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Working Apple-1 sells to mystery buyer for $375,000

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RR Auction 1
The computer sold to a mystery buyer online.
Photo: RR Auction

A rare working Apple-1 computer, one of just 200 built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, has sold at auction for $375,000.

The computer is thought to be just one of only around 15 Apple-1 models still in working order. The auction took place in Boston, MA, on Tuesday. The buyer was an “anonymous businessman,” who placed his bid online.

Learn what it takes to podcast like a pro [Deals]

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Study the tools and techniques that make for professional-grade podcasting.
Study the tools and techniques that make for professional-grade podcasting.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Launching a podcast is something anybody can do, which is why it seems like everybody is. With so much content out there, quality stands out. So if you’re looking to get in on the podcast action, it pays to know how to do it right.

Second Apple Watch Series 4 supplier added to meet demand

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Apple Watch Series 4
Customers sure love their new Apple Watch Series 4!
Photo: Apple

The Apple Watch Series 4 may be the first “must have” generation of Apple’s wearable device, and manufacturer Quanta Computer is working to full capacity to make sure it reaches as many customers as possible.

According to a new report, Quanta Computer’s capacity for the new Apple Watch at its factory in Changshu, eastern China is already “fully loaded.” In an effort to deliver even more of the devices, Apple has recruited a second supplier — Compal Electronics — which will start mass production in November.

iOS devs can now create public beta links through TestFlight

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Apple's TestFlight is used to beta test apps before they're ready for prime time.
Expect easier access to iOS app betas.
Photo: Cult of Mac

It’s now easier than ever for iOS developers to distribute beta versions of their apps.

Apple is allowing them to share public URLs, which allow for quick enrollment when opened on an iPhone or iPad, through TestFlight. Developers no longer need an email address for every tester.

Apple removes controversial Siri Suggestions for fake news

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BuzzFeed/Safari
One of the controversial suggested sites.
Screenshot: BuzzFeed/Safari

Apple removed several questionable websites serving up fake news and conspiracy theories via Safari’s “Siri Suggested” search results.

The recommended websites pointed users to posts about the “Pizzagate” hoax, Holocaust denier articles, and debunked race-based “science” stories. After BuzzFeed News alerted Apple to these bogus results, Cupertino promptly removed the recommendations.

Supply chain sources think high price could hurt iPhone XS orders

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iPhone XS box gold
Just like the iPhone X, folks are predicting gloom for the iPhone XS -- based on its price tag.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Déjà vu much? A new report claims that the high price of Apple’s new iPhone XS series is likely to result in a slow down in demand later in 2018, after the initial fanfare for the new devices fades. This is said to be particularly true for the iPhone XS Max, which costs up to $1,449 for the 512 GB version.

While that’s certainly a possibility, however, remember that many people predicted the same fate would befall the iPhone X last year — and they wound up being spectacularly wrong.

Apple News doesn’t pay off for publishers, despite traffic growth

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Apple News
Apple News is Apple's attempt to steal the news crown from Facebook.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple News is doing better than ever for Apple, but many publishers are still making barely anything from the platform.

According to a new report, lots of publishers are seeing big increases in traffic from Apple’s News aggregation service. However, due to the fact that Apple News keeps users inside its app, rather than redirecting to the original websites, this doesn’t necessarily translate into ad dollars for publishers. Far from it, in fact!

macOS 10.14.1 goes to developers as a beta

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Group FaceTime Mac
The most likely improvement in macOS 10.14.1 beta 1 is the return of Group FaceTime.
Photo: Apple

macOS 10.14 Mojave launched yesterday, but Apple already started testing the next version. Developers were just given access to a pre-release beta of macOS 10.14.1.

With availability so recent, it’s not yet known what’s in the new version. That said, the most likely enhancement is the return of Group FaceTime.

Hands-on with the TimePorter Travel Case for Apple Watch [Unboxing]

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TimePorter
This gorgeous capsule is both a case and a stand.
Photo: Twelve South

Traveling with Apple Watch is a fairly simple affair: strap on your watch and go. Traveling with all the extra accessories, however, is a serious pain in the butt.

There’s that 6-foot charging cable, for one, which always manages to get tangled up in my bag. Add extra Apple Watch bands and a wall plug, and you’ve got some serious carry, and we haven’t even mentioned dealing with the watch when you aren’t wearing it.

Twelve South has an answer to this conundrum, and it’s called TimePorter. And, Cult of Mac’s Nadine Kahney unboxes this great little case before our very eyes. 

iPhone XS Max production cost is shockingly low

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Open the iPhone XS Max and you'll see just $443 worth of components.
Open the iPhone XS Max and you'll see just $443 worth of components.
Photo: TechInsights

An estimate of the component costs for each iPhone XS Max shows that much less than half of the purchase price goes to producing the device. This is Apple’s most expensive phone ever — and likely its most profitable.

The cost of storage went up considerably but Apple managed to save money by removing some 3D Touch components from the display.

How to use the Walkie-Talkie app on Apple Watch

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What a lovely set of talkies walkie.
What a lovely set of talkies walkie.
Photo: Joe Haupt/Flickr CC

One of watchOS 5’s greatest features is the Walkie-Talkie app. If you know other Apple Watch owners, you can just talk into your wrist, like in a 1950s secret agent TV show, and chat to them. It’s way better than having to make a phone call, because the chat is pushed.

Imagine that you’re on vacation camping, or on a bike trip across country, or working in a large (but fairly quiet) job site. You can talk to people as if they are there next to you. And in one way, this is better than a real walkie-talkie: Because it doesn’t use radio, there’s no limit to distance. You can chat to people on the other end of town, or the other side of the world.

Let’s see how to use the Apple Watch Walkie-Talkie app.

monday.com is making team management more colorful

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monday.com brings refined visual design to the team management space.
monday.com brings refined visual design to the team management space.
Photo: monday.com

This post is presented by monday.com.

Anyone who does their work on a computer likely uses a team management platform like Slack, Hipchat, Asana or Trello. It’s a busy space, with lots of competition, so Israeli startup monday.com is leveraging colorful, adaptive, intuitive design to stand out from the crowd.

iPhone pix of craggy lunar surface sends photog over the moon

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iPhone moon pictures
Here's what you get when you mount an iPhone to a telescope.
Photo: Tom White

An iPhone 7 is not the first camera you’d think about when figuring out how to get good shots of the moon. It certainly wasn’t Tom White’s first choice.

But after trying to get his DSLR mounted to a telescope just so, White wondered if his iPhone could do the job. The end result feels like the view astronauts would have from an Apollo command module in the moon’s orbit.

Apple Watch fall detection might get you arrested

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fall detection
If you're doing something illegal, you could take a fall for slipping up.
Photo: Apple

An Apple Watch Series 4 can detect if you’ve fallen and automatically call 911 to get your injuries tended to. Or get you arrested, depending on the circumstances.

That’s the warning of privacy watchdogs, who point out that 911 calls invite in more than just emergency medical personnel.

Apple wants US to overhaul privacy laws

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Apple takes privacy seriously
Any future privacy legislation will likely have little effect on Apple as it already bends over backward to avoid collecting user information.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A high-level Apple executive will tell the the U.S. senate tomorrow that the iPhone maker is in favor of federal privacy regulations.

He’ll be testifying along with representatives of Google and other companies likely to argue against privacy laws.

How to find if iPhone XS and Apple Watch 4 are in stock near you

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iPhone Xs
Avoid lines and find the iPhone of your dreams with this tool.
Photo: Apple

Didn’t get in on the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max pre-order madness and are now lusting after the best smartphone display ever?

There’s a simple tool on the internet that can save you hours of searching so you get the iPhone you want today. All it takes is setting a few filters and you’ll be alerted as soon as your local store has the new iPhones or Apple Watch Series 4 in stock.

This is how the tool works:

Qualcomm accuses Apple of stealing trade secrets to help out Intel

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Qualcomm patents
The Qualcomm vs. Apple battle rages on.
Photo: Qualcomm

Qualcomm claims that Apple stole its chip technology and gave it to Intel — and it says it’s got the proof.

According to the chipmaker, Apple stole “vast swaths” of confidential information and trade secrets, which it used to improve the performance of chips made by Qualcomm rival Intel. The claims are part of a new court filing by Qualcomm.

Check out these awesome and unusual cases for iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max

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Grovemade iPhone XS cases
From weird to wonderful, you won't have any problem finding the perfect case for your new iPhone.
Photo: Grovemade

You’ve got a shiny new iPhone XS or XS Max, and you want top keep it that way. Thankfully, there are already a ton of cases available for you. For simple protection, there’s Apple’s own leather or silicone case, but why stop there? You can choose for rugged cases, cases that hold two phones, cases that also work as wallets, and cases that can carry your EarPods.

Even if you don’t normally go for a case, you may like one just so it covers up the iPhone XS’ big camera bump, which really does make the phone wobble on the table. So, sit back, relax, and read our guide to the best iPhone cases around right now.

Apple’s record share buyback credited with helping stock market boom

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bull Wall Street
Apple is helping the stock market go from strength to strength.
Photo: Sam Valadi/Flickr CC

Apple’s massive, record-breaking $226.6 billion stock buyback is credited with helping drive the longest-running bull market in U.S. stock market history.

A bull market refers to a market in which share prices are rising, thereby encouraging buying. A new report credits eight companies — including Apple — who have engaged in massive share buybacks as being part-responsible for this 9.5-year bull run. Together, they have formed, “a solid backbone of the stock market’s continued growth.”

First HomeKit sprinkler ensures the grass is always green

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Rachio-3-13
This smart irrigation controller lets you supervise all your smart sprinkling needs.
Photo: Rachio

Looking for a smarter, high tech way to water your lawn? The Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller has your back — by becoming the first smart sprinkler controller to add HomeKit support.

The personal watering assistant will help you monitor and manage your sprinkler system using by using the Apple Home app or asking Siri. This means that can stay on town of your garden maintenance via your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, or HomePod — even when you’re not home at the time.