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News - page 1092

Apple raids electric bike startup for possible transport talent

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(Credit: National Geographic)
Steve Jobs during his Easy Rider phase.
Photo: National Geographic

Apple Bike, anyone? According to a new report, Apple’s continued recruitment of auto experts has resulted in the closure of an electric motorcycle startup.

Called Mission Motors, the company had drawn comparisons with Tesla — only to shut down back in May after Apple raided some of its top engineers.

At least two Mission employees joined Apple in 2012, while over the past year another dozen are reported to have started work with the company.

Sorkin: My conscience is clear about Steve Jobs movie accuracy

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When it comes to making Steve Jobs light up the sliver screen, poor Sorkin just can't cut a break.
Aaron Sorkin is happy with his movie's accuracy.
Photo: The Newsroom

Steve Jobs screenwriter Aaron Sorkin says his “conscience is clear” over accusations that his movie doesn’t portray events as they actually happened.

People have been split over the Steve Jobs movie, with some (like Woz, John Sculley, and Andy Hertzfeld) saying it’s a great achievement, and others (Tim Cook, Jony Ive, Laurene Powell Jobs) arguing just the opposite — despite not necessarily having seen it.

China’s 21st Apple Store will be among world’s biggest

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war
Dailan's new Apple Store back during its construction phase.
Photo: Jake Smith

Apple is continuing its Chinese Apple Store expansion by announcing the opening of its 21st Chinese retail store in the city of Dalian, China.

A port city known for its clean air, good food, and luxurious shopping, Dalian attracts visitors from China, Japan, and Korea. In other words, it’s the perfect location for a new Apple Store — which is why it’s no surprise that it will be among the biggest Apple brick-and-mortar retail outlets in the world.

Downwell, Paper and other awesome apps of the week

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appsoftheweek_1024
Yep, it's that time of the week again!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

How do weekends go by so quickly? It’s already halfway through the end-of-week break but — don’t worry — we’ve got the app hookup you need, whether you’re planning on a lazy game-playing Sunday, or a day of out-and-about photo-snapping action.

What have we picked as the best apps of the past seven days? Read on to find out.

What we love (and don’t) about Apple’s New iMacs and magic peripherals on The CultCast

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Ain't she a beaut?
Ain't she a beaut?
Photo: Apple

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The pros and cons of Apple’s new 4K and 5K iMacs, plus, the new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2 — we’ve got our grubby hands on Apple’s new peripherals and we’re ready to share what we love (and what we don’t).

And stay tuned for CultCast 2nd Hour with guest Blake J. Harris, author of Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation, to be regaled with the story of the 90s video game war that pitted newcomer, Sega of America, against Nintendo, maker of Super Mario Brothers, Duck Hunt, and the unstoppable force that was the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Check out all these Apple Watch fitness success stories

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You can see the difference Apple Watch is having on Cult of Mac readers' lives.
You can see the difference Apple Watch is having on Cult of Mac readers' lives.
Photo: Various

Around the world, Apple Watch is helping people make life-changing improvements to their health and fitness.

I recently asked Cult of Mac readers to share their experiences getting in shape with Apple Watch, and the response has been amazing. Here are some of the inspiring stories I received — and some great insights into how you can use an Apple Watch to smash your fitness goals.

Apple will appeal $234 million judgment

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A8 chip
Apple's A8 processor violated University of Wisconsin's patent.
Photo: Apple

The University of Wisconsin-Madison defeated Apple in its patent lawsuit today, after a U.S. jury ordered the iPhone maker to pay the university $234 million in damages for infringing on patented microchip technology in the iPhone and iPad.

Apple’s bill for the infringement is significantly less than the $862 million fine the company was originally facing. The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) had high praise for the verdict, saying it was improtant to protect the school’s inventions.

