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How to make Siri (awkwardly) read any e-book to you

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Siri storytime
Great. Now I'm going to be up even longer administering the Voight-Kampff Test to all of these sheep.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Siri is a handy virtual assistant. It’ll fetch information for you, send texts, and even tell you a joke if you ask it repeatedly (Siri is a little shy at first). But did you know that it can also narrate e-books?

If you can’t get enough of that lovely robot voice, here’s how to make your favorite literature come to synthetic life.

Fallout Shelter digs deep to get to the top

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Fallout Shelter is making some serious cash, but not at your expense.
Fallout Shelter is making some serious cash, but not at your expense.
GIF: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Post-apocalyptic free-to-play iOS game Fallout Shelter is proving that engaging gameplay and treating your players like valued customers pays of huge dividends.

Developer Bethesda today revealed that the game, only just released, has pushed aside all other takers in the App Store, becoming the top downloaded game in 48 countries, and the top downloaded app (including games) in 25 more.

Looks like a fun, quality game that doesn’t trick you into buying in-app purchases can be successful after all.

iPhone to power nation’s largest LGBT health study

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The nation's largest LGBT study is powered by ResearchKit
The nation's largest LGBT study uses ResearchKit
Photo: The Pride Study

Thanks to Apple’s new ResearchKit software, breakthroughs have already been made in the study of Parkinsons disease and Asthma. Now, a team of researcher are planning to use the iPhone and ResearchKit to study a subject we still don’t know as much about as we’d like to: LGBT health.

Spotify extends free trial facing pressure from Apple Music

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Spotify is taking what it knows about your music tastes to curate a personalized weekly playlist.
Spotify has increased its free trial for users outside the U.S.
Photo: Spotify

Apple Music’s launch is just days away, and Spotify is already running to catch up to the free trial Apple thinks will convince you to become a paying customer.

In an attempt to match Apple’s controversial three-month free trial period, Spotify announced that it will extend its Premium free trials from 30 days to 60 its days, but only if you’re outside the U.S.

This World Charging Station is a jetsetter’s dream (and it’s on sale) [Deals]

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We’ve all been through those wretched travel-charging woes. When traveling abroad, you:

A: Pay overweight baggage fees thanks to your collection of travel adapters, chargers, and cords.

B: Spend the first hour of your trip on the floor by an outlet, trying to figure out which plug goes where.

C: First A, then B.

D: Pack a lightweight charger that charges multiple devices simultaneously almost anywhere in the world.

If you picked D, congratulations—you already own the Twist Plus World Charging Station and you’re probably really smart and good-looking. If you picked A, B, or C, good news—your charging hassles can be over for good for just $34.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Taylor Swift is bringing ‘1989’ to Apple Music

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'1989' is coming to Apple Music
'1989' is coming to Apple Music
Photo: Taylor Swift

After waging a war against Apple Music in the name of indie artists, Taylor Swift has finally decided that she will let fans stream her newest album, 1989, on Apple Music when the service launches last week.

Swift announced her decision to make the album available on Twitter this morning, saying it’s the first time she’s felt right in her gut that now is the time to embrace streaming.

Drake, Elton John, and Pharrell will have their own Beats 1 shows

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Beats 1 will be the first channel to announce MTV's 2015 VMA nominees.
Beats 1 delivers 24/7 internet radio.
Photo: Apple

Apple is planning to launch its new streaming music service in less than a week and the company plans to pack a lot of star power to get iOS users to tune in.

As part of the new Apple Music service, Beats 1 Radio will use a host of celebrities to plan and host their own music shows that will touch on everything from golden oldies brought to you by Elton John, to hip new Millennial songs with teen Jaden Smith spinning the discs.

Apple pulls games with Confederate flag artwork from App Store

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Apple's yanking down the Confederate flag
Apple's yanking down the Confederate flag
Photo: Civil War 1863

It’s been over 150 years since the South lost to the Union army in the American Civil War, but only recently has the call to finally remove the Confederate Flag from public places picked up steam. Now Apple is getting in on the action too by banning all Civil War games from the App Store that display the Confederate Flag in “offensive and mean-spirited ways.”

New rumor exposes Apple’s dual-lens camera plans

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I'd pay extra for this.
Why make do with one lens when you could have two?
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple has been secretly experimenting with dual-camera iPhone lenses for three years, according to Altek’s Xiaru Wen, the CEO of the company responsible for building similar camera modules for HTC and Huawei.

The report claims that Apple has been held up by two challenges until now: technical problems resulting in blurred images, and an inability to find a manufacturer able to build enough of the components in the allotted time.

But things may be about to change.

Will.i.am thinks the Apple Watch is weird

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Ahrendts
Will.i.am cheesin' with Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts at the Apple Watch unveiling.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Black Eyed Peas founder Will.i.Am has been an Apple fanboy for years, but when it comes to supporting Jony Ive’s new wearable, the singer thinks it’s just weird.

During a panel discussion at the Cannes Lions festival, Mr I.Am said he recently saw a man at the gym with an iPhone 6 strapped to his arm even though he was wearing an Apple Watch, and it just didn’t look right he told SaleForce CEO Marc Benioff.

How the Swiss Army Knife was the iPhone of its day

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The first Swiss Army Knife, which was issued to soldiers in October of 1891.
The first Swiss Army Knife, which was issued to soldiers in October of 1891.
Photo: Wikipedia

With an iPhone in your hand and thousands of apps at your disposal, you may think you have the one gadget that can get you out of any situation.

