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Is iOS 10 exciting enough to boost iPhone demand? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Are you excited for iOS 10?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iOS 10 is no small upgrade. It’s actually the biggest we’ve seen since the massive redesign that came with iOS 7 almost three years ago. But is it exciting enough?

FNF-bugDespite all the new features and improvements, iOS 10 doesn’t exactly bring anything groundbreaking. It’s not going to change the way you use your iPhone or your iPad, and it still doesn’t deliver some of the things fans have been calling for.

So, is iOS 10 enough to boost iPhone demand?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over Apple’s latest iOS upgrade.

iOS 10’s ‘Raise to Wake’ only works on new iPhones

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iOS 10
Not everyone is getting Raise to Wake.
Photo: Apple

One of the best new features of iOS 10 won’t be available for all devices that are compatible with Apple’s jam-packed mobile update.

Raise to Wake is such a simple and transformative new feature in iOS 10 that it feels like iPhones should have had it for years. Turning on the lock screen by just picking up your iPhone makes getting to notifications and apps quicker, but unless you have an iPad or iPhone released in the last year, you won’t get to enjoy it.

Apple is taking away your rifle (emoji)

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The rifle won't be made into an emoji.
The rifle won't be made into an emoji.
Photo: Andrew Stawarz/Flickr

Getting your hands on a rifle emoji is about to get a lot harder for all smartphone owners thanks to Apple.

The Unicode Consortium proposed earlier this year to add a rifle emoji as part of the Unicode 9.0 release this year, but according to a new report, the controversial firearm won’t make the cut after Apple campaigned internally to have it removed.

iOS 10 notifications redesign is better than the real deal

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Grouping would make iOS 10 notifications much better.
Grouping would make iOS 10 notifications much better.
Photo: Zuno Young/Medium

The paint is still drying on iOS 10 after just being unveiled earlier this week, but one UI designer has already come up with an amazing redesign of the Notifications screen, and we hope Apple’s paying attention.

Notifications have a bigger emphasis than ever on the lock screen now that Slide to Unlock is dead, however the way Apple displays them is kind of ugly if you get multiple notifications from the same app.

The battery pack for iPhone that’s also a great case [Reviews]

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The Moshi iGlaze Ion battery case provides the best of both worlds.
The Moshi iGlaze Ion battery case provides the best of both worlds.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In my line of work, conducting interviews and attending press conferences, a fully charged iPhone is a necessity. I don’t want the constant worry of watching my phone’s battery slowly die down as I search for the nearest power outlet.

To alleviate the fear of an undercharged iPhone, battery packs and cases are must-haves. And, while I appreciate the convenience of an external battery pack, they are often too bulky. A battery case is another option as it will house my phone and battery pack in one handy spot — again resulting in added bulk, especially when my phone is fully charged and I don’t need the battery attached 24/7.

Why hasn’t anyone thought of combining the two? Accessory-maker Moshi has heeded the call with its iGlaze Ion battery case for the iPhone 6 and 6s.

Check out the video below for my full review.

Sorry, can’t hear you, we’re trying out all these new headphones [Deals]

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CoM - Bone Conduction
Surely one of these headphones deals will grab you by the ear.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We’re not ignoring you, we swear, it’s just that our ears are busy with a fresh shipment of awesome earbuds and headphones. From bone-conductive to reinforced earbuds and on-ear bluetooth, these are some of the best sounding, most feature rich, and least expensive groove delivery systems we’ve had the pleasure of trying. Take a look and see if anything catches your eyes, or ears.

Don’t skip this crucial step if you want your app to be awesome [Pro Tip]

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Bill Atkinson, the creator of MacPaint, has crucial advice for coders.
Bill Atkinson, the creator of MacPaint, has crucial advice for coders.
Photo: Jim DeVona/Flickr/CC

Pro_Tip_Cult_of_Mac SAN FRANCISCO — If you want to make a truly killer app, here’s a crucial part of the creative process you shouldn’t overlook: Give your “finished” software to someone, ask them to do something with it, and then shut the hell up.

Observe their interaction with the app, and you’ll learn what you’re doing right — and what you’re doing wrong.

That priceless piece of advice comes from Bill Atkinson, an Apple veteran who coded some of the greatest Mac software of all time, including HyperCard and MacPaint.

