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News - page 958

Bill Maher explains why you don’t need to buy iPhone 7

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Do you really need to buy the iPhone 7?
Do you really need to buy the iPhone 7?
Photo: HBO/Real Time with Bill Maher.

HBO talk show host Bill Maher railed on Apple for not thinking different with the iPhone 7 on his latest show. He suggested that if Apple really wanted to do some thing truly innovative, it should try not releasing a new iPhone ever year.

The comedian’s hilarious segment took aim at everyone from the shareholder that demand greatness every quarter, to the early adopters enabling the monster.

Watch Bill go in on Apple:

This levitating charger won’t let your iPhone 7 down

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The iPhone can float along magnetic waves as it charges.
The iPhone can float along magnetic waves as it charges.
Photo: Gryker, Inc.

The future arrived on the iPhone 7 and the no-earphone-jack thing is still sticking in your craw. Maybe you should just take a breath and float. Float your phone, that is.

Your new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus can float in midair on magnetic waves while it charges with the Air Charge, a charging device available via Kickstarter that further steps into a future without wires.

iPhone maker says fears about falling sales may be inaccurate

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iPhone 7
The chairman of Pegatron isn't worried about iPhone 7 sales.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple hasn’t announced how many iPhone 7 handsets it’s sold yet, but the head of iPhone manufacturer Pegatron is decrying reports of disappointing sales by saying that he is “cautiously optimistic” about how the next-gen smartphone is doing.

“Consumers do not care about what analysts say about the lack of innovative features,” Pegatron chairman Tung Tzu-hsien said — referring to the various reports suggesting that the iPhone 7 hasn’t got enough going in its favor to win over customers on the fence.

Apple Watch might diagnose diseases

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Could your Apple Watch be used to diagnose disease?
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch Series 2 may have been a big step forward for Apple’s wearable device, but the company has an even bigger shift planned: Cupertino wants to morph Apple Watch from a fitness tracking device to a full-fledged medical diagnostic tool.

Bold mural marks Apple’s first Mexican store

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You shouldn't strugg
You shouldn't struggle to find a staff member to help you.
Photo: Apple

Apple said “Hola Mexico” with a big, bold mural as it opened its first retail store in the country over the weekend.

Many Apple fans queued overnight to be among the first into the new store, which is located in Mexico City’s upscale Vía Santa Fe mall.

Google Trips, Vulture Island and other awesome apps of the week

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appsoftheweek_1024
'Appy weekend.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you’re looking to unwind this fine Sunday by sampling the latest App Store delectables for your iOS device, have no fear: Cult of Mac is here to help!

Whether you’re on the hunt for a great new story-driven Batman game or a new travel-planning app, we think you’ll approve of our picks.

Check them out below. You won’t be disappointed.

Don’t replace your broken iPhone! It’s probably cheaper to fix it.

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Cult of Mac's buyback program pays good money for your gear, even broken ones.
Cult of Mac's buyback program pays good money for your gear, even broken ones.
Photo: Warren R.M. Stuart/Flickr CC

Despite the high prices, iPhones seem to be designed for replacement on a specific schedule. After a couple of years, the battery life starts to fade (and that’s assuming you didn’t drop the phone and crack the screen before then).

Even Apple’s extended warranty only covers two years. Do you have to pay $649 — at least — for the latest iPhone every two years just to be sure you have a phone that still works? Not necessarily!

Seven days with iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2, this week on The CultCast

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apple watch series 2
Trade-in that old Apple Watch for money off at the Apple Store.
Photo: Ste Smith/CultofMac

This week on The CultCast: After seven days with iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2, we’ll tell you what we love (and don’t) about Apple’s newest gadgets. Plus: Hissgate explained; how to auto-unlock your Mac with an Apple Watch; and, if you’re wondering how to use picture-in-picture mode on YouTube videos in macOS Sierra, we’ll reveal just how to make that happen.

This episode is supported TunnelBear, the simple privacy app that makes it easy to browse privately and enjoy a more open internet. Visit GetTunnelBear.com to get your free TunnelBear today.

Is Siri still steps behind Google’s virtual assistants? [Friday Night Fights]

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v2
Which virtual assistant gets your vote?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has taken big strides to make Siri even greater in recent years, like bringing it to Apple TV and macOS, and opening it up to third-party developers. In that time, Apple’s virtual assistant has also gotten more accurate and more reliable.

Friday Night Fights bug But some might say third-party alternatives — particularly those from Google — are still a step ahead, with greater features and more flexibility. So, is Apple doing enough to make Siri just as stellar as Google Now and the new Google Assistant?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we go head-to-head over virtual assistants.

Google’s mesh router might fix your Wi-Fi problems

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eero
Google Wifi will be a lot like Eero.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Your home’s Wi-Fi could soon be powered by Google, according to a new report that claims the search engine giant plans to get into the router business next month.

Instead of competing head-on with Apple’s AirPort Express, the new Google router will supposedly bring a slew of smart features to the home, allowing users to pair two or more routers together to fix your home’s shoddy Wi-Fi coverage.

