Cult of Mac

National security requests for user data from Apple doubled in the second half of 2016, compared to the first six months, Apple’s newly-published biannual transparency report reveals.

Apple received somewhere between 5,750 and 5,999 orders during the July-December period of last year, compared to the 2,750 and 2,999 requests it was handed in the January-June period. This represents the highest total count in the 3.5 years since Apple first began releasing this information in a six-monthly report.

We rely on our Lightning cables to keep our iDevices charged and synced. Unfortunately, these soft white cables are pretty prone to fraying and breaking. With something so essential to our digital lifestyles, it’s important to have backup. And, while we’re at it, why not add a little reach? Right now you can get all of the above, when you get a triple pack of MFi-certified, 10-foot long Lightning cables for just $20 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Despite the demand for larger, sharper smartphone displays, iPhone SE has beaten out all other smartphones to top the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Just two of Apple’s devices placed in the top five, and with a score of 87 out of 100, iPhone SE took the number one spot ahead of iPhone 7 Plus and the Galaxy S7 series.

The iPhone 8 isn’t even out yet, and already Samsung Display has reportedly signed a deal with Apple to supply OLED panels for the 2018-era iPhone 9.

While Samsung is producing 80 million OLED displays for the iPhone 8, that number will allegedly more than double for the iPhone 9, for which Samsung will manufacture 180 million OLED screens.

To encourage manufacturing in India, Indian authorities have offered to let Apple import smartphone components for use in local manufacturing, tax free.

Apple previously asked for a 15-year tax holiday from paying tax on importing components it needed for Indian manufacturing. The request was denied by authorities, but it seems that a compromise may be reached, whereby Apple will gradually increase the local production of components in India.

The founder and CEO of Chinese tech company LeEco, which makes everything from smartphones to smart TVs, has stepped down from his position as chief executive.

Why would you know Jia Yueting? Because way back in 2015, he was the CEO forced to issue a groveling apology after LeEco issued an ad depicting Apple as Hitler — complete with a red armband showing the Apple logo instead of a swastika.

Apple and Nokia have settled their ongoing patent dispute and entered a new licensing and business cooperation agreement.

Apple will resume selling Nokia digital health products, formerly sold under the Withings brand, while Nokia will provide Apple with network infrastructure products and services.

The first video footage of Apple’s self-driving car has already surfaced on the internet, just over a month after the company first received permission to drive on public roads.

Apple’s self-driving car is actually a Lexus RX450h outfitted with sensors powered by Apple’s own autonomous driving software. Video of the car in action reveals Apple’s project is already highway-worthy as the company races to catch up to its competition.

Watch it cruise the road with ease:

Here’s the worst way to organize any task: email. You can’t put everything in one place, and even if you could, you could never find it. Apple’s built-in Notes app, on the other hand, is the perfect place to store all those snippets of info you accumulate when planning something like a vacation. You can collect web pages, add checklists and photos, and even sketch maps, or add other media like PDFs or apps. And then you can share that note with any number of people and all read and update it.

Let’s see how it all works.

Apple is turning up the heat on Android with a fresh redesign of its website that teaches smartphone customers how to transition to iPhone.

The new site makes it super-easy for Android users to make the change to iOS by promoting one of Apple’s only Android apps: Move to iOS.

Summer is finally upon us and staying up to date with the latest devices is essential for vacation season.  With long awaited trips rapidly approaching, having a great camera to document all your adventures is paramount. Do yourself a favor this summer, sell your old device, and upgrade to a new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus just in time for that beach trip!

Despite a slow global market, Apple’s notebook sales experienced year-over-year growth last quarter, according to a new report that reveals the new MacBook Pro provided the company with a considerable bump in sales.

Notebook shipments were up 6.1% worldwide for the first quarter of 2017 with total shipments hitting 37.81 million units. That’s great news for manufacturers, but TrendForces’ latest findings show that a cool down period could be on the way.

iPhone sales might have fallen year-on-year during the first quarter of 2017, but shipments continue to grow in a number of key markets.

In fact, new data shows that shipments declined only in China and Japan during the first few months of the year.

Accessory makers are already manufacturing cases for Apple’s next-generation iPad Pros. According to two that have leaked early, they’ll come with tweaked designs, while the new 10.5-inch model could have a taller display.

The great thing about Mac setups is that they can all be completely different. While one person may dream of a super minimalist science lab-type room, another may want an inspiring, comfortable haven. That’s what makes this week’s iSetups submissions so great.

iSetups is our new show that highlights the best Apple-centric setups submitted by our viewers. (You’ll also get plenty of tips and tricks for how you can improve your own setup.) Check them out for yourself in the video below, as well as full breakdowns and links to featured products.

Plain-text nerds probably also enjoy over-organizing things. If that sounds like you, then NotePlan might just send you over the top, joy-wise. NotePlan is an app for iOS and Mac which combines plain-text (and Markdown) notes with a calendar.

Apple is no longer repairing 2011 MacBook Pro units under its “Video Issues” repair program.

Launched in February 2015, the program addressed faulty graphics processing units in a “small percentage” of 15- and 17-inch notebooks manufactured in 2011.

Ever been socially ostracized for wearing an Apple Watch band that doesn’t match the color of your sneakers, or is way too bright for the time of day you’re rocking it?

Such nightmarish scenarios are set to come to an end this June, courtesy of Apple and Nike’s latest collaboration. Announced today, Nike is releasing four new chic Nike Sports Bands for Apple Watch, coming in colors matching the Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit “Day to Night” collection.

Your Mac is meant to work like magic. But we all know that beneath the sleek silver there’s a complicated machine, one that needs to be taken care of if it’s going to last. Drive Genius is a popular app designed to keep hard drives hygienic, and recover ones that have already gone kaput. Used by no less than the Apple Genius Bar itself, they offer a suite of tools that can help to speed up, clean up, protect, and even revive your Mac. It’s well worth looking into for any Mac owner, but right now you can get a standard license for Drive Genius 5 for just $39 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple and Visa are on the receiving end of a lawsuit from tech company RSA SecurID, concerning security and authentication patents allegedly being infringed on by Apple Pay.

British retailers have begun accepting Apple Pay payments above £30, making the service an even more convenient payment option.

Apple has confirmed that over half of all contactless payment terminals in the U.K. can now process Apple Pay transactions of any value.

New photos posted online apparently reveal molds of Apple’s upcoming 2017 iPhone refresh — including both the major iPhone 8 upgrade, and the smaller iPhone 7s and 7s Plus updates.

While it’s not confirmed that the molds are genuine, they do appear to back up a number of details about Apple’s next-gen (and not quite so next-gen) handsets. Check the other images out below.

Apple has begun charging a fee for its Apple Music trials in some countries.

New users could previously enjoy the service for three months before having to hand over any cash, but those in Australia, Spain and Switzerland must now pay 99 cents.

A rare functioning Apple-1 computer has sold for $112,000 at auction in Berlin — considerably less than the predicted $200,000-$334,000 auctioneers expected it to fetch.

Given that, in 2014, another Apple-1 computer sold at auction for an incredible $905,000, it’s proof positive that the spike in Apple-1 prices which followed Steve Jobs’ death is most likely over.

A gorgeously illustrated, story-driven game with an utterly unique gameplay mechanic is just one of the titles we’ve picked out for this week’s “Awesome Apps” roundup.

We’ve also got Google’s AI assistant, a classic Capcom game finally landed in the App Store after almost 30 years, and a third party keyboard that’s gotten even better. Check out our picks below.