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Score the app that keeps your Mac’s hard drive humming [Deals]

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Keep your Mac's drive humming and healthy with this powerful diagnostic and repair tool.
Keep your Mac's drive humming and healthy with this powerful diagnostic and repair tool.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Your Mac is a mighty machine. But to get the most out of your computer, you’ve got to take care of it. So unless you’re a computer technician, you’re going to want an app for that.

Drive Genius is that app. Used by no less than the Apple Genius Bar, it can speed up, clean up, secure and even revive a dead Mac. And this is your last chance to get Drive Genius 5 for $39 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Cult of Mac Magazine: Get ready to glimpse Apple’s future at WWDC 2018, and more!

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In this week's Cult of Mac Magazine: What might Tim Cook announce at this years WWDC keynote?
Photo:

In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine: What’s next for Apple? We’ll find out in June, when the company hosts devs from around the world at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2018.

Every year, the event gives Cupertino execs a chance to show off Apple’s new software and hardware. It’s a chance for outsiders to get a direct look at what’s in the Apple product pipeline. In the video below, we round up all the latest WWDC 2018 rumors to give you a heads-up about what’s on the horizon.

You’ll find that story and more in this issue. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

How to use Files app with Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive

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Apple Files app
Apple's Apple Files can get documents from many online storage systems, not just iCloud Drive.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Files app can reach documents stored on more than just iCloud Drive. It gives access a whole range of cloud-storage solutions. A new video from Apple shows how to set this up, but it’s a simple process.

This is part of a series demonstrating ways to get more out of an iPad, but this guide applies equally well to iPhone users.

Twitter won’t break third-party apps (at least not yet)

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Twitter
Twitter delayed a controversial change that may squeeze out third-party apps.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Twitter today pushed back a change to its service that will prevent third-party applications from offering notifications to their users. The services that Talon, Tweetbot, Tweetings, and Twitterrific depend on will still be shut down. It just won’t happen when originally planned.

The replacement Twitter is working on might be completely unsuited for the needs of these third-party developers. And deliberately so. They’re trying to get the company to change course.

Big features make a comeback in iOS 11.4 beta 1

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iOS 11.4 beta 1 brings back big features we saw in previous betas, including AirPlay 2, multiroom support in Home app, and Messages on iCloud.
iOS 11.4 brings back some cool new features Apple teased us with before.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The first beta of iOS 11.4 brings back some big features Apple tested in previous betas, but then subsequently removed.

Check out our video below to see iOS 11.4 in action. We run through what’s new and what you can expect if you give the beta a whirl.

Stunning iOS 12 concept adds always-on complications to iPhone

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ios 12 concept
This iOS 12 concept will get you hyped for WWDC.
Photo: iUpdateos

The grand unveiling of iOS 12 is less than two months away and if it’s anything like this concept, the iPhone X might be set to go to an all new level.

In this superb new iOS 12 concept by the folks at iUpdateOS, the iPhone X borrows one of the Apple Watch’s best features for an always-on display. Dark Mode also makes an appearance, along with group Facetime calls and a whole lot more.

Check it out:

iPad keyboard gives up its secrets in new Apple video

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iPad keyboard tips
Pressing and holding a letter on the iPad keyboard brings up accented versions.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The iPad keyboard can quickly enter over a hundred characters, if you know all the tricks. A new video from Apple shows how to type numbers without switching keyboards. It also demonstrates how to access letters with accents. Plus, it shows how to use the keyboard as a trackpad. 

Apple headphones concept mashes AirPod with HomePod

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Apple headphones concept
A well-known designer has proposed his ideas for Apple headphones, including wireless charging.
Photo: Martin Hajek

It’s an open secret that Apple is developing its own over-the-ear headphones, separate from Beats’ products. Well-known designer Martin Hajek dreamed up suggestions for how these super-size AirPods might look. 

His concept art shows a heavy influence from Apple’s HomePod smart speaker, and the headphones function in somewhat the same ways.

