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News - page 991

Apple Car may use hollow batteries to stay cool

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Charging the Apple Car.
Apple is making revolutionary batteries for its car.
Photo: Motor1

Apple might team up with “expert technologists in batteries” from South Korea to create hollow lithium-ion power cells that will fuel the upcoming Apple Car, according to a new report.

While the name of the South Korean company hasn’t been revealed due to a nondisclosure agreement with Apple, it’s supposedly comprised of just 20 people. The South Korean team reportedly joined Apple’s secretive Project Titan automotive effort earlier this year, and the battery innovations could help the Apple Car stand out from the competition.

macOS Sierra gets its fifth beta build

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macos_sierra_tabs
macOS Sierra puts Tabs everywhere.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

One week after releasing macOS Sierra beta 4, Apple is already back with a new beta build of its future operating system for Mac that is set for public release later this fall.

Apple mentions in the release notes that it has made bug fixes for Apple Pay, iTunes, Keychain Access and even Microsoft OneDrive in the new build. The upcoming update brings a ton of new features, including Siri for Mac, auto-unlock with Apple Watch, Apple Pay, better iCloud integration and more.

Apple seeds fifth betas of iOS 10, watchOS 3 and tvOS 10

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iOS-10-QuickType-keyboard
iOS 10 beta 5 has arrived.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Developers received a brand-new batch of betas from Apple this morning after the company released the fifth builds of iOS 10, watchOS 3 and tvOS 10, which bring a number of changes and performance improvements to Apple’s platforms.

The updates come just over a week after Apple dropped the fourth beta of iOS 10, which included more than 100 new emoji, new sounds for keyboard clicks, quicker animations and tons of other improvements. We can’t wait to see what improvements Apple has made this go-round.

Apple ditched plan to make three iPhone 7 models

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iphone-7-iphone-7-plus-iphone-7-pro-back
Only two of these will go on sale this fall.
Photo: NowhereElse

Apple really has been working on three different versions of the iPhone 7, according to sources familiar with its plans — but only two of them will go on sale this fall.

The rumored “iPhone 7 Pro” has reportedly been cut from the final lineup, but we’ll still see Apple’s new dual-lens camera.

Thieving dolphin jumps out of pool to steal iPad on porpoise

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This is why you shouldn't take pics with an iPad.
This is why you shouldn't take pics with an iPad.
Photo: Deklyn Kai

Next time you visit SeaWorld make sure to keep one eye on the dolphins and the other on your Apple products.

It turns out one of the most intelligent species of the ocean is just as crazy about iPads and iPhones as humans are, as seen in a new video from Orlando, Florida where a dolphin jumps out of his pool to steal a spectator’s iPad while she’s taking a photo.

Watch the full video below:

Unexpected Apple military patent is basically MagSafe for tanks

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Maintenance personnel from the 5055th Range Squadron drive an M-973 small unit support vehicle through the snow.
Your Apple Car? Probably not, to be honest.
Photo: Wikipedia CC

With Project Titan reportedly gathering momentum, it might come as no surprise to hear that Apple was granted a vehicle-related patent today.

What might surprise you a bit more is that this doesn’t relate to the Apple Car many people are expecting — but rather to robust steering controls for an articulated truck, originally filed by a company which manufactures and sells military vehicles.

Apple to get answer on Irish data center this month

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Irish flag
Apple's proposed data center has met with a bit of resistance.
Photo: John Hoey/Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple can expect to get a final verdict on whether it can continue development on its proposed 850 million euro ($960 million) data centre in Athenry, Ireland later this month.

An oral hearing concerning the major development took place earlier this year, and inspector Stephen Kay has now submitted his recommendations to the Irish advisory board about the project.

Google Photos ad capitalizes on iPhone’s biggest weakness

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Don't you hate this message?
Don't you hate this message?
Photo: Google

Google has decided to attack Apple directly in a funny new ad that rips the iPhone for its paltry 16GB of storage on entry models.

The new ad has been played heavily during NBC’s Rio Olympics coverage and promotes Google Photos “free up space” feature the upload an unlimited number of pictures to the cloud so users have more storage for apps, videos, music and other content. Apple has a similar feature with iCloud, but you have to pay for it.

Watch the hilarious ad below:

Apple and resellers accused of iPhone price-fixing in Russia

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iPhone 6s
Russia is investigating Apple.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple doesn’t sell iPhones directly in Russia, but it’s being investigated by the country’s federal Anti-Monopoly Service for colluding with resellers to fix the price on its devices.

The government agency revealed today that it has opened a case against Apple and 16 major resellers that all had identical prices for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models when they launched in Russia in October 2015.

New MacBook Pro may pack Touch ID power button

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MacBook Pro OLED mockup
Apple will seamlessly integrate Touch ID into the MacBook Pro.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s upcoming MacBook Pro refresh won’t just bring a fancy OLED touchbar for customizable function keys, but also the first Touch ID sensor on a Mac, according to a new report. And it will be built into the notebook’s power button.

Hulu is killing free streaming

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Hulu1
Watching The Handsmade Tale just got cheaper.
Photo: Hulu

Getting your weekly fix of new TV shows from Hulu is about to get more expensive, as the streaming video service plans to phase out its free tier that was supported with ad revenue.

After letting users watch thousands of episodes for free since it launched nine years ago, Hulu has partnered with Yahoo to offer up its content for a new service called Yahoo View, an ad-supported service that will give viewers the ability to watch the five most recent episodes of shows from ABC, NBC and Fox.

