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How controversial Theranos founder borrowed Steve Jobs’ look

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Elizabeth Holmes
The black turtleneck look was synonymous with Steve Jobs.
Photo: Max Morse/TechCrunch/Wikipedia CC

Apple and particularly its iconic co-founder Steve Jobs have inspired some great people, ideas and companies over the years. But Apple’s beloved former leader and highly regarded products were also singled out as an inspiration for controversial health tech Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.

In a forthcoming book, Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou details some of the ways that Holmes (the exec whose net worth was revised from $4.5 billion to zero after questions about the validity of her blood testing tools emerged) cribbed notes from Apple’s playbook.

LGBT activists are unhappy about Apple’s location for new corporate hub

By

Tim Cook
Cook has been an outspoken defender of LGBT rights during his time leading Apple.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s decision to open a new HQ in North Carolina is reportedly close to being a “done deal,” waiting only for the right incentives package to be passed.

But one potential spanner in the works could be the area’s history of anti-LGBT laws. Most infamous of these is the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, which made it law for people to use the public restrooms and changing rooms which correspond with their birth certificate sex, as opposed to their self-identified gender.

U.K. iPhone users want $4.3B from Google for privacy violations

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Google
Millions in Britain wants $1000 each because they claim Google invaded their privacy
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A group of 4.4 million Brits accuse Google of illegally collecting and selling their personal information. They want a court to award them  $1000 (£750) each in compensation.

The group, which calls itself Google You Owe Us, was in court today asking to be made a representative action, the British equivalent of a class action.

Trump carries an iPhone just for Twitter

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This is the Trump iPhone, but not Trump's iPhone.
The President doesn't actually use Caviar's commemorative Donald Trump iPhone 7.
Photo: Caviar

Possibly everyone on Earth knows that President Donald Trump uses Twitter, but you might not know that his many tweets are coming from an iPhone. The commander in chief actually has at least two: one that’s just for Twitter, and one or more others only for voice calls.

While Apple makes devices that are unusually hard to hack, there are questions about whether the president is hampering White House efforts to keep the Trump iPhone secure.

Apple drops 24 percent off cost of a cable you really need

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A USB-C Lightning cable price drop.
A USB-C Lightning cable has several uses, including faster charges for recent iPhone and iPad models.
Photo: Apple

The price of a USB-C Lightning cable dropped 24 percent. That’s good news to almost every iPhone and iPad user.

This cable really should be bundled with Apple’s phone and tablet. It offers faster charging, and is required for connectivity with the latest macOS devices.

Coach introduces new Apple Watch bands for summer

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coach apple watch bands
Upgrade your band in time for summer.
Photo: Coach

Luxury design company Coach is ready to supply Apple Watch wearers with a fresh lineup of new bands this summer.

The company unveiled its latest lineup of fashionable bands that include a couple new colors and fabrics for those who are looking to add a little extra style to their wrists.

Google nearly scrubs ‘Don’t be evil’ from its code of conduct

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'Don't be evil' went from the first sentence of the Google code of conduct to the very last.
'Don't be evil' went from the first sentence of the Google code of conduct to the very last.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Google’s founders tried to define their corporate philosophy with a single phrase: “Don’t be evil.” Now that phrase has all but disappeared from the company’s official code of conduct.

But there are questions about whether Google could be anything but evil, given that its entire business model is violating the privacy of its users.

Elgato’s portable green screen is the perfect setup for gamers

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elgato screen
Streamers, prepare to have your mind blown.
Photo: Erfon Elijiah

Want to become the next big Fortnite star but don’t have a professional-looking streaming setup? The folks at Elgato are ready to solve all your woes with their brilliant new collapsible green screen.

Most green screens we’ve used are a pain to deal with, but not only is the new Elgato screen dead-easy to use, it’s pretty cheap, too. The CultCast producer Erfon Elijah has been playing with Elgato’s green screen the last few weeks. It blew him away with features that allow anyone to create an immersive stream instantly.

