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Google Chrome For iOS Updated With Quick History Access, Webpage Sharing Via Messages, Search Tweaks

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Google has released a big update to its official Chrome browser for iOS devices. Chrome 25 comes with two big features: the ability to quickly recall browsing history by tapping and holding the back button, and the option to share webpages natively with the Messages app.

Over the next few days, Google says it will improve web searches in Chrome by displaying results right in the browser’s omnibox. Space will be maximized to display more results as well.

Use Your iPhone Flash For Visible, LED-Powered Notification Alerts [iOS Tips]

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LED Flash Alerts

If you’ve read these tips for any length of time, you’ll know that there are plenty of settings on your iPhone that were designed first and foremost for people with various disabilities, but that can be extremely useful for those of us who don’t have a specific disability, as well.

Flash-powered alerts are one of these features; for those with hearing impairments, using the iPhone’s flash to let them know when a notification alert has happened is critical, as they may not be able to hear an audible alert, nor the telltale buzz sound the iPhone makes when set on a flat surface.

If you want to use this same notification feature yourself, perhaps when having an audible alert, vibration or otherwise, isn’t viable, here’s what to do.

Apple’s Design Team Studied Nike Sport Watches While Working On iWatch

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Included in Bloomberg’s big story this morning on Apple’s iWatch was a small paragraph that said Jony Ive and his team ordered a bunch of watches made by Nike in the mid-2000s.

Maybe Ive and his design team just liked the Nike watches, but according to Scott Wilson, who was Nike’s Creative Director at the time, Ive might have ordered the watches so his team could study them for inspiration on the iWatch.

Your iPhone Can’t Tell When You’re Too Drunk To Drive, But This iPhone Breathalyzer Can

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In my experience, the iPhone already has a built-in alcohol detector. You can tell if you’re too drunk to drive by pulling out your iPhone and seeing if you immediately drop it, shattering it on the floor or dunking it in a seedy bar urinal. Pass the test? You’re ready to drive!

Alcohoot has another method of measuring the same thing. It’s a Breathalyzer that you pair with your iPhone. If you blow into it and you’re abov e the legal limit, it’ll call you a cab.

Alcohoot isn’t out quite yet, but when they launch, they are hoping to launch soon at a $70 price point. Cheaper than breaking your iPhone using the drunk test outlined above.

Via: Macgasm

White House Says Cell Phone Unlocking Should Be Legalized

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Last month, a petition was created on the White House’s ‘We The People’ website that demanded the White House ask Congress to rescind its decision to make unlocking cellphones illegal.

After 114,000 signatures were collected on the petition, the White House invited experts on telecommunications, technology and copyright law to come over to the White House and talk about the issue.

The official White House response was issued today stating that the Obama Administration believes that consumers should be able to unlock their cellphones without risking criminal penalties.

SIMPLcase Carries SIM Toolkit For iPhone Travelers [Kickstarter]

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In my wallet, I have a little “secret” compartment which contains a few international micro SIMs, an Apple-made SIM ejection tool (aka a fancy paperclip), and a guitar pick.

Or at least I usually do. The other day, when I actually needed it, the ejector tool had somehow found its way out of the wallet and into my bag. The problem was that it was not the bag I had with me.

But if I’d had the SIMPL case on my iPhone, I’d have been golden.

Who Should The Mascot Be For The Next Version Of OS X? [Contest]

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What will Apple name the next version of OS X?
What will Apple name the next version of OS X?

We had a lot of fun earlier today coming up with our “vision” for the next Mac operating system, OS X Lion-O.

It got us thinking. What do you think the perfect mascot for the next version of OS X would be?

So we’re having a Photoshop contest! Come up with a concept for the next version of OS X using a whole new mascot and we’ll give the top five winners a free copy of Photoshop Touch for the iPhone or iPad (your choice!).

And the grand prize winner? In addition to Photoshop Touch, the person who makes the best Photoshop will receive a copy of the real next version of OS X (when it comes out, that is!).

Here’s how to enter the contest!

San Francisco Starbucks Still Haunted By The Ghost Of Steve Jobs’s 2007 Prank iPhone Call

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During the historic 2007 iPhone keynote, Steve Jobs famously called a local Starbucks and made a prank order for 4,000 lattes… enough for everyone at the Moscone Center to enjoy. He then said, “Just kidding. Wrong number. Goodbye!”

Amusingly, that quick prank call to demonstrate the iPhone’s Maps and Phone apps is still resulting in prank calls six years later. And even more incredibly, the barista who originally took the call still works at that Starbucks!

Make Your Own Waxed Canvas Bag [DIY]

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You know those cool old waxed canvas bags which used to keep things dry before miners discovered nylon in a cave in Papua New Guinea1? Now you can make your own! Well, technically you could always make your own. But now Photojojo has provided a guide for you. Spoiler: it’s dead easy.

What If Apple Ripped Samsung Off For The iPhone 6? [Gallery]

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The Rumor: iPhone 6 will launch on September 19th

The Verdict: Too soon to tell. Every summer the 'When Will Apple Launch the Next iPhone' guessing games begin, and first up to the plate this year is the Chinese site Laoyaoba. They've pegged the launch date for September 19th. We're still months away, so it's impossible to tell if this is valid or if Apple has even set a date internally, so until we get a Jim Dalrymple 'yep' on this, we'll hold off on clearing our calendars.


There are a lot of crazy rumors floating around out there about the iPhone 6. It might boast a huge screen, come in different colors, have a polycarbonate body, and maybe even a fingerprint sensor. If you believe even half of those rumors, then this might be Apple’s craziest iPhone yet.

Most of the rumors will probably be proven false, but what if Apple decided to go down a crazy path and actually rip off Samsung’s smartphones? Well, one concept artist decided to dream it up.

Check Out The Posters Matt Groening Did For Apple Before The Simpsons

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Bongo’s Dream Dorm artwork
Bongo’s Dream Dorm.
Photo: Apple

Some of you may not know that The Simpsons creator Matt Groening was hired by Apple to produce a number of brochures and posters back in the late ’80s. One of those brochures, entitled Who Needs A Computer Anyway?, has been making its way around the web since 2011. But some of Groening’s posters aren’t so familiar.

Networking in Hell, which is based around Groening’s Life in Hell characters, is one of them — along with Bongo’s Dream Dorm. Check them out below.

Steelcase Gesture Series: Office Chairs For iPhone and iPad Users

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Do any of these sound familiar?

  • The Strunch
  • The Cocoon
  • The Take It In
  • The Trance
  • The Smart Lean

Now, I know what you’re thinking, because I’m thinking the exact same dirty thoughts; but no: they’re not fun “adult poses” to enjoy with another human or similarly-sized biped. They are in fact some of the new postures that chair-maker Steelcase has noticed in hours of actually watching how we slump in our seats.

Apple’s Lightning Digital AV Adapter Has An Incredible Secret

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Over the weekend, a fascinating little post over on the Panic weblog revealed that the Lightning AV adapter meant to send video out from a connected iPhone or iPad over HDMI had an interesting little secret to it: it’s not a converter so much as it is a tiny ARM-based computer with a tiny SoC and 2GB of RAM!

The guys at Panic had a theory that this meant that the Lightning AV Adapter booted a miniature version of iOS every time it was connected, and that it was using a bizarre, hardwired version of the AirPlay protocol to do its streaming. That’s not actually the case, but an anonymous Apple engineer has now given the backstory behind this fascinating little bit of engineering.

Open New Finder Windows To Wherever You Please, Skip All My Files [OS X]

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All My Files Finder Windows

Ever since OS X 10.7 Lion, the Finder has a new sidebar section, called All My Files. It’s a list of, predictably, all the files on your Mac and it can be customized to show them in any style you like, sorting by Name, Date Created, Kind, Date Modified, and more. The trouble is, though, that all new Finder windows open to this All My Files section by default. Some folks might not like this, though, and wish for the long-ago days of, say, Snow Leopard, when Finder windows opened to the Desktop or some such.

Luckily, to make this happen takes just a quick trip into the Finder preferences to sort out. Thanks, Apple!

Ending Soon: The Mac Essentials App Bundle [Deals]

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Got a new Mac? Trying to get the most out of it – or perhaps the one you’ve had for a few months? There are countless tools out there than can help – but rarely can so many of them be found in a bundle such as this: The Mac Essentials Bundle.

Cult of Mac Deals has assembled 9 apps that can take your productivity on your Mac to the next level…and we’re offering it at a fraction of the regular price. You can get The Mac Essentials Bundle for only $49.99 for a limited time – that’s 84% off the price you’d pay for all of these apps separately!