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New app keeps you motivated by turning chores into one big game [Reviews]

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motivaction - 4
Achi really likes when I'm productive.
Photo: MotivAction

Sometimes no matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to get the motivation to do anything productive. I can make to-do lists and download productivity apps, but if the drive to complete my tasks isn’t there, I probably won’t get much done. A new app called MotivAction recognizes the real problem of lacking motivation and offers some guidance by combining a to-do app and motivational game in one.

Apple’s dev edition Safari brings future WebKit to your Mac

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Safari will be kinder to MacBook Pro battery life.
Safari will be kinder to MacBook Pro battery life.
Photo: Apple

You can get a taste of the future of Safari on the Mac today, thanks to the release of the new Safari Technology Preview from Apple that gives regular users and developers an easy way to test new features and improvements that are coming soon to the web browser.

The new stand-alone app for OS X can be downloaded and used for free by anyone, and includes a cutting-edge version of the WebKit browser engine that is still in development. It’s a great way for web developers to get ahead on new features by testing them before they’re public.

Safari Technology Preview can be used side-by-side with the regular version of Safari to test for behavioral issues. It also includes new improvements for Web Inspector.

Here’s a list of the new features:

Government is on a coast-to-cast phone-unlocking rampage

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government-is-on-a-coast-to-cast-phone-unlocking-rampage-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201506apple-samsung-iphone-galaxy-patent-war1-jpg
The government has big plans for the All Writs Act.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr CC
apple-samsung-iphone-galaxy-patent-war
The government has big plans for the All Writs Act. Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr CC

Right from the start, the current iPhone vs. FBI standoff has revolved around whether it was focused on unlocking one specific handset or setting a precedent that would allow the Justice Department to unlock any phone it wanted.

Well, if you wanted evidence that the government is using the All Writs Act to try and force Apple and Google to unlock a whole lot of smartphones around the U.S., look no further than the below infographic.

Awesome upgrades for your iOS devices and Apple Watch [Deals]

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The world's smallest keyring cable for charging and data transfer.
The world's smallest keyring cable for charging and data transfer.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Getting the phone or the smart watch is always just the beginning. To make these devices an ideal fit with our lives, habits, or sense of style, there are plenty of peripherals available to bring our most intimate of technologies into closer alignment with our wants and needs. From low-profile charging to mobile mounts and new wristbands, we’ve found some great deals on surefire enhancements for the tech in your life. Take a look:

Amazon cracks down on bad USB-C cables that can kill your gadgets

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amazon-cracks-down-on-bad-usb-c-cables-that-can-kill-your-gadgets-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201511OnePlus-2-USB-C-jpg
Amazon makes buying USB-C cables safer.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Amazon makes buying USB-C cables safer. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Amazon makes buying USB-C cables safer. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Amazon has started cracking down on crappy USB-C cables that could damage your smart devices.

The retail giant now prohibits cables that do not comply with standard specifications laid out by USB Implementers Forum Inc. 

Apple says Samsung illegally won patent reversal

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Samsung
The Apple vs. Samsung legal case rages on.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
The Apple vs. Samsung legal case rages on. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
The Apple vs. Samsung legal case rages on. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The Samsung vs. Apple patent war has been raging for years now, but it took an interesting twist recently when a three-judge panel in federal appeals court reversed a $120 million jury verdict in favor of Apple.

The reason it’s interesting? Because, according to Apple at least, doing so was a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

Justice Department may be forced to disclose iPhone hacking secrets

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iPhone 6 Plus_8
Your move, Justice Department!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The U.S. Department of Justice briefly gained the upper hand over Apple this week when it made it clear that it was in no rush to reveal how it hacked the iPhone at the center of the San Bernardino shooting case — thereby stopping Apple from plugging that particular vulnerability.

However, it seems that Apple’s back in the driving seat after a new report reveals that the Justice Department may be compelled to reveal its hacking methods if it wants to continue with a case asking a New York court to force Apple to unlock a different iPhone handset.

