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News - page 948

Samsung update will brick remaining Galaxy Note 7 devices

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Galaxy Note 7 water wet
The Note 7 is all washed up.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Galaxy Note 7 owners who refuse to give up their explosive device will soon have no choice but to use a different phone.

Samsung revealed today that it plans to release a software update later this month that will brick all Galaxy Note 7 units not returned during its recall.

Dual-lens zoom kit pushes iPhone 7 Plus camera further

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Hey four eyes! The Kamerar ZOOM lens attachment expands the telephoto/zoom capabilities of the dual-lens iPhone 7 Plus.
Hey four eyes! The Kamerar ZOOM lens attachment expands the telephoto/zoom capabilities of the dual-lens iPhone 7 Plus.
Photo: Ztylus and Kamerar

The geeky excitement shared by mobile photographers over the dual-camera of the iPhone 7 Plus has not waned.

And as they’ve played with the small optical zoom and blurring backgrounds in portrait mode, two small accessories companies have been quietly but furiously developing a two-lens attachment dedicated to enhancing the reach of the 7 Plus camera.

Brain-teasing iPhone puzzler is Tetris with rings

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Dropa
It's like Tetris crossed with that fingerprint pattern used for setting up Touch ID.
Photo: Midnight Tea Studio

As much as I like the kind of long, winding, RPG-style games you can get lost in for months at a time, I’ll always be a sucker for a great mobile puzzle game.

That’s exactly what developer Midnight Tea Studio offers with its new game Dropa! Pitched somewhere between Tetris and that fingerprint pattern you have to fill in when you set up a new Touch ID profile, it’s a game that’s sure to keep you busy during the holiday season.

Check out the trailer below.

Super Mario Run will require always-on internet connection to play

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Super-Mario-Run-Dec-15
Mario won't run anywhere in offline mode.
Photo: Nintendo

Super Mario Run will sprint into the App Store on December 15, but while there’s plenty to be excited about with Nintendo’s first Mario game to hit iOS, there is one big potential downside for users: the game requires constant internet connectivity.

According to Mario creator and Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto, the decision to include no offline mode was made for anti-piracy reasons.

Expel water from your iPhone speaker grille using only sound

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iPhone 7 soaked in water
A crafty Redditor discovers a simple and free way to clear trapped water from your iPhone 7's speaker grille.
Photo: Apple

Apple touts the new iPhone 7 as being water-resistant enough to take into the shower. There’s really no good reason to bathe with your smartphone, but the point is that iPhone 7 owners don’t need to worry about a little rain or spilled tea.

Naturally, some people waltzed into their shower stalls with their expensive new phones in hand — just cuz — and some found a weakness in the iPhone 7’s water-resistance. Luckily for foolhardy iPhone owners everywhere, a Redditor discovered a simple hack for getting the water out.

Tim Cook will drop his wisdom on MIT grads next June

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Tim Cook
This will be Cook's third time as a university commencement speaker.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Steve Jobs gave one of the most memorable commencement speeches in living memory, and it seems that Tim Cook is set to take on the same challenge when he delivers the address at MIT’s 2017 graduation event next June.

“Mr. Cook’s brilliance as a business leader, his genuineness as a human being, and his passion for issues that matter to our community make his voice one that I know will resonate deeply with our graduates,” MIT President L. Rafael Reif said. “I am delighted that he will join us for commencement and eagerly await his charge to the class of 2017.”

You still have that old iPod? Sell it to us!

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ipadnano
If your iPod is broken or languishing in your junk drawer, it's time to cash in.
Photo: Wikipedia CC

The iPod turns 15 this year. Hard to believe, right? It’s also hard to believe you still have that old iPod at all, what with the amazing music-carrying capacity of iPhones, iPads — heck, even your Apple Watch.

If you’re not using your old iPod (and it’s not one of those incredibly valuable special edition iPods that collectors are snapping up), you should sell your old iPod to us. Cult of Mac’s Apple gear buyback program will make sure you get as much cash as possible.

iPhone photographer unboxes surprise gift from Apple

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Cielo de la Paz shares her first look at a book produced by Apple that features the photographers from the
Cielo de la Paz shares her first look at a book produced by Apple that features the photographers from the "Shot on iPhone 6s" campaign.
Photo: Cielo de la Paz/YouTube

If you like watching a kid opening a gift at Christmastime, you might delight in watching a video posted by iPhone photographer Cielo de la Paz that shows her opening an unexpected gift from Apple.

For the second straight year, the self-taught photographer had one of her pictures selected for Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” marketing campaign. In addition to compensation for use of the photos for the campaign, Apple surprises the photographers with a coffee table book displaying photos selected for the Apple World Gallery.

Apple’s secret car project is less secret than ever

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Avoidance collision in a self-driving car looks something like this.
Avoidance collision in a self-driving car looks something like this.
Document: Apple/U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

If there was doubt Apple is moving forward with development of a self-driving car program, events over the last week show Cupertino is indeed mapping out a course.

An Apple patent application for an autonomous vehicle collision-avoidance system published Thursday is the second public acknowledgment that Cupertino is very much in the game.

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.