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MacBook Pro 2017 suffers from SSD/logic board problem

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MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar
If the SDD in a 2017 MacBook Pro fails, the logic board needs to be replaced, and vice versa.
Photo: Apple

The 13-inch Touch Bar-less MacBook Pro 2017 has a problem that requires the solid state drive and the logic board to be replaced if either one fails. 

This warning comes from Apple, who notified its stores and authorized repair providers of the issue.

Leather case gives iPhone X a racing stripe and a vintage vibe [Review]

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Sena Racer review: An iPhone X case with a vintage rock 'n' roll and hot rod vibe.
If you want to give your iPhone X a vintage vibe strap it into a Sena Racer case.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Best List: Racer iPhone X case by Sena

Even someone who doesn’t suffer from a Jony Ive-style obsession with slimness wants an iPhone case with style. The Sena Racer — a leather iPhone X case with a rad racing stripe running up its back — adds bulk for sure. But its pleasantly puffy profile throws off a vintage ’70s vibe that looks killer and feels good in your hand.

It offers protection, sure. But, more importantly, it makes your iPhone stand out in a sea of svelte sameness.

macOS Mojave adds support for HTC Vive Pro VR headset

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Mojave
macOS Mojave makes VR easier than ever on Mac.
Photo: Apple

Who says Macs can’t do virtual reality? When macOS Mojave rolls out this fall, it will include plug-and-play support for HTC’s latest Vive Pro VR headset.

Apple has been working closely with HTC and Valve to make this possible. Vive Pro support isn’t yet available with the first macOS Mojave beta, but it is expected to be made available to developers and testers in a future beta release.

Why Apple Watch Series 4 will probably get better GPS

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New running features coming in watchOS 5 are all about pace -- the Achilles' heel of Apple Watch.
New running features coming in watchOS 5 are all about pace -- the Achilles' heel of Apple Watch.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Apple took the wraps off watchOS 5 last week at WWDC, revealing loads of new features that we can look forward to this fall. Among them were some big improvements for runners: Cadence, Rolling Mile Pace and Custom Pace Alerts.

What I find most exciting about these new features is that I think they hint at a much-needed hardware upgrade coming in Apple Watch Series 4, which is expected to debut this fall. Here’s why.

iPhone X works fine after two weeks in a river

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submerged iPhone
This iPhone X spent two weeks in the water. It still works.
Photo: Man+ River/YouTube

Drop an iPhone into a lake or rushing river and you can usually kiss it goodbye. But the owner of an iPhone X was pleasantly surprised when it was returned to her in working order – two weeks after dropping it in a river.

The submerged iPhone was found on a recent dive by a YouTube treasurer hunter who films his dives of Arizona’s lakes and rivers. Dallas, whose YouTube Show Man + River has half a million subscribers, tries to hunt down the original owner of some of his more valuable or unique finds.

Microsoft is bringing Gears of War to iOS … with a twist

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Gears-Pop
Get yours hands on Gears Pop! today.
Photo: Microsoft

Hit Microsoft franchise Gears of War is making the leap to mobile next year in Gears Pop!

Microsoft has teamed up with Mediatonic and Funko to bring the popular shooter to Android and iOS with a big twist. And yes, that’s the same Funko that creates adorable pop culture collectibles.

Enjoy the first trailer right here.

Fight in style with Fortnite’s new Wingman Starter Pack

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Fortnite Wingman Starter Pack
Yes, you'll need a Samsung to play Fortnite for Android.
Photo: Epic Games

Are you still playing Fortnite Battle Royale with the default skins? Have some respect for yourself!

Now is the time to pick up your first outfit. The new Wingman Starter Pack, available today, will have you looking fresh on the battlefield. It also gives you hundreds of V-Bucks to spend on other cosmetics, and it won’t break the bank.

Sketchy report claims 2018 iPhones won’t use Lightning port

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iPhone Lightning connector
New regulations could force Apple to ditch Lightning cables in Europe.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

This year’s iPhone lineup will come without a Lightning connector, according to a sketchy new report out of Asia.

Apple is expected to use an alternate method of charging and syncing that will please a lot of iPhone users. However, it could mean that all your existing iPhone accessories will no longer be compatible.

iPhone X dethroned as world’s top-selling smartphone

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iPhone X laying down
The iPhone X isn't top dog any more. It remains Apple best seller though.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s flagship handset has passed its peak popularity. That’s not surprising, given that the iPhone X hit the market more than six months ago. Still, it once could boast of being the world’s best-selling smartphone.

The Galaxy S9+ took its place at the head of the pack. Samsung’s top-of-the-line model debuted early this spring.

Exploding Samsung phone destroys woman’s car

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Galaxy Note 7 that exploded while charging.
Oh no, not again!?
Photo: Mr NiBaidu

Samsung’s explosive reputation could be flaring up again, based on a new report that the company’s smartphone caused one woman’s car to catch fire and explode.

The Detroit woman says she was driving in her car with a Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S8 in her cupholders when suddenly one of the devices burst into flame. It took just a few minutes for the fire to completely destroy her car, and she says she’s lucky to be alive.

Look at the damage:

Tag stars strain to hit high notes in new Carpool Karaoke teaser

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We all know Ed Helms can sing, but what about his Tag castmates? Find out in the new Carpool Karaoke teaser.
We all know Ed Helms can sing, but what about his castmates?
Photo: Apple

Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms and Jon Hamm are ready to sing your socks off in the latest episode of Carpool Karaoke.

The trio, who star together in the upcoming film Tag, bring their vocal talents to Apple’s musical TV show for an all-new episode. Apple released a teaser this morning, and it looks like it could be one of the funniest Carpool Karaoke episodes yet.

Just watch as Hamm tries to hit the high notes!

