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Spotify enlists Lady Gaga’s manager to fight Apple Music

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Troy Carter is bringing his talents to Spotify.
Troy Carter is bringing his talents to Spotify.
Photo: TechCrunch/Flickr

The battle between Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music for exclusive content from artists is about to get fiercer, thanks to a new hire from Spotify that has connections to some of the hottest musicians around.

Troy Carter, the guy who helped turn Lady Gaga and Meghan Trainor into pop superstars, is reportedly joining Spotify to help it scores more exclusive music deals to draw in subscribers.

Apple’s new ‘Shot on iPhone’ video ads are mesmerizing

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Meet the star of Apple's new ad.
Meet the star of Apple's new ad.
Photo: Apple

The long-running ‘Shot on iPhone’ ad campaign by Apple got a big update with eight incredible new videos spots featuring clips from unique locations all across the globe.

Bees, dogs, penguins and even a giant hippo star in the new video ads that were published today. The short clips highlight the iPhone’s video recording features like Slo-Mo and Timelapse while other shots are played in slow-mo. What makes the ads great is the simplicity of each show accompanied by awesome indie jams like “Chocolate (Milk Version)” by Jesse Rose & Trozé.

Watch all 8 videos below:

Coach Apple Watch bands will arrive on June 12th

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Watch out Apple Watch, Google is coming for you.
Coach is getting into the Apple Watch band business.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Coach’s website accidentally leaked details of their upcoming Apple Watch last week, but it looks like you won’t have to wait much longer to get one on your wrist.

The first shipment of Coach’s Apple Watch bands are set to arrive in stores by June 12th, according to a new report that has also revealed some of the details of the bands. Though they’re certainly not as simple as the Hermés lineup, they’re about a tenth of the price and quirky details that will be perfect for fashionistas.

Check out a closeup of three bands:

DJ Khaled is the major key to Apple Music’s new ads

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Ray Liotta and DJ Khaled getting their nails did.
Ray Liotta and DJ Khaled getting their nails did.
Photo: Apple

Snapchat philosopher and hip-hop producer DJ Khaled is the latest celebrity to endorse Apple Music in a new series of ads that show Khaled living the life while introducing Naomi Campbell and Ray Liotta to Apple Music.

Along with dropping some major keys in the new ad, Khaled also dropped a fresh new song featuring Drake called “For Free” that’s available for free on Apple Music. The song is so hot it’s already the top song on iTunes.

Check out the funny new ads below:

You’ll get ‘keyed up’ over this Apple computer jewelry

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Stacey Peterson has a key to each Apple fan's heart.
Stacey Peterson has a key to each Apple fan's heart.
Photo: Stacey Peterson

Cult of Mac 2.0 bugIf you like how your Mac keyboard feels to the touch, you may like the way some of the keys look and feel as wearable art.

Pennsylvania artist Stacey Peterson salvages the keys and even the power button to make necklaces, cufflinks, and other wearable keyboard pieces that she sells to eager Apple fans on her Etsy site. In most cases, the key or power button engages in that satisfying click.

While Apple continues to produce desirable electronic devices, other support industries have emerged to provide cases, sleeves, and peripheral hardware accessories. Like the T-shirt or toymakers who celebrate Apple culture, Peterson is part of a cottage industry that engages the Apple fan’s emotional motherboard, the circuits that spark that loyalty, nostalgia and a sense of coolness.

Apple drops new betas for all of its platforms

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iPhone
Don’t miss out on iOS 13. Ditch your old iPhone now.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In just over a week Apple will reveal its big software updates for all its products at WWDC, but for now it’s still working on bug fixes on the current platforms before moving on.

Apple seeded four new beta updates to developers today, bringing a big batch of under the hood improvements to iOS, OS X El Capitan, watchOS and tvOS.

Dragon’s latest app is like a hearing aid for your Mac [Deals]

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Dragon Version 5 is dictation software that listens closely and accurately.
Dragon Version 5 is dictation software that listens closely and accurately.

Speech-to-text technology — for speaking into your device to compose a text message, send an email, etc. — isn’t very old, but still shows signs of a hearing problem. When you want to translate your spoken words into written text without having to manually change every ‘ours’ into ‘hours’, you won’t find more accurate software than Dragon. The 5th and latest version of their dictation software is as accurate and easy to use as you’ll ever find, and right now you can get it for $99.99.

Apple may be able to open Indian retail stores after all

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Apple supplier is increasing its ability to build masses of iPhones in India
Indian Apple Stores may finally be on the way.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s plans to open own-brand Apple Stores in India may finally be gaining momentum, with a new report claiming that the Indian government is likely to give the company a two or three year exemption to local sourcing laws in order to establish its retail outlets in the country.

Design isn’t the only thing China’s copying from Apple

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money
Turns out that Apple's got some great accountants.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

It’s not just handset design that Chinese tech companies seem keen to “borrow” from Apple. According to a fascinating new report, a growing number of Chinese companies are copying Apple’s “balance-sheet strategy” by issuing debt as a way to increase their return on equity and hand money back to shareholders.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs announces Intel-powered Macs

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apple_intel1
It didn't hurt that Jobs negotiated a sweet deal from Intel!
Photo: Apple

luke_bug_80x80_360When people look back on Steve Jobs’ most audacious moves during his 1997-2011 stint as CEO, launching the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone and iPad are most frequently singled out as rightfully big achievements — as is his decision to open Apple-branded retail outlets and the iTunes Stores.

Back on June 6, 2005, Jobs made another major announcement, however, when he revealed that Macs were switching their CPUs over from PowerPC processors to Intel ones.

Here’s why it mattered.

Sky Force Reloaded, Frame.io and other awesome apps of the week

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appsoftheweek_1024
'Appy weekend all!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In a week where Cult of Mac brought you exclusive next-gen MacBook pics and controversial ex-iPad creator Tony Fadell parted ways with Nest, we got some great new apps arriving in the App Store.

Which apps were dominating our iOS devices over the past seven days? Check out our picks below. Trust us, it’s the perfect way to spend your Sunday!

An anti-car theft app? It’s just one of the newest deals at Cult of Mac [Deals]

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These two, 2-meter long Lightning cables are going for less than a single, standard one.
These two, 2-meter long Lightning cables are going for less than a single, standard one.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

You’ve gotta love the tools and toys you never knew you needed, and this week’s latest deals include a few. An app for tracking your car and preventing theft, a pair of extra long Lightning Cables, lessons in iOS coding and comprehensive instruction in one of the leading illustrator apps. The first step in wanting something is knowing it exists, so read on to get first dibs on these great deals:

DIY repair kits to digital notepads: the week’s best deals at Cult of Mac [Deals]

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These 64 screwdriver bits are hand-picked by iFixit to make repairing your own electronics a sinch.
These 64 screwdriver bits are hand-picked by iFixit to make repairing your own electronics a sinch.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This week brought warmer weather and a whole bunch of great new deals. From iFixit’s invaluable electronics repair kit, to a lifetime of virtual private network access, a digital note-taking set and a massive storage upgrade that hides in the SD slot. Take a look and take something cool home with you:

MacBook Pro spy photos leak, this week on The CultCast

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The new MacBook Pro vs the Old.
The new MacBook Pro vs the Old.
Photo: Cult of Mac

This week on The CultCast: MacBook Pro spy photos reveal some juicy new features, but some old favorites go bye-bye. Plus: Apple may finally update its ancient Thunderbolt display; why moving iPhone to a three-year update cycle would suck; and stay tuned for more weird and wacky super-fan stories from The Cult of Mac.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to build a website that looks beautiful on any device that visits at Squarespace.com. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10 percent off.

Leaked photos all but confirm MacBook Pro OLED touchpad, Apple’s new SF store, and more

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CoM Mag (1)

In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine we have a great lineup for you. Read about Parry Gripp, whose career in music was given a boost thanks to Apple and the iPhone.

