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iOS is twice as memory-efficient as Android. Here’s why.

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Here's why the iPhone 6 can do with less RAM (outlined in red) than Android phones. Photo: iFixIt
Here's why the iPhone 6 can do with less RAM (outlined in red) than Android phones. Photo: iFixIt

When the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were announced, many Android fans laughed at the “pitiful” 1GB of RAM of Apple’s flagship smartphone, when Android flagships tended to ship with 2GB and sometimes more.

But specs don’t always — or even most of the time — tell the whole story. As it turns out, an iPhone 6 with 1GB of RAM runs much faster than a similarly specced Android smartphone with 2GB of RAM. And it all has to do with the fundamental difference in the way iOS and Android handle apps.

Steve Jobs’ daughter Lisa will be ‘heroine’ of Aaron Sorkin’s biopic

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This isn't the Lisa that will be the heroine of Aaron Sorkin's new Steve Jobs biopic. Photo: Matthew Pearce / Flickr (CC)
This isn't the Lisa that will be the heroine of Aaron Sorkin's new Steve Jobs biopic. Photo: Matthew Pearce/Flickr CC

Between Pirates of Silicon Valley and Jobs, there have already been two Steve Jobs biopics. How is Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming joint going to be able to differentiate itself from them? Apparently, by casting Steve Jobs’ estranged daughter as the film’s protagonist.

Big Black Friday Apple deals and Obama backs an open Internet on The CultCast

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This week: Huge news in the fight for an open Internet; YouTube’s music service confuses us; Apple Pay is, like, the payment method of the future, man; big Black Friday deals on Apple’s newest gadgets; the go-to apps we keep on our home screens, and sooooo much more.

Hem and haw your way through each week’s best Apple stories! Stream or download new and past episodes of The CultCast now on your Mac or iDevice by subscribing on iTunes, or hit play below and let the chuckles begin.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Squarespace 7 is live, and it’s their biggest update in years. Now building a beautiful website is faster and easier than ever. Get started with a free trial at Squarespace.com and use code “CultCast” at checkout for 10% off any order.

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Show notes ahead!

Hot deals on Smart Travel Router, BT Feather Buds, NetSpot Pro, BT Shower Speaker [Deals]

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With the holidays just around the corner, many of us are getting ready to travel. Whether we are going back home to our families or just getting away from it all, there are things you can take with you to make your trip more enjoyable.

Today we feature four products available at Cult of Mac Deals that you can take with you to make sure you have happy travels.


The Smart Travel Router

Aaron Sorkin parody proves he’s perfect for Steve Jobs movie

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Aaron Sorkin parodies have been doing the rounds since The West Wing started, but this one from Late Night with Seth Meyers is one of the best I’ve ever seen. Somewhat bizarrely it also does the best job of anything I’ve watched so far convincing me exactly why Sorkin is the perfect (and possibly the only) person who should be bringing a Steve Jobs movie to the big screen.

From the fast-speaking walk and talks, to the angry rants, to the sentimental, rousing speeches, not only are all of Sorkin’s tropes perfectly lampooned here — but they also fit perfectly with what most of us are hoping for from a Jobs movie.

Sorkin had said that his Jobs movie will take place as three 30-minute scenes, each depicting the backstage goings-on at an Apple product announcement at different stages in Jobs’ career. I can’t wait to see it!

Let’s just hope they get a new actor locked in place soon.

Role-reversing comic book video shows the truth about geeks

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"Who got you into comics? Was it your mom, you sister? " Photo: Buzzfeed

“So, what do you cosplay as?” asks this geek girl in the comic book shop. “Slutty Hawkeye? Slutty Thor? Slutty Iron Man?”

The video below is one of those “funny because it’s true” situations, as many women who love superheroes and comics hear the same kinds of questions and face the same sort of dismissive candor from geeky men who can’t seem to realize that everyone loves comics and superhero movies.

Check it out and see how annoying it would be to face this kind of discrimination.

Hot gaming deals will get you itching for Black Friday

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Hopefully, your trip to the store next Friday won't look like this. Photo: Bungie
Hopefully, your trip to the store on Black Friday won't look like this. Photo: Bungie

blackfriday logoRetailers and consumers alike love Black Friday for all it represents: pure, unadulterated consumerism. Gamers love sitting on their couches all day, playing video games. Lucky for both groups, you can have it all next weekend.

