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How to keep your Apple Watch Glances quick

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Sorry, but you can't get rid of this Glance.
Sorry, but you can't get rid of this Glance.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Most every app I’ve installed on my Apple Watch brings some sort of Glance along with it. While that’s a neato-keen thing to put in your App description to sell more apps, I’m not convinced that every app I have needs to be on my wrist.

Nuzzle, Words with Friends, Tile, Fandango, Foursquare: These are all apps I surely do not need or want on my Apple Watch.

Here’s how to clean up your Apple Watch Glances section for a much more focused and clear informational workflow. Because seriously, how many swipes do I need to get to the battery Glance?

QuickTake was Apple’s first doomed foray into digital photography

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The Apple QuickTake 100 was awful lot of camera to produce awful images. But one of the first consumer digital cameras had to start somewhere.
The Apple QuickTake 100 was awful lot of camera to produce awful images. But one of the first consumer digital cameras had to start somewhere.
Photo: kezboy/eBay

Sometimes the future is a fuzzy picture. This was literally true when looking at a 0.3-megapixel image produced by one of the first consumer digital cameras, Apple’s doomed QuickTake.

 Launched in 1994, the QuickTake didn’t exactly take off. The bulky behemoth looked like a pair of binoculars. There was no preview screen, so when your camera was full — after just eight pictures at the highest resolution — you had to plug the gadget into your Mac to look at your photos.

Enlarged beyond the size of a postage stamp, the pictures weren’t very sharp. Photographers scoffed that digital files would never record the detail of film.

After three models and three years of modest sales, the QuickTake was scrapped in 1997 along with other non-computer products when Steve Jobs returned to the company.

How to avoid fake iOS crash scam that wants to steal your cash

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Give us your money, or the iPhone gets it!
Give us your money, or the iPhone gets it!
Photo: Cult of Mac

An iOS scam designed to cheat people out of money is being reported by users in both the United States and the U.K.

A number of iPhone and iPad users have received pop-up notifications on their devices informing them that iOS has crashed, that their personal data is being stolen by a third party, and that the only way to solve the problem is (surprise!) to pay between $19 and $80 for a fix.

Sounds legit. Where do we send our money?

Maybe Apple Watch isn’t doomed after all

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Apple Watch is doing just fine, thank you.
Apple Watch is doing just fine, thank you.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

That Slice data? Totally misleading, says analyst Mark Hibben.

Instead, he says, Apple sold over 4.5 million Apple Watches in two months of the June fiscal quarter. That’s way more than the 1 million units of the original iPhone Apple sold when it first launched in 2007.

“Apple Watch has a bright future,” writes Hibben, “despite what some market research polls might indicate. In its launch quarter, Watch will add about $2 billion in revenue to Apple’s top line.”

With numbers like that, even Apple can’t call the Apple Watch a hobby.

Shanghai company creates a golden Steve Jobs bust to inspire its workers

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Steve Jobs was anything but a bust as CEO.
Steve Jobs was anything but a bust as CEO.
Photo: China News

Steve Jobs passed away almost four years ago, and people are still unveiling tributes to Apple’s late co-founder.

The latest is from a Shanghai company that created a gold bust of Jobs to greet employees as they sign in for work each day. The idea behind it is reportedly to “[inspire] in employees Jobs’s insistence on finding the best way to do something.”

Like sign in to work, presumably.

The iPhone cases that will make Jony Ive cringe

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Should you really encase your iPhone in something that looks like a weapon.?
Should you really encase your iPhone in something that looks like a weapon?
Photo: likecoolcase.com

Look, you wouldn’t put a “Git-R-Done” bumper sticker on a Lamborghini. So why would you muck up the chic of an iPhone with a garish or absurd case like the ones on this list?

Jony Ive understands self-expression and probably even appreciates when a person selects an iPhone case that puts them in touch with their inner selves. But when a case’s main function is to cushion a fall or fend off scratches, your next concerns should be how it fits in a pocket — and some taste.

And I don’t mean taste as in fried chicken. Apparently the Japanese are such big fans of Kentucky Fried Chicken, a product developer for the Colonel designed an iPhone 6 case shaped like a drumstick. Even better, it’s the size of one of those state fair turkey legs.

Can’t wait for Suicide Squad? Check out the bad guys on TV

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Suicide Squad movie
It really wouldn't be a trailer without the ensemble walking in a line at some point.
Photo: Warner Bros.

The upcoming Suicide Squad movie may be the most gritty and in your face version of the world-saving team of supervillains, but it isn’t the only one around.

If you can’t wait until next year to see Task Force X in action, you have a few options available to see Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and their crazy friends right now in both live-action and animated forms. And they’re available online, so you can crank up your iPad or Apple TV and watch them right now.

Man who charged his iPhone on train arrested for stealing electricity

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Heading
The man who was charged for charging.
Photo: CBS Interactive

We’ve heard about iPhone-related crime before, but here’s one that’s new: A U.K. man in London who was arrested by police after charging his iPhone on a train.

45-year-old artist Robin Lee was approached by a police community support officer on board the train last Friday, warned that he was “illegally extracting electricity.” When Lee arrived at his destination, police officers were waiting to arrest him.

Lights, camera, Apple: Cupertino makes music videos for Apple Music stars

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Pharrell launched his latest jam on Apple Music.
Pharrell launched his latest jam on Apple Music.
Photo: Apple

Apple is getting one step closer to becoming its own record label by creating its own artistic content — having recently produced in-house music videos for top-name artists such as Drake, Eminem and Pharrell.
The videos — which include Em’s “Phenomonal” and Pharrell’s “Happy” — debuted on Apple Music. Future artists Apple will reportedly be producing videos for include M.I.A., Purity Ring, Diddy and James Bay.

Upgrading Apple fitness apps: What’s missing and what are the alternatives?

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How could Apple improve their fitness offering?
How could Apple improve their fitness offering?
Image: Graham Bower / Cult of Mac

Apple’s fitness apps are surprisingly limited given that is a core selling point of Apple Watch. Even basic features like mapping runs and challenging friends are currently missing. And from what we’ve seen so far, watchOS 2 won’t address these shortcomings.

Here’s my wish list of 10 things I’d like to see Apple do to get its fitness apps in shape.

Apple Watch and Fitbit rashes are real (and gross)

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Jim Cramer Apple Watch
Don't even think about what Jim Cramer's arm must look like under his double watches.
Screencap: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

We’re seeing a lot of reports across the Internet of Apple Watch owners getting some irritation from their wearables. We have a few likely culprits for these blights, including friction with the band; contact dermatitis from dirt, water, or soap getting stuck underneath; or allergic reactions to adhesives or nickel used in the smartwatch’s production.

Whatever the cause, however, the fact remains that wearable rashes are very real and not limited to Apple’s new smartwatch. Here are some of the most interesting (meaning disturbing and gross) pictures we’ve been able to turn up from the Internet.

How iCloud could save your Mac from El Capitan’s destruction

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The cloud service that often lets people down saved me from catastrophe.
Apple's often unreliable cloud service sure saved me from a potential catastrophe.
Photo: Apple

As you may have heard, Apple released the public beta for OS X El Capitan yesterday. Since I tend to ignore the risks of beta software in favor of all the new features, I downloaded it on my mid-2011 MacBook Air. Do yourself a favor: don’t be like me. Understand and acknowledge the risks of beta software. It’ll save you time and data.

Kahney’s Korner: Big change coming to the iPad – but probably not yours

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Big changes coming to the iPad - that is, if you buy a new one.
Big changes coming to the iPad - that is, if you buy a new one.
Photo: YouTube

The iPad was once the future of computing. When it was launched in 2010, we all thought we were not going to be using desktop machine and laptops anymore.

But sales have been flat and declining for the last couple of years. It came out of the gate like a rocket and everyone bought one. The thing is, nobody has been upgrading them.

Learn about what I think are the reasons and a big change coming to iPads with this week’s Kahney’s Korner.

‘Magical’ iPhone 6 snap makes Irish photographer believe in dreams

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This scene from Copenhagen photographed last year by Brendan Ó Sé has been featured prominently in Apples
This scene from Copenhagen photographed last year by Brendan Ó Sé has been featured prominently in Apples "Shot on iPhone 6" ad campaign.
Photo: Brendan Ó Sé

Cult of Mac’s Photo Famous series introduces you to the groundbreaking photographers featured in Apple’s “Shot on iPhone 6” ad campaign.

Brendan Ó Sé aimed his iPhone camera, composed on screen the wavy painted lines on a Copenhagen street and snapped the photo as four people entered the frame from different directions.


For reasons Ó Sé cannot explain, he titled the photo, God will send a sign. When he does, be prepared.

Not long after, Ó Sé received widespread attention for the photo after it was selected by Apple to be part of its “Shot on iPhone 6” advertising campaign. There were billboards in several countries, magazine ads, an international award and interview requests.

Ó Sé was not prepared. He was kind of floored.

The unbelievable true story of Farty Troll‘s struggle to release

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Farty Troll
Sometimes, games have a lot of trouble coming out.
Photo: Toonhound Studios

Apple has a history of blasting fart apps from its App Store. But when is a fart just a fart, and when is it art?

Scott Kurtz, artist and writer of popular webcomic PvP, and his business partner Cory Casoni decided to find out with Farty Troll, a Flappy Bird clone about propelling a flatulent, blue giant named Skull through a maze of coffee cups using nothing but his own wind. Apple repeatedly rejected the app, but after a bit of straining and a lot of effort, it has finally come out.

It all started a year ago as part of Kurtz’s comic, which is about the employees of a magazine who were transitioning into game publishing.

How to follow non-artist profiles in Apple Music Connect

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You'll see way more new music suggestions this way.
You'll see way more new music suggestions this way.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Apple Music Connect is like another version of Apple’s failed Ping service. It’s being promoted as a way to keep in touch with your favorite artists, but man is it impersonal.

My Connect page is full of bland PR-style stuff and links to buy music from artists I’m following. There’s just not enough quality posts in there to justify checking it each day.

Until now. Jonathan Poritsky has a fantastic idea over at his music blog: why not follow the folks on Apple Music who actually share and curate music? Follow Julie Adenuga, Zane Lowe, or any of the genre or curator profiles hidden in Apple Music.

These are the folks that are sharing amazing music. Here’s how to follow them.

Toyota radio ad shuts down iPhones because drivers won’t

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Toyota Siri radio ad
Oh, Toyota. You puckish tricksters.
Photo: Toyota

Let’s be clear: It is incredibly dangerous to do anything with your phone while you’re driving. You shouldn’t be texting, checking your mail, or swiping through Tinder when you should be focused on all of the people and giant, dangerous machines around you.

But Toyota knows that despite all of the warnings and common sense, some people are just going to chance it anyway. So a new radio ad it’s running in Sweden is taking the choice out of their hands.

You can see the promotional video about the ad below.

Music, News and a selfies album — all the goodies in iOS 9 beta 3

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iOS-9-changes
iOS 9 beta 3 landed in developers' pockets today and brought various improvements with it.
Photo: Apple

Another day, another iOS beta. Two weeks after Apple released iOS 9 beta 2, here arrives iOS 9 beta 3 for developers. If you haven’t already yet, go download it on your iPhone and iPad. Most notably, this is the first iOS 9 beta that includes support for Apple Music and the redesigned Music app. However, iOS 9 beta 3 brings many other changes and improvements like Apple News and even a photo album just for your selfies. Take a look.

How to listen to Apple Music without burning your data

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Save your data with Apple Music's offline features.
Listen to Amy without incurring data overage charges.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Apple Music is at heart a streaming solution, designed so that you can listen to any of the tens of millions of songs in its library at any time, assuming you have a data connection.

These days, though, unlimited data plans are the exception rather than the rule, so you might want to be a little less profligate with your use of such a data-heavy solution.

Apple Music allows you to save your songs, albums and playlists to your iPhone or Mac for offline listening, which could be a boon if you’re watching your data cap.

Here’s how to make that happen.

Running with Apple Watch, a beginner’s guide

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For your first run, select an “open” goal
For your first run, select an “open” goal
Photo: Graham Bower / Cult of Mac

If you bought an Apple Watch hoping it would help you get fit, but you haven’t been on your first run yet, maybe you need of a little more encouragement. So here’s some advice from a reformed couch potato.

The first workout is the hardest. It gets progressively easier and more rewarding from there. You just need to know how to get started.