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Sometimes You Die gets prequel update, plus price drop

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Sometimes You Die
Sometimes You Die attempted to strip all the fun out of 2-D platformers. The result was amazingly good fun.

I’m a massive fan of Sometimes You Die, the weirdly existential platformer with the banging soundtrack, which topped the iOS game charts earlier this year.

For those who have played and completed the game, there’s some good news today because as of this morning creator Philipp Stollenmayer released the so-called Prologue Update, which adds a whole new chapter to the game, plus new unlockables, and even a German translation.

Picturelife 3 should be your new super-awesome online photo library

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The iPhone version is one of the best photo apps I've used. Screenshots Picturelife.
The iPhone version of Picturelife is one of the best photo apps I've used. Screenshot: Picturelife

Remember Picturelife? It was one of our top picks for online photo storage when Everpix bit it, and now it has been upgraded to version 3.0. The highlights are a new $15 per month unlimited plan, which is really truly unlimited and can be shared with up to three other family members, plus an all-new, redesigned iOS app.

Things in the online photo world are definitely heating up again. iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite will bring exciting new features for photographers and a recent update to Adobe Creative Cloud gives shutterbugs even more options for editing and storage.

But Picturelife has some pretty cool tricks up its sleeve to make it a worthy competitor to the big guns. Here’s why it deserves a shot at becoming your new super-awesome online photo library.

Spotify now lets you view play queues, and warns about duplicate songs

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Shortly after updating Spotify with the ability to search for downloaded music offline, Spotify’s iOS app has just received a notable new update.

Spotify now lets users view play queues on their iPhone. This can be done by tapping the queue icon on the top right corner of the “Now Playing” screen. The update also features a new dialog box, which appears each time you try to add a song to a playlist which already includes it: a great way of avoiding duplicating songs without you realizing it.

Future iPhones could intelligently modify security settings based on location

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Future Apple devices may be able to dynamically modify user interface elements, security levels, and other types of behavior based on location, according to a new patent application published Thursday.

Referred to as “Location-sensitive security levels and setting profiles based on detected location,” Apple’s application describes a setup in which both the hardware and software of your iPhone, iPad, and whatever other mobile devices Apple releases in future can seamlessly work together to automatically adjust various UI and device behavior settings.

5 fantastic movie futures we’d love to live in (plus 5 we’d hate)

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Pick any version of the show (except possibly Star Trek: Voyager) and you’ve got a sci-fi future we’d love to live in. Unlike a lot of sci-fi, Star Trek has always tended toward a utopian vision of our future selves in which racism, sexism, ageism and, in Captain’s Picard’s case, jokes against male-pattern baldness are all relics of the distant past. There’s also intergalactic travel, a ton of colorful aliens in existence, and the holodeck to unwind on after a hard day’s work. Oh yes, and we get to wear spandex jumpsuits to our heart’s content.

Pick any version of the show (except possibly Star Trek: Voyager) and you’ve got a sci-fi future we’d love to live in. Unlike a lot of sci-fi, Star Trek has always tended toward a utopian vision of our future selves in which racism, sexism, ageism and, in Captain’s Picard’s case, jokes against male-pattern baldness are all relics of the distant past. There’s also intergalactic travel, a ton of colorful aliens in existence, and the holodeck to unwind on after a hard day’s work. Oh yes, and we get to wear spandex jumpsuits to our heart’s content.


iWatch might make Dick Tracy’s 2-way wrist radio a reality

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Given that a large proportion of Silicon Valley is made up of sci-fi geeks, it’s no surprise that over the years tech has focused on bringing to life many of the once outlandish concepts seen in movies, TV series and comic books.With the Apple Watch bringing several more of these to life -- Dick Tracy’s 2-Way Wrist Radio among them -- we thought the time was right to run down our 8 favorite sci-fi gadgets we’d love to see turn into actual products, as outlandish as some of them might be.After all, you never know when Bill Gates is going to be scanning a blog, looking for ways to unload his fortune.Scan right to check out the rest of the gallery.(Picture: Dick Tracy)

Given that a large proportion of Silicon Valley is made up of sci-fi geeks, it’s no surprise that over the years tech has focused on bringing to life many of the once outlandish concepts seen in movies, TV series and comic books.

With the Apple Watch bringing several more of these to life -- Dick Tracy’s 2-Way Wrist Radio among them -- we thought the time was right to run down our 8 favorite sci-fi gadgets we’d love to see turn into actual products, as outlandish as some of them might be.

After all, you never know when Bill Gates is going to be scanning a blog, looking for ways to unload his fortune.

Scan right to check out the rest of the gallery.

(Picture: Dick Tracy)


The iWatch is coming. No one really know what it will do yet, but Steven Milunovich, UBS’ top Apple analyst, claims that if Apple has its way, you’ll use the iWatch mostly to send voice messages back and forth with your friends, like Dick Tracy’s 2-Way Wrist Radio.

Because voice messaging is so huge among smartphone users in China, Milunovich says sending voice messages will be one of iWatch’s biggest features along with fitness. And even though it sounds a little silly that voice messages would be the main draws for iWatch, he just met with Tim Cook who couldn’t stop talking about it.

