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News - page 954

Everything you need to know about the new Apple File System

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APFS
APFS arrives in 2017.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

(Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in June 30, 2016, but has been updated with new info since the release of iOS 10.3)

It’s hard to believe that Apple’s speedy Macs are still using a file system that was developed more than 30 years ago, when floppy disks and spinning hard drives were considered cutting-edge technology.

But that’s going to change in 2017 with the new Apple File System — or APFS — that debuts in iOS 10.3 and macOS 10.12.4. Here’s everything you need to know about APFS and how it’s going to make your life better, no matter what Apple device(s) you use.

Watch a rare Apple I power up like it’s 1976

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This is one of six Apple I computers in the world that actually work.
This is one of six Apple I computers in the world that actually work.
Photo: Victoria & Albert Museum/YouTube

Take a good look at that slim iPhone 7 in your hand, or the powerful MacBook Pro balanced on your knees. Then imagine the very first circuit board that flipped the switch to power a revolution that put those devices in your possession.

A video recently posted to YouTube by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London shows a working Apple I computer, one of only six known in the world today.

Apple seeds new betas for iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS

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Qualcomm patents
Apple's got some new beta software out.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A new batch of beta updates are ready for developers just one day after Apple published its first big software releases of 2017 to the public.

The first beta builds of iOS 10.3.2, macOS 10.12.5, tvOS 10.2.1 and watchOS 3.2.2 are available to download for the first time ever, bringing a host of new bug fixes and performance improvements to every single Apple platform.

Tim Cook’s secret weapon for job interviews? Silence

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LOVELOUD
Tim Cook's not a chatty chap, apparently.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Steve Jobs could be pretty forthright, even abrasive, in interviews with prospective new employees. Tim Cook, on the other hand? It’s all about the power of silence.

In a new interview to promote her book Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, former Apple and Google employee Kim Scott reveals what it’s like to interview with Apple’s CEO — and how she was saved from talking herself out of a job.

3 awesome features Apple should steal from Android O

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Android O makes its public debut this fall.
Android O makes its public debut this fall.
Photo: Google

Google announced its new Android O update last week, and it includes a whole bunch of big improvements, like support for streaming high-quality audio over Bluetooth, the ability to use a wide color gamut in third-party apps, and lots more.

Here are the features that we think Apple should steal for iPhone and iPad.

Will this company provide iPhone 3D sensors?

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Apple digital viewfinder patent
Big things are coming to the iPhone camera sensor apparently.
Photo: Apple

Rumors that Apple’s next iPhone will come with 3D sensing tech have caused shares in component maker Himax Technologies to shoot up 56 percent this year.

A recent report suggested that the 3D sensing tech will be used to give the next-gen iPhone augmented reality features, capable of changing the depth in photos or isolating certain image elements within it. Another possible use-case will allow users to use AR to put virtual effects and objects onto a person.

Facebook ‘borrows’ from Snapchat for latest iOS app update

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Facebook
Facebook wants to muscle in on that Snapchat action!
Photo: Apple

Facebook is the latest company to jump on the Snapchat-inspired fun photo and videos sharing bandwagon, with an update to iOS app rolling out a new camera with special effects, among other features.

To access the feature, users simply have to tap the camera icon on the top left corner of the standard Facebook app, or else swipe right from News Feed.

Facebook hires former iMac lead designer to work on VR

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VR may be happening soon, and Apple might want to jump in.
Can Oculus borrow some of Apple's magic?
Photo: Sergey Galyonkin/Wikipedia CC

Facebook has reportedly hired a 15-year Apple veteran to head up its Oculus VR division’s hardware team.

Michael Hillman worked on multiple major projects at Apple, including as lead designer with the iMac team. At Facebook he’s being charged with helping to take the company’s virtual reality mainstream.

Godfather of Android teases new bezel-free smartphone

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xiaomi-mi-mix
Essential Products' first smartphone may look a bit like this.
Photo: Xiaomi

Bezel-free screens are set to become the biggest trend in Android smartphones this year, if a new teaser from the creator of Android is any indicator.

Former Google employee and godfather of Android, Andy Rubin, tweeted an image this afternoon hinting at the smartphone he’s been working on at his new company. You can only see a corner of the screen, but it looks pretty intriguing.

Take a look:

Tim Cook set to advise Trump’s ‘Office of American Innovation’

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Peter Thiel separates Tim Cook and Donald Trump at tech summit.
Peter Thiel separates Tim Cook and Donald Trump at tech summit.
Photo: Sean Spicer/Twitter

President Donald Trump is set to unveil a new government office today that’s tasked with overhauling federal bureaucracies, and he’s asked Tim Cook and other tech leaders for advice.

Even though Trump sparred with Cook on numerous issues during his presidential campaign, the Apple CEO will reportedly lend a hand to the Office of American Innovation. The new office will be led by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and will be tasked with making the country run more like a “great American company.”

watchOS 3.2 and tvOS 10.2 are now available to the public

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Apple Watch
Prepare to update your Apple Watch.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Wearing an Apple Watch to the movies just got a lot less annoying today thanks to a watchOS 3.2 update that Apple pushed out to wearers this morning.

The new watchOS 3.2 software with Theater Modes comes along side tvOS 10.2, both of which bring a number of tweaks and small features to the Apple TV and Apple Watch.

macOS 10.12.4 brings Night Shift to the Mac

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x
It's time to update your Mac.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

One of the best iOS 9 features has finally landed on the the Mac.

After months of beta testing, Apple released macOS 10.12.4 to the public this morning, bringing a host of performance improvements and new features, including Night Shift.

iOS 10.3 is out with Find My AirPods, Apple File System and more

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iPhone 7
Grab iOS 10.3 while it's hot!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The first big iPhone and iPad update of 2017 has finally arrived.

Apple finally released iOS 10.3 to the public today after months of beta testing the new software. iOS 10.3 can be downloaded now as an over-the-air update, or installed via iTunes. iPhone and iPad owners can expect a rash of new features that not only make iPhone and iPad easier to use, but also more secure.

Here’s everything that’s new:

Apple’s AR glasses won’t hit your face for at least a year

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iPhone 8 concept
Apple will give iPhone 8 owners a taste of augmented reality.
Photo: Gabor Balogh

The next big thing from Apple is probably a year or so away from its grand unveiling.

Apple has a host of engineers dedicated to building and testing different augmented reality headsets, and according to a new report, the crew is getting a lot more resources to turn it into a consumer product.

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.