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News - page 936

GE’s new Alexa lamp shines light on internet of things

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GE's prototype adds Amazon's voice-activated assistant Alexa to a tabletop LED lamp.
GE's prototype adds Amazon's voice-activated assistant Alexa to a tabletop LED lamp.
Photo: GE

We’ve heard for years that the internet of things™ would imbue everything in our lives with the power of the web, all accessible by voice. If you’ve been waiting for something that isn’t a computer or smartphone or smart home hub to ask for driving directions or movie times, here’s your dream device at last: It’s a lamp that gets its smarts from Alexa.

Apple pitches Hollywood on rushing movies to iTunes

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Apple wants a deal with studio execs to bring high-priced movie rentals to iTunes within days of release.
Apple wants a deal with studio execs to bring high-priced movie rentals to iTunes within days of release.
Photo: William Iven/UnSplash

Apple and Hollywood are reportedly in talks to provide home-video rentals of movies as little as two weeks after theatrical release.

Studio heads from Warner Bros., Universal Pictures and 21st Century Fox have indicated recently they are looking for deals. Two unidentified sources close to the talks told Bloomberg News the studios are considering partnering with Apple and iTunes.

New mophie case for iPhone 7 is a ‘juice pack’ indeed

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Juicing a dead phone is what the mophie juice pack does best.
Juicing a dead phone is what the mophie juice pack does best.
Photo: mophie

When mophie created a battery case for the iPhone, the company picked a name that confidently signaled an expectation — juice pack.

And behind that name is plenty of juice, especially for the latest cases that debuted this week for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, bringing extended battery life and easy wireless charging.

Red may be a color option with next iPhone

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For now, if you want a red iPhone, you have to buy a red case.
For now, if you want a red iPhone, you have to buy a red case.
Photo: Apple

That Apple’s next iPhone may contain few surprises does not surprise fans growing impatient for game-changing innovation.

The next iPhone may have them seeing red.

Red is reportedly set to join the color lineup of Apple’s 2017 iPhones, according to the Japanese Apple news blog Macotakara.

Apple claims exploding iPhones in China are not its fault

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iPhone 7
Apple says flaming Chinese iPhones were not based on manufacturing issues.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has denied that it is responsible for eight iPhone 6-series handsets bursting into flames in China, blaming the fiery phones on “external factors.”

The company came under fire (pun semi-intended) from Shanghai’s consumer watchdog for the alleged fault, but Apple said its own investigations have shown there is “no cause for concern.”

iPad sales could hit record low in 2017

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iPad Pro 2
Ain't that just the way that sales go down, down, down, down.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly set to launch new iPad Pros in the first half of 2017, but that may not be enough to stop iPad demand slipping to its lowest level to a new record low, claims a new report.

Citing sources in the supply chain, the report claims that chip demand for the iPad has continued to slow, meaning that shipments of iPad devices for 2016 may struggle to hit 40 million units in total. And things are likely to get even worse.

iPhone is the camera used most in millions of photos on Flickr

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iPhone Camera
You could grab your DSLR. Nah, the iPhone will do the job.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Once again, the world’s most popular camera is a phone.

Smartphones, led by Apple’s iPhone, was the type of camera used most by photographers in 2016 on the photo-sharing site Flickr, according its annual analysis of EXIF data on pictures uploaded to the site.

The iPhone was in the hands of shooters for 47 percent of the pictures uploaded to Flickr. Canon and Nikon were second and third with 24 and 18 percent.

Apple Pay is now accepted by 35% of U.S. retailers

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Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
Apple has big plans for 2017, too.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Pay is accepted at 35 percent of retailers — or around 4 million locations — in the U.S., claims Jennifer Bailey, the VP in charge of Apple Pay.

Speaking at San Francisco’s Code Commerce conference (try saying that five times quickly!), Bailey cited it as a victory for Apple, and evidence that the service is finding its mark.

Apple Music racks up more than 20 million subscribers

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Apple-Music-Android
Apple Music has hit a big milestone!
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Music has passed the 20 million subscriber mark, according to new figures released by Apple.

Last time the company released adoption figures, back in September, those numbers hovered around 17 million — meaning the number of paying Apple Music users jumped 15 percent in the past three months.

Apple gives us its list of the year’s best apps, movies, music and podcasts

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bestof2016
Apple's got some recommendations for you!
Photo: Apple

Looking for recommendations for possible Christmas gifts or end of year purchases? Don’t worry, Apple’s got you covered — and, crazily enough, all of it’s stuff you can buy through Apple.

Kidding aside, Apple just dropped its 2016 picks for the years best apps, movies, music, TV shows, podcasts and books. It’s a comprehensive list, and you can check out all the details below.

