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iPhone market share continues to decline in China

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google-facebook-and-others-following-apples-lead-on-encryption-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201601iPhone-6s-Live-Photos-jpg
But the iPhone 6s was the top seller in the U.S.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Tim Cook may believe China is Apple’s future biggest market, but that belief is challenged by new data showing the iPhone’s market share in “urban China” continues to decline.

The iPhone fell 4.4 percentage points to 14.3 percent for the three months ending in July, according to the latest figures from Kantar Wordpanel ComTech. Android, by comparison, rose 5.6 percent to a dominating 85 percent during that same time period, representing an all-time high for Google’s mobile OS in China.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs hands out $100 to iPhone customers

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A photo of people looking at the first-gen iPhone inside a glass case on the original iPhone launch date.
All hail the original iPhone!
Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac

Sept 6September 6, 2007: Apple deals with its first iPhone PR crisis, when early adopters complain about the company dropping the price of its new smartphone by $200 just two months after introducing it.

In response, Steve Jobs offers affected customers $100 credit which can be used toward the purchase of any Apple store product. “Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these,” he writes.

Foxconn goes all out to recruit more iPhone 7 assemblers

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Apple
The iPhone 7 could be a bigger hit than anticipated.
Photo: Apple

Demand for the iPhone 7 is expected to be higher than many people expected, and Apple suppliers are taking on more employees to accommodate.

According to a new report, Foxconn is so desperate to employ new people to work on its production line that’s it been offering bonuses of more than $200 to any employees who can recommend other workers qualified for the job.

Download and archive Instagram photos and videos automatically

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4K Stogram
With 4K Stogram, you can automatically download Instagram photos and videos.
Photo: 4K Stogram

This post is brought to you by 4K Stogram.

For many of us, Instagram is the primary place to get our daily fix of fresh images and videos. We’ll spend hours browsing the feeds of friends and family, and our favorite artists, public figures or journalists. But all that addicting content — including what you post yourself — stays on Instagram’s servers, where it’s a bit of a hassle to find and only accessible by logging in.

Will Apple Pencil come to iPhone? Tim Cook suggests so

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Apple Pencil
Apple Pencil could make the leap to iPhone 7.
Photo: Apple

After insisting nobody wanted a stylus, Apple went ahead and made the best one money can buy. It’s the perfect companion to iPad Pro if you like writing and drawing on touchscreens, but will it ever be compatible with iPhone? One interview with Tim Cook seems to suggest so.

Privatoria aims to make VPN access simple [Deals]

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Get online via a powerful, feature rich VPN without any technical background.
Get online via a powerful, feature rich VPN without any technical background.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We’re all interested in being more secure online, but it can feel like an overwhelming task. Privatoria operates on the principle that anonymous and secure communication, surfing, and file transfers should be easy and accessible. They offer secure VPN access without any tech expertise, and it’s going for a massive 97 percent off — right now you can get a lifetime subscription to Privatoria for $29 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple has ‘failed to grasp’ why people are upset about tax avoidance

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money
The president of the eurozone’s finance ministers says Apple just doesn't get it.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, president of the eurozone’s finance ministers, has accused Apple of “[failing] to grasp” the public outcry concerning tax avoidance by multinational corporations.

He was referring to last week’s landmark decision, which handed Apple an enormous tax bill of 13 billion euros ($14.52 billion), based on its supposed underpayment of taxes in the Republic of Ireland. Apple paid a reported 0.005 percent tax on its European profits in 2014.

4-in-1 phone chargers, an awesome train sim, and more [Week’s Newest Deals]

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TextExpander helps you eliminate wasted minutes and hours of repeated phrases.
TextExpander helps you eliminate wasted minutes and hours of repeated phrases.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We never quite know what to expect in our deals inbox from week to week, which means we’re often pleasantly surprised. This week was no exception — from a game changing app for making writing more efficient, to a 4-port USB charger, waterproof Bluetooth earbuds, and an awesome train simulator. Now who could’ve predicted that rogue’s gallery of righteous deals? Read on for more details:

Your GoPro videos will do a 180 with this Lensbaby fisheye

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How's that for perspective? Lensbaby gives your GoPro camera a new view.
How's that for perspective? Lensbaby gives your GoPro camera a new view.
Photo: Anthony Sims/Lensbaby

Lensbaby and GoPro. Pair the creator of artistic effects lenses with the king of the action cam and things could get interesting.

Lensbaby hopes so has it rolls out its Circular 180+ lens to fit the Hero series of GoPro point of view action cameras.

A bulletproof Lightning cable, Adobe enabled stylus, and more [Week’s Best Deals]

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This kevlar-encased Lightning cable is built to last.
This kevlar-encased Lightning cable is built to last.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This week brought in some of the coolest deals we’ve seen. From a military-grade Lightning cable to a Bluetooth speaker that’s shower-ready, a stylus specifically designed to integrate with Adobe Creative Cloud and a sexy Bluetooth boombox. This gear and gadgetry was already attractive, but with discounts of up to 60 percent they’re damn near irresistible. Take a look for more details:

One more thing? Hear our iPhone 7 event hardware predictions on The CultCast

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Will we get more than the iPhone 7 next week?
Will we get more than the iPhone 7 next week?
Photo: Forbes

This week The CultCast: What new hardware will Apple bestow upon us at next week’s iPhone 7 event? Don’t miss our predictions! Plus: New video shows iPhone 7 Plus in the wild, and we explain Apple’s Irish tax woes (then argue about the situation).

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.

Why did Nike ruin its beautiful running app?

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Nike has turned its running app into a dodgy mashup of Instagram and Snapchat
Nike has turned its running app into a dodgy mashup of Instagram and Snapchat
Photo: Graham Bower / Cult of Mac

All hell broke loose last week when Nike relaunched its much loved Nike+ Running app with a new offering called “Nike+ Run Club.” Plagued with bugs, sluggish performance and missing features, this update has infuriated some of Nike’s most loyal users, including me. Nike+ Running used to have an impressive 4.5 star rating on the App Store. Since the update, this has plummeted to just 1.5 stars. And Nike’s Facebook and Twitter accounts are now flooded with gripes.

So what happened? How could a single update turn one of the best iPhone running apps into one of the worst?

Whose week sucked hardest, Apple’s or Samsung’s? [Friday Night Fight]

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fnf
It's been a bad week for two of tech's biggest companies.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The past week has been one to forget for both Apple and Samsung. While Cupertino was handed a hefty tax bill by the European Commission, Sammy has had to recall every Galaxy Note 7 unit sold so far for fear of them exploding.

Friday Night Fights bugBut which one will be most damaging, and which will quickly be forgotten? Apple’s tax fight is sure to rage on for months, but will faulty phones leave a bad taste in the mouths of Samsung fans a lot longer?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we discuss the sad start to September for Apple and Samsung.

Apple Watch concept brings more shine to Apple’s wearable

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Apple Watch could use a facelift.
Apple Watch could use a facelift.
Photo: Jan Petrmichl/Behance

Apple isn’t expected to make any design changes to the outside of the Apple Watch 2, but when Jony Ive does give it a makeover we wouldn’t mind if it came with some chamfered edges like in this concept from designer Jan Petrmichl.

In his concept, Petrmichl imagines a slimmer, sharper Apple Watch that also looks more like a shiny piece of jewelry.

Take a look:

Google suspends modular smartphone project

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it might be free, but Android is still a moneymaker for Google.
Google's smartphone ambitions have stalled.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Building a smartphone with modular components that could be quickly swapped out for different parts sounds like a really cool idea, but Google is ready to admit no one actually wants one.

Apple’s spaceship campus is looking almost ready for liftoff

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Apple-Campus-2-updated
Apple's spaceship campus as it will eventually appear.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s still-unnamed “spaceship” campus won’t be completed until the end of this year, but it’s looking less and less like Tim Cook’s beautiful pile of dirt and more like a finished HQ every single day — as drone operator Matthew Roberts’ latest flyover video makes abundantly clear.

Check out the action below:

Soap star’s secret revealed! She jailbreaks.

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When she's not on set, actress Melissa Archer dabbles in jailbreaking.
When she's not on set, actress Melissa Archer dabbles in jailbreaking.
Photo courtesy of Melissa Archer

Cult of Mac 2.0 bugThis is the third story in a three-part series on jailbreaking iOS.

When Melissa Archer learned she would die at the hands of a serial killer, she made one last request: “I asked if I could have a death scene because I am a nerd.”

Her death had significance. It meant a long run as a mainstay and fan favorite of daytime soap operas was about to go on hiatus. It also meant she would have more time to devote to another passion — jailbreaking iPhones and inventing new features.