Foxconn confirms $3.5 billion takeover of iPhone display maker

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iPhone rain by Dariusz-Sankowski
Among other things, Sharp builds iPhone displays.
Photo: Dariusz Sanksowski/Pixabay. Licensed via CC0 1.0.

Foxconn is cementing its importance to Apple by finalizing a deal to acquire a majority interest in struggling iPhone display maker Sharp for a reported 389 billion yen — or $3.5 billion.

The multi-billion dollar bailout of Sharp was originally reported as being completed back in February, only to be placed on hold after previously undisclosed liabilities threatened the deal.

Infinite Tanks brings open-world destruction to your Apple devices

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Out for a relaxing city drive.
Photo: Atypical Games

There are times for precision racing games and times for, well, blowing the hell out of some giant vehicles. Guess which category Atypical Games’ newly-announced Infinite Tanks falls into?

Having previously made the entertaining Battle Supremacy and Sky Gamblers, Atypical’s Infinite Tanks is coming to iOS, tvOS and OS X this summer. Check out the trailer below:

Apple hits a home run with deal to bring iPad Pro to MLB dugouts

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MLB
MLB is embracing another Apple innovation.
Photo: Andrei Niemimäki/Flickr CC

Apple has signed a multi-year deal with Major League Baseball that will give an iPad Pro to coaching staff — so that they can easily access performance data, weigh up possible pitcher-hitter matchups, analyze where a player is likely to hit the ball, and even look up videos from previous games.

“We’re not just replacing binders with tablets; we’re actually helping them do things that weren’t possible before,” said Apple SVP of marketing, Phil Schiller.

‘Whackadoodles’ offered to help FBI crack iPhone

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iPhone 5c by uveX encryption
The FBI has cracked the San Bernardino iPhone, and we're starting to learn how it happened.
Photo: uveX/Pixabay

Details are emerging about how exactly the FBI managed to get into San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook’s device without the so-called “govtOS” it had been demanding from Apple.

ABC News has spoken to unnamed sources who have outlined the process through which the government finally cracked the stubborn encryption on the iPhone 5c. And while their statements mostly just confirm what we’ve heard before, the story takes some interesting turns.

Check out ABC’s report below.

Waze will now nag you about how fast you’re driving

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Waze speed limits
Be prepared for toll charges ahead.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

We expect navigation apps to warn us about gridlock, give us the best routes, and tell us how long our drives will be. But Waze is rolling out a new speed-limits feature that, while useful, might come off as a pain at first.

The crowdsourced traffic app now includes limits information for thousands of roads, and it will tell you when you’re breaking the law.

U.S. iPhone owners are cheapskates when it comes to apps

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Find more of what you like in new Instagram video section.
Find more of what you like in new Instagram video section.
Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

If you want to strike it rich on the App Store, here’s a hint: make a game.

Americans who own an iPhone spent an average of $35 on apps and in-app purchases last year, only instead of forking over cash for productivity or education apps, the majority of that money goes to gaming.

How to add Trello cards to Todoist automatically with IFTTT

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Cut a few steps out of project planning by letting IFTTT do the heavy lifting between Todoist and Trello!
Cut a few steps out of project planning by letting IFTTT do the heavy lifting between Todoist and Trello!
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

app-factor-logo-thumbnailAs you may have noticed over the last month or so, I’ve had a little bit of a fascination with workflow automation and iOS. While some of it is the aftermath of trying to go iPad-only, most of it is simply because I love using iOS to make managing tasks easier whenever possible.

Videos on Instagram just got four times longer

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Food photography
And you can throw in multiple clips, too.
Photo: Brigham Young University

Once an app only for photos, Instagram is now greatly extending its video capabilities. Coming soon, users will be able to share videos up to 60 seconds in length. Instagram started rolling out this change today and says more improvements to video are coming in a future update.

One such improvement Instagram says will arrive sooner rather than later is the reemergence of multi-clip video on iOS. This means that you’ll be able to import multiple video clips from your Photos library and stitch them together for a single Instagram video. It might sound familiar because Instagram actually used to have this feature… before taking it away.