Elementary! Sherlock returns for fourth season plus Christmas special

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Sherlock

The official BBC One Twitter account had a surprise for fans of its hit show Sherlock Wednesday with a tease that the oft-delayed series about a modern Sherlock Holmes and his faithful sidekick John Watson will be returning.

Microsoft’s 11-sensor smartwatch will take on the iWatch in October

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Microsoft's smartwatch will supposedly look more like this Nike+ FuelBand than an Android Wear device. Photo: Andrew Guan/CC/Flickr
Microsoft's rumored smartwatch will supposedly look more like this Nike+ FuelBand than an Android Wear device. Photo: Andrew Guan/CC/Flickr

Apple’s first foray into wearables is expected to be revealed this October, but Apple’s not the only tech giant preparing a smartwatch for this fall: New rumors claim Microsoft has plans for its own wearable, only it won’t look anything like the big bulky bands we just saw at Google I/O.

We first got wind that Microsoft was readying its own iPhone-friendly smartwatch last month, but a report from Tom’s Hardware sheds new light on what the device will look like when it hits the market with an ungodly number of sensors.

Manage your digital files with M4VGear DRM Media Converter [Sponsored post]

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20x

This post was brought to you by Anvsoft, creator of M4VGear.

Do you want to copy or convert your videos, TV shows and music videos to other formats so that they can be watched on all your devices? Currently, movies purchased or rented on the iTunes store are DRM encrypted so as to restrict their viewing to Apple devices and iTunes. Moreover, if Apple pulls a video from iTunes, it can no longer be accessed even though the viewer purchased it.

M4VGear DRM Media Converter is the fastest DRM remover on the market. This software package can remove DRM from your iTunes movie library 20 times faster and converts iTunes M4V video files to unprotected mp4 format with perfect output quality for iOS. Watch the video here.

Apple finally finds way to lock down new Mac Pros

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MacPro

Apple has launched a new $49 Mac Pro Security Lock Adapter in its online store, giving Mac Pro owners (and Apple Stores) an easy way to secure their machines with existing Kensington locks.

Apple’s lock adapter is a straightforward metal bracket that secures the Mac Pro’s lift-off cover to the machine’s base by way of a security cable, thereby barring access to the machine’s internals. The cable lock can then be secured to make it difficult for thieves to steal the $3,000-plus machine.

Apple’s ‘flop’ iPhone 5c outsold Galaxy S5 in its first month on sale in UK

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iPhone 5c
Apple is expected to introduce another 4-inch iPhone, but it probably won't be cheap.
Photo: Apple

Samsung’s newly-launched flagship Galaxy S5 might have hoped to capture some of the iPhone’s market dominance in Britain, but new research figures show that even in its first month it trailed behind sales of the iPhone 5s and even Apple’s so-called “flop” iPhone 5c.

The numbers were crunched by research company Kantar Worldpanel, which looked at smartphone sales in the month of May. The Galaxy S5 did manage to convert a few former iOS users to become Android fans, with 17 percent of new S5 owners being former iPhone users.

Even this news is unlikely to worry Apple (or make Samsung particularly cheerful), however:

9 astonishing Apple ads you probably missed

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From sledgehammer-tossing freedom fighters to misunderstood teenagers at Christmas, Apple’s TV commercials have hit us with some truly iconic imagery over the years. But when a company has been around since the 1970s, it’s no great surprise that a select few ads would slip our collective memory.

After scouring through hundreds of big-time commercials and tiny TV spots that promoted Cupertino’s products over the years, here are our picks for the Apple advertisements that time forgot. All of them are worthy of a second look — and almost all of them for the right reasons.

Apple slashes maximum iPhone trade-in value to $225

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Smartphones await their fate at SIMS Recycling Solutions' mega-shredder facility in Roseville, California. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

If you had an old iPhone you planned to trade in for a discount with Apple, you may have missed the chance to maximize your reimbursement. That’s because Apple has slashed the maximum value for old handsets on its iPhone trade-in program to $225 — representing a decrease of $45.

The change is reportedly set to come into effect at Apple Stores in the U.S. and Canada, and will likely roll out to other international retail venues after that. So far, Apple’s iPhone trade-in scheme operates at retail stores in the U.S., United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, France, and Italy.

Picture-perfect strategy: Why killing Aperture means Apple will rule the cloud

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An aperture. Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Apple and Adobe make major moves to change the way we manage our photographs. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Ubiquitous cloud storage and editing solutions for your photos are like buses: You wait ages for one, and then two come along at once.

Both Apple and Adobe are going all-in on allowing you to view and edit your photos on any device. Adobe has done this by bringing its Lightroom desktop app to mobile. Apple is doing it by ditching iPhoto and Aperture and starting again with the upcoming Photos app for iOS.

While the approaches are different, they both look rad. And they’ll drive a fundamental shift in the way we manage our photos.

Angry Birds Go! gets long-awaited multiplayer mode

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Oh boy! More pissed-off avians!
Oh boy! More pissed-off avians!

