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Nyne’s big, bulky speaker is a boombox for the Bluetooth age [Review]

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Nyne's new boombox is the biggest Bluetooth speaker we've ever seen. It's called -- what else? -- the Rock!
Nyne's new boombox is the biggest Bluetooth speaker we've ever seen. It's called -- what else? -- the Rock!
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

As a teenager in the 80s, I love a good boombox. The bigger, the better, like Radio Raheem’s.

That’s why I was keen to check out Nyne’s new Bluetooth Boombox, called — what else — the Rock. It’s the biggest Bluetooth speaker I’ve ever seen, promising to put out 65 watts of raw music power.

But does it rock — or not?

The seventh OS X 10.11.4 beta is here

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el-capitan-beta
New El Capitan beta is here.
Photo: Apple

Apple is not quite done tinkering with OS X 10.11.4 before its public release.

The company seeded the seventh beta of OS X 10.11.4 to developers this morning, a little over a week after Apple released the last beta for the desktop operating system.

This could be our first look at the iPhone 7

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"Leaked" iPhone 7 with Smart Connector (left) and iPhone 6s.
Photo: Bastille Post

The iPhone 7 may come with a Smart Connector if photos of what appears to be an early iPhone 7 Plus unit can be believed.

Photos of the alleged iPhone 7, leaked by a Chinese website, show Apple integrating a dual-lens camera into the design of the rear case. If the case is accurate, it looks like Apple won’t be ditching its protruding camera lens this year.

Letterboxd app turns movie tracking into a social network

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letterboxd-app
A great way to track your movie watching.
Photo: Letterboxd

If you’re a movie fan, you may well have visited the website Letterboxd at some point — giving you a fun way of tracking your movie-watching, built around a neat social network premise.

Today Letterboxd finally got around to launching its official mobile app, bringing the service to iPhones everywhere. Trust us, if you’re a cinema lover, this is a “must download!”

Samsung’s answer to iPhone SE to be just as powerful as Galaxy S7

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samsungs-answer-to-iphone-se-to-be-just-as-powerful-as-galaxy-s7-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201603Galaxy-S7-close-up-front-jpg
Samsung's Galaxy S7 mini could be pretty special.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Galaxy S7 gold front
Samsung’s Galaxy S7 mini could be pretty special. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Samsung is already developing a Galaxy S7 mini that will go head-to-head with Apple’s upcoming iPhone SE, according to a new report — and it won’t be a disappointing version of its latest flagship like previous iterations of the Galaxy S mini series have been.

Instead, the new device is expected to pack exactly the same processor — and exactly the same punch — as its bigger brother.

This bundle is like the dream team of Mac apps [Deals]

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The 2016 All-Star Mac Bundle
Get a sweet bundle of killer Mac apps for less than $25.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Macs come out of the box with a ton of apps and functionality, but that’s just the beginning of what you can get it to do for your productivity. From hard drive maintenance to running Windows apps and doing deeper searches than Spotlight allows, this bundle of 11 top-rated apps has something useful for everybody. For a short time, you can get the whole thing for $24.99.

Here’s some of what’s included:

How to keep creepers off your WhatsApp profile

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WhatsApp on iPhone
Don’t ignore the latest WhatsApp releases.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

WhatsApp is a messaging app popular with people all over the globe, but you probably don’t want it to turn into a tracking app for your stalker.

Plus, it probably has private information in it that you’d rather not have other people know about, right?

Here’s how to lock it all down so you can keep creepers off your WhatsApp profile.

Apple Music is about to become the music service for EDM fans

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Tired of Apple Music's playlists? Try something even more indie.
Apple Music is taking a big leap forward.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

If you’re a fan of EDM (that’s “electronic dance music” for the older Cult of Mac readers out there!), Apple Music is about to become your best option for streaming music — courtesy of a new deal Apple has signed that will let it bring thousands of rare DJ mash-ups, remixes, and mixtapes to its subscription music service.

Apple Car may ship in 2021, with a price tag of $75,000

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Apple car concept art shows what Cupertino might put on the road.
Coming soon?
Photo: Aristomenis Tsirbas/Freelancer

At $17k, the Apple Watch Edition is currently the most expensive product Apple sells.

But according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, that record is likely to be obliterated when the Apple Car finally ships — since his projected price tag of “around $75,000” would put it at around four-and-a-half times the cost of Apple’s high-end wearable. Or the equivalent of 100 brand new iPhones 6s handsets.

Apple will defend its tax deals against E.U. this week

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money
Apple's tax investigations are continuing.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple will join multinationals Google, McDonald’s and IKEA in defending its European tax deals against E.U. lawmakers this Wednesday.

The hearing concerns whether or not giants like Apple are receiving illegally favorable tax deals, which give them an unfair advantage over local businesses.

Apple Watch knows a heart attack when it sees one

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Apple Watch by fancycrave1
Nobody's made a "You Are Dying" app yet, so we'll have to keep checking manually.
Photo: fancycrave1/Pixabay. Licensed through CC0 1.0

If you’re not feeling great, it may not hurt to take a quick look at your Apple Watch. In fact, it saved one builder’s life.

62-year-old Dennis Anselmo was working last August when he suddenly “felt all over the place.” While taking a break, he checked his heart rate on his recently purchased wearable and got some pretty alarming news.

Photos of alleged iPhone 7 dual-lens camera sensor leak

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Got a new iPhone? Set it up right.
iPhone 7 might have to cameras in the back
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The first images of what could be the iPhone 7’s dual-lens camera leaked online today, giving fans a possible sneak peek at the future of iPhotography.

Apple is rumored to be including a dual-lens camera sensor on at least the iPhone 7 Plus. If the leaked sensor shown below is the real deal, it appears that one lens will be wider than the other to provide optical zooming.

Check it out:

Apple seeds yet another iOS 9.3 beta

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ios-9-3-notes
IOS 9.3.2 beta 2 is here.
Photo: Apple

It seems like iOS 9.3 has been in beta for years now, but Apple isn’t quite done fine-tuning its biggest software update of the year.

Apple released iOS 9.3 beta 7 to developers this afternoon, exactly a week after the last version was seeded to devs and public testers. iOS 9.3 adds new features such as Night Shift mode, multiple Apple Watch pairings on one iPhone, improved Apple News and Apple Music apps, and some great education features for iPad.

Developers can grab the new beta directly from the Apple Developer Center portal or via an over-the-air update if you have the previous beta installed.

Here’s a roundup of the new features to expect:

Counterterrorism expert says FBI isn’t being honest about iPhone hacking

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Your iPhone will always need to be recharged everyday.
The FBI isn't really trying to unlock the San Bernardino terrorist's iPhone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The guy that warned George Bush about an imminent al-Qaida attack before 9/11 is taking Apple’s side in the company’s fight against the FBI over whether it can be compelled to break into the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone.

Richard Clarke, who served as the senior counterterrorism official in the US for nine years, sat down for an interview this morning regarding encryption and the FBI’s efforts to hack the iPhone. Despite FBI Director James Comey’s insistence that the FBI has tried everything, Clarke says all it would take to hack the device is a call to Fort Meade.

Make your app look badass with free trial of Adobe XD

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Get prototyping right on your Mac, for free.
Get prototyping right on your Mac, for free.
Photo: Adobe

If you’ve been itching to design the next big app in your spare time, Adobe’s just made it easier with a free trial of its user interface (UI) design tool, Experience Design (XD) CC for Mac.

Previously known as Project Comet, Adobe XD is a full-fledged design tool that lets you prototype mobile or web apps fast, and you can download a free preview right now.

How to make EarPods play nicely with Xbox One

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Xbox One controller Apple EarPods
Controller support is better than ever.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

You’re probably used to using your EarPods to listen to music or make hands-free phone calls, but we’ve recently discovered another cool trick they can do. If you have a headphone-compatible Xbox One controller, you can also use Apple’s standard earbuds to pump your game and chat audio directly into your head.

You’ll have to adjust a setting or two first, though. And that’s only fair considering you’re asking Apple and Microsoft products to work together. Here’s what you need to do.

Jony Ive talks Steve Jobs, design and how Apple can stay hungry

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Screen Shot 2016-03-14 at 16.23.32
Jony Ive holds court.
Photo: Charlie Rose

Charlie Rose has become Apple’s go-to guy when it comes to mainstream media interviews, and he recently scored an exclusive conversation with none other than Apple’s design god, Jony Ive.

In a leisurely chat lasting more than half an hour, Rose asks about Ive’s relationship with Steve Jobs, the qualities Apple looks for in a would-be designer, the reason Ive doesn’t fear Apple losing its edge, and much, much more.

Check it out below.

You can already buy an ‘iPhone SE’ in China

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Is that really the iPhone SE?
Is that really the iPhone SE?
Photo: Nick Beeep

The iPhone SE isn’t an official Apple product yet, but if you’re lucky enough to live in Shenzhen, China, you can already get your hands on a new 4-inch iPhone that looks like the love child of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s.

Small shops at the infamous Huaqiangbei market are selling the closest thing to a real iPhone SE. In a new video claiming to spot an alleged iPhone SE in the wild, a Chinese YouTuber shows just how easy it is to roam the corridors of China’s “Silicon Valley of Hardware” and buy the new iPhone before it’s even been announced.

See for yourself:

Now’s the time to net a drone of your own [Deals]

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This sleek drone is small but includes a high def camera for filming your aerial antics.
This sleek drone is small but includes a high def camera for filming your aerial antics.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Seeing all the drones hovering around in the park and in the neighborhood making you jealous? Well you don’t have to miss out any more, with these three deals on drones that’ll get you in the game without breaking your bank.

How to find hidden gems streaming on Netflix

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Netflix has a plan to win over new subscribers in an age of Apple TV+
Netflix has a plan to win over new subscribers in an age of Apple TV+
Photo: Netflix

Bruce Springsteen once lamented that there were “57 Channels (And Nothin’ On),” and it’s only gotten worse. How do you find something good to watch in an era where Amazon, iTunes, HBO/Showtime, and a ton of network-specific apps and online sites threaten to overwhelm your screens, big and small?

It’s not as easy as you’d think, either, especially if you have more than one person controlling the remote.

I’ve gotten less happy to let Netflix choose what I watch these days and have tried to found new ways to see hidden treasures that might not end up on the main home screen.

Here are our suggestions on how to find the buried treasure on Netflix.

Folding, full-size keyboard won’t hog bag space [Reviews]

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iClever trifold keyboard
iClever's compact keyboard will almost fit in your pocket -- if you don't mind walking funny.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

iClever Tri-folding Keyboard

We’re always looking for ways to take our tech on the go without filling up our limited bag space, and we’ve found a pretty great solution to both in this handy and compact keyboard. It connects either wirelessly (via Bluetooth) or with an included USB cable, and it’s comparable in size to the standard keyboard on our MacBook Pro. But that isn’t even the best part.

The really cool bit is that iClever’s gadget folds up when you’re done with it, and it reduces its size almost by half. It’s kind of ridiculous, but that’s not at all a complaint.