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Apple Music is poised for some massive growth in the near future

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Apple Music
Apple Music could pass 100 million subscribers in the next three years.
Photo: Apple

Apple Music recently passed the 40 million paid subscribers mark. Just like old reports about now-tiny-looking “records” set by Apple, however, those numbers could soon be dwarfed thanks to Apple Music’s rapid growth.

According to a new report, Apple Music is set to achieve annual growth of 40 percent a year over the next three years. By our math, that would mean that Apple is looking at around 110 million users by around 2021.

Still Here is a gorgeous platformer about the end of humanity

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Still Here
Could this be one of the year's most stunning iOS games?
Photo: Still Here

2018 is shaping up to be one heck of a year for iOS gaming. The latest example? A stunning new game called Still Here, set to debut in the App Store later this month.

Set in an alternate version of reality, in which mankind has vanished and been replaced by artificial lifeforms, it’s a gorgeous platform game boasting lush animation and visuals. Check out the trailer below.

Fortnite could make $500 million on mobile this year

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Fortnite base
Fortnite is a runaway hit on iOS.
Screenshot: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Just in case you’ve somehow not heard, Fortnite is so hot right now. According to new figures released by Sensor Tower, it grossed more than $25 million in its first month on mobile.

Think that’s impressive? Based on the fact that it’s not yet available on Android, that figure could rise to surpass $500 million this year if this situation changes.

Apple considering AirPod charging case with Bluetooth speaker

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Bluetooth in iOS 11
The AirPod charging case will do so much more, if a new Apple patent turns into a real product.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The case for your Apple wireless earbuds is necessary to charge them, but it’s useless the rest of the time. But what if this AirPod charging case was itself a speaker?

That’s the concept behind a patent Apple just received. Whether it will turn into an actual product is anyone’s guess.

App to hide secret porn stashes booted from iPhone App Store

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Private Photo
There's little doubt what kind of images were expected to be hidden by Private Photo.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple apparently removed some software from its App Store that allows users to hide images behind an innocent front. However, this doesn’t appear to be part of a general crackdown on this type of app.

Digital Mind Co.’s Private Photo (Calculator%) got singled out by police and parental watchdog groups who were concerned that teenagers would use it to conceal illicit images. The app functions as a calculator, but entering a password allows access to a secret image vault.

Apple lays groundwork for bendable iPhone

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Martin Hajek
A curved iPhone would be just a first step toward a bendable iPhone.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Apple today received a patent for a device with a bendable display. Sadly, that doesn’t mean that an clamshell iPhone is right around the corner. The wait for an iPad that be folded up and slipped in a pocket is probably still going to be a long one.

The patent was filed in 2016 because Apple is just preparing for the day when bendable displays are a reality.

Get your Star Wars fix with these Solo iPhone cases

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otterbox
Just in time for Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Photo: Otterbox

The most anticipated Star Wars movie of 2018 is nearly here and OtterBox has got the official cases to get you ready for the premiere.

OtterBox’s new Solo: A Star Wars Story Symmetry Series cases are out in advance of the film, providing fans with three awesome artworks to choose from that pay tribute to some of the most classic characters in a galaxy far far away.

Awesome wireless earbuds, Qi charging mousepads, and more [Crowdfund Roundup]

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TicPods Free
TicPods Free are the affordable alternative to AirPods.
Photo: Mobvoi

Crowdfund Roundup bugYou no longer have an excuse to keep using wired headphones with your iPhone. TicPods Free are the affordable wireless earbuds that combine awesome audio with noise cancellation and intuitive touch controls.

They’re just one of the awesome ideas in this week’s Crowdfund Roundup. We’ve also got a mousepad that wirelessly charges your iPhone, intelligent sleep masks, and more!

The next big Castlevania game is an iOS exclusive

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Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls
Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is coming to iPhone and iPad, but not consoles or PCs.
Photo: Konami

Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is the next chapter in this side-scrolling game series. It’s the first new installment since 2014, and will only be for iOS.

This long-running RPG series from Konami began on the original Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1986. Grimoire of Souls includes classic characters and music from the earlier versions.

Apple doubles down on AI in Seattle

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Siri
Siri needs all the AI talent it can get.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s is slowly invading the home turf of some of its biggest rivals in Seattle.

The iPhone-maker has reportedly secured more office space in one of the biggest skyscrapers in Seattle, where Amazon, Microsft and Facebook all fight for top tech talent.

Intel speeds up chips by offloading virus scans

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Intel-Kaby-Lake
Intel will task GPUs with antivirus scanning.
Photo: Intel

Intel plans to offload virus scanning to improve the performance of its processors.

It will allow antivirus programs to use its integrated graphics chipsets when scanning for attacks, which will reduce processor and power consumption on some machines. It could mean that you’ll get more use out of your MacBook in between charges.

iPhone X price tag is its real killer feature

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iphone
iPhone X made more profits in Q4 than 600 Android device makers.
Photo: Apple

According to new research from Counterpoint, Apple took home a massive 86 percent of total handset market profits for the fourth quarter of 2017.

Most impressive of all is the fact that the iPhone X, which was slammed as being too expensive, earned 5x the combined profits of more than 600 Android device makers. Maybe that $1,000 price tag wasn’t such a mistake after all!

