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Leaked CIA exploits have already been fixed, says Apple

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These are the sophisticated tools designed to exploit Apple vulnerabilities.
The CIA's leaked hacking tools don't work on updated iPhones.
Photo: CIA.org

The iOS and macOS vulnerabilities revealed by the latest WikiLeaks data dump of CIA hacking tools have already been fixed.

Apple says that an early evaluation of the info released by WikiLeaks hasn’t found any new bugs or attacks that can be used on iPhone or Mac users. Some of the exploits contained in the leaks were able to grant access to an iPhone’s call logs and SMS conversations, but only if the CIA had physical access to the device.

Alleged hackers raise their Apple ransom to $700,000

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money
Hackers have upped their demands.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The so-called “Turkish Crime Family” hackers who claim they’ve got access to hundreds of millions of Apple customer accounts have raised their ransom demand from $75,000 to a whopping $700,000.

The group, which is apparently based in the U.K., has threatened to remotely wipe users’ devices, or reset iCloud accounts, if it’s not paid by April 7. Apple has denied that the hackers have breached iCloud, although the accounts themselves are real.

These Mac apps will save your hard drive and productivity [Deals]

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collage-2017-03-17 (1)
From comprehensive hard drive protection to streamlining your workflow, we've got the Mac apps you're looking for.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Your Mac’s a powerful machine, but it’s only as good as the apps you give it. That makes this bundle of top-shelf apps a must-see for any Mac owner. Included is a powerful app for maintaining and repairing your hard drive, a tool for digging deep into PDFs, a fun and useful 3-D designer for your house, and an amazing task-management platform.

There’s something here for any Mac user!

Dramatically improve iOS dictation using Google’s Gboard

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Gboard
Gboard dictation makes iOS even better.
Photo: Google

Google’s Gboard has been a great alternative iOS keyboard since its launch, and the latest update makes it even better. Now you can use it to dictate your messages, which will save you a load of time once you get in the habit.

In my opinion, Google has Siri licked when it comes to voice recognition, so there’s never been a better time to give Gboard a try. Here’s how to get started.

It’s morphin’ time on iOS with Power Rangers: Legacy Wars

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Screen Shot 2017-03-24 at 13.35.56
Go go App Store downloads!
Photo: nWay Inc.

I’ll admit it: I was a massive Power Rangers nerd back in the day, which is why I’m tentatively excited to see the new blockbuster reboot, and very happy to see a new game in the franchise arrive on iOS.

Called Power Rangers: Legacy Wars, it’s a real-time mobile fighting game, which should please fans of the series by incorporating a wide range of locations and characters not just from the new movie, but the years of TV shows as well.

Check out the trailer below.

Police warn you not to fall for ‘Siri 108’ prank

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Siri
Saying the digits to Siri prompts your iPhone to call emergency services.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The Sheriff’s office of Harris County, Texas has posted a message on its official Facebook page, pleading with people not to fall for a social media prank in which they’re encourage to say “108” to Siri.

That’s because the number prompts Siri to dial 9-1-1, or the emergency phone number of whichever country they are in at the time.

These cases will protect your (RED) iPhone without covering the color

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Casetify offers elegant and quirky designs for a clear iPhone case to bring out the red on the new PRODUCT(RED) iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
Casetify offers elegant and quirky designs for a clear iPhone case to bring out the red on the new PRODUCT(RED) iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
Photo: Casetify

Surely, you’re not going to order the special edition iPhone 7 and then slap on a case that covers up that beautiful red aluminum.

Accessories company Casetify is offering a clear case for the (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 and 7 Plus with 40 different designs that turn the red back plate of the housing into an artistic canvas.

Retrospect makes even the most massive Mac backups simple

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Retrospect_for_Mac_Multi-Server_right
For companies of any size, you're unlikely to find a backup solution as powerful and easy to use as Retrospect.
Photo: Retrospect

This post is brought to you by Retrospect.

From mom-and-pop shops to international enterprises, businesses of all sizes benefit from straightforward, reliable backup of key data. Even with access to a massive storage system like Amazon S3 or Backblaze B2, having the right agent to facilitate the preservation of your data can save a lot of valuable time and effort.

Take a look inside Apple’s new flagship store in Germany

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Apple's new store on Europe's busiest shopping street.
Apple's new store on Europe's busiest shopping street.
Photo: Macerkopf

The newest Apple store in Germany is ditching the Genius Bar, but it will have a boardroom.

Apple is set to open its second store in Cologne, Germany this weekend and early photos have already revealed some of the new features, like an area dedicated entirely to business that is becoming a staple at other flagship stores.

Samsung nearly tops Apple in J.D. Power smartphone rankings

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Samsung
The exploding Note 7 didn't hurt Samsung's status.
Photo: Jim Merithew / Cult of Mac

The gap between Apple and Samsung is narrower than it has ever been, according to J.D. Power’s 2017 smartphone satisfaction rankings that have the iPhone-maker in the lead by just one point.

Apple took the number one spot with a total score of 840. Meanwhile Samsung somehow crept up to the second spot with 839 points, even though it had a disastrous last half of 2016 with the exploding Note 7 fiasco.

WikiLeaks exposes CIA infections for Mac and iOS

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These are the sophisticated tools designed to exploit Apple vulnerabilities.
These are the sophisticated tools designed to exploit Apple vulnerabilities.
Photo: CIA.org

Just over two weeks after revealing the true extent of the Central Intelligence Agency’s hacking arsenal, WikiLeaks today released more information on its infections designed for Mac and iOS.

