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News - page 856

tvOS 11 beta includes references to unannounced 4K Apple TV

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apple tv and siri remote
A new Apple TV is on the horizon.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

References to a new Apple TV device have been discovered in the latest beta for tvOS 11, which could indicate that the new set top box is close to a possible launch.

Developers have been combing through the files in tvOS 11 beta 7 after Apple released it this morning it alongside new iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra betas. While the beta doesn’t come with any major new features, one developer discovered it contains some hints about the long-rumored 4K Apple TV.

New iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra betas bring minor tweaks

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iPhone 7 iOS 11
Grab iOS 11 beta 7 while it's fresh!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Development of iOS 11 appears to be nearing the finish line, as Apple seeded a fresh new beta for its big update of the software that powers iPhones and iPads.

iOS 11 beta 7, along with new betas for macOS High Sierra and tvOS 11, are now available to registered developers. They bring a bunch of new bug fixes and performance improvements to the operating systems, which are expected to be released to the public later this fall.

Windows Store proves Apple’s strict guidelines are a necessity

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Windows Store movies
Windows Store has an illegal movies problem.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple is often criticized for its strict App Store guidelines that prevent all kinds of titles from being approved. But the state of the Windows Store proves strict guidelines are a necessity.

Microsoft’s marketplace is currently littered with apps that allow users to illegally stream movies and TV shows for free. There’s also a range of titles that provide access to pirated music.

iPhone 8’s amazing facial recognition is super quick, works in the dark

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face tracking
Apple's new face recognition will be a game changer.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 8’s facial recognition feature will work “within a few hundred milliseconds,” be more secure than the existing Touch ID sensor, and even work in the dark, a pair of new reports claim.

In addition to the regular iPhone sensors you’d expect to find, the upcoming handset will reportedly boast a new “structured light” sensor, which uses bounced infrared light to work out the depth of different points on the face.

ZCast update makes iPhone’s best podcasting platform better

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ZCast on iPhone
ZCast now supports high-definition audio recording.
Photo: ZCast

ZCast, the app that makes podcasting from an iOS device easy, just got a big new update that makes it an even greater platform for publishing your own shows.

Version 3.0 gives users the ability to record in studio-quality audio, and support for social media embeds that allow fans to enjoy your content directly within tweets and Facebook posts.

Barclays customers can now make payments using Siri

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Barclays bank sign
Barclays just made Apple Pay even greater.
Photo: Barclays

Barclays is making it even easier for its customers to spend their hard-earned cash.

The latest update to its Mobile Banking app on iOS lets you use Siri to send money to any existing payee, but there is a limit to how much you can send with your voice.

Exciting iPhone 8 components continue to leak early

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Slashleaks
Apple's edge-to-edge iPhone 8 display.
Photo: Slashleaks

The latest purported iPhone 8 components leak appears to show the handset’s display assembly, flex cables for power transfer, and part of the Lightning connector.

The new component leaks appear to confirm previous reports about the form factor of the new iPhone 8 display. Check out the other two pics below.

Apple invites iTunes users to donate to civil rights advocacy group

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iTunes donation
Apple recently made a $1 million donation the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Photo: Apple

Apple has updated its iTunes desktop and mobile storefronts to grant users the ability to donate money to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a U.S. nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation.

Users have the option of donating in $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or $200 increments. Apple states that 100 percent of donations will be transferred to the Southern Poverty Law Center, and that it won’t share user information with the organization.

NASA’s solar eclipse coverage, Data Wing, and other awesome apps of the week

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Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend everyone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Want to know which app to download for everything you need to know about this week’s total solar eclipse? We’ve singled out one of the best options as part of our latest “Awesome Apps” roundup.

We’ve also got a great update to a brilliant iOS fighting game, a story-driven racing title, and a big improvement to ESPN’s app for every sport lover out there. Check out our choices below.

Today in Apple history: Apple becomes the most valuable public company ever

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money
By 2012, Apple was a giant.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

August 20: Today in Apple history: Apple becomes the most valuable public company ever August 20, 2012: Apple breaks records as it becomes the most valuable public company in human history.

When markets close, Apple’s market cap — the stock price multiplied by the number of outstanding shares — sits at an astonishing $623.5 billion. This beats the previous record of $618.9 billion set by Microsoft on December 30, 1999, at the height of the dot-com bubble.

Why Apple may make your next TV, this week on The CultCast

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The Apple television lives!
The Apple television lives!
Photo: Getty

This week on The CultCast: Apple makes a major play to become the next HBO. Meanwhile, intriguing new images surface showing what looks to be a product we all thought had died — the long lost Apple Television.

Plus: A trusted source says Apple’s next Watch will be more boring than we hoped; and finally … eating bugs … Thai Tinder … yes, Buster Heine is back to share strange stories from his travels deep into the heart of Thailand.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10 percent off any hosting plan.

Apple ditches many color options for iPhone, Apple Watch accessories

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iPhone 7 cases
What's disappeared where you are?
Photo: Apple

Apple has begun eliminating official accessories in many color options from its online store.

Shoppers are discovering that a number of iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch accessories are no longer available in some color options. They are likely being phased out before new accessories for Apple’s next-generation devices arrive this fall.

iPhone 8’s powerful new A11 chip is pictured for the first time

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TSMC A11 chip
This is the chip that will power Apple's next-gen iPhone.
Photo: Slashleaks

As we get closer to the iPhone 8’s launch, more and more alleged components are starting to show up online. The latest is what is reported to be the A11 chip which will power the next-gen device.

Made by TSMC, previous reports have stated that the new chip is manufactured using a 10-nanometer manufacturing process, which should make it faster and more efficient than the 16-nanometer A10 Fusion used in the iPhone 7. It should also be faster than the A10X Fusion chip used in the latest iPad Pros.

Apple’s impenetrable security chip is penetrated by hacker

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Touch ID
But don't worry — Face ID isn't going anywhere.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s supposedly impenetrable security chip found inside iOS devices has been penetrated.

A hacker has released what is claimed to be a decryption key for the Secure Enclave Processor (SEP) that handles things like Touch ID and password verification. But we shouldn’t worry about the security of our Apple devices being compromised… yet.

Best Buy’s 50-hour sale offers big iPhone 7, MacBook discounts

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iPhone 7 red
Cult of Mac pays real cash for your old Apple devices.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Best Buy will kick off a massive 50-hour sale later today, offering generous discounts on a number of Apple’s hottest products, including the MacBook, iMac, iPhone 7, and iPad mini.

The company is also slashing up to $200 off Beats headphones, and up to $600 off LG’s 4K TVs.

Apple’s real estate ventures hint at massive hiring spree

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Apple's new HQ
The site of Apple's latest office building.
Photo: Google

Apple could come close to doubling its 25,000 Santa Clara Valley employees in the coming years, based on Apple’s aggressive long-term office space leasing in the region.

Its latest long-term lease is two buildings — collectively totaling 73,000 square feet — in Sunnyvale, near its 13,000 person Apple Park campus. Apple also leases another nearby 105,000 square foot building around three blocks away.

Hollywood wants Apple to sell movies within weeks of theater debuts

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Apple TV Dark Mode
The wait for new movies could be just two weeks.
Photo: Apple

Hollywood is pushing for iTunes to show the latest blockbuster movies just weeks after they hit the theater.

Sources say a deal between Apple and a number of major studios could be signed as early as next year without the blessing of theater chains. However, talks are currently held up over the price that Hollywood wants to charge for new rentals.

Apple Watch shipments will reach new highs in 2017

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Nyloon's Elysee Nylon Band for Apple Watch in navy, white and red has a comfortable, fabric-like feel.
Available in a wide range of styles and colors.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch shipments may have slowed in recent months, but with Series 3 right around the corner, the device is expected to enjoy a strong end to 2017.

According to sources in its supply chain, Apple is likely to ship a total of 15 million Apple Watches for the year. That figure could rise even higher in 2018.

Electronic Frontier Foundation slams tech companies for banning neo-Nazis

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EFF logo
The EFF are big proponents of online free speech.
Photo: EFF

The Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized tech companies that took action against white supremacist groups in the wake of deadly clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Quick to take a stand against hate groups, tech companies removed some neo-Nazi groups’ access to web servers and online services. But the EFF issued a statement reminding them of the slippery slope of censorship.

Get the best price ever on a MacBook Pro

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macos
Now is the time to get a MacBook Pro.
Photo: Cult of Mac

There are awesome prices to be had this week whether you’re shopping for a MacBook or an iMac, and free Beats headphones.

If you’re ready to step up to Apple’s super fast, super light MacBook Pro featuring the innovative Touch Bar, there’s no better time.

Audiobus keeps your music creations in perfect time

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audiobus link
Audiobus now syncs with all other apps using Ableton Link.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Audiobus, the iOS app that lets you route audio between apps on your iPad or iPhone, just got an update. The version number is 3.0.5, which belies the fact that Audiobus 3 just got one huge new feature: support for Ableton Link, which means that it will now keep tempo with all the other music apps on your iDevice.

Tim Cook’s letter re: Charlottesville will break your heart

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Apple held a moment of silence for Orlando.
Tim Cook witnessed the devastating impacts of the KKK while growing up in Alabama during the '60s.
Photo: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed to employees in an email this week that Apple will make $2 million worth of donations to organizations “who work to rid our country of hate.”

The donations come as a response to the tragic events of Charlottesville which Cook told employees have been deeply troubling for him personally. Cook, who has first hand experience with the devastating impacts of the KKK, took aim at President Donald Trump in his letter for supporting the white supremacists and says that Apple plans to play an important role in bringing about positive change.