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Apple finds greener way to produce aluminium

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Elysis produces greener aluminium that will someday be used in iPhones.
Apple helped found Elysis, an environmentally-friendly company that produces this greener aluminium that will someday go into iPhones.
Photo: Apple

Just a glance at an iPad or Apple Watch shows how much aluminum Apple uses. The traditional method for producing this material creates greenhouse gases. Apple brought together a pair of companies to develop a greener aluminium smelting process that releases oxygen instead.

The metal will someday go into iPhones, Macs, and other devices to make them easier on the environment.

Apple has a wild idea for enhancing video capture

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Apple video patent
A patent application from Apple suggests it has developed a way to record video using both lenses at the same time.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Imagine shooting video with a dual-camera iPhone with simultaneous capture through both lenses.

Apple has and it applied for a patent indicating software to record with both the wide and zoom lenses on a device is somewhere in the pipeline.

Apple, Goldman Sachs team on rewards credit card

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Apple, Goldman Sachs credit card will replace Apple Reward Card
Get ready to tear up your Apple Rewards Card. The company will release a replacement next year with Goldman Sachs.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple is working with Goldman Sachs to release a credit card, according to an unconfirmed report. This will apparently take the place of the company’s current Rewards Visa.

The card will be offered under the Apple Pay brand. Goldman Sachs will allegedly replace Barclays as Apple’s partner for credit cards.

Malicious Siri voice commands can hide in regular music

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Siri Alexa in voice report
Instead of helping you, Siri could be obeying voice commands concealed in the song you're playing.
Photo: Apple

Suppose you’re listening to some music, then glance over an realize your iPhone has loaded a porn site all on its own. That’s the nightmare scenario researchers say is possible after they proved voice commands can be concealed in songs.

It’s also possible to get Siri to recognize commands given at frequencies outside the range of human hearing.

So long, aluminum! Why the iMac needs a total redesign.

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Will the iMac design ever be this exciting again? The original iMac G3.
Will the iMac ever be this exciting again?
Photo: Apple

When the first iMac debuted 20 years ago, it shook the tech world with its completely unorthodox appearance. The blobby, curvaceous and colorful computer looked, in Steve Jobs’ words, good enough to lick.

It was a statement computer, both for those who owned it and for those who made it.

However, with the iMac not having had a substantial redesign since 2012, Apple’s all-in-one desktop is getting a bit long in the tooth. It’s time for Apple to give it an overhaul with a new iMac design that would get the world excited about Macs again — and prove Apple remains committed to innovative computing.

Apple will adopt LG G7 display tech for 2018 LCD iPhone

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LG G7 ThinQ with MLCD+ display
The LG G7 ThinQ’s MLCD+ display is brighter and more color accurate.
Photo: LG

Apple is expected adopt new LCD technology from the LG G7 ThinQ for one of three iPhone models set for release later this year.

The MLCD+ display will deliver increased brightness to what will surely be Apple’s most affordable smartphone to go on sale this fall. It will also offer a wider color gamut to match the iPhone X.

Don’t expect the iPhone to get cheaper in 2018

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iphone x
Apple's $1,000+ iPhone price tags aren't going anywhere.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is set to continue its high price tag strategy for the next generation of iPhones launching later this year, a new report suggests.

While no exact prices are given, the news may be disappointing for anyone who thought that Apple would slash the $1,000+ cost of the iPhone X for its follow-up phones. Then again, coming off a record-breaking quarter and a bestselling handset, was anyone really expecting anything different?

Steam Link lets you play PC games on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV

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Steam Link iPhone iPad Apple TV
Steam Link’s first big update is great for controller users.
Photo: Valve

You can now play your PC game library anywhere around your home without being weighed down by a chunky gaming laptop. The official Steam Link app lets you enjoy your favorite Steam games on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.

You’ll be able to play with a Steam Controller, MFi controller, or a range of other gamepads supported by Steam.

Apple drops plans to build Irish data center after three years of delays

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Politicians receive frightening threats about cancelled Apple data center
The data center that will never come to be!
Photo: Apple

Fed up of waiting for the necessary permission to proceed, Apple has ditched its plans to build an 850 million euro ($960 million) data center in Athenry, County Galway in Ireland.

“Several years ago we applied to build a data centre at Athenry,” Apple said in a statement. “Despite our best efforts, delays in the approval process have forced us to make other plans and we will not be able to move forward with the data centre.” It will continue with a second data center in Denmark.

Apple gets permission to use drones to improve Apple Maps

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Drones and HD cameras are affordable, giving everyone a chance to make beautiful, cinematic video.
Apple was one of the companies given permission to carry out drone experiments.
Photo: DJI

Apple Maps was a laughingstock when it launched, but it’s come a long way since then. Now Apple has been given approval to further improve the service using drones.

