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Intel confirms Spectre fixes can cause unwanted reboots

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

Intel has confirmed that fixes for the widespread Spectre bug can cause unwanted reboots on many PCs. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the company has also revealed that its latest chips — including the Kaby Lake line launched in 2017 — are also susceptible to the bug.

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery RPG puts you into the story

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Harry Potter
Set during the 1980s, the game lets you join the ranks at Hogwarts.
Photo: Jam City

Harry Potter is coming to iOS. Well, kind of.

In fact, a forthcoming game from Los Angeles-based developer Jam City, in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, will let you create your very own Hogwarts student and then take them through the school: attending classes, learning magic, forming friendships and rivalries, and generally learning how to grow as a wizard.

It sounds intriguing, and we’re hoping it lives up to the enormous potential of its concept. Check out the first trailer for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery below.

Apple and Silicon Valley continue to fight Trump on immigration

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President Trump: Apple encryption could protect ‘criminal minds’
Apple and other tech giants say ending immigration program would be bad for hiring.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

Apple’s not giving up on fighting what it considers to be the good fight when it comes to immigration. On Thursday, a coalition of businesses including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and others urged President Trump not to abandon a program that allows the spouses of high-skilled immigrants to work in the U.S. while they are in the process of seeking permanent residence.

The initiative was introduced by President Barack Obama in 2015, but could be abandoned by the Trump administration as part of its crackdown on immigration.

Apple will start paying its enormous E.U. tax bill in March

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A photo of an iPhone with U.S. money on the screen
Apple was handed its massive tax bill in the middle of 2016.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple will pay its 13 billion euros ($15.5 billion) tax bill between March and September this year, Ireland’s Department of Finance Secretary General Derek Moran has told the country’s Public Accounts Committee.

The European Commission ordered the Irish government to recover the money from Apple after ruling that it received illegal state aid in Ireland. While Ireland is still appealing the decision, it must still collect the money, which will then be placed in an escrow account until the dispute is settled.

Apple snaps up Culver City office after HBO backs out

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Apple Culver City
Apple video's new home in Culver City.
Photo: Culver City Planning Dept.

Apple looks set to open a new office in Culver City, California, after HBO backed out of plans to take the lease. The new building, which features 128,000 square feet of space, is projected to open in late 2019 and could become the home of Apple’s original video efforts.

You’ll soon be able to disable Apple’s iPhone throttling feature

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iPhone-8
iOS 11 will likely land on most people's iPhones in March.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

With Apple facing mounting pressure, Tim Cook has revealed that a future iOS 11 update will let users disable the feature that was causing their iPhone to throttle performance.

In an interview with ABC News, Cook said that, “We’re going to give people the visibility of the health of their battery so it’s very, very transparent. This hasn’t been done before.”

Apple employees get big bonus thanks to Trump

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

President Donald Trump’s new tax law is doing great things for Apple employees’ wallets.

Apple told employees today that it plans to give all of them $2,500 worth of restricted stock, thanks to the revised tax law that goes into effect this year.

Apple says it will add $350 billion to U.S. economy

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Apple leases new offices near to Apple Park
A new Apple HQ is already on the way!
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

Apple’s big tax break is about to unleash an avalanche of spending from the iPhone-maker.

In a public statement this morning, Apple revealed its plans to contribute $350 billion to the U.S. economy over the next five years now that the fee for repatriating its mountain of overseas cash has been significantly lowered.

Kristen Wiig will make you laugh in Apple’s new comedy

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Kristen Wiig slayed us in Bridesmaids.
Wiig will play Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984 instead.
Photo: Universal Pictures

Apple is bringing Kristen Wiig back to TV.

Wigg is set to star in Apple’s first TV comedy series that’s being executive produced by Reese Witherspoon. It will be the first time Wigg has starred in a TV show since she left Saturday Night Live in 2012.

