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The first third-party keyboard for iOS 8 is already here

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fleksy

The world’s fastest keyboard is speeding onto iOS 8 faster than Jony Ive’s fabulous Bentley.

Third-party keyboards were only revealed two days ago for iOS 8 but it is taking developers no time at all to piece together some working betas amid the coding-fest at WWDC.

First up to the plate is Fleksy, who has already started teasing their upcoming keyboard for iOS 8, and if you’re lucky, they’ll might let you take it for a spin.

Uncanny X-Men: Days of Future Past provides fun mutant action for story purists

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Days of Future Past

Maybe you’ve just seen the latest X-Men film. A lot of people have, so odds are pretty good. And if it left you wanting to know more about the original Days of Future Past storyline, but tracking down the trade paperback and then, like, reading it sounds like a lot of work, here’s a game you’ll want to check out.

Uncanny X-Men: Days of Future Past by GlitchSoft
Category: iOS Games
Works With: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch
Price: $2.99

Uncanny X-Men: Days of Future Past is out now for your favorite iOS device, and it aims to faithfully re-create the source material the way it originally appeared. This means that it’s the assassination of Senator Kelley that brings forth the robopocalypse (that character died in the first film, so he wasn’t available to die in the new one), and it’s Kitty Pryde, not Wolverine, who goes back in time to set things right.

Sure, you can play the whole game as Wolverine if you want, but if you’re a purist, you have a chance to do it “right.”

Catching up and surging ahead: How iOS 8 stacks up against KitKat

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With iOS 8, Apple is bringing a multitude of exciting new features to iPhone and iPad. In some cases, Cupertino is playing catch-up as it tries to match what’s currently available in KitKat; in others, Apple’s next-generation mobile operating system is about to blast past the latest version of Android.

Android and iOS will secure a staggering 95 percent of smartphone market share between them in 2014, according to the latest research from IDC. While it’s strictly a two-horse race, Google’s platform is currently far out in front when it comes to number of users, with Android’s market share expected to reach 80.2 percent by the end of the year.

Google has a new Android update up its sleeve that will be announced this summer, but while Apple posts impressive upgrade percentages, Android fragmentation typically slows deployment of Google’s latest, greatest mobile OS.

You don’t need an appetite for gore to love these horror docs

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If you watch Netflix on your iOS device or game console, you know that the browsing function on those apps is a pain to use. And unless you know exactly what you’re looking for, it can be annoying to find something new.

So as a service, we’re going to recommend some things you can watch on Netflix right now. This time around, we have three fascinating documentaries about the horror genre. But even if you’re not a fan of scary monsters and super creeps, they still have plenty to offer.

iPad comes first in Pornhub tablet stats

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Apple has always been keen to point out that iOS users spend more time with their devices than those who choose Android, but what exactly are they doing with them? According to statistics from Pornhub, one of the biggest and most successful free porn sites with 38 million users a day (did it need an introduction?), many of them are enjoying porn.

Highly specialized Booqpad is either perfect or pointless

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Getting work done. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

I started German language school a few weeks back, and I was looking forward to testing out the Booqpad. The combination iPad case and paper notepad seemed ideal for using in class. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. Not only is the case oddly tacky – especially weird given the build quality of Booq’s other gear – but it is awkward to use.

The Rock lays the mythological smackdown in new Hercules trailer

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When it comes to Hollywood badassery I’m most excited about here in 2014, few flicks match up to Hercules — starring none other than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Directed by Brett Ratner, and co-starring John Hurt, Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell and Joseph Fiennes, the movie looks leagues better than the disappointing Legends of Hercules film released earlier this year. The new trailer contains some great (if potentially spoiler-filled) moments: showing Hercules face off against all manner of mythological nasties, in addition to a PETA-baiting scene in which he kills an attacking lion and makes a stylish hat out of him.

Cracked? Signs looking promising for an iOS 8 jailbreak

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Spoiler: Tim Robbins jailbreaks in The Shawshank Redemption
Spoiler: Tim Robbins' character jailbreaks in The Shawshank Redemption

Given that it’s only been around since Monday, it’s still early days for iOS 8. But that doesn’t mean the jailbreak community is resting — and if early indicators are to be believed, we might see a jailbreak for Apple’s latest mobile operating system sooner than expected.

