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Today in Apple history: iPad 2 leak lands insiders in prison

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The iPad Pro.
Leaking pre-release images could land you behind bars.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

June 15: Today in Apple history: iPad 2 leak lands insiders in prison June 15, 2011: Three people get sentenced to prison in China for leaking information about the iPad 2 prior to its release.

The Foxconn R&D employees receive sentences ranging from one year to 18 months. They also must pay fines between $4,500 and $23,000. If you ever wonder why more Apple products don’t leak prior to release, this might help explain why!

iPad goes pro, Apple leaker goes dark [The CultCast]

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Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro finally come to iPad, on The CultCast podcast.
The wait is over for Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro on the iPad.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple finally brings Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro to iPad, and apparently uses some clever spycraft to take down a leaker in the process. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

Also on The CultCast:

  • One feature in the new Final Cut Pro for iPad makes iPhone owners jealous (and hopeful).
  • Erfon thinks it’s a great time to buy a Mac.
  • Humane’s combadge-style gadget might not kill your iPhone, but the company’s vision of a personalized AI sounds promising.
  • Enter for your chance to win an Urban MacBook Sleeve from SwitchEasy.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

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Apple busts major iOS 17 leaker with spycraft ‘canary trap’

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iPhone with an iOS 17 logo
A source of numerous leaks about iOS 17 has been caught by Apple.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The tipster who went by analyst941 leaked a large number of details about iOS 17, but his or her inside source apparently was caught by Apple in a sting operation. The source has reportedly been fired, and both they and the tipster could face legal action by the iPhone-maker.

It appears that Apple caught the leaker by laying a “canary trap” — a piece of classic spycraft used by intelligence agencies for years.

Today in Apple history: Gizmodo tears down a lost iPhone 4 prototype

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Gizmodo buys iPhone 4 prototype
The iPhone 4 prototype bought by Gizmodo came disguised as an iPhone 3GS. But a teardown showed big differences inside.
Photo: Gizmodo

April 20: Today in Apple history: Gizmodo tears down lost iPhone 4 prototype April 20, 2010: A day after the most high-profile iPhone leak in history, tech news site Gizmodo dissects a prototype iPhone 4, then publishes the teardown — showing the world exactly what’s inside the soon-to-be-released device.

The iPhone 4 prototype, accidentally left in a bar by 27-year-old Apple software engineer Gray Powell, quickly becomes the biggest story in the tech world. And that’s where the trouble begins.

New Apple headset leaks make our heads explode [The CultCast]

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A manipulated image of a person wearing a virtual reality headset, used to illustrate the contents of The CultCast, our weekly Apple podcast.
Are we the only ones standing around with slack jaws wondering how Apple can make this headset desirable?
Photo: Original photo: Uriel Soberanes/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The more we hear about Apple’s upcoming AR/VR headset, the more we’re perplexed about who is actually going to buy one. We take a long, hard look at the latest leaks — and come up shaking our heads.

Also on The CultCast:

  • We might get a raft of exciting new Macs — including the first Mac Pro powered by Apple silicon — at a March event.
  • Apple’s Pro Display XDR and Studio Display get some high-end competition.
  • Sorry, voice actors. AI narrators look like the future of audiobooks (and Apple leads the charge).
  • Our final best-of-2022 picks.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

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Today in Apple history: Apple crushes Think Secret rumors site

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Cupertino's battle with Apple rumors site Think Secret splits Apple fans.
Cupertino's battle with a rumor site splits Apple fans.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

December 19: Today in Apple history: Apple crushes Think Secret Apple rumors site run by Nick Ciarelli, aka Nick de Plume December 19, 2007: Apple settles a lawsuit with reporter Nick Ciarelli, resulting in the shuttering of Think Secret, his masssively popular Apple rumors website. Writing under the screen name Nick de Plume, the Harvard University student had broken a number of Apple stories on the site, which he launched in the late 1990s.

The terms of Ciarelli’s settlement with Apple remain secret. In a statement, he says he will “be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits.”

Today in Apple history: Apple’s own code spills details about iPhone 4s

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iPhone 4s
While the iPhone 4s name and other key details leaked, Siri remained a surprise.
Photo: Apple

October 1: Today in Apple history: Leak in Apple's own code reveals existence of iPhone 4s October 1, 2011: Just days before it is to be publicly unveiled, the name of the iPhone 4s is revealed online.

The latest iTunes beta inadvertently spills the beans on the new name. The code also reveals that Apple’s new handset will come in black and white color options.

Apple intensifies its war on leakers

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When will the Apple leaks stop?
Tim Cook says Apple is “doing everything in our power” to find iPhone leakers.
Photo: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook is fed up with employees who leak details of upcoming devices to the press. He sent out a company-wide memo that said, “people who leak confidential information do not belong here.”

The memo was quickly leaked to the press.

iPhone 14 leak could trigger full wrath of Cupertino

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iPhone 14 concept skips the screen notch and camera hump.
Is this really what the 2022 iPhone will look like?
Image: Front Page Tech/RendersbyIan

Jon Prosser’s iPhone 14 leak is every Apple fan’s dream — and Tim Cook’s biggest nightmare.

The audacious revelation, dropped Wednesday morning via Prosser’s YouTube channel, Front Page Tech, showcased what next year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max might look like.

The exclusive iPhone 14 renders look so sweet that they might give pause to anyone contemplating buying an iPhone 13 later this month. That’s the nightmare part of this equation — and likely the part that makes Prosser nervous. Angry Apple executives might unleash all the company’s massive legal resources to stop him. And maybe even exact revenge.