Australia’s Attorney-General George Brandis is set to meet with a representative from Apple this week to discuss the subject of strong encryption, and how this relates to police and intelligence agency investigations.
Brandis is reportedly pushing for Apple to create a backdoor that would allow security agencies to circumvent Apple’s current end-to-end encryption.
Apple has begun purging the App Store of third-party utilities that block ads and provide VPN connections. The company says that they do not comply with its Developer Guidelines due to the way in which they interfere with other iOS apps.
Amazon is reportedly launching its own messaging app to rival Apple’s Messages, among others.
Called “Anytime,” the service will reportedly boast voice and video calls, and possible photo-sharing, with the obligatory filters for photos and video with “special effects and masks.” More interestingly, it will also focus on group activities, such as playing games, listening to music, and — here’s the big one — ordering food.
If you want to see how far artificial intelligence has advanced in the past few years, this week saw the release of an impressive AI image recognition app that can describe the world around you in natural language.
That’s just one of the picks we’ve highlighted for this week’s “Awesome Apps” roundup. We’ve also got a great new Street Fighter IV port, a brilliant photo-editor gone free, and a tremendous artistic puzzle game.
Check out our choices below.
iOS 11 beta 3 is out for developers, and we’ve got a rundown of all the new features and changes. Check out reviews, tips and how-to’s on Apple’s latest release.
In this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine, you’ll find that story and more. Learn how to capture and edit digital photos at a professional level. And, check out stunning iPhone photos of The Golden City from Burton Rast’s Shapes of San Francisco. Get your free subscription from iTunes. Or, read on for this week’s top stories.
This week on The CultCast: The magic of HomePod! We’ll tell you about the built-in audio tech that’s getting even the most ardent audiophiles hyped about Apple’s upcoming smart speaker.
Plus: Why iPhone 8’s biggest features may be disabled at launch; how you can grab Apple’s new back-to-school promo without being in college; the fascinating story behind Steve Jobs’ iconic turtleneck; more of iOS 11’s best unknown features; and we wrap with the heartwarming story of why Jobs insisted on always buying his friends’ lunches.
Our thanks to Casper for supporting this episode. Learn why Casper makes the internet’s favorite mattress, and save $50 off your order at casper.com/cultcast.
The rumors say that SoundCloud is on its way out. The company is laying off staff, while burning through streaming bandwidth with no real way to make any money. If you’re a musician, this is a big deal, because SoundCloud is where you share music, and where you go to hear other musicians’ music. It’s a mixtape and an audition reel combined.
The smart move is to take your music to YouTube, because a) it’s not going away, b) it’s free, and c) it’s where everyone goes for free music anyway. The problem? You need to make a video. You could always just put a still image up there, but then the kids will get bored and move onto something else. But as a musician, you’d probably rather spend your time making music instead of making movie.
Luckily — surprise surprise — there’s an app for that. It’s called Wizibel, ands it comes from master iOS music-app-maker Klevgränd.
Apple acquired Beats a few years after co-founder Steve Jobs’ death, but a rare photo has surfaced showing the former Apple CEO rocking a pair of ugly Beats headphones.
Jobs had some familiarity with the Beats brand before Apple eventually bought it. As part of the new HBO documentary, “The Defiant Ones”, Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine says he insisted all his friends test out the new headphones his company was developing. One of those friends was Steve Jobs, who was photographed wearing the headphones in a rarely seen picture:
Check out Jobs rocking the ugly headphones:
Apple’s brand new App Accelerator in Bengaluru, India has only been open since March this year — but already it’s paying off.
According to developers who signed up to the Accelerator, they’re finding themselves with a major advantage over other local app-makers in being shown how to incorporate Apple’s latest tech. And it’s working out pretty well for Apple, too!
Google’s next-generation Pixel smartphones will finally give pure Android lovers an alternative to the iPhone’s 3D Touch. But it won’t be anywhere near as good.
Instead of using pressure-sensitive displays like Apple, the company is said to be ripping off the new HTC U11’s squeezable edges.
Samsung is planning a new smartphone to tackle Apple’s massive iPhone 8 upgrade this fall.
The Galaxy Note 8 is expected to land as early as next month, but thanks to a “leak” from one of its own Twitter accounts, we don’t have to wait until then to get our first glimpse.
Apple has reportedly invested tens of millions of dollars in equipment for producing rigid-flexible printed circuit boards (RFPCBs) for its upcoming iPhone, claims a new report.
Although Apple typically contracts third parties to produce its products, rather than building them itself, it was allegedly pushed into making the investment after one of Apple’s RFPCB suppliers backed out at the last minute.
Facebook has quietly added the ability to make, save, and share GIFs using the built-in camera in its iOS app.
The feature is the latest camera-related upgrade Facebook has added in its efforts to take on socially-oriented, photo and video-sharing apps like Snapchat. Facebook added its mobile camera earlier this year, alongside an assortment of frames and reactive filters.
If you’re a fan of zombies with your mobile gaming, you may want to check out the first gameplay trailer for the upcoming iOS and Android game The Walking Dead: March to War.
A sprawling multiplayer strategy game set in the ruins of zombie-ridden Washington D.C., it looks a whole lot of fun. If the developers’ previous game Game of Thrones Ascent is anything to go by, it should certainly live up to its promise, too! Watch the trailer below.
Bixby, Samsung’s latest competitor to Siri, will finally find its voice in the U.S. next month.
A leaked internal email reveals Bixby Voice will make its official debut before the end of August. Until now, the feature has only been available in Samsung’s home country of South Korea.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted making his annual visit to the Sun Valley media retreat in Idaho today. Cook has been a regular attendee of the conference since he took the reigns of Apple in 2012.
Apple’s rumored decision to ditch Touch ID on the iPhone 8 may not be as rushed a decision as some rumors have claimed.
Facial recognition features could replace Touch ID on Apple’s premium handset this year and a new patent filing shows the company has been working on the technology behind it for over 3 years.
Burton Rast had his first look at San Francisco 20 years ago and wondered aloud to a friend if it was possible to photograph one of the world’s most photographed cities in a new way.
With his iPhone 6s and some creative tweaking of the pictures in Adobe Lightroom Mobile, Rast has succeeded in producing a unique view of the city’s iconic architectural landmarks.
Samsung is said to be developing a new Apple News clone that will launch alongside the Galaxy Note 8 next month.
Unlike Apple’s version, Samsung’s will support voice commands, as well as podcast integration.
Apple has worked to make the iPhone a terrific camera, but sometimes you need a decent editing app to turn an average photo into a masterpiece. For a limited time, you can download the awesome Infltr (usually $1.99) for free through the Apple Store app.
Apple Park is really coming together, and a new drone flyover video by Matthew Roberts shows it.
The video showcases not just the circular “spaceship” HQ, but also the visitor’s center, Steve Jobs Theater, landscaping, and more. It’s impressive stuff, and definitely worth checking it out. Watch the video below.
A Paris court has thrown out the 1.11 billion euros ($1.27 billion) tax bill that France’s tax authorities were demanding from Google — although the French government has said it will appeal the decision.
The verdict could potentially have implications for Apple, which has also found itself on the receiving end of a costly tax bill in the E.U.
If you want the fastest possible web browsing experience on Mac, don’t sway from Safari.
Apple promises that Safari 11, which will debut in macOS High Sierra this fall, is “the world’s fastest desktop browser.” And tests show that it does not disappoint.
Apple’s HomePod is hoping to gain the edge over other smart speakers with its superior sound quality. However, Amazon’s reportedly planning to fight back with its upcoming Echo standalone speaker refresh that will focus on a higher quality music experience.
Apple will pack lasers into the iPhone 8 to deliver improved augmented reality and autofocus, according to a new report. One source says that the rear-facing sensor will provide better depth perception in ARKit apps, and sharper photos.