Take a look at it in action:

Facebook wants to become your internet service provider

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Facebook Terragraph network
A Facebook Terragraph network provides broadband access without cable or fiber.
Graphic: Facebook

Facebook and Qualcomm are working together to provide high-speed connectivity to urban areas. They’ll use Facebook Terragraph technology to build a multi-node wireless system based on 60GHz technology from Qualcomm.

The goal is to provide multi-gigabytes per second speed at a lower cost.

Podcast app Castro adds most-requested features

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Castro 3 playing the CultCast podcast
Podcast app Castro addresses several missing features with version 3
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

With podcasts increasing in popularity, Castro has been one of the top third-party podcast players on the market. In version 2, Castro changed the way users manage their unplayed episodes with their podcast triage system. While it was a great update, and included some gorgeous design touches, it was missing some key listening features. With version 3, Castro adds in users most requested features to make it a truly great podcast player.

Glitchy Apple II screens inspire this artist’s work

By

Melissa Barron
A screen glitch, frustrating to most, is beautiful to weaver Melissa Barron.
Photo: Melissa Barron

The Apple II and the iconic game The Oregon Trail launched countless computer science careers – and are twin muses for weaver Melissa Barron.

The Chicago artist appreciates the similarities in a line of code and a strand of yarn as she brings analog texture to computer screens, especially the helter-skelter appearance of glitches.

Siri ‘leaks’ about HomePod and voice change are old news [Correction]

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Siri voice
With the right question, Siri has loose lips.
Photo: iPad screen capture

Correction: This post has been updated to indicate that the Siri “leaks” making headlines this week appear to be leftovers from WWDC 2017. The somewhat cryptic Siri responses, which caused some confusion, appear to have been removed by the Siri team.

When asked about Apple’s upcoming Worldwide Developer’s Conference, Siri very sweetly dishes two interesting bits of news. Apple’s voice assistant will get a new voice, and she will lend it to a new HomePod.

The Obamas head to Netflix after flirting with Apple

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Maybe the coolest, most tech savvy president ever.
Maybe the coolest, most tech savvy president ever.
Photo: The White House

Former President Barak Obama and his wife Michelle Obama are coming to Netflix.

The duo inked a deal to produce content for the streaming service this week after reportedly being courted by Apple and Amazon earlier this year. Netflix announced the multi-year agreement today which could lead to films, scripted series, unscripted series documentaries and more.

Animoji go on a wild ride in crazy K-pop iPhone X ad

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animoji
Animoji are one of the best iPhone
Photo: Apple

Apple has tapped into the power of K-pop for its wild new Animoji ad that came out today. The South Korean group HYUKOH gave Apple exclusive rights to their catchy new song for the fun ad that features a dazzling array of lights and animated cityscapes.

The minute-long ad is similar in style to the Grammy-themed Animoji ads Apple put out earlier this year. Only in this one, the visuals are ramped up to an all-new level.

Buckle up and enjoy the ride:

Apple drops a spot in Fortune 500 rankings

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European Commission could get even tougher on tech in 2020
Apple's revenues need to get bigger if it wants to rise in the rankings.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Despite closing in on becoming the country’s first trillion dollar company, Apple took a small drop in the annual Fortune 500 rankings.

The rankings released this morning put Apple in the number 4 spot as ExxonMobile leapfrogged the iPhone-maker and Berkshire Hathaway to claim the number 2 spot.

Portable USB-C monitor gives MacBook a second screen

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A second screen that’s as portable as your MacBook.
A second screen that’s as portable as your MacBook.
Photo: AOC

Adding an additional screen to your setup can result in a huge boost to productivity. And now it’s even easier for those who work on the go, thanks to AOC’s portable USB-C monitor.

This 15.6-inch screen is slim and light enough to take anywhere, and it can be hooked up to your MacBook or MacBook Pro using a single cable.

