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All the phones at the party become one sound system with AmpMe

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No stereo? No problem. AmpMe app creates a sound system with all the phones at a party.
No stereo? No problem. AmpMe app creates a sound system with all the phones at a party.
Photo: AmpMe

The party is on, but there’s a problem: There’s no stereo or Bluetooth speaker for the music.

But a startup out of Montreal has developed an app that allows partygoers to create a DIY sound system. AmpMe is an app that syncs streaming music across the many smartphones at that party to create one powerful sound system. That means iPhones and Android phones can join forces to save the day.

ROBLOX games hit the big screen with an app for Xbox

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From the ROBLOX game Angels 15, which will be among 20 games coming to Xbox.
From the ROBLOX game Angels 15, which will be among 20 games coming to Xbox.
Photo: ROBLOX

ROBLOX, the popular user-generated online gaming platform, introduces kids to game building and even helps them earn a few bucks in the process. Some ROBLOX game developers have earned enough money to pay for college.

Now some of the more successful developers will raise their gaming cred even higher as ROBLOX launches a free app for Xbox featuring 20 of its top games.

Jailbreak tweak brings 3D Touch to older iPhones. Kind of.

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iphone-6s-3d-touch
3D Touch is Apple's big new feature for the iPhone 6s.
Photo: Apple

3D Touch has been the most widely-praised feature of the iPhone 6s in its advance reviews, so it’s no great surprise that savvy jailbreakers would attempt to replicate the technology in older iPhones.

One attempt at this is a new free tweak called ForceTouchActivator, which tries to impersonate 3D Touch by using long presses to expand the functionality of your iPhone.

And as far as free tweaks go, it’s not a bad effort. Sort of.

In-app purchases flaw exposes developers to costly hacks

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App Store icon
Business is booming for the App Store.
Photo: PhotoAtelier/Flickr

Sloppy coding in some popular iOS games allows hackers to give themselves and others thousands of dollars’ worth of in-app purchases for free.

The hole was discovered by developers at DigiDNA, creator of a backup tool called iMazing that allows iPhone and iPad users to access their devices’ hidden file systems. The developers found that the app backup/restore feature in iMazing 1.3 exposes weaknesses in the way games like Angry Birds 2 and Tetris Free handle in-app purchases.

To demonstrate how easy it is to hack in-app purchases using this method, the DigiDNA team tweaked Angry Birds 2 to start the game with 999,999,999 gems — the equivalent of $10,000 of in-game credits.

iOS 9 ad blockers could ruin your online shopping experience

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Before and after adblockers. Notice any difference?
Photo: Sears

One of the big innovations of iOS 9 was the ability for Safari users to download and take advantage of content blockers.

According to a new report, however, ads may not be the only content that is blocked by apps like Crystal. Online retailers such as Walmart, Sears and Lululemon are also seeing their e-commerce sites negatively affected by adblockers — with some crucial features failing to work as before.

A savvy Apple fan has sent a robot to queue for her iPhone 6s

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It certainly beats sitting out in the cold.
Photo: Atomic 212

People are already camping out for the iPhone 6s, but one smart would-be customer from Australia has decided to dodge the queues — by sending a robot on her behalf.

Lucy Kelly dispatched the robot — a remote-controlled tablet attached to a Segway — to wait in line at the flagship Apple Store in Sydney, where the iPhone 6s will go on sale ahead of the rest of the world. It gives her the ability to join in the fun of waiting alongside eager Apple fans, without the negative part of standing around for hours in the cold.

Now why didn’t we think of that?

HTC’s iPhone clone leaks out again with giant bezels, six color options

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htcs-iphone-clone-leaks-out-again-with-giant-bezels-six-color-options-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201509HTC-One-A9-colors-jpg
One A9's six color options.
Photo: Evan Blass
One A9's six color options. Photo: Evan Blass
One A9’s six color options. Photo: Evan Blass

HTC’s upcoming iPhone clone, the One A9, has leaked out again ahead of its official unveiling.

A new press image confirms the device will be available in six colors, with gigantic bezels above and beneath its display that somewhat spoil its otherwise attractive look.

