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Meet the guy who built an iPhone from scratch

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Scotty Allen
Scotty Allen takes his viewers to Strange Parts for unvarnished stories about technology.
Photo: Scotty Allen

Millions have watched Scotty Allen build an iPhone from parts mined from the electronics markets of Shenzhen, China.

DIYers and hackers write Allen, eager to repeat his geeky feat. So do people from third-world countries looking for an affordable way to get their hands on a pricey device that imparts status.

Allen, 39, loves the wild enthusiasm his YouTube videos have sparked, but the scratch iPhone isn’t the point.

Apple wanted to bring the best of iMessage to every phone

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Messages iOS 10
Carriers didn't want to adopt.
Photo: Apple

Apple will never bring iMessage to third-party platforms like Android, but there was a time when it tried to convince carriers to adopt a standardized version for everyone.

Former iOS chief Scott Forstall has revealed that the company approached operators in an effort to convince them to take a number of features that make iMessage so great and bring them to traditional texting. But due to a number of reasons, the “explorations didn’t pan out.”

Bullish analyst thinks Apple stock is going nowhere but up

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AAPL
Apple could be in for a major surge over the next year.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

When Apple passed the $1 trillion valuation earlier this year, you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve missed your chance to invest. Not so, claims tech Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. According to the bullish Apple pundit, the company could see a massive 40 percent surge this year.

AAPL currently trades at $219. According to Ives, however, by this time next year you should be expecting it to trade at $310. Here’s why.

Scan text into your computer or phone, Star Trek-style [Deals]

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Scanmarker AIr

Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Digital documents and cloud storage have been great for note-takers. The information is available anywhere there’s an internet connection, so there’s no risk of losing your notes or leaving them at home. But when it comes to books, digital capture means either transcribing the page or taking a picture of it. Not so with this futuristic text scanner.

New AirPods, AirPower and Macs? Catch our ‘More in the Making’ hardware predictions on The CultCast

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CultCast MacBook Pro More In the Making
Finally! Apple's October 30th event is all about the hardware.
Image: The CultCast

This week on The CultCast: Waiting for new AirPods? Need that AirPower charging mat? Don’t you dare miss our “More in the Making” hardware event predictions, cause we bring out the crystal ball, and all is revealed.

Then: Seventeen reasons the iPhone XR should be your next phone; the world’s largest Mac collection could be yours for free; and we pitch our favorite games, shows and scooters in an all-new “What We’re Into”!

Our thanks to Casper for supporting this episode. Learn why Casper makes the internet’s favorite mattress, and get $50 towards select mattresses at casper.com/cultcast.

Chinese consumer watchdog thinks Apple should pay up for phishing hack

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money
Users in China recently fell victim to phishing scam looking for their Apple IDs.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

After Apple acknowledged that a small number of its users in China had their iCloud accounts accounts hacked through a phishing scam, a Chinese consumer watchdog thinks the company should pay up.

The China Consumer Association said in a statement that Apple should pay compensation to those affected. Some of those people caught up in the scam lost money since their Apple IDs were used by thieves to take money from paired mobile payment services.

Evidence mounts that iPad Pro will ditch Lightning for USB-C

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ipad pro 2
Apple introduced its Lightning connectors in 2012.
Photo: Apple

On paper, it sounds kind of surprising, but the reports claiming that Apple will include a USB-C port instead of its proprietary Lightning are certainly racking up.

Recently, notable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that this would be the case. Now a new report citing multiple accessory makers at the Global Sources Mobile Electronics Trade Fair in Hong Kong reported that they have heard much the same thing.

Siri Shortcuts make their way into popular apps

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Shortcuts app from iOS 12
The Shortcuts app lets you create your own voice commands, but increasing numbers of third-party apps have Siri Shortcuts built in.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A highlight of iOS 12 is Siri shortcuts, a way to activate frequently-used tasks with voice commands. Software developers can do this too, and today Apple highlighted some popular applications that have embraced Siri.

Increasing numbers of apps have Shortcuts built in, giving users access to special functions with the voice commands of their choice.

iPhone X miraculously survives 8 hours in the ocean

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Don't be a afraid of the water ip68
Your iPhone can survive getting wet, but don't drop overboard.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple worked hard in recent years to make a waterproof iPhone . The latest models can survive being submerged in up to 6.5 feet of water for half an hour. And last year’s handsets are almost as water resistant. 

One iPhone X user has cause to be grateful. 

Square Terminal could increase Apple Pay availability

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Square Terminal could help more businesses accept Apple Pay.
Square Terminal could help more businesses accept Apple Pay.
Photo: Square

Square got its start by letting businesses take credit cards with just an iPhone or Android, and the company now offers multiple payment methods. Today it launched Square Terminal which accepts credit cards and Apple Pay, and can even print  receipts.

This could help spread the availability of Apple Pay, as this new point-of-sale card reader is intended to replace older, simpler ones that can’t accept the iPhone’s payment system.

Android’s new speed king still can’t keep up with iPhone

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ASUS ROG Phone
The new Asus ROG Phone doesn't even come close.
Photo: Asus

Not even the fastest Android handset comes close to matching the performance of the iPhone.

The new Asus ROG Phone performs better than every other Android in early benchmark tests. It also scores higher than the latest iPad Pro lineup. When it comes to iPhone XS and XS Max, though, the gaming handset is way behind.

Apple logo goes into redesign overload ahead of October event

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Apple logo
Just a sampling of some of the different Apple logos.
Photo: Apple

Apple finally made its October keynote official this morning with one of the most unique event invites we’ve ever seen. Instead of just using one standard design, Apple sent nearly every journalist an invite with an Apple logo that was unlike the one sent to others.

We’ve tracked down over 20 variations of the Apple logo on the invites and compiled them below. You can also go to Apple’s updated event website and every time you refresh the page a different Apple logo will show up.

Transfer data between iPhone and Mac without iTunes: Get free MacX MediaTrans

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Get MacX MediaTrans for free and forget about iTunes for transferring data between iPhone and Mac.
Get MacX MediaTrans for free and forget about iTunes.
Image: Digiarty Software

This post is presented by Digiarty Software.

Managing data on iPhone means navigating iTunes on your Mac. For upgrading, syncing or backing up photos, videos and music, its broad controls can leave even the tech-savvy among us feeling clumsy. For more fine-grained control of your iOS data, you’ll want another tool.

YouTubers gush about iPhone XR ahead of launch

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iPhone XR
The iPhone XR is going to be a hit.
Photo: Apple

The first wave of iPhone XR reviews are in and based on the early impressions, Apple may have a big hit on its hands.

iPhone XR preorders open up at midnight tonight and Apple’s making a big push to get people to upgrade to its cheapest new handset. Instead of just going with traditional news outlets, Apple also gave early iPhone XR units to popular YouTubers, probably in an effort to reach a younger audience.

So far, everyone’s raving about the iPhone XR, even if it is lacking a few features.

The Drafts for Mac beta is finally here

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With Drafts for Mac, you'll never have to do this again.
With Drafts for Mac, you'll never have to do this again.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Drafts, the most useful app on iOS, is finally available for the Mac — in beta form at least. The beta can be downloaded right now, but you can only use it if you are already a Drafts Pro subscription. The Mac version of this text-wrangling masterpiece is already super-useful, and will sync perfectly with your existing iPhone and iPad versions.

How to preorder your iPhone XR the right way

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iPhone XR portrait mode
Thinking the iPhone XR would have been worth the wait?
Photo: Apple

Preorders for the iPhone XR start tomorrow at 12:01 a.m. Pacific. If you want to be sure of getting a new handset — in the color you really want — on day one, you probably need to be quick with your preorder. If not, you could be faced with waiting for Apple to fill the backlog of orders before you finally get a new iPhone sometime near Christmas.

Luckily, we have a guide that will help you preorder your iPhone XR the right way when on October 19.

Apple sets ‘More in the Making’ event for Oct. 30

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The new iPads and Macs that have been in so many rumors will apparently be unveiled in less than two weeks.
The new iPads and Macs that have been in so many rumors will apparently be unveiled in less than two weeks.
Photo: Apple

The next big Apple event everyone has been expecting just became official. Looks like new tablets, laptops and desktops could be unveiled October 30.

What makes this unusual is it won’t be at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, but at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Gorgeous custom iPhone XS adds mechanical watch to back of phone

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Caviar iphone
Caviar's Grand Complications Skelton iPhones aren't cheap.
Photo: Caviar

Not satisfied with the iPhone XS Max being a mere smartphone, crazy Russian iPhone modders have gone and added a gorgeous mechanical watch onto Apple’s latest masterpiece.

The Grand Complications collection comes in three options: pink gold, titanium and black and gold, giving owners one of the most unique iPhones in the world. Caviar says the collection was inspired by the idea innovation of the future and their connection to classical traditions of the past.

How to buy iPhone XR on iPhone Upgrade Program if you own iPhone X

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iphone xs upgrade
An iPhone with mmWave 5G could be more than a year away.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone Upgrade Program is Apple’s equivalent of a carrier’s monthly contract. You can upgrade your iPhone every year, and pay a monthly fee instead of buying the handset outright. Usually, the upgrade path is simple — there’s a new iPhone every year, and you can upgrade every year. But the iPhone X came out on November 3, 2017, so iPhone Upgrade Program participants still have at least a couple of weeks left to run on their contracts.

So how do you get the colorful iPhone XR you’re craving on launch day?

iPhone XS sales take average selling price to record heights

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iPhone XS and XS Max
Have you bought yours yet?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max sales have started off so strongly that they’ve helped Apple’s average selling price reach record heights, new data suggests.

The latest flagships accounted for 16 percent of all Apple handsets sold in the U.S. last quarter, despite being on sale for just ten days of it. Last year’s iPhone X continues to sell well despite being outdated now, while iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were the most popular options.

Alleged hacker tried to sell details of 319 million iCloud users for bitcoin

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Hacker who tried to extort Apple for $100k is spared prison
21-year-old Kerem Albayrak allegedly tried to hold up Apple for cyber-cash.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

An alleged hacker who reportedly threatened to sell the personal details of 319 million iCloud users is having his day in court. 21-year-old IT analyst Kerem Albayrak supposedly filmed himself accessing people’s accounts and posted footage showing this online.

He then asked Apple to pay him $174,000 worth of Bitcoin and $1,100 in iTunes vouchers to avoid doing anything with the accounts.

Score a social media marketing certification for under 20 bucks [Deals]

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Take a deep dive into social media marketing, earning certification that'll boost your resume and marketability.
Take a deep dive into social media marketing, earning certification that'll boost your resume and marketability.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Making money online means knowing how to leverage social media. Whether you’re trying to get an idea out, elevate a brand, or sell a product, social media marketing is essential. So this massively discounted social media certification course is a must-see.