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Best List: This stealth speaker is a Power Mac’s Mini-Me and more

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Each month, Lust List rounds up the gear that gives us a fever of 103. August's secret rendezvous includes a stealthy Bluetooth speaker, a smartwatch that's not made by Apple, sweet Star Wars headphones and much more.

 HiddenRadio2 Bluetooth speaker


This stealthy little speaker would look right at home next to an inky-black Mac Pro. While most Bluetooth speakers go for a rugged, sporty look — hell, this year's cutest model even comes with a pool-ready float — the HiddenRadio2 will really class up the joint.


The secret is the glossy black dome that slides up an inch when you touch the top of the HiddenRadio2. A sensor in the sleek cover lets you adjust your music's volume, jump between tracks or answer phone calls, with nary a button to be seen. It's not the loudest speaker you'll ever hear, and at just 5 inches tall and 3.5 inches wide, it's not designed to pump out the bass like bigger speakers.


Instead, it's all about subtlety, clean lines and that aforementioned class. The audio is crisp and vibrant, whether you're streaming AC/DC or a Bartok cello concerto, and the utterly clutter-free design makes the HiddenRadio2 truly remarkable. Currently on sale for $179, it comes in glossy black, platinum silver and a pricier gunmetal. It'll bring a smile to your face every time you fire it up, and I can't wait till the promised apps (for iOS and Android) arrive to give HiddenRadio2 even more subtle powers. — Lewis Wallace


Buy from: Hidden

Each month, Lust List rounds up the gear that gives us a fever of 103. August's secret rendezvous includes a stealthy Bluetooth speaker, a smartwatch that's not made by Apple, sweet Star Wars headphones and much more.

HiddenRadio2 Bluetooth speaker

This stealthy little speaker would look right at home next to an inky-black Mac Pro. While most Bluetooth speakers go for a rugged, sporty look — hell, this year's cutest model even comes with a pool-ready float — the HiddenRadio2 will really class up the joint.

The secret is the glossy black dome that slides up an inch when you touch the top of the HiddenRadio2. A sensor in the sleek cover lets you adjust your music's volume, jump between tracks or answer phone calls, with nary a button to be seen. It's not the loudest speaker you'll ever hear, and at just 5 inches tall and 3.5 inches wide, it's not designed to pump out the bass like bigger speakers.

Instead, it's all about subtlety, clean lines and that aforementioned class. The audio is crisp and vibrant, whether you're streaming AC/DC or a Bartok cello concerto, and the utterly clutter-free design makes the HiddenRadio2 truly remarkable. Currently on sale for $179, it comes in glossy black, platinum silver and a pricier gunmetal. It'll bring a smile to your face every time you fire it up, and I can't wait till the promised apps (for iOS and Android) arrive to give HiddenRadio2 even more subtle powers. — Lewis Wallace

Buy from: Hidden


Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Bye-bye bendgate: iPhone 6s is going to be thicker than predecessor

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The new iPhone could be Apple's biggest yet. Literally.
Photo: uSwitch/@OnLeaks

We already know that, as is usual for incremental iPhone “s” releases, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus won’t differ too much from the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus in terms of external design.

However, according to some new CAD design renders from the usually-reliable @OnLeaks, the next-generation iPhone is set to be a little thicker than the current model handsets.

The iPhone 6s will measure 7.1mm thick — 0.2mm thicker than the iPhone 6 — while the iPhone 6s Plus will be 7.mm thick, compared to the 7.1mm iPhone 6 Plus.

iPhone survives 9,300-foot plunge from airplane

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beech_bonanza_a36
Beechcraft Bonanza airplanes apparently aren't iPhone-friendly.
Photo: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

The iPhone may not yet sport an ultra-tough sapphire display, but don’t think Apple’s handsets are by any means delicate.

A 74-year-old Texas businessman recently expressed his amazement after his iPhone fell 9,300 feet during a flight from Houston — and miraculously survived.

Dr. Dre’s first album in 16 years will be an Apple Music exclusive

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Apple's most eagerly-anticipated exclusive yet?
Apple's most eagerly-anticipated exclusive yet?
Photo: Apple/Dr. Dre

Apple Music may have come under fire from big-name Apple commentators but you can’t say that the service hasn’t delivered when it comes to artist exclusives.

Over the weekend, Dr. Dre announced on his Beats 1 show The Pharmacy what, for long-time hip-hop fans, may be the most exciting exclusive of all: His first album since 1999’s The Chronic 2001 is debuting on Apple Music and iTunes this Friday.

Apple wants Siri to take your voicemails in iOS 10

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siri
Siri is set to become useful than ever in 2016.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Siri is looking for a way to stop you ever having to listen to your voicemails again, according to a new report.

Apple is reportedly testing a new smart voicemail feature which, among other innovations, would allow Siri to answer your calls and then transcribe the voicemails as text messages.

Cult of Mac Magazine: Welcome to the new site, plus Apple TV’s big update

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In case you hadn't noticed, Cult of Mac's got a new look!
In case you hadn't noticed, Cult of Mac's got a new look!
Cover: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

We have the technology. We can make the Cult of Mac website better than it was. Better, stronger, faster.

We can and we did (and it didn’t cost us $6 million, either). In this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine for iPhone and iPad, you’ll get the scoop on our website’s redesign, plus updates on Apple TV, opinions on Apple Watch and some totally disarming selfies.

iPad Pro hopes, Woz fears Skynet, and British bar fights on The CultCast

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It all started with Stella Artois...
It all started with Stella Artois...
Photo: By Charles F. Price

This week: why we might be in for big iPad upgrades this year; our expectations for the iPhone 6C; the one feature we hope iPhone 6S will get (but probably won’t); Woz is worried about Skynet again; and… is Apple building a machine for time travel? You’ll have to press play to find out…

Our thanks to HipChat for supporting this episode. HipChat’s team communication app helps all teams work together more effectively, and gets you the information you need faster than email. Get HipChat Plus free for 90 days at hipchat.com/cultofmac.

Show notes ahead, and they’re excellent.

Why you’re stupid if you don’t use Safari on your MacBook

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The results are in: you're stupid if you don't switch to Safari on your MacBook.
The results are in: you're stupid if you don't switch to Safari on your MacBook.
Photo: BatteryBox

We’ve seen before that changing from Chrome to Safari can make a big difference on your Mac’s battery life.

But if you haven’t switched from Chrome or Firefox to Safari yet, this fact might change your mind: If you’re a MacBook user, you’re losing an average of one hour of total battery life by using anything but Safari.

Why you may run into trouble if you try to switch running apps

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It's not always easy to switch running apps.
It's not always easy to switch running apps.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Using a running app to log your workouts is a great way to track your progress and stay motivated. But have you considered who actually owns the workout data you are logging?

If you ever decide to switch apps, you might be in for a surprise. While some services, like Strava, make it easy to transfer your data, with others it can be difficult or even impossible.

5 things to do with your obsolete Apple TV

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It isn't going to control itself. Well, not before The Singularity, anyway.
Even with an improved Apple TV coming this fall, your current set-top box won't be totally useless.
Photo: Apple

Editor’s note: This is a humor piece. If you are looking for legitimate uses for your old Apple TV, you might want to read this article instead: “9 practical uses for your obsolete Apple TV.”

All rumors and speculation point to a brand new model of the Apple TV – and it’s about time. It should be complete with better hardware and finally its own App Store.

You might be hoping for a software update that will bring the App Store to your current Apple TV, but it’s not likely. Apple could pretty easily claim that older models don’t have the hardware to support it. You’re probably thinking your current set-top box will soon be totally obsolete, but if that’s your mentality, fear not. Here are five things you can do with your Apple TV when it becomes old news in September.

Apple Watch demand not enough for suppliers to break even

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Are Apple Watch expectations just too high?
Are Apple Watch expectations just too high?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple told investors earlier this month that sales of the Apple Watch have far exceeded its own internal expectations, but some of the companies that are making parts for the new wearable are claiming that they can’t even break even because demand is so weak.

Taiwan’s Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) which makes the system-in-package case that contains Apple Watch’s array of sensors and chips, told investors during a conference call that it still hasn’t reached “break even volume” of two million units per month.

Finally, a way to make Macs and PCs play nice

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NTFS for Mac breaks down the barriers between Windows and OS X -- and you could win a copy!
Photo: Paragon Software Group

This post is brought to you by Paragon Software Group, maker of NTFS for Mac.

It’s an unfortunate truth that Macs and PCs generally don’t get along. Snickering ads aside, the discord between the platforms is a real inconvenience for anyone trying to make the jump from one to the other, or for people who work with both at the same time.

Luckily, software can help — and you can enter to win a three-in-one bundle that helps bridge the Mac-PC divide.

Apple Music metadata is messing up your music

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Apple Music
Apple Music uses a less accurate method for song matching than iTunes Match.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

If you’ve been having problems with Apple Music and iCloud Music Library incorrectly matching songs in your library, you’re far from the only one. It turns out the reason is that Apple Music doesn’t use the same method for matching songs you own as iTunes Match does. This results in significantly more errors and frustrated users.

Though iTunes Match used acoustic fingerprinting to identify songs you own and match them for all of your devices, Apple Music uses the metadata of those songs. That means if you change something as simple as the title and artist, it could match to an entirely different song despite the unchanged audio.

Pinterest hires former Apple designer Susan Kare

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Early Apple designer Susan Kare.
Early Apple designer Susan Kare.
Photo: Photo: Ann Rhoney

As part of the original Macintosh team back in the 80s, Susan Kare created some of Apple’s earliest typefaces and icons, but now the famous designer is ready to bring her iconic skills to Pinterest, as the company’s newest design lead.

Does Apple really need a 4-inch iPhone 6c?

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Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

We know Apple will launch its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus this fall — you can bet your house on it — but what we don’t know is whether it will be accompanied by an iPhone 6c. For months it looked like the smaller, more affordable model was set to return, however, a recent report said Apple has scrapped that plan.

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2But does Apple really need an iPhone 6c?

The Cupertino company makes billions every quarter off its flagship models, and it has already stated it has no interest in building “cheap” devices to grab market share in emerging markets. But what about those who want a flagship iPhone that’s small enough to use with one hand?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we take it to a debate!

This toaster is actually an iPhone charging station in disguise

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Introducing the Foaster.
Introducing the Foaster.
Photo: Foaster

Keeping enough iPhone cables around the house to your entire family’s devices charged can result in some unsightly blogs of tangled cables. Most charging stations look horrible, or too nerdy to keep in open sight, but the Foaster is hoping the solve that problem by disguising an iPhone charging station in the shape of one of the most ubiquitous kitchen appliances.

Foaster comes with two slots to charge two iPhones at the same time, but it also can be expanded to accommodate two extra iPads. With its built-in power supply, Foaster only uses one electric outlet on your wall, keeping a fresh minimal look.

Check out the full demo: