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iStat Menus 5 shows you everything you need to know about your Mac

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Over the years, one of my favorite Mac apps has always been iStat Menus by Bjango. In anticipation of OS X Yosemite launching, version 5 was released today with a completely new design and some cool feature additions.

The main purpose of iStat Menus is to show you everything you need to know about your Mac’s system from the menubar. Everything from available disk space to battery charge cycles to GPU activity is available in a clean, attractive interface.

Rumor Report: What to expect from the iPad Air 2

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It’s hard to believe it’s only been four years since the reveal of the original iPad. Over the years the iPad has gone from “just a big iPhone” to becoming a common staple in the household, the office and everywhere in between. With four years behind us, four different iPad models and a new mini generation, this fall calls for yet another addition.

Take a look at today’s video where we rundown all the latest leaks, rumors, and other iPad Air 2 tidbits, to give you an early glimpse at the design, possible specs, and more.

Watch our full report above and subscribe to Cult of Mac TV on YouTube to ensure you don’t miss any of our newest videos.

Dad uses Find My iPhone to hunt and kill thug who stole son’s iPhone

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Find my iPhone is a useful feature, but people should contact the police if they fear for their safety.
Find my iPhone is a useful feature, but people should contact the police if they fear for their safety.
Photo: Apple

A U.K. man has been charged with murder after using Find My iPhone to track down and kill the thug who stole his son’s iPhone at knifepoint earlier in the day.

Derek Grant reportedly used Apple’s tracking software to locate the nearby thief after his son was robbed on his way home from work at McDonalds. When Derek confronted the thief and demanded he return the iPhone, the thief blinded him with a knife to the eye, which Grant says caused him to lash out in self defense and kill him.

Apple says it shattered App Store revenue records in July

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The App Store just experienced its worst security breach ever.
The App Store just experienced its worst security breach ever.
Photo: Apple

Since Apple announced its Q3 2014 earnings last month everyone seems focused on less-than-stellar iPad sales, but along with the impending launch of the iPhone 6, Apple’s got a lot to celebrate as the company told CNBC that the App Store had record-setting revenue numbers in July.

Apple says it saw a record number of customers making transaction on the App Store in July, prompting Tim Cook to launch a celebratory tweet to developers:

Google Chrome beta finally goes 64-bit for OS X

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Google today rolled out a new Chrome beta for OS X — officially dubbed Chrome Canary — which finally takes advantage of the 64-bit processors built into the latest Macs. The change should mean better performance when browsing the web, but it isn’t quite ready to become your daily driver just yet.

Steve Jobs hatred for AT&T almost gave everyone free Wi-Fi

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Steve Jobs wanted the names
Steve Jobs wanted the names "iPhone" and "iOS." Cisco never stood a chance.
Photo: Apple

When the original iPhone launched in 2007, the only thing worse than its abysmal camera was the cellular data provided by AT&T’s sluggish, outage-prone network.

Even Steve Jobs thought AT&T’s data speeds sucked, and according to Re/Code’s Walt Mossberg, Jobs wanted to circumvent the need for cellular data altogether by creating an open WiFi consortium.

For a limited time you can name your own price on the Front End Master Bundle [Deals]

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Cult of Mac Deals has put together a package of 7 terrific courses that can teach you the skills to be a master web developer. With this package, anyone can learn how to build an awesome web page using the latest web development techniques.

The best part is this package, valued at over $1000, is that it’s available for whatever you want to pay. That’s right, Cult of Mac Deals presents The Name Your Own Price Front End Master Bundle. Simply pay what you want and, if you beat the average price of all packages sold, you get all 7 of these amazing courses!

Apple’s new production partners are bad news for Samsung’s chip business

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It’s not easy being Samsung!

After missing sales targets, and being knocked off the top smartphone spot in China by low-end rival Xiaomi, the South Korean Lex Luthor to Apple’s Superman is also apparently being hit hard by Apple’s embrace of other component makers for its devices.

In a recent press conference, Samsung executives admitted how its role as third party chip manufacturer (something which makes up half of Samsung’s microprocessor business) is being negatively affected by Apple’s decision to work with other partners like TSMC.

Rediscovered Empire Strikes Back trailer features lost footage of Luke and Leia making out

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The San Diego Comic Con has a rich history of giving us our first look at the best upcoming sci-fi movies. Case in point: on August 4th, 1979, Comic Con was where George Lucas showed an excited crowd the very first live-action trailer for The Empire Strikes Back.

For thirty-five years, this trailer was thought to be lost, but it has now popped back up online, and it features some footage from Empire that was left on the cutting room floor… including a very icky scene between Luke and Leia.

Now with trailers, Plex’s latest app update turns your iPad or iPhone into a movie theater

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If I had to list the apps I couldn’t live without, Plex would be high up on the list. Think of it like a Netflix for your local video. A multimedia server client for Mac with a slick iOS app, Plex allows you to stream your local television shows and movies on demand to any device on your local WiFi network, or even away from home. It even works on the Apple TV.

Now, Plex for iOS version 3.5 is here, and it brings some cool new features to the already feature-packed app, including the ability to play movie trailers before your movie!

New Apple Store in the Netherlands will have a 360° Genius Bar

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Picture: CC Wikipedia
Picture: CC Wikipedia

Apple is set to open its new Dutch brick-and-mortar retail store this Saturday, according to ifoAppleStore.

This will be the third Apple Store to open in the Netherlands, with previous retail outfits opening in Amsterdam and Haarlem. The store will be located in Den Haag (The Hague), which is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam, but an important city since it is the seat of the Dutch government and parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State.

Touch panel and chassis problems may delay both 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6

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Photo:  Thomas Moyano and Nicolas Aichino
Photo: Thomas Moyano and Nicolas Aichino

While the world is eagerly awaiting Apple’s next generation iPhone 6, a new report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models Apple is expected to release may be pushed back due to production issues.

According to Kuo, Apple’s manufacturers are suffering delays related to the devices’ in-cell touch panel production, and also low-yield casing and chassis problems.

Apple’s sapphire glass manufacturing facility is almost ready for prime time

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Will the iPhone 6 have a sapphire glass display or won’t it? So far, the jurt’s still out, with a leaked ‘sapphire’ panel turning out to be just a different type of Gorilla Glass.

Whether the iPhone 6 will or won’t have a super-hard, nigh-invulnerable sapphire glass screen, though, Apple is still doubling down on its investments into the material. In fact, it was announced today that Apple’s sapphire glass facility is nearly ready for mass production.

Emberlight turns any dimmable light into a smart bulb

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There are various smart light bulbs on the market, with the most famous probably being the Philips Hue connected bulb. But new Kickstarter project Emberlight has come up with a unique (and certainly more wallet-friendly) spin on the concept of how best to light your smart home.

Emberlight has produced a device with the ability to turn any dimmable bulb into a smart light, which users can then operate using their smartphone. The project’s developers boast of multiple uses for the Emberlight: ranging from having the lights in your bedroom mimic a sunrise by slowly lighting up in the morning, to creating custom presets for different lighting effects, to having your lights intelligently turn on and off as you move through your home.

Why a 32GB iPhone 6 could cost just $199

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Ever since the iPhone 3GS was first released back in 2009, new iPhones have shipped in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB flavors, priced $199, $299, and $399, respectively.

But 16GB doesn’t get you very far these days, and although iOS 8 will help users out with cheaper iCloud storage, smartphones like the Amazon Fire are shipping with 32GB of storage these days, minimum.

Could Apple follow suit? According to industry experts, it’s very, very possible.

The Sims ‘Let’s Eat’ has all the ingredients of a great iOS update

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Ever since it arrived on our computers all the way back in 2000, the makers of The Sims have always been great at providing plenty of expansion packs designs to grow your Sim universe out in a variety of different directions.

That same spirit had carried over to the iOS game The Sims FreePlay, which has just added a “Let’s Eat” update, letting your Sim become a master of the culinary arts.

U.S. proposes ban on all in-flight cellphone calls

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If you’re worried about noisy plane passengers being able to make calls in the air, the U.S. Department of Transportation is on your side.

The government agency is looking to ban all in-flight calls from cell phones, which would mean that every airline would have to comply with the rule. The other solution is that each U.S. airline gets to establish its own rule on the matter.

Hands on: See iOS 8 beta 5’s new features in action

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Each developer preview of iOS 8 brings new changes to Apple’s mobile operating system in preparation of it’s official fall release, and while the newly unleashed version Beta 5 boasts many bug fixes, some small new changes to the interface have been sprinkled throughout the new update.

In today’s video we go hands-on with iOS 8 Beta 5 and show off all the new tweaks and other additions the new version of iOS 8 has to offer, like accessing Spotlight quicker than ever before, optimization features for iCloud Photos, and so much more.

Take a look in the view above and subscribe to Cult of Mac TV on YouTube to ensure you catch all our latest videos.

Adobe outlines how to switch to Lightroom once Apple kills Aperture

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Now that Apple has ceased development of Aperture, it’s time to start looking for alternative photo management and editing solutions. The obvious choice is Lightroom, which Adobe has committed to continue work on heavily in the future.

Adobe is working on a migration tool to take all of your Aperture data and bring it to Lightroom, but until then, the company has outlined how to make the switch on your own.

Apple TV beta gets iOS 7-style makeover with new icons and font

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Apple TV UI has finally been updated. Photo: Daniel Perez

iOS and OS X weren’t the only platforms that got some Apple beta loving today. A new update for Apple TV beta 4 was seeded to developers as well this morning that comes with a long awaited UI makeover.

Apple still hasn’t completely done away with the grid of icons approach for Apple TV, but it has given the UI an iOS 7-style makeover with a new set of icons that are a lot flatter than their old counterparts.