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News - page 1034

Shotgun-wielding mom dishes out Southern justice to an iPhone

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bullseye_fullsize_b
Surviving gunshots? There's no app for that.
Photo: BAT - ZenTa Channel Z/Cult of Mac

Confiscating your kids’ mobile phones not enough of a punishment? Well, if you’re like one Southern mom there’s always the option of shooting up their iPhone with a shotgun to really make your point!

“I hereby denounce the effects that social media have on my children,” the woman says at the beginning of a video, which was uploaded to YouTube over the weekend.

The ensuing iPhone execution would bring tears to the eyes of poor Jony Ive.

Even moving Apple’s cash pile home won’t halt E.U. tax investigation

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money
Apple can't do anything in the face of E.U. investigation.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Even bringing Apple’s sizable cash pile back to the U.S. wouldn’t stop the E.U. from investigating the company’s Irish tax arrangements, claims E.U. competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager.

“Whether or not Apple wants to repatriate part of their un-repatriated profits is purely up to Apple and is of no concern [to] our case work,” she told reporters after a recent meeting in the U.S. with the Obama administration.

iPhone 5c hackers think they’re close to cracking iPhone 6

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iPhone hack
The iPhone 6 is much tougher to hack than the iPhone 5c.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Israeli tech firm Cellebrite, a.k.a. the mobile forensics firm which helped the FBI hack the iPhone 5c at the center of the San Bernardino shooting case, is reportedly “optimistic” about hacking the more secure iPhone 6.

The story in this instance involves an Italian father, Leonardo Fabbretti, wanting to access the iPhone photos, notes and messages belonging to his adopted son Dama, who passed away from bone cancer last September at the age of 13.

Kobe Bryant’s Apple TV ad is genuinely hilarious

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Screen Shot 2016-04-11 at 09.19.49
One of Apple's funniest ad pairings in years?
Photo: Apple

Apple dropped a new ad for its fourth-generation Apple TV over the weekend, and it’s actually hilarious!

Called “Father Time,” the ad features Lakers player Kobe Bryant and actor Michael B. Jordan (of Chronicle and Creed fame) as they bicker while showing off Apple TV’s smart Siri Remote and App Store. Check it out below.

Disqus, GarageBand, and other awesome apps of the week

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What are the week's top apps?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Is there a better way to spend Sunday than by checking out the latest apps to grace the App Store over the past seven days?

This week I’ve chosen to focus less on games than productivity apps (although there’s a neat Reddit client thrown in for good measure!) From a great custom keyboard to a full-to-bursting update for GarageBand, check out our picks for apps of the week below.

The pivotal moments in Apple’s 40-year history, this week on The CultCast

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It's a
It's a "thousand songs in your pocket..."
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: We look into the past at some of the most pivotal moments in Apple’s 40-year history. Plus: Why the iPhone 7 Plus may be your only choice for dual cameras; what it’s like downsizing from the iPhone 6s to the SE; and we pitch our favorite new tech and vote on which is best in an all-new Faves N Raves!

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

iPhone SE and iPad Pro reviews, iPhone storage tips and more

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All the great new gear is here!
All the great new gear is here!
Cover Design: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The new iPhone SE is small but powerful and the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is as satisfying a tablet as ever.

These two great new Apple products get their moment in the spotlight as we bring you iPhone SE and iPad Pro reviews in this week’s digital magazine.

Plus, we’ve got a ton of how-tos like finding hidden Facebook messages and freeing up precious iPhone space, more hardware reviews, and a bunch of news about our favorite company.

Head on down to see this week’s top stories, and be sure to check out your own copy of Cult of Mac Magazine this week.

Turn your iPad into a control center for your Mac with Quadro

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Control your Mac (or PC) from your iOS device with this slick new system.
Control your Mac (or PC) from your iOS device with this slick new system.
Photo: Quadro

I just used my iPad to control my MacBook Pro. I watched a video on YouTube, did some image manipulation with Lightroom and edited an essay in Microsoft Word, all without touching my laptop.

Sounds like something you’d expect with a screen sharing app, but Quadro makes it even simpler with a new iOS app that will let you connect to and control your Mac or PC with a grid of commands that look like something out of Star Trek.

Check out the video below to see how it works.

Should Android makers really be worried about iPhone SE? [Friday Night Fights]

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iPhone SE is nicely priced at $399, but it's still not cheap.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone SE is finally starting to sell out after making its official debut last week, greeted by glowing reviews from fans and critics. It’s the best 4-inch phone money can buy, but is it enough to win over the millions of consumers buying affordable Androids?

FNF-bugIt certainly has the looks, and with the same internals as the iPhone 6s, the iPhone SE has plenty of power, too. But while its $399 price tag ($499 if you want a decent amount of storage) makes it much cheaper than Apple’s high-end devices, it’s still not cheap.

Will the iPhone SE really worry Android makers, then, or is it another iPhone 5c — a slightly cheaper version of its larger siblings that will be only moderately successful?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we attempt to answer those questions.

Apple Watch 2 will be 40 percent slimmer, claims dodgy analyst

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Apple Watch
The next Apple Watch might be a lot thinner.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The next Apple Watch might arrive sooner than expected, based on a new rumor claiming Apple’s new wearable will be unveiled in June.

Not only is the new watch ahead of schedule, it may even sport a 40-percent-thinner design, hopefully without compromising on battery life.

Almost sounds too good to be true, right?

The feds still want Apple to help it hack an iPhone in New York

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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

The FBI dropped its case against Apple to hack the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone, but the Department of Justice filed a new letter today demanding Apple help it unlock a different iPhone.

The iPhone in question belonged to meth deal Jun Feng in New York. Federal authorities believe the device may contain critical evidence and plan to appeal a ruling made by a magistrate judge in Brooklyn who decided the government can’t force Apple to hack its own device.

In its letter of appeal, the DoJ argues that because Apple helped prosecutors unlock at least 70 iPhones in the past, the company should do it again.

Apple veteran Bill Atkinson talks about the early days of Macintosh

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The real MacPaint in action. Source: Wikipedia
Bill Atkinson was the creator of MacPaint, among other innovations.
Photo: Apple

I’m a sucker for hearing ex-Apple employees talk about the company’s early days. In particular, it’s fascinating to find out more about the development of innovations like MacPaint and the Mac graphical interface, as well as speculate over who was really responsible for the Macintosh’s creation.

On this week’s episode of the Triangulation podcast, tech broadcaster Leo Laporte interviews Bill Atkinson about his 1978 to 1990 stint at Apple.

Check it out below:

Apple had a different stance on helping the FBI in 2008

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iPhone
Apple's not always been opposed to helping the government.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Here in 2016, Apple may be at odds with the FBI on the subject of iPhone unlocking — but things weren’t always that way!

According to a new report, when the FBI first asked Apple to help it unlock an iPhone, way back in 2008, Apple didn’t just comply with the order; it actually helped prosecutors to draft the court order.

Microsoft wants to transform your typing with Hub Keyboard for iPhone

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hub
Microsoft's Hub Keyboard makes it easy to send documents and more.
Photo: Microsoft

If you’re a fan of custom iOS keyboards and want to add a bit more functionality to your text messaging, check out the newly-released iOS Hub Keyboard from Microsoft.

This nifty keyboard lets you copy and paste recent items, grab and share URLs of Office 365 documents in OneDrive and SharePoint, and easily send contact details.

Apple criticizes ‘discriminatory’ Mississippi religious freedom law

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SF pride
Apple is a strong supporter of the LGBT community.
Photo: Tim Cook/Twitter

Apple has voiced its displeasure at a new Mississippi law that lets government workers and some private citizens refuse to sell goods and services to LGBT citizens on the basis of their religious beliefs.

“We want Mississippians to know that our stores and our company are open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love,” said an Apple representative, arguing that the Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act “empowers discrimination.”