Apple just hit yet another roadblock in China

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iPhone 6s
Apple's accused of infringing on the design patents of a rival company.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has just hit its latest setback in China, after a court ruled that it had infringed on the design patent of a Chinese smartphone maker and may have to stop selling the iPhone in Beijing as a result.

iPhone 7 Plus may not get dual-lens camera after all

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iPhone 7 mockup
The iPhone 7's dual-lens camera could be a game changer.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Buying the iPhone 7 Plus might not be as big an upgrade as some Apple fans were hoping for this fall.

Apple has allegedly decided to scrap plans to include a dual-lens camera sensor on the back of the iPhone 7 Plus, according to the latest rumor from China that claims the tech isn’t quite ready.

LG shows off its latest UltraWide monitor with a little help from DevinSuperTramp

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LG's new line of UltraWide monitors allow for shooting and editing in aspect ratios usually reserved for the pros.
LG's new line of UltraWide monitors allow for shooting and editing in aspect ratios usually reserved for the pros.
Photo: LG Electronics

This post is brought to you by LG Electronics.

Even if you’ve never heard of DevinSuperTramp, it’s a good bet your eyeballs have engaged one of his gorgeous videos of people at play.

Whether it’s parkour in the Shire, boogie boarding off wet rocks, parasailing, base jumping or squirrel suiting, you name the ill-advised activity, and this guy’s probably shot it — with glorious production values.

With 200 videos, 4 million YouTube subscribers and over 765 million views, he’s doing something right. One of the keys to his success is keeping on top of the latest, greatest gear.

Apple reveals why iMessage isn’t coming to Android

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Messages iOS 10
That doesn't mean you should stop using it.
Photo: Apple

Android fans who have been waiting for Apple to bring its popular iMessage platform to Android won’t be getting blue chat bubbles anytime soon, according to Apple executives at WWDC.

Despite pre-WWDC rumors that Apple planned to push iMessage across the Android divide, the company revealed this week that it has some pretty good reasons to keep it as an exclusive iOS feature.

Banging Bluetooth earbuds lose the wires without sacrificing sound [Reviews]

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nuforce
Fantastic-sounding audio without all the cable tangle.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: NuForce BE6i by Optoma

Earbuds are essential for activities like running or working out, and they’re fantastic for those times when I don’t want to be wearing a heavy set of cans on my head.

Still, running when wired is an exercise in frustration for me, as I usually end up flailing at some point and yanking out the headphones in my ears via the trailing cord.

These NuForce BE6i Bluetooth earbuds solve both problems: they’re fantastic-sounding, good-looking in-ear headphones without the cord issue.

Get a lifetime of safe and anonymous surfing with a VPN [Deals]

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CoM - VPN Unlimited
Get a lifetime of VPN access for just $29.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you visit this site regularly, you know that we’re fans of virtual private networks (VPN) for getting online. By carefully channeling your data through a protected network, they are a great and accessible option for anyone looking to anonymize and protect their online activity. Well, today we’ve got a deal from VPN Unlimited, offering a lifetime of VPN access for just $29.

The Donald trumps his challengers in iPhone case sales

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If you comb over the many smartphone cases at Zazzle, you will find this caricature of Donald Trump.
If you comb over the many smartphone cases at Zazzle, you will find this caricature of Donald Trump.
Photo: Zazzle

Forget political polls. The real horse race is in iPhone cases — and Donald Trump is dominating the field.

Whether it is the proud, orange face of Trump as Uncle Sam or a slogan that encourages others not to vote for him, The Donald is yuuuuuge.

watchOS 3 hands on: Apple Watch becomes more useful

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watchOS 3
watchOS 3 has a ton of new features, check them out in our latest video!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2016 brought a lot of exciting new software updates, and we’re working our way through hands-on demos with all of them. We’ve already covered iOS 10, macOS Sierra and tvOS 10 betas — and now it’s time for watchOS 3.

Apple’s latest operating system for the Apple Watch brings a lot of changes and improvements that fix the user experience. Watch the video below to see the new OS in action.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs talks to Rolling Stone

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Steve Jobs during the NeXT years.
Steve Jobs during the NeXT years.
Photo: Doug Menuez/Fearless Genius

thursday16 There was, to put it mildly, a lot that was insanely great about Steve Jobs’ return to Apple. But one thing that always struck me as less than good from an Apple fan’s perspective was that he stopped giving revealing in-depth interviews.

As his ability to command the narrative increased, Apple’s CEO understandably shifted away from playing the media hound he’d been for the first part of his career, where he’d speak with often painful honesty to seemingly any magazine that would have him. One of his last such interviews? The one that appeared in the June 16, 1994, edition of Rolling Stone.