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Go Ahead, We Don’t Mind: Put The Dock In The Corner On your Mac [OS X Tips]

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While no one puts baby in the corner, you can ignore that time-honored advice and actually put the Dock in the corner on the screen of your Mac.

While the traditional tools for moving the Dock around will let you move it to the right, left, or bottom of the screen, this little bit of Terminal magic will have the dock pinned to the far corners of your Mac’s screen, either the right bottom, the top left, or any other corner you can imagine.

How I Made My Old Car Future-Proof With Automatic

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This story first appeared in Cult of Mac Magazine.

I drive a 10-year-old Nissan Xterra. When I see new vehicles with technology like Ford Sync and Siri Eyes Free, I get jealous of the ability to send texts and answer phone calls without touching my iPhone. The most advanced thing my car can do is play audio from my iPhone through a stereo jack in the radio console.

Combine the lack of cool tech in my whip and my obsession with the latest gadgets and I was immediately intrigued back in March when I heard about Automatic, a hardware/software startup based in San Francisco that’s pitched as a smart driving assistant. Unlike an expensive add-on that has to be installed by a dealer, the Automatic Link is a $100 dongle (Amazon link) that can plug into the car’s data port found somewhere under the steering wheel. It communicates over low-energy Bluetooth to an iPhone app that records your driving, analyzes your mileage, reads your check engine light, helps you find your parked car and more.

The feature that sold me was the ability to see what was causing my engine light to come on—a problem that has ruthlessly followed me with every vehicle I’ve owned so far. I immediately preordered and my Automatic arrived mid-October.

After using Automatic for about a month now, it’s real usefulness is starting to show. There are features about it I love, and it’s shown me how everyday technology, like an iPhone, can enhance the car experience. The Jetsons-like future of transportation isn’t here yet, but Automatic is a precursor of what’s to come. It gets me excited about how our personal computers will interface with cars in 10 years.

Yahoo Weather’s Latest Update Makes It Look Even More Beautiful On iPad

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Weather apps have a depressing tendency to be iPhone-only, as if iPad owners have never idly wondered whether it was raining outside or not. Yahoo’s gorgeous, Flickr-integrated Weather app was one of these, but no longer: version 1.5 of the Yahoo Weather app has snuck past the gates of the App Store, bringing iPad support to the mix as well as some welcome new social features.

Don’t Worry, Spies Didn’t Really Steal The iOS 7 Jailbreak

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We haven't Cydia on our iPhones in forever.
Photo: Alex Heath

When will the iOS 7 jailbreak arrive? Although earlier reports suggested it might already be in the chamber, and proof that exploits had already been found, the iOS 7 jailbreak still remains elusive.

That should not be a surprise. We predicted it would take a full six months to jailbreak the iPhone 5s back in February, and it looks like we might not be far off. But what is happening with the iOS 7 jailbreak?

Well, a lot of intrigue. But don’t worry, things are still moving forward.

iPad Mini With Retina Display Now Shipping Online In 1-3 Days

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Supplies of the iPad mini with Retina Display has been severely constrained ever since it launched on November 12th. Even though it was Within hours of the device becoming available, online orders shot up to 2 weeks delivery times, and for weeks, the best way to get an iPad mini with Retina Display quick was to try your luck at your local Apple Store.

Just in time for Christmas, though, Cupertino has managed to loosen up supply constraints, guaranteeing that if you order an iPad mini with Retina Display right now, you will receive it after it ships in 1-3 business days. That means if you need a last-minute gift idea, you can order an iPad mini with Retina Display now and get it in time for Christmas Eve. Cool beans!

Source: Apple.com

A New Beatles Album Is Coming To iTunes

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The relationship between Apple Computers and Apple Records (the Beatles’ record label) has always been tumultuous. Bringing suit against Apple early in the Mac-maker’s history for their similar names, an agreement was struck that Apple could use its iconic fruit name only if it didn’t get into the music game… an agreement Apple disregarded when it launched iTunes. That move kept the Beatles off of iTunes until a deal was finally struck in 2010.

