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What’s in store for Apple Watch Series 4? [Wish List]

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What cool new features are hidden inside that slimmer Apple Watch Series 4 frame? [Mockup]
What cool new features will be hidden inside that slimmer Series 4 frame?
Photo illustration: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

In just a few weeks, Apple looks set to unveil the biggest upgrade yet to its popular wearable.
While the external appearance of Apple Watch has not changed much since its launch, recent leaks suggest we can expect a new form factor with a larger screen when Apple Watch Series 4 lands.

In the Photoshop mockup above, I’ve shown how Apple’s next watch might look if it slimmed down and added a larger screen (as the rumormongers predict). That would be pretty cool, but there are plenty of other potential upgrades I’m excited about.

Here’s my top 10 wish list for Apple Watch Series 4 new features.

Casetify stainless steel Apple Watch bands get colorful

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casetify
Brand-new to Casetify's Stainless Steel Mesh Band lineup are Space Gray, Yellow Gold and Fuchsia Purple.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Stainless steel meticulously weaves its way through the Mesh Band for Apple Watch — Casetify’s answer to the significantly more expensive Milanese Loop by Apple. Casetify’s version is just as stylish and functional as the behemoth brand’s band, and now comes in three brand-new finishes: Space Gray, Yellow Gold and Fuschia Purple.

And, through August, you’ll save 20 percent when you purchase two (2) Casetify Apple Watch bands using this code at checkout: CULTOF20.

Everything you need to know about your iPhone camera’s shutter speed

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iPhone shutter speed
Camera blur can be your friend.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Your iPhone camera is pretty good at taking photos automatically. You just point it, shoot, and the camera works out all the tricky stuff. But what is actually going on in there? How does it take the light that you see and render it as an image on the screen?

In this short series, we’ll look at the physical parts of a camera — the aperture, the shutter, the magnification of the lens, and so on — and see how they affect the final image. Today’s topic: shutter speed.

These pillows will help the Apple geek dream different

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Apple pillows
This Iconic hardware will make your Apple dreams soft and sweet.
Photo: Throwboy

Five of the most historic pieces of hardware are back as soft plush pillows cuddle-ready for all Apple geeks.

The Iconic Pillow Collection, designed to resemble the Apple II, Apple Macintosh, the Bondi Blue iMac, the iPod and the first iPhone, is the latest line of plush pillows from digital lifestyle company Throwboy.

Save your reading list for later with Pocket [50 Essential iOS Apps #49]

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Pocket app article view
Pocket makes it easy to catch up on the articles in your reading list on your own schedule.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

50 Essential iOS Apps: PocketStaying informed and up-to-date with the latest news is tough. Scrolling through Twitter or browsing the web can often lead to news stories that you want to read, but can’t be bothered to read RIGHT NOW. With Pocket, you can save those stories for later and catch up on the stories you want to read on your schedule.

How to rip and save audio from YouTube videos with your iPhone

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rip youtube audio
This screen represents YouTube, and the telephone represents audio. Or something.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Editor’s note: As of Feb. 10, 2010, the tip outlined below no longer works. However, we published a new post about an iOS shortcut that currently does work: “Finally — a YouTube download shortcut for iOS that actually works.” Enjoy.

YouTube isn’t just for video. Lots of folks use it to post audio files, only they gum up the songs with slideshows so they can upload them to the video-publishing service. There are all kinds of apps that let you convert a YouTube video back into an MP3, but today we’re going to see how to convert a video to an MP3 right in Safari, using Apple’a own Workflow/Shortcuts app.

How to get the best price for your old iPhone

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iPhone SE boxed
Don’t settle for less. Get real cash for your old iPhone — and fast!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

We’re around a month away from Apple’s next iPhone event, which means it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll do with your old iPhone.

Will you hand it down to another family member, leave it lying in a drawer to collect dust, or turn it into a fat stack of cash that will help you pay for the newest model? Obviously, selling it is the sensible option — and we can show you how to get the best price for your old iPhone!

