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News - page 1058

Apple has a cunning plan to boost profitability in India

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apples-india-enterprise-boss-quits-to-sell-android-phones-2-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201601iphone_india001-780x614-780x614-jpg
Apple is still trying to find the right strategy for India.
Photo: Apple

As the next giant untapped market shimmering on the horizon, Apple is looking to grow its brand in India — and to do so it’s taking the bold step of exiting the rapidly-growing sub-Rs 20,000 ($290) smartphone category by stopping selling its older iPhone 4s and 5c handsets.

But the reason totally makes sense.

iPad shipments could hit new low this quarter

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iPad Pro
iPad shipments are continuing to fall.
Photo: Leander Kahney / Cult of Mac

Apple could be in for its worst ever quarter for iPad shipments, with a new report claiming that the first three months of 2016 are set to hit a historic low for Apple’s tablets with just 9.8 million units shipping.

If correct, those numbers would be down 39.1 percent on quarter and close to 20 percent on-year. While Apple has been experiencing falling iPad demand for some time now, this would be especially bad considering that Q1 2016 is also expected to bring the first ever quarter of declining iPhone sales.

Tim Cook: Apple will fight to stop the FBI accessing your data

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Tim Cook
Tim Cook wants the public to be aware of the importance of this issue.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has posted an open letter, signed by Tim Cook, in response to the FBI’s request that Apple unlock the iPhone at the center of a San Bernardino court case.

While United States magistrated judge Sheri Pym wants Apple to hand the FBI a custom firmware file that would allow the unlocking of the handset in question, Apple argues that this represents an, “unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers.”

And Cook wants the public to be aware of all the details.

Apple must unlock the iPhone 5c’s encryption… or else

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The iPhone 5c might be broken wide open. And what's next?
The iPhone 5c might be broken wide open. And what's next?
Photo: Apple

In December 2015, Syed Rizwan Farook shot up an office party in an apparent terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. He may have coordinated the attack on an iPhone 5c.

Since then, authorities have been trying to decrypt the device. And now, a U.S. magistrate is trying to force Apple to unlock it.

Ex-Apple designer builds easy-to-use artificial brain

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The Brain by Mike Matas
Good call. We definitely want to teach the machines love before they become self-aware.
Photo: Mike Matas (via YouTube)

We may be a small step closer to the robot wars thanks to former Apple designer Mike Matas.

Matas’ previous work includes user interfaces for Apple’s Maps, Photos, and Camera apps, as well as the Nest smart thermostat. And he showed off his latest creation, an artificial brain called (appropriately enough) The Brain, via a quick demo on YouTube. It’s a neural network that with an expectedly sharp and clean interface, and in the video, he shows how he can teach The Brain to spit out emojis based on different shapes that he draws.

Check it out below.

New HomeKit gadget tracks how much electricity you’re wasting

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Elgato Eve Energy
Elgato Eve Energy is here to make you feel bad about your power consumption.
Photo: Elgato

Gadget maker Elgato has been churning out HomeKit-compatible devices like crazy, and it’s just dropped another that takes the smartplug concept one further.

Eve Energy became available for sale in the U.S. today after a European launch. It plugs into your wall, and then a device of your choice plugs into it. You’ll be able to turn the thing off and on with your phone either through Elgato’s app or with Siri, and plenty of things on the market already do that. But Energy will also tell you how much power the thing plugged into it uses, which adds a new layer of functionality to the gadget.

Meet the tiniest game of pong for your Apple Watch

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Play a classic (and super-cute) game of Pong on your Apple Watch.
Play a classic (and super-cute) game of Pong on your Apple Watch.
Photo: Matt Wiechec

Is this the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen on your wrist? Yes, yes it is. It’s the tiniest game of pong you ever did see, too.

Game developer Matt Wiechec has made A Tiny Game of Pong for the Apple Watch and it hits all the right nostalgic notes for ancient gaming fans like myself and retro-cool folks like you.

Check it out.

iPhone 7 may boast extra protection from electromagnetic interference

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Apple chips are getting EMI shielding.
Apple chips are getting EMI shielding.
Photo: Apple

Apple is allegedly planning to beef up the iPhone 7’s shielding against electromagnetic interference this year with new protections for all of the device’s major chips.

The iPhone 7 may not be able to survive a devastating EMP attack — like the one presidential candidate Ted Cruz has been really worried about lately — but it should lead to better performance, according to a report out of South Korea claiming Apple has already hired StatsChipPac and Amkor to do the shielding.

Apple to build $25 million office in India

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India
Apple wants to dramatically improve its 2 percent share on the smartphone market in India.
Photo: Tim Cook/Twitter

Apple has set its sights on taking over the smartphone market in India and its planning to bring more than just retail jobs to the country in the process.

The company confirmed today that it is planning to invest $25 million in a new office complex this year in Hyderabad that will bring 4,500 jobs to the area during the construction process.

Got an old Android? Sell it to us for a great price!

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It's easy to turn your old devices into cash.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Got an old Android you don’t use anymore? It’s useless to you in the bottom of a drawer, but if you dig it out and dust it off, you can sell it to us for cold hard cash!

We’re buying used and broken Android and Microsoft devices through our new buyback program, and we pay more than Best Buy, Gazelle, and Walmart in most cases. We’ll even buy used wearables, watches, and devices that don’t even work anymore.

Bon Appétit takes iPhone food photography to whole new level

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Shot on iPhone 6s.
Shot on iPhone 6s.
Photo: Marcus Nilsson/Bon Appétit

Hipsters have been using the iPhone to document their meals on Instagram for years now, but the culinary geniuses at Bon Appétit are taking iPhone food photography to unprecedented levels for its March issue.

Bon Appétit sent its top photographers to shoot everything from food festivals to fine-dining dishes for next month’s Culture issue, only instead of lugging around their pro-level DSLRs and wide array of lenses, the photogs were only allowed to use their iPhones.

The end result is a gorgeous 43-page spread that will make your mouth water. The issue hits newsstands this week, but the company has already revealed some of the incredible photos that you won’t believe were shot on iPhone.

Sorry, haters! Signs point to a massive January for Apple

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iPhone 6s boasts a new 12-megapixel camera.
Reports of the iPhone's demise may have been greatly exaggerated.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Forget all the doom predictions about Apple — according to Drexel Hamilton analyst Brian White, the company may have just had its best January since 2008.

Although Apple itself has said that iPhone sales are likely to fall for the first time ever in the January quarter, White claims that his own analysis of Apple’s suppliers suggests that things are looking far from bleak.

Steve Jobs is now available to buy on Blu-ray and DVD

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Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs movie is coming to Netflix
You can now enjoy Steve Jobs from the comfort of your living room.
Photo: François Duhamel/©2015 Universal Studios

If you didn’t catch Steve Jobs in theaters (and, based on the box office, chances are you didn’t!) Universal Pictures Home Entertainment today released the movie on Blu-ray and DVD.

Extras for the controversial, somewhat divisive film include an “Inside Jobs: The Making of Steve Jobs” bonus feature, and audio commentaries from director Danny Boyle, writer Aaron Sorkin and editor Elliot Graham.

And, hey, if you don’t feel like shelling out for it, you can always enter our free giveaway here.

Apple Pay will go live in China this week

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Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
Apple Pay is finally coming to Apple's second biggest market.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

It may have taken a bit longer than Tim Cook hoped, but Apple Pay is finally launching in China this week — with bank representatives from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Guangfa Bank and China Construction Bank revealing that the mobile payments service will be available from February 18.

These three banks will be joined by 16 other Chinese banks and financial organizations over the coming months.

Kanye ‘the next Steve Jobs’ West turns his back on Apple

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Kanye
Kanye rocking his Apple Watch Edition.
Photo: Justjared

Whether it’s proclaiming himself the next Steve Jobs, screening the recent Aaron Sorkin movie as a birthday gift for his wife, appearing with a rare custom gold-band Apple Watch Edition, or inviting Steve Wozniak to be one of the first to see his baby daughter, Kanye West has always been an enormous Apple fan.

That appears to have changed, however, with the mercurial rapper/pop star sending out a series of bizarre tweets in which — among many, many other things — he pleads with Facebook and Google (but not Apple) to invest $1 billion in “Kanye West ideas” and says that his latest album will never appear on Apple Music.

Switch to AT&T and get $650 per line, second phone free

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AT&T really wants your business.
Photo: AT&T
ATT-switch-save
AT&T really wants your business. Photo: AT&T

AT&T wants you! So much so that the carrier is currently offering $650 per line when you switch from Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon and bring your number with you.

What’s more, if you buy one of the latest devices, you’ll get a second handset free.

Apple confirms it’s working on a fix for ‘1970’ iPhone bug

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iPhone 6s
Apple's working to fix the problem.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has acknowledged the existence of a somewhat bizarre bug which bricks any iOS devices that has its date set back to 1970 — and confirms that a fix is on the way.

“An upcoming software update will prevent this issue from affecting iOS devices,” Apple notes on one of its support pages.

While there’s no word on exactly when this software update will be made available, it’s good to know that Apple is on the case.

Kim Jong-Un sure looks happy with his MacBook Pro

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apple-12q2-macbook-pro-ret-zebra-lg-640x340
Designed in California, used in North Korea.
Photo: Apple

Apple has a large number of high-profile fans, but there are always bound to be one or two less desirable (but equally famous) ones who slip through the cracks.

One of these is North Korea’s super villain dictator Kim Jong-un, who apparently is quite the Apple fan — as evidenced by a recent photo posted on Twitter by Reuters’ Korean correspondent and author of North Korea Confidential James Pearson, showing Jong-un looking deliriously happy about his Apple MacBook Pro.

$300 3D printer lets kids design and print their own toys

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300-3d-printer-lets-kids-design-and-print-their-own-toys-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201602qqmwtusmlhd5ahuoe2vu-jpg
What I would have given for this as a kid.
Photo: Mattel
What I would have given for this as a kid. Photo: Mattel
What I would have given for this as a kid. Photo: Mattel

It’s easy to assume that traditional kid’s toys are taking a beating due to the sky-high popularity of tablets and smartphones among the younger generation.

But toy-maker Mattel is attempting to strike back with a concept that, honestly, sounds amazing: an affordable $300 3D printer designed to let your sprogs (or, let’s be honest, immature adults everywhere) print their own toys, as designed on an accompanying mobile app.

Apple users send 200,000 iMessages every second

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iMessage
A mind boggling number of iMessages are sent every day.
Photo: Apple

Since being introduced back in 2011, iMessage has gone on to become a monster hit for Apple as a communication tool.

How popular is it? According to Eddy Cue, iOS users cumulatively send up to 200,000 per second: a number which adds up to a whopping 63 quadrillion messages per year.

Earthquake damage hits Apple’s A-series chipmaker

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Chips
Bad news for TSMC.
Photo: Fabrizio Sciami/Flickr CC

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) might be on course to take over 100 percent of Apple’s A10 chip orders, but that’s not to say that it’s entirely without problems right now.

According to a new report, a recent earthquake which hit one of TSMC’s factories in southern Taiwan caused more damage than initially thought: with resulting wafer shipments for the first quarter of 2016 likely to fall as a result.

Kate Winslet takes home BAFTA award for Steve Jobs

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Kate Winslet, middle, praises the portrayal of Steve Jobs by Michael Fassbender (right).
"Who me?" Kate Winslet is surely the Oscar front-runner now.
Photo: Universal Pictures

Kate Winslet picked up another award win for her role as Apple PR guru Johanna Hoffman at last night’s BAFTA British movie award show.

Winslet’s win was the only prize won by Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs semi-biopic, which was also nominated for “Best Adapted Screenplay” and “Best Actor” gongs for screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and lead actor Michael Fassbender, but lost out to The Big Short and Leo in The Revenant.