But there’s a kind of analog handset that offers sharp solutions to cut through unexpected challenges. The Swiss Army Knife comes from the 19th century but never gets old.

The red handle and silver cross is enough to inspire confidence knowing that what unfolds from it could help you solve problems, build things, keep you on the job or possibly save your life.

Slim Shady stands up for first Beats 1 interview with Zane Lowe

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Beats 1 could soon be broadcasting from an Apple store.
Eminem is the first major musical guest on Apple Music.
Photo: Apple

DJ Zane Lowe is clearly intent on getting Beats 1 kicked off with a bang, since he has posted an image to Instagram revealing that hip-hop artist Eminem will be his first guest interview when Apple Music launches next week.

Lowe joined Apple from BBC Radio 1 earlier this year, where he had previously interviewed top-tier music names including Eminem, Kanye West, Jay Z, Rick Rubin, and Chris Martin.

Some T-Mobile iPhone users are suffering a case of ‘blue screen of death’

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t-mobile
T-Mobile CEO John Legere.
Photo: T-Mobile

Numerous T-Mobile iPhone users are complaining that their handsets are reportedly suffering bizarre outages, causing them to reboot at half-hourly intervals.

On social media, users are describing how their Uncarrier iPhones crash every 20 to 30 minutes while they are using certain apps, leading to a Microsoft-style “blue screen of death” and then a reboot.

Shoulderpod’s iPhone grip helps you shoot video like a pro

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ShoulderPod's S1 grip is a fantastic addition to your kit.
ShoulderPod's S1 grip is a fantastic addition to your kit.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

So you want to take video with your iPhone, because you realize that it’s a fantastic camera with some great features like slo-mo and time-lapse, and you also know that the best camera for any video or photo shoot is often the one you have with you.

If you’re like me, though, chances are you’re a bit shaky-handed. Or you have big mitts that tend to cover your whole iPhone, and they constantly end up hitting the Sleep button when you don’t want them to.

In short, shooting video with any sort of professionalism or polish is much more easily accomplished with a camera you can grip. That’s where ShoulderPod S1 Pro iPhone Grip comes in.

Apple component orders again hint that Force Touch is coming to iPhone 6s

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The Force Touch trackpad as seen in the recent MacBook.
The Force Touch trackpad as seen in the recent MacBook.
Photo: Apple

More and more evidence is racking up that Apple will introduce its Force Touch technology — previously seen in the Apple Watch and recent MacBook models — as a chief feature for the upcoming iPhone 6s.

According to a new report citing industry sources, Apple has upped its orders for the flexible printed circuit boards necessary for incorporating Force Touch into its next-gen iPhones — with its main FPCB suppliers being Zhen Ding Technology and Flexium Interconnect.

Apple will pay same streaming royalty rate as Spotify during free trial

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Iovine
Jimmy Iovine talks up Apple Music at WWDC 2015.
Photo: Apple

Having agreed to pay out royalties to music artists during the initial three-month trial period of Apple Music, Apple will reportedly pay rights holders 0.2 cents per stream, according to a new report.

This rate is similar to that paid by other streaming companies, such as Spotify, for their free tier. Apple is also said to be still negotiating a smaller free for songwriting rights which be paid to publishers.

Gmail’s handy ‘Undo Send’ feature comes to Inbox

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We’ve all sent emails to the wrong person accidentally. Sometimes it’s as harmless as inviting your grandma to a drum and bass rave; other times it’s pictures to your boss that no one should see.

But if you use Gmail, those mistakes can quickly be reversed with the awesome “Undo Send” feature — which just made its way to Inbox.

The patent that proves Apple wants to put fingerprint scanners inside displays

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Touch ID as you know it could be about to change.
Touch ID as you know it could be about to change.
Photo: Apple

Recent reports claim that Apple is looking to eliminate the need for a physical “home” button on future iPhones by integrating Touch ID fingerprint sensors into the main display. Now we have the patent application to prove it!

Published Thursday, Cult of Mac got its hands on a patent application entitled “Fingerprint Biometric Sensor Including Drive Signal Level Updating,” which reveals how Apple has been exploring processing circuitry capable of acquiring fingerprint data by using special “sensing pixels” within screens.

MIT: Apple is smarter than Snapchat, dumber than Google

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Tim Cook commencement
S-M-R-T.
Photo: George Washington University

Tesla Motors is the smartest company in the world, according to MIT Tech Review’s latest survey of the brainiest corporations. Apple, which was not on last year’s list returns at number 16, beating out other firms like ride-sharing company Uber and smartbulb-maker Philips. MIT cites the newly released Apple Watch and touchless payment method Apple Pay as its reasons for inclusion, saying that these two products “set the pace for competitors.”

You can see the full list of smartiespants in the table below.

UK Apple Pay comes up short at the cash register

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Apple Pay is coming to the U.K. this fall.
Apple Pay for the U.K. It's coming sometime, maybe.
Photo: Apple

Merchants in the United Kingdom are preparing their shops and wares for the launch of Apple Pay this fall, but they have some extra work to do if they want to make the big sales.

Apple Pay U.K. will come with a £20 per transaction limit unless shop owners have the latest gear on their counters.