While there are still no concrete examples of someone jailbreaking their device on iOS 8, well-known hacker i0n1c claimed in a recent tweet that the first beta of iOS 8 “doesn’t fix anything” and should therefore be breakable.

Game on: XBox One SmartGlass gets a major update

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Microsoft has issued a system update to Xbox One which includes support for external storage, the ability for players to use real names on Xbox Live, and superior SmartGlass integration. To coincide with this, the company has also dropped a major update to Xbox One SmartGlass, its official iOS companion app of the latest generation of its video game console.

The update redesigns the Home section to make it more engaging for players. It additionally lets you see all your TV and app channels in the OneGuide, as well as giving you the ability to control your cable or satellite box and TV with a brand new universal remote control feature.

Swift documentation contains a secret reference to Joss Whedon’s Firefly

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Back in the day it would have been entirely possible to draw a direct line between Apple and Joss Whedon’s Firefly TV series: both superb products with passionate fanbases, but largely ignored by the masses.

That might not be true for Apple today (or for Joss Whedon either), but when you’re dealing with two subjects like tech and sci-fi, some overlap is expected. That appears to be the case at Apple, where a member of the Swift team is clearly something of a Firefly fanboy — hiding a reference to the cult show in its documentation for Apple’s new programming language.

Did Apple steal the name for HealthKit from an Australian startup?

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New IBM cloud has the potential to take Health data to the next level. Photo: Apple
New IBM cloud has the potential to take Health data to the next level. Photo: Apple

Apple might have been planning its entry into health-tracking for quite some time, but it may not have given quite so much thought to the name of its HealthKit platform, as recently announced at WWDC.

That’s because an Australian health startup with the same name has come forwards, and it’s none too pleased about Apple apparently borrowing its name for the API of its Health app.

“It is very flattering that they like our name, but I’m a little let down because how hard would it have been to spend five seconds to put HealthKit.com into their browser and find us?” Alison Hardacre, co-founder and managing director of HealthKit told Wired. “Everybody worries that Google or Apple will come into their space and their business will die, but no one thinks that company will come into that space and use the same name!”

The COOKOO smartwatch: Digital life right on your wrist [Deals]

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Finally … a stylish smartwatch!

Smart watches are cool, but very, very nerdy-looking. Not that being a nerd is off-putting, but you may not always want to send that message when someone looks at your wrist.

That’s why the COOKOO watch is so awesome. It gives you most of the functionality of any competing smart watch, and you can still wear it on a date without looking like you’re going to have Scotty beam you up out of the restaurant mid-meal. And you can get one for yourself for 23% off the regular price…just $99!

Add a stealth gamepad to your iPhone with Junglecat case

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One of Steve Jobs’ biggest complaints about smartphones in the days before Apple created the iPhone was that they all had keyboards which were there whether or not you wanted them. Much the same has previously been true of previous iOS gamepads — which have either been clip-on phone cases in style, or else wireless controllers you need to carry around with you if you want to use them.

It’s this problem that Razer is attempting to solve with its new Junglecat accessory. Snapping onto your iPhone, the Razer Junglecat adds a slide-out gamepad that connects to your mobile device by way of the lighting port. While it adds a bit of heft to your ultra-thin iPhone (and obviously means that your lightning port remains occupied), it does mean that the gamepad itself can remain safely tucked away until you feel like using it.

iOS 8 hands-on: See powerful new features in action

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As Apple has finally announced the long-awaited iOS 8, it’s only natural for users to be curious how it will affect their daily routines. With all new features and enhancements for your iOS device, in today’s video see what’s coming this fall, and what we think about it.

Take a look at the video to see what you think.

All the tiny tweaks Apple sneaked into iOS 8

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We’re still busying digesting all the new stuff Tim Cook and Craig Federighi announced yesterday with iOS 8, and even though we’re ridiculously excited about major backend features like HomeKit, iCloud Photo Library and Metal, 24 hours of tinkering around with the OS has revealed a lot of hidden gems that went unmentioned.

Along with the host of new iOS 8 features, Jony Ive and the Human Interface team have been busy adding dozens of tiny tweaks to the UI as well as tossing in a few smaller features you probably didn’t notice.