Things between Apple and the Beatles have been pretty rosy since. In fact, a new Beatles album comprised of rare recording and bootlegs will ll launch later this week exclusively through iTunes.

Apple Supplier Uses Facial Recognition Technology To Screen For Underage Workers

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In the wake of the news concerning the 15-year-old employee who died after working on the iPhone 5c production line, Apple supplier Pegatron has revealed the high tech measures it goes to in order to avoid hiring underage workers.

According to Pegatron, the Taiwanese manufacturing firm has been employing facial recognition technology since earlier this year to screen for such an occurrence.

12 Days Of Gifts App Offers New Lorde Single As Sneak Preview

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When you’re the most-watched tech company in existence, there’s nothing quite like taking people by surprise.

And although Apple’s “12 Days of Gifts” app — this year available to U.S. customers for the first time — was due to kick off on December 26, Apple has decided to give downloaders a taste of what it is to come by offering Lorde’s new single “No Better” as a pre-Christmas gift.

Moshi VersaPouch Stays Useful Even After You Remove Your iPad

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I just spent a week traveling with my Retina iPad mini, and there are a few things I learned. One is that you don’t have to worry about charging it like you did with the first full-sized retina iPad, the iPad 3 – the new retina mini can be juiced in a few hours tops. Another thing is that I like to have a good protective case for when I stuff the iPad into an already-full backpack.

But I don’t want a bulky cover that sticks around when I’m actually using the iPad. And this is where the new VersaPouch Mini Stand Case comes in.

Safari File Reveals Your User IDs & Passwords In Plain Text

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The peeps behind Kaspersky Labs’ Securelist blog have uncovered an Easter Egg in Safari, which they claim lists user IDs and passwords in plaintext.

The problem relates to Safari’s retention of browser history as used in the “Reopen All Windows from Last Session” feature — which enables users to easily revisit sites they opened during previous Safari sessions.

Projecteo, A Teeny-Tiny Projector For Your Instagrams

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Back in the 1970s and 1980s, and maybe into the 1990s (I spent much of that decade drunk, so it’s all a little hazy), there was a phrase that could turn even the toughest and most sociable of us into terrified, dread-filled jellies. You would be invited to a friends house for drinks and maybe dinner, to celebrate their successful return from a trip to the furthest corners of the world.

You’d be all set, happy to see them and spend some time chatting over drinks, and then the words would come. “There will be a slideshow.”

In the times of film, this meant a darkened room, a humming projector and lots of very dull commentary. And after dinner, it was almost impossible to stay awake.

Which brings me to the new The Projecteo Gift Set, which is either an awesome modern-day take on the slideshow, or a way to get revenge on your show-off friends from decades past. It could even be both…

The TabHandler Adds A Handy Handle To Your iPad

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The TabHandler is another handle that sticks to the back of your iPad, only it beats the competition in a few ways: First, the permanent circular mount is small enough not to annoy when attached. Second, the handle is almost absurdly useful in its range of positions. And third, the voiceover guy on the video sounds amazing, like he should be selling saddles and lassos to cowboys, not iPad accessories to soft-skinned cubicle-dwelling troglodytes (cublodytes) like us.

Hidden Radio 2 Has Touch Controls, Bigger Bass, Stereo

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In our original Hidden Radio review, we said that the little twist-to-open Bluetooth speaker looked great, but sounded a little tinny and lacked any way to control playback and iPhone volume from the unit itself.

These have bother been fixed on the new Hidden Radio 2, but the speaker (and radio) [UPDATE: The Hidden Radio 2 no longer contains a radio] still looks as great as ever.

Waterlogue App Turns Your Photos Into Amazingly Realistic Watercolor Paintings

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You know how most image editing apps have a “paint” filter that supposedly makes you photo look like it was actually made with oils or watercolors? And you know how they all – ALL – suck? Then Waterlogue is going to utterly amaze you, as it’s the first app I’ve seen that gives results that really look like a watercolor painting.

Then again, as the app comes from the folks behind Popsicolor and Percolator, it’s not that surprising that it’s so damned good.

