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iPhone 8’s ‘biggest bottleneck’? Touch ID under glass

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Touch ID
Apple wants to integrate Touch ID into the next iPhone display.
Photo: Apple

Apple is reportedly struggling to integrate the Touch ID fingerprint sensor into the display of the forthcoming iPhone 8, claims a new report.

The idea of a Touch ID sensor embedded beneath the display of the new iPhone has been heavily rumored, as this would allow Apple to expand the edge-to-edge screen real estate of its next handset, without necessarily having to make the device larger.

This app will bring Spotify to Apple Watch

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Snowy syncs playlists, offers playback controls, and more.
Snowy syncs playlists, offers playback controls, and more.
Photo: Andrew Chang

Spotify is finally coming to your Apple Watch, thanks to a third-party app called Snowy.

Users will gain the ability to save Spotify playlists to their Watch so they can enjoy them offline when they leave the house without their iPhone. Plus, hands-free gestures will let them skip tracks and pause playback without touching the screen.

Last chance: Get 10 Mac apps for a tenth the price [Deals]

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CoM - The World's First Lifetime Mac Bundle
Instantly upgrade your Mac with this massively discounted bundle of 10 Mac apps.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whatever you use your Mac for, you’ve got to get the right apps first. It can be tough to know what software you’ll need or where to get it, and that’s why The World’s First Lifetime Mac Bundle is exciting. It offers lifetime access, including all updates and upgrades large or small, to 10 super-legit Mac apps for about the price of a single standard app.

The apps are spread among categories of productivity, security and creativity. There is password management and tools for optimizing Wi-Fi networks, apps for photo and PDF editing, and lots more. This is your last chance to get this bundle at a whopping 96 percent discount, meaning you can get all 10 Mac apps for just $39 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Yet another Apple chipmaker may be ready for the chop

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iPhone 7
Apple sure seems to love in-sourcing.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

After reportedly distancing itself from GPU maker Imagination Technologies and power-management chip company Dialog Semiconductor, Apple  may next ditch Synaptics in its quest to bring chip production in-house.

The California-based Synaptics builds interface technologies, driver displays, and biometric tech. Most crucially, however, it also owns the iPhone display driver chipmaker company Renesas, which it bought back in 2014.

Popular PC game Total War: Warhammer is coming to Mac

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TWWH_Campaign_UI_GoblinLord
Coming soon to a Mac near you...
Photo: Total War: Warhammer

The excellent empire-building and battling sim Total War: Warhammer is coming to Mac later this month.

Taking the turn-based strategy and real-time battles formula behind games like Total War: Rome II and adding a fantasy element, this is one of the best Warhammer games I’ve ever played. Check out its trailer below.

Apple employees rewarded for Apple Watch challenges

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Screen Shot 2017-04-12 at 11.37.55
Apple's "Close The Rings" campaign is available for 40,000 Apple employees.
Photo: Apple

Apple is pushing Apple Watch adoption among its corporate and retail employees with a “Close The Rings” challenge that lets people working for the company win prizes for filling the rings on their Apple Watch.

Employees who complete the various stand, movement, and exercise challenges every day for a month can win an Activity rings pin, which are available in gold, silver, and bronze, depending on performance. There are also (future collectible) T-shirts available, reading “Close The Rings Challenge 1.0.”

7 ways working at an iPhone factory will drive you crazy

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Foxconn
But there's a definite chance of further delays.
Photo: Foxconn

NYU graduate student Dejian Zeng pulled back the curtain on Apple’s factories in a tell-all that details his six-week stint working on an iPhone assembly line in China.

Zeng’s lengthy interview reveals details on everything from conditions inside a Pegatron dormitory to how Apple slowly shifts production for new iPhone models. Some of the most interesting bits, though, are the tiny details that show how working in an Apple factory could drive you crazy.

Here are the wildest details Zeng revealed.

Pegatron mole describes ‘torture’ of working at iPhone factory

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Red iPhone in hand
This is what it's like to make an iPhone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Horrible sleeping conditions. Bad food. And boring tasks.

That’s what you can expect if you ever land at job at an iPhone factory, according to an ex-Pegatron employee and NYU grad student who went undercover at one of Apple’s factories in China.

President Donald Trump has called on Apple to bring iPhone manufacturing jobs to the U.S., but if Americans learn what it’s really like inside an iPhone factory, filling those jobs might be impossible.

Evernote update brings new buttons to MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar

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MacBook Pro owners will love the Evernote update.
MacBook Pro owners will love the Evernote update.
Photo: Evernote

MacBook Pro owners received some love from today in the form of an Evernote update that adds support for Apple’s new Touch Bar.

Instead of taking a complex approach to the Touch Bar, Evernote kept things simple — adding buttons for tasks you will want to do with one tap, such as search your notes or create a new one.

Amazing mod crams gaming system into an Altoids tin

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Introducing the mintyPi 2.0.
Introducing the mintyPi 2.0.
Photo: Sudo Mod

Nintendo’s new Switch console is turning the gaming world on its head, but it could soon face some fresh the Raspberry Pi.

YouTuber Sudo Mod recently revealed his latest creation that stuffs a Raspberry Pi, LCD and controller into a tiny Altoids tin. The finished product looks like something you’d actually want to game on and it’s even more convenient to carry around than an iPhone.

Prepare to be amazed:

Western Digital’s new USB-C hard drive can also charge MacBooks

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The G-Drive packs 45 watts of charging power.
The G-Drive packs 45 watts of charging power.
Photo: Western Digital

Owners of the new MacBook Pro with USB-C can now connect an external hard drive and get their charge on at the same time.

The folks at Western Digital introduced the new G-Drive USB-C external hard drive today, which combines up to 10TB of hard disk storage with 45 watts of charging power so MacBook owners have fewer dongles and cables to worry about.

Oh Snap! Instagram just got easier to use

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Instagram
Instagram makes sharing Stories simpler.
Photo: Instagram

Instagram has retooled its Direct feature so that users can combine disappearing photos and videos with permanent text and image messages in the same thread.

The new Direct is the latest in a series of upgrades Instagram has made to reverse a dip in daily engagement and take on its biggest competitor, Snapchat.

How to watch the NHL playoffs on any Apple device

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How to watch NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2017
Ready to watch the NHL playoffs 2017? Here's how.
Image: NHL

By Chris Brantner, guest blogger

Catching every game of the NHL playoffs can seem slightly complicated — especially for cord cutters. Coverage is shared across multiple networks, including NBC, NBCSN, USA, CNBC and NHL Network.

If you’re reading this article, odds are you’re in the Apple ecosystem and you’re wondering how to watch the Stanley Cup games online. Luckily, plenty of options for watching the NHL playoffs exist, many of which work great on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Learn Swift to start your iOS coding career [Deals]

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CoM - The Swift 3 Master Coder Bundle
Add iOS's essential programming language Swift 3 to your skillset with 85 hours of lessons.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’re looking for a new addition to your professional skill set, learning to code for iOS is a safe (and lucrative) bet. And if you’re looking to learn to develop for iOS 10, you’ll have to learn Swift 3, the latest version of Apple’s proprietary coding language. Mastery in Swift is just what this massively discounted lesson bundle offers. Packed with four comprehensive lessons, it’ll help kickstart any iOS coding career, and right now you can get the the Swift 3 Master Coder Bundle for just $36 at Cult of Mac Deals.

McDonald’s now takes job applications via Snapchat

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It couldn't be easier to apply for a McDonald's job.
It couldn't be easier to apply for a McDonald's job.
Photo: McDonald's

McDonald’s Australia has begun taking job applications through Snapchat in an effort to attract young people to its workforce.

The “Snaplication” process, believed to be a first for both McDonald’s and Snapchat, requires applicants to submit a 10-second video of themselves while using a new filter that applies a McDonald’s hat and uniform.

Budget handsets help Samsung overtake Apple in phone sales

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Galaxy S8 in hand
The Galaxy S8 could suffer because of excitement about the iPhone 8.
Photo: Samsung

According to Trendforce data, Samsung beat Apple in smartphone sales in the first quarter of 2017.

