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HomePod software leaks new ‘SmartCamera’ feature for iPhone

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iPhone 8 facial recognition
We could be waiting a long time for iPhone 8.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s HomePod might have revealed another huge new iPhone feature after developers did some more digging into the beta software for the upcoming smart speaker.

The software appears to reference an unannounced “SmartCamera” feature built into iOS 11 or the yet-to-be-released 2017 iPhone. And it could totally change the way we snap photos.

5 tips to fix an unresponsive iPhone screen

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5 tips to fix an unresponsive iPhone screen
Is your iPhone screen acting up? Here's how to fix it.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you’ve been having problems with your iPhone or iPad screen not acting quite as responsive as usual, don’t panic: You can try out plenty of quick and easy tricks before heading to your closest Genius Bar.

Get five tips for fixing an unresponsive iPhone screen in our how-to video:

Canvas laptop bag goes from biz to beach without skipping a beat [Review]

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toffee laptop bag
Genuine leather along the base of the Commuter Satchel provides extra strength and durability.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Best List: Commuter Satchel by Toffee

After years of depositing my MacBook into an oversize, freebie laptop bag, it was time. Time to forego the ugly, embrace the new and, most importantly, get some real protection for my Mac.

The Commuter Satchel by Toffee arrived at the request of one of my colleagues. He, too, recognized the deplorable excuse of a laptop bag I was lugging around.

I can’t emphasize how much I love this sleek and stylish satchel.

Seize power with this roundup of charging accessories [Deals]

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Whatever your power needs, this roundup of outlets, surge protectors and USB chargers will solve them.
Whatever your power needs, this roundup of outlets, surge protectors and USB chargers will solve them.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Life in the digital age means keeping a bunch of devices charged. Between our homes, workplaces, cars, and travel destinations, that can become a complicated task. We’ve rounded up a set of charging accessories to handle any personal power shortage. We’ve got a 6-port modular surge protector, a smart power strip with USB outlets, a car charger with four ports, and a super thin, massively powerful portable battery. Read on for more details:

Nerve Black messenger bag will trigger an impulse to buy [Review]

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booq Nerve Black messenger bag
The Nerve Black messenger bag by booq delivers some serious attitude.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Best List: Nerve Black messenger bag by booq

Most messenger bags would look out of place slung over the shoulder of a leather-clad Harley rider. Not the Nerve Black by booq: It exhibits a transcendent cool, whether paired with a business suit or motorcycle chaps.

There’s no cowhide on this bag. Yet the water-repellent tarpaulin flap looks a lot like leather and makes a striking first impression.

iPhone 8’s radical redesign could bring awesome UI change

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iPhone 8
A mockup of iPhone 8 with its edge-to-edge display.
Photo: Benjamin Geskin

Thanks to secrets hidden inside Apple’s firmware, we’ve discovered a lot about the iPhone 8 this week. One of its biggest features — quite literally — will be a significantly larger display that leaves no room for a physical Home button or bulky bezels.

Here’s how iOS could change to take advantage of it with a sweet new user interface.

These Bluetooth earbuds include a convenient charging case [Deals]

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1Voice Wireless In-Ear Headphones with Charging Case
These Bluetooth earbuds include with a charging case that can revive them up to 7 times.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Wireless Bluetooth earbuds are basically the ultimate in convenience for listening to music. Unfortunately, their one weak point is the constant need for recharging. Even with improving battery lives, running out of juice is a problem worth avoiding.

How to load and play podcasts offline on Apple Watch

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Apple Watch
You can use third-party apps to load podcasts on your Apple Watch.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A lot of people who enjoy listening to podcasts or music while jogging will agree that it’s inconvenient to carry an iPhone. While music lovers can sync playlists from their iPhone to their Apple Watch, Apple’s Podcast app doesn’t do the same for podcasts.

That’s unfortunate. However, it’s simple to send podcasts to Apple Watch using third-party apps.

Apple code confirms that facial unlocking tech is on the way

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iPhone 8 facial recognition
We could be waiting a long time for iPhone 8.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Code confirming the existence of Apple’s infrared facial recognition technology has been discovered by intrepid developer-turned-iOS sleuth Steve Troughton-Smith.

Troughton-Smith discovered the code in the HomePod firmware Apple released late last week. It suggests that previous reports about face unlocking on the iPhone 8, possibly as a replacement for Touch ID, may be accurate.

$27,000 Apple Watch clone is beautifully bonkers [Review]

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Apple Watch Clone
Is this Apple Watch clone worth it's $26,900 asking price?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

This Apple Watch clone costs more than an Apple Watch Edition, but comes with zero apps. The H. Moser Swiss Alp Watch Zzzz might look like it’s straight outta Cupertino, but it’s actually an old-fashioned luxury timepiece.

