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News - page 996

Fancy a cup of Steve Jobs tea?

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Steve_Jobs_2007
For some reason I have the feeling Steve or his estate didn't approve this!
Photo: Ben Stanfield/Flickr CC

You can pay to have a cup of coffee with Tim Cook, so doesn’t it make perfect sense that you can also buy tea bearing the likeness of his predecessor, legendary Apple co-founder Steve Jobs?

Not really, if we’re honest — but try telling that to makers of “Tea Rebels,” a brand of teabags discovered recently in a supermarket in Katowice, Poland.

Here’s to the milky ones…

DIY update adds CarPlay to your Hyundai

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CarPlay
CarPlay has a new arrival.
Photo: Hyundai

Hyundai car owners can now get Apple’s CarPlay technology on their dashboard thanks to a new Do-It-Yourself update that has been made available for 2015, 2016, and 2017 car models.

The free update doesn’t even require a trip to the dealer to be installed, and if you want Android Auto, the software can add that too.

MSI’s backpack PC makes high-end VR portable

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Oculus-portable
Oculus in the park? Not quite.
Photo: Oculus/Cult of Mac

Thanks to headsets like Google Cardboard and Gear VR, the virtual reality experience is already pretty portable. But on a smartphone, you’re only getting a watered-down version.

That’s why MSI decided it would be a good idea to build a PC into a backpack, allowing you to enjoy high-end VR on the go.

Apple TV could become an Amazon Echo rival

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apple tv and siri remote
A new Apple TV could be Apple's answer to Alexa.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is planning to open Siri up to third-party developers and it appears that Apple TV could be the biggest benefactor from the expanded platform.

In order to better compete with Amazon’s Echo devices, Apple reportedly plans to update the Apple TV with more Siri features that will hopefully turn the device into the hub of everything.

Apple has a plan to revolutionize the Walkie Talkie

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apple-store-union-square
Apple's two-way radios would be perfect for store employees.
Photo: Milo Kahney/Cult of Mac

Walkie Talkies could be getting a big upgrade thanks to a new Apple patent that reveals the company has been thinking about more than just iPhones when it comes to two-way voice conversations.

Apple’s new patent describes a revamped wireless communication device that connects to a receiver module via Lightning or standard headphone jack, only instead of broadcasting to other devices using cellular it uses point-to-point ad hoc networking.

Patent troll wants iMessage and FaceTime banned

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Apple's iMessage platform is in legal trouble.
Apple's iMessage platform is in legal trouble.
Photo: Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s most hated patent troll, VirnetX, has hit the iPhone-maker with more legal woes this week, after it requested a court in Texas to have iMessage and FaceTime banned in the U.S.

VirnetX was awarded $625 million in damages after a jury found Apple had infringed on the company’s patents with iMessage and FaceTime. Now the patent troll is asking for an extra $190 million on top of the injunction because it feels Apple’s just been too unreasonable.

How online retailers collect and use consumer data

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To get your dollars, online retailers first need to get your data.
To get your dollars, online retailers first need to get your data.
Photo: Cult of Mac
Most consumers can’t deny the convenience of online vs. in-store shopping. Think about how you can buy anything you want right on your tablet or iPhone, without having to sit in traffic, find parking, wait in line, and still, you don’t find what you were looking for.

Factor in things like free shipping, better inventory, and the option to make purchases from around the globe that you’ll never find at your local mall, online shopping has opened up more ways to make a satisfying customer experience that’s hard to replicate brick-and-mortar style.

Don’t expect your iPhone 7 to be any thinner

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iPhone-7-plus-scheme
This tells us the iPhone 7 Plus will be no thinner than its predecessor.
Photo: LetemSvetem Applem

Some reports have claimed Apple’s next-generation iPhones will be its thinnest yet, but according to a new schematics leak, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be just as thick as the company’s latest models.

But that doesn’t mean the headphone jack is sticking around.

