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How I finally got serious about my photography [Reviews]

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Get serious with a Lightroom crash course that won't take too much of your time.
Get serious with a Lightroom crash course that won't take too much of your time.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Even if the “teacher” is a college kid with bad diction, the one-hour Lightroom Basics course that I just took is pretty darn fantastic.

I have to take a lot of photos here at Cult of Mac, especially for reviews. Every gadget and gewgaw I review gets a big, bold photo at the top to best show off its features.

Because of this, I’ve been hoping to get serious about my photography for a while now. The first step was to sign up for one of these amazing, useful courses.

6 apps to streamline and protect your Mac [Deals]

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The Ultimate Mac Shield Bundle
The Ultimate Mac Shield Bundle will protect your precious computer.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

These six apps will protect your Mac and improve your productivity while using it. From cleaning out cookies and anonymizing your computer’s identification number, to hiding private files and gathering email addresses from any text document, there’s something in here to improve anybody’s workflow and sense of security. Right now the whole bundle is just $29.99.

Here’s a look at what’s included:

Siri-ously? Apple’s virtual assistant finally coming to Mac

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Siri
Your Mac is about to get a new virtual assistant.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Siri spread from the iPhone to the Apple Watch and Apple TV in 2015, but this may finally be the year Apple’s virtual assistant lands on Mac.

Apple is planning to make Siri this year’s big OS X feature, according to a new report that claims Siri integration into OS X 10.12 will be unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Xiaomi shames iPhone by showing off new image stabilization tech

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xiaomi-shames-iphone-to-show-off-new-image-stabilization-tech-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201602Xiaomi-Mi-5-white-back-jpg
Mi 5’s new camera is a-Mi-zing.
Photo: Xiaomi
Xiaomi-Mi-5-white-back
Mi 5’s new camera is a-Mi-zing. Photo: Xiaomi

Xiaomi’s brand new Mi 5 handset boasts a revolutionary new image stabilization technology, and there’s no better way to showcase that than by shaming the iPhone.

In the video below, Xiaomi pits the Mi 5 against the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in an optical image stabilization test — and makes them look downright disappointing.

This simple command will keep your Mac apps bleeding-edge

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You're a Terminal command away from keeping your Mac updated more frequently.
You're a Terminal command away from keeping your Mac updated more frequently.
Photo: Lifehacker

Here’s a surprising fact: By default, OS X only checks for software updates once a week. That’s shockingly infrequent, considering the fact that iOS and Windows both check for critical updates every day.

If you’d like your Mac to keep more on top of things, there’s an easy way to tell it to check for software updates more frequently.

Forget ‘Likes,’ Facebook gives you 5 new emotions to play with

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forget-likes-facebook-gives-you-5-new-emotions-to-play-with-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201601Facebookreactions-jpg
Now you can do more than just Like that funny video.
Photo: Facebook
Now you can do more than just Like that funny video. Photo: Facebook
Now you can do more than just Like that funny video. Photo: Facebook

Seven years to the month after Facebook first added a “like” button, the social network has finally acknowledged that there may be emotions other than a vague sense of approval by introducing a range of new emoticons — although, sadly, the much-requested “dislike” is not among them.

Facebook users now have the option of responding to posts with six reactions, including “Like,” “Love,” “Ha Ha,” “Wow,” “Sad” or “Angry.” These are available on both the Facebook website and mobile apps.

Prank iPhone selfie prompts terrified mom to scream for ambulance

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SUNGLA_allergic_pr_2705445a
That's a pretty nasty reaction!
Photo: Twitter / @Clairey1x

Everyone likely remembers the first time they saw Apple’s Photo Booth app, and chuckled to their friends while contorting their features to resemble a chipmunk or big-eyed cartoon character.

An amusing new story reveals what can go wrong when sending such pictures, however: A mom in Edinburgh, Scotland, became convinced her daughter had suffered a terrifying allergic reaction after being shown one such image.

Steve Jobs’ legacy lives on thanks to Apple fans’ tattoos

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A kind of love that goes skin-deep.
A kind of love that goes skin-deep.
Photo: greezer.ch/Flickr CC

Steve Jobs had a way of getting under people’s skin. Still does, if you consider the growing number of Apple fans who have had his iconic face or some other Jobs tribute tattooed onto their skin.

Today we celebrate what would have been the Apple co-founder’s 61st birthday by looking at body art inspired by the pioneer of personal computing.

iOS 9 adoption grinds to a halt at 77 percent

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iOS 9 is good, but iOS 10 needs to be spectacular.
iOS 9 may not hit the heights of its predecessors.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

iOS 9 adoption has ground to a halt, remaining static at 77 percent, according to Apple’s latest developer figures.

This is the exact same percentage of iOS 9 users as last time Apple published its adoption figures, on February 8 — and just 1 percent growth from this time last month. Meanwhile, 17 percent of users are running iOS 8, and 6 percent are still using an early version of Apple’s mobile OS.

Ultra-widescreen iPhone could be the best, craziest concept ever

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Screen-Shot-2016-02-24-at-10.01.45-1024x514
Oh, you were happy with a 5.5-inch iPhone were you? Cute.
Photo: Sonitac

Unless your name is Timothy Donald Cook, or you could get away with calling him T.C. to his face, chances are you don’t know exactly what Apple’s got planned for its next-gen iPhone 7.

Apple probably doesn’t have the idea of a “widescreen” iPhone 7 — complete with magically expanding display — in mind, but as wacky concept videos go, a new video from designers Sonitac is not only beautifully put together, but genuinely something I’ve not seen before.

Check it out below.

Apple believes Congress should decide iPhone privacy case

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Maybe Apple's lobbying will help it come to a swift resolution.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The current Apple vs. the FBI privacy case is fast becoming one of the biggest tech stories of 2016. But Apple clearly believes it ought to be elevated even higher — telling a federal judge this week that the case should be kicked up to Congress level, instead of being decided by courts.

Apple supporters rally across the U.S. in protest of FBI

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Protesters gather around the Apple Store in downtown San Francisco.
Protesters gather around the Apple Store in downtown San Francisco.
Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac

Apple fans rallied behind their privacy savior in more than 50 cities across the United States today to protest the FBI’s demands that Apple unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone and compromise the security of millions of users’ data in the process.

Grassroots protests broke out from Albuquerque to Washington, D.C., aiming to raise public awareness about the privacy battle Apple is fighting. The protesters had some harsh words for the FBI.

Apple’s not crippling the Apple Pencil after all

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Apple Pencil
Apple Pencil is the best iPad accessory.
Photo: Apple

Don’t worry iPad Pro lovers, Apple isn’t nerfing it’s fancy Pencil.

The company removed the ability to navigate in iOS 9.3 with the Apple Pencil in the last four beta updates, but Apple reassured users today that it will bring the functional it back by the time iOS 9.3 is available to the public, it’s just fixing a few things in the meantime. 

Coca-Cola boxes can now transform into iPhone VR viewer

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Why buy an Oculus Rift when you can get VR with Coke?
Why buy an Oculus Rift when you can get VR with Coke?
Photo: The Coca-Cola Co.

Recycling is great. Reusing is even better, which is why Coca-Cola’s new packaging that can double as a VR viewer for iPhone one of the coolest and greenest innovations we’ve seen so far this year. 

The new packaging prototype transforms a traditional 12-pack box made from recycled cardboard into a Google Cardboard-esque VR viewer. Coca-Cola doesn’t have immediate plans to release the new packaging, but it probably wouldn’t take much convincing if the right promotional partner came along.   

Three different versions of the VR packaging have already been conceived. Watch demos of all three below:

How to track App Store sales and iTunes price drops

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CheapCharts allows you to monitor price changes not only for App Store sales, but iTunes content as well.
CheapCharts allows you to monitor price changes not only for App Store sales, but iTunes content as well.
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

app-factor-logo-thumbnailWhile I don’t ever mind paying for amazing apps by great developers, who doesn’t like App Store sales — or even better, sales on iTunes movies and music? A few months ago I stumbled on an app called CheapCharts and I’ve been using it ever since to monitor App Store sales on apps I want to keep an eye on.

iPhone’s perfect ports don’t make up for all the missing features

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Galaxy S7 is pretty, powerful, and packing huge improvements.
Give me a Galaxy S7 over an iPhone 6s... please!
Photo: Samsung
Give me a Galaxy S7 over an iPhone 6s... please!. Photo: Samsung
Give me a Galaxy S7 over an iPhone 6s… please! Photo: Samsung

Samsung is under fire again from iPhone fans for its apparent lack of attention to detail when designing the new Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. Apparently, the fact that the ports don’t line up on the bottom of these devices automatically means they’re not as good as Apple’s.

But it’s total rubbish.

Up-close with world’s largest piece of curved glass at Apple HQ

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More than 3,000 giant  curved glass panes will be used at Apple campus 2.
More than 3,000 giant curved glass panes will be used at Apple campus 2.
Photo: EPA

The world’s largest piece of curved glass is currently being installed at Apple’s fabulous spaceship campus. Over 3,000 gigantic curved glass panes will be used to form the walls on both side of Apple’s four-story campus that will measure more than one mile around.

Apple will use more than six kilometers of curved glass once the project is completed at the end of 2016, so the European Press Agency decided to get a closer look at the monstrous project as it enters its most delicate phase.

Check out the size of these huge glass panes:

Streamline your Instagram filters to work smarter, not harder

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Work smarter, not harder, with Instagram.
Work smarter, not harder, with Instagram.
Photo: Redd Angelo/Unsplash

Instagram power users are all about the filters, typically choosing a few favorites that they use more often than others.

Instead of swiping back and forth along the filters row, why not reorder them to put the ones you use most often up front? Better yet, how about deleting the ones you don’t use ever to streamline your entire filter experience?

Here’s how.

iPhone case adds bulk but keeps credit cards on lockdown [Reviews]

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The UAG Trooper It features a rugged design with reinforced corners for extra drop protection.
The UAG Trooper It features a rugged design with reinforced corners for extra drop protection.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

As a victim of a poorly-made iPhone wallet case that lost my ID and credit card, I’m always wary when I try a new one. I like carrying my valuables with my iPhone so I don’t need a secondary wallet, but I really like hanging onto my stuff even more.

The Urban Armor Gear Trooper case takes great pains to secure three to four plastic cards (and a bit of cash) in its roomy interior and provides a locking door that acts like a mini safe — nothing’s gonna fall out of this wallet case.

Public testers can now download latest iOS and OS X betas

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ios-9-3-notes
iOS 9.3 beta 4 is out now for testers.
Photo: Apple

The latest batch of betas from Apple have just been made available to public testers one day after their initial release to developers.

Members of Apple’s Beta Tester Program can install iOS 9.3 beta 4 on their devices. The update adds a bunch of new feature like Night Shift mode, Touch ID-secured Notes, as well as a ton of bug fixes. Users can download the beta directly from Apple’s website, or install it over-the-air if the previous beta is already installed.

OS X 10.11.4 beta 4 has also been released to public testers. For a round up of new features to expect in iOS 9.3, check out our two-minute video below: