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Apple wows us with photos of its first ever Taiwanese store

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Apple Store Taipei
The mural depicts the Banyan tree, a traditional meeting place.
Photo: Apple

Ahead of its opening this Saturday, Apple has shared some photos of its first Apple retail store in Taiwan.

The store is located on the ground floor of Taiwan’s iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper, the supertall skyscraper in Xinyi District, Taipei, which was the world’s tallest building until it was overtaken by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2009.

The inside story of the iconic ‘rubber band’ effect that launched the iPhone

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Bas Ording Apple interface designer
Former Apple designer Bas Ording created the rubber band effect, which convinced Steve Jobs to build the iPhone.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

iPhone turns 10 One day in early 2005, interface designer Bas Ording was sitting in a secret, windowless lab at Apple HQ when the phone rang. It was Steve Jobs.

The first thing Jobs says is that the conversation is super-secret, and must not be repeated to anyone. Ording promises not to.

“He’s like, ‘Yeah, Bas, we’re going to do a phone,'” Ording told Cult of Mac, recalling that momentous call from long ago. “‘It’s not going to have any buttons and things on it, it’s just a screen. Can you build a demo that you can scroll through a list of names, so you could choose someone to call?’ That was the assignment I got, like pretty much directly from Steve.”

A second screen for iPhone, Bluetooth 5.0 earbuds and more [Crowdfund Roundup]

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InkCase iPhone 7
InkCase is finally available for iPhone 7.
Photo: InkCase

Crowdfund Roundup bug Ever thought you could do with a second display on your iPhone? InkCase for iPhone 7 is exactly that. You can use it to read books, display useful widgets or pretty photos, and lots more.

It’s just one of the awesome ideas in this week’s Crowdfund Roundup. We also have the world’s first wireless earbuds with Bluetooth 5.0, the ultimate survival tool, and more!

Hidden sound in iOS 11 hints at new charging for iPhone 8

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iOS 11 dark mode
iOS 11 has a lot of secret features.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A new sound file hidden inside iOS 11 may hint at a major new feature coming to the iPhone 8 later this year.

Early rumors claim Apple’s next smartphone will pack inductive charging capabilities when it debuts in the fall. Now it looks like iOS 11 may have confirmed the feature with a new sound file called “engage_power.caf” that’s not being used at all.

iPhone launch day bag is the ultimate obscure Apple collector’s item

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iPhone launch day bag
This bag, which held an original iPhone on launch day in 2007, is now a super-rare Apple collectible.
Photo: Mark Johnson

iPhone turns 10 It’s cool to own an original, first-gen iPhone. But if you really want to show that you were among the Apple faithful — a true believer who queued up for Cupertino’s inaugural handset back on June 29, 2007 — you’re going to want an extra accessory: the custom paper bag it came in.

More than just an oddball Apple collectible, it’s an early example of the extraordinary care Cupertino puts into packaging its magical devices.

Apple shares inspiring ‘Portrait of Canada’ in latest iPhone ad

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Shot on iPhone ad screenshot
One of the many breathtaking shots of Canada shot on iPhone.
Photo:

Apple published a new video to celebrate Canada’s inclusive spirit today as the company’s latest ad for its ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign.

The inspiring commercial was created by three Canadian artists with the help of iPhone owners across the country. Like many of Apple’s other ‘Shot on iPhone’ ads the new ‘Portrait of Canada’ spot features a montage of short videos and photographs captured by iPhone.

Everything you need to know about Safari 11

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Safari 11 WebRTC support
Apple has partnered with TokBox to enable video streams via WebRTC.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Safari 11 brings some big upgrades to enhance your browsing experience on macOS High Sierra and iOS 11. With the latest iteration of its web browser, Apple aims to shoot down aggressive web practices that hamper user experience, while also adding tons of under-the-hood features. The new Safari also promises to bring increased stability, speed and power efficiency.

