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Macphun adds AI power to photo editing app

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neptune
Macphun adds artificial intelligence to Luminar with its Neptune update.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

When Macphun entered the imaging software game, it wanted to make products as powerful as Photoshop, Aperture or Lightroom yet with fewer clicks to well-styled photos.

Today, Macphun released an update to its all-in-one editing app Luminar that can make a photo beautiful in still fewer steps.

How does one sound?

10.5-inch iPad Pro feels like the future [Review]

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The new 10.5-inch iPad Pro puts monstrous power at your fingertips.
Don't pay full price for a 10.5-inch iPad Pro.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

I could be the poster boy for Apple’s “iPad problem.”

That problem, in a nutshell, is this: Even long-in-the-tooth iPads several generations old continue to work just fine for many everyday tasks. That, in turn, slows the upgrade cycle. iPad sales drop, and pundits pile on to declare that Apple is doomed. Again.

I’m one of those cheapskates who couldn’t be bothered to shell out for a new iPad over the past few years but a freak accident — and the surprisingly convincing unveiling of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro at last week’s Worldwide Developers Conference — finally coaxed me out of iPad complacency.

I’m thrilled I finally wised up. The new 10.5-inch iPad Pro is a beast of a machine that’s so fast, smooth and responsive that it makes me feel like I’m in a sci-fi movie interacting with a killer device that hasn’t been invented yet. It feels like the future!

Twitter rolls out a massive redesign on mobile

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Twitter's fancy new look on iPhone.
Twitter's fancy new look on iPhone.
Photo: Twitter

Twitter has begun rolling out the latest version of its mobile apps today, introducing a big redesign that unifies the user experience across Android and iOS.

It’s prettier and easier to navigate, but it still doesn’t deliver the option to edit tweets.

Scott Forstall will break his silence on iPhone next week

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Forstall
Guess who's back. Back again. Forstall's back. Tell a friend.
Photo: Apple

Former iOS chief Scott Forstall has been pretty much MIA since leaving Apple in 2012. However, he will be making a rare appearance to talk Apple next week.

In a public fireside chat with long-time tech journalist John Markoff (for my money, one of the best tech writers working today), Forstall will discuss working with Steve Jobs on the project which became the iPhone.

iPhone will become a ‘one-stop shop’ for all your medical data

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Health
Apple wants to provide a central hub for all your clinical data.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple wants to make your iPhone a “one-stop shop” for all your medical data.

A secret team is working to make multiple logins for different medical services a thing of the past by turning the iPhone into a central hub of information about doctor’s visits, lab test results, prescription data, and more.

This iPhone case is basically indestructible [Deals]

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Mous Limitless Ultra-Slim iPhone Cases with Airo Shock Protection
These phone cases are tough enough to survive a drop from 45 feet as though it never happened.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Our iPhones are beautiful and fragile devices. If you’re not crazy, you protect yours with a sturdy case. But even with a ‘premium’ case, you can never be quite sure that your phone won’t break into pieces when the big drop comes.

You’ll soon be able to back up your Mac to Google Drive

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Backup the files you need for peace of mind.
Backup the files you need for peace of mind.
Photo: Google

Google is introducing a new tool to Google Drive that will make it easy to back up and sync the most precious data on your Mac.

You’ll gain the option to upload your most important folders to the cloud — leaving out the data you don’t need to keep — then restore them on a new machine when you upgrade.

Tim Cooks talks HomePod pricing, and why AR makes him want to ‘scream’

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Tim Cook
Tim Cook's interview covers a range of topics.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Bloomberg has released some more highlights from its recent conversation with Tim Cook, touching on a number of important topics.

Having already confirmed Apple’s interest in self-driving car systems, Cook now speaks about Steve Jobs, why he doesn’t spend any time thinking about his legacy at Apple, Apple’s $1 billion advanced manufacturing fund, his response to accusations that Apple isn’t as innovative as previously, and more.

Check out a few highlights below.

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus still rule the roost in U.S. sales

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France fines Apple $27 million for intention iPhone 'throttling' controversy
The iPhone 7 is continuing to be a massive money maker for Apple.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Excitement for the forthcoming iPhone 8 may be continuing to build, but the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are still holding strong in the sales department.

According to new figures released by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, the two current generation iPhone models were the top two smartphones in the U.S., in terms of sales, for the three months ending in May.

Devs reveal the good, bad and ugly about Mac App Store

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Mac App Store
The email app BlueMail finds itself on the outside of the "closed garden."
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

For users, the Mac App Store makes finding, purchasing, and downloading new software a breeze. But is the experience as enjoyable for the developers behind that software?

Setapp surveyed over 700 macOS developers to find out what they really think of Apple’s marketplace. The results give us an interesting insight into the challenges they face when choosing the Mac App Store, whether life is better without it, and how Apple has improved.

Europe just abolished all roaming charges

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sim wallet roaming
This doesn't have to be you.
Photo: CC Karl Baron Flickr

Today, roaming charges have been dropped across the European Union. If you live in Berlin and travel to Budapest, you can keep using your existing data plan at no extra cost, and you keep (more or less) the same data allowance. That’s neat for Europeans, but it’s also good news for international travelers, because you only need to buy one SIM card at the start of your trip, and then you’re covered until you go home.

Apple-loving couple snap dream wedding photos at Apple store

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What place is more romantic than the Apple store?
What place is more romantic than the Apple store?
Photo: Yip Weili Creations

The only thing that comes close to trumping this Singapore couple’s love for each other is their unbridled passion for Apple products.

Self-professed Apple megafans Jermyn Wee and Chia Suat celebrated their marriage earlier this month by visiting the only Apple store in Singapore. They used the retail outlet as a backdrop for their cute wedding photos. The funny couple’s snaps almost didn’t happen because the usually shy guy didn’t want a photoshoot. When his soon-to-be wife proposed the Apple store as the location, Wee went all in.

Watch the happy couple walk down the Apple store aisle as customers clap:

AI-powered iPhone photo storage device never forgets a face

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No Wi-Fi, no cloud with this iPhone photo and video storage solution.
No Wi-Fi, no cloud with this iPhone photo and video storage solution.
Photo: Fotofami

You’ve heard my speech from the soapbox: Backup your iPhone photos. A little device called Fotofami couldn’t make it easier.

In fact, it’s shaped like a little thin box that will travel well in a pocket. It works by getting to know the faces of family and friends in those pictures while fiercely defending them from the reach of hackers.

Apple suppliers confirm two of iPhone 8’s biggest features

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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 supplier Largan says it will ship its new 3D sensors in time for iPhone 8, while another supply chain vendor confirms waterproof wireless charging technology.

Largan’s sensors are capable of carrying out facial and iris recognition and provide an alternative to fingerprint scanning. They could be the solution Apple turns to if it is unable to embed a Touch ID scanner beneath the iPhone 8’s display.

5 ways to boost your MacBook battery life

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Boost MacBook battery life
Save yourself some battery power when you go remote.
Photo: picjumbo.com/Pexels CC

Despite the MacBook’s svelte design, their batteries last a long time because Apple put a lot of thought into how the hardware and software work together. Still, if you find yourself running out of juice, some simple changes can help you extend your MacBook battery life.

Apple designs its laptops to maximize user productivity and minimize extra work, but following these simple tips will boost MacBook battery life considerably.

‘Best Firefox ever’ pours on the speed

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Firefox is now more efficient than its rivals.
Firefox is now more efficient than its rivals.
Photo: Mozilla

Mozilla is rolling out its “best Firefox ever,” promising a perfect balance between speed and efficiency.

Firefox version 54 finally uses multiple processes for improved performance just like its rivals, so a complex webpage in one tab won’t impact your experience in another. What’s more, it uses less memory than other browsers on macOS, Mozilla says.

Hate it? Steve Wozniak says he loves his Apple Watch

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Steve Wozniak Madame Tussauds San Francisco
Steve Wozniak, master troll?
Photo: Madame Tussauds

Thanks to comments that Steve Wozniak made in a 2016 Reddit AMA, there’s a perception that Apple’s co-founder dislikes the Apple Watch. Not so, he makes abundantly clear in a new interview!

Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Woz said that, “I just love [my Apple Watch]. I love every time I use it. It helps me. I love it so much … I don’t like to be one of those people who pulls phones out of pockets.”

It sure sounds like someone turned a corner. (Or Tim Cook sent round a couple of Apple’s more menacing engineers.)

Reach hidden viewpoints with this snaking camera [Deals]

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WiFi HD Waterproof Endoscopic Camera
This is the camera you need to fix the problems you can't see.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Surgeons, plumbers, mechanics – they all need an inside view of hard-to-reach places where their eyeballs can’t reach. You’ve probably seen endoscopic cameras on TV, the ones that look like skinny snakes with light bulbs for eyes. But instead of feeding on mice, these cameras feed images back to their users. And they offer a view behind whatever is blocking the view of what you need to work on.

Devs’ incredible demos show how cool (and easy) AR on iPhone can be

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Screen Shot 2017-06-14 at 15.29.49
ARKit opens up some exciting possibilities for developers.
Photo: 8ninths

Developers couldn’t be more excited about ARKit, the toolkit Apple showed off last week at WWDC to allow “fast and stable motion tracking” for augmented reality apps.

While Apple showed off a basic implementation of ARKit onstage, developers already have started putting together some pretty impressive demos using the technology. Check a couple of them out below.

Consumer Reports picks Galaxy S8 over iPhone 7, everything else

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Galaxy S8 in hand
Galaxy S8 is the smartphone to buy, says Consumer Reports.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have been rated the best smartphones available by Consumer Reports.

Both devices outranked their rivals — including the iPhone 7 — in design, battery life, and camera performance. However, they aren’t considered perfect, with testers noting that they are difficult to operate with one hand, and their fingerprint scanners are awkwardly-placed.

Pessimistic traders bet big against Apple

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money
AAPL is the world's third most shorted stock.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The stock market’s a funny place, eh? Just a couple of months after becoming the first company in history to break the $800 billion valuation mark, Apple now finds itself in the unusual position of having investors betting against it.

Short interest on Apple (meaning that investors are staking money on AAPL share prices falling) climbed by $1.3 billion over the past month. According to data compiled by S3 Partners, Apple is now the third most shorted company in the world — after Tesla and Alibaba.

Apple teases upcoming hip-hop documentary Can’t Stop Won’t Stop

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Nas makes an appearance in Diddy's documentary.
New documentary will include appearances by leading hip-hop artists.
Photo: Apple Music

Apple has dropped the second trailer for its latest hip-hop documentary, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story.

The documentary chronicles Sean P. Combs (a.k.a. P Diddy’s) rise to become one of the most notable record producers of the 1990s, as well as detailing the challenges he faced staging last year’s 20th anniversary Bad Boy reunion show. It will debut on Apple Music on June 25.

iWork update adds hundreds of cool new emoji-style symbols

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iWork symbols
Apple invents clip art!
Photo: Cult of Mac

The iWork suite just got an update across iOS and macOS, with some neat new features for Keynote, Pages, and Numbers. But the headline new feature is the addition of a brand new Shapes Library across all the apps. You know that section that always let you put little squares and circles into your documents? That’s still there, but those lame-o shapes have been joined by hundreds of new shapes that will actually be useful. They’re kind of like silhouetted emojis.