Instagram Stories is getting a new ‘Type’ feature

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Instagram
Instagram makes sharing Stories simpler.
Photo: Instagram

Instagram is taking another swipe at Snapchat with a new feature called “Type.” It allows users to post text to their Stories — without adding a photo or video — and it’s in testing now ahead of a wider rollout. Another Snapchat feature is also on its way.

Apple earns spot in first ‘Top 100 Global Technology Leaders’ list

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Tim Cook
Apple named in another top tech list.
Photo: Apple

Apple has earned a spot on the first “Top 100 Global Technology Leaders” list from Thomson Reuters.

The iPhone-maker was named in sixth place behind rivals like Microsoft and Google, but it did beat out Amazon and Samsung. The list is based on a 28-factor algorithm that measures performance across eight benchmarks, including innovation, environmental impact, and reputation.

BMW wants to charge drivers an annual fee for CarPlay

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CarPlay
BMW plans to charge users $80 per year for CarPlay.
Photo: Apple

Up until now, Apple’s in-car platform CarPlay has been offered as a one-off payment if you want it in a BMW vehicle. That could soon change, however, according to a new report, suggesting that BMW is looking to switch to a subscription-based system.

Apple battles HBO to acquire new J.J. Abrams sci-fi show

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JJ Abrams
J.J. Abrams' latest show would be a big coup for Apple.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikipedia CC

Apple and HBO are vying for a new sci-fi drama series written by Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams. The untitled show is the first bit of TV writing Abrams has done since working on Fringe a decade ago in 2008.

In addition to Fringe, Abrams co-created the popular TV show Lost, as well as creating both Felicity and Alias. He has also executive-produced multiple shows in the past few years, including HBO’s Westworld, Showtime’s Roadies and Hulu’s upcoming Castle Rock.

iPhone slowdown lawsuit wants to examine Apple’s battery data

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iPhone
iPhone slowdown case has caused multiple lawsuits around the world.
Photo: Apple

Apple has said that it will reduce the cost of replacement batteries as a result of its iPhone slowdown controversy. However, according to a new lawsuit leveled against Apple this practice could wind up destroying valuable evidence.

In a motion filed in Los Angeles by lawyer Adam Levitt of DiCello Levitt & Casey, the claimant says that it is important to, “maintain and preserve any data [Apple] collects through diagnostic testing in order to protect the claims of all affected consumers.” In other words, stop throwing away batteries!

Tim Cook talks Apple values in rare interview with high schooler

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Tim Cook still hid a few surprises up his sleeve for the iPhone X event.
One lucky high school student secured an interview with Tim Cook.
Photo: Apple

As CEO of the world’s most valuable company, Tim Cook can pick and choose where he gives interviews. Which is why it’s kind of cool that he just gave an interview to high school student Rebecca Kahn.

In an article published by the National Center for Women & Information Technology, Kahn recalls her experience speaking Tim Cook — and the unlikely way it all came about.

Poor iPhone 8 sales could be dragging down iPhone X momentum

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iPhone SE 2 could cost $399 just like the first-gen iPhone SE
Apple suppliers are reportedly seeing decreasing orders for iPhones in 2018.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Poor sales of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus may be dragging down “the momentum” of the iPhone X, a new report claims.

Citing component suppliers in the iPhone supply chain, it’s claimed that the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus began to show signs of declining demand in the fourth quarter of 2017, and overall component orders for iPhone devices in Q1 2018 have dropped 15-30 percent below the expected numbers as a result.

watchOS 5 concept brings extra info to Apple Watch

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Apple Watch
Apple Watch needs some of these tweaks.
Photo: Matt Birchler

WWDC 2018 is six months away but it’s not too early to start dreaming of new watchOS software.

Concept designer Matt Birchler has created a detailed look at some incredible features he thinks Apple should add to the Apple Watch. Some of the ideas like always-on watch faces seem like no-brainers for future updates, but Birchler also has some ideas on how to pack more useful information on the watch face.

Take a closer look: