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Snapchat Spectacles could blur a line between fun and privacy

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Spectacles are no longer a U.S. exclusive.
Spectacles are no longer a U.S. exclusive.
Photo: Snap, Inc.

After Google released a limited number of Google Glass devices to eager beta testers a few years back, I found myself one day sitting next to a kid in a coffee shop wearing one.

I waited for the jerking gestures of his head to pause to ask him how he liked this much-hyped future of personal computing. He loved it but wondered if people would ever stop worrying about whether he was covertly filming them.

Google plans MacBook rival with new ‘Andromeda’ OS

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Chromebook Pixel
Google's next Pixel could be much more exciting.
Photo: Google

Google is expected to announce to new Pixel phones that will step up Android’s fight against the iPhone next month — and its assault on Apple won’t stop there.

According to a new report, the company is also planning a Pixel laptop powered by a new “Andromeda” operating system that will do battle with the MacBook. It could also steal some of its features, including the pressure-sensitive trackpad.

Apple vet creates iPhone sex toys that would cause a buzz in Cupertino [Kahney’s Korner podcast]

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Suki Dunham OhMiBod
Working at Apple helped sex toy entrepreneur Suki Dunham launch a line of iPhone-connected vibrators.
Photo: Suki Dunham/OhMiBod

It’s true: music can put you in the mood for love. A Spotify survey found that music is more arousing than touch. That’s why OhMiBod’s iPhone-connected sex toys make sense; they enhance the mood as well as buzzing in time to the beat.

“Our massagers offer an unrivaled sensory experience that allows singles and couples to not only hear their favorite music, but feel it as well,” says the firm’s website.

In this week’s episode of Kahney’s Korner, I talk to Suki Dunham, cofounder of OhMiBod, a female-owned and operated company that makes a line of iPhone and iPad controlled female pleasure products.

Suki used to work at Apple, where she learned a lot about product design, packaging and marketing, which she applies to her business selling high-tech vibrators.

How to watch Clinton vs. Trump debate on Apple TV and iOS

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No matter who wins, we all lose.
No matter who wins, we all lose.
Photo: DonkeyHotey/Flickr

The first debate between U.S. presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is set to kick off tonight at Hofstra University in New York — and you can catch all the action on any Apple device.

Apple updated its “Watch the Debate Live” section today on both App Stores for iOS and Apple TV, giving users multiple places to catch what is expected to be the most-watched political debate in history.

Here’s how to livestream it:

Bill Maher explains why you don’t need to buy iPhone 7

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Do you really need to buy the iPhone 7?
Do you really need to buy the iPhone 7?
Photo: HBO/Real Time with Bill Maher.

HBO talk show host Bill Maher railed on Apple for not thinking different with the iPhone 7 on his latest show. He suggested that if Apple really wanted to do some thing truly innovative, it should try not releasing a new iPhone ever year.

The comedian’s hilarious segment took aim at everyone from the shareholder that demand greatness every quarter, to the early adopters enabling the monster.

Watch Bill go in on Apple:

Declutter your desk with this 4-device charging station [Deals]

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This clever charging hub lets you juice up four devices at once without cluttering up your desk space
This clever charging hub lets you juice up four devices at once without cluttering up your desk space
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When you’ve got more than one iDevice to keep charged, it can result in a tangled mess of wires and screens. To prevent leaving your desk looking like a droid lost its lunch there, Avantree built a dock that keeps up to four of your USB-charged devices humming, while keeping your desk uncluttered.

Winner of the 2014 Red Dot Design Award, this is a great solution for any home or office. And right now you can get one for just $35.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

This levitating charger won’t let your iPhone 7 down

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The iPhone can float along magnetic waves as it charges.
The iPhone can float along magnetic waves as it charges.
Photo: Gryker, Inc.

The future arrived on the iPhone 7 and the no-earphone-jack thing is still sticking in your craw. Maybe you should just take a breath and float. Float your phone, that is.

Your new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus can float in midair on magnetic waves while it charges with the Air Charge, a charging device available via Kickstarter that further steps into a future without wires.

iPhone maker says fears about falling sales may be inaccurate

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iPhone 7
The chairman of Pegatron isn't worried about iPhone 7 sales.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple hasn’t announced how many iPhone 7 handsets it’s sold yet, but the head of iPhone manufacturer Pegatron is decrying reports of disappointing sales by saying that he is “cautiously optimistic” about how the next-gen smartphone is doing.

“Consumers do not care about what analysts say about the lack of innovative features,” Pegatron chairman Tung Tzu-hsien said — referring to the various reports suggesting that the iPhone 7 hasn’t got enough going in its favor to win over customers on the fence.

Apple Watch might diagnose diseases

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Apple-Watch-Heart-Monitor-640x468
Could your Apple Watch be used to diagnose disease?
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch Series 2 may have been a big step forward for Apple’s wearable device, but the company has an even bigger shift planned: Cupertino wants to morph Apple Watch from a fitness tracking device to a full-fledged medical diagnostic tool.

Bold mural marks Apple’s first Mexican store

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You shouldn't strugg
You shouldn't struggle to find a staff member to help you.
Photo: Apple

Apple said “Hola Mexico” with a big, bold mural as it opened its first retail store in the country over the weekend.

Many Apple fans queued overnight to be among the first into the new store, which is located in Mexico City’s upscale Vía Santa Fe mall.