These are the tools the agency used to exploit vulnerabilities in Apple’s software and gain persistent access to target computers and mobile devices.

Zane Lowe says Apple is working on new Beats stations

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Zane Lowe
Beats 2, 3, 4, and 5 may be in the works.
Photo: Apple

Beats 1 DJ Zane Lowe says that Apple is “working on” new Beats radio stations, although won’t introduce them until, “they feel it’s right.”

While Lowe doesn’t provide more details, it’s one of the few things he addresses directly in an interview during which he sidesteps plenty of other questions — suggesting it’s something that Apple’s happy to be talked about to some extent.

Gear up for your next road trip [Deals]

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Keep your phone charged and your most important tools at hand with this bundle of road trip essentials.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Winter is coming to a close, and that means road trip season is on the horizon. Make sure you’re prepared for your next long distance drive with this gathering of essential gear at the Cult of Mac Store. From an emergency multi-tool that doubles as a phone charger, to a set of durable charging cables, a universal mobile phone mount, and a powerful, five-port portable battery, there’s something here to upgrade any outing. Read on for more details:

Apple dock could turn your iPhone into a MacBook

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Just take my money, Apple!
Just take my money, Apple!
Photo: Apple

Apple has created a dock that could turn a future iPhone or iPad into a MacBook.

The idea is explained in a patent application published on Thursday, which details an ultra-portable notebook into which an iOS device is placed to provide software and power.

Super Mario Run gets new playable characters, more free stages

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Super Mario Run on iOS
Nintendo's hit game just got a big update.
Photo: Apple

Haven’t played Super Mario Run since the first few weeks after its release? Nintendo is hoping to lure you back, as well as recruiting fresh players, with the 2.0 upgrade of its endless runner game.

The update beings new playable characters, new courses in Toad Rally, new buildings, greater ease of play, and assorted other changes and improvements.

Apple denies that millions of iCloud accounts have been hacked

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The CIA has a team of more than 5,000 hackers.
Hackers have threatened to remotely wipe devices belonging to millions of users.
Photo: Brian Klug/Flickr CC

Apple is denying reports that hackers have gained access to up to 559 million customer accounts, and are extorting the company by promising to remotely wipe devices of their data.

Hackers identifying themselves as the “Turkish Crime Family” this week demanded $75,000 in cryptocurrencies Bitcoin or Ethereum from Apple, or else $100,000 in iTunes gift cards. In exchange, they have said they will delete their alleged data cache.

Archivist seeks to preserve every Apple II program ever created

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Apple II software archive
Software swaps and hardware hacks at the 2016 KansasFest.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Jason Scott is an archivist and the enthusiasm for what he curates is the kind ascribed to 15th-century manuscripts or Jamestown colony artifacts – not software on obsolete floppy disks written for a 40-year-old computer system.

Scott is out to collect any original or copied software disks for the Apple II as if a language is in danger of dying with the people who speak it or possess some record of its existence.

Apple acquires popular iOS automation app Workflow

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Workflow is now an Apple app.
Workflow is now an Apple app.
Photo: Workflow

Apple has completed a deal to acquire Workflow, the popular utility app for iPhone and iPad.

It’s unclear exactly how much the Cupertino company paid, though it was reportedly “a solid payday” for the team behind the app, which includes former iPhone jailbreaker Ari Weinstein.

Week’s best Apple deals: The ‘no new iPad Pro’ edition

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Apple deals on MacBook, iPhone 5s, MacBook Pro, iTunes Gift Cardsåç
No new iPad Pro? No problem.
Photos: Apple

Bummed that you can’t shop for an updated iPad Pro? We’re surprised we haven’t seen immediate deep discounts on iPad Air 2 models, considering they are now discontinued and undercut by the faster new iPad.

Instead, we’ll console ourselves with amazing deals on MacBooks and iPhones, including the best price we’ve ever seen on the high-end MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

Now’s the perfect time to sell your old iPad

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This girl is using her iPad, but you probably aren't
It might be time to say "goodbye" to your iPad (and "hello" to some cold, hard cash).
Photo: Unsplash

Today is the best day to sell your iPad. Why? Because with the new iPads coming this week, prices on older gear will soon drop.

If you’ve got an old iPad lying around, or even if you’re over your giant iPad Pro, sell your Apple tablet now before the bottom drops out — we’ll pay you for it through the Cult of Mac buyback program.

Win passes to opening night of the 10th annual Disposable Film Festival!

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Disposable Film Festival 2017 poster
Disposable Film Festival 2017 poster
Image: Disposable Film Festival

The 10th annual Disposable Film Festival, dubbed the “Oscars of online video,” runs March 30 to April 2 in San Francisco. The popular festival celebrates a decade of discovering and supporting the most visionary filmmakers of the digital age — artists who produce innovative stories at the intersection of art and technology.

Cult of Mac teamed up with the festival to give away a pair of free passes to the opening-night extravaganza. Enter below, and if you don’t win, don’t worry — everybody can get a discount!

Ultra-thin laptop stands, finger heaters and more [Crowdfund Roundup]

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Crowdfund Roundup
Help turn these awesome ideas into reality!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Ever felt your hands are just too cold to type efficiently? We have an answer for that! It’s called Heatbuff, and it’s an infrared heater that sits behind your keyboard to keep your fingers toasty.

It’s just one of the awesome ideas in this week’s Crowdfund Roundup. We’ve also got a device that turns your smartphone into a tablet, an ultra-portable laptop stand, a battery pack that requires no cables, and more!