Here’s everything you need to know about Safari 11.

iOS 11 brings VR mode to Apple Maps using ARKit

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flyover mode in Apple Maps
Flyover is getting a major upgrade in iOS 11.
Photo: Apple

Ever wonder what it feels like to be a Godzilla-sized monster traipsing around the skyscrapers of New York City? Well, with iOS 11 now you can.

Apple has subtly added a cool new virtual reality mode in Apple Maps with the release of iOS 11 that lets users explore 3D models of some of the world’s most popular cities. The new feature is powered by Apple’s new ARKit, allowing you to walk around your house and tilt your phone camera around to visit different parts of the city.

Watch the crazy new feature in action:

How the iPhone made accessibility accessible to everyone

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The iOS Magnifier: You probably had no idea your iPhone has a built-in magnifying glass.
You probably had no idea your iPhone has a built-in magnifying glass.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

iPhone turns 10 Damon Rose is 46, and has been blind since he was a teenager. In 2012, the iPhone changed his life.

Rose, a senior broadcast journalist at the BBC, uses GPS to get around unfamiliar areas, with an earbud stuck in one ear, and uses a third-party app that tells him what shops he’s walking past. It’s “amazingly helpful,” he told Cult of Mac. “I can look at menus on restaurant websites while I’m sitting there with my first drink of the evening,” instead of having the waiter read out the menu.

The iPhone might not have been the first phone with accessibility features, but it was certainly the first popular pocket computer to be easily useable by the blind and the hearing-impaired.

Designer preps new version of Steve Jobs’ iconic mock turtleneck

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Steve_Jobs_2007
Want to dress like Steve Jobs? It'll cost you $270 -- plus a pair of Levi's.
Photo: Ben Stanfield/Flickr CC

Fashion designer Issey Miyake, creator of Steve Jobs’ iconic mock turtleneck, is launching a very similar shirt. Called the Semi-Dull T, it will go on sale next month for $270.

Although not exactly the same, the new creation looks close enough to the original to inspire a strong sense of déjà vu.

The evolution of iOS: From iPhone OS to iOS 11

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Original iPhone running iOS 1
A lot has change since 2007.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone turns 10 The operating system that powers the iPhone has undergone radical changes since Apple launched the device 10 years ago.

As part of Cult of Mac’s collaboration with Wired UK to mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, we took a look at the evolution of iOS, from a simple touchscreen operating system lacking key features into a true computing behemoth with more tools than any one user could possibly need.

iPhone 7 finally loses in speed test against Android rival

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iPhone 7 in hand
iPhone 7 isn't top dog anymore.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Thanks to Apple’s engineering magic, the iPhone has long outpaced its Android-powered rivals.

In real-world speed tests, the iPhone can blaze past high-end competitors from the likes of Google, Samsung and LG, despite slower processors and less RAM. But not anymore. We finally have an Android device that packs more power than the iPhone 7 — and that’s the OnePlus 5.

Qualcomm has the tech to put Touch ID in an iPhone display

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Touch ID
Embedding Touch ID under the iPhone 8's display is one of the big rumors for this year's handset.
Photo: Apple

Whether Apple will be able to deliver on the rumor that it will be embedding its Touch ID fingerprint sensor beneath the display of the iPhone 8 remains to be seen.

However, a new demo coming out of the currently-happening Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2017 demonstrates that it is indeed possible — with Qualcomm showing off ultrasonic technology that allows fingerprint unlocking even through OLED displays.

China’s black market can build an iPhone from scratch

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iPhone black market China
China's black market looks like "an iPhone factory has thrown up all over itself."
Photo: Brian Merchant/Wired

iPhone-turns-10-1You don’t have to visit a Foxconn factory to see an iPhone built from scratch.

Visit China’s black market and you’ll meet traders with the components, tools, and know-how to build you a working handset for a fraction of the price you would pay Apple. The whole process is complete by the time you’ve finished your coffee.

2017 App Store revenue crushes Apple’s entire 2007 earnings

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App Store icon
Business is booming for the App Store.
Photo: PhotoAtelier/Flickr

Apple is making more revenue off the App Store alone in 2017 than it did in all of 2007, according to a new study that analyzed Apple’s money-printing app empire.

When the iPhone launched in 2007, Steve Jobs absolutely refused to let third-party apps on his beloved device. Fast forward ten years later and not it’s not just hard to imagine the iPhone without the App Store. It’s hard to imagine Apple being as profitable without it.

Cult of Mac teams up with Wired UK for 10 years of iPhone

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Qualcomm patents
A lot has changed since the iPhone made its debut in 2007.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone turns 10 The iPhone is turning 10 years old this week and we’re ready to celebrate with more coverage and insight than any Apple fanboy could ever want. Every day through June 29, we’ll be publishing a batch of stories focused on the greatest device Apple’s ever made.

Cult of Mac is collaborating with Wired UK for the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. We’ll run down some of the device’s biggest innovations, failures and what’s in store for the future.

Check out what we’ve written so far:

Watch new Star Wars trailer re-created on an Apple IIc

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Star Wars on Apple IIc
You've never seen a Star Wars trailer like this.
Photo: Pinot Ichwandardi/Instagram

Apple’s retro IIc computer that was released in 1984 has been obsolete for 30 years, but an NYC-based illustrator has just proven that it is still capable of creating amazing stuff, if you’re willing to put in the time.

Animator Wahyu Ichwandardi unveiled his Apple IIc masterpiece on Twitter by re-creating the latest Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer in using software from the early 80’s.

Prepare to be blown away:

5 predictions of what iPhone will look like in 10 years

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Original iPhone running iOS 1
A lot has change since 2007.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone turns 10 As the iPhone turns 10 years old this week, the Apple’s long streak of dominance makes it seem like iPhone will rule the tech world for the forseeable future. Nothing last forever though, so what could the iPhone look like in 2027 when technology is more seamlessly embedded in our lives?

Cult of Mac is collaborating with Wired U.K. all this week for an in-depth look at the iPhone’s lasting impact and possible future. Tech experts that Wired talked to are pretty optimistic that the iPhone will still exist in some form 10 years from now. But interacting with it will be completely different.

Greenpeace pushes Apple to make products anyone can fix

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Greenpeace
Greenpeace wants Apple to make its products more repairable.
Photo: Greenpeace

Greenpeace has launched a new campaign, seeking signatures to push Apple and other device makers to make more repairable, longer-lasting products to cut down on electronic waste.

In partnership with our friends over at iFixit, the campaign casts a critical eye over 40 different devices made between 2015 and 2017, and then assesses them according to how repairable each one is.

iPhone collection makes perfect birthday gift for Apple-loving CEO

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iPhones at MacPaw museum
A collection of iPhones, presented as a 30th birthday present to MacPaw CEO Oleksandr Kosovan, fills a critical hole in his private Apple museum.
Photo: MacPaw

iPhone turns 10 Buying a birthday present for your boss can seem impossible. But the friends and co-workers of MacPaw CEO Oleksandr Kosovan — a diehard Apple fan — saw an opening after he bought a treasure trove of vintage Macs to create a museum at his company’s headquarters.

MacPaw’s mini Apple museum, filled with vintage gear auctioned off by fabled Apple repair shop Tekserve, contained no iPhones. Leaving out the smartphone that changed the world seemed like a glaring hole in a collection that otherwise did a good job of showing Apple’s role in revolutionizing personal computing.

Buy a refurbished Apple Pencil to save a few bucks

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iPad Pro drawing Apple Pencil
Apple Pencil can't beat a mouse at many things.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has begun selling refurbished models of the Apple Pencil at a discount. iPad Pro owners in the United States can save a pretty penny when picking up the best stylus available for their tablet — but it’s still not the most affordable.