But before high-end Galaxy owners start celebrating, the numbers aren’t quite as simple as that: Samsung was only able to beat Apple due to its low end budget devices such as the J-series handsets making up the numbers. Apple, on the other hand, stuck to its premium pricing model — while iPhone 7 excitement was tapered by the long-awaited iPhone 8.

Qualcomm fights back with counterclaim against Apple

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iPhone 6s teardown
Pegatron will team up with an Indonesian manufacturer..
Photo: iFixit

After being sued by Apple for allegedly charging royalties on technology it did not own, Qualcomm is fighting back with a lawsuit of its own, claiming Apple is misleading and has breached its contract with the company.

Qualcomm has long been responsible for the wireless chips used in iPhones, iPads and many other Apple devices, but the relationship between the two turned sour back in January when Apple filed a $1 billion lawsuit against the chipmaker.

Another partner falls as Apple extends control over iPhone chips

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Screen Shot 2017-04-11 at 11.56.56
Dialog is the latest company to take a hit as Apple takes its chip business in-house.
Photo: Dialog Semiconductor

Update: Dialog Semiconductor says that its relationship with its key customer Apple hasn’t changed, despite what reports claim.

Apple currently employs around 80 engineers developing a proprietary power-management chip, claims a new report. If the effort succeeds, the company could ditch Anglo-German chipmaker Dialog Semiconductor, which it currently relies on for the iPhone, by 2019.

The news follows speculation that Apple is building its own GPU for iOS devices, after parting ways with British company Imagination Technologies, which previously provided Apple with graphics processing units.

Apple slaps Swatch with lawsuit over ‘Tick different’ trademark

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Swatch Tick different
Sounds remarkably similar to "Think different."
Photo: Swatch

Apple is suing Swatch over the Swiss watchmaker’s “Tick different” trademark.

Apple claims the trademark is a play on the “Think different” slogan it used for an iconic ad campaign in the late 1990s. To win the legal battle, Cupertino must prove that at least 50 percent of consumers associate the phrase with Apple branding.

Pair this button with your iPhone for safety boost

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The Revolar Instinct can bring help to a dangerous situation.
The Revolar Instinct can bring help to a dangerous situation.
Photo: Revolar

Tech innovators have yet to create a device that activates a personal defense shield to ward off would-be attackers. But a small gadget called Revolar can discreetly alert the cavalry.

A smartphone in hand means you can make an immediate call for help, but some dangerous situations leave no time to fumble with a phone. Its presence could escalate tensions. Even if you fire off a 911 call, the location info sent to dispatchers may not be specific, unless you are able to talk.

Teens love their iPhones more than ever

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iPhone 7 red
iPhone is king among teens.
Photo: Ste Smith

The iPhone has never been more popular with teens, according to a new survey that found 76 percent of U.S. teenagers with a smartphone own an Apple.

Investment firm Piper Jaffray’s semiannual teen survey discovered that iPhone ownership among teenagers rose seven points from spring 2016, when 69 percent of U.S. teens owned an iPhone. The news gets even better for Apple — 81 percent of teens surveyed say they plan to buy an iPhone the next time they upgrade.

Foxconn may pay $27 billion for Toshiba’s chip business

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Foxconn Wisconsin
Foxconn is taking over everything.
Photo: Foxconn

Apple’s most important manufacturing parter is getting ready to make a huge investment that could make it one of the world’s biggest chipmakers.

The Japanese government is hoping Toshiba will sell itself to a domestic company, but Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industries (aka Foxconn) is preparing to make a huge offer for the company that could shake up the tech world.

Apple seeds new betas for iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS

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iPhone-8
Get the new iOS update on your iPhone now.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is busting out a big batch of beta updates for developers today, bringing a host of new bug fixes and performance improvements to every single one of its platforms.

Developers can now download the second beta builds for iOS 10.3.2, macOS 10.12.5, watchOS 3.2.2 and tvOS 10.2.1 directly from Apple’s developer center, adding new fixes to iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TV and Apple Watch.