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Luke Dormehl - page 249

Criminals use fake IDs to buy $16,000 of Apple devices

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The iPhone isn't ditching LCD screens.
"Yes, I'd like to buy $16k worth of iPhones please."
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Two New York criminals managed to buy $16,000 worth of iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches using fake driver’s licenses and credit cards, before their purchases were flagged as being suspicious.

Jorge Escotto, 23, and Joshua Gonzales, 25, were arrested and charged with identity theft and receiving stolen property after the spending spree — much of which appears to have taken place in Verizon stores.

Tim Cook: White House should be against software ‘backdoors’

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Tim Cook
Tim Cook thinks the government needs to be strong in its pro-encryption message.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Tim Cook reportedly hit out during a meeting of White House officials with tech leaders in San Jose last week, slating the White House for its lack of leadership and insisting that the Obama administration should issue a strong public statement defending anti-encryption software.

Steve Jobs’ former college to offer undergrad computer science degree

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The Two Steves team up to create the Apple-1. Photo: Turner Network Television
Liberal arts training with a computer science degree? That's like the ultimate Jobs/Wozniak mix.
Photo: Pirates of Silicon Valley/Turner Network Television

There’s no shortage of people in Silicon Valley wanting to connect themselves in some way to Steve Jobs, whether it’s driving the same type of car as Apple’s late CEO, or rocking the same John Lennon glasses.

Now Reed College, the liberal arts school Jobs famously dropped out of, is planning to offer its first undergraduate degree program in computer science — courtesy of a special grant from … Microsoft?

Romantic thief will steal your heart and Apple Watch

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Apple Watch
You'd better Watch out!
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

We’re used to hearing about iPhone thefts to the point that one method for measuring interest in Apple launches is to see whether or not there’s an appropriately-timed spike in muggings around launch day.

But with the Apple Watch still finding its way in the world, we haven’t yet heard too many stories about thefts of Apple’s debut wearable device. Until now, that is!

All the big Apple analysts are predicting iPhone sales decline

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iPhone 6s
Ain't that just the way that sales go down, down, down, down.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has never reported a decline in iPhone sales. That may be about to change, however, with seven top Apple analysts all predicting that the company is either experiencing — or on the verge of experiencing — a drop in the number of iPhones being bought.

iOS 9.3 brings all-new 3D Touch shortcuts

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iphone-6s-3d-touch-780x414
3D Touch is becoming more indispensable.
Photo: Apple

3D Touch gets a big boost in iOS 9.3, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system.

On top of the various other “what to expect” features we’ve told you about, the iOS update, which arrived yesterday, also adds a host of new shortcuts you can use from the home screen for all standard pre-installed apps. Check out our list below.

iPod gets new lease on life as ATM PIN stealer

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iPod nano
Crime doesn't Apple Pay.
Photo: Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Looking for a way to put your existing iPod to good use? How about a career in crime?

Police in Manchester, U.K., have issued a warning to local using ATMs, after a cash machine was discovered fitted with a converted iPod rigged to record footage of customers’ PIN numbers, while also trapping their bank cards.

Real-e? Apple’s new 4-inch smartphone to be named ‘iPhone 5e’

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f0f42019a0d94329ad929ca5377c8235
The real name of Apple's upcoming 4-inch handset?
Photo: MyDrivers

It seems that most people agree that Apple has plans to release a 4-inch iPhone in the not-too-distant future. What no-one, it seems, can agree on is what Apple will call said handset.

So far the name we’ve heard most often has been the iPhone 6c. Now a new report coming out of China suggests that this will be the first of a whole new range of iPhones — with its proper title rumored to be the iPhone 5e.

More software woes? Apple doesn’t know how many people use News app

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Apple News app
iOS 9's News app is the latest Apple software to take a beating.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

iOS 9’s News app may be decent enough at aggregating news, but it’s less good at successfully estimating the number of users who actually use it on a regular basis.

According to Senior VP Eddy Cue, Apple has been significantly underestimating the number of readers who have used News since its launch — and has passed this inaccurate information onto publishers.

Steve Jobs ‘flop’ bags two Golden Globe awards

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Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs.
Cheer up, Steve. You won!
Photo: Universal Pictures

Steve Jobs picked up Golden Globes for “Best Screenplay” and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role,” but lost out on the “Best Actor” and “Best Original Score” prizes at last night’s star-studded Hollywood event.

“I’m usually better at words,” said screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, claiming his award. “You can perform surgery on me. I’m so stunned by what’s happened.”

Steve Jobs picks up three prestigious movie award nominations

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Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs movie is coming to Netflix
It may have failed at the box office, but Steve Jobs is racking up award nominations.
Photo: François Duhamel/©2015 Universal Studios

Surprise box office bomb Steve Jobs has racked up yet more award nominations in the form of three BAFTA awards, a.k.a. the U.K.’s most respected film prize.

Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle’s controversial movie picked up nominations in the Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Actor categories.

Apple COO Jeff Williams talks child labor, improving healthcare

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The man described by Fortune as
Jeff Williams wants to save the world.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

With innovations like HealthKit and ResearchKit, Apple has been making big strides into healthcare in the past couple of years. In a new interview with Conversations with Health Care, Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams talks about Apple’s belief in the “democratization” of medicine, among other topics.

This $25,000 Apple Watch clone is completely mechanical

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Look familiar?
Photo: H. Moser

With Jony Ive being a self-proclaimed mechanical watch fan, it’s fascinating to see how the Apple Watch design language borrowed elements from traditional Swiss watches — and now how Swiss watches are starting to resemble the Apple Watch.

Luxury watchmaker H. Moser & Cie’s is the closest yet, looking virtually identical to Apple’s smartwatch with its rectangular chassis, crown, band, and even 38mm size. It’s name? The Apple Alp Watch. We’re not even kidding.

Walt Mossberg: Apple should fix its software in 2016

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walt-mossberg-steve-jobs
Walt Mossberg speaking with Steve Jobs back in the day.
Photo: Joi Ito/Flickr CC

Walt Mossberg was Steve Jobs’ favorite critic, and has long been one of the most respected Apple analysts out there — with some people even arguing that he can be too forgiving when it comes to Cupertino’s mistakes.

But in a new article about what tech companies should do to improve in 2016, Mossberg has no problem taking aim at something a lot of people view as Apple’s big weakness right now: its software.

Customers spend record $1.1 billion in the App Store over Christmas

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App Store icon
The App Store was a massive success over the holiday season.
Photo: PhotoAtelier/Flickr CC

Apple had a record-breaking holiday season for the App Store, with customers spending over $1.1 billion on apps and in-app purchases in the two weeks culminating on January 3.

The first day of 2016 alone accounted for more than $144 million — smashing the previous one-day record, which was set just one week earlier on Christmas day.

Foxconn takes unusual break from iPhone production

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Foxconn employees accused of $43 million iPhone scam
Tim Cook meeting an iPhone manufacturer in China.
Photo: Apple

iPhone manufacturer Foxconn is taking the unusual step of cutting the hours of employees building Apple handsets during the upcoming weeklong Lunar New Year holiday next February.

The planned slowdown follows reports that Apple is cutting orders for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus by up to 30 percent, which is causing investors to hammer Apple stock.