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Dangerous new Mac malware fully compromises OS X

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Bitdefender
Bitdefender found a new backdoor into OS X.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s Mac systems have been exposed to a dangerous new piece of malware that allows attackers to take full control of OS X.

The new malware, dubbed Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor by security researchers, provides attackers with a backdoor into OS X systems by embedding a script into a fake file converter application that’s found on many reputable sites that sell Mac apps.

Tiny magnet adds 256GB of storage to your iPhone

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Small like the coin it's named after, the i.dime adds big storage to your iPhone.
Small like the coin it's named after, the i.dime adds big storage to your iPhone.
Photo: i.dime

You wanted the latest iPhone, but you could only afford the 16GB model. By the time you install some cool apps, load some songs and shoot some pictures and video, you can expect something else to appear on your screen: the Storage Almost Full message.

You can go through the sometimes frustrating task of backing everything up to the cloud or you could drop a dime on your iPhone — an i.dime, that is.

The i.dime is a dime-sized magnetic storage device that can add up to 256GB of additional space on an iPhone and functions much like a thumb drive. Backers can get a 32GB i.dime with a case for $63.

watchOS 3, macOS Sierra and tvOS 10 get second beta builds

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macOS Sierra is here!
A beautiful new beta is here.
Photo: Apple

Apple is serving up a fresh batch of beta updates for developers today with the release of new versions of tvOS 10, watchOS 3 and macOS Sierra.

The second beta builds of the new operating systems, which were unveiled by Apple at WWDC last month, are now available in Apple’s Developer Center (along with a new iOS 10 beta that brings minor changes to the big software update).

Apple drops iOS 10 beta 2 for developers

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iOS 10 lockscreen

Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The first big beta update for iOS 10 has finally arrived, nearly a month after Apple unveiled its upcoming mobile operating system to developers at WWDC.

Apple seeded iOS 10 beta 2 to developers this morning, allowing testers to get a new look at all the bug fixes and UI tweaks that have been added.

You don’t have to be a hacker to run Windows on your Mac [Deals]

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Parallels Mac software
Parallels puts you in the driver's seat.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

For those of us with Macs who were once Windows users, it’s easy to miss the old applications, games and, yes, even the interface. Rather than use special software, building a virtual machine or buying a new PC just to open up a Windows session again, you can use Parallels to seamlessly run a Windows or Linux desktop on your Mac.

There are no special tricks, no partitioning, no rebooting — and no reason not to try it: Right now at Cult of Mac Deals you can get Parallels for half off for $39.99. See below for more details.

Apple pushes suppliers to take a price cut to secure orders

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Foxconn employees accused of $43 million iPhone scam
He's a shrewd operator is Tim Cook!
Photo: Apple

Unsurprisingly for a company with the kind of success Apple has experienced, it is quite adept at driving a hard bargain.

According to a new report, Apple has been trying to maintain its high gross margin at a time of slowing smartphone demand by asking its suppliers to work for less money. Major suppliers Largan Precision, Foxconn and Pegatron Technology have all been affected.

Declare your independence from creepy phone calls and texts [Deals]

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Add an anonymous second phone line for business, dating, buying or selling online, and more.
Add an anonymous second phone line for business, dating, buying or selling online, and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

You live in a free country, why should you feel trapped by a bad date or a creepy Craigslist seller who has your phone number? Give yourself a second, anonymous number for making calling or texting with people you’d prefer to keep at arm’s length. Right now you can protect your privacy with lifetime access to a second number through Hushed, for just $25 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Google offers 4 months of free Play Music

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how-to-enjoy-podcasts-in-google-play-music-outside-the-u-s-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604Google-Play-Music-podcasts-jpg
Google wants ramp up its race with Apple Music.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

In an effort to compete with Apple Music, Google is offering a special July 4 four-month free trial of Play Music for users who live in the United States. The offer is available only to U.S. customers who haven’t previously signed up to the service.

Rodeo Stampede, Prisma, and other awesome apps of the week

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If you're appy and you know it, check our list!
'Appy weekend!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Somehow the weekend is already half-way gone, but to help you celebrate your remaining hours of freedom we’ve combed through the week’s best apps to help you sort the wheat from the chaff.

Whether it’s a fantastic LEGO Star Wars game or a fantastic calendar app, we’re confident we’ve got what you’re looking for.

Check out our list below.

