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iPhone 8 production line revealed in new videos

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iPhone sales drive Apple’s biggest supplier to big profits
One of Foxconn's many factories, where devices like the iPhone are built.
Photo: CBS

For most of us, the iPhone 8 will arrive in a pristine box, as if it materialized out of nowhere to land in our local Apple store.

Things are a bit different if you’re working on the iPhone production line, however. Two new videos give us a glimpse of what that looks like, as Foxconn employees work on the iPhone 8 rear shells. Check out the videos, which showed up on Chinese social media, below.

Pressure mounts on Apple Watch Series 3 as shipments fall

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apple watch bands
Apple Watch Series 3 needs to be special.
Photo: Apple

Apple Watch Series 3 is under pressure to recapture a larger share of the wearables market after Apple was overtaken by Xiaomi and Fitbit last quarter.

Despite wearables shipments increasing 8 percent year-over-year in the second quarter of 2017, Apple fell to third place, shifting just 2.7 million units.

Ristar, Twitch, and other awesome apps of the week

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

Remember the innocent joy of gaming in the 1990s? You can relive it this weekend, courtesy of two rereleases of forgotten console gems from the decade of Nirvana and dial-up internet.

Those are just two of the picks we’ve highlighted for this week’s “Awesome Apps” roundup. We’ve also got a great update to an iOS email client and a livestreaming app for Mac.

Check out our choices below.

Why Ulysses subscription pricing is good for the App Store [Opinion]

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Ulysses subscriptions hero
Not all apps should use subscriptions, but for some, it’s the best choice.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Ulysses, one of the best writing apps on the Mac and iOS, just switched to subscription pricing. It’ll now cost you $5 per month, or $40 per year. This is fantastic news for Ulysses users. It means the app will generate enough income to support itself. And it minimizes the risk of the developers abandoning the app when the flow of new users dries to a trickle.

Yet despite this good news, the internet lost it mind after yesterday’s announcement of the pricing change. Currently the Ulysses blog is only serving a single post, the one detailing the change, because the traffic has been enough to collapse the servers. What happened?

The next Apple Watch could empty my pockets — in a good way

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Hopefully I won't have to carry this stuff around with me thanks to Apple Watch Series 3
Hopefully I won't need to carry this stuff around after Apple Watch Series 3 arrives.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

The latest rumors about the next-generation Apple Watch indicate it might come with LTE cellular data in a slick new design. But Apple Watch already offers data connectivity via iPhone, and Cupertino’s marketing tends to focus on benefits, not features. So how will Apple craft a new product story around built-in cellular?

My guess is it will all be about replacing the need for a very old technology: pockets. Apple Watch Series 3 will move all the contents of our pockets into the cloud.

Cult of Mac Magazine: iPhone 8 Home button secrets, new tweaks in iOS 11 and more!

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cover
All kinds of iPhone 8 details have been discovered in Apple’s HomePod firmware ahead of the handset’s official unveiling.
Photo: Ste Smith

Saying goodbye to the physical Home button won’t be easy, but going virtual offers some clear advantages. Clues buried in HomePod firmware reveal one of iPhone 8’s coolest features.

In this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine, you’ll find that story and more. Get all the new tweaks in iOS beta 5. And check out Nomad’s brand-new Sport Strap for Apple Watch. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

Why this is an unbelievably terrible time to buy an iPhone

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iPhone prices summer 2017
As if the iPhone 8 wasn't enough reason to wait ...
Photo: Rhys Adams/Pixabay

By Angela Moscaritolo, DealNews

If you’re in the market for a new iPhone, you may want to wait awhile. Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone, widely referred to as the iPhone 8, is expected to be released soon. Rumors suggest it’ll boast an all-new design. And if history is any indication, we’ll definitely see discounts on the iPhone 7 once the iPhone 8 makes its debut.

So when should you pounce on that new handset? Read on for our full analysis.

This handmade Apple Watch band is a true triple threat [Watch Store]

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triple tour
The Triple Tour is handmade from a solid piece of vegetable-tanned leather, and can be worn three ways.
Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac

In a tiny workshop in Austin, Texas, one of my all-time-favorite leather straps for Apple Watch is made carefully by hand. The Triple Tour Band by Arrow & Board is a “split” version of the ubiquitous Double Tour strap — popularized by the beautiful albeit monstrously-priced Hermès version.

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Microsoft Surface devices

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Surface Laptop
Beware the Surface Laptop's reliability.
Photo: Microsoft

Consumer Reports has pulled the “recommendation” rating it awarded to four Microsoft Surface devices.

The publication says the change was made as a result of “poor predicated reliability,” and said the estimated breakage rate for Microsoft tablets and notebooks was higher than that for most other brands.

Classic Sega platformer Ristar is reborn on iOS

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Ristar game
Do you remember this stretchy-armed guy?
Photo: Sega

What better way to close out the week than by reliving the glory days of 1995 with Ristar, a newly released iOS port of the classic Sega Genesis game?

Released as part of the retro Sega Forever collection, the free-to-download game is a classic side-scrolling platformer in the Sonic the Hedgehog mold — only with less focus on speed, and more on utilizing the hero’s stretchy arms in a variety of ways.

