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News - page 1074

Apple working on new MacBook Airs to debut at WWDC

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Photo: Apple
Apple may replace 11-inch MacBook Air with a 15-inch model.
Photo: Apple

Apple is reported to be working on new MacBook Air models to launch at the 2016 WWDC event, most likely to be held in June.

Citing sources in the supply chain, the report claims that Apple may ditch the smaller size 11-inch MacBook Air, but add a 15-inch model, much as it currently offers with the MacBook Pro.

Jeremy Clarkson shows off Amazon’s drone delivery system

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Amazon Prime Air
Coming soon to a garden near you?
Photo: Amazon

It’s been a hot minute or two since Amazon last released any information about its proposed drone-based delivery system, Amazon Prime Air, which may one day be dropping off our new iPhones and iPads in the most gravity-defying way possible.

That changed late Sunday when the mega retailer released a brand new video preview showing how the system may work — delivering our new purchases within an impressive 30-minute window. Check it out below.

Lara Croft Go, Reeder 3 and other awesome apps of the week

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appsoftheweek_1024
'Appy weekend everyone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Another weekend is whizzing by and — with evenings continuing to draw in and memories of summer sun a distant memory — it’s the perfect time to catch up on the best apps currently circulating in the iOS App Store ecosystem.

Whether you’re planning on a lazy game-playing Sunday, or want to be up on the latest secure messaging app, we’ve got something for you. Read on to find out what we’ve picked.

78% of Thanksgiving mobile shopping took place on iOS devices

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Apple raked in the cash last quarter.
iOS users are more likely to shop online than Android owners.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Early Thanksgiving online sale reports suggest that Apple devices were once again the platform of choice for people doing their holiday shopping.

How dominant were Apple devices in this category? Well, according to analytics firm Custora E-Commerce Pulse, iOS devices accounted for a massive 78.3 percent of all mobile e-commerce orders in the U.S., compared to 21.5 percent for Android devices.

Has Apple given us much to be thankful for this year?

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fnf
Are you pleased with what Apple delivered this year?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

You might be sick of the sight of Turkey by now, but you can’t spend enough time being thankful. The big question we have is: Should we be thankful to Apple for the lineup it has delivered in 2015, or was this a year to forget?

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2Apple certainly hasn’t been slow this year; we’ve had the Apple Watch, Apple Music, iPhone 6s with new technologies like 3D Touch, the new Apple TV, and the giant iPad Pro. But will any of these things stand out as smash-hits in a decade?

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

Instagram update lets you seamlessly manage multiple accounts

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instagram-update-lets-you-seamlessly-manage-multiple-accounts-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201312Screen-Shot-2013-12-12-at-153420-jpg
Instagram now supports more than one account. Photo: Instragram
Instagram now supports more than one account. Photo: Instragram

Instagram is bringing a great new update to Android and iOS that allows users to seamlessly manage multiple accounts. The change means you’ll finally be able to access your personal and professional feeds — and the one dedicated to your cat — without having to log out and back in.

Beats sponsors a Snapchat lens for Black Friday

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snapchat
Beats is only the second company to sponsor a Snapchat lens.
Photo: Snapchat

The Apple-owned Beats brand has become the second company (after Fox Studios) to sponsor a Snapchat lens, with a one-day-only Black Friday deal that lets you animate your face bopping along in time to rapper Drake’s new song “Big Rings.”

Australian banks accused of freezing out Apple Pay

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Apple partners with Red Cross to accept donations to fight Australia bushfires
Australian banks aren't ready to hop on the Apple Pay bandwagon yet.
Photo: Cult of Mac / Picturesofmoney

Australia may recently have said “G’day” to Apple Pay, but when it comes to the country’s overall embrace of Apple’s NFC payment platform, well, let’s just say that a few more shrimps could be tossed on the proverbial barbie.

That’s because, despite now being available to Amex customers Down Under, Australia’s Reserve Bank is being pushed to examine anti-competitive behavior due to Australia’s major banks allegedly freezing out Apple Pay — and thereby denying choice to customers in terms of digital payments.

Sony is bringing PlayStation 4 Remote Play to your Mac

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PS4-Remote-Play
PS4 Remote Play in action on Sony's Xperia Z3.
Photo: Sony

Sony has revealed that it is developing an official PlayStation 4 Remote Play app for Mac and PC, giving gamers the ability to play their favorite titles on their desktop. The announcements comes just days after an unofficial Remote Play app was made available for Windows.

iPhone 7s may be the first iPhone to boast an OLED display

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iPhone 6s
OLED displays could come to the iPhone sooner than we thought.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has reportedly confirmed to its supply chain that it plans to switch from LCD panels to OLED ones for iPhones released in 2017-2018. This potentially means that we might get an OLED Apple handset as early as the iPhone 7s — and not the iPhone 8 as previously thought.

Cupertino is said to be asking display makers in both Korea and Japan to start expanding their OLED manufacturing capabilities to fit its needs.

Jobs would’ve despised this BlackBerry-inspired iPhone concept

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Why Salesforce chief gave up AppStore.com for Apple
Yep, I somehow don't see this concept meeting with Steve's approval.
Photo: Ben Stanfield/Flickr CC

The Apple-watching world just about blew a gasket when the Apple Pencil was first announced for the iPad, given Steve Jobs’ famous assessment that, “If you see a stylus, [Apple engineers] blew it!”

With that in mind, how would people react if the next iPhone went again Jobs’ wishes by taking a note out of BlackBerry’s playbook and included a physical keyboard as part of the handset? Not too well, we’re guessing, but you can make up your own mind about whether or not it would be a good thing or not by checking out the below concept video.

(Hint: it isn’t a good thing.)

These are the features Apple Watch owners love most

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apple-watch
Which of these apps sums up your Apple Watch experience?
Photo: Apple

The average Apple Watch user checks his or her timepiece four to five times an hour, and are most likely to use the device’s Maps function, according to two separate studies.

Carried out by Wristly.com and researchers at the University of Stockholm’s Mobile Life Centre, the two surveys quizzed Apple Watch owners on their typical usage, and discovered a few interesting observations in the process.

Reeder 3 is here, adding iPad Pro, Split View, and 3D Touch support

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The best RSS reader for iOS just got better, especially if you have an iPad.
The best RSS reader for iOS just got better, especially if you have an iPad.
Photo: Reeder

Reeder has long been our favorite feed reader for iOS and Mac. Earlier this year, Reeder for Mac hit version 3.0, making us wonder when the iOS version would achieve the same milestone. Now it has, gaining support Split View in iOS 9, an updated UI, 3D Touch for previewing articles, and more!

Soon you’ll be able to use your iPhone while wearing gloves

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mujjo-touchscreen-gloves-typing
I guess the alternative use-case would be committing crimes while still playing Angry Birds.
Photo: Mujjo

What with it being winter and all, it would be great if Apple embraced the concept of letting people use iPhones while wearing regular gloves — something already offered by manufacturers such as Samsung.

Well, according to a patent application published today, we may not be waiting too much longer because Apple has invented something called “Glove Touch Detection.” The patent would allow Apple touchscreen to work in situations where it is separated from a finger by a barrier, such as a glove.

Haven’t watched Steve Jobs yet? Read the script here

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Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs movie is coming to Netflix
Universal has released the screenplay for Steve Jobs.
Photo: François Duhamel/©2015 Universal Studios

Based on the sadly dismal box office cash it’s failed to drum up, statistically few of you have seen Steve Jobs, Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle’s semi-biopic based on Walter Isaacson’s best-selling 2011 biography of Apple’s late CEO.

Well, if you want to get a taste of what you’re missing — or simply want to revisit Sorkin’s dialog-heavy screenplay — now you can, because Universal Pictures has made the entire 190-page script available to read for free online.

Cult of Mac Magazine: Black Friday deals + gadget reviews + Apple news + more

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Short week, lots of sales, tons of Cult of Mac content.
Short week, lots of sales, tons of Cult of Mac content.
Cover Design: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

It might be a short week for most of us here in the U.S., but that didn’t stop us from piling up a whole, well, pile of great content for your long weekend enjoyment.

We’ve got all the Black Friday sale info you can handle, a bunch of sweet gadget reviews (like the rumbling, rabble-rousing Sonos Play:5) and a fantastic assortment of Apple news and views that you’ll love.

Be sure to download the Cult of Mac Magazine app now to get your own copy of our latest issue.

Here’s the rundown:

Apple has crucial deal in place to bring Apple Pay to China

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Photo: Adrian Korte CC
Apple Pay is on the verge of arriving in China.
Photo: Adrian Korte CC

Apple has come to a preliminary agreement with China UnionPay to introduce Apple Pay in China through UnionPay’s point-of-sales network.

The deal — which builds on this week’s report that Apple Pay will be coming to China by February 2016 — will help UnionPay and Chinese banks to fend off third-party payment services like those belonging to Alibaba and Tencent.

Stevie Wonder and Andra Daye sing ‘Someday at Christmas’ in Apple holiday ad

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Apple's holiday ad has got soul.
Apple's holiday ad has got soul.
Photo: Apple

Apple has released its first major Christmas ad for the holidays that doesn’t show many Apple products, but instead features soul pioneer’s Stevie Wonder and Andre Daye singing Wonder’s 1967 holiday classic ‘Someday at Christmas’.

Along with Wonder and Daye, the ad includes shots of a family getting ready for Christmas, exchanging gifts, and decorating the tree. There are a few glimpses of the Apple Watch and a MacBook, but the focus is on Christmas, and ends with a simple “Love, Apple” note at the end.

Check out the ad below:

Captain America: Civil War‘s first trailer is absolutely amazing

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Bucky and Cap take Tony down.
Bucky and Cap take Tony down.
Photo: Marvel Entertainment

The first trailer for next year’s Captain America movie Civil War debuted online last night, and it’s actually really freaking good.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron kind of soured me on Marvel’s gigantic cinematic universe, but Civil War could redeem it if it turns out to be anywhere as good as the first taste Marvel’s given us. Civil War will pit Tony Stark against Steve Rogers sometime in the future after the events after Age of Ultron. Stark is convinced the world’s superheroes need some kind of supervision, while Captain America takes the side of his old pal Bucky to fight the government.

Watch the full trailer below:

Banks will spend big to take on Apple Pay

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Apple raked in the cash last quarter.
Spare a thought for the poor bankers.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Having recently arrived in Canada and Australia, and with plans underway for a February launch in China, it’s safe to say that Apple Pay is taking over the NFC payments world.

Which is exactly why, according to a new report, banks are ramping up their technology budgets in order to compete — concerned that tech companies like Apple could outgun them on the payments front.