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Delete your unwanted iPhone photos in one quick purge

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Do you really need to carry all of these photos around with you? Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
Do you really need to carry all of these photos around with you? Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

We all need to get rid of photos from our iPhones from time to time, and iOS 8 makes it pretty simple to select a single or group of photos and delete. Deleting a photo at a time is all well and good, as is tapping a bunch of them and then deleting. But what if you want to just seriously delete a whole ton of them at once?

There’s a better way to bulk delete photos from your iPhone (or iPad), and it takes a lot of the tapping out of the process. Here’s how to do it.

Amaze your friends with the double-flip Blade Pico QX drone [Deals]

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CoM_Blade Pico QX

Remote controlled quadcopters have experienced a sharp increase in popularity recently due to their new-found affordability and increasing number of options. Now, drones come in all shapes and sizes and there are models to cater to every skill level.

You will experience huge fun no matter your skill level with the small and lightweight Blade Pico QX RTF Double-Flip Drone, specially priced at just $49.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Wingless spaceplane will paddle back to Earth

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An illustration shows the European Space Agency's Spaceplane on re-entry. A test launch is scheduled for Feb. 11. Illustration: J. Huart/ESA
An illustration shows the European Space Agency's spaceplane on re-entry. A test launch is scheduled for Feb. 11. Illustration: J. Huart/ESA

With “plane” in the name, you expect to see wings. But the European Space Agency’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle IXV, or spaceplane, will have to earn them.

A critical test takes place Feb. 11, when the spaceplane will get a push into space aboard a Vega rocket and splash down 100 minutes later in a vetting of the agency’s re-entry technologies.

About the size — and even look — of a small boat, the 2-ton spaceplane will keep an even keel as it re-enters at hypersonic speeds with the assist of thrusters and a pair of aerodynamic flippers on the back. Chutes will deploy to slow it down and give it a gentle landing in the Pacific Ocean.

Apple could fund stock buyback with $5 billion bond sale

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James Bond
The name's Bond. Bond sale. Photo: United Artists
Photo: UA

Apple is reportedly planning to unload $5 billion worth of bonds in its fourth multibillion-dollar debt offering in two years, according to Bloomberg.

The news outlet is reporting that the deal could happen as early as today, with proceeds used for stock repurchases, dividend payments and debt repayments. Apple sold $17 billion of bonds in April 2013, in what was then the largest corporate bond offering of all time. Since then it has issued $32.5 billion of bonds in total.

The smartphone as personal security guard

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STOP-ATTACK is an app that can quickly activated to record audio and video and instantly sends out alerts to emergency contacts if there is threat of assault. Illustration: STOP-ATTACK
The STOP-ATTACK app can be quickly activated to record audio and video, and instantly sends out alerts to emergency contacts if there is threat of assault. Illustration: STOP-ATTACK

With the number of smartphone muggings high enough to earn the crime its own category in the police stats, holding a pricey little computer in your hands is like toting a big target.

However, you could also be holding a layer of security: Several apps have emerged that sound an alarm to family, friends and law enforcement in the event a smartphone owner feels threatened, faces an assault or suddenly gets nervous about their surroundings.

The man who hired Steve Jobs explains Apple’s ‘dreadful problem’

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Atari Founder Nolan Bushnell: Managing talent should include more fun and games Photo: Flickr/Campus Party Mexico
Atari's Nolan Bushnell was a mentor for Steve Jobs. Photo: Campus Party Mexico/Flickr

As one of the only people who ever truly gave Steve Jobs a job, Atari’s Nolan Bushnell has a pretty big claim to fame. Now 71 years old, Bushnell gave an interview to The Australian Financial Review over the weekend in which he talked about Jobs, passing up the opportunity to become a one-third owner of Apple, and the big problem the company faces today.

Apple’s new Chinese ad will make you cry whatever language you speak

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Chinese interest in Apple is at a boiling point. Photo: Apple
Hang on, I've just got some dust in my eye! Photo: Apple

One of the most interesting things about Apple’s continued expansion into China is going to be watching how it tweaks its marketing to target a country Tim Cook has claimed will soon be Apple’s biggest market.

Ahead of Chinese New Year on February 19, Apple has debuted a new ad in China, updating it’s warmly-received U.S. ad “The Song” for a new audience. Both ads tell the story of a young woman who uses a combination of their Mac and GarageBand to record a duet featuring their grandmother’s voice from the past.

As with virtually every ad Apple has ever put out, the message is less about technology for its own sake, and more to do with how it can be used to enhance the life of individual users.

You can check out and compare both versions of the ad after the jump:

Ms. Pac-Man, Frogger and beer, all on tap at Ground Kontrol

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A pair of gamers take their chances in Time Crisis II, while another patron gets his ass handed to him playing NBA Jam. Photos: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

PORTLAND, Oregon — The glowing light from the beer signs in the window reflects off Bear’s face. He is standing guard tonight at one of Portland’s favorite hot spots, and the line stretches down the street.

