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Apple seeds fourth beta of iOS 11.2

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iPhone X
iOS 11.2 has some special tweaks for iPhone X.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is back with a new batch of beta updates for developers today, bringing a host of bug fixes and performance improvements to the iPad and iPhone with the fourth build of iOS 11.2.

The new update comes just four days after Apple released the last iOS 11.2 beta update. Developers can also grab the fourth beta builds of watchOS 4.2 and tvOS 11.2.

Apple Park visitor center opens doors to the public

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Apple Park
They're not waiting for the iPhone X.
Photo: Shara Tibken/Twitter

Apple opened the doors to the visitor center at Apple Park to the public this morning. And of course, there was a line to get in.

Construction is still being completed on the main campus but you can now get a first-hand view of the campus at the visitors center. The newly opened building looks a lot like a regular Apple store on the inside, except it features some products you can only buy at Apple Park.

Juggle sound with these paired speaker spheres [Deals]

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This Bluetooth speaker splits in two, for much more flexible stereo arrangements.
This Bluetooth speaker splits in two, for much more flexible stereo arrangements.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Bluetooth speakers usually take the form of a brick or a giant pill. Whether you are trying to enjoy music in the comfort of your home or blasting tunes during an intense workout, finding the perfect bluetooth speaker isn’t an easy feat. Most of the time people look for speakers that hit on both fronts–style and function.

Sign up to DirecTV Now and get a free Apple TV 4K

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Apple TV ad
Apple TV 4K usually costs $179.
Screenshot: DirecTV Now

DirectTV Now is offering a free Apple TV 4K to customers who sign up for fourth months of its streaming TV service for an upfront cost of $140.

The model being given away as part of the offer is an entry level 32GB Apple TV 4K, which usually retails at $179.

iPhone X pre-orders sell out in minutes on Samsung’s home turf

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iphone x
Pre-orders in South Korea were incredibly strong.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone X may have greater levels of availability in Apple Stores than many predicted, but there’s one place you’ll struggle to get your hands on one: South Korea.

According to a new report, Samsung’s home turf experienced a massive surge of orders for the iPhone X when it was made available for pre-order, ahead of its November 24 launch. In total, the allocated iPhone X shipments for the country sold out within minutes.

Apple’s VP of diversity and inclusion is leaving the company

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diversity Apple
Denise Young Smith was promoted to her current diversity-promoting role in May.
Photo: Apple

Denise Young Smith, a.k.a. Apple’s first ever vice president of diversity and inclusion, is leaving the company.

Young Smith won the role earlier this year, having previously been Apple’s head of worldwide human resources. She will be replaced by Christie Smith, who joins Apple from Deloitte.

Intel working with Apple to bring blazingly fast 5G to iPhone

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intel
Chips could arrive in time for the iPhone in 2019 or 2020.
Photo: Thomas Hawk/Flickr

Apple is reportedly working closely with Intel on 5G wireless broadband technology for a future iPhone, a new report claims.

The story follows previous claims that Apple is planning to drop Qualcomm chips for new iPhones and iPads which will ship in 2018, and replace them with chips made by Intel instead.

What’s a computer? Apple wants to know

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iPad Pro
Is the iPad Pro a true PC replacement?
Photo: Apple

The post-PC world is closer than we think, according to the latest Apple video ad that was published on the company’s YouTube today.

The whimsical new ad for the iPad Pro follows a young girl around town as she video chats with friends, takes photos, does homework, draws with Apple Pencil, reads comics and more all from her iPad Pro.

Check it out:

Brilliant concept brings Touch Bar to the Mac mini

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Mac Mini
This Mac Mini concept is pretty crazy.
Photo: Louis Berger

It’s time for Apple to think different when it comes to the Mac mini.

Even though it’s been over 1,000 days since Apple last updated its smallest Mac machine, Tim Cook insists it’s still an important part of Apple’s product line. Apple fans are desperate for an update, but if it looks anything like this concept it’ll have been well worth the wait.

Take a closer look:

How to create long-exposure effects with iPhone

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long exposure sea
Long exposures turn moving water into creepy mist.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

One of the neatest tricks you can do with a standalone camera is the long exposure trick. You may have seen it used to turn the tail-lights of a car into long streaks of red curving through the dark behind a ghostly car, or to blur turbulent waters into a peaceful, misty-looking lake. In a regular camera, you have to finagle the shutter speed to get the level of blur just right, and there’s no second chance. On the iPhone, it’s way easier.

Automatically back up your iPhone via Wi-Fi with AnyTrans

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With AnyTrans' new Air Backup feature, you can wirelessly and automatically back up all your iOS devices.
With AnyTrans' new Air Backup feature, you can wirelessly and automatically back up all your iOS devices.
Image: iMobie

This post is presented by iMobie, maker of AnyTrans.

It’s easy to forget the value of doing regular iOS backups. That is, until your iPhone or iPad crashes and jogs your memory. For the less diligent among us, automatic wireless iOS backups can prove priceless.

How to switch Animoji characters after recording

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iPhone X Animoji
Switch Animoji characters without ditching your awesome facial performance.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

As a popular phenomenon, Animoji will probably disappear as quickly as Pokemon Go. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun, and this tip will make it even more fun. You know how when you record a little Animoji clip, and you wish you’d done it with the robot instead of the cheeky monkey? It’s easy to fix, without having to re-record your whole performances.

iPhone is one of 2017’s best inventions (but so is fidget spinner)

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iPhone X
What's not to love about the iPhone X.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Anyone that says Apple can’t innovate anymore obviously hasn’t spent some quality time with the iPhone X.

According to Time’s annual list of the year’s best inventions, the iPhone X is the only smartphone that makes the cut — but so did the fidget spinner. The magazine calls the iPhone X the world’s most sophisticated smartphone and it’s not hard to see why.

Jony Ive refuses to mourn death of iPhone Home button

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Face ID iPhone X
Apple has not regrets ditching Touch ID.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Killing the home button on the iPhone X was a no-brainer, according to Apple’s design boss Jony Ive. But figuring out the best way to replace wasn’t an easy task.

In a recent interview on iPhone X, Jony Ive revealed some of the design decisions his team had to make in order to bring huge innovations to this year’s flagship device.

iPhone X scalper gets in violent scrape

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iPhone X theft
This LetGo app ad for an iPhone X attracted a would-be thief in Georgia.
Photo: WSB-TV

Another new iPhone is on the streets and it’s the type of event when police brace themselves for a spike in thefts and assaults. So it was only a matter of time before the iPhone X would work its way into a crime news headline.

A man in Georgia suffered a broken collarbone after wrestling with a thief who ran off with an iPhone X he was trying to resell.

Another analyst says Apple will be a $1 trillion company in next year

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Apple is worth more than the entire US energy sector combined
Now may be a good time to invest!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Another analyst has thrown his name into the hat by predicting that Apple will be the world’s first $1 trillion company within the next year.

Analyst Daniel Ives of GBH Insights suggests that AAPL could trade at between $210 and $230 at some point during the next 12 months. The top end of that range would put the share price at close to 35 percent more than it is currently trading at. And push it over the fabled $1 mark in the process!

Ireland continues to drag its feet over Apple tax collecting

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
The Irish debt office said it would hire managers for the job by mid-November.
Photo illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In the latest instalment of Apple’s battles with the European Union over taxes, Ireland is set to miss a deadline to hire managers to cary out the collection of its owed taxes.

The Irish debt office previously said that it would hire custodians and investment managers for the estimated $15.3 billion tax bill it was awarded by mid-November. However, Ireland — which has fought against collecting the funds from Apple — hasn’t handed out the contracts as it said it would in tender documents.

Apple praised for promoting conflict-free minerals trade

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minerals1
Apple's doing its part. Many others are not.
Photo: Enough Project

Apple’s attempts at cleaning up its use of conflict minerals appears to be working, based on a new report which claims the company is the “clear leader in supporting a conflict-free minerals trade.”

Published today, Enough Project’s 2017 Conflict Minerals Company Rankings says that Apple, Alphabet, HP, Microsoft and Intel are leading the way in conflict-free sourcing from the Congo, while Walmart, Sears, and Neiman Marcus are ranked as the worst offenders.

Duolingo for iOS now teaches you Mandarin

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Duolingo Chinese
The best language learning app is now even better.
Photo: Duolingo

Duolingo, the wonderful language learning app, now has the ability to teach you Mandarin. It was one of the most requested language courses in Duolingo history, and just like all the others, it’s free to take part.