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$4 iPhone clone is world’s cheapest smartphone

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4-iphone-clone-is-worlds-cheapest-smartphone-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201602Freedom-251-rea-png
The Freedom 251 doesn’t look like this in the flesh.
Photo: Ringing Bells
The Freedom 251 doesn't look like this in the flesh. Photo: Ringing Bells
The Freedom 251 doesn’t look like this in the flesh. Photo: Ringing Bells

Android has long been the best platform for smartphone buyers on a budget, and now entry to Google’s ecosystem is even more affordable.

Indian handset maker Ringing Bells just launched the new Freedom 251, an ultra affordable device that looks a lot like an iPhone, priced at 251 rupees — or about $3.67.

iPhone 5se could deliver an extra 10 million sales for Apple

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4inch
A 4-inch iPhone could mean big things for Apple.
Photo: Martin Hajek

iPhone sales may be beginning to slow, but the addition of a 4-inch “iPhone 5se” handset could net Apple an extra 10 million+ units — or the equivalent of an extra 23 cents per share for Apple’s earnings — according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani.

iPhone 7 and 5se concept puts pink spin on Apple’s 2016 lineup

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Is this what the 2016 iPhone lineup will look like?
Is this what the 2016 iPhone lineup will look like?
Photo: Curved

The iPhone 5se could be the pinkest iPhone Apple’s ever made if you believe the rumors, but what if it came the body like an iPhone 6 instead of a 5s?

In a new concept of Apple’s 2016 iPhone lineup, the folks at Curved have put a pink spin on the iPhone 5se that’s expected to be unveiled on March 15th. They also created concepts of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus that add rumored features like a dual lens camera on the 7 Plus and a simpler frame with fewer antennas and no headphone jack.

Take a closer look:

Behold the Griffin throne of power for your Apple Watch and iPhone [Deals]

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Griffin's power station gives both your Apple Watch and iPhone a proper place to recharge.
Griffin's power station gives both your Apple Watch and iPhone a proper place to recharge.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’ve opted for the best in smartwatches and smartphones (I’m talking about the Apple watch and iPhone, of course), you shouldn’t be charging them on your windowsill or coffee table. The Griffin Watchstand Charging Station gives you a single, sleek place to charge both. Give your prized peripherals a place of privilege for just $49.99.

Claim your Nintendo Account now ahead of Miitomo’s debut

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claim-your-nintendo-account-now-ahead-of-miitomos-debut-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201602Miitomo-png
Get your username before it’s gone!
Photo: Nintendo
Get your username before it's gone! Photo: Nintendo
Get your username before it’s gone! Photo: Nintendo

If you’re planning to grab Nintendo’s first smartphone game when it lands next month — or any of the others it has planned for 2016 — then it’s time to claim your Nintendo Account before someone takes the username you wanted.

Donald Trump slams Apple for refusing to unlock gunman’s iPhone

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Trump has chimed in on the encryption issue.
Photo: Michael Vadon/Flickr CC

Donald Trump has slammed Apple for its refusal to unlock gunman Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone 5c after being requested to do so by the FBI.

“Who do [Apple] think they are? They have to open it up,” Trump told Fox and Friends when asked about Apple’s responsibility to help with the investigation following the attack in San Bernardino, California, which killed 14 people.

What you need to know about Apple’s privacy battle with FBI

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Apple Security Jacket
This case is highlighting a major issue concerning iOS security.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The case involving San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone 5c and whether Apple should help unlock it has brought the company’s stance regarding strong encryption to the forefront.

Since this privacy-versus-security debate isn’t going away anytime soon, here’s what you need to know about it so far — and why it’s a much, much bigger issue than just one legal case.

Apple has a cunning plan to boost profitability in India

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apples-india-enterprise-boss-quits-to-sell-android-phones-2-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201601iphone_india001-780x614-780x614-jpg
Apple is still trying to find the right strategy for India.
Photo: Apple

As the next giant untapped market shimmering on the horizon, Apple is looking to grow its brand in India — and to do so it’s taking the bold step of exiting the rapidly-growing sub-Rs 20,000 ($290) smartphone category by stopping selling its older iPhone 4s and 5c handsets.

But the reason totally makes sense.

iPad shipments could hit new low this quarter

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iPad Pro
iPad shipments are continuing to fall.
Photo: Leander Kahney / Cult of Mac

Apple could be in for its worst ever quarter for iPad shipments, with a new report claiming that the first three months of 2016 are set to hit a historic low for Apple’s tablets with just 9.8 million units shipping.

If correct, those numbers would be down 39.1 percent on quarter and close to 20 percent on-year. While Apple has been experiencing falling iPad demand for some time now, this would be especially bad considering that Q1 2016 is also expected to bring the first ever quarter of declining iPhone sales.

Tim Cook: Apple will fight to stop the FBI accessing your data

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Tim Cook
Tim Cook wants the public to be aware of the importance of this issue.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has posted an open letter, signed by Tim Cook, in response to the FBI’s request that Apple unlock the iPhone at the center of a San Bernardino court case.

While United States magistrated judge Sheri Pym wants Apple to hand the FBI a custom firmware file that would allow the unlocking of the handset in question, Apple argues that this represents an, “unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers.”

And Cook wants the public to be aware of all the details.

Apple must unlock the iPhone 5c’s encryption… or else

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The iPhone 5c might be broken wide open. And what's next?
The iPhone 5c might be broken wide open. And what's next?
Photo: Apple

In December 2015, Syed Rizwan Farook shot up an office party in an apparent terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. He may have coordinated the attack on an iPhone 5c.

Since then, authorities have been trying to decrypt the device. And now, a U.S. magistrate is trying to force Apple to unlock it.

Ex-Apple designer builds easy-to-use artificial brain

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The Brain by Mike Matas
Good call. We definitely want to teach the machines love before they become self-aware.
Photo: Mike Matas (via YouTube)

We may be a small step closer to the robot wars thanks to former Apple designer Mike Matas.

Matas’ previous work includes user interfaces for Apple’s Maps, Photos, and Camera apps, as well as the Nest smart thermostat. And he showed off his latest creation, an artificial brain called (appropriately enough) The Brain, via a quick demo on YouTube. It’s a neural network that with an expectedly sharp and clean interface, and in the video, he shows how he can teach The Brain to spit out emojis based on different shapes that he draws.

Check it out below.

New HomeKit gadget tracks how much electricity you’re wasting

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Elgato Eve Energy
Elgato Eve Energy is here to make you feel bad about your power consumption.
Photo: Elgato

Gadget maker Elgato has been churning out HomeKit-compatible devices like crazy, and it’s just dropped another that takes the smartplug concept one further.

Eve Energy became available for sale in the U.S. today after a European launch. It plugs into your wall, and then a device of your choice plugs into it. You’ll be able to turn the thing off and on with your phone either through Elgato’s app or with Siri, and plenty of things on the market already do that. But Energy will also tell you how much power the thing plugged into it uses, which adds a new layer of functionality to the gadget.

Meet the tiniest game of pong for your Apple Watch

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Play a classic (and super-cute) game of Pong on your Apple Watch.
Play a classic (and super-cute) game of Pong on your Apple Watch.
Photo: Matt Wiechec

Is this the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen on your wrist? Yes, yes it is. It’s the tiniest game of pong you ever did see, too.

Game developer Matt Wiechec has made A Tiny Game of Pong for the Apple Watch and it hits all the right nostalgic notes for ancient gaming fans like myself and retro-cool folks like you.

Check it out.

How to unlock your iPhone’s secret emoticon powers

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Send your friends these adorable text-based emoticons.
Send your friends these adorable text-based emoticons.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Emoji has sort of taken over my iMessage conversations on the iPhone lately, and I’m willing to bet you use a lot of the cute little pictures too.

What if I told you there was a hidden treasure trove of text-based emoticons that you can access in addition to your favorite emoji?

Even better — it’s easy to enable these iPhone secret emoticons. Here’s how.

iPhone 7 may boast extra protection from electromagnetic interference

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Apple chips are getting EMI shielding.
Apple chips are getting EMI shielding.
Photo: Apple

Apple is allegedly planning to beef up the iPhone 7’s shielding against electromagnetic interference this year with new protections for all of the device’s major chips.

The iPhone 7 may not be able to survive a devastating EMP attack — like the one presidential candidate Ted Cruz has been really worried about lately — but it should lead to better performance, according to a report out of South Korea claiming Apple has already hired StatsChipPac and Amkor to do the shielding.

10 Mac storage tips to help you free up extra hard drive space

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Running out of hard drive space on your Mac? These 10 tips can help you free up space you didn't know you were even using!
Running out of hard drive space on your Mac? These 10 tips can help you free up space you didn't know you were even using!
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

app-factor-logo-thumbnailIs your Mac out of storage space, or getting dangerously close? If so, there are lots of things you can do to free up some much-need disk space. In many cases, you don’t even have to remove personal files and media. From finding and removing duplicate photo libraries to learning how to better utilize some of Apple’s cloud services, we can help you figure out what’s eating your storage and, more importantly, how to fix it.

Heavy-duty Lightning cable is damn near unbreakable

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Let's put the "indestructible cable" through the paces.
Photo: George Tinari/Cult of Mac

As important as it was for Apple to make the switch from 30-pin cables to Lightning cables alongside the release of the iPhone 5, there is one significant problem Apple has yet to address over the years: the durability of its charging cables. They bend, fray, tear and sometimes just stop working altogether even with only moderate use over time. Thankfully, third-party accessory makers have caught on to this, and have started offering solutions. One such offering is the MOS Spring Lightning Cable, which claims right on the packaging to be “the indestructible charge/sync cable.”

Apple to build $25 million office in India

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India
Apple wants to dramatically improve its 2 percent share on the smartphone market in India.
Photo: Tim Cook/Twitter

Apple has set its sights on taking over the smartphone market in India and its planning to bring more than just retail jobs to the country in the process.

The company confirmed today that it is planning to invest $25 million in a new office complex this year in Hyderabad that will bring 4,500 jobs to the area during the construction process.

Got an old Android? Sell it to us for a great price!

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got-an-old-android-sell-it-to-us-for-a-great-price-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads20160220140529_sims-erecycling_0536-final-640x426-jpg
It's easy to turn your old devices into cash.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Got an old Android you don’t use anymore? It’s useless to you in the bottom of a drawer, but if you dig it out and dust it off, you can sell it to us for cold hard cash!

We’re buying used and broken Android and Microsoft devices through our new buyback program, and we pay more than Best Buy, Gazelle, and Walmart in most cases. We’ll even buy used wearables, watches, and devices that don’t even work anymore.

Bon Appétit takes iPhone food photography to whole new level

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Shot on iPhone 6s.
Shot on iPhone 6s.
Photo: Marcus Nilsson/Bon Appétit

Hipsters have been using the iPhone to document their meals on Instagram for years now, but the culinary geniuses at Bon Appétit are taking iPhone food photography to unprecedented levels for its March issue.

Bon Appétit sent its top photographers to shoot everything from food festivals to fine-dining dishes for next month’s Culture issue, only instead of lugging around their pro-level DSLRs and wide array of lenses, the photogs were only allowed to use their iPhones.

The end result is a gorgeous 43-page spread that will make your mouth water. The issue hits newsstands this week, but the company has already revealed some of the incredible photos that you won’t believe were shot on iPhone.

Hours left to nab these amazing deals on tech tools and gear [Deals]

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Visually organize all your data and tasks with a single intuitive app
Visually organize all your data and tasks with a single intuitive app
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Want to stay organized and productive with your data? Tired of juggling USB cords, running out of juice on your laptop or worrying about data theft when you go online? If you answered yes to any of that, check out some of these deals ending in just a matter of hours.

Sorry, haters! Signs point to a massive January for Apple

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iPhone 6s boasts a new 12-megapixel camera.
Reports of the iPhone's demise may have been greatly exaggerated.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Forget all the doom predictions about Apple — according to Drexel Hamilton analyst Brian White, the company may have just had its best January since 2008.

Although Apple itself has said that iPhone sales are likely to fall for the first time ever in the January quarter, White claims that his own analysis of Apple’s suppliers suggests that things are looking far from bleak.