A motley-looking cast of characters wait patiently for their chance to get past security. But they are not here to see a punk or metal show, or even for a hot DJ. They are in line to rid their pockets of quarters playing Ms. Pac-Man and other vintage video games at Portland’s Ground Kontrol.

With 60-plus video games and almost 30 pinball machines in operation — all at the price they were circa 1985 — it’s no wonder the arcade is packed with gaming nerds.

Watch what happens when iPhone 6 meets a bath of hot ice

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Photo: TechRax
Looks cold. Or hot. We can't decide. Photo: TechRax

One day someone is going to come along and write a paper on the psychology of tech fans who will queue up for hours to get the latest smartphone, and then log onto the Internet to watch it getting destroyed. When they do, at least several chapters will be dedicated to Ukrainian YouTuber TechRax, whose channel on the video sharing website shows the iPhone being pitted against everything from angle grinders to boiling Coca-Cola.

Today’s “stress test” for Apple’s record-breaking iPhone 6? No less than a bath of molten sodium acetate, a.k.a. hot ice: the substance found in hand warmers.

And, amazingly, it survives intact.

Best List: Hot gear for the dead of winter

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Trying to find air for your tires in San Francisco can be a nightmare. Half the pumps are broken at any given time and if you do locate one that works, you'll need to feed it a bunch of quarters if you're not buying gas. All of that makes keeping your tires properly inflated a royal pain in the butt — unless you have your own source of pressurized air.

If you don't own or need a regular air compressor, the PowerStation PSX-2 is a great way to keep your tires pumped up. It's not lightweight, but the 20-pound rechargeable tool is still totally portable and will get your rubber ready for the road far more quickly than the typical 12-volt gadgets you plug into your cigarette lighter. 

Oh, and did I mention it will also jump-start your car or motorycle when your battery's dead? And provide an emergency worklight and 12-volt DC outlet to charge your gadgets in a pinch? Yeah, it's super-useful in situations that otherwise might stress you out.

Costco members might find a PSX-2 in the automotive aisle for about $75; otherwise, Amazon's got a newer model PowerStation PSX-3  for $129. Buy one now, before you need it, and you (and your thankful neighbors) will find yourself leaning on this automotive lifesaver repeatedly. — Lewis Wallace

Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Trying to find air for your tires in San Francisco can be a nightmare. Half the pumps are broken at any given time and if you do locate one that works, you'll need to feed it a bunch of quarters if you're not buying gas. All of that makes keeping your tires properly inflated a royal pain in the butt — unless you have your own source of pressurized air.

If you don't own or need a regular air compressor, the PowerStation PSX-2 is a great way to keep your tires pumped up. It's not lightweight, but the 20-pound rechargeable tool is still totally portable and will get your rubber ready for the road far more quickly than the typical 12-volt gadgets you plug into your cigarette lighter.

Oh, and did I mention it will also jump-start your car or motorycle when your battery's dead? And provide an emergency worklight and 12-volt DC outlet to charge your gadgets in a pinch? Yeah, it's super-useful in situations that otherwise might stress you out.

Costco members might find a PSX-2 in the automotive aisle for about $75; otherwise, Amazon's got a newer model PowerStation PSX-3 for $129. Buy one now, before you need it, and you (and your thankful neighbors) will find yourself leaning on this automotive lifesaver repeatedly. — Lewis Wallace

Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac


Photo:

Jailbreak superstar Comex is working on a Cydia alternative

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Photo: Cult of Mac
Photo: Cult of Mac

Since the very earliest days of jailbreaking, Cydia has been the go-to source for jailbreak-specific tweaks and apps. What makes tweaks work is the Cydia Substrate, low-level software written by Cydia founder Saurik that lets third-party programmers hook into the iOS operating system in ways not endorsed by Apple. But Cydia Substrate is closed-source, which makes it harder for alternative jailbreak stores to compete with Cydia.

That could soon change, though. Jailbreak superstar Comex — the developer of JailbreakMe, and a former programmer at Apple — is working on an alternative to Cydia Substrate.

Zombie apps are taking over the App Store

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Zombie apps are taking over the App Store. Photo: Universal Studios / Land of the Dead
Zombie apps are taking over the App Store. Photo: Universal Studios / Land of the Dead

If you’re still thinking of trying to make your fortune on the App Store, it’s time to think again. While App Store developers made more than Hollywood studios did in combined box office revenue in 2014, a new report suggests it will be almost impossible for new developers to break into the App Store in 2015. Why? Because of zombies. Or zombie apps, at least.

Why the Apple Watch’s first apps might disappoint you

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The makers of this Tesla app were frustrated by the Apple Watch's lack of capability. Photo: Eleks Labs
The makers of this Tesla app were frustrated by the Apple Watch's lack of capability. Photo: Eleks Labs

When the first iPhone came out in 2007, third-party apps were limited affairs: glorified web apps without a lot of access to the iPhone’s more advanced functionality. According to a new blog post from Eleks Labs, a developer working on an Apple Wacth Tesla app, the same could be true of third-party Apple Watch apps when the wearable launches in April.

On this week’s CultCast: Apple’s best quarter ever and Indiana Jones … rebooted?

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Does Indiana Jones need a reboot?
Does Indiana Jones need a reboot? Photo: Disney

This week: Apple has its best quarter ever, Apple Watch is coming in April and the best parts of the iOS 8.1.3 and Yosemite 10.10.2 updates. Plus, Disney considers a reboot of the beloved Indiana Jones movies, and then things really go off the rails in Facts of Life, a new game where we mix real facts with fake ones, then guess which is which!

Our thanks to Varidesk for supporting this episode. With models starting at just $275, Varidesk is a high-quality, inexpensive way to get started with a standing desk. And you should absolutely check them out, because moving to a standing desk will change your life.

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Read on for full show notes.

How to stream the Super Bowl for free to your iPad or iPhone

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You don't need cable to watch the game on your iPad. Photo: NFL
You don't need cable to watch the game on your iPad. Photo: NFL

This year’s Super Bowl will be streamed for free over the internet in full HD, no cable subscription required. Completely unbundling the big game is an effort on NBC’s part to promote its TV Everywhere service, which ironically requires a cable subscription.

11 hours of content will be streamed for free on game day, February 1. That includes the full game, commercials, halftime show with Katy Perry and Lenny Kravitz, and even an episode of The Blacklist.

13 hot new Super Bowl commercials getting their game on right now

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Danny Trejo stars with recreated Brady bunch actors and sets in this hilarious ad for Snickers. Photo: Mars, Inc.
Danny Trejo stars with Brady Bunch actors and sets in this hilarious ad for Snickers. Photo: Mars

It used to be that you had to wait until Sunday to see the hot, out-of-this-world-expensive Super Bowl ads during the big game.

In our modern, always-connected age of sneak-peek overindulgence, you can actually skip the game itself and watch the ads on your own time, via YouTube and your sweet iPad or iPhone.

Here are 13 of the most hotly anticipated short films that you can preview right now, and spend your commercial time during the game making snacks and taking bathroom breaks.

Jay Z takes aim at Dr. Dre with his own high-def music streamer

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Apple has big ambitions for its new music streaming service.
Jay Z is readying his Beats Music rival Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Dr. Dre became the first billionaire of hip-hop thanks to Apple’s $3 billion acquisition of Beats Music and its accompanying over-priced headphone brand. Jay Z is pretty much the only big name rapper that hasn’t imitated Dre by slapped his name on headphones. Instead, he’s decided to do the next best thing and buy a high-def music startup.

Jay Z purchased the Scandinavian music streaming company Aspiro today, adding to his array of businesses that include clothing, sports bars, and a sports agency. The takeover cost Jay Z $56 million in an effort to take on the likes of Spotify, Beats Music, and the fiery music titan Neil Young.

‘Satellite selfies’ are a thing now

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Employees from Israel Aerospace Industries gathered for a group photo taken by one of its satellites. Photo: IAI satellite EROS B
Employees from Israel Aerospace Industries gathered for a group photo taken by one of its satellites. Photo: IAI satellite EROS B

If a selfie stick can’t help you get everyone in your group photo, use a satellite.

Of course you would have to build, own and launch your own, which was no problem for Israel Aerospace Industries, whose employees this week gathered for what they called a “space selfie” shot by one of its satellites passing over head.

IAI employees arranged themselves to form the company acronym and looked up for the minute its EROS B satellite was scheduled for a flyby. While the letters are sharp, there are no discernible “cheese” smiles in the black and white photo.

New app promises to give your iPhone a 32MP camera

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Photo: Apple
8 megapixels not enough for you? Try 32. Photo: Apple

How would you like an app that transforms your regular 8-megapixel iPhone 6 camera into a 32-megapixel one?

Okay, so it’s not exactly as miraculous as it sounds, but photography app Hydra is a worthy tool to add to your virtual camera bag. It works by taking a series of up to 60 small images and then stitching them together to form one super high-resolution picture.

While it isn’t true 32-megapixel photography, it’s still an altogether impressive app that only serves to underline just why the iPhone camera has been so embraced by users.

Apple Watch spotted in the wild turns skeptic into true believer

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The second you see an Apple Watch, you'll want one. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

I’ll admit it: I don’t think I want an Apple Watch. I don’t need another screen to notify me about what’s happening on another screen.

That’s what I think now. But I’m not arrogant enough to believe Apple might not prove me wrong. They’ve certainly proven me wrong before.

Maybe you’re like me. Maybe you think the Apple Watch isn’t something you want, but you’re worried that the second you see one, you’ll want one. You’re right to be worried. Apple Watches are starting to be spotted in the wild. And the people who see them are immediately turning into believers.