Apple’s crazy 3D Touch table is perfect showcase for iPhone 6s

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Ripple in still water/When there is no pebble tossed/Nor wind to blow.
Ripple in still water/When there is no pebble tossed/Nor wind to blow.
Photo: Grate App

Only found in the New York and San Francisco Apple retail stores, this new tactile table really shows off the new 3D Touch features of the just released iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

As you can see in the video below, Apple’s got its new iPhones displayed on a new table that replicates the ripples from the fish videos shown on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus devices on the table whenever customers push on the iPhones themselves.

It’s pretty slick – check it out.

Chipgate debunked: All iPhone 6s models are created equal

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The A9X chip puts iPhone 6s graphics to shame.
Don't discriminate between iPhone models. Chipgate doesn't exist.
Photo: Apple

A test to pit the two different iPhone 6s models against each other — one with a TSMC chip and the other with a Samsung chip — has officially debunked Chipgate. It turns out there are no discernible differences in battery life between the two.

Consumer Reports acquired an iPhone 6s with an A9 chip made from TSMC and another from Samsung. They made sure all settings were equal on both devices including the carrier, brightness settings, wireless connections, iOS version, running apps and more. Then they got to work.

Intel has a small army working on iPhone 7 LTE modem

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intel
Intel and Apple have formalized a deal that has the iPhone maker producing its own smartphone modem.
Photo: Thomas Hawk/Flickr

Intel wants to win part of Apple chip business, and according to a new report, it’s dedicating a small army of engineers towards creating a new LTE modem that could be destined for the iPhone 7

Over 1,000 employees have been assigned to the project to build a 7360 LTE modem chip for the iPhone 7, reports VentureBeat which also claims that if everything goes well, Intel could provide the modem and fabrication for Apple’s system on a chip.

Ford brings Siri Eyes Free support to older vehicles

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Siri Eyes Free is coming to 2011 model Fords and earlier.
Siri Eyes Free is coming to 2011 model Fords and earlier.
Photo: Ford

Ford owners with a second-generation Sync infotainment system can now get Apple’s Siri Eyes Free feature for iPhone on the car dashboard, thanks to a new Sync 3.8 update.

The second-gen Sync system is found on Ford vehicles made since 2011 and earlier, but the company is just now making Siri Eyes Free available on its vehicles, even though Apple rolled out the feature with iOS 6 back in 2012.

This rolling luggage keeps tech travelers plugged in

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The iQ bag includes a router to give the traveler a Wi-Fi hotspot.
The iQ bag includes a router to give the traveler a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Photo: Andiamo

The tools inside the business traveler’s carry-on luggage have changed. The luggage itself has not.

Two companies are hoping to take off through crowd-funding with modern roller bags that fit all the essentials and charge your devices. One even has a router to give you a Wi-Fi hotspot where ever you land.

Microsoft trade-in program pays you $300 to ditch Mac

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Microsoft is giving extra love to Mac owners.
Microsoft is giving extra love to Mac owners.
Photo: Microsoft

Looking to get a new computer this Fall? Microsoft thinks it has an unbeatable offer with its new Windows Tradeup program offers customers $200 to trade in an old PC and buy a new one at a Microsoft Store.

The deal is even sweeter if you got a Mac though, because Microsoft says it’s willing to toss you an extra $100 your way to get you to defect from  Apple.

Is Apple’s new 4K iMac a total ripoff?

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3_1024
The 4K iMac is pretty, but you can get a lot more for your cash.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple delivered the 4K iMac many fans have been waiting for this week, but it’s not quite the all-in-one powerhouse some were expecting. Look past its beautiful design and you’ll find a lot of drawbacks you probably wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) expect to get with a $1,500 computer.

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2The upside is, this gives another great topic for a slanging match.

So join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we go head to head over one question: Is the 4K iMac a total ripoff?

Take a peek inside Apple’s magical new peripherals

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Apple has some Magical new peripherals.
Apple has some Magical new peripherals.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s magical new Mouse, TrackPad and keyboard have been given the official teardown treatment from the guys at iFixit today, revealing the minuscule components inside the rechargeable new peripherals.

