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Google Chrome for Mac is finally kinder on battery life

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Google-Chrome
It's now possible to bypass certain paywalls.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The latest Chrome update for Mac is finally kinder on battery life, thanks to a new processor throttling feature.

Google has taken steps to minimize the power impact from things you cannot see, which leads to 25 percent fewer “busy background tabs.”

Apple stands with Google in new fight against FBI

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FBI director says Feds still can't unlock iPhone in Pensacola shooting case
FBI director says Feds still can't unlock iPhone in Pensacola shooting case
Photo: Dave Newman/Flickr CC

Apple, Amazon, Cisco, and Microsoft are supporting Google in a new fight against the FBI.

The technology giants filed an amicus brief in Pennsylvania this week after a court ruled that Google must hand over emails in response to an FBI search warrant.

Google’s Uptime app lets you enjoy YouTube with friends

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Uptime-app
YouTube is better with friends.
Photo: Uptime

The latest iPhone app from Google lets you enjoy YouTube videos with your friends no matter where they are.

Uptime, designed by the company’s Area 120 startup incubator, is a group messaging client that allows you to share, watch, and talk about your favorite clips in real time.

WikiLeaks vows to share CIA ‘cyberweapons’ so tech firms can fix holes

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Wikileaks'
Wikileaks' "Vault 7" data dump allegedly reveals CIA hacking tools used to compromise iPhones, Android phones and other devices.
Image: Gordon Johnson/Pixabay

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has vowed to give technology firms like Apple access to the CIA’s “cyberweapons” arsenal so they can develop fixes that make our devices more secure.

Earlier this week, thousands of leaked documents and files revealed the full extent of the CIA’s cyber attacks on smartphones, computers and even smart TVs. WikiLeaks says the spy agency has lost control of it all in a “historic act of devastating incompetence.”

The lengthy process Apple uses to teach Siri new languages

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you’ve ever tried to learn a new language, you’ll know it’s a hard and incredibly time-consuming process. It’s not much easier for virtual assistants like Siri.

Here are the mind-blowing steps Apple goes through to teach Siri new languages and dialects that help it stay one step ahead of the competition.

Famous jailbreaker says WikiLeaks CIA dump is overhyped

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The CIA has been hoarding zero day exploits.
The CIA has been hoarding zero day exploits.
Photo: US Gov.

WikiLeak’s trove of CIA cyber documents is being hyped as one of the biggest leaks since Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the NSA. But according to one of the world’s top jailbreakers, you shouldn’t believe the hype.

Cyber security expert Will Strafach, who gained notoriety under the name Chronic for finding zero-day exploits used for jailbreaking, says iOS users don’t need to be worried.

WikiLeaks: CIA lost control of its iPhone hacking arsenal

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Wikileaks'
Wikileaks' "Vault 7" data dump allegedly reveals CIA hacking tools used to compromise iPhones, Android phones and other devices.
Image: Gordon Johnson/Pixabay

The Central Intelligence Agency has been using malware to spy on iPhone and Android users, according to the largest-ever publication of confidential documents from WikiLeaks — and the spy tools are now in the hands of others.

As part of a covert hacking program, the CIA created a “malware arsenal” and dozens of “zero day exploits” to infiltrate smartphones, tablets and even smart TVs to extract data and turn them into covert microphones.

But the agency recently lost controls of these tools. Those who have obtained them now have “the entire hacking capacity of the CIA” at their disposal, according to WikiLeaks.

Patent troll’s $533 million win against Apple gets reversed

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Apple adds 5 new vice presidents to its executive lineup
Apple's legal problems just got a big lighter.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s long-standing legal battle with patent troll Smartflash is finally nearing an end.

A previous jury verdict from 2015 that required Apple to pay $533 million to Smartflash was thrown out by a federal appeals court today. The lawsuit between the two companies has been ongoing since 2013, after Smartflash accused Apple’s iTunes software of infringing on its data storage patents.

YouTube is launching a TV streaming service for $35 a month

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YouTube wants to takeover your TV.
YouTube wants to takeover your TV.
Photo: YouTube

Cord cutters just got another option for getting their TV fix over the internet.

Google-owned YouTube revealed today that is launching a new streaming TV service that will offer customers a bundle of channels from broadcast and cable networks for $35. But it might not come with all the channels you want.

Cloudbleed bug may have exposed your passwords

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Another nasty internet bug may have exposed your data.
Another nasty internet bug may have exposed your data.
Photo: Cloudflare

Get ready to change all your passwords again.

A huge new memory leak from web services company Cloudflare may have left data from thousands of domains exposed, including some very high-profile sites. Cloudflare says it fixed the problem, which was caused by a bug known as Cloudbleed, but not before users’ sensitive data got cached by search engines.

Apple’s A.I. hub in Seattle is about to get a lot bigger

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Siri needs better machine learning skills.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple plans to deepen its roots in Microsoft’s backyard by expanding operations at its Seattle center that specializes in AI and machine learning technology.