As part of the U.S. Transportation’s new drone program, Apple is allowed to capture images of North Carolina using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This will allow it to enhance its mapping services with more detailed images.

Processor update might make Google’s Wear OS a better Apple Watch competitor

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Qualcomm's upcoming processor might make Google's Wear OS more competitive.
Qualcomm's upcoming processor might make Google's Wear OS more competitive.
Photo: Google

One of the reasons Apple Watch has no problems fending off competition running Google’s Wear OS is that they all use a two-year-old processor. Qualcomm is finally readying a new smartwatch chip for release this fall.

In addition, the next version of Watch OS will make greater use of Google Assistant, the company’s artificial intelligence powered system for voice control.

Make your own WWDC 2018 3D model

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Buy a 3D printed version of the WWDC2018 logo
The WWDC2018 logo looks 3D. How about a 3D model of it?
Photo: Martin Hajek

Martin Hajek is best known for producing beautiful renders of rumored iPhones, but he came up with something different today: a 3D model of the logo for Apple’s upcoming developer conference. Not a render — an actual model that can be held in your hands.

Plenty of iPhone replacement batteries finally available

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A device that might need an iPhone replacement battery
Here's a device that might need an iPhone replacement battery.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The wait for an iPhone replacement battery has reportedly shrunk to little or nothing. This is good news for anyone with an older model who wants to take up Apple’s offer of a new battery at a discount price.

The company will swap out an aging battery for just $29, less than half what it used to cost, as an apology for surreptitiously throttling some devices.

This leather, button-stud Apple Watch band will fit any wrist size

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form function form
The adjustable length Button-Stud Apple Watch band fits virtually all wrist sizes — from the fleshiest to thinnest!
Photo: Courtesy of Form Function Form

Best List: Button-Stud Apple Watch Band by Form Function Form

Making Apple’s “most personal device ever” personal to you is super-serious business for one Florida purveyor of handmade leather goods.

Echoing the individuality of Apple Watch, Form Function Form takes customization to new levels in the design of its one-of-a-kind Button-Stud Apple Watch Band. This ingenious leather strap has 21 different size options, one of which is sure to fit even the thinnest or fleshiest of wrists. If it doesn’t, the company provides free size adjustments for the entirety of your life.

We’ve added seven new leather colors to the Watch Store lineup! Read on for my review:

How to edit Photos Memories on your iPhone and iPad

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clock memories
A clock is an easy, if lazy, metaphor for memories.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Memories is one of the best features of the Photos app. It gathers together pictures into albums that are surprisingly smart. It picks you best pictures, adds music, and uses things like facial recognitions to focus on the important people in the pictures. The whole thing is presented as a slideshow.

But did you know that you can edit those memories? You can change the title, the duration, the music, and more. Let’s take a quick look how to tweak our memories to make them perfect.

Signal for Mac messages set to disappear don’t always go away

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macOS Notification Center is a security flaw for Signal for Mac
The Notification Center copies and stores messages from Signal for Mac, even if the text is set to disappear.
Screenshot: Patrick Wardle

One of the most appreciated features of Signal for Mac is that messages sent by this communication app can be set to automatically erase themselves. However, security researchers have found a flaw in the system.

The problem comes from the notifications macOS provides for incoming Signal messages.

Password-protect iOS file transfers with DearMob iPhone Manager

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DearMob iPhone Manager
DearMob iPhone Manager
Photo: DearMob

This post is presented by DearMob iPhone Manager.

iTunes was groundbreaking when it launched in 2002. But since then, it’s evolved very little, especially in terms of managing iOS data. Updating your iPhone means mastering a maze of syncing options and data categories. iTunes is also the very definition of a walled garden, limited to moving content around that already lives on it — you can’t just pull music straight from your folders onto your phone.

Pro Tip: Quickly delete numbers in iPhone Calculator app

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calculator
They don't make them like this any more. Thank God.
Photo: Seth Morabito/Flickr CC

Pro Tip Cult of Mac bug Doing a bit of quick adding-up in the iPhone calculator app? Or are you in the middle of a complex series of calculations better suited to a spreadsheet, but you used the Calculator anyway? A mis-hit key can spell anything from annoyance to disaster, forcing you to bang on the C key a few times to reset the the whole calculation, and start over.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. With this quick pro tip, you can easily delete just one digit at a time.

Astro app makes managing email easy and almost fun [50 Essential iOS Apps #11]

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Astro is these best email app for both iOS and Mac.
Mail isn't always best for email.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

50 Essential iOS Apps: Astro email app Email is a necessary evil. Whether it’s personal communications, work-related updates or the latest sale at your favorite store, email is something we deal with nearly every day.

After trying dozens of email apps over the past eight years, Astro is the best email app I’ve come across, and the first that I both recommend and enjoy using.