Check out the precise design features and attention to detail at the newest Apple store in San Francisco, where all architectural elements align. Plus, view leaked photos of the new OLED touchpad that is very, very likely to appear on this year’s MacBook Pro.

These and many more great stories in Cult of Mac Magazine, free for you right now.

Here are this week’s top stories.

R.I.P. Muhammad Ali

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Muhammed Ali in Apple's Think Different campaign.
Muhammed Ali in Apple's Think Different campaign.
Photo: Apple

Godammit. I really loved Muhammad Ali. My all-time greatest hero. A great athlete, funny as shit, and a giant of a man because he gave a shit about something other than himself. He stood up for what he believed in, and he shone a light on all kinds of injustice. Rest in peace Ali.

Tony Fadell is leaving the Nest

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Fadell
From the sound of things, Nest CEO Tony Fadell learned quite a bit from working with Steve Jobs.
Photo: Nest

Nest co-founder and CEO Tony Fadell revealed today that he’s taking flight and leaving the company he created.

The godfather of the iPod hit a grand slam with the launch of his smart-thermostat company that was bought by Google, but it appears he’s ready to call it quits just six years into Nest’s run.

Meet China’s QQ Music, a streaming app with 80 million users

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QQ Music is perhaps the best streaming music app in China.
QQ Music is perhaps the best streaming music app in China.
Photo: Virginia Werner/Cult of Mac

Made_in_china_bugMainland China is Apple’s second biggest market, and will one day be its first. The company is making a big push on the mainland, opening new stores and investing in home-grown companies. Why the interest? Because China is the new Japan — it’s where the future is happening. All this week we take a look at the cutting-edge apps that define mobile life on the mainland.

SHANGHAI CITY, China — In China, 478 million people — more than the entire population of the United States — listen to music online, according to government statistics. I am one of those people, and in China I have joined the reported 80 million active users of QQ Music to stream music on my iPhone.

Apple’s updated WWDC app gets tvOS support and a dark theme

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Will Apple hold WWDC on June 13 - 17 this year at the Moscone Center?
Apple is set to takeover the Moscone center.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

With WWDC 2016 set to kick off in just 10 days, Apple has released a new update to its annual WWDC app that makes it easy to keep track of all the new software and announcements, even if you’re not attending the conference.

Developers will now be able to virtually attend sessions thanks to the new live streaming tools that come with the new tvOS version of the WWDC app, as well as multitasking picture-in-picture option for the iPad version.

The guy who named iMac says Apple’s names are too confusing

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The next iPhone will have a huge battery.
Is it time for Apple to change the way it names iPhones?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Former Apple marketing guru Ken Segall helped launched Apple’s string of i-devices, but now he says that the company has lost its way from simplicity lately and there’s no clearer sign than the confusing naming scheme of the iPhone.

In a recent op-ed claiming Apple’s days of simplicity may have died with his buddy Steve Jobs, Segall takes Apple’s product names to tasks for being far too complex for customers to keep track, saying Tim Cook has created products that he finds bewildering.

Google’s ‘big red button’ kills AI before it can kill us

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GoogleDeepMind-Logotype-Vertical_Black
Google won't let the robots take over.
Photo: Google

Google’s DeepMind team has been working with scientists to create a way in which humans can kill artificial intelligence agents before they can turn on us.

It’s a concern many have as the AI systems being developed by tech giants become more intelligent and more capable — but Google has us covered.

Retro Apple fan makes 3D miniatures of classic Macs

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Charles Mangin likes them Apples, especially when he can recreate a 3D printed miniature version of his favorite computers.
Charles Mangin likes them Apples, especially when he can recreate a 3D printed miniature version of his favorite computers.
Photo: Charles Mangin

Cult of Mac 2.0 bugApple’s business model is based on the future, but sometimes a fan pines for the machine they had as a kid.

Self-taught hardware hacker and 3D printer artist Charles Mangin happily tries to satisfy those vintage tech longings by recreating pieces of Apple’s past in miniature. He even brings the screens to life — sort of.