Details about the new Seattle hub were shared by Apple in a recent interview that also announced the iPhone-maker has created a $1 million endowed professorship in artificial intelligence at the University of Washington.

Google’s iPhone keyboard gets voice dictation, more languages

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gboard
Gboard just got even better.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Google’s awesome Gboard keyboard for iPhone finally supports voice dictation. The feature is powered by Google’s own voice recognition technology, and you can access it quickly by holding down the space bar.

This update also brings new emoji, Google Doodles, and support for 15 additional languages.

YouTube is killing 30-second unskippable ads

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youtube-iphone-6
YouTube's most annoying feature is going.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Google has confirmed plans to scrap 30-second unskippable ads on YouTube in 2018.

The clips, which users are forced to watch before their chosen video, are seen as a nuisance to viewers. Google will instead focus on “formats that work well for both users and advertisers.”

New Tom Hanks movie The Circle imagines world where Apple is evil

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The Circle looks a lot like Apple's spaceship.
The Circle looks a lot like Apple's spaceship.
Photo: STX Entertainment

Ever wonder what would happen if Tim Cook decided to go evil and use everyone’s iPhone data for nefarious purposes?

That’s basically the plot of Tom Hanks’ new movie, The Circle, which is set at an infinite-loop-shaped campus in Silicon Valley where everything looks absolutely perfect from the outside (just like Apple).

Google tops Apple to become world’s most valuable brand

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Under CEO Sundar Pichai, Google is betting big on AI.
Under CEO Sundar Pichai, Google is betting big on AI.
Photo: Google

Apple’s five year reign as the world’s most valuable brand has come to an end. For now.

Even though the iPhone-maker reported historic revenues and profits during its Q1 2017 earnings call yesterday, Google has supplanted Apple in the latest brand rankings.

Google Maps for iOS shows how busy local stores are in real-time

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GoogleMaps
It's now even easier to avoid a crowd.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Google Maps for iOS has a great feature that lets you view “popular times” for local business, and with its latest update, those times are refreshed live. In addition, Maps can now detect addresses copied to your iOS clipboard.

Chrome OS tablets plan to punch iPad in the aluminums

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samsung-chromebook-pro-plus2
Samsung's Chromebook Pro is the closest thing to a Chrome OS tablet so far.
Photo: Samsung

iPad sales might be falling, but Apple’s tablet still outsells Android-powered rivals. Google hopes to change that by launching new Chrome OS slates that have the ability to run Android apps.

iOS 11 expected to bring FaceTime group calls

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FaceTime
Is FaceTime getting a big upgrade this fall?
Photo: Apple

iOS 11 will finally give users the ability to hold FaceTime group calls with multiple friends, according to a new report.

Sources familiar with Apple’s plans claim the feature will support up to five participants, and that users will be able to initiate video calling from within iMessage group chats.

Former employee explains how Tim Cook made Apple boring

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LOVELOUD
Tim Cook wants to keep peace at Apple.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Tim Cook’s kinder, gentler management style is the biggest reason why 2016 was one of the most boring years for Apple in recent memory, according to a former employee of the company.

Steve Jobs was notorious for inciting conflict and competition between top employees, which him a controversial leader but also birthed some of the most iconic tech products ever (iMac, iPod and iPhone). After Cook took over, he worked to eliminate conflict within Cupertino’s walls and made employees less passionate, claims ex-Apple employee Bob Burrough.

Why the rumor that Apple will launch AR glasses in 2017 is ridiculous

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This guy claims Apple's AR headset is nearly ready.
This guy claims Apple's AR headset is nearly ready.
Photo: Robert Scoble

It’s one of the more ridiculous rumors we’ve heard in a while: Apple is teaming up with Zeiss to create augmented-reality glasses that will be unveiled later this year, according to long-time tech blogger Robert Scoble.

Don’t believe him.

Android creator plans new device to challenge iPhone

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Galaxy Note 7
Samsung and other Android smartphone makers are about to get some new competition.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Former Google VP Andy Rubin is in talks with carriers about selling a new smartphone he has created with his startup, Essential.

Rubin left Google two years ago after creating Android and the leading the team behind it for eight years. Now that he’s had time away from the search giant, Rubin is planning to take on the iPhone and Android handsets with a new type of smartphone that specializes in artificial intelligence.

From tiny innovations to big brawls, this is how Apple rolled in 2016

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Thank Jobs, 2016 is finally over!
Thank Jobs, 2016 is finally over!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac 2016 sent Apple for a wild ride full of fantastic new products, crazy controversies and tons of extra drama with its rivals.

Tim Cook and his colleagues probably can’t wait to jump into 2017. But before we start looking toward Apple’s future, let’s take a quick look back at all the stories that made 2016 a year Apple fans will never forget.