FaceTime proposal leaves hopeless romantic stuck on a cliff

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This proposal turned out to be a real cliffhanger.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Whether it’s customizing a smartwatch to deliver the message, or persuading the developers of a popular app to help you win over the woman of your dreams, tech fans have certainly come up with some adorably neat ways to propose to their loved ones over the years.

Decidedly less so was the plight of Apple user and, apparently, godawful mountain climber Michael Banks. His idea? To climb 600 feet up Morro Rock in California — so that he could get a volcanic outcrop as his background — and then pop the question via FaceTime. Before getting hopelessly stuck, of course.

Panama Papers: Apple supplier denies evading $22 billion in taxes

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Foxconn denies evading its taxes.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The “Panama Papers” leak of 11.5 million documents from ultra-secretive Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca has already named and shamed heads of state, government officials, business owners and celebrities who reportedly evaded tax thanks to the scheme.

But one name which hasn’t been talked about too much is Apple supplier Foxconn, which is accused of evading taxes of up to a massive $22.86 billion via investments in Panama — although the company denies that this is the case.

Weird-ass Apple Watch mount makes a good argument

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Wear Differently Apple Watch mount
Apparently, this is the best place to keep your Apple Watch, although a band might be good if you ever want to put your hand down.
Photo: Wear Differently

A newly launched Kickstarter campaign features an Apple Watch mount that looks really strange but might actually solve some problems.

The imaginatively named “It” comes from Wear Differently, and it boldly suggests that the top of your wrist is not the best place to wear your smartwatch. Instead, designer Bridger Bell says, you should be carrying it in a small nook between the base of your thumb and radius bone.

You can see It in action in the proof of concept video below.

Cookie Monster gets real behind the scenes of Siri ad

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Cookie Monster Siri ad behind the scenes
Working with Siri can be hazardous.
Photo: Apple

We loved that recent Siri ad starring the lovable Muppet, Cookie Monster. And a new video gives us more with some mock behind-the-scenes footage.

In the original spot, Cookie Monster used Siri’s hands-free functionality to set a timer while his delicious cookies baked. And he even asked the digital assistant to play some tunes on Apple Music to help him pass the time. But the new video offers a lot more, including bloopers, outtakes, and what happens when the cookies are done.

Check it out below.

Instagram comes to life with this inexpensive printer

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A printer that doesn't suck.
Photo: Epson

Epson’s new all-in-one printer, the Epson XP-430, positions itself as an affordable wireless printer that also integrates with the photos on your social networks. You can use the included Epson Creative Print software to link your Instagram account and print out your photos, plus scan and share photos directly to your Facebook. It’s pretty nifty, considering printers are typically some of the most tedious gadgets on the planet.

FBI reveals unlocking tool doesn’t work on iPhone 5s and higher

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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

The iPhone unlocking tool used by the FBI to unlock the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone 5c can only be used on “a narrow slice of phones” the agency admitted.

FBI director James Comey revealed that litigation between Apple and the federal government has ended, but the tool the agency purchased to unlock the device does not work on the iPhone 5s or newer iPhones, including the iPhone SE.

Intelligent app monitors your lending portfolios across multiple marketplaces

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lending-robot-dashboard
See your LendingClub, Prosper and Funding Circle portfolios at a glance.
Photo: LendingRobot

LendingRobot today launched a pretty important mobile app for peer lenders. It’s LendingRobot Dashboard, and it lets these lenders monitor all their portfolios across three separate services: LendingClub, Prosper and Funding Circle. It’s the only mobile app available that allows investors to connect from across multiple marketplaces and see their portfolios at a glance.

Rogue One trailer puts the war in Star Wars

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will star Felicity Jones as a Rebel spy.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will star Felicity Jones as a Rebel spy.
Photo: Lucasfilm LFL

The first trailer for Rogue One, the first stand-alone Star Wars movie, finally dropped this morning and it looks absolutely amazing.

There’s so much war going on in the two-minute trailer that our minds can barely take it all in. Prepare to get Star Wars fever all over again!