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News - page 1096

iPhone 6s defeats $3,000 Nikon DSLR in 4K video battle

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Nikon_D750_01
Shootout at the 4K Coral.
Photo: Henry Söderlund

It’s no secret that the iPhone 6s packs a pretty darn great camera, but how does it compare to a professional DSLR like the Nikon D750?

A recent 4K video shootout compares the two and, wouldn’t you know it, finds that Apple’s next-gen handset pretty much owns the Nikon in terms of filming beautiful, crisply detailed footage.

Check out the video below.

Jimmy Iovine: Free music streaming is hurting the industry

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Screen Shot 2015-10-08 at 11.34.30
Jimmy Iovine shares a similar philosophy to Steve Jobs about music.
Photo: Vanity Fair

Jimmy Iovine used his appearance at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit in San Francisco to take swipes at Spotify and, in particular, to underline his hatred of free music streaming.

“Free is a real issue,” he said. “This whole thing about freemium, maybe at one time we needed it. But now it’s a shell game … These companies [offering a free music tier] are building an audience on the back of the artist.”

Almost 3 out of 5 compatible devices are running iOS 9

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iOS 9 is good, but iOS 10 needs to be spectacular.
There's no shortage of enthusiasm for iOS 9.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Not content with selling a whopping 13 million iPhone 6s handsets in their first weekend on sale, Apple is also smashing records with iOS 9 adoption.

According to Apple’s latest developer figures, just three weeks after its public debut, 57 percent of users with compatible mobile devices are already running iOS 9. Meanwhile, 33 percent are still using the last-generation iOS 8, while just 1 in 10 users is stuck on an earlier version.

Jony Ive expresses ‘primal fear’ over Steve Jobs movie

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Jony Ive
He hasn't seen the movie, but Ive has his doubts.
Photo: AP

Apple’s Chief Design Officer Jony Ive said in an interview that he has a “primal fear” over the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic, and particularly the possibility that the movie could portray his former boss and friend in a negative light. He did say he hasn’t seen the film, but remains skeptical.

“I’ve talked at length with friends of Steve and of me who have seen the film,” Ive said, before later adding that there are “sons, daughters, widows and very close friends who are completely bemused and completely upset.”

Wearables aren’t flying with the IT crowd

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Time travel without a flux capacitor - right on your wrist.
But ... Apple Watch doesn't even connect to Wi-Fi.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

A new study suggests that the increased popularity of wearables like the Apple Watch and fitness trackers in the workplace is giving information technology professionals the willies.

IT tool and service provider Ipswitch polled 288 workers who feel like the burgeoning devices might present some problems, especially if they’re connected to company-owned Wi-Fi networks.

Apple TV vs. Roku 4: Which box will hold your attention?

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Apple TV versus Roku 4
Which streaming box has earned a place by your TV?
Photo: Evan Killham

Those on the lookout for a new streaming box this fall will have a tough decision to make when the fourth-generation models of both Apple TV and Roku hit the market. And while they both have some solid features, which one you end up buying depends a lot on what you already own.

Here’s how the two streamers measure up.

Adidas wants you to 3D-print your own running shoes

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Print out your own specialized sneakers with Adidas' new tech.
Print out your own specialized sneakers with Adidas' new tech.
Photo: Adidas/Futurecraft 3D

Imagine a day when you can turn on your 3D printer and just print out running shoes that match your feet perfectly.

That day may be sooner than you think: sportswear company Adidas let loose a new proof of concept it wants to bring to market soon: 3D-printed running shoes.

Called Futurecraft 3D, this lightweight, high-performance footwear boasts a running shoe midsole that you can tailor to your foot’s own cushioning needs, a clear advantage over buying off the shelf.

Check out the amazing reveal video below.

Samsung chip might be ruining your iPhone 6s’ battery life

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The new Low Battery Mode in iOS 9 means your device will last even longer than before.
The new Low Battery Mode in iOS 9 means your device will last even longer than before.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

A new controversy is brewing online after it’s been revealed that not all iPhone 6s units get the same amount of battery life. The apparent culprit? The new A9 processors, which power Apple’s latest iPhones and were sourced by two chip manufacturers.

Hand stabilizer will put the ‘pro’ in your GoPro films

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The Aeon is a hand stabilizer that keeps your GoPro footage from looking jittery.
The Aeon is a hand stabilizer that keeps your GoPro footage from looking jittery.
Photo: áetho

The GoPro action camera has turned average consumers into cinematic artists. But sometimes the star is not the camera itself, but the accessory that helps the camera get that award-winning clip.

A new handheld stabilizer by áetho could be the next star, preventing jerky footage with a professional smoothness that uses sensors to adjust to movement at an astounding rate of 1,000 times per second.

This portable iPhone battery doubles as a charging stand

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The ChargeStand in the resting position. It then folds up and functions as a portable battery.
The ChargeStand in the resting position. It then folds up and functions as a portable battery.
Photo: Ventev Mobile

The ChargeStand is a device with a static name, one that suggests its place is on a desk or end table. But the combination charging dock and portable battery is only meant to rest when you do.

It elegantly holds your smartphone in portrait or landscape position as it charges, but as your day begins, it folds up, fits neatly in a pocket or bag and, with a 3000 mAH battery, can lend an ample supply of juice to a battery near empty.

Taste the Apple in the new Beats Pill+

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beats-pill-plus-apple
The new Beats Pill+ is a bigger one to swallow.
Photo: Beats

The Beats Pill+ is on its way and equipped with that Apple lovin’. The successor of the Beats Pill takes a somewhat different design approach from the Beats Pill and comes with some terrific improvements to sound and battery life. Most interestingly, the speaker is the first the company released since Apple’s acquisition last year.

OS X 10.11.1 gets third beta with lots of bug fixes

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el-capitan-beta
New El Capitan beta is here.
Photo: Apple

The next big update for OS X El Capitan is nearing completion with the release of OS X 10.11.1 beta 3 to developers and registered public beta testers.

OS X 10.11.1 build 15B30a comes just over a week since the last El Capitan beta was released. It’s available in the Apple Developer Center, as well as through the Software Update option in the Mac App Store.

How Aaron Sorkin’s interview with Lisa changed Steve Jobs

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Michael Fassbender is Steve Jobs.
Michael Fassbender is Steve Jobs.
Photo: Universal Pictures

Steve Jobs’ relationship with his first daughter, Lisa, plays a major role in the upcoming Steve Jobs movie, but according to screen writer Aaron Sorkin, that wouldn’t have been the case had he not scored a key interview even Walter Isaacson never got.

Lisa Brennan-Jobs, Steve’s first daughter, spent some time with Aaron Sorkin before he wrote the script for the upcoming film, and according to Sorkin, it completely changed what he was looking for in the movie.

Fantastical 2.5 brings goodies for iOS 9 and iPhone 6s users

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fantastical-ipad-slide-over
Okay, don't spend too much time multitasking. You have Cult of Mac reading to catch up on.
Photo: George Tinari/Cult of Mac

Flexibits updated its popular Fantastical apps for iPhone and iPad this morning to take advantage of a number of new features in iOS 9 and on the iPhone 6s. Arguably the biggest improvement to productivity comes in the form of multitasking support for the iPad. Fantastical also threw in a dash of the new iPhone’s 3D Touch as well.

Jeremy Martin vying to be iPad artist of the stars

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Steve Jobs, creator of the iPad and created on the iPad.
Steve Jobs, creator of the iPad and created on the iPad.
Portrait: Jeremy Martin

Pope Francis and Miley Cyrus have little in common. One is a spiritual leader who displays awe-inspiring compassion and the other is a hyper-sexualized pop singer who loves to display her tongue.

Each carry the weight of celebrity and thus share space in a growing gallery of portraits by New York artist Jeremy Martin, whose medium of choice happens to be an iPad.

You won’t be Russian to buy this $3,000+ Putin edition iPhone 6s

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Caviar Putin iPhone
Imagine Putin this in your pocket.
Photo: Caviar

Apple sold 13 million iPhone 6s handsets in its opening weekend, but you probably won’t be Russian rushing to buy this “anniversary” iPhone 6s featuring the gold visage of Russia’s glorious leader, Vladimir Putin.

Created by Russian jewelry company Caviar, the limited edition custom iPhone will help you show those decadent capitalist pig-dogs in the West who’s boss thanks to a titanium finish, gold recreation of Putin’s chiselled face, velvet wooden collector’s box, and “free” car charger.

And all for the low, low price of $3,193.

Apple is ‘its own worst enemy,’ says antitrust monitor

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Apple can't ditch its ebook compliance monitor.
Is Apple finally free of Michael Bromwich?
Photo: Apple

In what is likely to be his final assessment to U.S. District Judge Denise Cote, controversial antitrust monitor Michael Bromwich admitted that Apple is doing well when it comes to antirust compliance — but decided to take a few parting shots at the company anyway.

“Apple has been its own worst enemy,” Bromwich said. “[Its] lack of cooperation has cast an unnecessary shadow over meaningful progress in developing a comprehensive and effective antitrust compliance program.”

Despite the fact that its compliance is “substantially stronger” than it was previously, that is!

John Sculley says Steve Jobs movie is ‘extraordinary’

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1984 --- Steve Jobs and John Sculley --- Image by Ed Kashi/CORBIS
Steve Jobs and John Sculley in 1984.
Photo: Ed Kashi/CORBIS

Former Apple CEO John Sculley says the new Steve Jobs movie is “extraordinary entertainment,” and thinks it will be “every bit as successful” as Aaron Sorkin’s previous Silicon Valley biopic The Social Network.

Like Andy Herzfeld, however, Sculley notes that the movie is not always accurate and that there, “was a lot of creative license taken.”

Apple TV dominates streaming, but it makes people sad

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Apple TV 4 brings iOS apps to the big screen.
We're getting really mixed signals here, Apple TV.
Photo: Apple

A new study puts Apple TV at the top of the streaming-box charts, but it’s faring less well in public perception on social media.

Adobe draws data for its quarterly survey, Digital Video Benchmark, from hundreds of apps and billions of online views. And the second chunk of 2015 had some surprises.

European court rules Apple and other tech companies are violating privacy

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The European Court of Justice just handed down a disruptive ruling.
The European Court of Justice just handed down a disruptive ruling.
Photo: Cédric Puisney/FlickrCC

In a landmark decision Tuesday, the European Court of Justice ruled that European Union regulators can override the Safe Harbor agreement, a 15-year-old accord that has — until now — allowed Apple, Google, Facebook, and about 4,500 other U.S. companies to transfer data from European users to the U.S.

The court believes that the current agreement violates European citizens’ right to privacy by exposing their private data to the U.S. government through the American companies’ cooperation with U.S. intelligence agencies.