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Apple wants to give you new ways to communicate with Siri

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
You may soon be able to access Siri inside Messages.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple wants to give users new ways to interact with Siri, according to a patent application published today.

The patent describes how users may be able to engage in text-based conversations with Siri using an app like Messages. This wouldn’t just be accessible to single users, but could also be drawn on by multiple users in a group chat, perhaps similar to the way that Google’s Gboard keyboard allows users to search without having to load up an app like Safari.

Jennifer Aniston says iPhone would have ruined Friends

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Rachel and the iPhone are on a break.
Photo: NBC

From 1994 until 2004, the sitcom Friends was a pop culture phenomenon. But according to Rachel Green actress Jennifer Aniston one thing would stop the show from working today: the iPhone.

“If Friends was created today, you would have a coffee shop full of people that were just staring into iPhones,” Aniston told Arianna Huffington on Wednesday’s episode of iHeartRadio’s Thrive Global Podcast. “There would be no actual episodes or conversations.”

Being there for you when the rain starts to pour? Apparently there’s no app for that.

Tekserve’s Apple artifacts wind up in Ukrainian museum

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MacPaw Apple museum

Photo: MacPaw

When legendary Mac repair shop Tekserve closed its doors last summer in New York City, Apple fans of a certain age experienced two deaths.

They bade goodbye to the original Genius Bar, technicians that had been servicing their devices for nearly 30 years. Those fans would also never again stare at Tekserve’s impressive Apple computer artifact collection, which was quickly auctioned off to an unknown bidder for $47,000.

The collection returned to a museum display today, more than 4,600 miles away in the Ukraine. Its new home is at the headquarters of software developer MacPaw.

Apple’s Reno data center will get a massive $1 billion expansion

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Apple helped turn Reno, Nevada, into a booming city.
Apple's making a major new investment in Reno.
Photo: Lvtalon/Wikipedia CC

Apple will be building a massive $1 billion expansion of its Reno data center, five years after it first opened the Nevada facility. The expansion will provide 100 new jobs in the region, while construction will add an extra 300 temporary positions.

“We’re excited to be increasing our contributions to the local economy with an additional $1 billion investment to expand our data center and supporting facilities,” said Apple spokesperson John Rosenstock.

Forget Apple News: Here’s how to use Safari Shared Links instead

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Safari packs some surprisingly powerful features, like Shared Links.
Safari packs some surprisingly powerful features, like Shared Links.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Apple’s News app is pretty great, but only if you’re happy reading stories from Apple-approved sources. There’s plenty of news in the default configuration to keep you going, and you can also dig in and easily pick your own sources and subjects to make it more relevant.

But what about those oddball sites that you read every day? Your favorite ferret-legging forum, for instance? Is there a way to include those in the News app? There used to be, but Apple removed the ability to subscribe to any and all sites somewhere around iOS 10. The goods news is, you can still subscribe to your favorite sites right in Safari’s Shared Links.

Awesome RPG To the Moon can finally make you cry on iOS

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This game will make you cry, but in a good way.
Photo: XD Network

Beloved indie RPG To The Moon has just arrived on iOS in a stunning HD, remastered version from Ragnarok Online devs XD Network.

Originally released on Steam way back in 2011, the beautifully heartwarming game tells the story of two doctors who travel back through a dying man’s memories to help fulfill his final wish — and discover why he made the wish he did.

Check out the trailer below.

Save big on a lifetime of secure cloud storage [Deals]

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CoM - Zoolz 1TB
Get a lifetime of secure short- or long-term cloud storage with this massive deal.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Cloud storage is everywhere, but many people still haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet. Whether because of security concerns, or just a reluctance to take on more digital baggage, we understand not being enthusiastic about giving in to the convenience of the cloud. But with this deal on a terabyte of storage from Zoolz, there’s never been a better time to start taking advantage of cloud storage. It’s a spacious, secure storage option that’s ideal for anybody looking to back up and secure their data, and right now you can get lifetime access to Zoolz Dual Cloud 1TB Storage for just $36 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Here’s why Apple is so excited about iPhone opportunities in India

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Apple supplier is increasing its ability to build masses of iPhones in India
Apple is currently a bit-player, but it's poised to strike it big.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is constantly talking up the importance of India as a growth market, and a new report from Kantar Wordpanel illustrates exactly why that is.

According to the report, smartphone penetration hit a 48 percent growth rate in the first quarter of 2017. That’s considerably up from the 16 percent growth rate seen one year earlier. In a country with a population of more than 1.3 billion, that’s a massive target market!

iPhone 8 renders show Apple’s next handset in more detail than ever

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iphone
Is this the new iPhone?
Photo: @OnLeaks @GearIndia

Thanks to some factory CAD images and high-quality renders, we’ve gotten our clearest look yet at Apple’s next-gen iPhone — if leakers @OnLeaks and tech blog @GearIndia are to be believed, that is!

The images depict a powered-off iPhone 8, sized somewhere between the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, although slightly thicker than both. As previously rumored, they show the expected vertical camera setup and edge-to-edge OLED infinite display with no Home button.

Want a closer look? Check out more pictures and a video mockup below.

Apple acquires sleep-tracking startup Beddit

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Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 12.00.06
That's a mission statement that could have been written by Apple.
Photo: Beddit

Apple has acquired acquired a sleep-tracking app called Beddit, suggesting that tracking users’ hours of shut-eye could be incorporated into a future Apple Watch or iPhone.

Financial terms of the acquisition haven’t been disclosed, although the buyout is confirmed by Beddit in the small print on its webpage.

