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Survival Straps’ paracord Apple Watch bands are a big hit with Watch Store customers. These custom-made bands are the real deal, made with military-grade materials and great craftsmanship — yet the unboxing experience isn’t what we expected.

I know what you’re thinking. Did I just pay $49.99 for my watch band to come in a plastic baggie? We thought the same thing, and you how Cult of Mac loves a good unboxing. While Survival Straps’ packaging is barebones, the contents speaks for itself and doesn’t disappoint. Let’s check it out.

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Apple Music is about to get a big upgrade on Android.

A beta version of its next major update reveals Android Auto support is on the way. A number of other new features will also be added to bring the Android version of the app in line with its counterpart on iOS.

When Apple introduced the MacBook with Touch Bar a couple of years back, it got positive reviews — although it also seemed like a concept that Apple hadn’t pushed as far it would go.

That same criticism certainly can’t be leveled at a new concept video created by Turkish designer and Apple fan Furkan Kasap. Kasap has reimagined the MacBook keyboard as a full-on virtual keyboard built around a touch display. Check it out.

You can now sign into your Microsoft account using your Apple Watch.

Microsoft’s free Authenticator app, which brought password-free logins to iOS last year, has made the leap to watchOS. It’s in beta testing for now, but it’s easy to sign up for early access.

Apple is expecting big things for its new iPhones — and we’re not just talking about the extra spacious screen size of Apple’s largest OLED handset.

According to a new report, Apple is planning to ship 70-75 million of its new handsets by the end of this year. If accurate, this would be the biggest iPhone launch since 2014’s iPhone 6 series.

Brian Bumbery, a veteran PR strategist who worked closely with musical acts including Metallica, Green Day, Madonna and others, has joined Apple as director of Apple Music Publicity.

Google’s answer to FaceTime, an app called Duo, has officially landed on iPad. While iPad users could previously use the app, they had to make do with a scaled-up iPhone version. In its latest update, Google Duo is now optimized for Apple’s tablet.

Some people love it, others forget about it. But however you feel about 3D Touch, it appears increasingly unlikely that it will be part of any 2019 iPhone model.

That’s because another analyst said today that some of the 2018 models will have this user-interface trick, but they’ll be the last.

New iPhones and iPads are coming this fall, but some Apple products reportedly won’t be refreshed so soon. New versions of this company’s smartspeaker and wireless headphones might not be out until 2019.

And the wait for AirPods 2 could be much longer than many are hoping.

State representatives in Wisconsin are worried that Apple supplier Foxconn might be about to pull off “the mother of all bait and switches” with its proposed factory in the state.

Foxconn is allegedly scaling back its plans for the factory which could get $4 billion-worth of subsidies and infrastructure spending. Despite President Trump attending the groundbreaking ceremony this past June, construction still hasn’t begun and the plant could be much smaller than originally planned.

The A11 Bionic chip from last year makes the iPhone X run faster than the new Samsung Galaxy Note 9. And now Apple is about to release the A12, a replacement with even quicker performance. 

A switch to a better manufacturing process will bring some of those performance increases, while at the same time using less power. And other improvements are expected to further boost the speed.

Self-reflection can be good, especially if that reflection is on the screen of your iPhone.

A Pew Research Center study on screen time and device distraction show more than 50 percent of all teenagers admit they spend too much time on their screens. The parents who say they fear for their children also admit they have device distraction problems of their own.

iOS and macOS developers received a fresh batch of new beta updates from Apple this morning as the company prepares to launch its new software this fall. And the general public got a new iOS beta too.

macOS Mojave beta 9 and iOS 12 beta 11 can be downloaded from the Apple developer center immediately. The updates bringing a host of bug fixes and performance improvements to the iPhone and Mac.

A respected analyst just threw cold water on the reports that the Apple Pencil will work with next month’s iPhone models.

This contradicts several sources that pointed to support for Apple’s pressure-sensitive stylus being added to the 2018 iPhones. So we’re left guessing which is correct.

Siri is about to get a huge upgrade in the way it answers users questions and searches.

In a new job listing posted today, Apple says it is seeking a writer and editor who can help evolve Siri from one of the most-criticized digital assistants into a “distinct, recognizable character.”

An American Muslim woman whose iPhone was seized and held for several months by U.S. customs officers has filed a federal lawsuit that raises new data privacy questions over what we store on our devices.

After a flight from Zurich, Switzerland landed in New Jersey in February, Rejhane Lazoja said agents seized her iPhone 6s Plus after she refused to open it during questioning because it contained photos of her without her hijab, considered a form of undress in Muslim culture.

The 2018 iPhone lineup might be missing a “Plus” model when all three new iPhones are unveiled at the Steve Jobs Theater early next month.

Apple’s marketing team has reportedly been considering whether or not to ditch the Plus suffix that has been used on larger display iPhones ever since the iPhone 6 Plus came out in 2014.

Apple’s big 2018 iPhone unveiling is allegedly set for September 12, according to a new report out of France that claims to have insider information on Apple’s plans.

August 27, 2008: The U.K. bans an iPhone ad for apparently misleading consumers.

The misleading bit? The ad overhypes the iPhone’s internet-surfing abilities. It does this by not mentioning that the device doesn’t support Adobe Flash — which is vital to internet surfing in 2008. How times change, eh?

This week we check the weather with two great updates to old favorites, and record our thoughts on the never-ending 2018 summer in Day One’s great new voice notes feature.

Apple’s Sport band is the basic bro of Apple Watch bands. If you want something a little more rugged — and a lot less forgettable — strap on a Tire Tread Sport band from Carterjett.

These sturdy silicone bands come in brilliant colors, with extra-large sizes and surprisingly small price tags as do the rest of Carterjett’s collection which includes Nylon NATO and Leather NATO bands as well.

Pop in the code SAVE20! at checkout and you’ll save 20 percent on all Cartejett Apple Watch bands through August.

Now’s the time to get in on a great deal for Just Mobile’s design-award-winning Apple Watch accessories.

The company is slashing their regularly priced, award-winning stands and chargers for Apple Watch by $5. You’ll also get a $20 AluCable Flat lightning cable free with purchase of two Just Mobile Apple Watch accessories!

Check out Just Mobile’s HoverDock, TimeStand and Lounge Dock, and find your perfect charging solution for Apple Watch.

Most people would rather have a root canal than switch from iPhone to Android. In all fairness, the reverse is somewhat true, though people are far more like to switch to iOS than away.

A new survey shows why people give up their iPhone for something from Samsung, Lenovo, or similar Android OEM, and vice versa.

Apple is really moving on iOS 12. It has introduced new pre-release versions for both developers and the general public just a few days after the last ones.

For developers, this is the tenth beta available. For everyone else, it’s the eighth.

Ikea, the Swedish-based “affordable” home furnishing company, is looking to expand its lineup of Trådfri smart home accessories to include an affordable smart switch. The report, which was first published on reddit and reported by Swedish tech site Teknikveckan, shows a pair of smart plug accessories that would allow your to control “dumb” devices with your smartphone or connected speaker.