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Luke Dormehl - page 204

Pakistani Apple fans sure know how to celebrate a new iPhone

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Pakistani iPhone party
We wish every iPhone was celebrated like this!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The purchase of an iPhone 7 Plus by a Pakistani man triggered an all-out party in Punjab, complete with ad in the local paper and friends turning up to play music at his house.

A video of the iPhone party popped up online, and photos of the ad quickly went viral on social media. Did you and your friends party like this the last time you bought an iPhone?

Apple TV could package HBO, Showtime and Starz as a bundle

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tvOS just got another new update.
Apple wants to offer TV bundles.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly has a new plan for selling TV, with the goal of selling customers a premium TV bundle, grouping together HBO, Showtime, and Starz.

Although Apple TV already offers these channels on their own, bundling them together as part of a package would take Apple one step closer to its goal of being a serious TV player — and making Apple TV a bit more appealing in the process.

Sway, Meganoid 2017, and other awesome apps of the week

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Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Looking to get up to speed on the week’s hottest apps? We’ve got your back!

Whether you’re looking for a great “roguelike” platformer, a meditation app from the makers of Monument Valley, or a much-loved calendar app which has finally landed on iPad, we think you’ll find something to entertain you.

Check out our picks below.

Galaxy S8’s facial recognition can be fooled by a photo

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Galaxy S8 in hand
Galaxy S8's facial recognition is just a bit of fun, apparently.
Photo: Samsung

Facial recognition is one of the myriad new features of the Samsung Galaxy S8, but only one a couple of days after the phone’s announcement, Samsung’s latest security method seems… well, a little bit unsecure.

Already a video has appeared online showing the phone being unlocked with a picture, while according to industry sources it’s a feature that’s designed to be no more than a bit of fun. Because security’s no fun, apparently.

Apple’s Indian App Accelerator is open for business

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Apple supplier is increasing its ability to build masses of iPhones in India
Apple is pushing into the Indian market.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s brand new App Accelerator in Bengaluru, India, is officially open for business!

Plans for the 40,000-square-foot office space were first announced by Tim Cook during his visit to India last year. The App Accelerator’s purpose is to offer guidance, inspiration, tutorials, and feedback to local developers building iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and Mac OS apps.

iPhone returns to Indonesia after one-year absence

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iPhone-7
Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

After an absence of more than a year from Southeast Asia’s largest smartphone market, the iPhone arrives back in Indonesia today with the long-awaited debut of the iPhone 7.

Apple has been unable to sell the previous iPhone 6s, 6s Plus and iPhone SE generation of its handsets after a ruling in the country that all makers of 4G smartphones must have 30 percent of “local content” — meaning hardware, software, or an investment commitment.

iPhone returns to Argentina after 8-year absence

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Something worth singing about!
Photo: Evita, Buena Vista Pictures

The iPhone will start selling widely again in Argentina next month, after a period of 8 years during which it was blocked, due to laws requiring companies that wanted to sell devices to set up local manufacturing facilities.

The move comes as President Mauricio Macri attempts to re-open Argentina to global trade. The laws barring the iPhones from being supported by local carriers carriers Telefonica SA, America Movil SAB and Telecom Argentina SA came into being in 2009, courtesy of President Macri’s predecessor, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

iPad teardown throws shade on ‘brighter screen’ claim

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ipad
Apple's new iPad is cheaper, but maybe not necessarily brighter?
Photo: Apple

Update: “We put the new iPad through more tests,” iFixit notes. “The display on the iPad 5 has ~44% greater luminance than the LCD in the Air 1.” Well, we guess that answers that!

Apple claims that its latest iPad boasts a “brighter 9.7-inch Retina display” than its predecessors.

However, our friends over at iFixit call that claim into question with their teardown of the device — which prompts them to ask, “Brighter than what?”

Total Android app revenue could surpass iOS this year

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The Apple brand is the big difference.
Numbers are tipping in Android's direction. Kind of.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The iOS App Store is expected to remain the most lucrative app store around for at least the next five years, but according to a new report Google Play and various third-party Android stores are likely to overtake it in total revenue as early as this year.

The insight comes from app analysis company App Annie, which suggests that total worldwide mobile app store downloads will exceed 352 billion in 2021, while gross consumer spend across all app stores will surpass $139 billion.

Apple’s new Swiss lab will help start the robot uprising

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Robot
Apple is hiring robotics researchers.
Photo: Scott Schaut/Mansfield Memorial Museum

Apple is reportedly on a hiring spree for robotics and computer vision researchers to work at a supposed new R&D lab in Switzerland.

According to a new report, Apple has already hired around ten postdoc and doctoral students from ETH Zurich, a science, technology, engineering and math university in Zürich.

Does Apple trademark filing mean PowerBook is coming back?

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PowerBook 150
Apple's iconic pre-MacBook laptop brand might be making a comeback. Maybe.
Photo: Dana Sibera/Wikipedia CC

A couple of news outlets are flipping their lid over the news that Apple has filed a new worldwide trademark for the word “PowerBook,” the name of Apple’s pre-MacBook laptop series, which ran from 1991 until 2006.

The suggestion is that this could mean that Apple’s bringing back its iconic laptop brand name, either as a replacement for, or to run alongside, the MacBook series. We’re not so sure!

