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iPhone - page 160

Apple may be testing iPhone tech that’s 100 times faster than Wi-Fi

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bump transfer
Apple was awarded a patent for bump transfer of data between iPhones.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The next iPhone you get may come with super-fast data speeds that are 100 times faster than Wi-Fi. Based on references found in iOS 9.1’s code, it appears that Apple is testing Li-Fi capabilities on the iPhone that use light pulses instead of radio waves to transmit data.

Hidden inside iOS 9’s system library cache file there’s a specific mention of “LifiCapability.” The reference was first spotted by 19 year-old developer Chase Fromm on Twitter:

Hand-cranked iPhone battery case puts you in charge

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Dead battery? Get cranking with the AMPWare case.
Dead battery? Get cranking with the AMPWare case.
Photo: AMPWare

Now more than ever, we are able to manage our anxiety over a dead iPhone battery. There are plenty external power banks and battery cases on the market, but even those need to be charged.

The AMPWare Case revives a dead battery much like your great grandfather started his horseless buggy – with a hand crank.

Apple investigates iPhone 6s models not correctly reporting battery life

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Apple is investigating battery issues for the iPhone 6s.
Apple is investigating battery issues for the iPhone 6s.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

If you have an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus that’s not properly showing how much battery you have left, there’s good news and bad news. Bad news first? Apple doesn’t exactly know what’s causing the problem. Good news: They’re looking into it, and there’s a temporary fix.

The future of driving tech and the nifty new features coming to iOS 9.3, on The CultCast

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In the not-so-distant future, car drives YOU!
In the not-so-distant future, car drives YOU!
Illustration: GraphicaArtis/Getty Images

This week on The CultCast: super-sized drones, app-controlled robot bartenders, smart coffee mugs and the coolest of gadgets from CES 2016. Plus, don’t miss our picks for the absolutely, positively, you-should-install-them-today, most essential Mac and iOS apps.

Our thanks to Harry’s for supporting this episode. Harry’s super-sharp, German-made razors ship free right to your door and for way less than drugstore razors. Learn more at Harrys.com and save $5 off your first order with code CultCast.

iPhone 7 concept is a blast from Apple’s past

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Screen Shot 2016-01-14 at 13.51.58
Your next iPhone?
Photo: Arthur Reis

The iPhone 6s is only four months old, but Apple watchers already are looking to the future and imagining what delights the iPhone 7 may hold in store.

A new concept design created mixes the present iPhone 6s design with a curvaceous back piece straight out of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3Gs era, complete with beautifully rounded edges. Check out a concept video below.

What iPhone 6s ads designed in MacPaint would look like

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What would ads for iPhone look like if it came out in 1985?
What would ads for iPhone look like if it came out in 1985?
Photo: Apple

Apple’s marketing team creates gorgeous ads that show every minuscule detail of new iPhones, but what would the images look like if they were produced using the original Macintosh and MacPaint?

Some redditor with way too much time on his or her hands decided to dig out an old Mac and find out, and the results are actually pretty fantastic.

Triple-whammy Bluetooth keyboard connects to 3 devices flawlessly

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Logitech triple threat keyboard
The magic buttons on this Logitech keyboard make connecting to three different devices as simple as 1, 2, 3.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard by Logitech

Not one, not two, but three devices, all commanded by a single keyboard.

Three Bluetooth presets on one thoughtfully designed, battery operated, portable input device.

I’ve been using the Logitech K380 for a little while and I still can’t get my head around why someone would need to hook up a keyboard to three different devices at the same time. However, if you do, this keyboard is a no-brainer.

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.

What the modern web looks like on an original iPhone

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Nine years later, the original iPhone is still pretty great at rendering the modern web...  except when it isn't.
Nine years later, the original iPhone is still pretty great at rendering the modern web... except when it isn't.
Photo: Medium

When Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone nine years ago this month, he made a big point about iOS Safari, the first desktop-class mobile browser. He said — and proceeded to prove — that Mobile Safari could render the web with no compromises.

