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Apple officially adds services to business strategy

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App Store
Services like the App Store are a huge money maker.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Services have become such an important revenue stream for Apple in recent years that the company decided to update its official business strategy today reflect its expanding money making machine.

In a filing with the SEC, Apple made a couple of changes to the description of its business. It’s the first time a major change has been made to the strategy since around 2014.

Apple owns more U.S. debt than most foreign countries

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money
In case you didn't know, Apple is an economic powerhouse!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple owns $52.6 billion in U.S. Treasury securities, ranking it above countries like Israel, Mexico, Australia and the Netherlands — and one of the top 25 “major foreign holders” of U.S. government debt, according to a new report.

U.S. Treasury securities, in the forms of bills, notes and bonds, are debt obligations of the U.S. government. In essence, it means that individuals are loaning money to the United States’ federal government in exchange for what amounts to the safest of investments.

If you’re not already protected by a VPN, now’s the time [Deals]

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Windscribe VPN
This VPN takes the form of a browser extension and desktop app, protecting multiple devices at once.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The internet is teeming with data thieves, snoops, and annoying location restrictions. With all those headaches and hazards, the need for encryption and anonymity has never been greater. Which raises the question: why aren’t you already using a virtual private network?

New miggo bags keep photo gear dry in stormy weather

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miggo bags
This Agua won't stand for water.
Photo: miggo

The designers at the Jerusalem-based company miggo are happy if its customers are left standing in the rain.

This really is supportive when you consider photography accessory company has a reputation for producing storm-proof bags and cases so photographers don’t have to run for cover before they get their shots.

miggo Thursday introduced three new bags to its Agua X line with a backpack, sling bag and a dedicated drone bag that includes a roll out launch pad.

One-time Apple ripoff company Xiaomi is now leading the wearables market

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Apple Watch goal
Apple is de-throned, but it could be back on top soon.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Xiaomi, the Chinese company which once specialized in brazen iPhone ripoffs, has overtaken Apple and Fitbit to become the number one manufacturer of wearables, based on shipments.

The news comes from a new Strategy Analytics report, which claims that Xiaomi shipped 3.7 million wearable devices during Q2 this year, taking the number one spot. Fitbit shipped 3.4 million to take second place, while Apple shipped 2.8 million for third. Should these numbers be correct, that also means that Apple shipped its 30 millionth Apple Watch at some point over the past three months.

The Rock and Siri team up in new iPhone 7 ads

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siri in space
Siri can help you do everyday things. Like take a selfie in space.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s partnership with the Rock (aka Dwayne Johnson) has spawned three new ads for the iPhone 7 that showcase Siri’s talents at performing everyday tasks.

The Rock cooks up something smelly and takes his selfie talents to space in the colossal ads that are a follow up to the short film Apple released last month starring Johnson and Siri.

Check out all three sequel ads:

HomePod software leaks new ‘SmartCamera’ feature for iPhone

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iPhone 8 facial recognition
We could be waiting a long time for iPhone 8.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s HomePod might have revealed another huge new iPhone feature after developers did some more digging into the beta software for the upcoming smart speaker.

The software appears to reference an unannounced “SmartCamera” feature built into iOS 11 or the yet-to-be-released 2017 iPhone. And it could totally change the way we snap photos.

5 tips to fix an unresponsive iPhone screen

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5 tips to fix an unresponsive iPhone screen
Is your iPhone screen acting up? Here's how to fix it.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you’ve been having problems with your iPhone or iPad screen not acting quite as responsive as usual, don’t panic: You can try out plenty of quick and easy tricks before heading to your closest Genius Bar.

Get five tips for fixing an unresponsive iPhone screen in our how-to video:

Best apps for streaming NFL on Apple devices

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Score these apps to stream NFL games, starting with preseason matchups this Thursday.
Score these apps to stream NFL games, starting with preseason matchups this Thursday.
Photo: Erik Drost/Flickr CC

By Chris Brantner

During the fall and winter, football fans across the United States devote entire Sundays to diligently following all the NFL action. But you don’t need to wait: The football action gets underway Thursday when the NFL preseason games begin.

If you’re one of the many people who love both football and Apple devices, you’re in luck. You can easily combine the two to stream NFL games during the entire season, whether you have cable or not. A bunch of different apps let you watch the NFL on Apple devices, so let’s take a look at some of the best ones out there.

Canvas laptop bag goes from biz to beach without skipping a beat [Review]

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toffee laptop bag
Genuine leather along the base of the Commuter Satchel provides extra strength and durability.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Best List: Commuter Satchel by Toffee

After years of depositing my MacBook into an oversize, freebie laptop bag, it was time. Time to forego the ugly, embrace the new and, most importantly, get some real protection for my Mac.

The Commuter Satchel by Toffee arrived at the request of one of my colleagues. He, too, recognized the deplorable excuse of a laptop bag I was lugging around.

I can’t emphasize how much I love this sleek and stylish satchel.

You can now use Skype’s iOS app to send money to friends and family

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Skype money
Skype's functionality has just expanded.
Photo: Skype

Thanks to PayPal integration, it’s now possible for users in 22 different countries to send money to friends and family using Skype’s iOS app.

The update not only improves Skype’s functionality, but also — due to the fact that Skype has been downloaded more than one billion times worldwide — greatly extends the possible reach of PayPal, too.

Seize power with this roundup of charging accessories [Deals]

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Whatever your power needs, this roundup of outlets, surge protectors and USB chargers will solve them.
Whatever your power needs, this roundup of outlets, surge protectors and USB chargers will solve them.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Life in the digital age means keeping a bunch of devices charged. Between our homes, workplaces, cars, and travel destinations, that can become a complicated task. We’ve rounded up a set of charging accessories to handle any personal power shortage. We’ve got a 6-port modular surge protector, a smart power strip with USB outlets, a car charger with four ports, and a super thin, massively powerful portable battery. Read on for more details:

AAPL opens at new all-time high, following strong earnings report

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What’s it like to have your startup bought by Apple? Stressful
Investors can't get enough of AAPL.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Following its strong quarterly earnings call yesterday, AAPL stock has opened 6 percent up at $159 a share, representing a new all-time high valuation for Apple.

With a market cap of $830 billion, suddenly the proposed Wall Street valuation of 1 trillion dollars within the next year looks a whole lot more realistic! Why did we ever doubt it?

Apple spent close to $3 billion on R&D last quarter

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R&D
One of Apple's many R&D centers. (This one is in Japan!)
Photo: Apple

Apple spent a whopping $2.94 billion on research and development last quarter, according to a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Apple R&D spending represents an increase of 6 percent compared to the same quarter last year.

While Apple keeps its plans close to its chest, it invests a tremendous amount of money on research and development to create the products we’ll be buying a year or more from now.

Legendary Pokémon Moltres is now available to catch in Pokémon GO

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Pokemon Go
Who wouldn't want this beautiful creature for their own?
Photo: Pokémon GO

Listen up, Pokémon fans! Moltres, the latest Legendary Pokémon, has just been added to Pokémon GO, giving players the chance to pick up the fiery flying Pokémon that represents one of the three Legendary birds of Kanto.

Moltres is available from now through August 7, and can be captured during Raid Battles.

5 key takeaways from Apple’s surprising Q3 earnings call

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Earnings call
Tim Cook was stoked about Apple's Q3 earnings.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple posted its second-highest Q3 earnings ever today, surprising investors with $45.4 billion in revenue powered by strong iPhone, iPad, Mac and services revenues.

CEO Tim Cook sounded pleased during Apple’s earnings call, but he wasn’t just looking back on the past three months. By the end of the call, Cook had analysts hyped for the future and upcoming Apple products.

Here are the five biggest takeaways from the Apple Q3 2017 earnings call.

Apple reveals its Q3 2017 earnings [Live blog]

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Apple is worth more than the entire US energy sector combined
Apple is worth more than the entire US energy sector combined
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri are set to reveal all the details of Apple’s latest earnings in a call with investors today could have a huge impact on the company’s stock price.

The Q3 2017 earnings report isn’t expected to be a record-breaker, but Wall Street analysts will be hanging on to every word that comes out of Cook’s mouth as the next iPhone launch approaches. Most experts agree Apple will meet earnings expectations of $43.5 billion in revenue — the only question is by how much.

Cult of Mac will be right here live-blogging the entire call once it starts at 2 p.m. Pacific. Come join the fun.

Apple posts its second-highest Q3 earnings ever

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Apple raked in the cash last quarter.
Apple raked in the cash last quarter.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Investors found a lot to be happy about in Apple’s latest earnings report, which was released by the company this afternoon. While Apple didn’t shatter any records, the company beat expectations for the quarter with a total of $45.5 billion in revenue.

That’s well ahead of Wall Street’s expectation of $43.5 billion. iPad sales proved one of the biggest surprises of the quarter, with shipments rising 15 percent year-over-year. Apple CEO Tim Cook was definitely happy with the results.

Nerve Black messenger bag will trigger an impulse to buy [Review]

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booq Nerve Black messenger bag
The Nerve Black messenger bag by booq delivers some serious attitude.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Best List: Nerve Black messenger bag by booq

Most messenger bags would look out of place slung over the shoulder of a leather-clad Harley rider. Not the Nerve Black by booq: It exhibits a transcendent cool, whether paired with a business suit or motorcycle chaps.

There’s no cowhide on this bag. Yet the water-repellent tarpaulin flap looks a lot like leather and makes a striking first impression.

iPhone 8’s radical redesign could bring awesome UI change

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iPhone 8
A mockup of iPhone 8 with its edge-to-edge display.
Photo: Benjamin Geskin

Thanks to secrets hidden inside Apple’s firmware, we’ve discovered a lot about the iPhone 8 this week. One of its biggest features — quite literally — will be a significantly larger display that leaves no room for a physical Home button or bulky bezels.

Here’s how iOS could change to take advantage of it with a sweet new user interface.

These Bluetooth earbuds include a convenient charging case [Deals]

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1Voice Wireless In-Ear Headphones with Charging Case
These Bluetooth earbuds include with a charging case that can revive them up to 7 times.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Wireless Bluetooth earbuds are basically the ultimate in convenience for listening to music. Unfortunately, their one weak point is the constant need for recharging. Even with improving battery lives, running out of juice is a problem worth avoiding.

Apple and Google remove 330 apps linked to trading scams

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France fines Apple $27 million for intention iPhone 'throttling' controversy
Removal request came from Australia, but is a worldwide problem.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple and Google have removed a total of 330 binary trading apps from their respective app stores, following intervention from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission.

Australia’s securities regulator requested the removal of the apps based on fraud investigations, concerning certain apps which allow users to make bets about whether or not shares and currency will rise or fall. While some apps that do this are legitimate, others have been linked to scams.