If you’re looking to save big bucks on hotly anticipated holiday gifts, you’re going to have to get out into the feeding frenzy the day after Thanksgiving and elbow your way to the front to grab some of these amazing gamer-centric deals.

Best Buy,  Toys R Us, Walmart and Target have some great upcoming deals for Black Friday, including some fine Sony PlayStation 4, Nintendo Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS hotness.

iPhone 6 outsells its big brother 3-to-1 in U.S.

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You've got the (force) touch! Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac.

The iPhone 6 is outselling the iPhone 6 Plus by a margin of 3-to-1 in the U.S., but that’s no knock on Apple’s giant-sized handset, according to a new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.

The research firm’s sales breakdown looked at the first 30 days the iPhone 6 family of handsets were available to buy. It concluded that the iPhone 6 represented 68% of iPhone sales, with the iPhone 6 Plus making up 23-24%.

Combined, this means that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus represented a massive 91-92% of iPhones sold in the United States. The remaining iPhones were previous generation iPhone 5s and 5c units. This figure is even more impressive when you consider that last year the then-new iPhones represented a smaller 84% of iPhone sales after the first month.

Meet Marc Newson’s gorgeous Beretta boomstick

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Marc Newson is tag-teaming design at Apple now with Jony Ive, but that’s not stopping him from working part-time on some incredible part-time projects. We saw Newson redesign the beer keg, now he’s taking aim at redesigning Berretta’s classic shotgun.

Berretta unveiled Newson’s redesign of its 486 shotgun at an event last night in London. The boomstick has been updated with a 21st century design, adding a new opening lever design to go with the intricate engravings.

Take a look:

Crystal Baller: iPad Pro problems, web-based Apple Maps, and other wild rumors

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We get slammed 24/7 with new Apple rumors. Some are accurate, most are not. To give you a clue about what’s really coming out of Cupertino in the future, we’re busting out our rumor debunker each week to blow up the nonsense.

The Apple rumor mill is going into hibernation mode over the winter, but that’s not stopping a few juicy bits from leaking out. This week we’ve got rumors of Apple Maps coming to the web, the giant iPad facing production problems, and the first batch of Apple Watch orders.

Step up to our crystal ball and see which rumors are likely to come true in 2015.


This Google Map tracks Apple Stores that will replace your bent iPhone 6

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Tracking Apple Stores that replace bent iPhone 6s. Photo: Cult of Mac
Tracking Apple Stores that replace bent iPhone 6s. Photo: Cult of Mac

Although many — including Apple — would argue that Bendgate is overblown, and the iPhone 6 is no more prone to bending when treated right than any other smartphone, there’s a small but vocal minority that disagrees. If you’re one of them, there’s now a resource to track Apple Stores that will be sympathetic to your plight.

Smart iPhone case offers all-day data roaming for just $2

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Photo: ComfortWay

Anyone who travels a lot internationally has likely been stung by roaming Internet charges at some point in other. While it is possible to buy or rent a local SIM card when you’re abroad, this requires that your iPhone be either unlocked or jailbroken — and also limits users to just one mobile carrier in each country.

Trying to solve this problem is a nifty Kickstarter project which aims to build a its multi-carrier, virtual SIM-equipped iPhone case that means travelers get affordable data roaming in 100+ countries for just $2 a day.

ICYMI: Jony Ive’s design secrets, sexy iPhone 6 cases, and easy GIF creation

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All the Apple news and views we can fit, right here. Cover Design: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
All the Apple news and views we can fit, right here. Cover Design: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Another week, another full docket of great stories at Cult of Mac, so we’ve put together yet another special Newsstand issue just for you, with all of the best news stories and features compiled in one place to easily read on your iPad or iPhone. This week we’ve got some great stuff: Jony Ive’s design secrets, some sexy slim cases for your iPhone 6, quick tips for OS X Yosemite, the best Black Friday deals (so far), and a hot tutorial on making GIFS on your Mac. All that and more, like we do, in this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine.

Dig into Cult of Mac Magazine November 14 Edition, Free on iTunes

Next year, your iPhone 6 could become an augmented-reality Polaroid

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Next year, your iPhone could become a Polaroid camera. Photo: Prynt
Next year, your iPhone could become a Polaroid camera. Photo: Prynt

These days, the closest most iPhone owners come to experiencing what it’s like to take a picture on a Polaroid instant camera is loading up the Instagram app. But a new startup is hoping to bring a built-in instant printer to your iPhone by way of a Polaroid style case, with a little dash of augmented reality on top

Apple unaware of any iOS users targeted by Masque Attack

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Thought WireLurker was bad? Wait till you meet Masque Attack. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Thought WireLurker was bad? Wait till you meet Masque Attack. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Following the discovery of the serious iOS vulnerability known as Masque Attack, Apple has issued a statement to iMore, claiming that it is not aware of users experiencing this problem, but that users should be aware of online malware that circumvents Apple’s existing security measures.

“We designed OS X and iOS with built-in security safeguards to help protect customers and warn them before installing potentially malicious software,” said an Apple spokesperson. “We’re not aware of any customers that have actually been affected by this attack. We encourage customers to only download from trusted sources like the App Store and to pay attention to any warnings as they download apps. Enterprise users installing custom apps should install apps from their company’s secure website.”

What’s on my iPhone 6? Glad you asked.

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One thing that makes iPhones so great is how each one can be so different, thanks to all the applications available, the many different ways to organize your home screen and all the other customization options that help you make Apple’s smartphone your own.

In today’s Cult of Mac video, I’ll show you what’s on my iPhone 6. You’ll find out how I keeps my iPhone organized, which apps I use most and more.

Subscribe to Cult of Mac TV for all our latest videos.

Innovative mobile game will get you stabbing buddies in the back

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Both scheming and strategy will help you win in this game. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
Both scheming and strategy will help you win in this game. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Remember when you’d hang out with your pals all night long, scheming and swearing and stabbing each other in the back as you played board games like Monopoly, Axis & Allies or Risk for hours on end?

The developers of upcoming mobile strategy game Subterfuge want to recapture that competitive and fun gaming magic on the iOS era’s platform of choice.

“We started with the idea of making a game that would give you a shared, epic experience with your friends,” designer Noel Llopis told Cult of Mac. “We’re hoping Subterfuge provides something like that,” Llopis says, “but in a way that meshes with people’s real lives.”

Tony Fadell might be the next Steve Jobs… just not in the way you’d want

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Photo: Web Summit/Flickr CC
Photo: Web Summit/Flickr CC

Tony Fadell might model himself after Steve Jobs, but from the sound of things he may have taken disproportionately from the bad side of Jobs’ personality rather than the good side.

A new article appearing on StrictlyVC reports on the experience of the recently Nest-acquired Dropcam — makers of an iOS-friendly Wi-Fi security camera — whose employees are apparently struggling quite a bit with dealing with a the prickly, micromanaging Fadell.

MacBook orchestra steals the spotlight in Microsoft’s latest ad

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Skype's latest ad is all about the Mac. Photo: Microsoft
Skype's latest ad is all about the Mac. Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft’s been doing a stellar job promoting Apple lately, securing placement of its “iPad-like tablets” on CNN and the NFL. But it looks like Redmond has decided to give up and start pushing Apple products.

Microsoft published an ad on Facebook today that highlighted Skype’s ability to keep people in sync, but the real headliner is a huge orchestra of MacBooks — and there’s not a PC in sight.

The ad features a photo of a conductor in New York City’s Bryant Park, surrounded by an array of 11 MacBooks connected to the city’s celebrated subway musicians. Microsoft’s ad comes with the tagline, “The world’s first digital orchestra stays in sync with Skype,” but it looks like the MacBooks and iPhones (as well as the musicians using them) steal the show.

Watch the MacBook orchestra’s performance below.

The power to recharge your devices on the road is yours with the Limefuel LP200X [Deals]

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You trust your mobile device to keep you in touch with your business associates, friends, and family. It also stores your vital data and apps so you can access them whenever and where ever you need. Your mobile device sure does a lot, which is why its battery tends to drain before the day is over.

You can prevent inopportune power loss with the Limefuel LP200X dual USB Battery Pack, only $34.99 at Cult of Mac Deals for a limited time.