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Apple Music Festival 2016 kicks off September 18

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Screen Shot 2016-08-22 at 18.59.28
Apple promises "10 exhilarating nights of live music."
Photo: Apple

The Apple Music Festival will return to the U.K. this September for “10 exhilarating nights of live music,” according to Apple.

No musical acts have been revealed yet for the festival, which will run from September 18 to September 30. But if previous years are anything to go by, 2016 promises to deliver a star-studded lineup — and Apple Music subscribers get to watch the whole thing for free online.

Everything we think we know about the iPhone 7

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blue iPhone 7 Plus
The iPhone 7 is getting some big upgrades.
Photo: PConline

The grand unveiling of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is still weeks away, but this year you don’t need to wait for Tim Cook to take the stage to find out all the new features.

Months of leaks have already given us a sneak peek at a lot of the big changes coming to the iPhone. And contrary to early reports that this year’s device will be boring, there’s actually a whole lot to get excited about.

Here’s what to expect from the iPhone 7, based on Cult of Mac’s analysis of everything we’ve seen from reliable leakers and the Apple rumor mill.

How to use your iPhone keyboard as a trackpad

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iPhone trackpad
Edit text easier by transforming your keyboard into a trackpad.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iOS has come a long way over the years, but trying to place your cursor accurately when writing and editing text is still a little awkward because you’re covering the text with your finger while trying to swipe across with the magnifying glass.

Well, thanks to 3D Touch, there’s a hidden trick within iOS that makes this easier. Check out this week’s Quick Tips video below to see it in action.

Bids for Apple-1 computer built by Steve Jobs pass $500,000

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Could this become the most expensive Apple-1 to ever sell at auction?
Photo: Charitybuzz

Online bids for an original Apple-1 computer, reportedly built by Steve Jobs, have passed $500,000.

The so-called “Celebration” Apple-1 comes with period correct power supply, original Apple-1 ACI cassette board, Apple-1 BASIC cassettes, original marketing material, and the most complete documentation set of the known Apple-1 boards. Only around 60 Apple-1 units are thought to still exist today.

Barbra Streisand calls Tim Cook to fix her biggest gripe with Siri

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Barbra Streisand
Singer Barbra Streisand and husband James Brolin.
Photo: Wikicommons

Getting iPhone bugs fixed is apparently super-easy if you’re a world-famous diva.

Barbra Streisand says she recently had a huge bone to pick with Apple over the way Siri pronounces her last name. So the singer did what only Barbra Streisand could do: She dialed Tim Cook’s personal phone number.

Your accounts are password protected, but what protects your passwords? [Deals]

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CoM - Sticky Password Premium
Easily encrypt and randomize your passwords for extra security online.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

No one needs to be told why they should protect their important data and accounts with a strong password. Most people — at least anyone who’s had to apologize to their contact list for a strange scam email from their account — are also aware that their passwords are pretty easy to crack. That’s what Sticky Password Premium is designed to prevent. It’s a simple but powerful tool for randomly generating new passwords for your accounts at the time of login, all controlled from a single master code. And right now you can get lifelong access to Sticky Password for just $24.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple increases health focus by buying medical AI startup

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Gliimpse is a machine learning health platform.
Photo: Gliimpse

In keeping with its mobile health ambitions, Apple has snapped up Gliimpse, a personal health data startup which uses machine learning technology to help users make sense of their medical records.

The company was founded in 2013 by former Apple employee-turned-serial-entrepeneur Anil Sethi. Apple reportedly acquired it earlier this year, although (no surprises here) it hasn’t publicly announced what it plans to do with it yet.

iPhone 7 leaks plus ‘revolutionary’ new iPads on The CultCast

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blue-iphone
New Apple gadgets, incoming!
Photo: PConline

This week on The CultCast: Leaks point to exciting upgrades coming to the smaller iPhone 7 — we’ll give you the scoop. Plus, get ready for iPhone 7, we have a launch date; Apple Watch 2 might be getting a sorely needed feature; new models and “revolutionary” upgrades are coming to the iPad line; and stick around for CultCast Choices, the game that pits one bad choice against another.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to build a website that looks beautiful on any device that visits at Squarespace.com. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off.

Get software tools for creativity, productivity, and more [Week’s Newest Deals]

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Add a diverse suite of productivity enhancing tools to your Mac.
Add a diverse suite of productivity enhancing tools to your Mac.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s a new week, and you know what that means — new deals on awesome tools and tech. This week, we’re rounding up discounts on a massive bundle of apps for creative workflow, a super useful productivity timeline tool, along with a sleek iPhone charging dock and a set of smart trackers for keys and other stuff that’s prone to getting misplaced. This week is a mixed bag of consistently great deals, take a look:

Could Tim Cook be doing a better job at Apple? [Friday Night Fights]

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Do you think Apple is in a good place under Tim Cook?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

It’s been almost five years since Tim Cook was named Apple CEO, and during that time the company has seen some pretty incredible highs. But there have been some significant lows, too.

