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Apple Watch users can take on the new Mother’s Day Challenge

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Remember that it's Mother's Day this Sunday!
Photo: Apple

Apple has added a new “Mother’s Day Challenge” for the Apple Watch, rewarding anyone who can complete a walk, run or wheelchair workout of one mile or more.

Those who complete the challenge get an addition badge in the Activity app, alongside new stickers they can us in Messages, to casually show off among their friends.

Apple gives $200 million to iPhone glassmaker to promote U.S. manufacturing

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amf_earplugs_worker
Corning employees in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
Photo: Apple

Apple has awarded Corning the first grant of its $1 billion investment aimed at boosting high-tech manufacturing jobs in the United States. The glassmaker will receive $200 million.

Corning has worked with Apple for a decade — ever since the original iPhone’s Gorilla Glass — to create the glass found on its devices. Apple’s contribution as part of its “Advanced Manufacturing Fund” will support Corning’s R&D, capital equipment needs, and state-of-the-art glass processing.

Macphun tools will make photos look like tintype relics

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macphun
HEADING
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

I keep telling myself I’m going to buy an old wooden camera with a brass barrel lens and take one of those workshops where I learn some 19th-century photographic process. But I know myself. The steps are exacting and tedious, the chemistry complicated and my patience and attention for such details could fit in a pixel.

So when imaging software company Macphun developed a beautiful set of one-click presets that emulate tintypes and other old photo finishes, I felt like I found a process I could master.

Apple wants to show you how to take better photos on your iPhone

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Apple is rightly proud of its iPhone 7 camera.
Photo: Apple

Apple is rightly proud of its great iPhone 7 camera, and in a new series of instructional videos debuting online it wants to make sure that users take full advantage.

The video series, posted on both Apple’s YouTube channel and a new webpage, follows on from the company’s acclaimed “Shot on iPhone” ad campaign, which highlights photos taken by everyday iPhone users. The new videos deal with topics like how best to shoot action or close-ups on your new iPhone.

How to get iPhone alerts when someone replies to that super-important email thread

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thread alerts for email
Make sure you never miss an important reply with thread alerts.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The VIP mailbox in Apple’s Mail app helps stem the torrent of incoming email alerts by limiting the notifications you see to folks you mark as important. But what about when you want to get an alert for a one-off reply?

Perhaps you’re waiting on an email from an eBay seller about that sweet vintage guitar, or you’re desperate for a reply from your landlord about switching off the heating because, c’mon, it’s almost summer already. Then you need email thread alerts.

You no longer need a Mac to code iOS apps on Windows

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iPhone 7
Coding iPhone apps on PC just got a lot easier.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Developing iOS apps no longer requires access to a Mac, thanks to a new program introduced by Microsoft called Xamarin Live Player.

Microsoft unveiled the new tool today at its Build 2017 developer conference. With Xamarin Live Player, developers can deploy iOS apps directly to an iPhone using Visual Studio on a PC, removing altogether the need for a Mac to code.

Lady Gaga emoji will delight her Little Monsters

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Oh! My! Gaga!
Oh! My! Gaga!
Photo: Snaps Media

Lady Gaga is the queen of provocative visuals. This has been her undisputed title ever since she performed on stage in a dress of raw beef seven years ago.

Now her devoted fans have her help in expressing themselves in roaring Mother Monster fashion on iOS with Lady Gaga emoji, a series of animated iMessage stickers and GIFs that debuted today.

Name your price to master mobile app development [Deals]

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CoM - Pay What You Want- Mobile Cross Platform Development Bundle
More than 100 hours of training will prepare you for a fruitful career in mobile development.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Mobile is the platform of the future, and learning to build apps for mobile devices is where the work is for developers. In a vast and fast-changing field, you’ll want a leg up to get started. That’s exactly what this massive bundle of nine iOS coding courses offers.

Clocking in at more than 100 hours of lesson content, it will teach you a wide range of tools, techniques and languages to build scalable mobile apps. The best part? Right now you can name your price for the entire Mobile Cross Platform Development Bundle at Cult of Mac Deals.

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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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.