Take a look at these 11 tweaks Apple sneaked into iOS 8 without telling anyone:

Metal should get iOS gamers very excited about the future

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Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web
Apple unveils Metal, a promising new tool for game developers, at WWDC 2014. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web

As a professional game developer, the big news coming out of Apple’s WWDC keynote wasn’t Swift or iCloud Drive — it was Metal.

In an onstage demo, Epic showed off the power of its Unreal engine after it had been modified to make use of this new Apple framework. Hundreds of fish reacted dynamically to a finger drawn on the screen. Leaves were shaken from a tree, and butterflies flew through the screen.

It was a very pretty demo. But what does it mean for the games you’ll be playing on your iOS device?

Batman finally gets a badass Batmobile in Arkham Knight trailer

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In all the recent Batman games (Arkham City, Arkham Asylum, Arkham Origins), I’ve always thrilled to Bat-grapple my way to the rooftops, occasionally base-jumping down to glide-kick some nasty thug just asking for that special brand of Bat-justice.

There’s always been one thing missing, though: The Batmobile.

The folks at Rocksteady Games have remedied this sad fact in the latest game in the series, Batman: Arkham Knight, and are showing off a car-porn-filled new trailer to whet our appetite. Check out this bad boy below.

iOS 8’s HomeKit puts Apple at heart of home automation

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Craig Federighi talks up Apple's home automation plans. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web
Craig Federighi talks up Apple's home automation plans. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web

In the not-so-distant future, we’ll use smartphones to control nearly everything around our homes. We already have smart light bulbs, thermostats, locks and appliances, but we lack a central platform for all these devices.

That’s all going to change this fall when Apple releases iOS 8 with HomeKit, an important new protocol for developers. This will create the kind of universal platform that could revolutionize home automation.

Instagram goes after pros with new editing tools

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Instagram was the golden standard for not only sharing, but shooting mobile photography in its early days. But since then, more complex tools like VSCO Cam and Camera+ have come onto the scene. Nowadays, getting the perfect photo isn’t often as simple as just tapping a filter.

Today Instagram is releasing a big update in an attempt to tap into the evolved state of iPhoneography it has been missing out on. New editing tools are being added that let you adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and more.

Why Apple’s WWDC keynote was its most important in years

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Craig Federighi stalks the stage at WWDC 2014. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web

Monday’s fantastic WWDC keynote was the most significant product introduction since Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPad in 2010. But this time, the revolutionary product wasn’t hardware — it was software.

The surprisingly well-executed event demonstrated two things:

1. Steve Jobs’ greatest product wasn’t the iPad or the Macintosh, but Apple itself. He created a company that can very clearly innovate without him.

2. Although there was no new hardware (for now), Apple’s trajectory is clear: It’s getting into some very big things.

The Powerful Presentation Bundle: All the tools you need to become a compelling speaker [Deals]

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Great presentations are about the ideas, not the slides. Yet, most people spend more than half their time making slides rather than honing their message. Cult of Mac Deals has assembled a bundle that will help you make the most of your presentations, enhancing your reputation as a top-notch presenter in the process!

The Powerful Presentation Bundle features 4 e-learning courses that will help you take your Keynote presenting skills to greater heights. Whether you want to add polish to your Keynote presentations, build up your skills when speaking in public, or perfect your pitch, this bundle has you covered. And we’ve got it at 83% off the regular price — only $79 — during this limited time offer.

iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite will change the way you do photography

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Apple finally fixed photography on iOS. Or rather, it’s fixed organizing your photos, wherever they might be. The iPhone is already a great camera. The problem was everything that happened after you tapped the shutter.

Now, in iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, you’ll never have to worry about organizing your photos again — they’ll be everywhere, all the time. And best of all? It looks like you’re never going to need iPhoto again, on the Mac or on your iPad.

Apple crowns the best-designed apps of 2014: Monument Valley, Day One and more

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(photo: @paulmayne)
(photo: @paulmayne)

Thousands upon thousands of apps get submitted to the App Store each year, but only a select few end up being honored with an Apple Design Award. The most beautiful, well-designed apps get crowned by Apple annually at WWDC.

“The developers of these exceptional apps combined design and technology in creative, compelling and powerful ways,” according to Apple. 2014’s winners include games we’ve featured on Cult of Mac like Leo’s Fortune and Monument Valley. If you’re looking to try some new apps, these 12 are the ones to get.