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FBI reveals unlocking tool doesn’t work on iPhone 5s and higher

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iPhone will never be 100 percent hacker-proof.
iPhone will never be 100 percent hacker-proof.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

The iPhone unlocking tool used by the FBI to unlock the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone 5c can only be used on “a narrow slice of phones” the agency admitted.

FBI director James Comey revealed that litigation between Apple and the federal government has ended, but the tool the agency purchased to unlock the device does not work on the iPhone 5s or newer iPhones, including the iPhone SE.

Sphear earbuds are so comfy, you’ll forget they’re in [Reviews]

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So comfy, you'll forget you're wearing them, except for all the music.
So comfy, you'll forget you're wearing them, except for all the music.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: Sphear in-ear monitors by Focal

When I think earbuds, I don’t think comfort. They’re light and let you take naps while in, but there’s really only so long I can handle keeping them in my ears.

That’s why this new set of “in-ear monitors,” called Sphear is so exciting — I’ve had them in to watch Netflix on an iPad, gone for a long training run, and just wore them around the house while working and making dinner for my kids.

Every time I put them in, they impress me with their balanced tone and high-quality sound. Most of all, though, I forget I’m wearing them. They’re that comfortable.

How to dig up all your hidden Facebook messages

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Facebook

Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Facebook Messenger is more and more becoming my default chat tool as it’s the one app most of my buddies have, either on their laptop or mobile device, regardless of platform.

Thing is, Messenger filters a bunch of messages you’ve received, and I’m willing to bet you didn’t even know they were there.

If you want to find all those hidden Facebook messages, here’s how.

These accessories will give your iDevices a new lease on life [Deals]

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7744fe9841bf3ce69dd4ebe97d4074692a3e24e0_main_hero_image
Take your iPhone or iPad to the next level with these cool accessories.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

You love your iPhone, you love your iPad, but what if you could make them even more worthy of your (let’s be honest, slightly creepy) affection?

We’ve found four peripherals that’ll enhance, protect and expand the capabilities of your favorite iDevice. From glow-in-the-dark charging cables to slim charging cases and flexible mounts, there’s something here anybody can enjoy. Take a look!

Intelligent app monitors your lending portfolios across multiple marketplaces

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lending-robot-dashboard
See your LendingClub, Prosper and Funding Circle portfolios at a glance.
Photo: LendingRobot

LendingRobot today launched a pretty important mobile app for peer lenders. It’s LendingRobot Dashboard, and it lets these lenders monitor all their portfolios across three separate services: LendingClub, Prosper and Funding Circle. It’s the only mobile app available that allows investors to connect from across multiple marketplaces and see their portfolios at a glance.

Rogue One trailer puts the war in Star Wars

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will star Felicity Jones as a Rebel spy.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will star Felicity Jones as a Rebel spy.
Photo: Lucasfilm LFL

The first trailer for Rogue One, the first stand-alone Star Wars movie, finally dropped this morning and it looks absolutely amazing.

There’s so much war going on in the two-minute trailer that our minds can barely take it all in. Prepare to get Star Wars fever all over again!

Reddit finally unleashes its official mobile app

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reddit-finally-unleashes-its-official-mobile-app-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604Screen-Shot-2016-04-07-at-143219-png
Reddit: The Official App is finally here!
Photo: Reddit
Reddit: The Official App is finally here! Photo: Reddit
Reddit: The Official App is finally here! Photo: Reddit

Well over a year after snapping up Alien Blue, the most popular third-party Reddit client for mobile, Reddit has finally launched its official client app.

Customers who download Reddit: The Official App in its first week will receive three free months of Reddit Gold, giving them an ad-free Reddit experience when using the mobile app, as well as additional features when browsing Reddit on a desktop or laptop.

How to create stunning double exposures with Enlight

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Make stunning images with Enlight right on your iPad.
Make stunning images with Enlight right on your iPad.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

If you want to create amazing images like the one above, Enlight is a fantastic way to do so on the iPad (or iPhone).

Most of us don’t want to take a huge amount of time, either, learning how to create these images in-camera or with a big application like Photoshop.

Enlight makes it so easy, even a photo newbie like myself can create amazing double exposures with Enlight in just a few minutes.