Phlite, A Lampshade For Your Camera Tripod

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You know all those tripods we feature here on Cult of Mac? Maybe you have a stack of them at home, or maybe you just have one of them, stuck at the back of the coat closet and generally never getting used. Or maybe you don;t even have a closet to keep it in, and you just keep tripping overt it on the way to make you coffee every morning.

Enlight’s new Phlite is here to help. It’ll let you leave your tripod permanently erected in the living room, without anyone complaining. How? Let’s see…

The Award-Winning MacStand Bundle: The Perfect Holiday Gift For The iMac And iPhone Owner [Deals]

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Your Apple products are pinnacles of modern design and technology, so why waste your time with Apple accessories that aren’t up to snuff? Saving precious dollars, you say?Well with this Cult of Mac Deals offer you’ll get huge savings plus top quality products – and this sleek, high-quality MacStand Bundle is another example of such a promotion.

Included in thsi bundle are the Mtable™, a multi-purpose desktop stand, and the Xtand Go™, a flexible in-car gadget mount. And you’ll get this bundle for just $79.99 – a savings of 38%!

Sam’s Club Offering iPhone 5s For Low Price Of $119 With Contract [Deals]

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Sam’s Club is offering the 16GB iPhone 5s for only $119 through January, which is the lowest price out there we could find right now. The deal requires a two-year carrier contract with either AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, or US Cellular.

You would normally have to be a Sam’s Club member to take advantage of this discount, but outsiders can shop and pay non-member prices as part of the Friends & Family Open House that lasts December 13th through the 15th. So today is the last day for non-members to get the full benefit of the deal. Sam’s Club previously had the 5s marked down at $147.

A lot of retailers are discounting Apple’s latest iPhones for the holidays, so now is a great time to buy. Walmart is selling the iPhone 5c for $27 and the 5s for $127 until December 24th. Best Buy has a great holiday deal running where it will knock $75 off any iPhone 5s regardless of storage capacity on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, which is the best option if you want something larger than 16GB.

Style Up Your Favorite Tech Gadgets With Slickwraps [Deals]

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Tired of the way your smartphone, tablet, computer, or other tech gadgets are looking these days? Now you can change it up with a stylish skin from Slickwraps.

Slickwraps makes amazing skins for these big name brands and more! They literally make hundreds of sweet skins for just about every tech gadget out there including your iPhone and/or Android phone. This Cult of Mac Deals offer will get you $40 Slickwraps credit for only $20 – credit you can apply to any product (or products) they have for sale on their website. This deal gives you the freedom to shop around and get exactly what you want.

Why Apple Should Make Car Entertainment Systems

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Car makers next year will begin selling vehicles that support Apple’s new system for connecting iPhones to the in-car entertainment systems built into the dash.

Nice, but it doesn’t go far enough. Here’s why Apple should start building the in-car entertainment systems themselves.

Osfoora 2 Reinforces The New Design Mold For iOS 7 Twitter Apps

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One came out a year ago, and one came out this past week.
One came out a year ago, and one came out this past week.

iOS 7 has ushered in a new age of design for third-party Twitter apps. Before Jony Ive’s monumental redesign of iOS was introduced over the summer, apps capitalized on making themselves stand out with a distinct design aesthetic—the robotic, chromatic look of the old Tweetbot, for example.

Several of the biggest Twitter clients in the App Store have undergone their iOS 7 redesigns by now, and while they feel more at home in iOS 7, they’ve also become harder to tell apart at first glance. The launch of Osfoora 2 for iPhone this past week reinforces this design trend.

What An iOS-7 Inspired Apple TV Interface Could Look Like [Concept]

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Andrew Ambrosino, the same concept designer who showed us what the next version of OS X could look like, also has an interesting take on the Apple TV’s interface. His concept design is inspired by Jony Ive’s iOS 7.

“I know, it’s a Samsung TV so it can’t be a “real” Apple TV / iTV concept,” notes Ambrosino, “but unfortunately I just lack the skill for hardware.”