhone, iPad and Mac. The collection includes images from a wide range of photographers. They’ve been divided into categories for nature, cities and people so you’re bound to find a few that catch your fancy.

Check out some of our favorites:

Apple axes beloved 2015 MacBook Pro

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MacBook Pro
The 2015 MacBook Pro is dead.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

MacBook Pro fans that want a variety of port connections are officially out of options.

Along with releasing new MacBook Pro models this morning, Apple discontinued the 2015 MacBook Pro which was the last notebook to offer more than just expandable Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Apple back-to-school promo means free Beats for students

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Beats promo
Beats and MacBooks Pros are a great combo.
Photo: Apple

Apple is back with a new back to school promotion that hooks students up with free or discounted pair of Beats headphones.

The 2018 promo is pretty similar to last year’s deal. Only instead of only being available in North America initially, this year Apple launched it simultaneously in the US, Mexico, Canada, EU and Asian countries.

General Magic trailer gives peek into one of Silicon Valley’s most influential startups

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0CC94C75-E155-4BEC-BA3B-4D2051B913FD
The smartphone that never was.
Photo: Spellbound Productions

The documentary about the most important tech company you’ve never heard of is nearly ready to hit the big screen.

General Magic, a ‘90s startup created by some of the best minds at Apple, is getting the documentary treatment it deserves and the trailer is finally here.

Check it out:

New Mac mini and cheaper MacBook might finally land this fall

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Mac Mini
A new Mac Mini is finally on the way!
Photo: Apple

Apple is preparing to unleash some huge upgrades across its entire product line this fall, according to one of the most reliable analysts in the game.

Mac fans hoping for upgrades will be pleased to hear that the long-neglected Mac mini and iMac are set to get some much-needed updates, based on analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s latest report. And most of Apple’s other products are going to get some love this fall, too.

Sonos speakers just got smarter with AirPlay 2 upgrade

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Sonos supports AirPlay2
Sonos speakers connect to over 80 streaming services.
Photo: Sonos

Sonos is opening its speakers to a new world of listening experiences today with the addition of AirPlay 2.

The smart speaker company teased AirPlay 2 support last month during the introduction of its Beam speaker. Now, just over a month after Apple added AirPlay 2 as part of iOS 11.4, Sonos is the first third-party speaker company to dive head first into the new tech. And the company added a few tricks your HomePod can’t match.

Instagram gets more conversational with Question Stickers

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Instagram lawsuit
Instagram is beefing up Stories with loads of new features.
Photo: Pixabay

Striking up a conversation on Instagram just became as easy as slapping a sticker on your Story.

Instagram revealed today that it has added a new feature called Question Stickers that gives users a new way to ask and receive questions from followers so you can get more acquainted with each other.

1Password shoots down report of Apple acquisition

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1Password
Apple isn't buying 1Password.
Photo: AgileBits

One of the biggest password managers for iOS and Mac will not be acquired by Apple, despite rumors to the contrary.

1Password issued a response this morning to a report that Apple is in talks to acquire it saying the rumor is “completely false.” AgileBits, the developer studio behind 1Password, has been independent since its inception and the firm says it plans to remain so indefinitely.

Artist re-creates Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’ video on vintage Mac

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This Is America recreation
Donald Glover looks even cooler in pixel form.
Photo: Wahyu Ichwandardi

Donald Glover’s video for “This Is America” is one of most talked-about music videos of the year, but one brilliant animator is adding an extra dose of old-school cool by painstakingly re-creating it on a vintage Mac and software from the ’80s.

New York City illustrator Wahyu Ichwandardi (aka @pinot) is animating the entire “This Is America” video pixel by pixel. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but he’s currently 375 frames deep — and it looks incredible.

Watch the first minute of the video:

Crazy GIF shows how iPhone X may pave the way for Apple Glasses

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smart glasses
Will smart glasses replace iPhone as our main communication device?
Photo: uMake

The iPhone X’s ugly notch could pave the way for Apple to dominate the smart glasses market.

Augmented reality glasses are poised to become the hottest tech gadget of the next decade and Apple’s already laying the foundation with the iPhone X. It may not seem like the two will be directly related, but this clever concept shows how the key lays in the TrueDepth camera hidden in the notch.

Check it out:

Drake’s new album shatters every Apple Music record

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Streaming services like Apple Music dominate the US music market
ChampagnePapi is the king of Apple Music.
Photo: Apple

Drake’s new album Scorpion may not have been well received by all his fans, but that hasn’t stopped it from destroying pretty much every record on Apple Music.

Scorption launched last Friday and quickly became the fastest growing album ever on Apple Music’s chart. Its rise was so meteoric that it became the number one album in 92 different countries almost instantaneously. And Apple didn’t even spam promotions for it like Spotify did.

iOS 12 beta 3 arrives with more detailed Maps data

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Apple Maps
Big changes are coming behind the scenes at Apple Maps.
Photo: Apple

Developers received an early 4th of July present from Apple today in the form of banging batch of new betas for iOS 12, watchOS 5 and tvOS 12.

The third beta for iOS 12 arrives two weeks after Apple seeded the last software update to developers that contained a number of UI tweaks and performance enhancements. iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV all received some software loving from Apple today, but it looks like the next macOS Mojave beta is still baking.

iOS concept brings Touch Bar to the iPhone

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TouchBar concept
TouchBar on iOS doesn't make much sense.
Photo: Eyad Murshid

Apple’s Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro hasn’t been as big a hit as the company would have wished for, but it could make a comeback at an unlikely location: the iPhone.

A concept artist has imagined what it would look like if Apple brought the Touch Bar to iOS and while it may seem like an odd fit at first, it actually might be pretty useful.

Check it out:

Microsoft plans to take on iPhone with folding dual screen Surface

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Microsoft Andromeda
Microsoft's pocketable device might look something like this.
Photo: David Breyer

The iPhone might be about to get some fresh competition from Apple’s oldest rival in the tech scene.

Microsoft has reportedly been working on a mysterious new Surface device codenamed Andromeda. The device has supposedly been in development for the last two years and features a dual-display design that can fold to fit into your pocket.

Instagram now lets you add music soundtracks to Stories

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Instagram stories
Instagram Stories are getting more musical.
Photo: Instagram

Great music can turn crappy videos into a killer video and starting today, Instagram wants to make it way easier for you to up your music game on Instagram Stories.

Adding a soundtrack to Instagram Stories just got as easy as adding a sticker, GIF, or location. The app is rolling out an update today that gives users in 6 countries the ability to choose from thousands of licensed songs to put attach to your videos or photos.