 

White House won’t back bill forcing tech companies to break encryption

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Having not one but two U.S. presidents in your fan base is pretty good going. Sadly, President Barack Obama is not allowed an iPhone as part of his official wardrobe and is stuck on BlackBerry. That hasn’t stopped him from openly lusting after the iPhone 6 in recent pics, though. He’s also admitted to spending hours each day on his iPad.Photo:
President Barack Obama is playing it cool when it comes to encryption.
Photo: Pete Souza/Wikipedia CC

The White House is refusing to publicly support new draft legislation that would give judges the right to force tech companies like Apple to help law enforcement break encrypted data.

The measure was put forward by Sens. Richard Burr and Dianne Feinstein, respectively the Republican chair and top Democrat of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Both Burr and Feinstein have been contacted by the FBI regarding a briefing on how the bureau was able to circumvent iPhone encryption on an older Apple device.

FBI is telling anti-encryption senators how it hacked the iPhone

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Apple offers up to $1.5 million to anyone who spots a software flaw
Remember when hackers were the good guys?
Photo: Hackers, United Artists

The FBI’s not cluing Apple in on how it allegedly hacked the iPhone 5c at the heart of the San Bernardino investigation, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happy to spill the secret to select members of Congress.

According to new reports, the feds have began briefing certain anti-encryption U.S. senators about the way in which it managed to access data on the handset belonging to shooter Syed Farook.

Coachella 2016 will rock Apple Pay and iBeacon support

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Apple will make Coachella a more enjoyable experience for attendees.
Photo: Square

Apple is all about music these days, which is why it makes perfect sense that the company would be keen to target the hip, young, presumably disposable-incomed revelers at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Thanks to Square, Coachella’s official point-of-sale provider, attendees will be able to use Apple Pay to buy food, drinks and other assorted merchandise, while the festival is also building iBeacon support into its official app.

Why the iPad has never shipped with a calculator app

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iPad Pro
Finally the reason for no native calculator app adds up.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

As crazy as it sounds given the wide range of use-cases Apple makes possible with the iPad, it has never shipped with a built-in calculator app. And, according to a recent post on Twitter from a user claiming to be an ex-Apple employee, we may finally have an explanation.

Shock horror: it involves Steve Jobs being a perfectionist.

Check it out below.

Apple Watch Hermès straps to be sold separately in new colors

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Apple-Watch-Hermes-1
Apple's most fashion-conscious bands yet.
Photo: Apple

Apple is about to introduce new color options and buying options to its celebrated Apple Watch Hermès collection — allowing customers to, for the first time ever, purchase the bands separately.

The new color options are available in the Single Tour, Double Tour and Cuff configurations, and come in Bleu Paon (green), Bleu Saphir (blue), Blanc (white), and Feu (orange) colors.

Apple Campus 2 will have 500 huge Dutch tables

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Apple Campus 2 table
Like this, but bigger. Way bigger.
Photo: Arco

We’re excited for the completion of Apple Campus 2, if only to see the amazing, time-lapse clip somebody is sure to cobble together from all of those in-progress drone videos. And the new facilities are so close to completion that the company has already started picking out furniture.

The main building is huge, and it’s going to need a lot of desks and chairs, sure. But it will also include some common areas, and Apple’s ordering up 500 custom-made “Pod Island” tables from Dutch manufacturer Arco to give its employees someplace to hang out, mingle, and collaborate.

And they look really cool.

There’s more than meets the eye to Xiaomi’s transforming tablet

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theres-more-than-meets-the-eye-to-xiaomis-transforming-tablet-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads20160412924431_10153328869581612_1188829891401646381_n-jpg
The transforming Mi Pad 2 in its "normal" state.
Photo: Hugo Barra

It’s not every day you see a tablet transform into a, well, a Transformer. But that’s exactly what we’re going to show you today, after Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra shared photos of a Mi Pad 2 that morphs into a robot.

Fans of the Transformers universe, whether that be the original cartoons back in the 1980s or the more recent reboots of the franchise, will no doubt agree that this is about as awesome as the Mi Pad 2 gets.

Taylor Swift treadmill tragedy pays off for Drake

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Taylor Swift Apple Music ad
It's way less awkward without the sound.
Photo: Apple

Drake’s apparently making bank off of a recent Apple Music ad featuring Taylor Swift faceplanting onto a treadmill.

