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iOS 10 will help you save money on the road

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Apple Maps has some new tricks in iOS 10.
Apple Maps has some new tricks in iOS 10.
Photo: Apple

Drivers tired of forking over cash to toll booths on the morning commute are getting some welcomed relief thanks to iOS 10.

Apple Maps didn’t get much stage time during the WWDC 2016 keynote earlier this week, but along with adding proactive route suggestions, Apple has also made it super easy to avoid any toll booths that might be on your route.

Mockup proves iPhone 7 would be beautiful in blue

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This could be your new iPhone.
This could be your new iPhone.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Apple might add a new color to the iPhone lineup and this year it won’t be a new shade of gold.

Recent rumors have claimed that the iPhone 7 will come in a “Deep Blue” color option when it launches this fall, which sounds kind of strange, until you look at the beautiful mockups created by Martin Hajek.

Even though the iPhone 7 isn’t expected to feature any major design changes, we will gladly fork over the cash for an upgrade if it looks this good:

5 reasons your Apple experience is about to get even more amazing

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Watch WWDC as a developer is a completely different experience.
Devs at WWDC 2016 see plenty of under-the-hood tweaks that will ultimately mean big things for users.
Photo: Apple

Most Apple fans don’t start drooling at the mention of speech-recognition APIs, Xcode thread sanitizers, Metal tessellation or Pixar USD model support. However, if you’re a developer, those can be huge game-changers that mean you can make your apps better than ever.

While Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2016 keynote revealed loads of fresh features coming in iOS 10 and macOS Sierra — including some amazing stuff that should delight iPhone, iPad and Mac owners when the final versions launch this fall — developers watching Monday’s event saw tons of seemingly minor updates that will let them make apps better than ever.

To find out what the little updates could mean for typical users, Cult of Mac asked some of this year’s Apple Design Award winners what WWDC additions they’re most excited about.

Here’s what they told us.

Apple forces additional security requirements on iOS apps

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iPhone SE
Apple plans to make HTTPS mandatory for apps.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is finally dropping the ban hammer on HTTP.

As part of its overall efforts to increase security on iOS, Apple revealed to developers at WWDC that it will soon force all apps to use a secure HTTPS connection to access web service, so that users’ data stays encrypted while in transit.

Week’s best Apple buys: Cheapest ever refurb MacBook Air

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Great deals on Apple gear -- and an iPhone case for just a buck!
Great deals on Apple gear -- and an iPhone case for just a buck!
Collage: Cult of Mac

We’ve got items big and small in this week’s roundup of best Apple deals. Whether you want to take advantage of all the latest updates from WWDC 2016, or just want an affordable refurb Mac that will get the job done, read on for savings.

Win It Wednesday: Your chance to bag a 12-inch MacBook [Deals]

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CoM - Macbook Giveaway
This is your chance to win a free MacBook. Who's in?
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Of all Apple’s products, the MacBook is probably the one most associated with a price tag that reflects its quality. That makes the idea of getting a free MacBook all the more hard to wrap your head around, but that’s exactly what we’re offering today. If you’re 21 or older, enter for your chance to win a 12-inch MacBook like the one pictured, worth $1,299. No strings attached.

iOS 10 app deletion won’t actually delete Apple’s stock apps

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You can remove stock apps in iOS 10, but you can't swap them.
"Hiding" apps is a better description.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Among the myriad improvements Apple is making with iOS 10 is the ability to, for the first time, delete the stock apps which come pre-packaged on your iPhone and iPad.

That means that, should you not use your Calendar, Compass, Mail or Weather app (to name just 18 stock iOS apps), you’ll be able to banish them from your device — having to re-download them via the App Store if you change your mind.

But things aren’t quite as straightforward as they might sound!

Today in Apple history: Aluminum Mac mini arrives

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10macmini_hero
Good things come in small packages!
Photo: Apple

wednesday15 While Apple originally introduced the diminutive Mac mini in 2005, it was on June 15, 2010, that it launched the sleek, unibody aluminum Mac mini redesign that persists to this day.

Starting at $699, the mid-2010 era Mac mini gave users a 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 2 GB of RAM, and a 320 GB hard drive. It also boasted an HDMI-out port for the first time, an SD card reader, a dazzling new NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics chip and — very excitingly — no power brick, since all the power circuitry was housed inside the minimalist device, which stood at a not-so-imposing 1.4 inches tall.

macOS Sierra hands on: Apple’s best desktop OS yet

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macOS Siri
Watch macOS Sierra's latest features in action.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The first macOS beta was released this week, so of course I downloaded it straight away on my Mac to bring you all a quick hands on video.

Although this is still the first beta, and many functions still don’t work as intended, it gives us our first glimpse at Apple’s next-gen desktop OS in action. Check out the macOS Sierra hands on video below.

Apple Watch 2 likely to ship 2 million units per month

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Apple Watch
Apple is being "very aggressive" about orders for its wearable sequel.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s announcements about the new watchOS 3 was one of the exciting highlights of Monday’s WWDC event, and it seems that Apple’s just as enthusiastic about its next-gen Apple Watch hardware — with sources in the supply chain claiming it’s ramped up component orders for the wearable sequel.

Clues in macOS Sierra point to OLED touch bar for MacBook Pro

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Adding an OLED touchpad could make the MacBook Pro even more magical.
Adding an OLED touchpad could make the MacBook Pro even more magical.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Apple’s WWDC 2016 keynote came and went without any new hardware announcements, but you might not have to wait much longer for the unveiling of the new MacBook Pro.

Source code in the first beta build of macOS Sierra hints that Apple plans to add support for an OLED touchpad, seemingly confirming the accuracy of the leaked MacBook Pro photos Cult of Mac published last month.

iOS 10 hands on: Your iPhone will never be the same

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iOS 10 hands on
What new features will wow you the most in iOS 10?
Photo:

With a host of new features, many of which go more than just skin deep, iOS 10 will bring loads of new functionality to iPhones and iPads.

We got the developer beta up and running to get a look at all the new iOS 10 features in action, and caught it all on video to share with you. Get a glimpse of the iPhone’s future in our iOS hands-on video.

Trent Reznor shreds YouTube and Spotify for ripping off artists

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iOS 10 gives Apple Music a makeover.
iOS 10 gives Apple Music a makeover.
Photo: Apple

Apple Music will receive a much-needed makeover as one of the big new features in iOS 10, but according to Apple’s music guru Jimmy Iovine, it’s going to take some time before the streaming service reaches its full potential.

The Beats co-founder sat down for a post-WWDC interview with Apple execs Eddy Cue and Robert Kondrk to talk about the progress of Apple Music. Nine Inch Nails frontman and Apple employee, Trent Reznor, was also in the interview and took some shots at rivals, saying any free-tiered service is not fair to artists.

Photographers rejoice! iOS 10 lets you snap RAW images

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iPhone 6 Plus
You may be in for a treat when you visit the Genius Bar.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Pictures snapped from an iPhone are about to take a huge step closer to pro status this year and you won’t even need to buy the iPhone 7 Plus’ rumored dual lens to get them.

For the first time ever, Apple is finally bringing RAW image files to the Camera app in iOS 10 thanks to a new AVCaptureOutput that will also allow third-party apps to snap Live Photos along with RAW.

ZEISS lens attachment gives iPhone pro glass

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ExoLens, which partnered with ZEISS for a pro line of iPhone lenses last year, will soon offer a protective case for the iPhone 7 to accommodate the lenses.
ExoLens, which partnered with ZEISS for a pro line of iPhone lenses last year, will soon offer a protective case for the iPhone 7 to accommodate the lenses.
Photo: ExoLens

If you feel cheated over Apple not rolling out new hardware at WWDC this week, legendary optics company ZEISS has a little something to ease the suffering of iPhone users who love photography.

With the iPhone considered by many to be the world’s most popular camera, ZEISS brings its 170 years of lens design to mobile photography with wide-angle, telephoto and macro attachments for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. ZEISS partnered with accessory brand ExoLens and boasts the new mobile lenses will bring “gold-standard gear” to iPhone shooters.

Apple crowns its 12 favorite apps of 2016

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Safari iOS 11
Download these apps pronto.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

To top off its monstrous opening day of WWDC 2016, Apple revealed the winners of its 2016 Apple Design Awards. The 10 developer apps and 2 student selections showcase the cutting edge of iOS technology by pushing their genres to new levels.

Games were the big winners last year, but this year Apple has highlighted everything from audio creation tools to a beautiful writing app.

And the winners are …

Safari 10 puts another nail in Flash’s coffin

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sheet
Apple still doesn't like Flash.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s next Safari update will arrive with new ways to handle legacy plugins like Adobe Flash to provide users with a better browsing experience, improved performance, and greater battery life.

Safari 10 will also use the speedier and more stable HTML5 over Flash whenever possible.

iOS 10 ensures you never forget where your car is parked

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iPhone SE
iOS 10 helps keep tabs on your car.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

“Dude, where’s my car?” is about to become a question of the past thanks to a new feature in iOS 10.

The underrated new feature went unmentioned during Apple’s two-hour keynote yesterday, but it might solve one of the biggest problems with going to any mall, festival, airport, hotel or hospital: remembering where you parked.