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Latest Siri exploit is super-specific (and avoidable)

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Siri
It's possible for Siri to be too helpful.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Siri might be a (halfway) decent digital assistant, but Apple’s AI helper makes for a lousy security guard.

We’ve heard about a bunch of “sneaky” ways that evildoers can use Siri to get access to your photos, contacts or completely unlock your phone without entering a passcode or using Touch ID. Luckily, most of these “security problems” are bogus, but a newly discovered one is for real.

The good news, however, is that this Siri exploit only affects certain iPhone models and is completely preventable.

New iPhone 7 concepts have vastly different takes on the future

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iPhone vision Next iPhone 7 concepts
Some iPhone 7 concepts are more likely for realization than others.
Photo: Marek Weidlich

Now that Apple has ruined all of our fun by showing us what the iPhone SE looks like, we can go back to obsessing over iPhone 7 concepts. We have two new ones for you to check out; one of them seems way more likely than the other, but they’re equally fun.

We’re sure these won’t be the last iPhone 7 concepts we’ll see before we get our first look at the new hotness later this year, but these ones are interesting because they take different approaches to their designs.

iPhone SE only costs Apple $160 to build

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iPhone SE
A new iPhone SE could be coming soon.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

When it comes to building iPhones, it really pays to use old parts.

The iPhone SE only costs Apple about $160 to build and assemble, based on the latest findings from an IHS teardown that discovered one the display, Apple cut costs down to less than half by using the same four-inch screen found on the iPhone 5s.

Amazon CEO teases top-of-the-line Kindle coming next week

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Amazon is on fire.
Jeff Bezos hopes the new Kindle is not like the Fire Phone.
Photo: Amazon

Looking for a new tablet but don’t need all the whiz-bang features that come with Apple’s pricey new iPad Pro?

Amazon may have just what you need when it reveals the 8th-generation Kindle next week. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos teased the new tablet on Twitter today, giving readers a heads-up on something wonderful coming their way.

iPhone SE is more bendy and breakable than iPhone 6s

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The iPhone SE bends easier than the iPhone 6s.
The iPhone SE bends easier than the iPhone 6s.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone SE may have the brains of the iPhone 6s, but not the brawn.

It took only 160 pounds of force to bend the iPhone SE’s frame in a new durability test pitting Apple’s tiny new iPhone against the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The new 4-inch iPhone stands up well fairly well against the iPhone 6s Plus, but it gets wrecked in SquareTrade’s tests, while the iPhone 6s takes a beating and still looks great.

Which fliers to search? There’s a $1.4 million app for that

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iPad Pro
An iPad will be used to help determine your fate at the airport.
Photo: Leander Kahney / Cult of Mac

Whether it’s airlines dropping flight manuals for iPads or iBeacons being used at airports, the aviation industry isn’t shy about embracing Apple products.

But it seems the Transportation Security Administration has yet another use in mind: It spent $1.4 million on a TSA iPad app to determine which passengers to randomly search when they’re about to board a flight.

2016 iPhone shipments may fall well below expectations

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iPhone 6 Plus_8
Apple's iPhone shipments may slip below 200 million this year.
Photo: Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

According to well-connected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is likely to disappoint on its total number of iPhone shipments this year — with numbers set to fall below 200 million, compared with 232 million handsets last year.

Siri will no longer be stumped by your baseball queries

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MLB
Siri's new upgrade is a home run for MLB fans.
Photo: Andrei Niemimäki/Flickr CC

Just in time for Apple’s new multiyear deal with Major League Baseball, Siri can answer whatever baseball questions you have, thanks to newly implemented knowledge covering 29 baseball leagues. Apple’s AI helper also now boasts a deep understanding of hardball history, based on stats dating back to the start of baseball records.

HP is convinced its new laptop will be a MacBook-beater

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12-inch MacBook
HP is desperate to out-Apple Apple.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but a rival tech company is invoking Apple’s name when it comes to claiming its latest products are going to be the greatest yet created.

This time it’s HP, which is set to unveil a new notebook this week that many predict will be even slimmer than Apple’s ultra-thin MacBook.

“For years, Apple has been seen as the innovator and the driver of innovation,” said Ron Coughlin, president of HP’s personal systems group. “HP is really taking over that mantle.”

4K drone video shows how far Apple’s ‘spaceship’ campus has come

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Apple Campus 2 Screen Shot 2011-08-14 at 5.35.53 PM
Apple's spaceship campus is looking almost ready to take off.
Photo: Norman Foster/Apple

Apple celebrated its 40th birthday on Friday, and what better symbol is there to show Apple’s progress over four decades than a glimpse at the company’s gorgeous, James Bond supervillain-scale HQ?

New aerial drone footage offers a 4K tour of how the enormous “spaceship” campus is coming together, complete with stunning comparisons between the site now and last year.

Check it out below:

Apple’s surge into India may have just hit a roadblock

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Apple supplier is increasing its ability to build masses of iPhones in India
Apple's plans to import used iPhones to India is meeting with opposition.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s plan to grow its market in India by selling imported used iPhones is running into problems.

In particular, Apple is being opposed by rival handset makers who worry that letting Apple do this will severely damage initiatives to promote local manufacturing, hurt recycling — and (last but certainly not least) damage their own businesses of selling cheap phones.

Rebus Zone, Snapchat v2, and other awesome apps of the week

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Awesome-Apps-of-the-Week1
Which apps made our list this week?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

It’s another lazy Sunday, which means that it’s time to unwind in your favorite chair with a sampling of the week’s finest apps. And, boy, have we got a fine selection for you!

Whether you’re after Nintendo’s first mobile title; a game which will keep your brain working as it entertains you; or a major update for everyone’s favorite self-destructing messaging app, we’ve combed through the week’s offerings to bring you the essential downloads.

Check out our picks below:

We talk iPhone 7s features and Tesla’s Model 3 on The CultCast

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Tesla
This Model 3 could have carried an Apple logo one day.
Photo: Tesla

This week on Cult of Mac’s: Rumors point to an iPhone 7s with a drastic redesign, facial recognition and the return of the glass front and back. Plus: Folks around the world line up for the Tesla Model 3; Apple is making a show about apps hosted by technology expert musician Will.i.am; why the new iPad Pro is not a notebook replacement for the masses; and, in a bizarre plot twist, Apple seeks FBI’s iPhone unlocking secrets.

Our thanks to Freshbooks for supporting this episode. FreshBooks is the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small-business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster. It also makes tax time a cinch. Get started now with a 30-day free trial.

40 years of Apple, unboxing new goodies, and tons of how-tos

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Apple turns 40 this week, and we couldn't be prouder.
Apple turns 40 this week, and we couldn't be prouder.
Cover Design: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is 40 years old today, and its journey from scrappy indie to world-conquering behemoth is the stuff of anecdote, history, and even legend.

Get the scoop on this significant anniversary for our favorite company, a look at the latest iPhone SE and iPad Pro models (and learn how to set them up the right way), along with a roundup of all the cool Apple TV tricks and some quick tips on how to keep Facebook’s mobile app from draining your iPhone’s battery.

All this (and much, much more) in this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine.

Here are this week’s top stories:

iPhone SE proves size doesn’t matter [Reviews]

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iPhone SE
Two new iPhone SE models for 2020?
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

I forgot how good it feels to hold 4 inches of magic in my hands.

Spending the past year and a half with the luxurious 5.5-inch screen of the iPhone 6 Plus and 6s nearly convinced me that bigger really is better. But after using the iPhone SE, I’m starting to rethink everything I love about iPhone.

The moment I clasped the iPhone SE it was like reconnecting with an ex-lover. Everything is familiar and yet it has somehow improved in nearly every single way. I’ve been re-captivated by its beauty, brains, and brawn all over again, even though on the outside, it looks like such a boring device.

How can an iPhone that looks so old feel so right?

Steve Jobs wouldn’t care how old Apple is today

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Steve_Jobs_2007
Tim Cook was as shocked by Jobs' death as anyone else. Maybe more.
Photo: Ben Stanfield/Flickr CC

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs wasn’t the most sentimental person ever, and we’ve just found more evidence to back that up.

It comes in an anecdote from a former product manager who was around 10 years ago for the company’s 30th birthday. And his dream of a huge celebration of the milestone earned him a healthy does of terse, Jobsian smackdown.

Apple engineers admit iPhone will never be ‘unbreakable’

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iPhone will never be 100 percent hacker-proof.
iPhone will never be 100 percent hacker-proof.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

Getting to a point where absolutely no one can hack into your iPhone will be practically impossible, according to Apple engineers who admit no company writes perfect code.

Apple has been criticized by national security officials for making it harder for law enforcement to access much needed information on locked iPhones to solve cases. Now that the FBI has figured out a way to hack the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone the debate has cooled down, but Apple engineers say they want the FBI to divulge their method, for the sake of security.

Has Apple become boring in its middle age? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Well... are you?!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is 40 years old today. In that time, the Cupertino company has delivered some incredible products and services, and revolutionized smartphones, tablets, and music players. But is it boring now?

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2Some say Apple’s innovation has stalled in recent years, and it has become too predictable. The surprises we used to see during its big keynotes no longer show up, and despite its secrecy, you can almost predict its product roadmap for the next year.

Are those claims harsh? Is Apple really past its best, or will it deliver groundbreaking new products again that can shake up the consumer technology industry?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we fight over Apple at 40.

LOL: April Fools’ Day pranks that are actually funny

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lol-april-fools-day-pranks-that-are-actually-funny-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604Zuckerberg-HM-jpg
Zuckerberg's new H&M collection.
Photo: H&M
That's Snoop Dogg... churning out code for YouTube. Photo: YouTube
That’s Snoop Dogg… churning out code for YouTube. Photo: YouTube

For most of us, April Fools’ Day is an abomination. It’s like watching your dad crack terrible jokes at a party. But unlike your dad, some tech companies have perfected the art of the April Fools’ prank and come up with some pretty spectacular ones.

Here are some of the best that have made us LOL today.

Here’s how Steve Jobs answered a question about government snooping in 1981

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TV screen grab of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dressed in a suit and with a full beard
Check out the hipster beard on Steve!
Photo: ABC

Apple turns 40 today and, while a lot has changed since the company’s early days, it seems that questions about government snooping have not.

ABC News today released footage from a vintage interview in which a very young Steve Jobs debates computers on a 1981 episode of Nightline.

In addition to trotting out his “bicycle for the mind” metaphor, Jobs also talks about how best to stop the government from snooping on your computer, a topic that seems very timely in the aftermath of Apple’s battle with the FBI.

Check out the Steve Jobs interview below.

Joke’s on Google after April Fools’ prank backfires

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jokes-on-google-after-april-fools-prank-backfires-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604Minion-Mic-Drop-gif
Gmail "Mic Drop" didn't go down as well as Google hoped.
GIF: Giphy
Gmail "Mic Drop" didn't go down as well as Google hoped. GIF: Giphy
Gmail “Mic Drop” didn’t go down as well as Google hoped. GIF: Giphy

One of Google’s April Fools’ Day pranks was so unpopular with users that the company was forced to pull it just hours after it rolled out.

The Gmail stunt, which automatically inserted a “mic drop” GIF into users’ emails as they were sent, was greeted by a torrent of complaints and labeled inappropriate.

Walmart slashes $100+ off Apple and Samsung phones

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walmart-slashes-100-off-iphone-and-galaxy-phones-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604store-front-night_129860898494412686-jpg
Walmart has a good offer for phone buyers.
Photo: Walmart
Walmart has a good offer for phone buyers. Photo: Walmart
Walmart has a good offer for phone buyers. Photo: Walmart

If you’re looking to get your hands on Apple’s brand new 4-inch iPhone SE or a powerhouse Samsung Galaxy S7, Walmart has an offer for you!

Starting today, customers can save $150 off all Samsung phones and $100 on all in-stock iPhones (including older, larger models).

Taylor Swift channels Drake in new Apple Music ad

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Make sure you show off the Beats.
Make sure you show off the Beats.
Photo: Apple

Taylor Swift hates doing cardio! The latest ad for Apple Music pits the singer against one of the most ferocious machines in the gym: the dread treadmill.

It’s Swift’s first appearance in an Apple ad, and it also reveals that the country-turned-pop star has a soft spot for hip-hop icons Drake and Future. She says her hilarious ad is “based on real events” that reveal her alien talent for rapping and keeping on beat no matter what happens.

Watch Tee Sweezy drop the bars below:

Heartless Kanye has Apple Music fling behind Tidal’s back

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Kanye
Kanye West showing off his snazzy Apple Watch Edition.
Photo: Justjared

Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo album has arrived on Apple Music — making something of a mockery of Mr. Kim Kardashian’s claim last month that the album would “never never never be on Apple.”

We guess by “never” he meant “you’ll have to wait six more weeks.”