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Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy documentary will be an Apple Music exclusive

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Diddy's movie is coming to Apple Music.
Diddy's movie is coming to Apple Music.
Photo: Apple

Apple Music is set to premiere an all-new exclusive documentary this summer and this go around it will be all about hip-hop legend and business mogul Sean P. Combs (aka. Puff Daddy, aka P. Diddy).

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story will make its official debut exclusively on Apple Music starting June 25. The documentary chronicles Diddy’s rise to become one of the most prolific producers in the mid-90s as well as the trouble he faced putting together last year’s 20th anniversary Bad Boy reunion show.

iPhone growth stalls as Chinese smartphones surge

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Product Red iPhone box
The RED iPhone 7 hasn't given sales a boost.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Growth in the smartphone industry isn’t dead yet, according to the latest report from the International Data Corporation which found smartphone shipments grew more than expected last quarter.

IDC predicted shipments would rise 3.6%, but the industry actually saw 4.3% growth in Q1 2017. Unfortunately for Apple, most of the increase in shipments were triggered by a couple of Chinese companies.

Apple Pay’s next step? Peer-to-peer payments

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Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple is again working to deliver its own Venmo competitor that will allow fans to transfer money to one another using their iPhones, according to a new report.

Multiple sources familiar with the company’s plans expect the service to be unveiled later this year.

You decide if iPhone 7 Plus beats rival mobile cameras

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Five shades of gray. Which picture is from an iPhone 7 Plus?
Five shades of gray. Which picture is from an iPhone 7 Plus?
Photo: MKBHD/YouTube

You love your iPhone 7 Plus and find the beautiful pictures you make with the camera is money well spent. But you may not have the best smartphone camera in your hands.

Before you get all defensive, put the rods and cones in your eyes to the test. Be willing to set aside your lifelong devotion to Apple and submit to a blind test of pictures from five smartphones with the best-rated cameras.

iOS 11 will bring new focus on original videos from Apple Music

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Carpool Karaoke
Enjoy Carpool Karaoke without an Apple Music subscription.
Photo: Apple

iOS 11 will deliver a new Music app with a focus on original videos, according to Jimmy Iovine. The Apple Music chief says the service could add many as 10 original video series by the end of this year, including Carpool Karaoke and will.i.am’s Planet of the Apps, while Apple is also in talks to secure content from J.J. Abrams and R. Kelly.

Hey, Siri! Apple finalizing designs for new smart speaker

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The Amazon Echo may finally have competition from Apple.
The Amazon Echo is one of the most innovative tech products in recent years.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple is currently finalizing designs for its Amazon Echo competitor, claims renowned Apple tipster Sonny Dickson.

According to Dickson, the Echo rival is likely be “marketed as an Siri/AirPlay device,” representing the next step in Siri’s evolution. It is also set to involve some form of Beats technology, and will run an operating system based on iOS. Color us cautiously intrigued!

Laurene Powell Jobs will talk philanthropy at next month’s Code Conference

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Laurene Powell Jobs (center) at the Female Founders Conference 2016 in San Francisco.
Laurene Powell Jobs (center) at the Female Founders Conference 2016 in San Francisco.
Photo: Y Combinator/Flickr CC

Laurene Powell Jobs may be best known to Apple fans as Steve Jobs’ widow but, as a longtime philanthropist with decades of experience, she’s carved out an impressive solo career.

Having kept a fairly low profile since her husband’s death in 2011, next month Powell Jobs will speak at the Code Conference about her approach to philanthropy. Her appearance will take the form of an unscripted onstage conversation.

Apple expands Mac Pro trademark to include augmented reality tech

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The Magic Toolbar could be a baby step toward augmented reality.
Could augmented reality tech arrive on a future Mac Pro?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple updated its Mac Pro trademark to include “augmented reality displays, goggles, controllers, headsets, and 3D spectacles,” alongside a range of other categories.

