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U.S. senator calls for ban on gun that looks like an iPhone

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32D9FA7100000578-3523426-image-m-39_1459815297431
Mugging? There's an app for that.
Photo: Ideal Conceal

New York Sen. Charles Schumer is speaking out about a .380-caliber gun disguised as an iPhone, which he says is a “disaster waiting to happen.”

Schumer called on the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to look into the iPhone gun — and possibly ban it — before it comes to market.

Apple will sell its 1 billionth iPhone this summer

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iPhone 6
Breaking news: Apple's sold a lot of iPhones.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple will sell its one billionth iPhone this summer and is likely to sell its 2 billionth by 2020, claims a new report.

Provided these numbers are accurate (and the first is almost certainly correct), it’s a timely reminder that — even during a period when the term “peak iPhone” is being thrown around — Apple’s astonishingly successful when it comes to selling its handsets.

Latest Siri exploit is super-specific (and avoidable)

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Siri
It's possible for Siri to be too helpful.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Siri might be a (halfway) decent digital assistant, but Apple’s AI helper makes for a lousy security guard.

We’ve heard about a bunch of “sneaky” ways that evildoers can use Siri to get access to your photos, contacts or completely unlock your phone without entering a passcode or using Touch ID. Luckily, most of these “security problems” are bogus, but a newly discovered one is for real.

The good news, however, is that this Siri exploit only affects certain iPhone models and is completely preventable.

New iPhone 7 concepts have vastly different takes on the future

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iPhone vision Next iPhone 7 concepts
Some iPhone 7 concepts are more likely for realization than others.
Photo: Marek Weidlich

Now that Apple has ruined all of our fun by showing us what the iPhone SE looks like, we can go back to obsessing over iPhone 7 concepts. We have two new ones for you to check out; one of them seems way more likely than the other, but they’re equally fun.

We’re sure these won’t be the last iPhone 7 concepts we’ll see before we get our first look at the new hotness later this year, but these ones are interesting because they take different approaches to their designs.

iPhone SE only costs Apple $160 to build

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iPhone SE
A new iPhone SE could be coming soon.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

When it comes to building iPhones, it really pays to use old parts.

The iPhone SE only costs Apple about $160 to build and assemble, based on the latest findings from an IHS teardown that discovered one the display, Apple cut costs down to less than half by using the same four-inch screen found on the iPhone 5s.

How to save iPhone storage by limiting the Messages app

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Messages is getting really good with iOS 10.
Messages is getting really good with iOS 10.
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

app-factor-logo-thumbnail If you’re running out of local or iCloud storage space on your iPhone (or iPad), it may be time to check how much space the Messages app is taking up. By default, your iPhone or iPad is set to save any messages you send and receive forever. This can result in iPhone “out of storage” messages, slow performance, and slow-loading performance when scrolling through threads.

Unless you really need to save every single message, there’s a quick way to potentially save gigs of space in just a few taps. Here’s how!

Amazon CEO teases top-of-the-line Kindle coming next week

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Amazon is on fire.
Jeff Bezos hopes the new Kindle is not like the Fire Phone.
Photo: Amazon

Looking for a new tablet but don’t need all the whiz-bang features that come with Apple’s pricey new iPad Pro?

Amazon may have just what you need when it reveals the 8th-generation Kindle next week. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos teased the new tablet on Twitter today, giving readers a heads-up on something wonderful coming their way.

How (and why) to disable LTE on your iPhone

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iPhone will never be 100 percent hacker-proof.
Disabling LTE on your iPhone can be useful at times.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

Why would you want to disable the fast mobile network speeds of LTE? Sometimes you’ll hit an area with spotty LTE coverage and your iPhone will bounce between 3G, LTE or even EDGE. That can kill your battery and you’ll want to disable LTE to avoid that.

Or maybe you just want to turn off your data to avoid any overages, or because you feel better when not constantly connected while on the go. Whatever your personal reason, here’s how to disable LTE on your iPhone.

This commuter/camera backpack will PRVKE you to retire your other bags [Reviews]

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The PRVKE pack (pronounced
The PRVKE pack (pronounced "provoke") puts fashion and function on your shoulders.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Backpacks evoke certain expectations. Sexy is usually not one of those expectations.

Yet that is the first feeling I had when checking out the PRVKE Pack, a smartly engineered backpack for photographers designed by brothers Ryan and Spencer Cope. Their company is called WANDRD, and wander is exactly what you will want to do with this bag.

iPhone SE is more bendy and breakable than iPhone 6s

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The iPhone SE bends easier than the iPhone 6s.
The iPhone SE bends easier than the iPhone 6s.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone SE may have the brains of the iPhone 6s, but not the brawn.

It took only 160 pounds of force to bend the iPhone SE’s frame in a new durability test pitting Apple’s tiny new iPhone against the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The new 4-inch iPhone stands up well fairly well against the iPhone 6s Plus, but it gets wrecked in SquareTrade’s tests, while the iPhone 6s takes a beating and still looks great.

Add a secure external drive to your iOS device [Deals]

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Instantly add 32 gigs of fast, secure storage to your iOs device with this pocket size drive.
Instantly add 32 gigs of fast, secure storage to your iOS device with this pocket-size drive.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Plenty of people complain about the limited space on their iPhone or iPad, but what can you really do about it? Well, getting an iSafe Drive Lite is a great start. It’s a palm-size drive that adds 32GB of secure storage to your iOS phone or tablet. It’s also the first-ever MFI-certified storage device built specifically for iOS, and right now you can get one for just $69.

Which fliers to search? There’s a $1.4 million app for that

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iPad Pro
An iPad will be used to help determine your fate at the airport.
Photo: Leander Kahney / Cult of Mac

Whether it’s airlines dropping flight manuals for iPads or iBeacons being used at airports, the aviation industry isn’t shy about embracing Apple products.

But it seems the Transportation Security Administration has yet another use in mind: It spent $1.4 million on a TSA iPad app to determine which passengers to randomly search when they’re about to board a flight.

2016 iPhone shipments may fall well below expectations

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iPhone 6 Plus_8
Apple's iPhone shipments may slip below 200 million this year.
Photo: Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

According to well-connected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is likely to disappoint on its total number of iPhone shipments this year — with numbers set to fall below 200 million, compared with 232 million handsets last year.

Siri will no longer be stumped by your baseball queries

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MLB
Siri's new upgrade is a home run for MLB fans.
Photo: Andrei Niemimäki/Flickr CC

Just in time for Apple’s new multiyear deal with Major League Baseball, Siri can answer whatever baseball questions you have, thanks to newly implemented knowledge covering 29 baseball leagues. Apple’s AI helper also now boasts a deep understanding of hardball history, based on stats dating back to the start of baseball records.

HP is convinced its new laptop will be a MacBook-beater

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12-inch MacBook
HP is desperate to out-Apple Apple.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but a rival tech company is invoking Apple’s name when it comes to claiming its latest products are going to be the greatest yet created.

This time it’s HP, which is set to unveil a new notebook this week that many predict will be even slimmer than Apple’s ultra-thin MacBook.

“For years, Apple has been seen as the innovator and the driver of innovation,” said Ron Coughlin, president of HP’s personal systems group. “HP is really taking over that mantle.”

4K drone video shows how far Apple’s ‘spaceship’ campus has come

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Apple Campus 2 Screen Shot 2011-08-14 at 5.35.53 PM
Apple's spaceship campus is looking almost ready to take off.
Photo: Norman Foster/Apple

Apple celebrated its 40th birthday on Friday, and what better symbol is there to show Apple’s progress over four decades than a glimpse at the company’s gorgeous, James Bond supervillain-scale HQ?

New aerial drone footage offers a 4K tour of how the enormous “spaceship” campus is coming together, complete with stunning comparisons between the site now and last year.

Check it out below:

Apple’s surge into India may have just hit a roadblock

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Apple supplier is increasing its ability to build masses of iPhones in India
Apple's plans to import used iPhones to India is meeting with opposition.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s plan to grow its market in India by selling imported used iPhones is running into problems.

In particular, Apple is being opposed by rival handset makers who worry that letting Apple do this will severely damage initiatives to promote local manufacturing, hurt recycling — and (last but certainly not least) damage their own businesses of selling cheap phones.

Rebus Zone, Snapchat v2, and other awesome apps of the week

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Awesome-Apps-of-the-Week1
Which apps made our list this week?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

It’s another lazy Sunday, which means that it’s time to unwind in your favorite chair with a sampling of the week’s finest apps. And, boy, have we got a fine selection for you!

Whether you’re after Nintendo’s first mobile title; a game which will keep your brain working as it entertains you; or a major update for everyone’s favorite self-destructing messaging app, we’ve combed through the week’s offerings to bring you the essential downloads.

Check out our picks below:

Grayout filters word puzzles through a broken mind

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Graybox
Have fun sorting all of this out.
Photo: Neven Mrgan

Every once in a while, a game hits the App Store that contains such a bizarre concept that it only makes sense once you start playing it. And sometimes, that’s a good thing, but usually, it isn’t so much. Luckily, Grayout, a text-based game from developer Neven Mrgan, falls firmly into the first category.

The problem is that the mechanic that plays out across Grayout‘s 90-plus screens makes it incredibly difficult to describe. But we’re professionals here, so let’s give it a try.

Use a virtual private network for real peace of mind [Deals]

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CoM - PIA
It's time to get your VPN on.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Getting online can be scary business, with data thieves, hackers, even the government’s snooping eye always looming. One of the best ways to stay secure and anonymous while browsing is via a virtual private network, or VPN, which creates a secured digital tunnel between you and your web activity. And right now you can get a full 2 years of peace of mind with Secure Internet Access VPN for only $59.95.

9.7-inch iPad Pro is no laptop replacement, but it’s a terrific tablet [Reviews]

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iPad Pro 3
iPad Pro is even better at 9.7 inches.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple really, really wants you to replace your laptop with an iPad — especially if that laptop is powered by Windows. But before that switch can even be considered, the iPad needs to do everything your laptop can and more. That’s where iPad Pro comes in.

With its new A9X chip, it’s the most powerful iPad to date. It does everything your old iPad did, but it does it better. It’s compatible with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, and now it’s available in a smaller form factor with a 9.7-inch display.

This new model is easier to carry around all day, but it packs almost exactly the same punch as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro — and the same stellar speakers. It has also adopted the incredible 12-megapixel iSight camera from iPhone 6s, with the dual-tone LED flash.

It’s everything you want in a tablet — and more.

Lego Jurassic World’s killer feature: dino poop [Reviews]

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Lego Jurassic World dino fight
You also get to play as dinos, if that's a bigger draw for you.
Photo: WB Games

Developer Traveller’s Tales’ Lego games series has a long history of making even the crappiest of blockbusters charming and enjoyable. It all started with its very first title, Lego Star Wars — which provided a more entertaining version of the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker than the movies did — and it continues to this day with Lego Jurassic World (out now for iOS after a console and PC debut).

It probably helps that fully three-quarters of Lego Jurassic World‘s content has nothing to do with the latest, dumb film entry but is, in fact, levels re-creating the awesome 1993 original and those other two movies that weren’t quite as good. But because it’s a Lego game, it’s fun, humorous, and clever, even when the source material isn’t.

Now’s your chance to save on professional and creative tech courses [Deals]

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Get unlimited access to over 4,500 expert-Led tech and creative courses.
Get unlimited access to over 4,500 expert-Led tech and creative courses.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Work in tech and looking to bolster your resume or develop a new skill for projects of your own? Pluralsight’s more than 4,500 expert-led courses in topics critical to the tech and creative industries are a great place to start (and finish). Right now you can get a one years ‘Plus’ subscription for 40% of the normal price, just $299. With coupon code “PLURAL15” get an additional 15% off!

We talk iPhone 7s features and Tesla’s Model 3 on The CultCast

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Tesla
This Model 3 could have carried an Apple logo one day.
Photo: Tesla

This week on Cult of Mac’s: Rumors point to an iPhone 7s with a drastic redesign, facial recognition and the return of the glass front and back. Plus: Folks around the world line up for the Tesla Model 3; Apple is making a show about apps hosted by technology expert musician Will.i.am; why the new iPad Pro is not a notebook replacement for the masses; and, in a bizarre plot twist, Apple seeks FBI’s iPhone unlocking secrets.

Our thanks to Freshbooks for supporting this episode. FreshBooks is the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small-business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster. It also makes tax time a cinch. Get started now with a 30-day free trial.