The video launched less than a week ago on April 1, and since it went live, iTunes sales of Drake’s song “Jumpman,” which features prominently in the spot, have more than quadrupled, Billboard reports. And the playlist Swift pulls up to motivate herself for her cardio workout is showing pretty good numbers on Apple’s streaming service, too.

If you aren’t one of the millions of people who has already seen the Apple Music ad, you can check it out below.

This is the ‘iPhone 6 SE’ Apple should have made

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The 'iPhone 6 SE' has a 4-inch screen with an iPhone 6 body.
The 'iPhone 6 SE' has a 4-inch screen with an iPhone 6 body.
Photo: Computer Bild

The design of the iPhone SE is a bit stale for some Apple fans, but if you’re dying for a 4-inch iPhone that comes with the sleek curves of the iPhone 6 and 6s some determined modders from Germany have found the perfect solution.

Unhappy with the iPhone SE body, Computer Bild managed to take extract its guts and shove them into one of those fake 4-inch iPhone 6 housings from China we spotted last month. After more than two hours of careful modding, the end result is the iPhone SE Apple should have built. Better yet, it actually works.

You can watch the madness unfold below, but this is one mod you might not want to try at home.

6 must-know shortcuts for every Smart Keyboard owner

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Apple has extended service on the Smart Keyboard for iPad Pro to address "functional issues."
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

app-factor-logo-thumbnail Back in November, I purchased a 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a Smart Keyboard to go with it. I was so used to my Belkin keyboard paired with my iPad Air 2 that I quickly became frustrated with the Smart Keyboard’s lack of a shortcut row. Before long, I returned the Smart Keyboard (and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro).

J-pop group ‘hacks’ iPhone for amazing music video

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Lyrical School is ready to assault you with wackiness.
Lyrical School is ready to assault you with wackiness.
Photo: Lyrical School

Making a music video that shines bright in the vibrant Japanese-pop market isn’t easy, but if your band needs some tips, look no further than the amazingly whacky video the group Lyrical School just dropped.

Rather than filming the video for their first single ‘Run and Run’ in normal landscape format, the crew pulls off a brilliant trick by shooting in vertical mode to make it look like your iPhone has been hacked while you’re watching.

The effect isn’t quite as immersive if your iPhone language isn’t set to Japanese, but the attention to detail is pretty impressive and highlights Twitter, iOS 9.3’s Night Shift mode, Live Photos, and more.

Make sure you watch the video below on your iPhone:

Tim Cook joins RFK Human Rights’ board

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Tim Cook ABC News interview
Tim Cook has a statue of Robert F. Kennedy in his office.
Photo: ABC News/"World News Tonight with David Muir"

The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights has added Apple CEO Tim Cook to its board of directors to help the organization in its pursuit of a more just and peaceful world.

The International human rights organization that was founded by Bobby Kennedy’s family 50 years ago honored Cook last year with the Ripple of Hope Award, now Cook will help carry on his personal hero’s unfinished work of fighting against oppression for all people.

Apple unleashes new betas for everything

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A new iOS 9 beta is here.
A new iOS 9 beta is here.
Photo: Apple

Developers received a fresh batch of new beta software from Apple this morning for pretty much every device Apple makes.

The first betas for iOS 9.3.2, watchOS 2.2.1, tvOS 9.2.1 and OS X 10.11.5 were all seeded to developers today, bringing a host of new bug fixes and tiny features to the Mac, Apple Watch, iPhone, and Apple TV.

This Apple TV gaming controller takes you to console heaven [Reviews]

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Nimbus_1
Game like a pro on your Apple TV with the Nimbus gaming controller.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A few weeks ago, I found myself at the local Apple Store chatting to a sales associate who was demonstrating the SteelSeries Nimbus gaming controller. I had a quick go at the controls only to find myself duly impressed by the way it works as an Apple TV gaming controller.

I was intrigued enough to take another, closer look at this gaming pad to see if it’s worth picking up. Watch the video below to see my SteelSeries Nimbus review.

Apple might finally let you delete unwanted iOS apps

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iPhone SE next gen
Get ready to delete your unwanted Apple apps.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

Get ready to say goodbye to that folder on your iPhone holding all the stock iOS apps you never use.

Code found in iTunes suggests Apple finally plans to give iPhone and iPad users the tools to delete unwanted iOS apps that come pre-installed on devices like the Compass, Tips, Stocks, Voice Memos, and more.