Pocket iPhone dolly lets you capture cinematic shots

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MUWI
The MUWI dolly adds a steadying motion to your iPhone videos.
Photo: MUWI

Few if any dollies – the wheeled rigging filmmakers use to capture smooth horizontal camera shots – fit in a back pocket. A cute little cart called MUWI does and is ready to roll on the set of your next iPhone flick.

Four rotary legs with tiny wheels fold out from its oval-shaped dolly base and a retractable holder unfurls from the top to cradle your iPhone. It can also hold other small cameras, including GoPros, point-and-shooters and some of the lighter DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

Software localization isn’t an annoying chore, it’s a crucial opportunity

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Attention, devs: If you haven't localized your apps, you're missing out.
Attention, devs: If you haven't localized your apps, you're missing out.
Photo: slon_dot_pics/Pexels CC

This post is brought to you by MacPaw, maker of Mac app subscription service Setapp.

One of the amazing benefits of selling software on the internet is that you can reach customers from all over the world. So why would you cut out a huge potential market just by assuming everyone who wants to use your product speaks English?

In fact, ignoring other markets can be one of the biggest marketing oversights software companies make.

Apple busts out new betas for its old software

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iPhone X home screen
A new iOS beta is out!
Photo: Apple

iOS 12 and macOS Mojave are all the rage after WWDC 2018, but Apple’s not quite done working on iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra.

Developers received a fresh batch of beta updates this morning, including the second builds of iOS 11.4.1 and macOS 10.13.6, both of which bring a host of bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements.

iOS 12 UI tweaks let you interact with apps as they’re opening

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iOS 12
This iOS 12 tweak will save you so much time over time.
Photo: Apple

Apple is giving the iPhone a more fluid UI with some tiny tweaks in iOS 12 designed to shave tenths of seconds off each interaction.

You may not even notice the changes once iOS 12 launches to the public, but in a session at WWDC last week, Apple revealed how you can now perform actions without waiting for UI animations to finish. It sounds like an insignificant update, but once you see it in action you’ll be swooning for iOS 12’s release.

Prepare to be wowed:

apeMatrix is the iOS music app you never knew you needed

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Apematrix looks confusing, but is anything but.
Apematrix looks confusing, but is anything but.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The apeMatrix app will excite iPad musicians and leave others scratching their heads. In fact, the concept is even confusing for musicians. But if you ever use mixing and routing apps like AUM and AudioBus, you are going to love apeMatrix, and then come to wonder how you ever worked without it.

iOS 11.4 is killing battery life on some iPhones

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iPhone X Notch
How's battery life on your iPhone with iOS 11.4?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple rolled out iOS 11.4 in late May, finally delivering AirPlay 2 and stereo support for HomePod. If you haven’t already updated, you might want to avoid it for now.

Some iPhone users are reporting battery life problems after installing Apple’s latest release. It seems the issue affects everything from the iPhone 6 to the iPhone X.

GoodNotes 4 is the paper notebook of the future [50 Essential iOS Apps #24]

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GoodNotes 4 notebook with Apple Pencil on iPad Pro
GoodNotes 4 is perfect for writing notes, regardless of the topic.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

50 Essential iOS Apps: GoodNotes 4 The iPad has become a workhorse in the last few years. Since the introduction of the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, the transition from pen and paper to digital note-taking is more feasible than ever. GoodNotes 4 is one of the best digital note-taking and document-annotation apps available on iOS.

Snapchat adds ability to delete messages after they’re sent

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Snapchat delete
Get rid of risky messages before they're seen.
Photo: Snapchat

Snapchat is making it easier to deal with messaging regret by giving us the ability to delete chats after they’ve been sent.

The new “Delete Chat” feature is available for both group and one-to-one conversations. It can be used to recall text as well as voice notes, stickers, photos, and videos.

Samsung wants retrial in patent infringement lawsuit with Apple

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apple-asks-supreme-court-to-reject-samsungs-unexceptional-appeal-2-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201602Galaxy-S6-edge-iPhone-6s-jpg
The Samsung patent infringement lawsuit isn't over, as the Android phone maker still tries to wiggle out of its punishment.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Last month, a jury ordered Samsung to pay Apple $539M for infringing on its patents. Now, the Korean company wants that decision thrown out.

It again says it should pay a far, far smaller amount for stealing many of the design elements of the iPhone.

Qualcomm feud could cost Apple billions

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Qualcomm patents
Apple doesn't want to pay twice for Qualcomm chips.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A complicated, multibillion-dollar intellectual property battle between Apple and chipmaker Qualcomm will soon move through courts and hearing rooms across the globe.

More than 50 lawsuits have been filed in six countries, however, the outcome from upcoming hearings in the U.S. China and Germany could prod the feuding tech companies to negotiate a settlement, according to a Bloomberg report.

Apple doesn’t want you mining bitcoin on your iPhone

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Antana/Flickr CC
Apple has shared more details about its cryptocurrency policy.
Photo: Antana/Flickr CC

You can no longer use your iPhone for mining bitcoins — or not through Apple’s official channels, at least.

Revised wording in the App Store review guidelines notes that Apple is banning apps which “run unrelated background processes, such as cryptocurrency mining.” In a dedicated cryptocurrency section, the company goes on to break down in more detail what is — and, crucially, is not — permissible.

Pick up the portable speaker of your dreams [Deals]

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Bring your favorite tunes and shows wherever you go with one of these massively discounted Bluetooth speakers.
Bring your favorite tunes and shows wherever you go with one of these massively discounted Bluetooth speakers.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Carrying your music around has never been easier. In fact, the options are almost overwhelming. So we’ve rounded up some of the best portable speakers at the best prices, from speakers you can take on a hike to speakers you can shower with. Everything is going for more than half off the usual price, read on for more details: