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News - page 860

Super antenna iPhone cases, smart screen protectors, and more [Crowdfund Roundup]

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Firefly case
Firefly boosts your iPhone's cellular signal.
Photo: Firefly

Crowdfund Roundup bugIf you’re plagued by dropped calls and slow data, say hello to Firefly for iPhone. Thanks to “super antenna technology,” this case can boost cellular, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity while protecting your iPhone from scuffs and bumps.

It’s just one of the awesome ideas in this week’s Crowdfund Roundup. We also have smart screen protectors, levitating home security cameras, and more!

The FCC just killed net neutrality

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Slow internet
This could change the internet as we know it.
Photo: Pexels

In a shocking change to internet protocols in the US, the Federal Communications Commission has voted to repeal net neutrality.

The FCC voted to repeal the landmark rules that protect consumers from being charged special prices for accessing certain parts of the internet. By scraping the neutrality regulations, The FCC just opened the doorway for Internet service providers to block websites or make users pay more to get some content.

Face ID and Apple Pay converge in Apple’s latest video

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Face ID
Face ID is used for a lot more than just unlocking your iPhone X.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s is pushing to make Face ID as ubiquitous as Touch ID with its latest video that shows how the iPhone X makes Apple Pay even easier.

Because Apple removed the home button, activating Apple Pay on the iPhone X is a bit different than other iPhones. In the company’s new how-to video, Apple guides iPhone X owners through to process of making payments in stores.

Here’s how to do it:

Maxed-out iMac Pro will make your eyes water and your wallet empty

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iMac Pro
What a beautiful, beautiful, expensive machine.
Photo: Apple/Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s celebrated iMac Pro is finally available to buy, but it’s gonna cost you! The “basic” model will set you back only $4,999. But if you decide to shell out for the top-of-the-line version, your wallet is going to feel a whole lot lighter.

How much lighter? Checking all the boxes to upgrade the machine to its full potential brings the total iMac Pro price to a massive $13,926.98.

iMac Pro is available to buy right now

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The new iMac Pro brings awesome firepower to the desktop this December.
This is Apple's most powerful Mac ever.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s eagerly-anticipaed iMac Pro is finally available to buy, six months after Apple first showcased the new computer at WWDC.

The “most powerful Mac ever” can be purchased today in 8-core and 10-core variations, while 14- and 18-core models can be pre-ordered for shipping in 6-8 weeks. Prices start at $4,999.

This tiny gadget brings 360-degree video shooting to iPhone

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Fishball 360-degree video lens
Fishball is all you need to shoot VR video on iPhone.
Photo: Fishball

Now that you can edit 360-degree video in Final Cut Pro, you might get the urge to shoot your very own immersive videos. The iPhone can’t do that all by itself (yet), but it can if you add this tiny gadget.

It’s called Fishball, and it’s the world’s first 360-degree lens for iPhone. All you have to do is clip it on and you’re good to go.

Apple offering free next-day shipping in time for the holidays

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shipping
Apple is the perfect company to buy your last-minute gifts from. Tim Cook would probably say.
Photo: Apple

If you’re planning on buying any Apple products for Christmas (whether that’s for friends and family or a sneaky Yuletide gift for yourself), Apple’s just announced a bit of good news.

For any in-stock items ordered up until 3pm local time on December 22 in the United States, Apple will guarantee next day delivery free of charge. Perfect for those last minute presents!

Apple just made it a lot harder for rivals to compete on AR

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iPhone 8 Plus
Tim Cook thinks AR is going to be the next big thing in tech.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Expecting Android device makers to rip off Apple’s augmented reality technology any time soon? Not so fast, a new report claims.

Apple’s $390 million payday to TrueDepth sensor maker Finisar this week will reportedly help lock out rival companies like Samsung and Huawei from competing with its augmented reality ambitions, by giving Apple first dibs on the necessary components.

These are the malls and airports Apple provides indoor maps for

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airport2
Apple started offering indoor mapping with iOS 11
Photo: A.Savin/Wikipedia CC

One of the iOS 11 features you may not know about is that Apple now offers indoor mapping support for a growing number of international airports and malls.

While the number of airports and malls covered is still relatively small — with 34 airports, mostly based in the U.S., and a handful of shopping malls — Apple has published a list of where these are located.

Apple is ready to invest far more than $1 billion on U.S. manufacturing

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
Apple wants to help grow the manufacturing sector in the U.S.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund to help U.S. manufacturing isn’t capped at $1 billion, according to chief operating office Jeff Williams.

The $1 billion investment was announced in May this year. At the time, Tim Cook said it was Apple’s “initial” investment, suggesting that there could be more money should things work out well. Clearly Apple has been impressed by the results because in a new interview with CNBC, Jeff Williams said the sum is “absolutely not” Apple’s final threshold.

Pad & Quill’s bumper case wraps iPhone X in leather

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iPhone x
The Traveler Slim wraps your iPhone X with leather.
Photo: Pad and Quill

Looking to add some vintage vibes to your futuristic iPhone X?

The folks at Pad and Quill have you covered with the world’s first ever handmade leather bumper case for the iPhone X. The design for the case has been in the works for three years and was inspired by old school leather coin purses.

Take a closer look:

Punish Website only blocks ads on sites you blacklist

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punish website
This Safari content blocker only shuts down sites you personally blacklist.
Photo: Cult of Mac/ Salavat Khanov

Most ad blockers block everything. You download the app, tell Safari to use it, and then no longer need to worry about sites serving bandwidth-burning scripts that leech your personal information.

But for many people, the blanket approach of nuking everything is too much. You may instead prefer to block some bad actors, but let most sites serve ads — the ads pay the writers who write for the sites, after all. That’s where the bluntly named Punish Website app comes in. The new app comes configured to block nothing, letting you add the sites you hate to your own personal blacklist.

Download iOS 11.2.1 immediately for crucial HomeKit fixes

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homekit
HomeKit's huge security flaw has been fixed.
Photo: Apple

Apple released a brand new iOS 11 update for the iPad and iPhone this morning that makes some big fixes to HomeKit.

iOS 11.2.1 comes a little over a week after Apple dropped iOS 11.2 on the public bringing Apple Pay Cash and a host of bug fixes. The new update is being released along with tvOS 11.2.1 to restore some HomeKit functionality after Apple patched a bug server-side earlier this week.

Lack of cash could kill Jay-Z’s Tidal music service next year

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Jay Z
Jay Z's got 99 problems, and Apple Music is one.
Photo: Flickr/NRK P3

One of Apple’s biggest competitors in the music streaming business is about to bite the dust.

Tidal, the music streaming service owned by Jay-Z, is allegedly facing some serious money problems. According to a new report, user growth has stalled too making the company’s cash problems even worse.

Nintendo doesn’t want to keep iOS users waiting for new games

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Super Mario Run
Nintendo is adding more mobile developers to speed up its rate of production.
Photo: Apple

Nintendo might be delivering on its promise to bring original titles like Super Mario Run and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp to iOS, but it’s also concerned about the timetable it is able to deliver these on. Or not deliver them on, as may be the case.

According to a new report, Nintendo is looking to team up with new smartphone game developers after its partnership with current mobile dev DeNA “fell behind schedule.”

iPhone was very nearly the world’s top Google search this year

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iPhone X
iPhone X and iPhone 8 were two of the top Google searches in 2017.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Given how much time we spend Googling things, analyzing the world’s top searches provides a pretty good insight into the people, ideas, products, and news we could consider to be important.

With that in mind, Apple’s got to be pretty happy at the news that iPhone X and iPhone 8 were two of the top three most popular search terms of the year, with the top search being for Hurricane Irma. Fourth and fifth places were taken by Matt Lauer and Meghan Markle.

Apple makes big investment in TrueDepth sensor maker

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TrueDepth Finisar
TrueDepth sensors in production at Finisar.
Photo: Apple

Apple has invested a substantial sum of cash in TrueDepth sensor maker Finisar.

The $390 million fund will allow for increased research and development spending, and high-volume production of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). It will also allow Finisar to open a new production facility in Texas, creating more than 500 jobs.

Layton’s Mystery Journey a gets a big festive discount

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laytonsgame
The latest instalment in this acclaimed series.
Photo: Level-5

With Christmas coming, it’s probably not the time of year to be spending a whole lot of money on yourself — knowing that there’s plenty of other things you may need to splash your cash on.

Which is why it’s great news that Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy, one of my previously recommended best games of the year, has slashed its $15.99 price tag for the holidays.

iPhone still dominates global smartphone sales

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iPhone X laying down
Yeah! Apple is number one!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

It’s tempting to look at the smartphone wars in terms of Apple vs. Android, but that’s really not telling anywhere close to the true story. The real competition is between the companies who actually build the smartphones — and those stats show that Apple is very clearly crushing it!

In a recent report from researchers at Counterpoint, the individual handset model sales are broken down for the month of October 2017, just before the iPhone X arrived. Even before Apple’s most anticipated smartphone of the year was released, they highlight just how far ahead of its rivals Apple is.

Facebook brings augmented reality to its Messenger app

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Messenger
Who will know you love your dog if you don't add a giant digital heart over its head?
Photo: Facebook

It’s not just Apple that’s excited about the possibilities of augmented reality! In its latest Snapchat-inspired update, Facebook has added new AR features to its Messenger app.

Called “World Effects,” the feature lets you place emoji-style 3D objects in three-dimensional space via your iPhone’s rear camera. Objects added include a heart, an arrow, and a robot — along with word bubbles with messages like “love,” “heart,” “miss you,” and — making us feel old — ““bae.”

Apple adds Hulu and Legendary execs to original content team

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apple tv
Apple's TV team is starting to take shape.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s quest to dominate the video streaming business has added two new executives to the company’s growing roster of original video content talent.

Two business affairs executives — Philip Matthys from Hulu and Jennifer Wang Grazier from Legendary Entertainment — have reportedly joined Apple to fill positions on the company’s video content team.