LED flash for iPhone is just one of the newest deals at Cult of Mac [Deals]

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iBlazr

Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Tired of swiping through filters to make your iPhone pictures interesting? Or wasting time trying to stay organized behind the keyboard? Maybe you should take a look at these deals fresh off the deals boat. Below you’ll find a wireless, LED flash for any camera, two apps for improving your writing process, and a bundle of assets for designing apps. Take a look:

3rd-party Apple Watch faces, and how the iPhone was really invented, this week on The CultCast

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cult cast
Catch our unfiltered reactions to Apple's newest products.
Photo: Apple/Erfon Elijah

This week on The CultCast: You’ll laugh, you’ll cry — wait till you hear the latest lawsuit aimed right at Apple’s biggest products. Plus: Leaked photos of EarPods with a Lightning connector look better than expected; why we may never get third-party Apple Watch faces; Netflix is adding a feature it swore would never happen; and a man builds a vibrant photography career in the world of sports with nothing but his iPhone. Oh, and Val Kilmer dances with a carrot in his derriere. Just hit play already.

Our thanks to Freshbooks for supporting this episode. FreshBooks is the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster. Get started now with a 30-day free trial.

Best deals of the week: VR for your iPhone, aluminum earbuds and more [Deals]

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This sleek box turns your smartphone into a full-fledged VR headset.
This sleek box turns your smartphone into a full-fledged VR headset.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This week’s we saw some great deals on top-shelf gear and gadgets. First up, there’s a box that turns your smartphone into a VR headset. And you can grab a four-port USB charger for the car, a sleek aluminum Bluetooth earbuds, and comprehensive photography lessons.

Whether you like to consume content or create it, don’t miss out on these massive deals.

Fitness apps obsess over running, but is it really good for you?

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x
To run, or not to run? That is the question.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Millions of people go running with their iPhone or Apple Watch every day. Logging runs is one of the main features of just about every fitness gadget on the market.

So should you join the sweaty masses and start using a running app? Not so fast. Not everyone is suited to running, and it won’t develop all aspects of your fitness. Plus, there are loads of other kinds of exercise you could be doing instead. What makes running so special?

Apple’s new file system, Kahney’s Korner, iPhone photographers and more

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Cover

Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In this week’s packed-to-the-gills Cult of Mac Magazine, we give you the rundown on Apple’s new file system (APFS) — which has remained unchanged for 30 years. Discover all the reasons why switching to the new APFS makes sense for you!

Listen in to Kahney’s Korner podcast where our guest, Gumdrop Cases CEO Tim Hickman, talks about the race to be first to market with new iPhone cases, and the killing companies can make in the days following an Apple launch.

Learn about the growing number of professional photographers and filmmakers who are foregoing traditional equipment to embrace the iPhone for their creative pursuits.

All this, and much much more, in Cult of Mac Magazine, free for you right now.

Here are this week’s top stories.

China’s media watchdog sues Apple over obscure film

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China iPhone sales
Apple has been hit without another lawsuit in China.
Photo: Apple

Apple is facing yet another legal headache in China thanks to what may be the craziest lawsuit yet in a year that has been full of wacky legal battles

China’s media watchdog, The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT), has filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming the company has violated its intellectual property by broadcasting an obscure patriotic film from 1994.

Why Apple should buy Tidal (and why it shouldn’t) [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Tidal could be Apple Music's biggest rival later.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

When you have the kind of cash Apple has, the easiest way to take down the competition is to just buy it. That’s exactly what the Cupertino company is planning to do with Apple Music rival Tidal, according to a recent report.

FNF-bugBut would a Tidal takeover be a good move? Would Apple be using its money solely to wipe out a rival, or will Tidal’s talent and connections to the music industry be great for Apple Music?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over the latest Apple acquisition rumor!

Hillary emoji let you play the woman card for real

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Hillary emojis are ready to slide into your DMs.
Hillary emojis are ready to slide into your DMs.
Photo: Hillarymoji

The battle to win the 2016 presidential election is heading to your iPhone’s keyboard now, thanks to a new iOS app that adds a batch of Hillary Clinton emoji to devices.

Aiming to excite millennial voters, the free Hillarymoji app comes with 20 pictograms of the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate doing everything from dancing in her pantsuit to deleting emails off her BlackBerry.

iOS 10 jailbreak team makes key breakthrough

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Cydia-iOS-10
Squint hard enough and you'll see the Cydia icon.
Photo: Mosecon

With every iOS update, Apple makes it harder for hackers to jailbreak its software — but it seems there’s still plenty of work to be done.

At the Mobile Security Conference (MOSEC) in Shanghai today, Chinese jailbreak team Pangu revealed it already has Cydia running under iOS 10.