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Katy Perry’s new single is latest Apple exclusive

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Katy Perry Rise
“Rise” is available for streaming now!
Photo: Capitol Records

Katy Perry’s new single, her first since 2014, is out today — and you’ll find it only on Apple Music and iTunes. “Rise,” which will be used as the anthem for NBC’s coverage of the Rio Olympics this summer, is exclusive to Apple’s services at launch.

Get 10 new games a month, delivered straight to your inbox [Deals]

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Steamcrate game subscription offer
Apple is making life a lot harder for smaller game studios.
Photo: Cult of Mac

It’s a great time to be a gamer, with countless new titles coming out regularly from developers big and small alike. That also makes it hard to keep up, which is why Steamcrate is such a great service for hungry gamers. For one low price they deliver 10 new games to your computer every month, from indie releases to flagship titles, to keep forever. Right now you can sign up for a full year of Steamcrate for just $139.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

China is worried Pokémon Go will uncover secret military bases

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Pokemon GO
All your base are belong to Pikachu.
Photo: Niantic Labs

With Pokémon Go mania running wild, did you really think the worst that might happen was some would-be Ash Ketchum stumbling across a dead body?

If so, your concerns are mild compared to those of people in China. Although the game isn’t actually available there, rumors on Chinese social media claim that the game could be an attempt by Google and Nintendo to uncover details of secret military bases in the country.

T-Mobile lures Pokémon Go fans with free data

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Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go players might want to switch to T-Mobile.
Photo: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon Go players have been busy laying lures at Pokéstops across the globe for the past week, but T-Mobile CEO John Legere just baited his own trap to draw in new customers.

Starting on July 19th, T-Mobile will offer all Pokémon Go players free data when playing the game for the entire year, giving you no excuse to not catch ’em all.

Leaked iPhone 7 rear casing caught on video

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A black iPhone 7 would be killer.
A black iPhone 7 would be killer.
Photo: Martin Hajek/Flickr

The first video of the allegedly headphone-jack-free iPhone 7 has finally found its way into the Apple rumor mill.

A video of two alleged iPhone 7 rear shells was posted on Chinese social networking site Weibo today, showcasing the simplified design Apple supposedly plans to unveil in September. The controversial decision to kill the headphone jack would free up room for a second speaker and hopefully a larger battery.

Check out the video:

Woz and other tech icons sign anti-Trump open letter

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wozniak
Woz joins Silicon Valley's anti-Trump crusade.
Photo: Reddit

Silicon Valley is uniting against presumed GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in an open letter today that calls out the candidate for his “anger, bigotry, fear of new ideas and new people, and a fundamental belief that America is weak and in decline.”

The letter is signed by some of the biggest names in the tech industry, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Mark Pincus at Zinga, eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, Vint Cerf and dozens of others.

Comfy children’s Bluetooth headphones protect the littlest of ears [Reviews]

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x
Headphones designed for smaller noggins with volume-control to prevent hearing damage.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Finding headphones for my two-year-old daughter was an exercise in safety and design. I wanted something that would not damage her ears, and she likes headphones that look like daddy’s.

The BT220 Studio Grade Children’s Bluetooth Headphones by Puro Sound Labs kept popping up in searches and had glowing reviews, so I decided they at least looked cool enough to consider.

Check out the video below for my full review.

Handlebar mount makes the iPhone a cyclist’s best friend

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You just peddle while your iPhone with the Bycle mount and multi-tasking app does the rest.
You just peddle while your iPhone with the Bycle mount and multi-tasking app does the rest.
Photo: Bycle

The iPhone comes in handy on a long bike ride. You could record video of your trip, use GPS to find your way and track things like mileage and calories burned.

The rider just has to choose which function to use. A startup called Bycle has an answer to the question why not all of them?

These magnetic Bluetooth earbuds are future-proof [Deals]

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audio

Not sure if you heard, but the next iPhone is coming sans-earphone jack. That means if you’re planning on getting an iPhone 7, you’ll have to wave bye bye to your earbuds, unless you’ve got these magnetic Bluetooth 4.1 wireless headphones. They’re designed to stay put and keep you connected to your favorite music playback device without any cords. Right now you can get them for $24.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple’s Bastille Day tribute is a neat twist on its ‘Shot on iPhone’ ads

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Bastille Day
Apple made the French flag out of different photographs.
Photo: Apple

To celebrate Bastille Day, the start of 1789’s French Revolution, Apple has changed the homepage of its Apple France website to show a picture of the French Tricolor flag.

The twist? In a neat touch, Apple has tied the tribute into its acclaimed “Shot on iPhone” campaign by making the flag out of a variety of blue, white and red-filtered photographs taken by French iPhone owners.

Today in Apple history: App Store hits 10 million downloads

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App Store
What was the first app you downloaded on your iPhone?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

July 14: Today in Apple history: App Store hits 10 million downloads July 14, 2008: Apple crows that its newly opened App Store hit a massive 10 million downloads in its first 72 hours.

“The App Store is a grand slam, with a staggering 10 million applications downloaded in just three days,” Steve Jobs said in a statement issued eight years ago today. “Developers have created some extraordinary applications, and the App Store can wirelessly deliver them to every iPhone and iPod touch user instantly.”

Will EU hammer Apple for Irish tax arrangements? We’ll know soon

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Apple may owe billions of euros in back taxes.
Apple may owe billions of euros in back taxes.
Photo: Milo Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s tax drama in Europe will finally come to a close later this fall.

The iPhone-maker has come under scrutiny from the European Union due to its tax deal with Ireland that safe guards Apple from paying taxes on billions of dollars in profits. Ireland’s finance minister revealed that he has no idea which way the decision will go, but he was told it’s coming soon.

Facebook Messenger now lets you Peek and Pop on iPhone 6s

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And you thought all those Facebook messages were private. Sucker!
Update Facebook Messenger now if you have an iPhone 6s!
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Facebook Messenger is now even more awesome on iPhone 6s.

Thanks to the app’s latest update, you can now take advantage of useful 3D Touch gestures that let you Peek and Pop into all your ongoing conversations — and into all the media shared within them.

How to get more news in your Facebook feed

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the Facebook logo on an iPhone 6 Plus
You Facebook feed doesn't have to be all about family and friends.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

If you’ve noticed a serious lack of actual news in your Facebook News Feed since the beginning of July, you’re not alone.

The social network recently made big changes to its News Feed algorithm to emphasize posts from friends and family, and fewer posts from the sites and pages you’ve liked. The end result has transformed many users’ feeds into an endlessly scrollable collection of baby pics, birthday posts and political drama no one wants to touch.

Thankfully, there’s a way to take back some control of your page so that important posts from news sites show up more frequently.

‘Small-batch’ bag company rolls out backpack with big space

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The Bolt laptop backpack gives a busy person the right stuff.
The Bolt laptop backpack gives a busy person the right stuff.
Photo: WaterField Designs

The description “small batch” is often associated with bourbon and cigars. With those words come an expectation of a higher quality derived from artisanal techniques, not possible with mass production.

WaterField Designs refers to itself as “small batch” and the company’s bags and cases, especially for Apple computing products, fit nicely in the company of a fine cigar or whiskey. Its latest product, the Bolt Laptop Backpack, stands apart from its oft-sporty-looking backpack brethren.

Win a chance to wire up your smart home with Amazon’s Alexa [Deals]

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Enter to win a suite of smart home products, centered around Amazon Echo.
Enter to win a suite of smart home products, centered around Amazon Echo.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Making your home ‘smart’ means more than giving it a computerized brain — it takes a whole central nervous system. That’s exactly what this giveaway offers. It includes four devices that will transform how you interact with your house — from controlling your appliances and lighting, to the thermostat and even answering the door — all centered around Amazon’s hands-free hub, Echo, controllable via their digital assistant, Alexa.

Lightning EarPods pictured again ahead of iPhone 7

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Leaked EarPods with Lightning
Apple's new EarPods or third-party fakes?
Photo: Weibo

New EarPods equipped with a Lightning connector have again been pictured ahead of the iPhone 7’s launch this fall. It’s thought Apple’s next-generation devices won’t have 3.5mm headphone jacks like all their predecessors, but these EarPods could ease the pain of that loss.