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News - page 1141

How Apple keeps crappy cases off its shelves

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ipad-case-apple
Apple won't just let any iPhone or iPad case in its retail stores.
Photo: Apple

Apple put up a new page on its website detailing the qualifications that third-party iPhone and iPad accessory makers must meet before the company will start selling those products in retail stores or online in the Apple Store. It’s not exactly the easiest process to meet Apple’s high quality standards. In fact, Apple now touts that these cases are “tested to the limit” before they make it on store shelves.

Holy crap, Don’t Starve is coming to iPad

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You won't have any spare time left once this gets its claws into you.
You won't have any spare time left once this gets its claws into you.
Photo: Klei Entertainment

Get ready to waste entire days of your life as Don’t Starve, an endlessly life-threatening survival game from Klei Entertainment, is headed to your iPad as of July 9.

Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition will only run you a tasty $4.99, and it’ll be worth every penny. I can’t count the number of hours I’ve spent walking my little Edward Gorey-inspired characters around the various environments in game, dodging spiders, avoiding fish-men and collecting tons of resources to make sure I don’t actually starve to death.

To have this sweet time-suck of a game on my iPad? Pure bliss.

Wingsuit through this tiny rock formation at high speed

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Uli Emanuele aims for the tiny opening of this rock formation in Switzerland.
Uli Emanuele aims for the tiny opening of this rock formation in Switzerland.
Photo: Uli Emanuele/GoPro/YouTube

The difference in Uli Emanuele’s latest wingsuit flight and a thread going the eye of a needle is that if it misses, the thread gets a do-over.

So to tell you that Emanuele’s shot through a small opening in a rock formation in Switzerland was successful shouldn’t spoil the video. You will cringe and scoot tensely to the edge of your seat.

Emanuele’s jump, filmed with GoPro cameras mounted to his chest and helmet, was posted to YouTube on July 1 and already is approaching 3 million views.

First HomeKit-ready thermostat now available at Apple Stores

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ecobee 3
The Ecobee 3 smart thermostat.
Photo: ecobee

If you’re starting to figure out how you can use HomeKit to make your house less dumb, you can now get started by heading to the Apple Store and picking up the ecobee3, the first thermostat that works with Apple’s smart-appliance platform.

The device retails for $249, and it’s available in North America Apple Stores today.

Here’s our first look at gameplay in the new Star Wars iOS game

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Star Wars Uprising alpha gameplay footage.
Star Wars: Uprising alpha gameplay footage.
Photo: Kabam

The first gameplay footage of Star Wars: Uprising was unveiled by publisher Kabam today, and if you weren’t already stoked to take on the remnants of the Empire, this should do the trick.

Blasters, force powers, flamethrowers, and plenty of swordplay brings the action in the developer’s first demo for the real time strategy game that picks up after the destruction of the second Death Star. The game is coming out on iOS and Android in September in anticipation of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the end of the year.

Checkout the first gameplay footage:

Apple Watch sales plummet by 90% since launch week

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Is Apple Watch demand waning?
Is Apple Watch demand waning?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch went on sale just over two months ago, but it appears that consumer interest in Apple’s wearable has taken a huge dive since launch week.

Apple kicked off launch week in April selling an average of 200,000 watches a day, however a new report from Slice Intelligence claims sales have dropped to fewer than 20,000 a day in the U.S., marking a 90% drop off since the week of April 10th.

You can see how interest has slowly dropped in the chart below:

Jump on these free courses to learn iOS mobile game design [Deals]

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If you’ve got an iOS phone, you’ve got one of the world’s most popular gaming platforms in your pocket. If you want to build the game that inspires others to gleefully smudge up their screens, you don’t have to worry about not having studied video game design in college. MakeSchool’s Free iOS Game Hacking Course will give you everything you need to build your own big hit for the tiny screen.

Enterprising company makes Bluetooth Star Trek communicator

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Boldly call with this authentic replica of a Star Trek communicator, a Bluetooth handset that works with any mobile device.
Boldly call with this authentic replica of a Star Trek communicator, a Bluetooth handset that works with any mobile device.
Photo: The Wand Company

Be honest. When you got your first flip phone, you flicked your wrist to open it and said “Kirk to Enterprise” or “Beam me up, Scotty!”

It was fun to pretend, but the true Star Trek fan has been clamoring for a more authentic experience, a phone that looks like the real Star Fleet issued communicator.

Come January, you will be over the moon (or moons depending on the planet) when the Wand Company begins shipping a Bluetooth handset that looks identical to an original series communicator.

Tim Cook joins Duke University Board of Trustees

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As if Tim Cook doesn't already have enough on his plate!
As if Tim Cook doesn't already have enough on his plate!
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook has been appointed to a six-year term at the Duke University Board of Trustees, the school announced today. Cook joins alongside Coca-Cola Foundation Chairwoman Lisa Borders, PRM Advisors founder Patricia Morton, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and ValueAct Capital CEO Jeff Ubben.

This simple Lightning dock solution would help avoid unnecessary breakages

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Apple's Lightning dock as released earlier this year.
Apple's Lightning dock as released earlier this year.
Photo: Apple

Apple started selling its brand new official Lightning connector dock earlier this year. While it turned out to be a bit less fragile in reality than it looks on first glance, we can’t help but wish Apple had released the Lightning dock shown in a newly-published patent today.

Designed for durability, Apple’s concept connect features a movable Lightning connector that is able to rock back and forth, thereby absorbing what Apple calls “undesirable forces … reducing a likelihood of the connector breaking from misuse.”

It’s such an elegant solution we can’t help wonder — why didn’t Apple use it?

FBI director: I don’t like encryption, but I’m not a maniac

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FBI director isn't too keen on Apple's security measures.
FBI director isn't too keen on Apple's security measures.
Photo: 1Password

There’s just no getting around it: FBI director James Comey isn’t a fan of encryption.

In an open letter, Comey writes that the kind of security seen on devices like the iPhone do more to hurt us than they do to help — potentially even aiding terrorist groups such as ISIS.

“I really am not a maniac (or at least my family says so),” he claims. “But my job is to try to keep people safe. In universal strong encryption, I see something that is with us already and growing every day that will inexorably affect my ability to do that job.”

Future iPhones could be unlocked with a selfie

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The new way to unlock your iPhone?
The new way to unlock your iPhone?
Photo: Apple/USPTO

Apple may have banned selfie sticks at WWDC, but the company was today granted a patent revealing how future iPhones could be unlocked by snapping a quick photo of yourself.

Entitled “Low threshold face recognition,” the patent describes a means of “reducing the impact of lighting conditions and biometric distortions” that can negatively affect facial recognition for a solution which “can be implemented on camera-equipped consumer portable appliances” — presumably such as the iPhone and iPad, although the second-generation (camera-equipped) Apple Watch 2 wouldn’t be out of the question, either.

Fitness app data shows which states are more unhealthy than yours

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fitness-tracker
Which states are filling up these rings?

Smug Californians now have proof they’re better than you.

A couple of the most popular fitness apps in the App Store have pooled their data to figure out which U.S. states have the best (and worst) health habits. They examined a combination of workout and nutritional info among their users and concluded that the Golden State has the best habits, and Wyoming has a lot of work to do.

Hub hotel has smart rooms you run from your wrist

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Hub hotel smart room
That map on the wall is an augmented-reality city guide.
Photo: Premier Inn

I typically look for two things in a hotel room: Internet included with the room and free breakfast. But a new hotel in London’s Covent Gardens might have me adding some things to that list.

The recently opened Hub hotel from Premier Inn, the U.K.’s largest lodging chain, sports some pretty impressive tech features that involve both smartphones and wearables like the Apple Watch. And while your hotel room shouldn’t be the coolest part of any trip, Premier is really giving the rest of your vacation something to live up to.

Hey, Siri: Play a fart sound

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Farts are funny, alright?
Farts are funny, alright?
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

If you’ve got the future strapped to your wrist and an iPhone paired with said Apple Watch, you can prank your friends with the lowest form of humor imaginable: the fart sound.

You’ll also need Apple Music, as this trick relies on the sound effect albums therein.

Here’s how to fart at your friends without actually soiling your own shorts.

Minecraft: Story Mode stars two Goonies and a Pee-Wee

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Craft your own story with the choices you make.
Craft your own story with the choices you make.
Photo: Telltale Games

Minecraft has always let you tell your own story with it’s open-world sandbox game. You can dig, build, fight zombies, and even explore amazing worlds built by other Minecraft fans and find your own way to play.

Now, though, Telltale wants you to immerse yourself in a new authored story that will be released episodically. Titled Minecraft: Story Mode, the upcoming game features a ton of famous voice-over actors to bring the story to life.

Take a listen to the trailer below and see if you can at least figure out who the main character, Jesse, is.

Safety-minded Kiwis want Apple Watch off the road

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Apple Watch while driving
This is a really bad idea.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch may not be available in New Zealand yet, but that isn’t stopping some safety-minded organizations from seeking to ban it, and other smartwatches, from use while driving.

“A second’s inattention at the wheel can result in tragedy,” said advocate Caroline Perry of road-safety charity Brake. “Smartwatches and other wearable technology are extremely distracting if used while driving.”

How to listen to Apple Music without burning your data

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Save your data with Apple Music's offline features.
Listen to Amy without incurring data overage charges.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Apple Music is at heart a streaming solution, designed so that you can listen to any of the tens of millions of songs in its library at any time, assuming you have a data connection.

These days, though, unlimited data plans are the exception rather than the rule, so you might want to be a little less profligate with your use of such a data-heavy solution.

Apple Music allows you to save your songs, albums and playlists to your iPhone or Mac for offline listening, which could be a boon if you’re watching your data cap.

Here’s how to make that happen.

‘iPhone 6 ended my season’ cries NBA player Matt Bonner

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Matt Bonner's elbow can't handle the iPhone 6
Matt Bonner's elbow can't handle the iPhone 6
Photo: San Antonio Spurs

This is not an Onion article, though you may have been fooled into thinking that given the preposterous headline.

NBA forward Matt Bonner has won two championship rings with the San Antonio Spurs, but after suffering his worst shooting percentage since his rookie season, the 35-year old his placing all the blame on Apple.

In a recent interview the basketball player revealed that he believes the iPhone 6’s larger screen contributed to his poor shooting performance, and gave him a season-ending injury in the form of a serious case of tennis elbow.

Microsoft’s new app lets you poll friends to plan events

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Tossup by Microsoft.
Tossup by Microsoft.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft has been killing it on iOS with its lineup of premium productivity apps. Now the company is trying to make organizing group outings a lot more fun with is new app Tossup from the Microsoft Garage.

Out today on both iOS and Android, Tossup allows large groups of friends and family to make decisions on things like where to eat, what movie to see, or who should be invited.

Here’s a demo of how it works:

Apple Watch swim app works — but it will void your warranty

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Apple Watch swimming app
Shhh ... don't tell Apple.
Photo: Ted Bradley

The Apple Watch isn’t completely waterproof, so it makes sense that you won’t find a swimming option in the Workouts app. But that hasn’t stopped one development team from building their own way to track aquatic exercises on the wearable.

Active in Time has ported its own Pebble swimming app over to Apple’s smartwatch, and it tested its functionality (and the Apple Watch’s water resistance) with four lengths in an Olympic swimming pool. You can see the results in the video below.