But that was a decade ago. The web’s moved on. So how does today’s web look on an original iPhone?

Spotify’s new ‘Behind the Lyrics’ playlists decipher your favorite songs

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Rap Genius is partnering with Spotify.
Rap Genius is partnering with Spotify.
Photo: Spotify

Understanding what your favorite rapper is saying is finally going to get a lot easer, if you’re a Spotify user.

Spotify revealed a new feature going out to users, starting today, that allows you to look a song’s lyrics, as well as the meaning behind them. Songs will be compiled into a weekly ‘Behind the Lyris’ playlist that utilizes Genius’ collection of rhyme translations.

What notifications look like when you’re famous on Instagram

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Instagram
Instagram's user base just keeps growing.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Ever wonder what life would be like if you were Instafamous with millions of followers blasting your pics with likes?

Seeing your feed blow up with thousands of likes moments after posting is usually reserved for people named Kardashian, but that’s just another day in the office for the creator of the Instagram profile 433. The football feed has amassed over 8 million followers thanks to its fantastic curation of the most epic football content on the web.

Demy de Zeeuw uploaded a video showing what an iPhone’s push notifications look like when you have that many eyeballs eager to double-tap your pics right after posting.

Watch the push notifications pile up:

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.

One of the best camera glass companies is finally making iPhone lenses

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ExoLens, which partnered with ZEISS for a pro line of iPhone lenses last year, will soon offer a protective case for the iPhone 7 to accommodate the lenses.
ExoLens, which partnered with ZEISS for a pro line of iPhone lenses last year, will soon offer a protective case for the iPhone 7 to accommodate the lenses.
Photo: ExoLens

Zeiss has been known for decades as one of the finest lensmakers for DSLRS and other cameras, but in 2016 the company is going small, with its first-ever lineup of lenses created just for the iPhone.

The first set of external lenses for the iPhone 6s include a telephoto, a wide-angle, and zoomable macro option that are poised to become one of the best options available for iPhotographers once they’re finally available in mid-2016.

Video pokes at iPhone and drunks who shouldn’t have ‘nice things’

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The iPhone D, pre-cracked and still with you when you wake up hungover.
The iPhone D, pre-cracked and still with you when you wake up hungover.
Photo: Above Average/YouTube

Rumors abound about a second-generation Apple Watch and a future iPhone without headphone jacks. Now comes news of an iPhone D — “the iPhone for drunk assholes.”

If that did not immediately register as a joke, you are probably someone who needs an iPhone D. The troupe behind YouTube comedy channel Above Average imagines a world where Apple actually cares whether you drop your phone in the toilet or drunk-dial an ex-girlfriend.

The best gadgets of CES plus essential apps for your Mac and iDevices, on The CultCast

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The $300,000 personal drone, for the hard to shop for 1-percenter in your life.
The $300,000 personal drone, for the hard to shop for 1-percenter in your life.
Photo: AOL

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage This week on Cult of Mac’ podcast: Super-sized drones, app-controlled robot bartenders, smart coffee mugs and the coolest of gadgets from CES 2016. Plus, don’t miss our picks for the absolutely, positively, you-should-install-them-today, most essential Mac and iOS apps.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to build a website that looks beautiful on any device at Squarespace.com. Enter offer code “CultCast” at checkout to get 10 percent off.

Apple needs something spectacular in 2016 — but what?

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fnf_720
Friday Night Fights is back!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 is here, and so far, it hasn’t been good to Apple.

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2Just this week, the Cupertino company saw its stock price fall below $100 for the first time since 2014 amid countless reports that iPhone demand is weakening at a rapid pace. Apple needs to do something, but what?

Should it address falling iPhone sales first and focus on making iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus the best smartphones money can buy? Should it put more effort into making iPad the tablet it once was? Or is it time for something new?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we battle it out over all this and more!

Pro Tip: How to sync iMessages across your devices

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Make sure you get your iMessages no matter where you are.
Make sure you get your iMessages no matter where you are.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre

Pro Tip Cult of Mac bug I’ve always loved being able to pick up an iMessage conversation that I started on my iPhone right on my Mac, and vice versa.

Unfortunately, I’ve been having an iMessage issue for the last few months — I can have conversations via Messages on my Mac and conversations via Messages on my iPhone, but my iMessages have stopped synchronizing across my devices.

Ampy battery pack uses body movement to recharge iPhone

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You can now jog your iPhone back to full power.
You can now jog your iPhone back to full power.
Photo: Ampy

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage LAS VEGAS — Your body is an amazing energy creation machine but you’re not even using it to its full potential. All the walking, running, biking and other movements you make throughout the day all create kinetic energy, and now you can finally harness it to charge the most important gadgets in your life with Ampy.

Ampy is a wearable battery pack that can be charged via USB, but its superpower is the ability to recharge using motion thanks to a couple of magnets that bounce up and down inside coils. One hour of moderate exercise (jogging or riding a bike) will add up to five hours of standby battery life to your iPhone, or about 1 hour of regular usage. It’s not something you’ll want to use everyday, but it’s perfect for when you’re going on a hike, or experience a power outage.

The device comes with a strap and carrying band so you can place it on your arm or leg depending on what exercises you’re doing. It features a curved profile, making it a great fit for jean pockets, jackets, or anything other object that moves a lot. Priced at $100 the device comes with an accompanying iOS app so you can track how much power you’re generating. A slimmer, more power efficient model is on the way later this year.

BeastGrip transforms your iPhone into a pro camera rig

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BeastGrip lets you attach pretty much anything to your iPhone.
BeastGrip lets you attach pretty much anything to your iPhone.
Photo: BeastGrip

The iPhone camera is great at photos and videos, but if you want to take your shots to the next level, you need some extra gear. BeastGrip is the easy-to-use solution that enables photogs to attach all sorts of components like stabilizers, mics, lights, and DSLR lenses to the iPhone to make a custom, pro-quality camera rig.

Every aspect of BeastGrip’s modular system can be expanded to fit practically any piece of photography hardware you throw at it. Whether you’re shooting on an iPhone, Android, or Windows device, simply loosen some screws, slide in a new segment, and you’re ready to capture professional quality video from your smartphone.

Flexibility is BeatGrip’s biggest selling point. The body alone costs $115, but you can also buy a kit with the company’s DOF adapter that lets you mount Canon or Nikon DSLR lenses to your iPhone, giving you much better depth-of-field for really unique camera phone shots.

iPhone 7 will be waterproof, charge wirelessly and have no headphone jack

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iPhone-7-concept
An iPhone 7 concept gets rid of the ugly antenna lines too.
Photo: Eric Huismann

The upcoming iPhone 7 is almost certainly ditching the headphone jack at this point. What at first seemed like a ridiculous stretch is now shaping up to be the most credible rumor about the next-gen iPhone so far.

The latest whispers indicate that, while the headphone jack is out, wireless charging and a waterproof design are finally in.

Will Apple turn around its fortunes in 2017?

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fnf-1-780x390
Are you predicting big things from Apple next year?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 has not exactly been a spectacular year for Apple. There have been some nice highlights, like major changes to the MacBook Pro lineup and the wildly successful AirPods, but it hasn’t really been a year to remember for fans or investors.

Friday Night Fights bugWill 2017 be different? We know the next-generation iPhone will be big, but does Apple have more up its sleeve that will help turn around its fortunes and make the next year a spectacular one?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over Apple in 2017.

Wireless charging system gets cool new magnetic audio gadgets

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Stack even more awesome on your iPhone with these audio accessories.
Stack even more awesome on your iPhone with these audio accessories.
Photo: Stacked

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage Stacked, the wireless charging case that charges your iPhone with a series of stackable power banks, is expanding it’s line of useful, connected devices to help simplify your life and fill it with music.

The company is showing off it’s two new audio accessories at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week in Las Vegas. The Audio Dock and Boost Speaker connect to your iPhone via the magnetic system of the Stacked power case, reducing wires and making sure you never forget your external speaker at work again.