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Spotify copies Apple Music with Carpool Karaoke knockoff

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T-Pain will be the first rapper to star in 'Traffic Jams.'
T-Pain will be the first rapper to star in 'Traffic Jams.'
Photo: Spotify

The race to create the hottest karaoke show in the U.S. is heating up now that Spotify has revealed it is making a TV show that will feature artists performing while rolling through Los Angeles traffic.

Spotify is calling the show Traffic Jams. And while it has a lot in common with Apple Music’s Carpool Karaoke, Spotify hopes some key difference will set its show apart.

Apple’s new Swiss lab will help start the robot uprising

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Robot
Apple is hiring robotics researchers.
Photo: Scott Schaut/Mansfield Memorial Museum

Apple is reportedly on a hiring spree for robotics and computer vision researchers to work at a supposed new R&D lab in Switzerland.

According to a new report, Apple has already hired around ten postdoc and doctoral students from ETH Zurich, a science, technology, engineering and math university in Zürich.

Samsung Galaxy S8 sets a high bar for this year’s iPhone

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Galaxy S8
The Galaxy S8 is a stunner.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung today unveiled its stunning new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, setting a high bar for this year’s iPhone refresh.

The Android flagship is packed with impressive features and stellar specifications, and it sports a gorgeous curved glass design with an edge-to-edge Infinity Display. It’s the most impressive smartphone we’ve seen so far this year.

Get room-filling sound from a slender speaker [Deals]

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CoM - Kove Commuter Wireless Speaker
This portable speaker will deliver up to 8 hours of bassy tunes on a single charge.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Headphones are super convenient, but sometimes you want to fill a room with sound instead of your skull. Bluetooth speakers come in many makes and models too, which is why this super portable, super long lasting Kove Commuter Wireless Speaker is worth checking out. It packs high quality sound and an impressive 8 hours of playtime into a super slim cylinder that fits in any bag. And right now you can get the Kove Commuter Wireless Speaker for just $89.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Does Apple trademark filing mean PowerBook is coming back?

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PowerBook 150
Apple's iconic pre-MacBook laptop brand might be making a comeback. Maybe.
Photo: Dana Sibera/Wikipedia CC

A couple of news outlets are flipping their lid over the news that Apple has filed a new worldwide trademark for the word “PowerBook,” the name of Apple’s pre-MacBook laptop series, which ran from 1991 until 2006.

The suggestion is that this could mean that Apple’s bringing back its iconic laptop brand name, either as a replacement for, or to run alongside, the MacBook series. We’re not so sure!

Despite Apple clash, Trump tweets from new iPhone

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Yeah, we're pretty incredulous about your ideas, too, Mr. Trump.
President Trump is tweeting using an iPhone.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

Despite clashing with Apple multiple times, and even calling for a boycott of its devices, President Donald Trump has reportedly been using a new iPhone “for the past couple of weeks” on Twitter.

The news was revealed in a tweet (how else?) by Dan Scavino Jr., Trump’s director of social media.

‘iPhone Edition’ could have rear-facing Touch ID sensor

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iphone 8 concept
Is this what the new iPhone will look like?
Photo: iDropNews

A (somewhat sketchy) new report claims that the tenth anniversary iPhone, commonly referred to as the iPhone 8, will instead by called the iPhone Edition.

In addition, it suggests that the major form factor redesign that’s been reported on may turn out to be less drastic than some are imagining — although changes will include features like a rear-mounted Touch ID sensor.

Devs no longer allowed to mention prices in app titles

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App Store
It’s gone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iOS and macOS developers are no longer allowed to mention price information in app titles.

Apple has previously discouraged users from including words like “free” in their App Store titles. Now the company has instigated a complete ban, and developers who don’t comply with its new rule will see their submissions rejected.

Adorable but durable, UE Wonderboom plays the cute card

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The UE Wonderboom is totally ready to party.
The UE Wonderboom is totally ready to party.
Photo: Ultimate Ears

The world’s most lovable little Bluetooth speaker just got some cute competition. It’s a case of sibling rivalry, too: The new Wonderboom from Ultimate Ears splashes onto the scene next month just in time to challenge its “big” brother, the UE Roll 2, for the title of ultimate summer speaker.

While the UE Roll looks like a flying saucer, the Wonderboom more closely resembles a hedge apple. About the size of a softball, it will make you want to pick it up and toss it around. In fact, it’s hard to keep your hands off the cute little bugger.

Apple shares reach new high as analyst predicts $200 price

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apple stock price
Apple stock prices spent the whole year on the rise and ended trading Wednesday with a $1 trillion valuation.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Share prices of Apple Inc. hit yet another record high during trading today, setting a new top mark of 143.80 by the time the market closed.

Apple shares were trading up nearly 3% on Tuesday thanks to an investor note from UBS analyst Steven Milunovich who predicts the stock price could shoot up past $200 in the next two to three years.

New iPhone 7 case makes ZEISS lens super-convenient

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This case by ExoLens will protect your iPhone 7 and sport a ZEISS lens.
This case by ExoLens will protect your iPhone 7 and sport a ZEISS lens.
Photo: ExoLens

Many photographers have been impressed by the picture quality from their iPhones when paired with the mobile camera lens attachments crafted by legendary optics manufacturer, ZEISS.

But some of the compromises can be daunting. The brackets, made by partner ExoLens, used for mounting meant being in the field without a protective case. With that, combined with a rather hefty chunk of glass, the handset suddenly becomes something difficult to stuff in your pocket.

Using these pro-grade lenses are now easier, at least for shooters carrying the iPhone 7, after ExoLens announced Tuesday a protective case with a quick-and-easy lens mount was available for purchase.