What’s next for Apple Watch? Catch the discussion on The CultCast!

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cult cast
Catch our unfiltered reactions to Apple's newest products.
Photo: Apple/Erfon Elijah

This week on The CultCast: What does Apple have in store for the next generation of  Watch? We round up the current rumors and reveal our Series 3 wish list. Then: Could Face ID actually replace Touch ID on iPhone 8? We have concerns. Plus: Proof that a 4K Apple TV is right around the corner; more incredible demos of ARKit; and we share our favorite new shows, movies and board games in an all-new What We’re Into!

Our thanks to EERO for supporting this episode. The EERO router system will blanket your home in hyper-fast, reliable Wi-Fi, and you can score free overnight shipping with code CULTCAST at checkout.

Twitch desktop app finally lands on Mac

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Twitch livestream
After months in beta, the full version is finally here.
Photo: Twitch

After several months in beta, game streaming platform Twitch’s desktop app for both Mac and Windows is finally available in its complete full version.

The app includes all the features you’d expend to find in Twitch’s web browser version, such as voice and video calling. However, it also includes a few features that you’ll only find in the app version. In other words, what are you waiting for, gamers?

Ad mockups depict iPhone 8 in all its gorgeous glory

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iphone 8 render
Take our money now!
Photo: Apple

We’re likely to get our first glimpse of the iPhone 8 next month, but for now designers are having some fun showing off not just how they think the new handset will look — but how it could be marketed as well.

These renders come from South African born designer Quinton Theron, which combine the design elements rumored about the iPhone 8 with some nifty ad-style backdrops.

New content blocker Unobstruct declares war on ‘dickbars’

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Unobstruct content blocker

Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Sick of those annoying bars that follow you around certain websites, urging you to share a story on Facebook? A new iOS app called Unobstruct lets you banish those “dickbars” forever.

The creator of the $1 app says he hopes it sends a clear message to web designers: Nobody wants these weapons of messy distraction.

Apple urged to bring emergency location feature to iPhone

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iPhone 911
iPhone users are at risk without this feature.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has been urged to bring an emergency location feature that could save countless lives to the iPhone.

Advanced Mobile Location (AML), a technology that allows the emergency services to more accurately locate a person in danger, was brought to Android over a year ago — but it still isn’t available in iOS.

Chinese devs sue Apple for removing apps without explanation

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China iPhone sales
Things haven't always been easy for Apple in China.
Photo: Apple

Apple is being sued by 28 developers in China for allegedly breaching antitrust regulations. According to the complaint, Apple charged excessive fees and removed apps from the App Store without a proper explanation.

In the past, Cupertino said its guidelines for allowable apps are consistent across countries. The lawsuit comes as Apple expands its developer relations team in China.

iPhone 8’s Face ID will support Apple Pay, third-party apps

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face tracking
You're going to have to get used to life without Touch ID.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone 8’s new facial recognition functionality will be just as versatile as Touch ID, giving users the ability to authorize Apple Pay transactions, unlock third-party apps, and more.

Apple’s code suggests “Face ID” will even support multiple faces for different users.

Carpool Karaoke episode with Linkin Park frontman may not run

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Linkin Park
Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington passed away at the age of 41.
Photo: Stefan Brending/Wikipedia CC

Apple’s new Carpool Karaoke series may not have found favor with critics, but it’s still stuffed full of musical celebrities — ranging from Metallica to Ariana Grande to Will Smith.

One name you might not find among them, however, is Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington — who recorded an episode of the show last month, just six days before his untimely death at the age of 41. However, according to Apple it might not run.

Facebook ups its focus on video with new Watch service

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Facebook Watch
Will you be watching?
Photo: Facebook

Facebook is expanding its focus on video by introducing a new service called Watch, which will see the company enter the world of original content for the first time.

Available for desktop, mobile and TV apps, the new Watch tab will appear on users’ newsfeeds. It will include links to a variety of shows — including comedy, reality TV and live sport — some of which will be created by Facebook. The move puts Facebook into more direct competition with services like YouTube, as well as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple.

Carpool Karaoke reviews highlight what’s wrong with Apple’s original shows

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carpool karaoke ad
Carpool Karaoke hasn't been the smash hit Apple may have hoped for.
Photo: Apple Music

Apple is 0-2 when it comes to critical acclaim for its original series, after early reviews for its Carpool Karaoke spinoff show have been largely negative. The show debuted this week for Apple Music subscribers.

While it’s still early days for Apple’s original content, between this and Planet of the Apps, things aren’t exactly looking good!

Apple code reveals iPhone 8’s virtual Home button secrets

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iPhone 8 concept
Don't expect this kind of functionality.
Photo: iDropNews

Bidding goodbye to the iPhone’s physical Home button won’t be easy, but there are some advantages to going virtual for iPhone 8.

Not only will it allow for a larger edge-to-edge display, but it also means you’ll be able customize the virtual button. Apple code suggests we’ll have the option to resize it and hide it away if we don’t want it to be displayed on screen at all times.