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Apple to repair iPhone 6 Plus cameras that take blurry photos

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I still don't like that protruding camera lens. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac.
Not all iPhone 6 Plus photos are this sharp, unfortunately.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Do you have an iPhone 6 Plus which takes blurry photos? If so, then according to Apple you could be owed a fix, due a faulty internal camera component.

Apple’s website notes that the issue in question affects a number of iPhone 6 Plus handsets sold between September 2014 and January 2015. The problem relates to the the iSight camera on the back of the phone, rather than the “selfie” camera at the front.

We’ve found 6 products that’ll turn your photography from faux to pro [Deals]

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The Lytro is the first consumer lightfield camera, turning photos into living moments to be explored
The Lytro is the first consumer lightfield camera, turning photos into living moments to be explored
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Everyone’s a photographer these days, or at least that’s what people would have you believe. Making images that have impact takes more than a camera-phone — it takes special gear, knowledge, and skill with photographic hardware and software. We’ve got all those bases cover with these six deals, from lenses to lessons, cutting-edge cameras and powerful photo apps. Check them out now — these deals might disappear before you can say ‘cheese’.

iPad Pro is all but confirmed and the iPhone 6s gets bent on The CultCast

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The 6S gets bent and the results are surprising.
The 6S gets bent and the results are surprising.
Photo: Unboxtherapy

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Why we’re convinced we’ll see an iPad Pro come fall, and what we expect from Apple’s giant shield tablet of power. Plus: The iPhone 6s back gets a bend test, and the results are surprising; and Apple leases a secret facility to test its autonomous car.

Our thanks to Casper for supporting this episode. Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them. Learn why and save $50 off your order at casper.com/cultcast.

Click on for show notes!

5 upgrades for the tech in your life at a fraction of the price [Deals]

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Stuk.io's courses will tech you to code your dream apps and build a development portfolio with new practice apps each month
Stuk.io's courses will tech you to code your dream apps and build a development portfolio with new practice apps each month
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Times are moving fast, and keeping up can be tough. That’s why we’ve gathered some great ways to step up your game without feeling the pain in your wallet. From comprehensive coding courses to gadget self-repair and sci fi-worthy lightbulbs, we’ve got something to take anybody to the next level. But act fast — like the present moment, these deals will be gone before you know it.

Apple’s grab for street cred could bite it in the ass

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Dre's finally apologizing for his misogyny.
Apple has its fair share of controversial characters.
Photo: Beats

Apple might be unfairly painted as an aging company run by middle-aged white dudes with “dad dancing” moves, but it’s certainly not shying away from controversial characters.

Cupertino’s roster today includes employees like Dr. Dre — a man who was the epitome of gangsta rap before becoming “hip-hop’s first billionaire” — and Trent Reznor, aka the singer who once made public his desire to, erm, sleep with you in an animalistic fashion.

It’s a safe bet that Apple wants to be down with the kids, but this controversy-seeking behavior comes with a fair share of risk. And it’s only going to be a matter of time before Apple is hit by it.

Apple jacks another Tesla engineer for Project Titan

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tesla
Tesla just lost another engineer to Apple.
Photo: CC Wikipedia

Apple has already scooped up a cadre of automotive experts for its not-so-secret electric car project, and it appears the company just added one more Tesla Motors engineer to its growing roster.

Jamie Carlson, a senior engineer from Tesla, appears to have joined Apple’s Project Titan. His most recent LinkedIn posting that reveals he’s been working on “Special Projects” at Apple since August 2015.

Book Block lets you design your own custom notebooks

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Custom design your own notebooks with Book Block.
Custom design your own notebooks with Book Block.
Photo: Mustard Design Agency

There are so many ways technology helps us record information. Yet, the analog notebook hangs in there. Paired with a pen, nothing commits information to memory quite like sketching or jotting thoughts and observations by hand on nice paper.

A London design agency, understanding how personal notebooks inspire creativity, has created a platform called Book Block for creatives to design their own notebooks.

Cult of Mac Magazine: Apple Music, Rhapsody, Apple Watch hacks, tips

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Tons of great stuff this week.
Tons of great stuff this week.
Cover: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

This week we’ve got a magazine positively laden with great stuff: a piece on how great Apple Music actually is, a look at how veteran music service Rhapsody struggles for relevance, a chat with the young hacker who added custom watch faces to Apple Watch, and quite a few helpful how-to tips.

If you want a full-to-the-brim Apple news experience this weekend, be sure to download the latest Cult of Mac Magazine, or subscribe if you’re into that sort of thing!

It’s not a great time to own Apple stock

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ThelmaLouise4_001Pyxurz
Thelma and Louise take a turn as stock market analysts.
Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Apple stock continued to tumble Friday, closing at $105.76 — down more than 20 percent from its all-time high of $134.50 earlier this year.

The precipitous drop is in line with dozens of other big-name stocks that have taken a turn for the worse in 2015, but what’s driving the downturn?

Are Apple fans irrationally loyal to their brand?

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How deep is your love for Apple?
How deep is your love for Apple?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple fans have good reason to love the Cupertino company, which continues to revolutionize new product categories and deliver hugely successful products year after year. But how far should that love go?

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2Some might say there is a group of fans who are irrationally loyal to the Apple brand, devoted to buying its latest products just because they sport the Apple logo, and dismissing all competitors just because they don’t. But is there really a “Cult of Apple?”

Join us as we battle it out over that very question in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac.

Were damning anecdotes about Amazon workplace fair?

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$1 trillion
Amazon became only the second company, behind Apple, to reach the $1 trillion market valuation.
Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web

In the news business, a story that has legs stays in our heads, conversations and spins off follow-up headlines. Such was this week’s major newspaper expose describing Amazon as a hellish pressure cooker where employees cry at their desks.

Not everyone agreed with The New York Times piece that drew this conclusion after interviews with more than 100 current and former workers. Now even a Times editor is questioning whether the story was fair.

Dr. Dre finally apologizes to women he beat up back in the ’90s

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Dre's finally apologizing for his misogyny.
Dre's finally apologizing for his misogyny.
Photo: Beats

Hip-hop producer and Apple employee Andre Young, aka Dr. Dre, has been all over the news the past week thanks to his hit new album Compton and the movie Straight Outta Compton, which chronicles his rap group NWA’s rise to fame in the late ’80s.

Not all the attention surrounding Dre has been positive though, as critics have lampooned the Dre-produced film for glossing over some of the less-savory bits of NWA’s history, like the time Dre beat up Dee Barnes and a few other women. In an effort to stem the backlash, the first billionaire in hip-hop released a statement this morning, apologizing to the women he’s hurt.

Here what the doc had to say about the past:

Samsung plans to top iPad Pro with even bigger tablet

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Apple's giant iPad could give 2-in-1's a big boost.
Apple's giant iPad could give 2-in-1's a big boost.

Concept of Apple's giant tablet.
Concept of Apple’s giant tablet.

Apple fans are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the company’s giant iPad Pro that’s been swimming through the rumor mill for years now, but Samsung is already preparing its answer for the new tablet that will likely be aimed at pros and enterprise use.

Daimler CEO considers benefits of Apple Car collaboration

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Apple Car might be coming, but will it be special?
Apple Car might be coming, but will it be special?
Image: Aristomenis Tsirbas/Freelancer

Apple has been slowly poaching some of Daimler’s top talent for its own car project that is nearly ready for testing, but according to Daimler CEO, Dieter Zetsche, it wouldn’t be totally inconceivable for Apple and the Mercedes-maker to work together on a future automotive project.

Zetsche said that “different types” of cooperation with Apple and Google are possible in the future, as carmakers have realized they need software experts and telecoms to help create the next-generation of automobiles.

iOS 9 is coming: It’s time to level up your game-coding chops [Deals]

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A comprehensive lesson bundle for game developers, covering the new features of iOS 9.
A comprehensive lesson bundle for game developers, covering the new features of iOS 9.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Another year, another massive operating system update to learn and master. If you design games for mobile, you’ll soon have to reckon with the sweeping changes in the upcoming iOS9 update. Here’s your chance to get ahead of the curve with a comprehensive bundle of 8 game-building lessons for just $49 at Cult of Mac Deals.

New Apple Pay video reveals your new corporate masters

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There's got to be more to life than this.
There's got to be more to life than this.
Photo: Apple

Call me cynical, but when I saw the latest ad in the “If it’s not an iPhone, it’s not an iPhone” series Thursday afternoon, I felt a little uneasy.

Sure, there’s over a million stores you can use Apple Pay in, but if this ad is to be believed, they’re all the same corporate-owned stores you’ll see in every mall across the US.

Ugh.

Check out the Apple Pay video below.

Marc Newson designs the Apple Watch of fountain pens

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Marc Newson's Montblanc M pen is sleek as can be.
Meaning it's really expensive and does one thing really well.
Photo: Montblanc

Apple’s Marc Newson is one of the best designers in the industry. His plane-inspired Lockheed Lounge chair was reflective, smooth and looked incredibly uncomfortable. And we’re still enjoying the look and feel of our Apple Watches, even if the other night a drunk girl at a bar made fun of me for wearing mine in public. And that was hurtful.

But Newson isn’t just about shiny devices and even shinier chairs. He’s recently teamed up with luxury accessory designer Montblanc to create the Montblanc M, a classic fountain pen that looks like it came from the future.