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How to make your own hilarious memes with Aviary

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We hope your memes are even funnier.
Photo-editing app Aviary is a meme-making machine.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Have you ever wanted to make your own memes? You know, the funny pictures with the bold text on the top and bottom that all the kids are going crazy for these days?

With Photo Editor by Aviary, you can do just that, plus add stickers, frames, and even do some pretty great photo editing right in the same app.

Here’s how to make your own hilarious memes with Aviary (though we don’t guarantee your memes will actually be funny — that’s up to you).

Microsoft wants to transform your typing with Hub Keyboard for iPhone

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hub
Microsoft's Hub Keyboard makes it easy to send documents and more.
Photo: Microsoft

If you’re a fan of custom iOS keyboards and want to add a bit more functionality to your text messaging, check out the newly-released iOS Hub Keyboard from Microsoft.

This nifty keyboard lets you copy and paste recent items, grab and share URLs of Office 365 documents in OneDrive and SharePoint, and easily send contact details.

Why I won’t ditch my iPhone SE to go back to a bigger handset

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Keeping the SE
You’ll have to pry the iPhone SE out of my tiny hands.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

For the last year and a half I’ve been using the massive iPhone 6 Plus. I love its 5.5-inch screen for watching videos, checking my social media pages, and browsing the web.

But after spending the last week with the diminutive, 4-inch iPhone SE, my thoughts on whether I need such a big phone have changed.

Check out my reasons below.

Apple criticizes ‘discriminatory’ Mississippi religious freedom law

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SF pride
Apple is a strong supporter of the LGBT community.
Photo: Tim Cook/Twitter

Apple has voiced its displeasure at a new Mississippi law that lets government workers and some private citizens refuse to sell goods and services to LGBT citizens on the basis of their religious beliefs.

“We want Mississippians to know that our stores and our company are open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love,” said an Apple representative, arguing that the Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act “empowers discrimination.”

FaceTime proposal leaves hopeless romantic stuck on a cliff

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cliffhanger3
This proposal turned out to be a real cliffhanger.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Whether it’s customizing a smartwatch to deliver the message, or persuading the developers of a popular app to help you win over the woman of your dreams, tech fans have certainly come up with some adorably neat ways to propose to their loved ones over the years.

Decidedly less so was the plight of Apple user and, apparently, godawful mountain climber Michael Banks. His idea? To climb 600 feet up Morro Rock in California — so that he could get a volcanic outcrop as his background — and then pop the question via FaceTime. Before getting hopelessly stuck, of course.

Panama Papers: Apple supplier denies evading $22 billion in taxes

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money
Foxconn denies evading its taxes.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The “Panama Papers” leak of 11.5 million documents from ultra-secretive Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca has already named and shamed heads of state, government officials, business owners and celebrities who reportedly evaded tax thanks to the scheme.

But one name which hasn’t been talked about too much is Apple supplier Foxconn, which is accused of evading taxes of up to a massive $22.86 billion via investments in Panama — although the company denies that this is the case.

Weird-ass Apple Watch mount makes a good argument

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Wear Differently Apple Watch mount
Apparently, this is the best place to keep your Apple Watch, although a band might be good if you ever want to put your hand down.
Photo: Wear Differently

A newly launched Kickstarter campaign features an Apple Watch mount that looks really strange but might actually solve some problems.

The imaginatively named “It” comes from Wear Differently, and it boldly suggests that the top of your wrist is not the best place to wear your smartwatch. Instead, designer Bridger Bell says, you should be carrying it in a small nook between the base of your thumb and radius bone.

You can see It in action in the proof of concept video below.

Cookie Monster gets real behind the scenes of Siri ad

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Cookie Monster Siri ad behind the scenes
Working with Siri can be hazardous.
Photo: Apple

We loved that recent Siri ad starring the lovable Muppet, Cookie Monster. And a new video gives us more with some mock behind-the-scenes footage.

In the original spot, Cookie Monster used Siri’s hands-free functionality to set a timer while his delicious cookies baked. And he even asked the digital assistant to play some tunes on Apple Music to help him pass the time. But the new video offers a lot more, including bloopers, outtakes, and what happens when the cookies are done.

Check it out below.

Instagram comes to life with this inexpensive printer

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epson-xp-430
A printer that doesn't suck.
Photo: Epson

Epson’s new all-in-one printer, the Epson XP-430, positions itself as an affordable wireless printer that also integrates with the photos on your social networks. You can use the included Epson Creative Print software to link your Instagram account and print out your photos, plus scan and share photos directly to your Facebook. It’s pretty nifty, considering printers are typically some of the most tedious gadgets on the planet.

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.