Cupertino wants to squeeze extra taxes out of Apple

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money
Headcount tax would charge Apple for every employee in Cupertino.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Cupertino could introduce a tax that would charge Apple an additional fee based on its number of employees. The city has hired a firm to poll residents asking their thoughts on such a tax, and how it should be spent.

At present, Apple has upwards of 25,000 employees in the Bay Area, although it’s not clear how many of these are specifically based in Cupertino. Apple is Cupertino’s largest employer, and has been for many years.

Déjà vu? Apple analyst remains down on ‘uninspiring’ iPhone X sales

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iphone
We were kidding last time, but this time Apple's really doomed. Seriously.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you thought last quarter’s record Apple earnings were enough to prove the doubters wrong… well, you’d be wrong.

According to a familiar sounding note from Nomura Instinet analyst Jeffrey Kvaal, iPhone sales aren’t inspiring, and Apple could be in for a disappointing next 12 months.

iPhone X dumbbell case will make you think twice about picking up your phone

By

Softbank Selection
One way to address the concerns about smartphone's unhealthy impact on our lives!
Photo: Softbank Selection

If you’re anything like us, chances are that you pick up your iPhone way too much. Whether it’s checking your Twitter feed or your WhatsApp messages, calling a friend, or having a quick go on the latest iOS game, the temptation that comes with having a super-power, lightweight computer with you at every moment can be tough to resist.

A new Japanese smartphone case aims to help — in a slightly unusual way. The $100 case seeks to sever your iPhone X addiction by entrapping it in a 22 pound (10kg) dumbbell.

Fortnite leak reveals tough challenges for season 4, week 4

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Fortnite
Team Rumble just got a lot better.
Photo: Epic Games

Fortnite Battle Royale’s challenges for week four of season four will be available to Battle Pass buyers tomorrow morning. But you don’t have to wait until then to find out what’s in store.

The complete list of challenges has leaked out early — and it’s going to be difficult to conquer thanks to recent changes to the game.

Popular parental teen-monitoring app left user Apple IDs exposed

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TeenSafe
Passwords and email addresses were available in plaintext.
Photo: ZDNet

A popular app called TeenSafe, used by parents to keep tabs on their teenage children’s phone activity, has reportedly been compromised, resulting in “tens of thousands” of account details being exposed.

While no photos, messages or location data was revealed, the database featuring parent email addresses and their corresponding child’s Apple ID email address, plaintext password and device name was accessible. The TeenSafe app described itself as a “secure” monitoring app.

Apple’s $200 HomePod might carry Beats brand

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A cheaper version of the HomePod could drop below the $200 mark.
The rumored inexpensive HomePod might not be called a HomePod. It could be a Beats smartspeaker instead.
Photo: Apple

Rumors indicate Apple’s working on a cheaper version of the HomePod. And now there’s a new wrinkle: this device might be sold under the Beats brand name.

This would let the HomePod name stand as a premier product, while still allowing Apple to make a more affordable smartspeaker.

‘Holy iPad’ plays important role in royal wedding

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A royal wedding is a traditional affair, but an iPad still made an appearance.
A royal wedding is a traditional affair, but an iPad still made an appearance at the nuptials for the Duke and Dutchess of Sussex.
Screencap: CBS

It would be going too far to say that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wouldn’t be married today if it weren’t for an iPad. But one of Apple’s tablets did have an important role to play in the royal wedding.

Bishop Michael Curry delivered a sermon halfway through the ceremony. The good prelate read from notes displayed on his trusty iPad during his address. 

Apple v. Samsung $1 billion patent lawsuit in the hands of a jury

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Apple and Samsung return to court
There's no doubt the design of the Galaxy S copies the iPhone. A jury will soon rule on damages in the Apple v Samsung patent lawsuit.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The decade-long Apple v. Samsung patent-infringement trial is nearing its end. A jury is expected to announce Monday whether the premier Android-maker owes Apple $1 billion for copying the iPhone’s design.