Leaked iPhone 7 logic board reveals tiny chip changes

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Future iPhone processors may be made by Intel.
The inside of the next iPhone may have been exposed.
Photo: Apple

A slew of leaked iPhone 7 casings have already given us a good idea of what Apple’s new device will look like on the inside, but we now have a better idea what it will pack on the inside, too, thanks to some photos out of Asia.

The leaked pictures claim to show a bare iPhone 7 logic board, revealing what the layout will look like before any chips have been placed on the board.

Take a look:

iPhone 7 to feature pressure-sensitive home button

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guardian-leather-iphone-6-6s-wallet-case - 3
iPhone 7's home button will be a lot different.
Photo: George Tinari/Cult of Mac

Apple’s latest iPhones could be its last with physical home buttons. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the iPhone 7 series will instead feature a new pressure-sensitive home button that uses Apple’s Force Touch technology.

The future of Siri [Kahney’s Korner]

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Kahney’s Korner podcast with ArcTouch
ArcTouch devs Adam Fingerman and Paulo Michels give us a peek into the future of Siri.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has opened up Siri to third-party developers, which means we’ll soon be able to do a bunch of things — like ordering pizza or sending money — simply by speaking to Apple’s intelligent assistant.

It’s a big change, and another step toward a friction-free future in which we will talk to our devices instead of poking at them with our fingers.

In this week’s episode of Kahney’s Korner, I talk with Adam Fingerman and Paulo Michels of ArcTouch, a mobile development company that works with big media companies like ABC, NBC and CBS. As they’ve explored the Siri API, they’ve gained insight into what we can expect when iOS 10 and macOS Sierra get released to the public this fall.

Almost half of all iPads go to enterprise customers

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apple logo
iPads are proving more popular than ever with people in business and government.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

A growing part of Apple’s iPad business is coming from governments and corporations, with almost half of the tablets (particularly high-end models) being bought by this audience, according to a new report from The New York Times.

“Apple is stronger in the enterprise market with its devices than it is with consumers,” Forrester analyst Frank Gillet told the newspaper.

Apple Watch product line could split in two this year

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Apple Watch Update
We may get double the number of Apple Watch 2 models we're expecting.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple will reportedly release two different next-gen Apple Watch devices, according to a well-connected analyst.

In a note sent to investors over the weekend, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple will launch a slight iterative improvement on the Apple Watch later this year, boasting the same overall design but an improved 16nm processor and improved waterproofing. However, really keen Apple Watch enthusiasts will also be able to get the Apple Watch 2, which will reportedly add a host of other improvements.

Thank Apple Maps disaster for public betas of iOS and macOS

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TomTom will continue to power Apple Maps.
Apple Maps was a turning point for Apple.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s decision to open up macOS and iOS for public betas was inspired by the company’s horrible experience with the iOS Maps debacle in 2012, according to a new interview with Tim Cook, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi.

One of the most notorious botches in Apple history, Maps’ problems ranged from depicting horribly warped landscapes to directing folks visiting the airport in Fairbanks, Alaska, to drive across one of the taxiways. And it changed Apple’s culture in the process.

Crooked Path, Instagram Stories, and other awesome apps

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If you're appy and you know it, check our list!
'Appy weekend all!
Photo: Cult of Mac

From a Snapchat-inspired Instagram update to a beautifully frustrating endless runner puzzle game, we’ve sifted through this week’s most exciting apps to bring you the ones you absolutely need to download now.

Check out our picks below. Trust us, this is the way you want to spend Sunday!

Apple censors iOS 10 emoji, plus how to find specific Pokémon in ‘Pokémon GO’ on The CultCast

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Not to worry, iOS 10 will protect you from harmful emoji
Not to worry, iOS 10 will protect you from harmful emoji

This week, on The CultCast: the controversy around iOS 10’s new gun emoji; we compare Instagram’s new stories feature to Snapchat’s; Gwyneth Paltrow brings her coding skills to ‘Planet of the Apps’; we attended a 5-day Apple II festival, we’ll tell you the cool parts; and stick around for the best ways to find specific Pokémon in ‘Pokémon GO’.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to build a website that looks beautiful on any device that visits at Squarespace.com. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off.

Apple boosts AI efforts by acquiring machine learning startup

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Turi could make Siri smarter than ever.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s latest acquisition could play a big role in the iPhone maker’s future artificial intelligence products.

Turi, a Seattle-based startup specializing in machine learning and AI, was reportedly acquired by Apple for around $200 million. The startup creates software that gives developers the ability to add AI capabilities that scale automatically, which could certainly be an attractive addition to Apple’s platforms.

Should Apple bring iMessage to Android? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf_imessage_android
Who wouldn't want to see this?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iMessage is the only major messaging service that’s exclusive to one platform. According to Tim Cook, that’s because iMessage helps sell Apple devices — but does anyone actually buy an iPhone for iMessage alone?

Friday Night Fights bugWould it really hurt Apple if its popular messaging service went cross-platform? Lots of iPhone and iPad owners also use Android devices, and bringing the service to Google’s platform would provide them with a more seamless messaging experience.

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we throw virtual hands over whether Apple should bring iMessage to Android.

Guy turns plastic bottles into hydroelectric iPhone charger

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When portable battery packs just won't cut it.
When portable battery packs just won't cut it.
Photo: Thomas Kim

There’s nothing worse than having a dead iPhone battery in the middle of nowhere, but for science mastermind Thomas Kim, that’s never a problem.

In one of the latest in his series projects where he turns everyday garbage into scientific creations, Kim tapped into the power of beautiful little waterfall by turning a bunch of plastic bottles into a water wheel to generate enough hydroelectric power to recharge his iPhone.

Watch the real-life MacGyver in action: