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Angry Fandroids are losing it over Apple’s latest Android app

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angry-fandroids-are-losing-it-over-apples-latest-android-app-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201510unnamed-png
Apple's latest app for Android is getting the response you'd expect.
Photo: Apple
Apple's latest app for Android is getting the response you'd expect. Photo: Apple
Apple’s latest app for Android is getting the response you’d expect. Photo: Apple

Apple’s latest app for Android is a bitter, ahem, Pill+ for Fandroids to swallow — with numerous one-star reviews already hitting the Google Play Store.

Arriving yesterday, the app lets users control and manage their newly-launched Beats Pill+ speaker, including allowing multiple users to take control of the music playing from a speaker, or configuring two speakers to achieve a higher volume level.

But, of course, it’s made by Apple. So by the ancient laws of Android it must be punished!

Clever hacker reproduces 3D Touch on Android device

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A hacker's killer idea leads to 3D Touch-style interaction on his Android phone.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

As an Android user, you might feel a little saddened by the fact that you can’t use Apple’s 3D Touch system on your Android device of choice. It’s a pretty neat technology that lets an iPhone sense different pressures on the screen to produce some slick little tricks, like taking a selfie with a strong press on the Camera app icon.

Marco Chiappetta figured out a way to do something similar on his Sony Xperia Z3 using a pretty unexpected little trick.

Pro Tip: Keep your boss from snooping on you with Tor messenger beta

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Even some of my screenshot has to be secure.
Even some of my screenshot has to be secure.
Screen: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Pro Tip Cult of Mac bug While you may chat about state secrets while on your Mac at work, you might not want your chats to get out there or be archived. The answer is to use encryption so no one can intercept your messages and figure out you’re really angry at your boss.

The Tor Project aims to make anonymous, off-the-record chats simple with a new instant messenger app you can run on your Mac or Windows PC. Simply run the app (now in beta), log in to your preferred instant messaging service or services, and talk about whatever you want, secure in the knowledge that your chats are safe from your boss’ prying eyes.

Pro Tip: How to AirPlay videos from your iPhone to your Apple TV

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Daniel Radcliffe in Horns from iPhone to TV.
Daniel Radcliffe in Horns from iPhone to TV.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Pro Tip Cult of Mac bugIf you’ve got an Apple TV, you’ve got a ready way to get any videos from your iPhone or iPad onto your big screen.

While we all wait for the latest version of Apple’s famous “hobby,” why not watch a video or two on our current Apple TV, right from our iOS device of choice.

Here’s how to AirPlay videos from your iPhone to your giant TV.

Take your fitness in hand with smartwatch SHIFT band

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EdgeGear-Shift
The best band for running.
Photo: EdgeGear

With the watch now reinvented, a pair of avid runners believe it’s time to reinvent the watch band.

They have created a band that moves the face of a smartwatch to the spot on the hand just below where the thumb and forefinger meet. The result for runners, cyclists or anyone using the Apple Watch’s health tracking features is the face of the watch remains in the line of site.

Sore over Sorkin’s biopic? Steve Jobs tribute cartoon will make you smile

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Steven Jobs and the introduction of the iMac.
Steven Jobs and the introduction of the iMac.
Photo: QuartSoft

So maybe fans and friends of Steve Jobs think the Aaron Sorkin film was a bit of a hatchet job on the late mercurial genius who started Apple.

An IT company in the Ukraine called QuartSoft released an animated biography of Jobs this week as a way to thank him “for letting us enjoy the perfection of the products you created.”

34 apps to try out on your brand new Apple TV

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Apple TV 4 brings iOS apps to the big screen.
Apple TV 4 brings iOS apps to the big screen.
Photo: Apple

When Apple TV units finally ship tomorrow, they will bring iOS apps to the big screen for the first time.

Some of the best apps from your iPhone are making the jump, including Periscope, Zillow and Airbnb. And of course all the old Apple TV apps like Netflix, HBO Now, Hulu and Showtime will still be available.

Now that the new Apple TV’s arrival is imminent, developers are ready to flood the device with a tons of apps focusing on everything from cooking and exercising to gaming and news.

Here’s a list of new apps available on Apple TV:

Epik case gives Apple Watch the reinforcement it needs

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Put your Apple Watch inside an Epik case and it'll be protected (and super-sized.)
Put your Apple Watch inside an Epik case and it'll be protected (and super-sized.)
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: Epik Apple Watch case by Lunatik

There are times you want to protect your precious Apple Watch from the extreme abuse you put it through each day — welding, chopping down trees, building your own car, the usual — and there are times you want to make a fashion statement that’s larger than life.