Known for protecting smartphones, OtterBox now keeps beer cold

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OtterBox introduces its Venture line of coolers.
OtterBox introduces its Venture line of coolers.
Photo: OtterBox

It’s an OtterBox large enough for an actual otter, though insulating mammals won’t be necessary.

But keeping beer and some food cold on outdoor adventures is and that’s why OtterBox Tuesday introduced a new line of Venture coolers – with a cooling insulation that keeps ice for up to 14 days.

How to use Music Memos like a cut-down GarageBand

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music memos in action

Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple’s Music Memos app is just about about the best way to record musical ideas before they evaporate into the ether. For years, musicians used the built-in Voice Memos app to record snippets, but Music Memos, as you’d expect, is much better suited to the task. It can listen to you and record only when you start playing, it can detect the chords you play, and it can even add drum and bass tracks to your recording automatically.

This last feature is what we’ll look at today. We’re going to record a simple guitar track, add drums and bass, and send the whole lot to GarageBand on iOS for further work. That sounds like a lot, but once you lay down your recorded track, all it takes is a few taps of the screen. And remember, I use a guitar, but you can use any instrument.

Adobe talk show probes creative minds

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Photographer Lindsay Adler talks about her work with Josh Haftel on an episode of Make It.
Photographer Lindsay Adler talks about her work with Josh Haftel on an episode of Make It.
Photo: Adobe/YouTube

When a software company announces it’s starting a talk show, it’s hard to imagine anything less riveting.

But when that company is Adobe and the guests are some of the brightest creative minds sharing how they work, that not only has potential to hold your attention, it could also inspire you to make something for yourself.

Baron Fig packs max features into minimal bags

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Slim, yes, but this bag can haul your daily carry.
Slim, yes, but this bag can haul your daily carry.
Photo: Baron Fig

Baron Fig, the brand that achieved a cult following among designers and artists with high-quality notebooks and pens, has come up with a thoughtful way for you to carry their tools.

Its new line of bags is called Bags for Thinkers, but the thought put into the function of each bag – a backpack, messenger bag and tote – goes beyond a clever name. How each works was created after soliciting the input of the fans of its other products.

Get a grip on your iOS devices’ data [Deals]

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CoM - iMazing 2
Whether you're looking to backup your iPhone or just get more control of its data, iMazing is the software for you.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

iPhones and iPads are totally convenient, until you need to move data on or off of them. As soon as you start struggling with the sync settings in iTunes, the “magic” drains from these devices fast.

With iMazing, an all-purpose iOS management app, you can wrangle your mobile data easily and intuitively. Browse and manage your backups, extract and print your text messages, drag and drop songs to your device and more — all without jailbreaking. Right now, you can get a lifetime license to iMazing 2 for just $24.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple briefly became first $800 billion company this week

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money
Apple passed a major milestone yesterday.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple became the first $800 billion company in history this week, as stock rose to a record high yesterday.

In midday trading yesterday, Apple shares rose to $153.70 per share on the Nasdaq. With 5.21 billion shares outstanding, that briefly gave Apple an historic market cap of $801.37 billion.

Apple wants to buy up half a city block in Reno, Nevada

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Apple helped turn Reno, Nevada, into a booming city.
Apple wants a new purchasing and receiving facility.
Photo: Lvtalon/Wikipedia CC

Apple plans to purchase half a city block in downtown Reno, Nevada, to build a new 30,000-square-foot facility, according to city records.

The Reno City Council will discuss the proposal this week at its Wednesday meeting. Discussions concerning Apple taking over the property date back as far as 2012.

Amazon Echo Show brings video to smart-speaker party

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echotouchscreen
Could this be Amazon's new Echo speaker?
Photo: AFTVnews

Update: Amazon unveiled its new touchscreen Echo Show device Tuesday. In addition to smart-speaker functionality, the Amazon Echo Show brings video calls, video flash briefings, YouTube, karaoke-style music lyrics, security camera integration and more. Available for preorder now, the device will ship June 28 for $229.99.

Amazon could debut its new touchscreen Echo smart speaker as early as today, claims a report from The Wall Street Journal.

The latest in a line of popular Amazon Echo voice-activated speakers, the new device is likely to add a 7-inch display and a built-in camera. It will function like the existing Echo, but with the addition of touchscreen-based features.

Activate iOS Mail’s hidden folders

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secret mailboxes
Apple's mail app has some handy superpowers hidden in plain view.
Photo: Cult of Mac

iOS 10’s Mail app may look just like its previous pedestrian iterations, but it packs a whole lot of hidden superpowers under the hood. While you still can’t export a message to, say, a to-do list app, you can do pretty much everything those fancy third-party mail apps do, and then some.

Let’s take a look at quickly setting up your iOS Mail app so you can slice and dice incoming messages easily using its hidden folders.

Apple extends service for buggy Smart Keyboards

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You can thank Microsoft for this... apparently.
You can thank Microsoft for this... apparently.
Photo: Apple

Apple says it will service “functional issues” on Smart Keyboards for the iPad Pro for up to three years, according to internal memos sent to Apple stores and service providers recently.

The company, in the memo sent last week, acknowledged that some Smart Keyboard owners experienced stuck or unresponsive keys as well as non-working Smart Connectors. Apple says it will fix any qualifying keyboards free of charge within three years of the date of purchase. The company will also give a refund to any customer who already paid for service on a Smart Keyboard.

Apple should be worth $1 trillion, Wall Street analyst claims

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
One of the world's most undervalued stocks, apparently.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Calling Apple one of “the most under-appreciated stocks in the world,” a Wall Street analyst says the company should be worth $1 trillion within the year.

Drexel Hamilton analyst Brian White gave AAPL a price target of $202, an increase of roughly 35 percent — and by far the highest Apple valuation on the books.