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News - page 881

New Siri icon in iOS 11 may hint at iPhone 8’s virtual Home button

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The iPhone's home button could be going away.
Siri should be a lot smarter.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple may have left a big clue in iOS 11 that points to huge design changes coming later this year to the iPhone 8.

While doing some testing with the new Do Not Disturb When Driving feature, eagle-eyed Apple observers have spotted a new icon for Siri in iOS 11 that appears to be a perfect replacement for the Home button Apple is supposedly planning to ditch.

Take a look:

Apple seeds second betas for iOS 11, macOS High Sierra and more

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The best gesture in iOS 11 isn't just for iPad.
New beta updates are out for iPhone and iPad.
Photo: Apple

Developers received the second batch of beta builds today of the new software Apple unveiled earlier this month during its Worldwide Developers Conference.

Beta build 2 for iOS 11, macOS High Sierra, tvOS 11 and watchOS 4 got seeded to developers this afternoon, as well as a number of other tools and platforms that are available to download from Apple’s Developer Center.

Virgin Mobile innovates by going iPhone-only

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iPhone 7
Virgin is going all-in on the iPhone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In an effort to regain relevancy in the ridiculously competitive mobile network space, Virgin Mobile CEO Richard Branson revealed today that his company is going all-in on iPhone.

Virgin Mobile is set to become the first-ever iPhone-only carrier and to kick things off the company is offering a deal for Apple fans that just might convince them to switch from one of the major networks.

Tim Cook takes a dive in top CEO ranking

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Apple CEO Tim Cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook has a 93% approval rating among employees.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple CEO Tim Cook saw his approval rating among employees dip considerably in 2017, based on a new survey that ranks the world’s top CEOs based on employee reviews.

Cook has consistently placed high in GlassDoors annual CEO rankings usually falling in the top 20 and sometimes cracking into the top 10. But for the first time since Glassdoor started its rankings, the Apple CEO is nowhere to be found in the top 50.

Week’s best Apple deals: Save tons by buying third-party!

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Looking for Apple deals? Sometimes it doesn't pay to go straight to the source.
Looking for Apple deals? Sometimes it doesn't pay to go straight to the source.
Photos: Apple, Belkin, Dynex

It’s no secret that Apple is expensive, which is why sometimes it’s a great idea to buy Apple items and Apple-compatible accessories elsewhere. See such deals on Apple Watch bands, cables and hardware in this week’s roundup of the best Apple deals.

SEGA Forever collection brings free console classics to iOS

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SEGA-Forever
SEGA's console classics live on.
Photo: SEGA

SEGA’s back catalog of games is one of the best there is, and the Japenese giant won’t stand by and watch it die. The new SEGA Forever collection for iOS offers a growing catalog of classic console titles from every era — from Master System to Dreamcast.

What’s more, every one is free to play.

Apple shows the magic behind Memories in new iPhone ad

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iPhone ad screenshot
iPhone automagically makes movies for you.
Photo: Apple

Apple has come out with a brand new iPhone ad this week, only instead of highlighting the device’s amazing hardware the commercial pulls back the curtain on how iOS creates ‘Memories’ based on the photos and videos in your camera roll.

The new ad follows a librarian as he carefully crafts a video for an iPhone owner that highlights the bond between a mother and her children. To accompany the ad, Apple also put out a new how-to that shows how to play the memories hidden inside your iPhone.

Try not to tear up while watching:

Spotify plans to put ‘sponsored songs’ in your playlists

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Spotify
You won't have to listen to music you don't like.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

In its quest to turn a profit, Spotify is searching for new revenue streams and it may have just found a winner: sponsored songs.

The streaming service began testing its new Sponsored Songs feature, which lets record labels promote tracks by automatically adding them to listeners’ playlists, this week. The feature is supposed to only affect users of Spotify’s free tier, but some paying subscribers report that it’s happening to them too.

Leaked recording reveals Apple’s plan to stop leakers

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Photos of alleged glass panels for the iPhone 8, 7s and 7s Plus.
Apple's on a mission to keep iPhone 8 parts like these from leaking.
Photo: Reddit

Tim Cook’s mission to double down on secrecy at Apple is producing results that even Steve Jobs would be envious of, based on a new report that details the extreme lengths Apple has gone through to stop leaks.

Ironically, a recording of Apple’s security team discussing leaks has been leaked online, giving all-new details on how Apple prevents employees and factory workers from leaking information and parts to the public.

iPhone ‘melts’ during U.K. heat wave

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iPhone hot temperature warning
Don't leave your iPhone in the sun!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you’re enjoying the rare sunshine gracing the U.K. this week, it might be best to leave your iPhone indoors.

Leaving it in the heat while you catch some rays could cause its internals to melt, as one unlucky owner discovered in Cornwall.

