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Unreleased ads show the classic Mac team talking up their creation

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Unreleased ads show the classic Mac team talking up their creation
That's Susan Kare, the icon designer on the original Mac.
Photo: Apple

Andy Hertzfeld, one of the original members of the Macintosh team, has uploaded an unseen series of 1983 interview snippets intended to be used for Mac ads. The mini interviews feature the likes of Hertzfeld, Mike Murray, Burrell Smith, Bill Atkinson, Susan Kare, and George Crow talking about Apple’s then in-development computer.

The ads were never used — but it’s a great nostalgic look back at the enthusiasm surrounding the original Macintosh 128K.

Apple adman who created iconic commercials sues his former agency

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Apple
Duncan Milner left TBWA earlier this year.
Photo: Apple

A former Apple advertising creative lead, who worked on some of its biggest ad campaigns, has sued his former agency, TBWA. Duncan Milner claims wrongful termination based on age discrimination.

Following the retirement of TBWA boss (and Steve Jobs friend) Lee Clow this year, Milner was told that the company “couldn’t carry his salary anymore.”

New ads show off iPhone encryption, recycling, and privacy

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iPhone recycling 1
Not every important feature of the iPhone is immediately visible.
Photo: Apple

Not every feature that makes the iPhone special is an immediately visible one like fancy new displays or new color options. Some of the things which make iOS great are under-the-hood features like its focus on encryption, privacy in the App Store — and even Apple’s sustainable focus on iPhone recycling.

Those are three of the topic highlighted in a series of new ads. Apple shared them to its YouTube channel in Australia over the weekend. Check them out:

WhatsApp will start showing you ads in 2020

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WhatsApp stickers
It's time to upgrade if you haven't already.
Photo: WhatsApp

Conversations with your friends won’t be the only thing that shows up inside your WhatsApp next year. Facebook has confirmed ads will also start appearing in 2020.

You’ll see them in WhatsApp Status, the messaging platform’s answer to Instagram Stories.

Mozilla petitions Apple to boost privacy with rotating ad IDs

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ipad-pro-smart-keyboard-safari
Rotating advertiser IDs make a lot of sense.
Photo: Apple

Mozilla, the company behind Firefox, is calling for Apple to boost user privacy on iOS by introducing rotating advertiser IDs.

Most iPhone and iPad users don’t know that they can block access to their unique ID, Mozilla says. Regularly rotating IDs would make it harder for companies “to build profiles of us over time.”

Sign the petition to pressure Apple into making a change today.

Apple simplifies Face ID, iOS 12 and recycling in new ads

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Face ID ad
Did you know Face ID doesn't store photos of your face?
Photo: Apple

Apple goes back to the basics in a new set of ads today uploaded to YouTube.

Doing away with fancy effects, catchy music, and even its own hardware, it highlights some of the key features of Face ID and iOS 12. It also promotes its smartphone recycling program that’s open to all handsets — even if they’re not iPhones.

Hulu cuts price of ad-supported service, but Live TV costs more

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Hulu
Hulu is now more affordable.
Photo: Hulu

Hulu has slashed the price of its ad-supported plan, making the service more accessible to budget-conscious consumers.

It’s not all good news, however: Hulu’s Live TV plan, which offers access to more than 60 top channels live and on-demand, is now more expensive. The ad-free Hulu and Hulu + Spotify plans have not been changed.

Apple pulls third-party SDKs from Shazam in latest update

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Apple acquisition meant that Shazam turned a profit in 2018
Apple acquisition meant that Shazam turned a profit in 2018
Photo: Apple

Apple has pulled all but one third-party SDK from Shazam in its latest update.

The move wipes out analytics firms, ad networks, open-source projects, and more — including Google AdMob, Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads, and DoubleClick. Only HockeyApp, a Microsoft platform for beta testing, is still available.

Spotify will soon ban accounts that use ad blockers

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Spotify Premium update October 2018
Try it out today.
Photo: Spotify

You could soon see your Spotify account banned or shutdown completely if you use an ad blocker.

The music streaming service’s updated terms of service, which go into effect on March 1, now specifically state that using tools or modified apps to block ads is prohibited.

Hilarious new iPhone X ad imagines life as a quiz show

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Apple's new iPhone X ad shows the struggle we go through trying to remember passwords.
Apple's new iPhone X ad shows the struggle we go through trying to remember passwords.
Screenshot: Apple

Imagine you’re on a game show and the trivia answer you need to win is… the password you created for your online banking account.

This isn’t an elaborate form of hacking, it’s a funny new Apple advertisement that points out that Face ID saves us from ever having to remember passwords.

Apple users immune to Fortnite hack malware

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Fortnite mobile controller
You can now play at 120Hz on iPad Pro.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Fortnite’s staggering rise in popularity has inevitably attracted a large number of cheaters who use third-party hacks to gain an in-game advantage.

The hacks they’re using help them aim faster, fire their weapons quicker, and even slow down enemy players. They’re also spreading malware all over the web.

It’s thought tens of thousands of Fortnite players have been affected, but you have nothing to worry about if you play on Mac or iOS.

Facebook’s scary plan to record your conversations while you watch TV

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the Facebook logo on an iPhone 6 Plus
Here we go again.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Some believe Facebook is already using our smartphones to hear our private conversations. That’s not true, but the social network is certainly considering it.

Facebook has applied for a new patent that describes a method of tapping into our microphones to listen to our reactions to TV ads. It’s just as invasive as it sounds.

Spike Jonze’s brilliant HomePod ad wins major advertising award

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2019 Creative Marketer of the Year
Spike Jonze created one of Apple's all-time great ads.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s brilliantly creative HomePod ad, directed by Being John Malkovich helmer Spike Jonze, has won a top prize at the Association of Independent Commercial Producers Show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The awards were handed out on Thursday night. Apple shared the “Advertising Excellence/Single Commercial category” top spot with the absolutely hilarious “It’s a Tide Ad” Super Bowl series of ads for Tide. If you haven’t seen Apple’s excellent HomePod ad before, you can check it out below.

‘Behind the Mac’ ads tell the stories of real Apple users

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Apple ad campaign
Legally blind photographer Bruce Hall is one of the many people who use Macs.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s latest ad campaign focuses on how the Mac can be used by regular people to create music, make art, develop apps and more.

Like classic Apple campaigns such as the “Switch” ads of the early 2000s, or the long-running “Shot on iPhone” ads, the “Behind the Mac” ads focus on real Apple users — thereby making them feel more authentic. They also embrace Apple’s accessibility push, demonstrated through stories like legally blind photographer Bruce Hall, who uses Apple devices.

Check them out below.

New iPad ads showcase Apple Pencil versatility

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iPad ad
Apple is keen to show off the Apple Pencil.
Photo: Apple

Apple wants everyone to know about the Apple Pencil compatibility with this year’s 9.7-inch iPad refresh — and a new series of ads aims to help with that mission.

Appearing on Apple’s U.K. YouTube channel, the short ads demonstrate how the Apple Pencil can be used for image markup, writing and drawing. The spots are set to NONONO’s track “Masterpiece.” Check them out below.

New ads showcase kids’ creativity with the Apple Pencil

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Apple Pencil ad
Apple's new ad campaign is aimed at users in Turkey.
Photo: Apple

There are plenty of pro-grade applications for the iPad, but that doesn’t mean that kids aren’t also benefitting from Apple’s tablet and the Apple Pencil stylus.

In a new series of ads which debuted on its Turkey YouTube channel, Apple shows off images drawn by kids using the Apple Pencil. Check them out below.

New HomePod ads show off its musical versatility

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HomePod
Sound quality is the biggest selling point of Apple's new smart speaker.
Photo: Apple

Apple debuted short four HomePod-themed ads over the weekend, showing off the speaker’s high-end audio playback capabilities. The ads are titled “Beat,” “Bass,” “Equalizer” and “Distortion” and feature some striking but simple imagery that subtly harks back to the clean dancing silhouettes Apple used to use to advertise iTunes and the iPod.

Check them out below.

Apple shows off ARKit and note-taking in new iPad Pro ads

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Latest ad
That's the GoodNotes 4 app, in case you were wondering!
Photo: Apple

Apple debuted two ads over the weekend, both showing off features of the iPad Pro, running iOS 11.

The first ad, “Take Notes,” depicts how the Apple Pencil can let people write down handwritten notes, complete with doodles. The second, “Augmented Reality,” shows off Apple’s ARKit technology by demonstrating the way that apps like Ikea Place can drop virtual items of furniture into the real world.

Check them out below.

Apple News publishers allowed to test Google DoubleClick ads

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Apple News
Apple News is about to get magazines too.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is allowing select publishers to test Google DoubleClick ads on its News platform, according to a new report.

It’s said to be part of a plan to make the News app more lucrative for publishing partners, with many disappointed with its existing monetization opportunities.

The Rock and Siri team up in new iPhone 7 ads

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siri in space
Siri can help you do everyday things. Like take a selfie in space.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s partnership with the Rock (aka Dwayne Johnson) has spawned three new ads for the iPhone 7 that showcase Siri’s talents at performing everyday tasks.

The Rock cooks up something smelly and takes his selfie talents to space in the colossal ads that are a follow up to the short film Apple released last month starring Johnson and Siri.

Check out all three sequel ads:

New Apple demos help you make the most of Photos’ Memories

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Memories on iPhone
Apple wants to sell you on its Memories feature.
Photo: Apple

Apple has debuted two new “How to” videos online related to the Memories feature on iOS, which lets your Photos app scan through your image library for meaningful people, places and other snaps, and then presenting them in curated collections.

Check the two new spots out below.

Apple’s latest ads promise life is better with iPhone

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iphoneswitch
Apple wants more switchers to jump to iOS.
Photo: Apple

Apple celebrated Memorial Day by launching three new ads as part of its “Life is easier on iPhone” campaign.

The witty ads, which run 15-seconds each, focus on security, contacts, and performance on the iPhone versus generic other devices. Subtly harkening back to the classic “1984” Macintosh ad, Apple’s competition is shown to be dull and gray, while Apple is depicted as a colorful utopia where everything “just works.” Check them out below.