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Mac - page 55

Mac sales take a tumble in second quarter of 2016

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21.5-inch iMacs might be coming soon.
Even Apple can't defy overall sales trends forever.
Photo: Apple

Having long defied the rest of the declining PC industry, Mac sales have finally begun to fall. A new report from Gartner claims Mac sales declined 4.9 percent in this year’s second quarter.

New Mac malware proves you shouldn’t disable Gatekeeper

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Google-Chrome
That's two malware discoveries in one week!
Photo: Google

Yet another strain of malware targeted at Mac users has popped up this week to prove you shouldn’t disable the Gatekeeper feature baked into OS X. “OSX/Keydnap” disguises itself as an innocent text or image file, then installs malicious code onto your Mac.

iOS 10 and macOS Sierra betas are now open to the public

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iPhone SE
Public testers can download iOS 10 now.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple fans who want to get a glimpse of iOS 10 and macOS Sierra before their public release later this fall will finally get the opportunity to install the new software today.

Coming just two days after the release of the second beta of iOS 10 and macOS Sierra to developers, Apple is now letting members of its public beta program install the new software, which debuted last month at WWDC.

Apple unleashes more betas for iOS, OS X and tvOS

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Safari iOS 11
Advertisers aren't keen on the improved Safari in iOS 11.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Developers got an exciting new batch of iOS 10 and macOS betas yesterday, but Apple is still working on new updates for iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan.

Apple seeded the fifth betas of iOS 9.3.3 and OS X 10.11.6 to developers and public testers this morning, along with a new build of tvOS 9.2.2 just for devs.

watchOS 3, macOS Sierra and tvOS 10 get second beta builds

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macOS Sierra is here!
A beautiful new beta is here.
Photo: Apple

Apple is serving up a fresh batch of beta updates for developers today with the release of new versions of tvOS 10, watchOS 3 and macOS Sierra.

The second beta builds of the new operating systems, which were unveiled by Apple at WWDC last month, are now available in Apple’s Developer Center (along with a new iOS 10 beta that brings minor changes to the big software update).

Big, comfy headphones make Mac gaming even better [Reviews]

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Mac accessories 2016
The Siberia 350 heads phones are light and comfortable.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Massive over-ear headphones are the best way to immerse yourself in a video game, whether you’re managing the minutiae of Civilization V, hiding from the xenomorph in Alien Isolation, or blasting your way across multiplayer maps in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Huge sound is a big part of gaming on your Mac, PC or PS4, and these fantastic-sounding and incredibly comfortable Siberia 350 headphones from SteelSeries are the best way to get your game on without sacrificing on comfort.

What is Apple’s most important invention? [Friday Night Fights]

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invention
What's your pick?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Now that all the excitement we had for WWDC has died down, it’s probably time we took a break from iOS 10, macOS Sierra, and all the other things you haven’t been able to avoid over the past couple of weeks. So for this week’s Friday Night Fight, we’re looking at Apple’s history.

We’re focusing on which product has been Apple’s most important throughout the years. Was it the Macintosh that changed personal computing? The iPod that put thousands of songs in your pocket? The iPhone that revolutionized mobile devices?

Join us as we battle it out over Apple’s best ever releases — and which one was most significant!

Today in Apple history: Power Mac G5 goes on sale

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G5 computer
Do you remember the Power Mac G5?
Photo: Apple

Thursday23Sometimes affectionately called the “cheese grater,” the original Power Mac G5 first went on sale on June 23, 2003 — offering what was then Apple’s fastest-ever machine and the world’s first 64-bit personal computer.

Check out the video of Steve Jobs introducing the computer 13 years ago today.

TextEdit app spotted on iPad during WWDC demo

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TextEdit-iPad
TextEdit installed on an iPad.
Photo: Apple

The TextEdit app that ships with every Mac could soon be making its way to iOS. Its icon was spotted on an iPad during a recent demonstration at WWDC, but Apple has made no mention of the app’s release.

Concept brings OLED touch pad to Apple Magic Keyboard

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Martin-Hajek-Keyboard-23
Please, Apple!
Photo: Martin Hajek/Curved

After Apple brings an OLED touch pad to the MacBook Pro later this year, the feature is likely to make its way to other notebooks — and maybe even the Magic Keyboard. This awesome new concept video imagines what that might look like.

Apple to finally step up its AI game by opening Siri up to devs

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Siri won't be restricted anymore.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

We’re all stoked for our first previews of iOS 10 and macOS from WWDC, but according to sources familiar with Apple’s plans, it’s going to be Siri that steals the show.

The virtual assistant is expected to make the leap to the Mac for the first time, and could also open up to third-party apps and services — allowing users to check in for flights, book Uber rides, and do more using only their voice.

Everything to expect from Apple’s jam-packed WWDC 2016 keynote

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WWDC's opening keynote will be at San Francisco's cavernous Bill Graham Auditorium.
WWDC's opening keynote will be at San Francisco's cavernous Bill Graham Auditorium.
Photo: Milo Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s keynote to kick off this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference is going to be huge. So huge, in fact, that Apple already revealed some stuff early because Tim Cook and his Cupertino cronies won’t have time to cover everything during the jam-packed, two-hour event.

While WWDC might seem like a bit of a snoozefest for Apple fans who don’t know anything about Xcode and Swift, the 2016 edition of the annual developer conference should bring lots of new stuff even normals can get hyped about. The WWDC keynote will give us a peek inside the ever-evolving Apple ecosystem — and thus our clearest picture of the future of all Apple products.

This year, all of Apple’s platforms are set to get major updates, as are some of the company’s most popular services, like Siri and Apple Music. Here’s what to watch for during Apple’s keynote, which will kick off WWDC 2016 next Monday morning in San Francisco.

Slack voice calls give you another reason to ditch Skype

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Cult of Mac runs on Slack. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
You can now make calls on Slack.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The popular messaging platform Slack is ready to go from text-only to providing voice calls for teams that use the service to communicate.

Starting today, paying teams using the iOS, Mac and Chrome apps will be able to make group calls, giving you one less reason to keep Skype installed on your Mac.

Retro Apple fan makes 3D miniatures of classic Macs

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Charles Mangin likes them Apples, especially when he can recreate a 3D printed miniature version of his favorite computers.
Charles Mangin likes them Apples, especially when he can recreate a 3D printed miniature version of his favorite computers.
Photo: Charles Mangin

Cult of Mac 2.0 bugApple’s business model is based on the future, but sometimes a fan pines for the machine they had as a kid.

Self-taught hardware hacker and 3D printer artist Charles Mangin happily tries to satisfy those vintage tech longings by recreating pieces of Apple’s past in miniature. He even brings the screens to life — sort of.

Google can now locate your lost iOS devices

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Screen Shot 2016-06-02 at 16.34.39
Thanks, Google!
Photo: Google

So you forgot to activate Find My iPhone when setting up your new iOS device, and now you’ve lost it. Fear not, because thanks to Google, you have a backup service.

Simply type “I lost my phone” into Google Search and you’ll be able to locate all the devices connected to your account.

Apple kicks off back to school promo with big savings on Beats

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Screen Shot 2016-06-02 at 15.07.25
Go back to school with free Beats.
Photo: Apple

Apple today kicked off its latest back to school promotion, offering students big savings on wireless Beats headphones when they purchase a new Mac, iPhone, or iPad.

Eligible customers are also entitled to education pricing, which reduces the cost of their new device.

Apple’s new 5K Thunderbolt Display could have its own GPU

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Apple's Thunderbolt display hasn't been updated since 2011.
Apple's next Thunderbolt Display won't just be super sharp.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new Thunderbolt Display will ship with a built-in GPU that will provide entry-level and older Macs with enough power to drive its super sharp 5K resolution, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans.

Apple will host its WWDC 2016 keynote on June 13

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macbook-pro-wwdc-2016
Apple's WWDC keynote is confirmed!
Photo: Apple

Apple has begun inviting members of the press to its WWDC 2016 keynote on June 13.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. PT in the Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco, and it should deliver our first sneak peeks at iOS 10 and Apple’s next major upgrades for watchOS, tvOS, and OS X.

Is it time for Apple to ditch the MacBook Air? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Isn't the MacBook Air too good to go?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple could be about to kill its most popular notebook. According to reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company is planning to ditch the MacBook Air and add a 13-inch MacBook to its lineup as a replacement.

FNF-bugThe original ultraportable is starting to look a little long in the tooth. Having gone without an update for over a year, it is Apple’s only laptop without a Retina display, a Force Touch trackpad, and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity.

But is it really time to let it go, or does it just need a refresh? Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over whether the MacBook Air has a place in Apple’s future.

Pixelmator for Mac gets a Photos extension, new selection tools

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Pixelmator-Photos
You can now use Pixelmator tools right inside the Photos app.
Photo: Pixelmator

Pixelmator, the incredible image editing app for Mac and iOS, now ships with a useful Photos extension on OS X that allows you to make quick edits to your images without leaving Apple’s app. The latest release also brings new selection tools.

Apple rehires cryptography expert to tighten security 

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apple-store-union-square
Apple is ready to tighten security.
Photo: Milo Kahney/Cult of Mac

Renowned practical cryptography expert Jon Callas is returning to Apple to help the iPhone-maker stay ahead of hackers and the FBI in its on going battle with security. 

Callas co-founded well known secure communications companies such as Silent Circle, Blackphone, and PGP Corp. This will be his third stint at Apple where he is expected to ramp up security features across Apple’s wide ranging product line up.

OS X and tvOS get new beta updates ahead of WWDC

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el-capitan-beta
New El Capitan beta is here.
Photo: Apple

Apple is busting out a fresh batch of beta updates for developers today ahead of next month’s big WWDC announcements.

A new beta for OS X El Capitan had been seeded to developers along with an update for tvOS and iOS 9.3.3 that was released earlier this morning.