SoundCloud takes on Apple Music with new subscription service

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SoundCloud Go is yet another music streaming service.
SoundCloud Go is yet another music streaming service.
Photo: SoundCloud

Apple Music’s competition in the music streaming battle just got a little fiercer today with the introduction of a new subscription service by SoundCloud.

The new SoundCloud Go service costs $10 per month, giving you unlimited access to the YouTube of Audio’s vast trove of indie content without ads. You can also save files to listen to offline, but that might not be enough to take on Apple Music and Spotify.

Massive Snapchat revamp brings real voice and video calling

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Snapchat just got a major update.
Snapchat just got a major update.
Photo: Rob LeFabvre
Grab Snapchat 2.0 today! Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Android
Grab Snapchat 2.0 today! Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Android

The Snapchat revamp you’ve been reading so much about in recent months has landed.

Dubbed “Chat 2.0,” and available today on Android and iOS, it finally brings voice and video calling, improved Snapchat Stories, and 200 brand new stickers.

Invisible car mount binds your iPhone with science [Reviews]

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MagicMount Pro Vent
The MagicMount Pro is so convenient, you may not even miss that air.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

MagicMount Pro Vent

I’ve been looking for a new place to keep my phone while I was driving since I upgraded to the iPhone 6s and discovered that even though I’d slapped the slimmest of cases on it, it no longer fit into the cradle that sits in my car’s cup holder. And I don’t know if it’s the phone or the car that’s let me down here, but it’s become a bit of a problem if I want to keep the thing handy while I’m on the road.

The idea of sticking something permanently to my dashboard or phone has never appealed to me, and I also don’t like the idea of blocking part of my view with a suction-based phone mount. But luckily, the magnetic MagicMount Pro Vent exists, and that solves pretty much all of my problems. And if you’re super neurotic like me, you’ll probably want to check it out.

TrackR’s new app can find lost iOS devices even without GPS

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The iPhone 6s is selling like hotcakes.
We found your lost iPhone...
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Finding your iPad or iPhone is about to get a whole lot easier, even under the worst circumstances, thanks to a new app from TrackR that can locate your lost iOS devices regardless of whether or not its connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data.

The new free app called TrackR tablet, runs on both iPhone and iPad, and simplifies the way you find lost iDevices. There’s no sign in process to get into the app. Just open it up and ring your lost iPhone.

Relive the golden days of gaming with the SNES on your iPhone [Deals]

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SNES
It's like a classic Super Nintendo Entertainment System, only better.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

For those who grew up with it, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System represents all that’s right and good about gaming. The feel of that classic gray controller, with its signature purple push buttons, is enough to take anybody back to better days, and the SNES30 proves it.

A 1:1 replica design with brand new features like Bluetooth and USB connections, you can connect it with your favorite gaming platform, even mount your phone with an expandable clip mount. And right now you can get one for $34.95 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple TV update brings these awesome new tricks

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apple tv and siri remote
Grab the latest tvOS 11 update now.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

What’s new on your Apple TV? Quite a bit, if you’ve got the latest fourth-generation device and have updated it to tvOS 9.2.

There’s a new folders system for total organization, new support for Bluetooth keyboards, a podcasts app, a multitasking visual upgrade and a new default video-scrubbing behavior.

Check out all of the awesome new tricks you can do with the latest Apple TV update.

Samsung Pay arrives to take on Apple in China

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samsung-pay-arrives-to-take-on-apple-in-china-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201504samsung_pay_0_0-1-jpg
Samsung Pay has arrived.
Photo: Samsung
Samsung Pay has arrived. Photo: Samsung
Samsung Pay has arrived. Photo: Samsung

After almost two years of planning, Apple finally launched Apple Pay in China last month — and, wouldn’t you know it, Samsung’s keen to catch up!

To that end, the company officially launched Samsung Pay in China today, partnering with the state-backed China UnionPay to do so.

And, right away, it claims that it will be available in more places than Apple’s rival system.