Take Facebook’s 360-degree tour of Star Wars’ new desert planet

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Facebook now supports 360 video.
Facebook now supports 360 video.
Photo: Facebook

Facebook is bringing 360-degree video to news feeds starting today, showcasing the immersive format with a speeder tour of Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ desert planet Jaku.

The tech makes viewing 360 videos on mobile devices simpler than ever, allowing users to select a viewing angle just by turning their devices. You can also watch the videos on the web, clicking around to change the camera’s perspective.

Pebble’s new smartwatch is Round and super-slim

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Pebble Time Round is the thinnest smartwatch so far. Photo: Pebble
Pebble Time Round is the thinnest smartwatch so far. Photo: Pebble

Pebble’s latest smartwatch forgot it’s hip to be square.

The Pebble Time Round has a circular display that hopes to appeal to traditional watch wearers, and compete round rivals like the Moto 360 and Samsung’s upcoming Gear S2. Its all-metal design is also the thinnest and lightest Pebble has crafted to date.

Get out of bed with Apple Watch’s new Nightstand mode

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Use your Apple Watch to wake up without all the hassle.
Use your Apple Watch to wake up without all the hassle.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Every day, it’s the same thing. Wake up to my iPhone blaring OK Go’s “I Won’t Let You Down” at me, then fumble the Tap to Snooze function (which never seems to work for me in the morning). It’s not as simple as an alarm clock, and the distraction of having your iPhone with you when you go to sleep at night is something I think we all can do without.

Apple Watch now has the answer, in the form of a new watchOS 2 feature, Nightstand mode.

Here’s how to use it to help you get your sorry butt out of bed in the morning.

iOS 9.1 beta 2 brings new fixes to developers (and the public)

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iOS 9.3 beta 6 is here!
iOS 9.3 beta 6 is here!
Photo: Apple

Developers can add the latest iOS 9.1 beta to their iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches starting today.

Exactly two weeks after releasing the first beta, Apple has started seeding iOS 9.1 beta 2, build 13B5119e, to developers via an over-the-air update and in the Apple Dev Center.

Update: As of Thursday this week, public beta users can also update to the latest iOS 9.1 public beta 2, as well.

Apple Watch app warns when you’re nearing data limit

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The DataMan complication, as seen in the upper left of these Apple Watches, monitors your data usage.
The DataMan complication, as seen in the upper left of these Apple Watches, monitors your data usage.
Photo: DataMan

DataMan could be the name of a superhero, but it is instead an app that saves you from the dangers of going over your data limit. Now it has a sidekick for the Apple Watch that lets you be vigilant with a flick of the wrist.

The DataMan app for the watch lets you easily view your usage, but if you don’t need to know in detail, simply raise your wrist and an icon will appear in the upper left corner of your watch face that gives an idea. A green check means your safe, a blue exclamation point is for caution and a red X means you are in danger of going past your limit and paying nasty overage fees.

Nervous about online spies and thieves? Protect your connection with top-rated Private Internet Access VPN [Deals]

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The more we learn about the extent of spying and theft that happens on the Internet, the more it seems like we should revert back to communicate with two cans and a string. A better alternative is just to protect your connection to the Internet, which is what Private Internet Access VPN does. And right now you can get a 2-year subscription for $59.95 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Lensbaby your way to dreamy iPhone photos

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One of the lenses in the Creative Mobile Kit by Lensbaby.
One of the lenses in the Creative Mobile Kit by Lensbaby.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

We love our iPhone cameras because it takes away the need for technical know-how and leaves us with nothing but fun for our photography. But sometimes fun needs to be turned up a notch.

Enter the Creative Mobile Kit from Lensbaby, a two-lens package that turns any scene into a dreamy state of smeary colors and blurred shapes that surround the focus of a subject. Just clip on the kit’s magnetic mount bracket, select a lens and go play.

Apple Car could save drivers 400 billion hours per year

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Apple car concept art shows what Cupertino might put on the road.
An Apple Car has the potential to save lives. In all sorts of ways.
Photo: Aristomenis Tsirbas/Freelancer

Morgan Stanley analysts Adam Jonas and Katy Huberty — who regularly follow Tesla and Apple — claim an autonomous Apple Car could save drivers a collective 400 billion hours of “non-productive” time each year.

“What is the value of 400 billion hours a year?” they write in a note to clients. “How much value could Apple create from this time or said another way how much are consumers willing to pay to recoup this time? It’s time to start thinking about… time.”

And we thought the Apple Watch was Apple’s attempt to focus on timekeeping!

Meet the messaging app that will save your ass

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reTXT lets you edit messages or photos after you've already sent them.
Photo: reTXT
reTXT lets you edit messages or photos after you've already sent them.
reTXT lets you edit messages or photos after you’ve already sent them. Photo: reTXT

reTXT is a radical new messaging app that wants to fix everything wrong with online communication as it exists now. It landed back in April and includes a number of unique features — like being able to edit a message you already sent — all of which are currently patent pending. The app just updated today for iOS and Android with support for voice calling with end-to-end encryption as well.

Sticking out from the crowd of third-party messaging apps, I decided to take a closer look.

Awesome infographic connects the dots of Steve Jobs’ life

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Jobs' life gets graphical.
Photo: Visualistan

Steve Jobs’ life has been immortalized in the form of numerous biographies, three movies, multiple documentaries, several operas, and a handful of graphic novels — but now it’s been turned into an infographic, too.

Created by the folks at Visualistan, this neat creation takes you through Steve’s most significant moments in one easy-to-read pictogram, based on the same Walter Isaacson biography that forms the basis for the forthcoming Steve Jobs movie.

Check it out:

Apple takes steps to avoid a repeat of XcodeGhost debacle

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Double-check that you're using the right version of Xcode to build apps.
Apple will provide Chinese users with a local official version of Xcode to download.
Photo: Johan Larrson/Flickr

Apple is taking steps to avoid a repeat of this week’s serious XcodeGhost incident — in which hundreds of App Store apps were discovered to include malware in the form of a counterfeit version of Xcode, the platform used by developers to build their apps.

Tim Cook offers fan an internship after Apple Watch saved his life

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Apple's back on top again.
An internship worth celebrating!
Photo: Apple

The teen who had his life saved thanks to his Apple Watch heart monitor has received a brand new iPhone 6s and — more importantly — an internship with Apple next summer.

17-year-old football player Paul Houle says he was recovering from his recent medical emergency when he received a very special call from Cupertino.

“I got a phone call from a California number, and [the person on the other end of the line] said ‘Hello, my name is Tim Cook, CEO of Apple,'” Houle says.

Apple rejects controversial Ferguson Firsthand app

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Ferguson Firsthand was intended as an
Ferguson Firsthand was intended as an "educational app."
Photo: Dan Archer

In the latest controversy over Apple’s stringent App Store guidelines, the company has rejected an “educational app” about the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

The reason? Apple objects to “the subject matter” of the game, which deals with the impact of the real-life shooting that sparked rioting and a continuing conversation about race and police brutality.

How to keep your Apple Watch display on longer in watchOS 2

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Chances are you'll see quite a few more of these in the coming years.
Don't go anywhere, Apple Watch -- we're not finished yet.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Here’s another tip that’s snuck into watchOS 2: Did you know that you can keep your Apple Watch awake longer now while you’re using it?

Apple hasn’t mentioned this feature much, if at all; we couldn’t even find it on the details screen when we upgraded. But it’s a great addition to the firmware that will save you a little frustration and a lot of wrist-flipping.

Here’s how to do it.

Forecast Bar is the next best thing to having Dark Sky on your Mac

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Forecast Bar brings loads of weather data your Mac's menu bar.
Photo: Forecast Bar

Forecast Bar brings all the features you love about awesome weather app Dark Sky to a Mac app. Not only does it look similar to Dark Sky, but it’s powered by the same Forecast API, which means you’re getting the same accurate weather predictions.

Forecast Bar also works the way you want it to. Keep it in the menu bar or let it sit in your Dock. Enable certain notifications and display a three-day, five-day or seven-day forecast — up to you. With its detailed weather and range of customization options, it should very quickly take your Mac by storm.