The additions come shortly after Apple acknowledged that its current Mac Pro doesn’t fulfill all the needs of its pro customers, promising that a new model with a modular design is currently in the works.

With some very interesting features, if this trademark update is to be believed!

Samsung confirms another iPhone 8 rival is coming this year

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Galaxy Note 7
The new Galaxy Note will go on sale early again this year.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Samsung already made life difficult for Apple’s next-generation iPhone with its stellar Galaxy S8 series, but it won’t stop there.

The South Korean company confirms it plans to release another flagship smartphone in the second half of 2017 that will give iPhone 8 an even tougher challenge.

Week’s best Apple deals: Get Mom an iMac on the cheap

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Mother's Day gifts Apple
Shop now and get Mom an iMac, an iPhone or something else amazing.
Images: Apple, OtterBox, Withings

Don’t leave your Mother’s Day shopping until the last minute — you’ll end up paying an exorbitant price for something generic like a scarf. If you shop now, you can get dear Mom the Apple gear she really wants, discounted up to 88 percent! (We won’t tell her you saved money getting her gift.)

Find a great Mother’s Day sale and more in this week’s roundup of the web’s best Apple deals.

‘Leaked’ iPhone 8 schematic reveals mysterious circle on back

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The big circle in the back might be for wireless charging.
The big circle in the back might be for wireless charging.
Photo: KKSneakLeaks

The Apple rumor mill has churned out yet another alleged schematic for the upcoming iPhone 8, only this time the drawing doesn’t depict a Touch ID sensor in the back.

In the iPhone 8 drawing that surfaced today, Apple appears to have made some big changes — including adding a big area in the back for wireless charging. According to one leaker, the feature would require iPhone 8 owners to keep the device on a charging pad to get juice.

Stomped for iOS will keep you snowboarding in style

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Promo_9b
An ultra-stylish minimalist snowboarder? Yes please!
Photo: UglyRobot

We were massive fans of Alto’s Adventure, the stunningly minimalist endless runner sidescroller which arrived on iOS a couple of years back. If you can’t get enough of that game’s style, you may also be interested to hear about an upcoming iOS snowboarder, called Stomped.

Built around 36 beautifully hand-crafted levels, in which gamers must pull off big jumps and even bigger scores, Stomped looks like it could among the most stylish and fun games of the year. And it’s not even out yet!

Check out its trailer below.

Google Maps for iOS will now remember where you parked

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Google Maps iOS
Never forget where you parked your car again!
Photo: Google

Despite the improvements Apple has made to its own Maps platform, Google Maps is still the number one choice for millions of iPhone users. And it keeps getting better.

Its latest update adds a handy feature that will remind you exactly where you parked your car.

Final Cut Pro X hits massive 2 million users milestone

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Final Cut Pro X on the MacBook Pro. Photo: Apple
Final Cut Pro X is one of the most widely-used video editing tools around.
Photo: Apple

2017-era Apple doesn’t brag about adoption figures in the same way the company used to under Steve Jobs. But at this week’s annual National Association of Broadcasters conference it made an exception.

Specifically, Apple revealed that it now has 2 million users of its Final Cut Pro X video-editing software, five years after launching the tenth version of the program.

Thieves steal $24,000 of devices from Corte Madera Apple store

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Devices are clearly missing on some of the desk displays.
Photo: Amy Hollyfield/Twitter

Five thieves thought to be in their late teens and early twenties stole $24,000 worth of products from the Apple store in Corte Madera, California, in a brazen attack Monday night.

The gang entered the store shortly after 8 p.m., then grabbed 17 iPhones, three iPads and two Macs in front of a small group of customers. The culprits fled, and police are still searching for them.

Apple’s new Dubai store features mesmerizing ‘Solar Wings’

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The new Dubai store is a stunner.
The new Dubai store is a stunner.
Photo: Apple

Rather than loads of glass and steel, the crowning architectural achievement of Apple’s new Dubai store is its motorized carbon fiber windows. Apple revealed the store’s “Solar Wings” today, and they’re one of the coolest features we’ve ever seen.

The automated system is designed to minimize air conditioning usage in the United Arab Emirates store, but the most impressive feature is the way the system opens and closes. Prepare to be mesmerized!

Forget replacing humans, Apple wants AI to improve our memory

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Siri may soon remember every detail of your life.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If Apple has its way in the field of artificial intelligence, robots and algorithms won’t just be used to replace you at work, they could help fix your brain too.

Apple executive and Siri co-creator, Tom Gruber, laid out a different vision for artificial intelligence today while speaking at the TED 2017 conference in Vancouver, Canada. During his remarks, Gruber told the crowd how he thinks AI could become more helpful than harmful.

Truly wireless home security, watches made of paper and more [Crowdfund Roundup]

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Reolink Argus is weather-resistant and 100 percent wireless.
Reolink Argus is weather-resistant and 100 percent wireless.
Photo: Reolink

Crowdfund Roundup bugNeed a home security camera that’s super-simple to set up? Look no further than the Reolink Argus — the world’s first completely wireless camera. It’s battery-powered, streams 1080p video over Wi-Fi, and has built-in night vision.

It’s just one of the awesome ideas in this week’s Crowdfund Roundup. We’ve also got an iPad screen protector that feels like real paper, a ZX Spectrum reborn, a watch made of paper, and more!

iOS 10 bug lets you freeze any iPhone with 3 taps

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Qualcomm patents
Watch out for this bug.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A newly discovered bug in iOS 10 is wreaking havoc on iPhone owners by making Control Center more unstable than ever.

With just three taps, the bug allows anyone to crash an iPhone in seconds. Once the trick is executed, the only way to unfreeze an affected iPhone is with a hard reboot.

Here’s how to do the dirty:

Powermat backs off claim that next iPhone will get wireless charging

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iPhone wireless charging
2017 will be the year iPhone gets wireless charging.
Photo: Ivo Marić and Tomislav Rastovac

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a response from Powermat Technlogies.

One of the most heavily rumored features of the next iPhone was seemingly confirmed by a wireless charging accessory maker before being quickly disavowed. In a press release sent out today for something not even related to Apple, Powermat Technologies CEO Elad Dubzinski claimed wireless charging would become a “standard feature” in the 2017 iPhone lineup.

When contacted by Cult of Mac, Powermat said, basically, that the company doesn’t know what it’s talking about. “It’s all speculation at this point,” a Powermat rep said. “We have no inside information. Sorry to mislead.”

What’s on my iPhone 7: Videographer edition

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iPhone-8
iPhone SE 2 is expected to arrive in early 2020.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you’re new to iPhone, or you’ve recently upgraded to a new model, you might be wondering if you’re missing out on great apps. In this video, we’ll show you some of the terrific titles Cult of Mac video maker Ste Smith is using on his iPhone 7.

You’ll find apps for controlling your smart and home security devices, losing the weight you put on over Easter, keeping an eye on your data usage, and a lot more!

Here’s how Apple plans to make its stores more magical

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Screen Shot 2017-04-25 at 16.22.46
Angela Ahrendts talked about making Apple stores remain relevant.
Photo: CBS

Apple is bringing new “hands on” sessions to its stores, enlisting artists, Mac experts and celebrities in a bid to make its retail outlets more engaging.

Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president of retail, introduced the scheme on CBS This Morning. She also laid out plans for getting Gen Z interested in Apple, discussed women’s role at the company, and stressed the importance of forging human connections in the digital age.

Another freakin’ Family Guy game lands on iOS

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Get your hands on the new Family Guy game now!
Get your hands on the new Family Guy game now!
Photo: Jam City

What the deuce! Jam City just dropped a new Family Guy game for iOS, and if you’re a fan of puzzle games (or Family Guy), you should go download it now.

Another Freakin’ Mobile Game is an addictive matching game featuring 160 challenging levels and all your favorite characters from the show.