With looming iPad Pro update, now is the time to sell your old iPad

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iPad Air
The easiest way to get quick cash for your old iPad.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

With one new iPad model already released and a refresh to the iPad Pro line likely coming soon, now is the perfect time to sell your old iPad.

With every upgraded iPad that hits the market, the value of older iPads plummets. So, if you have an old tablet, the best time to trade up and sell your iPad for the most cash is right now. Use our fast and easy online buyback program today — before current iPads depreciate.

Everything you need to know about the new Apple File System

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APFS
APFS arrives in 2017.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

(Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in June 30, 2016, but has been updated with new info since the release of iOS 10.3)

It’s hard to believe that Apple’s speedy Macs are still using a file system that was developed more than 30 years ago, when floppy disks and spinning hard drives were considered cutting-edge technology.

But that’s going to change in 2017 with the new Apple File System — or APFS — that debuts in iOS 10.3 and macOS 10.12.4. Here’s everything you need to know about APFS and how it’s going to make your life better, no matter what Apple device(s) you use.

Watch a rare Apple I power up like it’s 1976

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This is one of six Apple I computers in the world that actually work.
This is one of six Apple I computers in the world that actually work.
Photo: Victoria & Albert Museum/YouTube

Take a good look at that slim iPhone 7 in your hand, or the powerful MacBook Pro balanced on your knees. Then imagine the very first circuit board that flipped the switch to power a revolution that put those devices in your possession.

A video recently posted to YouTube by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London shows a working Apple I computer, one of only six known in the world today.

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

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Qualcomm patents
Apple's got some new beta software out.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A new batch of beta updates are ready for developers just one day after Apple published its first big software releases of 2017 to the public.

The first beta builds of iOS 10.3.2, macOS 10.12.5, tvOS 10.2.1 and watchOS 3.2.2 are available to download for the first time ever, bringing a host of new bug fixes and performance improvements to every single Apple platform.

This MacBook Pro dock saves space, adds style [Review]

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Henge Docks' Vertical Docking Station, a MacBook Pro dock
Henge Docks' Vertical Docking Station for MacBook Pro makes for a sleek desktop. (The Gravitas, for iPhone and iPad, helps.)
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A recent move into a new studio put my OCD on high alert. Determined to maintain a truly “clean workspace,” I wanted to avoid a jumble of cables slowly creeping across my new desk at all costs. A MacBook Pro dock definitely seemed in order.

For a sleek solution to any pending cable chaos, I added Henge Docks’ Vertical Docking Station for MacBook Pro to my desktop. So far, it’s the best solution I’ve found.

Check out my full video review below.

Tim Cook’s secret weapon for job interviews? Silence

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LOVELOUD
Tim Cook's not a chatty chap, apparently.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Steve Jobs could be pretty forthright, even abrasive, in interviews with prospective new employees. Tim Cook, on the other hand? It’s all about the power of silence.

In a new interview to promote her book Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, former Apple and Google employee Kim Scott reveals what it’s like to interview with Apple’s CEO — and how she was saved from talking herself out of a job.

3 awesome features Apple should steal from Android O

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Android O makes its public debut this fall.
Android O makes its public debut this fall.
Photo: Google

Google announced its new Android O update last week, and it includes a whole bunch of big improvements, like support for streaming high-quality audio over Bluetooth, the ability to use a wide color gamut in third-party apps, and lots more.

Here are the features that we think Apple should steal for iPhone and iPad.

Will this company provide iPhone 3D sensors?

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Apple digital viewfinder patent
Big things are coming to the iPhone camera sensor apparently.
Photo: Apple

Rumors that Apple’s next iPhone will come with 3D sensing tech have caused shares in component maker Himax Technologies to shoot up 56 percent this year.

A recent report suggested that the 3D sensing tech will be used to give the next-gen iPhone augmented reality features, capable of changing the depth in photos or isolating certain image elements within it. Another possible use-case will allow users to use AR to put virtual effects and objects onto a person.

Use this VPN to stay anonymous and secure for life [Deals]

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CoM - TigerVPN
This is a great deal on a lifetime of comprehensive VPN protection.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The internet is full of headaches and hazards, whether it’s the constant snooping on personal data, the threat of identity theft or the annoyance of location restrictions. One reliable way to minimize all of the above is to sign on via a virtual private network, or VPN.

By channeling your traffic through a series of encrypted servers, you can vastly enhance your online anonymity and security. Right now you can get a lifetime of protection through TigerVPN for just $29 at Cult of Mac Deals. That’s already a huge 96 percent discount, but if you enter DIGIWEEK15 at checkout you’ll get an additional 15 percent off.

Facebook ‘borrows’ from Snapchat for latest iOS app update

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Facebook
Facebook wants to muscle in on that Snapchat action!
Photo: Apple

Facebook is the latest company to jump on the Snapchat-inspired fun photo and videos sharing bandwagon, with an update to iOS app rolling out a new camera with special effects, among other features.

To access the feature, users simply have to tap the camera icon on the top left corner of the standard Facebook app, or else swipe right from News Feed.

Facebook hires former iMac lead designer to work on VR

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VR may be happening soon, and Apple might want to jump in.
Can Oculus borrow some of Apple's magic?
Photo: Sergey Galyonkin/Wikipedia CC

Facebook has reportedly hired a 15-year Apple veteran to head up its Oculus VR division’s hardware team.

Michael Hillman worked on multiple major projects at Apple, including as lead designer with the iMac team. At Facebook he’s being charged with helping to take the company’s virtual reality mainstream.