Armani is latest designer brand to take on Apple Watch

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Armani Connected Watch
One of Armani's upcoming Connected watches.
Photo: Emporio Armani

Emorio Armani is the latest designer fashion brand that fancies its chances against the Apple Watch.

The Italian company unveiled its first smartwatch collection, powered by Google’s Android Wear platform, at Milan Fashion Week over the weekend — but neglected to mention any prices.

Rivals suffer as Apple sucks up smartphone component supplies

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iPhone 8 facial recognition
The iPhone 8 isn't a phone you want to be competing against.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 8 is set to be a monster seller for Apple, and that’s not so good if you’re a rival handset vendor in China, where smartphone component inventory levels are at an all-time low.

Currently in demand parts include smartphone memory, camera sensors and batteries. And high-volume production of new iPhones in the third quarter is likely to affect availability of fingerprint sensors, metal cases and assorted display components.

Apple asks court to block Qualcomm double-dipping

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Qualcomm patents
Apple doesn't want to pay twice for Qualcomm chips.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s ongoing legal battle with Qualcomm just got even more interesting after the iPhone-maker branded its partner’s license agreements invalid.

Cupertino is fighting to prevent Qualcomm from taking a cut of every iPhone sold, and to prevent the chipmaker’s alleged double-dipping to maximize revenue it earns from its modem chips.

Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow for iOS gets a star-studded teaser trailer

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futurama
Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Stephen Hawking, George Takei and Bill Nye will all feature in the game.
Photo: Futurama

A new Futurama iOS game is set to land in the App Store this month and, based on the trailer, it looks to be a star-studded affair.

The Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow ad features the brainy voice talents of no less than Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Stephen Hawking, George Takei and Bill Nye. Check it out below.

Steve Jobs demanded Android-style back button for iPhone

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iPhone could have looked a lot different had Steve Jobs had his way.
iPhone could have looked a lot different had Steve Jobs had his way.
Photo: Apple

Since it made its debut in 2007, the iPhone has relied on just one physical button for returning to the Home screen. But if Steve Jobs had his way, it would have had two.

The Apple co-founder and former CEO tried to convince other executives that the iPhone also needed an Android-style back button for navigation.

Tim Cook pushes Trump for compulsory coding classes for kids

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Tim Cook discusses Apple's enterprise ambitions at BoxWorks in San Francisco, September 2015.
Tim Cook thinks coding is one of today's most important subjects.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

During Monday’s White House meeting with President Donald Trump, Tim Cook pushed for the U.S. government to make coding a required class for kids.

This is something Cook has publicly discussed before. When Apple debuted its kid-focused Swift Playgrounds app, he said, “We believe coding should be a required language in all schools.”

Apple and Ikea’s AR collab lets you test furniture before buying

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Apple and Ikea are collaborating on artificial intelligence.
Tim Cook has previously said that AR tech makes him "scream" with excitement.
Photo: Ikea

Ikea has revealed a few new details about its augmented reality collaboration with Apple that lets customers test out virtual pieces of furniture in their homes before they buy them.

Tim Cook recently discussed the app briefly in an interview in which he said that, We’ve talked to Ikea, and they have 3D images of their furniture line. You’re talking about changing the whole experience of how you shop for, in this case, furniture and other objects that you can place around the home.”

Apple Watch now available from Sport Chek stores in Canada

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Apple Watch Sport Chek
It's even easier to get your hands on Apple Watch in Canada.
Photo: Sport Chek

Sport Chek, the largest sports retailer in Canada, now stocks multiple models of Apple Watch.

Its selection isn’t quite as big as the Apple’s but its prices are the same, and it’s more convenient for those who don’t live near an official Apple store.

Huge Pokémon GO update to bring better gyms, raid battles

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Multiplayer raids are coming to Pokémon GO this summer.
Multiplayer raids are coming to Pokémon GO this summer.
Photo: Niantic

Pokémon GO is getting a massive update this summer that will introduce a number of new features to make the game more accessible, more social, and more exciting.

Players can look forward to revamped gyms that give out gym badges, multiplayer raid battles, and lots more.

E.U. may ban FBI-style iPhone hacking demands

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iPhone hack
Law would undermine attempts to break security.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Attempts to force tech companies in the U.K. to hand over encrypted messages could be scuttled by EU proposals.

European members of parliament for the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee have tabled laws banning countries from seeking to break encrypted messages. It would also force tech companies which don’t use strong encryption for communications to do so.

Tim Cook will meet Trump to discuss government inefficiency

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President Trump: Apple encryption could protect ‘criminal minds’
Tim Cook has a big meeting today.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

President Donald Trump is set to meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook and the heads of other companies at the White House today to discuss ways the government can cut waste and improve its services.

During a conference call Friday, the Trump administration described an “economic opportunity” to save up to $1 trillion over the course of a decade by reducing government IT costs, better using government spending power, cutting fraud and more.