How to get the iPad’s Lock-Screen Notes on iPhone

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iPhone lock screen notes
Lock-Screen Notes on iPhone.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Lock-Screen Notes are one of the iPad’s best features. You can tap your Apple Pencil onto the unlocked iPad and immediately start writing or drawing on a note. It’s almost as instant as having a real pen and paper in front of you. But did you know that you can do the same thing with your iPhone? That right, you can create and add to notes right from the lock screen — no Apple Pencil required.

Apple says repealing Obama’s Clean Power Plan is bad for business

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apple park
Apple is serious about protecting the environment. The new Apple Park campus gets all its power from renewable energy.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Trump administration wants to get rid of the Clean Power Plan, a move that Apple now publicly opposes.

A statement from Apple to the agency this morning asserts that the Obama era plan to require reductions in greenhouse gases from power plants spurs investment in clean energy. Repealing it makes companies less competitive in these technologies.  

See how ARKit will make grocery shopping easier

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grocery shopping
ARKit makes grocery shopping fun.
Photo: Andrew Hart

Searching my local grocery stores endless aisles of offerings of food is one of my least favorite things about being an adult, but thanks to the power of ARKit, apps are about to completely change the experience.

iOS developer Andrew Hart teased an early preview of his augmented reality app for retailers on Twitter this week and it looks absolutely amazing. The sleek app can be used to product details while shipping. But the coolest feature is its ability to spatially navigate you through the store to that Tikka Masala you’ve been hunting for.

Prepare to be amazed:

Bewitching Starman: Tale of Light iOS puzzle game goes free

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nada studio, sl
Moody visuals help make this game memorable.
Photo: Nada studio, sl

What’s better than a great game? A great free game. Thanks to a new promotion from Apple, that describes Starman: Tale of Light, a dream-like puzzle game for iPhone and iPad which now won’t cost you a penny.

Reminiscent of the excellent Monument Valley games in terms of bewitching atmosphere, the game revolves around a space man character who you guide through multiple levels, collecting lights as you do.

Name your price for a dive into deep learning and AI [Deals]

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Name your price for a jumpstart course on coding for AI and deep learning.
Name your price for a jumpstart course on coding for AI and deep learning.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Every day, the fields of deep learning and artificial intelligence grow more relevant. Machine learning is still in its infancy, so now is a great time to start learning. And if you’re interested in gaining some new coding skills for this exploding industry, we’ve got a deal for you.

App Store actually shrank in size last year — and that’s a good thing

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Downloads have grown 70 percent over the last year.
This is the first time the App Store has shrunk, rather than grown in Apple history.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple traditionally brags about the size of its App Store, but the vaunted app repository may actually have gotten smaller, not bigger, last year.

The App Store reportedly declined 5 percent in size in 2017, from 2.2 million apps at the start of the year to 2.1 million by the end. And that’s no bad thing.

Snapchat’s AR Lenses finally arrive on iPhone X

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Snapchat
Snap's iPhone X Lenses adhere more closely to the face.
Photo: Snap

The iPhone X’s exclusive AR Snapchat Lenses were first shown off at the iPhone X keynote last year. Jump forward seven months and Snap has finally gotten around to releasing them.

Available only to owners of Apple’s flagship handset, the Lenses work using Apple’s TrueDepth front-facing camera, technology which is reportedly two years ahead of the competition.

Curved iPhone mockups look like Nokia’s famous ‘banana phone’

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Martin Hajek
It's like 1999 all over again!
Photo: Martin Hajek/iDrop News

Apple is reportedly working on a curved iPhone that would allow users to control it by hovering their hands over the screen.

Unlike the edges seen on Samsung’s curved handsets, or the subtle curves seen on the iPhone X, Apple’s new design supposedly curves “inward gradually from top to bottom.” To help us imagine what that might look like, ever-dependable designer Martin Hajek has created a few mockups.

Check out more below.

Tim Cook will attend deposition as part of Apple’s ongoing battle with Qualcomm

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Tim Cook
Tim Cook will tell his side of the story concerning Qualcomm case.
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook will attend a deposition on June 27 as part of Apple’s continuing legal battle with Qualcomm.

Qualcomm’s lawsuit accuses Apple of lying to regulators in order to spur investigations into Qualcomm’s business. Apple previously filed a complaint over chip royalties.

Developers create a touchscreen MacBook for just $1

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Touchscreen MacBook prototype
Will we ever have a MacBook with touchscreen interface?
Photo: Amish Athatye

There’s good news for everyone who wants a MacBook with a touchscreen. A group of developers came up with a way that cost them just $1 in hardware.

The process involves the laptop’s webcam, a mirror, and some programming. It’s just a proof of concept, but it shows potential.

Apple adds new alert when your iPhone battery is failing

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iPhone battery warning
Here's what to do when you get this message besides panic. (Ok, maybe a little panicking is OK.)
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iOS 11.3 has a new warning that users of older iPhones should dread. It’s a notification that the device shut down because the battery couldn’t provide peak power. Here’s what to do if this happens to you.

See just how awesome Apple Pencil can be in Notes

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iPad

Photo: Apple

Apple is making sure new iPad owners know all about the tablet’s new tricks with its series of educational how-to videos that keep coming out with updates.

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s new how-to videos, Apple has published a new video showing how to use Apple Pencil on the new iPad to draw handwritten notes in the Notes app. With the new cheap iPad, now students can write and sketch as they follow along in class. Handwritten notes are also searchable.

Watch and learn:

iPhone music app comes up with endless, catchy song ideas

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fortamento iPhone music song ideas
It doesn't look like much, but then, neither did Keith Richards.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Are you a musician struggling to come up with song ideas? Are you a non-musician who just wants to come up with a neat melody for that cat video? Then you should check out Fortamento, a melody generation app for iPhone which is both incredibly easy, and surprisingly deep.

Apple will give shareholders $100 billion thanks to Trump

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France fines Apple $27 million for intention iPhone 'throttling' controversy
Apple is stilling on huge stacks of cash, some of which will go owners of Apple shares.
Photo Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple stockpiled $252.3 billion overseas, but it’s bringing that money back to America. A market analysts predicts the company will spend $100 billion of it on its stock buyback and dividend program. This will directly benefit those with Apple shares.

The company decided to bring the money home from foreign banks after the new GOP tax law gave companies a limited time for cash repatriations at lower rates, possibly just 8 percent.

How to collect vintage Macs and other computers for fun (and maybe profit)

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Once you start collecting computers, it's hard to stop!
Once you start collecting computers, it's hard to stop!
Photo: David Greelish

Some people only care about the latest technology. For others, collecting the significant computers of the past — whether it’s an iconic first-gen Macintosh or iPhone, or failures like Apple’s short-lived Pippin games console — is fun in its own right.

If you fall in to this second group, you’ll love these five computer collecting tips to get the most out of your hobby. They will help you turn your passion for vintage Macs into an eye-catching computer collection.

How to free up disk space in macOS High Sierra

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space mountain
There's some free space right up there.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

MacOS High Sierra upgraded the Mac’s under-the-hood file system, replacing the decades-old HFS+ with the shiny new APFS. What this means for the user is way faster file copying, the ability to revert to previous versions of your documents, and several other neat features. But it also means that you may have a lot less free space left on your storage disk, thanks to APFS’ habit of using it to store special ‘dark matter.’Today we’ll learn what this dark matter is, and how to free up disk space.

Apple proposes hybrid keyboard that’s also a trackpad

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Proposed hybrid keyboard
A proposed hybrid keyboard would have regular keys that can also sense light touches.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A future MacBook might have a hybrid keyboard that can sense when the. keys are lightly touched as well as when they’re pressed. This would allow the entire keyboard to function as a trackpad.

Apple wants to redesign the keyboard. It’s proposed various ways to make this classic input device more functional. Last month, it floated the idea of a replacing the keyboard with a flexible touch panel.