The teardown on the keyboard reveals the tiny new battery Apple squeezed in that has some design similarities to the iPhone’s battery. iFixit also took a closer look at the new Taptic Engine in the pricey Magic TrackPad 2, and filleted the Magic Mouse 2.

Check out what’s inside each device:

Smart screen protectors give your iPhone superpowers

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HYPER GLASS by Live Work Play has two invisible buttons for back and forward.
HYPER GLASS by Live Work Play has two invisible buttons for back and forward.
Photo: Live Work Play

Perhaps as we continue to evolve, our thumbs will grow longer so future generations will be able to reach the back menu arrow at the top of the iPhone. But we can’t wait hundreds of years for that.

We either need to lift an extra finger, god forbid, or purchase a glass screen protector that essentially gives our struggling thumb invisible back and forward buttons.

Apple might spurn Samsung for next-gen iPhone chip

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Apple chips are getting EMI shielding.
Has Chipgate gotten Samsung the boot?
Photo: Apple

Apple will snub Samsung and call upon TSMC to exclusively produce all of its next-generation A10 processors for 2016’s iOS devices, according to a new report. It’s thought Apple considers TSMC’s chips to be superior to Samsung’s in performance and efficiency.

3D Touch is the star of the show in new iPhone 6s ad

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3D Touch provides super useful home screen shortcuts.
3D Touch provides super useful home screen shortcuts.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has released a new ad for iPhone 6s, focusing on its incredible new 3D Touch technology.

The 30-second video highlights the Peek and Pop gestures, and demonstrates the many ways in which that can be useful during everyday use.

Smart sidewalks bring free Wi-Fi to U.K. streets

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u-k-streets-now-providing-wi-fi-through-smart-sidewalks-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201510Foot_on_manhole_cover_1-jpg
Virgin Media's Smart Pavement keeps you connected on the go. Photo: Virgin
Virgin Media’s Smart Pavement keeps you connected on the go. Photo: Virgin

You’ll never be without an Internet connection in U.K. towns and cities in the future, thanks to Wi-Fi-emitting sidewalks.

Chesham in Buckinghamshire has become the first town to deliver Wi-Fi at speeds of up to 166 Mbps, seven times the average broadband speed in the U.K., through “Smart Pavements” courtesy of broadband provider Virgin Media.

The 10 best new updates to iWork

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iWork
Notice anything different?
Photo: Apple

All three of Apple’s productivity apps just came out of beta on iCloud.com, and Apple’s also updated all of them for both iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan. There’s a host of improvements and fixes both large and small for each app on each platform.

All the full specifications are over at Apple’s productivity suite landing page, but here are ten of the best improvements for this long-running, venerable suite of word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet apps from our favorite Cupertino-based company.

Woz admits Steve Jobs wasn’t always a nice guy

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The Woz tells it like it is.
The Woz tells it like it is.
Photo: Universal Pictures

Steve Jobs will be remembered as much for his negative personality traits as for his marketing genius, says Steve Wozniak in a new featurette for the upcoming movie, Steve Jobs.

The Woz waxes nostalgic about his friend and co-founder of Apple as his own recollections are interspersed with scenes and quotes from the movie.

“Steve Jobs is known for having some negative personality characteristics,” says Wozniak, “but did he balance the good with the bad or did the bad lead to the good?”

Check out the video embedded below to hear what Woz thinks.

Dropbox Paper wants to shred Slack and Google Docs

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There's a new collaboration tool in town. Will it survive?
There's a new collaboration tool in town. Will it survive?
Photo: Dropbox

Dropbox has just entered the competitive space of online collaboration software, and it hopes to overcome its late start with a simple, intuitive tool called Paper.

Currently in private beta, Dropbox’s Paper is part Google Docs and part Slack, which just goes to show you how late the company is — describing a new product with an already ubiquitous competitor is never a sure sign of success.