Hands on with iOS 11.4 beta 2

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iPhone X Product Red Wallpaper
iOS 11.4 beta 2 adds an awesome new wallpaper along with other changes.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple fixed a few bugs and added a great new wallpaper in iOS 11.4 beta 2, but it also removed at least one highly anticipated feature. Check out our video below to see everything that’s new in the latest version of iOS.

Google ‘borrows’ from iPhone X for Android P design

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iPhone X Notch
How's battery life on your iPhone with iOS 11.4?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

New screenshots reveal Google took inspiration from iPhone X when designing its upcoming Android P update.

The operating system’s refreshed user interface features a multitasking interface that looks like it was pulled straight from iOS — as well as a familiar virtual Home button.

Russia wants Apple to pull Telegram from local App Store

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Telegram flames
Telegram is one of the world's most popular messaging apps.
Photo: Telegram/Cult of Mac

Russia’s state telecommunications regulator wants Apple and Google to remove the Telegram messenger app service from their respective app stores.

This follows a recent court decision in which a Russian judge ruled that Telegram, the world’s ninth most popular mobile messaging app, should be blocked in the country. This is due to the company’s refusal to give Russian state security services the encryption keys to access messages sent using the service.

Samsung will start OLED production for next-gen iPhones next month

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iPhone plus model next to iPhone X
Apple will release two new OLED iPhones this year, along with an LCD model.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Samsung is reportedly ramping up to start OLED panel production for the next-generation iPhone X and iPhone X Plus.

According to a new report, Samsung was hit hard by the downturn in iPhone X sales, which saw Apple slashing order numbers in half. As a result, OLED production was shut down for several months, only to be restarting in May. Capacity will double in June.

New ads showcase kids’ creativity with the Apple Pencil

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Apple Pencil ad
Apple's new ad campaign is aimed at users in Turkey.
Photo: Apple

There are plenty of pro-grade applications for the iPad, but that doesn’t mean that kids aren’t also benefitting from Apple’s tablet and the Apple Pencil stylus.

In a new series of ads which debuted on its Turkey YouTube channel, Apple shows off images drawn by kids using the Apple Pencil. Check them out below.

More goes into ‘Hey Siri’ than you might think

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Siri Alexa in voice report
Many people might be unaware that their iPhone has a neural network devoted to listening for them to say "Hey Siri".
Photo: Apple

Having your iPhone respond to “Hey Siri” seems like such a simple thing, but it’s actually quite complicated. Recognizing this code phrase, and the person who said it, is critical for Apple speech-recognition system.

A post in Apple’s Machine Learning Journal just published today describes many of the challenges developers overcame to make this work.

Spotify swipes a major player from Apple Music

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Apple Music
Although Apple Music' subscriber base is growing steadily, there have been two high-profile executive departures in a week.
Photo: Apple

The head of Hip-Hop/R&B Programming at Apple Music, Carl Chery, is reportedly headed for rival Spotify. 

Chery worked for Apple since 2014, and was responsible for helping to launch the careers of Cardi B, Bryson Tiller, Post Malone, and others.

James Comey isn’t a fan of iPhone encryption

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James Comey
In his new book, James Comey says that law enforcement should have a backdoor into locked iPhones.
Photo: FBI

James Comey is an controversial figure. His new book shows he’s strongly opposed to Donald Trump, but he may have also helped get Trump elected President. And the former FBI director is opposed to the encryption that protects the privacy of iPhone users.

Comey’ s book, A Higher Loyalty, says Apple’s decision to encrypt the contents of iOS devices by default “drove me crazy.”

This box turns your iPad into the ultimate guitar pedalboard

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iRig Stomp I/O Pedalboard
Nothing can bad can happen to your iPad down there on a stage floor. Nothing.
Photo: IK Multimedia

Electric guitar players have effects pedals. It’s an addiction, and a law of nature. We keep buying little stomp boxes in pursuit of the perfect sound, and of course we don’t even call it sound. We call it “tone.” But the sensible players don’t try to beat the addiction. They switch to software. Instead of buying and trading expensive hardware boxes, they move to something like iOS effects apps, which let you experiment at a fraction of the cost.

And that’s where IK Multimedia’s new iRig Stomp I/O Pedalboard comes in. It’s a hardware pedalboard that provides guitar players with a familiar front-end to all those amazing iOS effects.

Apple drops second beta of iOS 11.4

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iOS 11.4 beta 1 brings back big features we saw in previous betas, including AirPlay 2, multiroom support in Home app, and Messages on iCloud.
iOS 11.4 brings back some cool new features Apple teased us with before.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Developers received a new batch of beta updates this morning, including the second beta build of iOS 11.4.

The new build brings a number of new features to the iPhone and iPad, including some that were pulled from iOS 11.3, like AirPlay 2 and Messages on iCloud. Apple has added a number of bug fixes and performance improvements in the new builds as it preps it for a public release.

Epic Apple Park drone video could be the last one ever

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Apple Park
Apple's new "Spaceship" campus is contributing to soaring property values.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

New drones videos of Apple Park are about to become extinct.

Apple is ramping up security when it comes to drones hovering over its new headquarters. Droner Duncan Sinfield has flown at the campus since the early days of construction. However, on his latest flights, Duncan says Apple security has been able to track down his precise location in ten minutes.

Check out his latest footage, it could be his last: