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Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow for iOS gets a star-studded teaser trailer

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futurama
Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Stephen Hawking, George Takei and Bill Nye will all feature in the game.
Photo: Futurama

A new Futurama iOS game is set to land in the App Store this month and, based on the trailer, it looks to be a star-studded affair.

The Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow ad features the brainy voice talents of no less than Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Stephen Hawking, George Takei and Bill Nye. Check it out below.

Steve Jobs demanded Android-style back button for iPhone

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iPhone could have looked a lot different had Steve Jobs had his way.
iPhone could have looked a lot different had Steve Jobs had his way.
Photo: Apple

Since it made its debut in 2007, the iPhone has relied on just one physical button for returning to the Home screen. But if Steve Jobs had his way, it would have had two.

The Apple co-founder and former CEO tried to convince other executives that the iPhone also needed an Android-style back button for navigation.

Tim Cook pushes Trump for compulsory coding classes for kids

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Tim Cook discusses Apple's enterprise ambitions at BoxWorks in San Francisco, September 2015.
Tim Cook thinks coding is one of today's most important subjects.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

During Monday’s White House meeting with President Donald Trump, Tim Cook pushed for the U.S. government to make coding a required class for kids.

This is something Cook has publicly discussed before. When Apple debuted its kid-focused Swift Playgrounds app, he said, “We believe coding should be a required language in all schools.”

How to automatically save iMessage pictures to the iPhone Photos app

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save iMessage pictures
Easily save lots of iMessage pictures and movies all at once.
Photo: Cult of Mac

You can’t yet automatically save incoming photos and videos from the Messages app in iOS, but there is a way to quickly select a whole bunch of iMessage pictures and movies, and save them all to your Camera Roll.

Why would you want to do this? The main reason is search. Once your media gets inside the Photos app, it can be searched and included in Memories. Plus, all the pictures of people will get scanned and recognized. In short, right now some of your most valued pictures don’t show up in the place you keep all your pictures. Let’s change that.

Apple and Ikea’s AR collab lets you test furniture before buying

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Apple and Ikea are collaborating on artificial intelligence.
Tim Cook has previously said that AR tech makes him "scream" with excitement.
Photo: Ikea

Ikea has revealed a few new details about its augmented reality collaboration with Apple that lets customers test out virtual pieces of furniture in their homes before they buy them.

Tim Cook recently discussed the app briefly in an interview in which he said that, We’ve talked to Ikea, and they have 3D images of their furniture line. You’re talking about changing the whole experience of how you shop for, in this case, furniture and other objects that you can place around the home.”

Gear up for better iPhone photos and videos [Deals]

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collage-2017-06-13 (1)
Add new levels of quality and flexibility to your mobile photography with these premium accessories.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’ve got an iPhone, you have one of the best mobile cameras out there. But having a good camera and a good eye isn’t enough to make the most of your iPhone’s photo potential. That’s why we’ve rounded up these deals on tools for taking your mobile image-making to the next level. We’ve got phone and tablet stands that fold into the size of a credit card, a hand-held stabilizer, a grippy tripod mount, and case that includes a wide-angle lens upgrade. Read on for more details:

Huge Pokémon GO update to bring better gyms, raid battles

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Multiplayer raids are coming to Pokémon GO this summer.
Multiplayer raids are coming to Pokémon GO this summer.
Photo: Niantic

Pokémon GO is getting a massive update this summer that will introduce a number of new features to make the game more accessible, more social, and more exciting.

Players can look forward to revamped gyms that give out gym badges, multiplayer raid battles, and lots more.

E.U. may ban FBI-style iPhone hacking demands

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iPhone hack
Law would undermine attempts to break security.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Attempts to force tech companies in the U.K. to hand over encrypted messages could be scuttled by EU proposals.

European members of parliament for the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee have tabled laws banning countries from seeking to break encrypted messages. It would also force tech companies which don’t use strong encryption for communications to do so.

Tim Cook will meet Trump to discuss government inefficiency

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President Trump: Apple encryption could protect ‘criminal minds’
Tim Cook has a big meeting today.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

President Donald Trump is set to meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook and the heads of other companies at the White House today to discuss ways the government can cut waste and improve its services.

During a conference call Friday, the Trump administration described an “economic opportunity” to save up to $1 trillion over the course of a decade by reducing government IT costs, better using government spending power, cutting fraud and more.

PayPal boss isn’t scared of Apple Pay’s peer-to-peer payments

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Apple Pay Terminal
iOS 11 features a big Apple Pay update.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iOS 11’s Apple Pay Cash feature will support peer-to-peer payments, but PayPal’s CEO wants people to know that its similar Venmo app hasn’t been “Sherlocked.”

That refers to an app or service that is developed by a third-party, only for Apple to start providing exactly the same functionality in a system update. It’s a devastating move that can have a disastrous impact on companies.

Here’s why PayPal’s CEO doesn’t think Venmo will fall into the same trap.

Forma.8 GO, iMazing Mini, and other awesome apps of the week

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

Morse Code Messege Generator might misspell its own name, but it’s an intriguing remix of the increasingly-similar messaging app formula: letting you translate messages into Morse Code and then send them using your iPhone’s camera flash.

That’s just one of the brilliant titles we’ve picked out for this week’s “Awesome Apps” roundup. We’ve also got a fantastic Metroidvania-style game, an excellent AI-infused photo editing app update, and a nifty way to keep your iOS backups under control. Check out our picks below.

Surf safely and anonymously with a lifelong VPN [Deals]

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CoM - VPNSecure- Lifetime Subscription
This great deal will land you powerful VPN protection for up to 5 devices at once.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

At this point, if you’re not browsing the web through a VPN, you’re doing it wrong. The internet is a scary place after all, full of snoops, data thieves, and headaches like location restrictions on streaming content. One of the first steps to take in protecting against these things is a virtual private network.

Coding classes, wireless earbuds, meditation apps and more [Week’s Best Deals]

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collage-2017-06-13
This week's best deals will turn your phone into a mindfulness tool, make your PDFs more flexible, and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s getting hot out there. But it’s still nowhere near as hot as the new deals coming into the Cult of Mac Store. This week we’ve added an app that’ll change how you work with PDFs, and a set of future-ready Bluetooth earbuds. There’s also a comprehensive set of courses in Apple’s Swift coding language, and an app that turns your phone into a mindfulness tool. Most are discounted by half or more, read on for more details:

Cult of Mac Magazine: 10.5-inch iPad Pro feels like the future, ‘Leaked’ iPhone 8 parts reveal big changes, and more!

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cult of mac magazine
The new 10.5-inch iPad Pro puts monstrous power at your fingertips.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine, we review the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro, which was unveiled at last week’s Worldwide Developers Conference. Also, get a first look at the new iPad in our featured unboxing video.

Check out leaked photos of alleged big changes coming to iPhone 8. Rumors say it will feature an all-glass design in the front and back in order to support wireless charging.

Discover five new ways to extend your MacBook battery life, and get a hands-on look at the new features coming to watchOS 4.

And, save 20 percent off select, name-brand leather bands for Apple Watch through this Sunday at our Watch Store! Featured brands include: Jack FosterArrow & BoardE3 Supply Co.Form Function Form and OleksynPrannyk. Use code FATHERSDAY2017 at checkout.

Click iTunes for a free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine. Here are this week’s top stories.

Why everyone loves the HomePod, this week on The CultCast

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Phil Schiller said Apple won't release the HomePod till it's satisfied with the quality.
Phil Schiller said Apple won't release the HomePod till it's satisfied with the quality.
Photo: Digital Trends

This week on The CultCast: Early reviews for the new iPad Pro and HomePod show Apple’s done it again. Plus: Someone in the Apple supply chain just accidentally leaked some of iPhone 8’s marquee features; speed tests show a big CPU boost in the new MacBook Pro; Apple finally offers us iCloud Storage sharing; our favorite unannounced iOS 11 features; and we’ll tell you what we like (and don’t) about the apps and gadgets we’re currently testing in an all-new Under Review.

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 percent off any hosting plan.

GarageBand for Mac now syncs your projects with iOS

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sync GarageBand on Mac
Now you can sync GarageBand projects from Mac to iOS.
Photo: Cult of Mac

GarageBand’s most recent update for macOS adds a few neat new Mac-only features, but perhaps its biggest addition is for iPad users. Now the Mac version of GarageBand can sync a cut-down version of any song with the iPad or iPhone, allowing you to add new tracks, then sync them back with the master project back on your Mac. It’s a feature that only came to Logic in January of this year.

This is big, because it lets musicians use the full power of the Mac GarageBand in their studio or bedroom, and still add tracks to that project from a phone. You could, for instance, take a mix with you to band practice, lay down some new tracks on your iPhone, then sync them back.

How to use iOS 11’s new Automatic Setup

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automatic setup
In iOS 11, you won't need to remember anything when you get a new iPhone.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Setting up a new iOS device is pretty easy, but it’s about to get even easier thanks to iOS 11’s new Automatic Setup feature, which lets you hold your old device near your new one to transfer across essential info.

All you need to set up a new iOS device are your iCloud login details, and the password for your WiFi network. But even that can be a bit of a pain, especially if you use a super-secure passwords that you store in something like 1Password. In order to get to your passwords, you need to install 1Password. But in order to install 1Password, you need to input your iCloud ID and your WiFi login. Automatic Setup will put an end to that.

iPhone 8 laser supplier hints device could launch in October

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The iPhone 8 won't be cheap.
The iPhone 8 might pack friggin' lasers!
Photo: iDropNews

The launch of the iPhone 8 may not happen until October of this year, based on the comments of one of Apple’s suppliers that is making a key component for the new device.

Apple allegedly plans to take its augmented reality tech to the next level by adding lasers to the iPhone 8. One of the companies that is likely supplying Apple with the parts, Finisar, dropped some details during its latest earnings call that hints when fans can finally expected to see the iPhone 8.

Free tool makes wirelessly backing up iOS devices a breeze

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dna
Backups have never been simpler.
Photo: DigiDNA

Backing up your iOS devices can be a pain — but not if you have iMazing Mini, a smart yet simple new tool from DigiDNA that makes backups a breeze.

It not only gives you more control over your data, but it can perform backups wirelessly on a schedule that suits you. It also has a whole bunch of other awesome features, and it’s completely free — without any pesky ads.

Make your iPhone a tool for mindfulness [Deals]

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Aura Premium
Aura is one of the rare apps that can make your phone helpful to your health.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Smartphones have basically become a synonym for distraction. With so many people staring into their glowing rectangles, it’s hard to believe they could help someone become more present in the moment. Turns out it might actually be true.

Eddy Cue puts himself (and lunch at Apple Park) up for auction

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Eddy Cue
How could you resist lunch with this man?
Photo: CNBC

Do you a) like Eddy Cue, b) want a sneak peak of Apple’s spectacular new Apple Park campus, and c) have a truckload of money to spend?

If the answer to this is “all of the above” then you might be interested to hear of a new Charitybuzz’s latest auction — offering a lunch date with Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.

Whole Foods acquisition gives Amazon almost as many stores as Apple

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Whole Foods
Whole Foods will soon become an Amazon subsidiary.
Photo: Whole Foods

Amazon is coughing up a whopping $13.7 billion in cash to acquire Whole Foods Market.

The two companies will merge but Whole Foods stores will continue to operate independently, with co-founder John Mackey retaining his role as CEO. The move instantly gives Amazon almost as many stores as Apple.