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Apple’s supply chain gets a bit more humane

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Screen Shot 2017-03-27 at 16.18.28
Apple is becoming a "force for good" in the world.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s worked hard to improve its supply chain condition in 2016, with a special focus on improving working conditions and protecting the planet.

In doing so, the company claims it “raises the bar higher for its suppliers and the industry.” Check out some of the highlights below.

iPhone 8’s A11 chip enters mass production next month

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Apple chips are getting EMI shielding.
The A11 is on its way!
Photo: Apple

Apple manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is set to begin volume production of Apple’s next-gen A11 chips next month, with the goal of producing 50 million chips before July.

The chips will be used for the next-gen iPhones, which are likely to make their debut in September. The A11 chips will reportedly be built using a 10 nanometer FinFET process.

WhatsApp faces new encryption challenge after London attack

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WhatsApp on iOS
WhatsApp users have been waiting for better notifications.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WhatsApp is under new pressure to provide a government backdoor following the recent terror attack in London.

U.K. home secretary Amber Rudd said it is “completely unacceptable” that law enforcement agencies are unable to read messages and conversations that are secured by end-to-end encryption.

iPad bomb plot blamed for tablet ban on flights

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Emirates
Emirates is one of the airlines affected by the ban.
Photo: Emirates

A plot in which explosives were hidden in a fake iPad is one cause of a U.S. and U.K. ban of laptops, tablets and other large electronics on flights from 10 international airports throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

The (thankfully foiled) previously-undisclosed plot is apparently not the sole cause of the ban, but is one notable example that highlights how such devices could be stowed onto aircraft.

Family upset that Apple won’t unlock dead son’s iPad

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iPad Pro doesn't have the latest Touch ID, but it doesn't matter.
Apple faces an ethical dilemma with the family's request.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A family whose deceased 18-year-old son left his last wishes on his personal iPad have criticized Apple for not unlocking the device for them.

Liam Wright from the U.K. died of bone cancer in December. He reportedly recorded his last wishes on his iPad because he found it too difficult to have the conversation with his family.

Apple claims Beats 1 is world’s ‘biggest radio station’

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It's not just you, Beats 1 Radio is down
Beats 1 is pretty darn big, according to Apple.
Photo: Apple

Beats 1 is the “biggest radio station in the world,” claims Apple Music’s head of content Larry Jackson.

“There’s no way you’re going to find another station that has as many concurrent listeners and audience-wise as Beats 1, period,” Jackson said in a new interview with various Apple Music execs.

Death Road to Canada, and other awesome apps of the week

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

Somehow it’s the weekend again already, and to help you celebrate we’ve combed through the week’s best apps to help you sort the wheat from the chaff.

Whether it’s a great retro-style zombie game or a superb productivity app gone free you’re looking for, we’re confident we’ve got what you’re hankering after!

Check out our list below.

I can’t wait to reply to App Store reviews in iOS 10.3

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App Store reviews can make or break an app
App Store reviews can make or break an app. Soon, developers will get a chance to answer their critics.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

I’m not so thin-skinned that I can’t handle the occasional criticism. But there’s something about App Store reviews that really bugs me.

Like most indie developers, I put blood, sweat and tears into my app, Reps & Sets, which I develop with my partner. It’s our baby, and we love and cherish it. So when some random dude posts an inaccurate one-star review, I’ll be honest: It hurts. That’s why I’m so excited that Apple will be giving developers the chance to reply to reviews in iOS 10.3.

Our new Apple hardware reactions, this week on The CultCast

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New iPads. New iPhones.  We react to Apple's new hardware!
New iPads. New iPhones. We react to Apple's new hardware!
Photo: @YSR50

This week on The CultCast: Apple’s new iPad is cheaper, fatter, heavier and underpowered, but you should still get one. Plus: Why the “iPad mini Pro” is kind of a ripoff; two reasons you should not buy a (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7; everything you can do with Apple’s new Clips app; our hands-on review of the new Pioneer SPH-DA120 budget Car Play stereo; and we test out the Think Tank Helipack V2, a gigantic backpack built for your DJI Phantom.

Our thanks to Blue Apron for supporting this episode. Blue Apron makes it easy to cook delicious meals at home. See their upcoming menu and get your first three meals free at BlueApron.com/CultCast.

Drone footage shows crews racing to finish Apple Park by April

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Apple Park
Apple's spaceship campus still isn't ready for its grand opening.
Photo: Igor America

Apple employees are set to move into the Apple spaceship campus just next month, but based on the recent drone footage there’s still a lot of work to be done on Apple Park.

Crews can be seen finishing construction and landscaping work in the new aerial footage. While the tunnel, parking structures, fitness center and side buildings look nearly completely, the Steve Jobs theater doesn’t look ready to host a keynote yet.

Is the (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 a terrible purchase? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Are you buying one?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s stunning new (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 went on sale this morning, but should you buy one?

Sure, it looks spectacular, and a portion of your purchase goes to a good cause. It’s also packing Apple’s latest iPhone hardware — but that hardware is six months old now, and when September rolls around, it’s going to be old news.

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we discuss whether the (PRODUCT)RED iPhone — and iPhone 7 in general — is still worth your hard-earned cash.

New Word macro malware infects macOS and Windows

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Beware untrusted Word macros.
Beware untrusted Word macros.
Photo: FortiGuard Labs

Another form of Microsoft Word malware that infects both macOS and Windows machines has been detected.

The malicious VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) code is buried in a Word document macro and automatically adapts its attack depending on the operating system used. Once installed, it can be used to download more payload files to your computer.

Instagram will blur ‘sensitive’ photos if anyone complains

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If this appears on a photo in your Instagram feed, a user flagged the content as disturbing.
If this appears on a photo in your Instagram feed, a user flagged the content as disturbing.
Photo: Instagram

Instagram will begin cloaking photos it deems “sensitive” with a blur screen that warns users of potentially troubling content.

This is the latest tool in a series instituted by Instagram to make the mobile photo- and video-sharing platform “safer” for its more than 600 million users. CEO Kevin Systrom wrote on the Instagram blog that photos will only be screened after a user has complained and a review team evaluates whether the content merits the warning cover.

Mermaids, elves and 67 other emojis coming soon to your iPhone

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These should be coming to iOS 11 later this year.
These should be coming to iOS 11 later this year.
Photo: Emojipedia

Unicode 10 is right around the corner, and it’s going to bring a whole bunch of awesome new emojis that will eventually make their way to iOS.

Some of the best include a t-rex, a hedgehog, a grinning face with stars for eyes, and a mermaid and merman. There are 69 altogether, many of which are available in different styles. Here’s a look at some of them.

Leaked CIA exploits have already been fixed, says Apple

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These are the sophisticated tools designed to exploit Apple vulnerabilities.
The CIA's leaked hacking tools don't work on updated iPhones.
Photo: CIA.org

The iOS and macOS vulnerabilities revealed by the latest WikiLeaks data dump of CIA hacking tools have already been fixed.

Apple says that an early evaluation of the info released by WikiLeaks hasn’t found any new bugs or attacks that can be used on iPhone or Mac users. Some of the exploits contained in the leaks were able to grant access to an iPhone’s call logs and SMS conversations, but only if the CIA had physical access to the device.

Alleged hackers raise their Apple ransom to $700,000

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money
Hackers have upped their demands.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The so-called “Turkish Crime Family” hackers who claim they’ve got access to hundreds of millions of Apple customer accounts have raised their ransom demand from $75,000 to a whopping $700,000.

The group, which is apparently based in the U.K., has threatened to remotely wipe users’ devices, or reset iCloud accounts, if it’s not paid by April 7. Apple has denied that the hackers have breached iCloud, although the accounts themselves are real.

It’s morphin’ time on iOS with Power Rangers: Legacy Wars

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Screen Shot 2017-03-24 at 13.35.56
Go go App Store downloads!
Photo: nWay Inc.

I’ll admit it: I was a massive Power Rangers nerd back in the day, which is why I’m tentatively excited to see the new blockbuster reboot, and very happy to see a new game in the franchise arrive on iOS.

Called Power Rangers: Legacy Wars, it’s a real-time mobile fighting game, which should please fans of the series by incorporating a wide range of locations and characters not just from the new movie, but the years of TV shows as well.

Check out the trailer below.

Police warn you not to fall for ‘Siri 108’ prank

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Siri
Saying the digits to Siri prompts your iPhone to call emergency services.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The Sheriff’s office of Harris County, Texas has posted a message on its official Facebook page, pleading with people not to fall for a social media prank in which they’re encourage to say “108” to Siri.

That’s because the number prompts Siri to dial 9-1-1, or the emergency phone number of whichever country they are in at the time.

These cases will protect your (RED) iPhone without covering the color

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Casetify offers elegant and quirky designs for a clear iPhone case to bring out the red on the new PRODUCT(RED) iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
Casetify offers elegant and quirky designs for a clear iPhone case to bring out the red on the new PRODUCT(RED) iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
Photo: Casetify

Surely, you’re not going to order the special edition iPhone 7 and then slap on a case that covers up that beautiful red aluminum.

Accessories company Casetify is offering a clear case for the (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 and 7 Plus with 40 different designs that turn the red back plate of the housing into an artistic canvas.

Take a look inside Apple’s new flagship store in Germany

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Apple's new store on Europe's busiest shopping street.
Apple's new store on Europe's busiest shopping street.
Photo: Macerkopf

The newest Apple store in Germany is ditching the Genius Bar, but it will have a boardroom.

Apple is set to open its second store in Cologne, Germany this weekend and early photos have already revealed some of the new features, like an area dedicated entirely to business that is becoming a staple at other flagship stores.