Friday Night Fights bug The recent fall in iPhone demand is perhaps the most significant setback, leading to Apple’s first quarterly decline in revenue in 13 years. Cupertino has also been criticized for releasing unpolished products and buggy software in recent years.

So, is Cook doing enough to keep Apple one step ahead of the competition, or does he need to do more? Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we discuss Cook’s first five year’s as Apple CEO.

How to customize and swap Apple Watch faces

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cult of mac
Switching to a new watch face is almost too easy.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is making it a lot easier and faster to switch up the look of your Apple Watch thanks to some new features in watchOS 3.

 Starting this fall, Apple is adding a bunch of new faces that can be customized like never before. All the faces can be added via the Watch app for iPhone, and there are so many great options you’ll be swapping all the time. If you’re an Ultra user, check out the best Apple Watch Ultra 2 faces to maximize your experience.

Here’s how to do it:

Instantly add battery and storage capacity to your Mac, and more [Week’s Best Deals]

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Charge and sync your iPhone, iPod, or iPad with these official Apple cables.
Charge and sync your iPhone, iPod, or iPad with these official Apple cables.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This week’s saw some especially tempting deals, so we’ve done what we always do and gathered the best of the bunch. From a replacement set of Lightning cables, to an external battery that’s basically a portable wall outlet, a seamless solution to add gigs of space to your hard drive, and a set of sports-ready bluetooth headphones. This is the top of the week’s heap, folks — take a look:

Louisiana flood relief effort gets a boost from Apple

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Coast Guardsmen rescue stranded residents from high water during severe flooding around Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Coast Guardsmen rescue stranded residents from high water during severe flooding around Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Photo: IIP Photo Archive/Flickr

Apple is lending its assistance to those affected by the devastating floods in Louisiana this week by adding American Red Cross donation buttons in iTunes, the App Store and on Apple’s website.

Weary of your wearable? Sell it to us!

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broken wearables buyback
It's time to turn tour trashed wearables into cash.
Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Ever open the drawer and go, “Oh yeah. I own a Jawbone UP”? It’s easy to forget about an old fitness tracker or smartwatch you’ve got stashed away, but the Cult of Mac buyback program makes rediscovering an unused wearable more like finding a forgotten wad of cash.

We’ll give you the best price for your wearables, from shiny Apple Watches to older, well-worn products that most other buyback programs won’t accept. It’s a no-brainer to quickly and easily turn an old, unused wearable into cold, hard cash.

Apple busts out surprise iOS 10 beta 7

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iOS 10 lockscreen
Surprise! A new beta is here.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The last beta for iOS 10 just came out four days ago but Apple is wasting no time with the fixes by dropping a surprise seventh beta today.

Both developers and public testers can download iOS 10 beta 7 to their devices this morning, bringing a fresh batch of performance improvements along with critical bug fixes.

Apple joins government task force to kill robocalls

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Apple adds 5 new vice presidents to its executive lineup
Apple is teaming up with top tech companies to end the scourge of robocalls.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

The scourge of robocalls may be coming to an end, thanks to a new task force comprised of over 30 top tech companies, including Apple.

The U.S. government has enlisted the help of Apple, AT&T, Alphabet, Verizon, Comcast and others to crack down on unsolicited, automated, prerecorded phone calls that have become the most frequent complaint the U.S. Federal Communications Commission receives from citizens.

Birdman’s label takes flight in first trailer for Cash Money doc

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Cash Money co-founder Birdman confirmed the deal this week.
Photo: Birdman/Instagram

Apple has released a trailer for its upcoming documentary The Cash Money Story about popular hip hop record label Cash Money Records, which will be available exclusively on Apple Music.

The story of the label which introduced hip hop fans to Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Young Money and Birdman, the documentary was teased earlier this week by Cash Money co-founder Birdman, who said he had struck a “power move” deal with Apple.

6 amazing features Apple must steal from the Galaxy Note 7

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The Galaxy Note 7 is going to take some beating. Here's where Apple should start.
Galaxy Note 7 is going to take some beating. Here's where Apple should start.
Photo: Samsung

With gorgeous curved glass, stellar specifications and cutting-edge features, Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 7 is raising the bar for smartphones.

Fans can’t wait to get their hands on the device, which makes its big U.S. debut today, and it’s easy to see why. Here are six features Apple needs to steal if it wants to compete with Samsung’s latest, greatest smartphone.