Must-have holiday gifts for hardcore Apple fans [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Holidays are coming!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Christmas is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start shopping for your loved ones. If one of them is a hardcore Apple fan, that might be easier than you think.

Friday Night Fights bugApple products aren’t cheap, but there’s something sweet at every price point, from maxed-out Macs that cost an arm and a leg, to the latest iOS devices for someone really special, and awesome accessories that fit into any budget.

In this week’s Friday Night Fight, we’re putting away our pitchforks for one week only and focusing on great gifts for every Apple fan.

Apple will pay state EPA fine for mishandled toxic waste

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Apple has settled claims with state regulators who allege the company mishandled electronic waste.
Apple has settled claims with state regulators who allege the company mishandled electronic waste.
Photo: Thomas Dohmke

Apple will pay the state of California $450,000 to settle claims that it improperly handled industrial waste at facilities the company ran in Silicon Valley.

Apple said the violations relate to reporting and tracking mistakes, claiming that health and safety standards at its waste facilities exceed the state’s requirements.

Supreme Court sides with Samsung in patent battle with Apple

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A U.S. Supreme Court ruling Tuesday brought relief to Samsung in its lawsuit with Apple over smartphone design patents.
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling Tuesday brought relief to Samsung in its lawsuit with Apple over smartphone design patents.
Illustration: Cult of Mac

The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a major blow to Apple Tuesday when it sided with Samsung in a smartphone patent battle that had the South Korean company staring at hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties.

In a unanimous ruling, the Court ruled a patent violator does not have to turn over all its profits from sales if the stolen design involved certain components and the not the entire device.

‘Netflix of Mac software’ lets you binge on apps

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Mac App Store
The email app BlueMail finds itself on the outside of the "closed garden."
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s Mac App Store has been a desolate wasteland of mediocrity for years, but a new service called Setapp wants to breathe new life into macOS apps.

Setapp app claims it’s an “Unstore” alternative to the Mac App Store. Instead of paying for apps individually, you’ll pay a monthly subscription fee for access to 300 popular apps.

Apple is finally ready to spill some of its AI secrets

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Cy_5-XiW8AEVx3z
Apple is opening up about its AI work.
Photo: Hardmaru/Twitter

In a break from its ultra-secretive attitude toward R&D, Apple is set to start engaging more with the AI academic community by allowing its researchers to publish their work in machine learning journals.

The news was announced by Russ Salakhutd, director of AI research at Apple and a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania. He made the announcement at the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS) conference earlier today.

Instagram controls let you share more love, shut out hate

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Instagram
Instagram makes sharing Stories simpler.
Photo: Instagram

In a year highlighted by high-octane social media unkindness, Instagram is adding controls to make the photo sharing site safe for all.

Instagram will soon give its 500 million users a setting to turn off comments on any post, the ability to remove followers from private accounts, and a tool to anonymously report users expressing signs of hurting themselves.

Tim Cook says Apple Watch sales ‘off the charts’

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Apple Watch Series 2 waterproof
Apple says the Apple Watch set a sales record for the first week of holiday shopping.
Photo: Apple

A day after a gloomy third-quarter sales report about the Apple Watch, CEO Tim Cook says the device is already having a record holiday as one of the season’s most popular gifts.

He shoppers bought a record number of Apple Watches during the first week of holiday shopping, and the wearable is on pace to have its best quarter ever to close out 2016.

Apple’s latest ad asks wherefore art thou, iPhone 7?

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Screen Shot 2016-12-06 at 11.42.32
Shouldn't a Romeo and Juliet ad really be about star-crossed Android and iOS owners?
Photo: Apple

Apple’s launched another heartstring-tugging ad in time for the holidays, with an iPhone 7 commercial showing a teary-eyed dad filming his daughter in a school play version of Romeo and Juliet.

As with many of the other iPhone 7 ads, it focuses on the handset’s new camera upgrade, but ditches the moody black and white aesthetic for a more colorful one.

Check it out below.

The new MacBook Pro may have some battery issues

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Luminar
Some owners of the new MacBook Pro report unexpectedly short battery life.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s innovative new MacBook Pro may come with a battery that is a magnet for problems.

Several owners of the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar have taken to Apple’s support forums and Twitter to complain that the battery inside the new machine doesn’t last nearly as long as advertised.

CBS CEO hints a DirecTV Now deal will probably happen

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Add CBS to the list of broadcasters ready to sign a deal for Apple TV
You won't find CBS on DirecTV Now.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

The biggest hole in DirecTV Now’s lineup may finally get filled by CBS, but it’s going to take awhile.

CBS CEO Les Moonves said today he’s confident his company will be able to make a deal with AT&T’s DirecTV Now service. However, CBS may delay and wait for a better deal.