Would you pay $26,900 for an Apple Watch clone without all the smart functionality? See our video review for more on this completely bonkers Swiss watch.

iPhone saves high-profile photo shoot

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iphone flashlight photo
The flashlight mode on an iPhone helped the photographer light the simulated workspace of European astronaut Paolo Nespoli.
Photo: Alessandro Barteletti

We’ve all used the iPhone flashlight to shine on a keyhole or search for change dropped in a dark room. Alessandro Barteletti used his to land a cover picture for National Geographic.

Barteletti’s photo of an astronaut training in a Soyuz launch simulator graces this month’s cover of the Italian edition of the venerable publication.

The shot almost didn’t happen.

Podcasting 101: What you need to get started on Mac

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Chris Ward's podcasting setup
My Podcasting setup
Photo: Chris Ward

Podcasting is undergoing a renaissance with listeners consuming on-demand shows at unprecedented levels, and creators enjoying surprising levels of success with their work. One thing that sets apart the amateurs from the professionals is good content, but the other is production values.

I have been running my own small podcast for about a year, trying different ideas and formats to see what works. While I’m an amateur podcaster, I create tutorial videos for a living and I used to be a professional musician, so I know a thing or two about sound, music, and music production. I have also been using a Mac since 1997, and have recorded audio with just about every port that Apple has released. For me, the podcast is a great outlet to cover topics I don’t get to cover in my paid writing work. And of course, like many other podcasters, I like the sound of my own voice.

Here are some of the things I’ve learned, along with recommendations on the hardware, software and techniques to get you started podcasting using your Mac.

Groovebox turns your iPhone into a toe-tapping music machine

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groovebox
You won’t be able to stop grooving.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

If you’re looking for a way to lose a few hours later today, you could do a lot worse than Groovebox, a free music-making app for iPhone and iPad. It’s simple enough to start making music as soon as you launch it, but offers enough depth (and enough in-app purchases) to keep you going for quite a while.

How to remove location data from photos you share

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Remove location data maps on bench

Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

When you share a photo via email, iMessage or most other apps, you also send the location of that image. No big deal, right? You’re only sending pictures to people you know anyway. But what about when you sell something on a site like Craigslist or eBay? If you don’t manually remove location data from your pictures, anyone can see where you took your photo, which is probably your home.

Right away, anyone can see where you live, and what you have at home. You still might not care, but if you do, here’s how to remove all that information before you send a photograph. (You’ll also learn about an interesting quirk in iMessage.)

Everything new with Apple’s Photos app in macOS High Sierra

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Cult of Mac
The Photos app in macOS High Sierra comes packed with great new features.
Photo: Cult of Mac

In macOS High Sierra, the built-in Photos app packs some great new tools as well as lots of small improvements. It brings better organization, new editing tools (like selective color and curves), and extended integration with third-party apps.

Check out all the new features and improvements in Apple’s Photos app.

Why Apple’s making an iPhone Pro, this week on The CultCast

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It's time to make the iPhone exciting again.
It's time to make the iPhone exciting again.
Photo: @YSR50

This week on The CultCast: Why Apple’s making an iPhone Pro, a tech-packed cutting-edge phone that will showcase what Cupertino is capable of. Plus: Genius Bar jackpot! (Or, why Apple sometimes replaces your old, broken gear for a brand new model.) And stick around for a super-powerful electric long board, a HomeKit-enabled ceiling fan, and a pro-level keyboard case for your iPad Pro in an all-new Under Review.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code “CultCast” at checkout to get 10 percent off any hosting plan.

Customization is key with OleksynPrannyk’s tailor-made bands for Apple Watch [Review]

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double tour
Outfit your Apple Watch Series 4 with our best bands guide!
Photo: OleksynPrannyk

A wristwatch is so much more than a means to tell time these days. It’s also the opportunity to accessorize and bump up one’s style with a unique, wonderfully constructed strap.

Heeding the call to individual style is OleksynPrannyk’s made-to-order and ultra-sharp Double Tour Apple Watch Band — the reasonably priced alternative to the ridiculously priced Hermès band. The Double Tour and all of OleksynPrannyk’s bands are completely customizable with more than five adapter colors and 14 thread colors from which to choose.

Best yet, the entire collection is available now in Cult of Mac’s Watch Store. Trust me, you will love this band.

Tips to help you relive your great vacation [Tech Travel Tips]

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Vacation photo
You vacation photos are useless if you forget about them.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

tech travel tips It used to be that when you got back from vacation, you’d drop your film off at the lab and cross your fingers. You hoped you’d get some half-decent photos back a week later, while memories of that cool restaurant you liked faded with your tan.

Now we share our photos with friends and family while we’re still on the beach, then forget about them. But we can, and probably should, make a little effort to preserve our vacation memories. And — you guessed it — there are apps for that.

Apple issues security updates for all devices

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mac security
Apple released new security updates to keep malicious hackers out.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple issued a laundry list of updates on most of its operating systems to resolve what appears to be security soft spots.

Cupertino offered few specifics but the list includes macOS, tvOS, iOS, watch OS, Safari and iTunes and iCloud for Windows.