Lunatik’s Epik aluminum Apple Watch case and watchband combo can do both those things for you. The outsize aluminum case bolts around your Apple Watch, and the seriously metal link watch band will make you the envy of every other badass.

Become an Adobe Photoshop pro with this bundle of lessons [Deals]

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This 8-course bundle of lessons covers all the essentials of Adobe Photoshop, one of the most widely used applications in visual media.
This 8-course bundle of lessons covers all the essentials of Adobe Photoshop, one of the most widely used applications in visual media.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Knowledge of Photoshop is one of the most commonly sought skills in digital media, but let’s face it — Adobe’s powerful industry standard image editing software can be a bit intimidating. That is, until you get a grip on the basics of how it works, which is exactly what the ‘Train Simple’ Adobe Photoshop Bundle offers. Over the course of 8 lessons, you’ll get a stem-to-stern tour of the concepts, functions and tools of Photoshop. It’s a deal that’s back by popular demand for a limited time and for just $55 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Eddy Cue: Apple TV will make viewing a more interactive experience

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Could Apple TV make television more like Periscope?
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apps on Apple TV could allow for Periscope-style feedback to live broadcasts, says Apple Senior VP Eddy Cue in a new interview with CNNMoney‘s Brian Stelter.

That’s one of the most fascinating points raised in a short conversation about Apple’s streaming set-top box ambitions, which also touches on a number of other topics — including Apple’s plans to make original Netflix-style content for Apple TV.

You’ll soon be able to use Siri to search Music on Apple TV

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Siri can now surface Disney content on your Apple TV.
Siri will soon let you search Apple Music.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple TV’s Siri-enabled universal search feature is set to come to Apple Music early next year, Apple has confirmed.

The feature means that Apple TV users will be able to request to find songs, artists or albums in the way that they can currently find movies or TV shows.

Out of costume ideas for Halloween? Just ask Siri

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Siri
"Hey, Siri? Will people hate me if I go to the party as 'Sexy Immortan Joe'?"
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Siri has a few extremely scientific and mathematical costume suggestions for Saturday’s festivities, but good luck figuring out how to implement most of them.

You can get prompts from Apple’s digital assistant by asking, “What should I be for Halloween?” to your favorite iOS device. Siri’s ideas aren’t bad if you can find a way to make them work. Check out a few of them below, which we captured from an Apple Watch.

$1.7 billion of Apple’s revenue last quarter came from Apple Watch

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Apple Watch is a killer device, even without a
The Apple Watch isn't a bad little earner for Cupertino.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

When it comes to revealing Apple Watch sales figures, Apple has kept its lips more tightly sealed than a swimmer in a sewage tank.

One of the ways it’s done this is hiding the Apple Watch numbers under the “other products” category in its SEC filings — alongside the iPod, Apple TV, Beats Electronics, and assorted accessories.

That doesn’t mean we can’t gauge something from looking at Apple’s new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission documents, though. And despite keeping hush-hush about it, it seems the Apple Watch isn’t doing too badly for Apple at all.

BBC iPlayer is coming to Apple TV ‘soon’

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Now you can rewind live TV streams in the BBC iPlayer
Apple TV owners in the U.K. will soon be able to enjoy BBC iPlayer.
Photo: BBC

The BBC has confirmed that its on-demand “catch-up” iPlayer service is coming to the new Apple TV for the first time.

Despite being available on other platforms including Roku, Google Chromecast, Amazon’s Fire TV, Sky’s Now TV and various video game consoles, iPlayer has not previously been available through Apple TV — although it was possible to use the BBC’s free iPlayer app for the iPad or iPhone via Airplay.

Apple rejects offer to sell Adele’s latest CD in retail stores

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Adele's management are looking for $30 million from Apple.
Photo: XL Recordings

It’s been years since Apple got rid of CD drives in Macs, but apparently Adele didn’t get the memo. That’s all we can conclude from a new report, claiming that the team behind the gazillion album-selling songstress tried — and failed — to persuade Apple to sell physical CD copies of her upcoming album, 25, in Apple Stores.

Because, you know, it’s not like the company has a new streaming music service it’s focused on selling people on or anything!

Nintendo unveils first, weird mobile game: Miitomo

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nintendos-first-smartphone-game-will-be-revealed-tomorrow-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201510Wallpaper_mariobros_02_1680x1050-jpg
Nintendo's first mobile game has not a Mario in sight.

At an investor briefing in Tokyo this evening, console maker and developer Nintendo unveiled the first of its proposed five smartphone games it will make with mobile giant DeNA between now and March 2017. And it’s not the most exciting news for long-time fans of the Wii U company’s library.

The title, called Miitomo will be a free-to-play title that lets your cartoonish “Mii” avatar talk to your friends — often without your knowledge.

One ‘Account’ to rule them all: Nintendo updates membership club

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Nintendo Account doesn't have much of a ring to it, but this is big news.
Nintendo Account doesn't have much of a ring to it, but this is big news.
Photo: Takashi Mochizuki/Twitter

At a strategic briefing for investors today in Tokyo, Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima took to the podium to talk about the game-maker’s plans for the near future, including, we hope, information on the venerable company’s foray into mobile gaming on iPhones, iPads, and possibly Android devices.

The new service — blandly called “Nintendo Account” — will connect console, PC, and smart device users in a way that has never been seen before in Nintendo’s history.

Apple TV review: The good, the bad and the ugly

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Apple TV
The new Apple TV brings powerful new features.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The new Apple TV looks like the old one, but it’s a complete overhaul of the little black puck. It now comes with a full-blown App Store, a touch-sensitive remote and voice controls via Siri.

You can preorder it now, and it’ll ship Friday.

We got our hands on a developer model and have been playing around with it. We like it a lot. Setup is fun, the interface looks stunning, and the touch remote works beautifully. If the Music app is any indication, apps on this thing are going to be great. There’s just one little thing wrong. And it’s not little, actually. It’s big.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly about the 4th-generation Apple TV.

Pro Tip: Get full desktop versions of your favorite websites in iOS 9 Safari

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iOS 9 is on a huge number of Apple's mobile devices.
iOS 9 is on a huge number of Apple's mobile devices.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Pro Tip Cult of Mac bugWhereas most websites these days — Cult of Mac included — are responsive to whatever device you’re browsing on, there are still a few websites out there that will serve you a special mobile version when you head there on your iPhone.

Unfortunately, sometimes the functionality of the full desktop version of the website is missing from the mobile version. When that happens, you can use the iOS 9 version of Safari to get the full desktop versions even when the web developers don’t provide a link to do so.

Here’s how.

Satechi’s USB-C hub has a place for your ‘old’ gadgets

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Media card slots and three A-type USB ports make Satechi's Type-C Hub Adapter a workhorse.
Media card slots and three A-type USB ports make Satechi's Type-C Hub Adapter a workhorse.
Photo: Satechi

Pulling the plug and getting the new MacBook with its single USB-C port doesn’t mean pulling the plugs on your peripherals. Plenty of companies, Apple included, offer adapters.

But one of the most versatile and elegant adapters arrived Wednesday from Satechi. Its hub adapter offers three A-type USB ports, an SD card slot and a micro SD card slot, allowing a user to seamlessly carry on.

Apple Music dives into VR with new U2 music video

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U2's VR music video feels like Bono is singing right at you.
U2's VR music video feels like Bono is singing right at you.
Photo: VRSE

Apple and U2 have gotten together again to promote their greatness, only instead of force feeding you an album you don’t want, this time the duo is diving into virtual reality for the band’s new video for “Song for Someone.”

YouTube Red goes live in the U.S.

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YouTube Red is rolling out now. Photo: YouTube
YouTube Red is rolling out now. Photo: YouTube

YouTube Red, the new subscription service that lets you enjoy the latest content from your favorite YouTube channels without ads, is now live in the United States.

Priced at $9.99 — and bundled with Google Play Music — Red also lets you play YouTube content in the background on your mobile devices, and download videos for offline viewing.

The sun sets on Sunrise as Microsoft combines app with Outlook

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Microsoft has a new outlook on its email and calendar app.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
outlook-mobile-app
Microsoft has a new outlook on its email and calendar app. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Microsoft is merging two of its most popular mobile apps into one: Outlook email and Sunrise calendar. Outlook has always been a favorite among email users while Sunrise rose to fame for being both free and feature-packed. Combined as one, Microsoft is hoping the move enables users to more seamlessly glide between emailing and calendar tasks.

The result isn’t really a huge departure from what Microsoft currently offers in Outlook, since Outlook already has your calendars built in. Instead, it’s more about refining navigation within the app while additionally bringing in some features from Sunrise.

The biggest change is that the sun is setting on Sunrise. After Microsoft bought the calendar app just this year, the company is already pulling the plug on it.

Snapchat gets a bunch of awesome new video effects

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Snapchat just took the game to a new level.
Snapchat just took the game to a new level.
Photo: Snapchat

Videos on Snapchat are getting some new special effects today with a big update that adds ‘speed modifiers’ to the app’s toolset on both iOS and Android.

The new speed modifiers are basically video filters that allow snappers to add slo-mo, fast-forward, or rewind effects to a video. If you’re on an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus the update is even better, bringing 3D Touch support to the app for the first time.