Wearable tech? This jacket lets you wear all your tech

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This guy happens to have a MacBook on his person.
This guy happens to have a MacBook on his person.
Photo: SCOTTeVEST

The hoodie that allowed you to thread your earbuds through a special sleeve near the collar seemed as cool as that first-generation iPod. It was a true technical jacket.

Clothing company SCOTTeVEST makes that hoodie seem as vintage as your great-, great-, great- granddaddy’s buckskin jacket. It’s latest quilted jacket features 29 pockets for all gadgets, including a MacBook, yet keeps the silhouette bulge-free.

Apple fixes iPhone audio issues with iOS update

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Hold off on iOS 10 for now.
iOS 10.0.2 is here to fix your audio issues.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone 7 users can finally enjoy uninterrupted audio through the Lightning port, now that Apple has released an iOS 10 update full of bug fixes.

iOS 10.0.2 was made available to all iPhone and iPad owners today, fixing issues with audio, photos and app extensions.

Parody video shows new use for Samsung’s Note 7 as mobile meat griller

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galaxy note 7
Cooking meat? That's something the iPhone can't do.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Poor old Samsung: not only did was it forced into rushing out its Galaxy Note 7 by Apple’s iPhone release schedule, or to undergo the humiliation of doing a mass recall of one of its better-reviewed handsets, but now people are poking fun at it, too!

A new parody video from Taiwan shows how the once critically acclaimed Note 7 can be repurposed as a mobile device for cooking meat — provided you’ve got the necessary aluminum foil smartphone case, that is.

Check out the video below.

Apple plans Siri-based Amazon Echo rival with facial recognition

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amazon-echo-keeps-you-up-on-the-times-while-spitting-mad-rhymes-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201411Screen-Shot-2014-11-06-at-173652-png
The Amazon Echo has been a surprising hit.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple plans to take on the Amazon Echo with a standalone Siri device, according to a new report.

The project is said to have begun two years ago, but has only now entered the prototype testing phase. Much like the Amazon Echo, this device would be able to look up information and control smart home appliances using voice recognition — but possibly include facial recognition tech, too.

Chic new ad showcases Apple Watch Series 2 Hermès

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Looking for a wearable to track your quirky art school dance routine? This one's for you.
Photo: Apple

The new Apple Watch Series 2 Hermès comes out today and, in addition to bringing us possibly the longest Apple product name in years, we’ve also got a stylish new ad.

In keeping with Apple’s other recent ads, this is more of an arty mood piece than a hard sell, but it gives a few tantalizing glimpses of Apple’s new fashion-conscious watches.

Check out the ad below.

iPhone 7 owners report poor sound quality during phone calls

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iPhone-7
How's the call quality on your iPhone 7?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Yes, lots of people still use their smartphone to make calls, and some iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus owners are having a bad experience doing just that. Many report poor sound quality on both devices during calls, and it’s not yet clear if software or hardware is to blame.

Apple adds another AI startup to its machine learning team

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Apple adds 5 new vice presidents to its executive lineup
Apple just bought another AI startup.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple has bought another machine learning startup as part of its effort to boost its AI prowesses for features like intelligent search and Siri.

The company that was acquired this time is India/US-based Tuplejump. The startup’s old website has already been taken down, but it appears that it specialized in big-data technologies for businesses.

Fair criticism of iPhone 7 camera might not matter to photographers

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What makes a better sunrise, the iPhone 6s Plus or the iPhone 7s Plus? The photographer sees the difference.
What makes a better sunrise, the iPhone 6s Plus or the iPhone 7s Plus? The photographer sees the difference.
Photo: Cielo de la Paz

I was raised by careful shoppers in a home where Consumer Reports magazine was like a second Bible. Cars, a new washer and dryer, and a vacuum cleaner to handle the then-new orange shag carpeting were not purchased without first consulting this venerable institution of objective product testing.

So I hit the pause button on my excitement for the iPhone 7 camera when I read a Consumer Reports review that claimed the iPhone 7 represents “no major leap in camera performance” from the 6s.

Buy Steve Jobs’ first Apple stock certificate for just $195,000

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applestock
It's not quite the equivalent of getting Jobs' 1980 fortune, but it's not too far off.
Photo: Moments in Time

If you’re a fan of rare Apple memorabilia, how about this for a collector’s piece: the first ever AAPL stock certificate given to Steve Jobs after Apple went public in 1980.

Yours for the house-remortgaging price of $195,000, this genuine slice of tech history reportedly hung on Jobs’ office wall at Apple until he left/was booted out of the company in 1985.

Apple could troll Samsung by putting a store in its backyard

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Samsung
This could very well be a future arial shot of the Seoul street layout.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has been opening plenty of Apple stores in China, but it could go even further into East Asia with a brand new retail store — based directly across the street from Samsung’s headquarters in Seoul, South Korea.

We guess Tim Cook’s been taking trolling notes again!