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Curved photo sensor could lead to tiny Apple Watch camera

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Apple is constantly pushing the boundaries with its cameras.
Photo: iFixit

Apple has invented a camera lens that would yield higher-resolution images and would be even tinier than the cameras used in today’s super-slim iPhones.

How tiny would it be? Imagine a total axial length of just 2 mm or even less, making this potentially perfect for the long-awaited FaceTime camera of the next-gen Apple Watch 2.

Samsung is bringing all its best apps to iOS

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Samsung apps are coming to iOS.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr CC
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Samsung and Apple have been bitter smartphone rivals for nearly a decade now, but it appears that Samsung may be ready to finally embrace iOS.

Some of Samsung’s best apps (if not all) are coming to iOS soon, according to a new report that claims the Galaxy-maker plans to pull a Microsoft and bring its apps to Apple’s platform as part of its effort to increase adoption of its connected devices.

Apple hires a top virtual reality expert

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Apple Goggles, anyone?
Photo: Apple/USPTO

Apple has hired a top virtual reality researcher as it continues to slowly ramp up its focus on the field.

Doug Bowman was previously a professor computer science as well as director of the Center for Human-Computer Interaction at Virginia Tech. While there, he was the principal investigator of the 3D Interaction Group, focusing on the benefits of immersion in virtual environments.

Apple may be testing iPhone tech that’s 100 times faster than Wi-Fi

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Apple was awarded a patent for bump transfer of data between iPhones.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The next iPhone you get may come with super-fast data speeds that are 100 times faster than Wi-Fi. Based on references found in iOS 9.1’s code, it appears that Apple is testing Li-Fi capabilities on the iPhone that use light pulses instead of radio waves to transmit data.

Hidden inside iOS 9’s system library cache file there’s a specific mention of “LifiCapability.” The reference was first spotted by 19 year-old developer Chase Fromm on Twitter:

Victory for Apple! Court bans sale of older Samsung phones

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Samsung is banned from selling some of its older handsets.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr CC
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Samsung is banned from selling some of its older handsets. Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr CC

Apple and Samsung have been locked in a never-ending legal battle seemingly forever, but yesterday a federal court in California agreed to finally ban the U.S. sale of several Samsung smartphones which infringe on patents owned by Apple.

The bad news? The phones are now so old that they’re not really sold any more. But there’s some good news, too.

Transforming Apple Watch strap is more than meets the eye

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How a future Apple Watch could attach to your fridge or MacBook.
Photo: USPTO/Apple

Apple has come out with some gorgeous bands for the Apple Watch, but if a patent application published today is to be believed, future Apple Watch straps may get a whole lot more useful.

Specifically, the patent application describes a magnetic band capable of folding, origami-style, into a standalone mini display, protective case, fridge-mounted magnet, or even an extra screen for your iMac.

Talk about robots in disguise!

One of the best camera glass companies is finally making iPhone lenses

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ExoLens, which partnered with ZEISS for a pro line of iPhone lenses last year, will soon offer a protective case for the iPhone 7 to accommodate the lenses.
ExoLens, which partnered with ZEISS for a pro line of iPhone lenses last year, will soon offer a protective case for the iPhone 7 to accommodate the lenses.
Photo: ExoLens

Zeiss has been known for decades as one of the finest lensmakers for DSLRS and other cameras, but in 2016 the company is going small, with its first-ever lineup of lenses created just for the iPhone.

The first set of external lenses for the iPhone 6s include a telephoto, a wide-angle, and zoomable macro option that are poised to become one of the best options available for iPhotographers once they’re finally available in mid-2016.

Everything you need to know about CES 2016

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Devices for literal days.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage It’s been a busy week here at Cult of Mac as we all scrambled to get as much news as possible out of CES, the big electronics show that’s been chugging right along in Las Vegas. It’s one of the biggest trade shows in the world, so we had plenty of news to go around.

We had people on the show floor discussing everything gadgety — including the finer points of rejuvenating one’s vagina — and we had people at home trying to ignore how hilarious that was for long enough to crank out the rest of the news. While the stories were plentiful, our handy hub here ensures you don’t have to click around too much to get everything worth knowing from the show.

Here’s the huge collection of all of our coverage from CES 2016.