Save your ideas, thoughts, and memories with Day One [50 Essential iOS Apps #48]

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Day One journal entry on iPhone with Day one on iPad in background
Day One makes it easy to create a vibrant and modern journal documenting and archiving your life.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

50 Essential iOS Apps: Day OneResearch shows that keeping a journal is great for your mind. It allows you to clear your thoughts or think through problems in different ways. Finding a good way to journal is easy with the Day One app. Designed to provide a feature-rich, modern journaling experience, Day One gives you the ability to keep track of, write about, or create a virtual archive of almost anything you want.

New mophie battery pack is truly built for iPhone [Review]

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mophie Powerstation Plus XL
Recharge your iPad and iPhone simultaneously with the mophie Powerstation Plus XL. It even has a built-in Lightning connector and port.
Photo: mophie

External batteries are widely available but surprisingly few of them are really designed with Apple users in mind. That’s because all too many require a microUSB cable to get power. The mophie Powerstation Plus XL is a rare exception.

It’s recharged through a built-in Lightning port. The new accessory has a Lighting connector on a built-in cable too. If that wasn’t enough, it can be wirelessly recharged.

Bliss out with noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones and save 69% [Deals]

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These over-ear headphones combine 35 hour battery life with Bluetooth convenience and noise cancellation.
These over-ear headphones combine 35 hour battery life with Bluetooth convenience and noise cancellation.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When you put your music on, most of us want the outside world to stay out. You also want great sound quality, long life and wireless convenience. And guess what: We’ve found all that in one set of over-ear Bluetooth headphones.

Showdown! iOS 12 vs. Android 9 Pie

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Which wins the features arms race, Android 9 Pie vs. iOS 12? Here's how they compare.
Which wins the features arms race, Android 9 Pie or iOS 12? Here's how they compare.
Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Android 9 Pie has landed on Google Pixel devices just a month before Apple rolls out iOS 12. Both come with a long list of new features and improvements, but is one better than the other?

Here’s how Android 9 and iOS 12 compare.

Paper app turns your iPad into a sketch book [50 Essential iOS Apps #47]

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Cult of Mac logo poorly painted with Paper app
Paper by FiftyThree might not make you a good artist, but it does make it fun and easy.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

50 Essential iOS Apps: Paper app For the past several years, the iPad has served as a tool to digitize the analog world. Board games are now virtual, books are electronic, and with the art app Paper by FiftyThree, your sketches and artwork are turned digital. Thanks to the incredible touch interface of the iPad and Apple Pencil, the app makes your device feel like its analog counterpart.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 prepares to face the 2018 iPhones

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The Galaxy Note 9 will have to face not just the iPhone X, but also the models Apple will launch next month.
The Galaxy Note 9 will have to stand up to not only the iPhone X, but also the models Apple will launch next month.
Photo: Apple/Samsung/MobileFun

This spring’s Galaxy S9 hasn’t sold all that well, so Samsung is pinning its hopes on the Galaxy Note 9, just announced this morning.

This 6.4-inch Android device will have to compete with the iPhone X, and also the new smartphones Apple will introduce in a few weeks. Let’s see how it compares.

iOS 12 brings big improvements to iPhone’s Portrait mode

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truedepth iphone x camera portrait lighting
Portrait mode never looked so good on iPhone.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

iOS 12 packs a whole host of significant improvements that Apple didn’t get a chance to showcase during its WWDC preview. One of those, according to one developer, is a greatly-enhanced Portrait mode for compatible iPhone models.

The image below highlights the impressive difference between a Portrait photo taken with iOS 11 and another taken with iOS 12.

Take back your music library with Cesium [50 Essential iOS Apps #46]

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Cesium album view Airplane Mode
Escape the annoyance of Apple Music and enjoy your personal music library with Cesium
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

50 Essential iOS Apps: Cesium When Apple Music launched in 2015, the service received mixed reviews. One of the biggest gripes was the impact it had on the Music app. Instead of it being a place for your music library, the app began catering to the streaming service.

Cesium offers a better music library experience. The simple, brilliant app brings back the classic Music app (aka the “iPod” app), making it easy to view and enjoy your personal song library.

EU may force iPhone to switch from Lightning to USB

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These MFi-certified Lightning cables are sheathed in steel and designed to last forever.
What if your iPhone and iPad had a standard USB port instead of a Lightning one?
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Apple has its Lightning connector and everyone else has USB. But EU regulators are considering whether they need to force a common standard for phone chargers.

The idea is to cut down on the 51,000 tons of old chargers and cables thrown away each year.

Logitech’s new wireless iPhone charger solves an annoying problem [Review]

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New Logitech Powered wireless charger for iPhone eliminates the heartbreaking nudge.
Logitech's new wireless iPhone charger eliminates the heartbreaking overnight nudge.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Having a wireless charging pad on my nightstand means never having to fish around in the dark for a Lightning cable plugged into the wall. However, there’s a tradeoff: Switching to wireless charging also means I’ve awakened to a nearly drained iPhone more often than ever before.

Well, help is on the way for this admittedly first-world problem. The new Logitech Powered Wireless Charger eliminates the main drawback I’ve found when it comes to charging my iPhone wirelessly.

Your Apple Watch deserves a Proper charger [Review]

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proper
The Proper dock is minimalist, like an Apple Watch charger should be.
Photo: Studio Proper

Sadly, most Apple Watch charging stands look like utter crap. For a device beloved by Apple fans — some of the most design-savvy people on the planet — the Apple Watch accessories selection seems strangely miserable.

Some Apple Watch chargers look like old-school joysticks. Others look like Amish craftwork or the kind of 1980s rack you might see in a department store, loaded with ugly shirts nobody wants.

Escape emails and get work done with Slack [50 Essential iOS Apps #45]

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Slack iOS app on iPhone in front of computer
Slack helps you get work done by opening up direct lines of communication.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

50 Essential iOS Apps: Slack Email can be a total productivity bottleneck. Following conversations between multiple participants gets confusing. The unfortunate result of all this email chaos? Important tasks get lost in long email chains.

Luckily for collaborators everywhere, messaging app Slack replaces the need for internal email, allowing for real-time productivity and communication for teams. Instead of redundant threads and signatures, Slack strips away the cruft of the email inbox. It turns your communication into what it was meant to be — a conversation.

This keyboard shortcut will revolutionize copy and paste on your Mac

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Is the Mac's default pasting behavior driving you nuts?
Is the Mac's default pasting behavior driving you nuts?
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Did you ever copy some text from a Word document, or from the web, and paste it into an email, only to have the pasted text keep its stupid 24-point Comic Sans formatting? Maybe you had to select everything, then start futzing with the Mac’s font panel to get the new text to match.

The way to fix this annoying problem, as you may already know, is the Mac’s Paste and Match Style command. But what you probably never thought of is that you can make this the default option. That way, you can reap its benefits whenever and wherever you paste text.

Journey to a trillion, and a look at Apple’s troubled history, on The CultCast

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CultCast MacBook Pro
Apple's the most valuable company on earth, but it almost wasn't.

This week on The CultCast: The journey to a trillion! How did Apple become the most valuable company on earth? We discuss, and remember the company’s troubled history. Plus: Is the i9 MacBook Pro a total ripoff? One YouTube reviewer says yes, and his tests are convincing. We’ll fill you in. And stay tuned for the sad decline of MoviePass. Is the troubled movie service still worth it?

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first hosting plan or domain.

Tim Cook: $1 trillion cap ‘not the most important measure of success’

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WWDC 2019
Apple CEO Tim Cook on stage for WWDC 2018.
Photo: Apple

Apple became the first company to ever reach a $1 trillion market cap on Wednesday as its share price soared to $207.39. But according to CEO Tim Cook, this is “not the most important measure of our success.”

In an email to Apple employees, Cook says that financial returns are simply the result of innovation — and that it’s the team behind them that really makes Apple so spectacular.