It may be painfully average as a kart game, but the uber popular Angry Birds Go! iOS racer has just upped the ante by finally adding a much-requested multiplayer mode.

Letting you race against other players from around the world to determine the fastest bird or piggy on the track, the presence of multiplayer was first teased by developers Rovio all the way back in December, when they asked: “Who wants to see multiplayer in Angry Birds Go!? It’s coming in spring!”

As it turned out, Rovio missed the spring deadline, but hopefully the extra time to work on the update will have been well-spent.

Los Angeles school district puts $1 billion iPad rollout on hold

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The Los Angeles Unified School District decided to blow its entire $1 billion tech budget on an iPad for every student last year, but after security hacks and supply issues got the program off to a rocky start, the district has decided to adjust course and let on a few challengers.

Officials at the U.S.’s second-largest school district have decided to allow a group of high schools to choose between six devices instead of the iPad, effectively putting distribution of Apple’s tablet on hold district-wide.

Will Android TV spur Apple TV innovation?

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Seven years after the Apple TV launch, Google has announced Android TV software that will work with hardware from companies like Sony and Logitech. But how does the current Apple TV stack up to the new Android TV platform?

Today’s video shows off key features of Google’s latest attempt at ruling the living room, including some advances that might spur Apple to innovate once again when it comes to television. For those interested in watching Apple TV on Android, this shift could mean more accessibility and competition in the streaming space.

 

Subscribe to Cult of Mac TV on YouTube to catch all our latest videos.

Google snaps up streaming music service to hit back at Apple

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The entire country is busy watching America’s rebels take on the Belgium Red Devils at World Cup, but while everyone else is focused on the football pitch, Google is busy readying its plans to take on Beats Music with a music service acquisition of its own.

Songza, a music streaming service that specializes in finding the right music to fit your mood – kind of like Beats’ Sentence feature – announced that is has been scooped up by the folks at Google.

At last, Wonder Woman lassos another female writer

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David Finch draws, Meredith Finch writes the new Wonder Woman this November. Photo: David Finch/Twitter
David Finch draws, Meredith Finch writes the new Wonder Woman this November. Photo: David Finch

For a comic book character that’s been around since 1941, it’s surprising how few women (five) have written DC Comic’s biggest female protagonist. The character is as least as popular and visible as DC’s other superstars, Batman and Superman, but it’s not until recently that we’ve seen her potentially coming to the big screen, while the other two have dominated DC’s movie output in recent years.

It’s exciting, then, to hear that the comic book itself is getting some new creative energy: Meredith and David Finch, a husband and wife writer/illustrator. While David has some serious comic book cred, from Ultimate X-Men (with Brian Michael Bendis) and Batman: The Dark Knight, Meredith Finch has some chops as well, as seen in her short stories for Zenescope Entertainment. This will be her first lead comic writing gig.

Meredith reminds us that having a female writer for one of the most iconic female superheroes is important. “It makes sense if you’re going to try to attract that female market that you appeal to them on every level,” she told USA Today, “– your writing demographic reflects the demographic of your readership.”

Samsung factories are still a horrible place to work

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Samsung wants to be one of the world’s top 10 places to work by 2020, but according to the latest third-party labor conditions report, working for the South Korean smartphone maker is still a horrible experience, especially if you’re one of its Chinese suppliers.

An audit of 100 of Samsung’s suppliers in China found issues like overtime, proper saftey gear and training are still prominent issues. You can read the full 69-page report on Samsung’s site, but here’s a quick rundown of the egregious conditions:

Yo takes over your house with IFTTT integration

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yo

Since launching last week, Yo has mostly been a joke of an app with $1 million in funding, a horrifically bad security hole and the best Games of Thrones-themed clone to ever hit the App Store.

Somehow it’s already amassed one million users even though all you’ve been able to do in the app until now is toss Yo!s from one screen to another, but thanks to the addition of IFTTT integration, Yo could actually be pretty useful – if everyone hasn’t deleted it yet.

The SmartPlane: The world’s first smartphone-controlled aircraft [Deals]

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Want to take the skies by storm? Then grab the best flying experience around with the crash-proof SmartPlane at an incredibly low price courtesy of Cult of Mac Deals!

SmartPlane is the world’s first smartphone-controlled gadget airplane. Tilt, turn and accelerate your plane with just a simple slide of your fingertips. As the pilot, you control the SmartPlane intuitively with your mobile device. The SmartPlane responds to the hand movements of the pilot in realtime. It’s so simple you only need one hand to control it. Flying always seems to be a fascination of man and now you can take to the skies with a exciting and fun new toy for only $49.99 for a limited time!

1Password with Touch ID integration in iOS 8 is truly amazing

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1Password is one third-party app that will directly benefit from Extensibility and Apple’s Touch ID API, two features coming in iOS 8 that will let apps work together like never before.

Made by Canadian app company AgileBits, 1Password acts like a digital vault for storing all your Web logins and sensitive data. 1Password for iOS 8 is already in beta, and AgileBits has taken advantage of Touch ID and the ability to directly integrate with Safari. The result is a frictionless experience that demonstrates how iOS 8 is ushering in a new era of powerful, desktop-class mobile apps.