Despite Apple clash, Trump tweets from new iPhone

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Yeah, we're pretty incredulous about your ideas, too, Mr. Trump.
President Trump is tweeting using an iPhone.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

Despite clashing with Apple multiple times, and even calling for a boycott of its devices, President Donald Trump has reportedly been using a new iPhone “for the past couple of weeks” on Twitter.

The news was revealed in a tweet (how else?) by Dan Scavino Jr., Trump’s director of social media.

‘iPhone Edition’ could have rear-facing Touch ID sensor

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iphone 8 concept
Is this what the new iPhone will look like?
Photo: iDropNews

A (somewhat sketchy) new report claims that the tenth anniversary iPhone, commonly referred to as the iPhone 8, will instead by called the iPhone Edition.

In addition, it suggests that the major form factor redesign that’s been reported on may turn out to be less drastic than some are imagining — although changes will include features like a rear-mounted Touch ID sensor.

Tim Cook’s secret weapon for job interviews? Silence

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LOVELOUD
Tim Cook's not a chatty chap, apparently.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Steve Jobs could be pretty forthright, even abrasive, in interviews with prospective new employees. Tim Cook, on the other hand? It’s all about the power of silence.

In a new interview to promote her book Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, former Apple and Google employee Kim Scott reveals what it’s like to interview with Apple’s CEO — and how she was saved from talking herself out of a job.

Will this company provide iPhone 3D sensors?

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Apple digital viewfinder patent
Big things are coming to the iPhone camera sensor apparently.
Photo: Apple

Rumors that Apple’s next iPhone will come with 3D sensing tech have caused shares in component maker Himax Technologies to shoot up 56 percent this year.

A recent report suggested that the 3D sensing tech will be used to give the next-gen iPhone augmented reality features, capable of changing the depth in photos or isolating certain image elements within it. Another possible use-case will allow users to use AR to put virtual effects and objects onto a person.

Facebook ‘borrows’ from Snapchat for latest iOS app update

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Facebook
Facebook wants to muscle in on that Snapchat action!
Photo: Apple

Facebook is the latest company to jump on the Snapchat-inspired fun photo and videos sharing bandwagon, with an update to iOS app rolling out a new camera with special effects, among other features.

To access the feature, users simply have to tap the camera icon on the top left corner of the standard Facebook app, or else swipe right from News Feed.

Facebook hires former iMac lead designer to work on VR

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VR may be happening soon, and Apple might want to jump in.
Can Oculus borrow some of Apple's magic?
Photo: Sergey Galyonkin/Wikipedia CC

Facebook has reportedly hired a 15-year Apple veteran to head up its Oculus VR division’s hardware team.

Michael Hillman worked on multiple major projects at Apple, including as lead designer with the iMac team. At Facebook he’s being charged with helping to take the company’s virtual reality mainstream.

Apple’s supply chain gets a bit more humane

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Screen Shot 2017-03-27 at 16.18.28
Apple is becoming a "force for good" in the world.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s worked hard to improve its supply chain condition in 2016, with a special focus on improving working conditions and protecting the planet.

In doing so, the company claims it “raises the bar higher for its suppliers and the industry.” Check out some of the highlights below.

iPhone 8’s A11 chip enters mass production next month

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Apple chips are getting EMI shielding.
The A11 is on its way!
Photo: Apple

Apple manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is set to begin volume production of Apple’s next-gen A11 chips next month, with the goal of producing 50 million chips before July.

The chips will be used for the next-gen iPhones, which are likely to make their debut in September. The A11 chips will reportedly be built using a 10 nanometer FinFET process.

iPad bomb plot blamed for tablet ban on flights

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Emirates
Emirates is one of the airlines affected by the ban.
Photo: Emirates

A plot in which explosives were hidden in a fake iPad is one cause of a U.S. and U.K. ban of laptops, tablets and other large electronics on flights from 10 international airports throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

The (thankfully foiled) previously-undisclosed plot is apparently not the sole cause of the ban, but is one notable example that highlights how such devices could be stowed onto aircraft.

Family upset that Apple won’t unlock dead son’s iPad

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iPad Pro doesn't have the latest Touch ID, but it doesn't matter.
Apple faces an ethical dilemma with the family's request.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A family whose deceased 18-year-old son left his last wishes on his personal iPad have criticized Apple for not unlocking the device for them.

Liam Wright from the U.K. died of bone cancer in December. He reportedly recorded his last wishes on his iPad because he found it too difficult to have the conversation with his family.

Apple claims Beats 1 is world’s ‘biggest radio station’

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It's not just you, Beats 1 Radio is down
Beats 1 is pretty darn big, according to Apple.
Photo: Apple

Beats 1 is the “biggest radio station in the world,” claims Apple Music’s head of content Larry Jackson.

“There’s no way you’re going to find another station that has as many concurrent listeners and audience-wise as Beats 1, period,” Jackson said in a new interview with various Apple Music execs.

Death Road to Canada, and other awesome apps of the week

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Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend everyone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Somehow it’s the weekend again already, and to help you celebrate we’ve combed through the week’s best apps to help you sort the wheat from the chaff.

Whether it’s a great retro-style zombie game or a superb productivity app gone free you’re looking for, we’re confident we’ve got what you’re hankering after!

Check out our list below.