Apple’s Ireland data center could use more energy than city of Dublin

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Ireland
Apple's proposed data center in Ireland.
Photo: Apple

As part of a hearing concerning its proposed 850 million euro ($960 million) data center in Athenry, Ireland, Apple has acknowledged that it has no current plans to build power generators on the site, and would therefore be plugging into the Irish national grid.

The result? That according to a residents group, Apple will wind up as the largest private user of electricity in the state, consuming 8 percent of the national capacity — or more than the entire daily power usage of Dublin, which is home to over half a million people.

Apple chipmaker will spend $2.2 billion to gain edge over rivals

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Apple chips are getting EMI shielding.
TSMC may have won the A10 battle, but it also wants to win the war.
Photo: Apple

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) may have reportedly scored Apple’s A-series orders for the next-gen iPhone 7, but with plenty of rivals on its tail it’s not shying away from putting in the work (and, more importantly, the cash) to ensure it stays Apple’s chipmaker of note.

According to TSMC’s co-CEO Mark Liu, this means spending a massive, record-setting $2.2 billion on R&D this year; a significantly higher figure than the $1.067 it spend researching new processes last year.

Google kills its first Apple TV competitor

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The Nexus Player is no longer available.
The Nexus Player is no longer available.
Photo: Google

Google has again given up on competing with the Apple TV and other set-top boxes after discontinuing the Nexus Player. The Asus-made device is no longer available from the Google Store — but this doesn’t mean Android TV is dead.

Tim Cook spotted the iPhone in a painting from 1670

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Is that an iPhone 6s Plus?
Is that an iPhone 6s Plus?
Photo: Pieter de Hooch

Apple is credited with designing the smartphone as we know it today, but it turns out some people were using touchscreen devices in 1670. At least that’s what Tim Cook saw when he laid eyes on a 346-year-old painting from Pieter de Hooch and spotted an iPhone.

Xiaomi has switched from copying iPhones to copying drones

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Xiaomi is now in the drone business.
Xiaomi is now in the drone business.
Photo: Xiaomi

Xiaomi, aka the biggest copy-cat in tech, has decided to stop ripping off Apple for a bit and instead set its sights on drone maker DJI by unveiling its first cheap knockoff drone, the Mi Drone. And it doesn’t look that bad.

The Mi Drone takes some obvious inspiration from DJI’s Phantom lineup, only its way more affordable. For about $460 you can grab the 4K flier, or if you’re cool with just 1080p video you can buy the cheaper model, priced around $380.

It’s not as portable as other drones we’ve seen like the AirDog, but it comes with 27-minutes of battery life and some killer features that could rival the Phantom 4.

Watch it fly below:

Posture trainer has ways to make you sit up straight [Reviews]

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Upright posture trainer
You're a monster.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

“It’s alright,” I tell the Upright posture trainer, which is attached to the base of my spine. “I’ll do it right this time.”

I’m not looking at the device itself; that would be impossible. Instead, I’m looking at the three smiley-face icons in the thing’s companion app. The green one is lit up now, but I just slipped into yellow for a second before I caught myself, and if it hits the red one — either from me slouching or overextending my back — it will be unpleasant.

Apple is already working on charging stations for iCar

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Apple Car might be coming, but will it be special?
Apple Car might be coming, but will it be special?
Image: Aristomenis Tsirbas/Freelancer

The Apple Car isn’t expected to hit the road until 2020 at the earliest, but Apple’s engineers are already laying the foundation for one of the most challenging aspect of electric vehicles: keeping them charged up.

Apple appears to be preparing the ground work for its charging infrastructure, according to a new report claiming the company is scooping up engineers that specialize in electric charing stations.

USB-C battery pack gives your MacBook a full charge on the go

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Kanex-GoPower
The GoPower is a MacBook's perfect companion.
Photo: Kanex

Apple’s notebooks pack some of the best laptop batteries out there, but you’re always going to find yourself low on power when using your MacBook on the road. Fortunately, Kanex’s new PowerGo battery pack can save the day.

Packing 15,000 mAh of power and USB-C connectivity, it’s capable of giving your 12-inch Retina MacBook a full charge on the go — and it’ll keep your iOS devices topped up, too.