Google Trips, Vulture Island and other awesome apps of the week

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appsoftheweek_1024
'Appy weekend.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you’re looking to unwind this fine Sunday by sampling the latest App Store delectables for your iOS device, have no fear: Cult of Mac is here to help!

Whether you’re on the hunt for a great new story-driven Batman game or a new travel-planning app, we think you’ll approve of our picks.

Check them out below. You won’t be disappointed.

Protect, organize, and streamline your iOS and web data [Week’s Newest Deals]

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These 3 apps will assure the whole family's Apple Devices are running efficiently
These 3 apps will assure the whole family's Apple Devices are running efficiently
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s a new week, and that means a host of hot new deals at the Cult of Mac Store. This go-round is looking good for anyone interested in keeping their data organized and secure, from iOS to web browsing. We’ve got a suite of iPhone data management tools, a lifetime of VPN protection, 5 years of password management, and a pack of data management tools for Mac. Read on for more details:

Don’t replace your broken iPhone! It’s probably cheaper to fix it.

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Cult of Mac's buyback program pays good money for your gear, even broken ones.
Cult of Mac's buyback program pays good money for your gear, even broken ones.
Photo: Warren R.M. Stuart/Flickr CC

Despite the high prices, iPhones seem to be designed for replacement on a specific schedule. After a couple of years, the battery life starts to fade (and that’s assuming you didn’t drop the phone and crack the screen before then).

Even Apple’s extended warranty only covers two years. Do you have to pay $649 — at least — for the latest iPhone every two years just to be sure you have a phone that still works? Not necessarily!

Bluetooth headphones, Apple Watch docks and more [Week’s Best Deals]

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It's all about the sound with these foldable, high-quality headphones
It's all about the sound with these foldable, high-quality headphones
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

A new week means a new batch of awesome deals on gear and gadgets, and this go-round we’ve got some big, big discounts, as much as 97 percent. On the deals docket today are a set of premium Bluetooth headphones, three years of VPN access, a wireless Apple Watch charging hub, and half off the uber popular PDF Expert. Read on for more details:

Seven days with iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2, this week on The CultCast

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apple watch series 2
Trade-in that old Apple Watch for money off at the Apple Store.
Photo: Ste Smith/CultofMac

This week on The CultCast: After seven days with iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2, we’ll tell you what we love (and don’t) about Apple’s newest gadgets. Plus: Hissgate explained; how to auto-unlock your Mac with an Apple Watch; and, if you’re wondering how to use picture-in-picture mode on YouTube videos in macOS Sierra, we’ll reveal just how to make that happen.

This episode is supported TunnelBear, the simple privacy app that makes it easy to browse privately and enjoy a more open internet. Visit GetTunnelBear.com to get your free TunnelBear today.

Is Siri still steps behind Google’s virtual assistants? [Friday Night Fights]

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v2
Which virtual assistant gets your vote?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has taken big strides to make Siri even greater in recent years, like bringing it to Apple TV and macOS, and opening it up to third-party developers. In that time, Apple’s virtual assistant has also gotten more accurate and more reliable.

Friday Night Fights bug But some might say third-party alternatives — particularly those from Google — are still a step ahead, with greater features and more flexibility. So, is Apple doing enough to make Siri just as stellar as Google Now and the new Google Assistant?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we go head-to-head over virtual assistants.

Google’s mesh router might fix your Wi-Fi problems

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eero
Google Wifi will be a lot like Eero.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Your home’s Wi-Fi could soon be powered by Google, according to a new report that claims the search engine giant plans to get into the router business next month.

Instead of competing head-on with Apple’s AirPort Express, the new Google router will supposedly bring a slew of smart features to the home, allowing users to pair two or more routers together to fix your home’s shoddy Wi-Fi coverage.

Wearable tech? This jacket lets you wear all your tech

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This guy happens to have a MacBook on his person.
This guy happens to have a MacBook on his person.
Photo: SCOTTeVEST

The hoodie that allowed you to thread your earbuds through a special sleeve near the collar seemed as cool as that first-generation iPod. It was a true technical jacket.

Clothing company SCOTTeVEST makes that hoodie seem as vintage as your great-, great-, great- granddaddy’s buckskin jacket. It’s latest quilted jacket features 29 pockets for all gadgets, including a MacBook, yet keeps the silhouette bulge-free.

Apple fixes iPhone audio issues with iOS update

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Hold off on iOS 10 for now.
iOS 10.0.2 is here to fix your audio issues.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone 7 users can finally enjoy uninterrupted audio through the Lightning port, now that Apple has released an iOS 10 update full of bug fixes.

iOS 10.0.2 was made available to all iPhone and iPad owners today, fixing issues with audio, photos and app extensions.

Parody video shows new use for Samsung’s Note 7 as mobile meat griller

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galaxy note 7
Cooking meat? That's something the iPhone can't do.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Poor old Samsung: not only did was it forced into rushing out its Galaxy Note 7 by Apple’s iPhone release schedule, or to undergo the humiliation of doing a mass recall of one of its better-reviewed handsets, but now people are poking fun at it, too!

A new parody video from Taiwan shows how the once critically acclaimed Note 7 can be repurposed as a mobile device for cooking meat — provided you’ve got the necessary aluminum foil smartphone case, that is.

Check out the video below.