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Apple planning a more affordable MacBook Air for 2018

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Get a MacBook Air for $200 off
It’s about time we saw that new MacBook Air.
Photo: Apple

Apple will deliver a “more affordable” MacBook Air this year, according to one reliable analyst.

The existing MacBook Air lineup remains pricey, despite being incredibly outdated. Apple asks customers to cough up at least $999 for fifth-generation Intel processors and a low-resolution display.

These are the 911 calls resulting from Apple Park employees walking into glass walls

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Apple Park Close up
Welcome to the house of pane.
Photo: Apple

Transcripts have been released for three of the emergency calls made earlier this year as the result of employees at Apple Park injuring themselves by walking into glass doors and walls.

More than 3,000 gigantic curved glass panes have been used to form the walls on both side of Apple’s four-story campus, measuring over a mile around. In all, Apple Park uses more than six kilometers of curved glass, in addition to interior glass accessories like doors.

Check out the 911 call transcripts below:

ShotBox, Evoland 2, and other awesome apps of the week

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Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend everyone!
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Awesome Apps

A great instant markup app for Mac that lets you easily annotate screenshots is just one of our selections for this week’s “Awesome Apps of the Week.”

In addition, we’ve got a great multifaceted journey through video game history, a music mastering app for iOS, and a card battler based around one of the all-time great console fighting game franchises. Check out our picks below.

AirPods Pro! And the cool HealthKit gadgets you haven’t heard of, on The CultCast

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Oview Sperm tester
The HealthKit Sperm tester. Yup. That's a real thing.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

A reliable source says Apple is working on audiophile-grade headphones with built-in AirPods magic. AirPods Pro? SIGN US UP. Catch the discussion on The CultCast. And stay tuned for: How Apple plans to revolutionize healthcare; the cool, weird and wacky HealthKit gadgets you’ve never heard of; and we wrap up with pro-level whistling, rock accordion, and the best actors of all time in an all-new Get to Know Ur Cultist.

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% off any hosting plan.

Galaxy S9 vs. iPhone: Did Samsung beat Apple’s best?

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Galaxy S9
Does the Galaxy S9 have what it takes to take on iPhone X?
Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 series, with its edge-to-edge display and features like iris scanning, offered smartphone buyers a refreshing alternative to an all-too familiar iPhone experience in early 2017. Now the Galaxy S9 is here and things are a little different.

The iPhone isn’t boring anymore. With an edge-to-edge display of its own, as well as Face ID, dual cameras, and the incredible A11 Bionic chip, iPhone X has made Apple the smartphone maker to beat once again. Does the Galaxy S9 have what it takes?

Check out our in-depth comparison to find out which is better.

‘New’ Galaxy S9 facial recognition still fails on security

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Facial Recognition
Samsung’s facial recognition system isn’t very accurate
Photo: Samsung

Samsung touts the new Intelligent Scan facial recognition system in the Galaxy S9 as better than the easily fooled system used in the S8, but there’s no real-world change for owners of the new device. Samsung’s facial recognition technology remains far less secure than Apple’s Face ID.

AirPods wireless charging, retro gaming handhelds and more [Crowdfund Roundup]

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PowerPod
PowerPod adds wireless charging to your AirPods.
Photo: PowerPod

Crowdfund Roundup bugWhy wait for Apple to sell you another expensive AirPods case when you can add wireless charging capabilities to the one you already have? PowerPod is a silicone sleeve for your AirPods case that adds a Qi-compatible charging coil for next to nothing.

It’s just one of the awesome ideas in this week’s Crowdfund Roundup. We also have the ultimate charging system, a handheld console that’s perfect for retro game addicts, and more!

How and why to redirect email instead of forwarding it

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redirect email
This photo is not email, nor is it even regular mail, but it has to do with directions.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

We all know about forwarding email. It’s the electronic equivalent of putting a received letter in a new envelope and sending it on to someone else. But did you know that you can also redirect emails so that it seems like they arrived from the original sender? You could, for instance:

  • Redirect instructions from your boss to a co-worker.
  • Pass an email to someone else without getting caught in an inevitable and endless Reply All mess.
  • Send a customer enquiry to the correct person, with their reply going direct to the customer.

Unless the final recipient is really brain-dead, then this will never work as a scam to trick them into doing all the work your boss assigned to you, but it’s a very practical alternative to just forwarding emails.

Mujjo’s leather cases match iPhone X perfectly [Review]

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Mujjo cases iPhone X
Leather looks good on iPhone X.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

You don’t buy a $1,000 smartphone and stick it in a $4 silicone shell you bought on eBay. You either leave it exposed so that you can enjoy its gorgeous glass and stainless steel, or you sensibly stick it in a beautiful case that complements its premium design.

Mujjo’s leather cases are perfect for iPhone X. Made from full-grain leather with a super-slim profile, they rival Apple’s own leather cases in looks and durability. I’ve been using two of them for over a month now; here’s what I think of them.

Cops will use decoy buses in hunt for Apple shuttle shooter

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Apple bus shooting
20 incidents have been reported since January.
Photo: California Highway Patrol

California cops will use decoy buses and undercover officers to try and catch the person who keeps shooting at Apple employee shuttles.

Google shuttle buses have also been targeted by pellet guns, and at least 20 incidents have been reported since January of this year. The FBI has been called in to help with the investigation.

New Harry Potter game lets you attend world’s best magic school

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Harry Potter
You get to create your own character and guide them through the Hogwarts experience.
Photo: Jam City, Inc.

An RPG set in the Harry Potter universe, but where you get to create your very own wizard or witch and lead them through the Hogwarts school experience, sounds all kinds of amazing.

That’s the basis for a forthcoming iOS game, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, which is set to land in the App Store any day now. Check out the gameplay trailer below.

Galaxy S9 can’t match iPhone’s 4K video recording

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Galaxy S9 camera
Galaxy S9 can shoot 4K video at 60 fps, but not for long.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung tries desperately to outdo the iPhone every year, but it doesn’t always work. Its bid to battle the iPhone X with the Galaxy S9 looks a little weak, with early benchmarks suggesting the South Korean company’s flagship is nowhere near as powerful.

That might explain why the Galaxy S9 can’t match Apple’s latest devices in 4K video recording.

Trump’s aluminum tariffs could drive up Mac and iPhone prices

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macOS high sierra
Anyone who taxes aluminum is no friend of Jony Ive's, you'd imagine!
Photo: Apple

President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on imported aluminum and steel could hit Apple, which is a big user of both, where it hurts.

And if it’s anything like other times that Apple has been slapped with increased import duties, that could translate to increased prices for customers.

Instagram leak exposes video calling plans

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Instagram
Instagram makes sharing Stories simpler.
Photo: Instagram

Instagram is preparing to add voice and video calling to its primary photo sharing app, a new leak has revealed.

Files and icons labeled “call” and “video call” have been discovered buried inside Instagram’s APK package for Android. A video calling button first popped up inside the app back in January, but it was believed to be for internal use only.

Apple defends iPhone slowdown in Canadian parliament

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iPhone SE 2 could cost $399 just like the first-gen iPhone SE
Apple's still defending the iPhone slowdown controversy.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple and Geekbench’s John Poole have testified in front of Canada’s House of Commons committee regarding the iPhone slowdown controversy, and how Apple handled it.

A representative for Apple Canada read prepared remarks, saying that the offending iOS update was intended to help devices continue to use old iPhones for longer. Meanwhile, Poole was asked to explain a few technical details of the slowdown and his thoughts on whether Apple purposely mislead the public.

A stunning 2/3 of Apple devices ever sold remain in use

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Apple Customer Satisfaction
Customers keep using Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple’s devices don’t end up in the rubbish bin very often. In fact, an analyst determined that about 64 percent of iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watches ever sold remain in active use.

This might be the most accurate way of measuring just how satisfied people are with Apple’s products. Far better than customer surveys!

How to track flights in the Mac’s Notification Center

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TodayFlights
TodayFlights tracks flights, and nothing else.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Tracking flights is a bit of a pain. Siri can do it, and if you’re a real plane spotter, you might even trouble yourself to find an app to do it. But for most of us, we track a flight once in a while, whenever someone’s coming to visit. We just want something that is simple to use, and the disappears. That something is TodayFlights, a neat app that adds a flight tracker to the Mac’s Notification Center Today View.

10 Apple Watch Series 3 bands our Watch Store customers love

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best apple watch straps
These are some of the best-selling straps for Apple Watch — bands we personally love and recommend for their quality, craftsmanship, value and style.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Whether you got the Apple Watch Series 3 or just want to up the game of an older model, we’ve got you covered with our Watch Store customers’ favorite bands. These are some of the best-selling straps for Apple Watch — bands we personally love and recommend for their quality, craftsmanship, value and style.

All of the newest bands and many more from each brand are available in our Watch Store. Read on to check out 10 customer favorites.

Galaxy S9 display tops iPhone X for best ever

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Galaxy S9
Galaxy S9 is gorgeous, much like iPhone X.
Photo: Samsung

The iPhone X’s reign as the world’s best smartphone display ever has already been overthrown.

Samsung’s new Galaxy S9 has blown away the display experts at DisplayMate. You’ll have to wait a few more weeks to see if for your self, but Galaxy S9 matches or broke the record for display performance records, earning it DisplayMate’s highest rating ever.

How to convert any video (or song) into an MP3

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convert MP3 iPhone workflow
With a couple of taps, you can convert any audio or video file to MP3
Photo: Cult of Mac

Converting an audio track to MP3 on the Mac is dead easy. Just open it with iTunes, and choose the File > Convert option from the menu bar. On iOS, though, there’s no native way to do this. There are lots of shonky-looking apps in the App Store that offer to create MP3s for you, but it’s likely that you already have the answer installed on your iPhone or iPad.

That’s right. Apple’s own WorkFlow app can quickly and easily convert any audio (or video) file to MP3.

Apple’s next AirPods may pack health sensors

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Apple AirPods
AirPods could soon do more than just play music
Photo: Apple

Your next set of Apple earbuds might be about to get some serious health upgrades.

Tracking your heart rate while jogging soon may only require using earbuds, as a new patent filing show that Apple seems very serious about adding biometric sensing to its AirPods.