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Simple iPhone trick frees up storage space you didn’t know you had

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If you've got a smaller iPhone SE, this might really help.
If you've got a smaller iPhone SE, this might really help.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

Quick — go check and see if you have enough free space on your iPhone.

I’m guessing you’re like the rest of us, and can use a little more — especially if you’ve got a smaller iPhone in the 16 GB range.

If you’re looking to free up some storage space on any size iPhone, here’s a bizarre little trick that just might astound you.

Electric uke looks like an oil can but is a gas to play [Reviews]

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Now you're cooking with gas, err, motor oil.
Now you're cooking with gas, err, motor oil.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

I’ve heard of cigar box guitars, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen an oil can electric ukulele.

Bohemian Guitars makes a ton of unique metal oil can guitars, basses and ukuleles, and they’re as fun to play as they are to look at. This electric uke is easy to play, sounds great through an amp, and is the probably the most unique uke you ever did see.

Here’s how Steve Jobs answered a question about government snooping in 1981

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TV screen grab of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dressed in a suit and with a full beard
Check out the hipster beard on Steve!
Photo: ABC

Apple turns 40 today and, while a lot has changed since the company’s early days, it seems that questions about government snooping have not.

ABC News today released footage from a vintage interview in which a very young Steve Jobs debates computers on a 1981 episode of Nightline.

In addition to trotting out his “bicycle for the mind” metaphor, Jobs also talks about how best to stop the government from snooping on your computer, a topic that seems very timely in the aftermath of Apple’s battle with the FBI.

Check out the Steve Jobs interview below.

Joke’s on Google after April Fools’ prank backfires

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jokes-on-google-after-april-fools-prank-backfires-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604Minion-Mic-Drop-gif
Gmail "Mic Drop" didn't go down as well as Google hoped.
GIF: Giphy
Gmail "Mic Drop" didn't go down as well as Google hoped. GIF: Giphy
Gmail “Mic Drop” didn’t go down as well as Google hoped. GIF: Giphy

One of Google’s April Fools’ Day pranks was so unpopular with users that the company was forced to pull it just hours after it rolled out.

The Gmail stunt, which automatically inserted a “mic drop” GIF into users’ emails as they were sent, was greeted by a torrent of complaints and labeled inappropriate.

Get certified to hack for the good guys [Deals]

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Get certified to hack for the betterment of all.
Get certified to hack for the betterment of all.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

With more and more personal and professional life running on the Internet, the war is heating up between those who hack these systems to exploit them and those who do it to improve them. You can join the right side of this struggle by learning “white hat” hacking and penetration testing skills, and this bundle of 117 courses will get you there. It’s an ideal way to get started with ethical hacking and penetration testing, and right now you can get access for just $39.

Walmart slashes $100+ off Apple and Samsung phones

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walmart-slashes-100-off-iphone-and-galaxy-phones-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604store-front-night_129860898494412686-jpg
Walmart has a good offer for phone buyers.
Photo: Walmart
Walmart has a good offer for phone buyers. Photo: Walmart
Walmart has a good offer for phone buyers. Photo: Walmart

If you’re looking to get your hands on Apple’s brand new 4-inch iPhone SE or a powerhouse Samsung Galaxy S7, Walmart has an offer for you!

Starting today, customers can save $150 off all Samsung phones and $100 on all in-stock iPhones (including older, larger models).

Taylor Swift channels Drake in new Apple Music ad

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Make sure you show off the Beats.
Make sure you show off the Beats.
Photo: Apple

Taylor Swift hates doing cardio! The latest ad for Apple Music pits the singer against one of the most ferocious machines in the gym: the dread treadmill.

It’s Swift’s first appearance in an Apple ad, and it also reveals that the country-turned-pop star has a soft spot for hip-hop icons Drake and Future. She says her hilarious ad is “based on real events” that reveal her alien talent for rapping and keeping on beat no matter what happens.

Watch Tee Sweezy drop the bars below:

Heartless Kanye has Apple Music fling behind Tidal’s back

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Kanye
Kanye West showing off his snazzy Apple Watch Edition.
Photo: Justjared

Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo album has arrived on Apple Music — making something of a mockery of Mr. Kim Kardashian’s claim last month that the album would “never never never be on Apple.”

We guess by “never” he meant “you’ll have to wait six more weeks.”

Apple in a word is …

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What does Apple mean to you?
What does Apple mean to you?
Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Over the past 40 years, Apple has been many things to many people. Innovative or imitative, premium or overpriced, saintly or evil — everybody’s got their own take on what Cupertino and its revolutionary products mean.

While Apple was founded on April Fools’ Day in 1976, the company and the profound impact that its shiny devices have made on our lives is truly not a joke. Here’s what Cult of Mac staffers said when asked to describe what the company means to them in a single word.

40 moments that have defined Apple over 40 years

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A photo of people looking at the first-gen iPhone inside a glass case on the original iPhone launch date.
Admiring fans check out the first iPhone in its public debut.
Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac

Apple turns 40 years old today, and what a journey it’s been: from a promising homebrew startup to an underdog fighting off bankruptcy to an industry-straddling behemoth with $233.7 billion in revenue, all thanks to the vision of the co founder of apple.

It’s impossible to boil down every significant Apple event into one story, but we did our best to pick out the 40 most significant moments in the company’s past.

Check out these key moments in Apple history below.

Yo ho ho! Apple flies pirate flag to celebrate its 40th birthday

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I assume engineers don't get an accompanying bottle of rum.
Photo: Tommy W Farley/Twitter

In case you didn’t know, Apple turns 40 today. To celebrate, the company is giving a wink to longtime fans with a cheeky nod to its past.

A pirate flag flying outside Apple’s campus at 1 Infinite Loop is a reference to the “Jolly Roger” pirate flag flown by the original Macintosh team when it was developing Apple’s (arguably) most iconic computer back in the heady days of the early ’80s.

Tim Cook drops by Palo Alto Apple Store for iPhone SE launch

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Everyone wants a selfie with Tim.
Everyone wants a selfie with Tim.
Photo: CNBC

The iPhone SE isn’t drawing as big of lines today as the wait to reserve a Tesla Model 3, but Tim Cook still decided to check-in on at least one Apple Store to gauge interest in the tiny new device.

Apple’s CEO was spotted at the Palo Alto Apple Store this morning talking to customers and employees. Cook has visited the store during previous product launches, however the crowds and lines for selfies weren’t quite as long today as usual.

Watch Cook glad-hand iPhone SE customers below:

9.7-inch iPad Pro unboxing: Big things come in small packages

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Looks like an iPad Air, but it's so much more.
Looks like an iPad Air, but it's so much more.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The new, powerful iPad Pro is available at Apple Stores today and we’ve got a fantastic iPad Pro unboxing video to show you all the ins and outs of the new tablet.

Cult of Mac videographer Ste Smith talks us through the packaging, the setup and the latest-greatest device itself in this cool iPad Pro unboxing video that he made right after picking up the 9.7-inch tablet from his local Apple Store.

If you want to get your (virtual) hands on this sexy new iOS device, here’s your chance.

Best document editing and management apps for iPad

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The iPad is great at handling PDFs and other kinds of documents. Here are 4 must-have apps.
The iPad is great at handling PDFs and other kinds of documents. Here are 4 must-have apps.
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

app-factor-logo-thumbnailI’ve been spending the past week or so doing some app spring cleaning on my iPad, partially in preparation for the arrival of my new 9.7” iPad Pro on Thursday. During the process I realized that I have way too many document editing apps — half of which I have either never launched, or they didn’t do something I needed so I never used them again.

That’s why I took the opportunity to really cut down. Here are the document management apps that made the cut, and why:

General Electric nearly bought Apple in 1996

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iPhone
The iPhone could've been made by GE.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Inc. and General Electric are two of the most iconic American companies of the last century, but back in 1996 they almost become one company as GE CEO Jack Welch considered buying the computer maker.

It would have only cost GE $2 billion and the current Apple CEO, Michael Spindler, was begging Welch to pull the trigger on the deal in order to save the struggling company.

Verizon adds $20 fee to all smartphone upgrades

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verizon-adds-20-fee-to-all-smartphone-upgrades-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads20160314777958118_8f2ab75b15_k-jpg
And there's no way around it.
Photo: Mike Mozart/Flickr CC
verizon-wireless-logo
And there’s no way around it. Photo: Mike Mozart/Flickr CC

Verizon will soon start charging a $20 fee for anyone upgrading their smartphone with pretty much no loopholes to get out of it. Yes, a carrier is introducing a new fee without much explanation and customers are forced to deal with it. Shocking, I know. The new fee goes into effect April 4.

Fill your Apple TV shortlist with Tribeca films

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Get your fill of high-quality film recommendations here.
Get your fill of high-quality film recommendations here.
Photo: Tribeca Shortlist

Looking to watch peerless films on your Apple TV? Look no further than Tribeca Shortlist, a service for film lovers that showcases a high-quality, curated list of films that are worth watching.

Already chosen as a Best New App for iPhone and iPad by Apple, Tribeca Shortlist is now available on the biggest screen in your home via Apple TV.

10 ways to break your iPhone

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iphone in boiling coke
There's more than one way to fry an iPhone.
Photo: TechRax/YouTube

Sometimes if your iPhone is just in too good condition, it helps to break it in a little. The initial scratch or screen break relieves a lot of pressure. But maybe you ran out of good ideas about how to break it. We’re here to help.

Delightfully retro RPG gets free expansion on iOS, Mac

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Bigger, better, role-playinger.
Bigger, better, role-playinger.
Photo: Paradox Interactive

Paradox Interactive’s hilarious send-up of fantasy tabletop gaming (think Dungeons and Dragons), Knights of Pen and Paper 2, has just gotten a new free expansion.

Called “Back to the Source,” it has two new character classes, higher level caps, an all new mega-dungeon, and a ton of funny stuff packed into it — all for free.

Apparently, the developers missed a saving roll for monetization today.

iOS 9.3.1 brings fix for iPhone-crashing web links

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Get your iOS device up to date fast and easy.
Get your iOS device up to date fast and easy.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

iPhone users suffering from crashing woes on iOS 9.3 are finally getting some relief. Apple has released iOS 9.3.1 to the public, bringing new bug fixes and performance improvements for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

The update comes more than a week after the release of iOS 9.3, which turned hyperlinks into crash bombs for some users.

Samsung’s smart trousers boast a Wi-Fly and get up alerts

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samsungs-smart-trousers-boast-a-wi-fly-and-get-up-alerts-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201603Internet-of-Trousers-jpg
What a glorious time to be alive!
Photo: Samsung
What a glorious time to be alive! Photo: Samsung
What a glorious time to be alive! Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s taking the Internet of Things to the next level with its new Internet of Trousers lineup.

The South Korean company’s smart pants come with cutting-edge wearable technologies like Wi-Fly, get up alerts, and fridge lock, which prevents you from overeating when it detects your waist line is expanding.

Jony Ive and Tony Fadell helped design this fancy $700 juicer

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The Juicero is like a Keurig for juicing.
The Juicero is like a Keurig for juicing.
Photo: Juicero

The iPod of juicers won’t be sold by Apple, but Jony Ive and former Apple exec Tony Fadell each helped design what could become the closest thing.

Juicero, a startup backed by Campbell Soup and Google, is launching the world’s first cold-press juicing system today, that takes the hassle out of liquifying raw vegetables by using juice packs to create a clean and simple press.

Basically, it’s like a Keurig, only it spits out delicious juice.

Upgrade your Mac’s skillset with these utility apps [Deals]

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Keep an eye on your home or office via webcam with this super useful app.
Keep an eye on your home or office via webcam with this super useful app.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Your Mac can do a lot right out of the box, but it can do more. A lot more. Look no further than these four premium apps for expanding the utility of your favorite computing machine. We’ve found big savings on apps for remaining distraction free while working, saving or working with online video, keeping an eye on your home or office via webcam, and more.

Take a look: