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Microsoft can’t even give away Windows 10

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Microsoft-Surface
Windows 10 is almost a year old, and Windows 7 still rules.
Photo: Microsoft

I like Windows 10. There, I said it. But unfortunately for Microsoft, millions of others have no interest in it.

Despite being free for almost a year, the company’s latest upgrade hasn’t been able to put any significant dent in Windows 7’s user base. It has only just overtaken the universally despised Windows 8.1 release.

Siri’s latest shortcoming: Public speaking

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NPH iPhone 6s ad
Oh, you.
Photo: Apple

A new iPhone 6s ad features actor Neil Patrick Harris, the Internet’s boyfriend, practicing an acceptance speech with digital assistant Siri.

The spot shows off the latest device’s hands-free feature, which lets you activate the helper with voice commands without the phone having to be plugged in. But mostly it’s just a fun little promo.

Check it out below.

Siri’s sequel beats the heck out of Apple’s AI assistant

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Viv
Viv is going to blow you away!
Photo: Viv

Dag Kittlaus and Adam Cheyer, creators of the artificial intelligence technology that brought Siri to the iPhone, today showcased a new virtual assistant that’s even more amazing.

Viv, which has been secretly in development for the past four years, is a much more open platform that works closely with a whole bunch of different services to be even more powerful than its predecessor, and to take AI to a whole new level.

Strikingly simple Yohann iPad stand works all the angles [Reviews]

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Yohann iPad stand updated photo
It's just one piece, but it does basically everything you need.
Photo: Evan Killham, Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

I have a pretty decent iPad cover that lets me easily prop up my tablet in case I want to stay in bed and watch Netflix all day like someone who does not suffer from depression at all. But the recently released Yohann iPad stand makes my existing system look like cheap garbage.

It’s genuinely a beautiful and elegantly designed piece that looks great whether it’s holding the iPad or not, and it’s also incredibly useful. You’ll pay for every bit of that ingenuity, but if you have the scratch, this belongs in your home.

iPhone 7 might kill two of iPhone 6s’ worst design flaws

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iPhone-7-dummy-2
It's convincing, but is it real?
Photo: MacRumors

This year’s iPhone upgrade probably won’t be a spectacular one, but it could kill two of our biggest design complaints with the latest models.

An iPhone 7 dummy unit promises more discreet antenna bands that are nowhere near as ugly, and a flush camera lens. It also reignites hopes of a Smart Connector.

Periscope takes to the skies with live drone streaming

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Broadcast from your GoPro, iPhone, or DJI drone with Periscope.
Broadcast from your GoPro, iPhone, or DJI drone with Periscope.
Photo: Periscope

Now you can stream live from your drone when you take to the skies with Periscope, Twitter’s service that lets you broadcast live video, provided you have the app on iOS and a DJI drone.

In addition to live drone streaming, Periscope is also rolling out a new search function that will let you look for specific live streams and saved broadcasts. You’ll be able to search for topics or hashtags with the new system.

A save function, currently in beta, is also expected to arrive in a few weeks.

Microsoft more profitable than Apple at $1 trillion milestone

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Windows 10 Mobile
Lumia's failure hasn't hit Microsoft too hard... yet.
Photo: Microsoft

Apple may have quaffed all the champagne at the $1 trillion in revenue party before Microsoft even got its invite, but the Windows maker rocked up in a bigger limo.

Last quarter, Microsoft finally reached the major milestone that Apple celebrated back in 2015, and it currently boasts even more profit.

Coffee table book is self-taught photographer’s valentine to Apple design

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Jonathan Zufi's book ICONIC has been popular with Apple fans.
Jonathan Zufi's book ICONIC has been popular with Apple fans.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac 2.0 bugThe fun Jonathan Zufi had playing RobotWar on his high school’s lone Apple II in the early 1980s re-emerged one day. He just had to play it again.

The lark that led Zufi to an online search for an Apple II to play the game grew into the acquisition of more than 500 vintage Apple items, which he lovingly photographed, but then sold to fund production of a coffee table book that has sold more than 15,000 copies.

Liberate your iPhone data with this compact flash drive [Deals]

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The new iKlips DUO offers improved design and an updated management app.
The new iKlips DUO offers improved design and an updated management app.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Every day, our iPhones become home to more and more of our most important data — photos, music, documents, not to mention the countless apps we can’t do without. iPhone data is a precious resource and often inconvenient to manage, especially when space for it runs out. That’s what made the first iKlips so popular, an elegant solution for adding storage and creating more flexibility for transferring data between iOS devices. The iKlips DUO adds a bevy of improvements and refinements that make it an even better way to store and move your stuff on any iOS device, and right now you can get one for just $71.

Apple remains No. 1 PC maker, despite falling sales

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Sell your MacBook to us, even if it's busted.
Apple reigns as the top PC maker, but it's a crumbling market.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has once again been named the No. 1 seller of PCs, based on shipments of just over 14 million units in the first three months of 2016.

The study comes courtesy of independent analysts Canalys, which claim that worldwide PC shipments — which it defines as being desktops, notebooks, two-in-ones and tablets — totaled 101 million units this quarter. That means that, broadly speaking, seven out of every 50 PCs sold bore the Apple brand.

Apple may have to fight China for iPhone graphics chip maker

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Loads of people love the iPhone SE's smaller form factor.
China just made a big investment in the company which makes PowerVR graphics chips for iPhones.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

Right now it seems like Apple is set for a collision of sorts with the Chinese government — and things may not be helped by the fact that a state-owned Chinese company just bought a stake in Imagination Technologies, a British chip design company Apple was previously reported as being in “advanced talks” to acquire.

Apple Maps adds Transit directions for Sacramento

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Tower_Bridge_Sacramento_edit
Sacramento in all its glory!
Photo: Wikipedia CC

After Apple Maps got off to a rocky start, it is continuing its quest to become the go-to maps service on mobile by adding transit information for yet another city — meaning that the app will provide detailed information on transportation options ranging from buses to railway lines.

The latest city to get the Transit treatment? Sacramento, CA.

iPhone 7 likely to boast same height and width as last year’s iPhone 6s

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Keep your Amazon details safe with two-step verification.
Would Apple stick with the same design three years in a row?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

In another piece of evidence that September’s iPhone 7 may not offer a radical redesign of the curvaceous iPhone 6 or 6s, a newly-released schematic suggests that the next-gen iPhone 7 will boast an identical height and width to last year’s 2015-era iPhone refresh.

Good thing or not? Either way, check out the picture below.

Opera brings free and unlimited VPN to iPhone and iPad

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Opera-VPN
Browse the web anonymously and without restrictions.
Photo: Opera

Paying for VPN services for your iPhone and iPad just became a thing of the past, thanks to Opera.

The company is today launching the first free and unlimited VPN for iOS, allowing you to browse the web anonymously, access content that’s blocked in your country, and more — without coughing up a single penny.

Apple is working to sort out its podcast issues

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Overcast is the best podcast app for iOS.
Apple has met with leading podcasters to improve its service.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly hosted a meeting between Eddy Cue and seven leading podcasters last month in Cupertino, in which the company listened to the concerns they had for Apple’s podcast services going forward.

Some of the most pressing issues are said to involve the ease of sharing podcasts on social media, the possibility of offering paid podcasts, and providing podcasters with data about their audience which could then be used to help generate more money.

Retro Apple collections, iPhone features you’ve never dreamed of, and more

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There are some amazing Apple collections out there.
There are some amazing Apple collections out there.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Take a trip down memory lane to see some amazing Apple memorabilia — if you’re in Prague, anyway. With a collection that spans the years 1976 to 2012, nearly every Apple computer, printer, mouse, joystick, and piece of software is represented.

Learn more about this fascinating museum and the story of its founders in this week’s jam-packed Cult of Mac Magazine. Plus, Tim Cook’s promises of undreamt-of future iPhone features, backing up an iPhone to an external drive, luxurious Apple Watch bands, and Mac spring cleaning.

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

Here are this week’s top stories.

Lumi, Moog Model 15, and other awesome apps of the week

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'Appy weekend everyone.As usual, that means we're counting down the top apps you may have missed from the previous 7 days -- everything from an update to a truly excellent game to a fantastic way to keep up to date with your Apple Watch.Without further ado, then, here are this week’s awesome apps!
Have we got some apps for you!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In a week in which we heard about the impending Apple Music refresh, Drake’s Views album proved a smash hit for Apple, and the LAPD revealed that it had successfully hacked the iPhone 5s as part of a high-profile murder investigation, some great new — and newly-updated — apps arrived in the App Store.

Check out our picks for the week’s best below. What better way to spend a lazy Sunday?

From Polaroid cameras to ethical hacking, this week’s best deals at Cult of Mac [Deals]

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Ditto's quarter-sized bluetooth button alerts you only when you get a call or message you want to hear about.
Ditto's quarter-sized bluetooth button alerts you only when you get a call or message you want to hear about.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Each week we share great deals on standout products and lessons, but some deals are greater and standout-er than others. To make sure you get a shot and the best of the best, every Sunday we’ll be posting a roundup of the especially special deals we find each week. This week, we’re reminding you of a wearable that makes sure you never miss a call, lessons in ethical hacking, a tough and classy iPhone wallet, and a camera that revives the Polaroid format.

Take a look:

Find this week’s top tools and tech at the Cult of Mac Store [Deals]

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Whether it's your TV or your Amazon Echo, this remote can control it.
Whether it's your TV or your Amazon Echo, this remote can control it.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Another week, another round of deals on tools and tech at the Cult of Mac Store. This time we’ve got universal remotes, training in Adobe suite, a first-class iPhone wallet and a whole bag of awesome apps. Take a gander and treat yourself to something you didn’t know you needed.

How watchOS 3 could fix Apple Watch and end ‘wrist rage’

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Does your Apple Watch give you wrist-rage?
Does your Apple Watch give you wrist rage? If so, watchOS 3 might help.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

My biggest gripe with my Apple Watch is not the sluggish hardware, the lack of GPS nor the dependance on my iPhone. These are all problems to be sure. But it is the bad user interface design that often drives me so mad that my force-taps turn into force-thumps of frustration.

With an update to the Apple Watch operating system expected at the Worldwide Developers Conference next month, here’s my top 10 list of interface improvements I’d like to see in the upcoming watchOS 3. These essential changes would spare my wrist from future incidents of wrist rage.

Snopes declares Apple Music deletion fears ‘mostly false’

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Apple Music
Everyone can stop burning their phones as warlocks.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

You’ve done it now, Apple Music-phobes. Now Snopes is involved.

The myth-busting website, which has ended several of my burgeoning Facebook arguments before anyone could call anyone else a Nazi, has turned its attention to this week’s claims that Apple’s streaming service is just reaching into your computer and absconding with your music. And it has good news for the people who are frantically clutching their tunes like virtual teddy bears.

According to Snopes, the rumors we’ve heard are “Mostly False.” But here’s what that means.

Mother’s Day on Messenger is all about digital flowers

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Facebook-Messenger-flowers
This is even weirder than that basketball game from March.
Screencap: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

We know that emoticons and Emojis are for expressing yourself when words fail you, but what does it mean when you put flowers around your text bubble? According to Facebook Messenger, that just means it’s Mother’s Day.

The chat app has rolled out a weird feature in advance of Sunday’s mother-loving holiday to let you festoon your messages with happy little flowers.

Here’s how you get in on the festivities.