| Cult of Mac

Would you buy a drone just to take selfies? Now you can.

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The Pixy drone can be your flying camera.
The Pixy drone can be your flying camera.
Photo: Pixy

If you take selfie photos constantly, maybe you’re ready to move beyond smartphone camera timers and selfie sticks for your pics. Is it time to start dabbling in aerial photography?

Sure, why not. Especially if Snapchat’s second-ever piece of hardware finds an audience when it goes on sale.

Snapchat’s parent company, Snap, unveiled a drone called “Pixy” last week. It said the little flying camera is designed for taking selfies.

Snapchat promises fix for frequent app crashes on iPhone [Update]

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Snapchat icon
Avoid version 11.34.0.35 if you can.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

UPDATE: A fix for this problem is now available. Download the latest Snapchat update from the App Store.

Snapchat has promised to roll out a fix for frequent app crashes on iPhone after its latest update. Version 11.34.0.35 of the app sends some users back to their Home screen immediately after being opened.

Snapchat admits iOS 14 privacy feature could disrupt its business

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Snapchat logo
Snapchat thinks its business could be disrupted by changes.
Photo: Alexander Shatov/Unsplash CC

Snapchat parent company Snap has added its voice to the tech companies complaining that iOS 14’s privacy measures could hurt its business.

Releasing its Q4 2020 earnings Thursday, the company’s CFO Derek Andersen said that the Apple changes might disrupt Snap’s ad-centric business model.

Awesome Snapchat filter shows how we’ll navigate the metro in the age of AR

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SmarTrip 1
Imagine being able to call up a metro map out of thin air.
Photo: Gerald Nash

Imagine riding the subway when you realize you’re not quite sure of the changes you need to make on your journey. No problem! Simply whip out your smartphone, aim it at your travel pass, and watch a virtual map pop up in front of you.

Science fiction? Nope. It’s a proof-of-concept AR demo created by computer science student Gerald Nash. It gives a taste of the future, courtesy of a Snapchat filter, that will turn your Washington DC SmarTrip card into a trigger for a floating AR map of the area. Check out the video below.

Reddit app gets a new BFF: Snapchat

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Reddit logo
Reddit may attract younger users with it new content sharing agreement with Snapchat.
Photo: Reddit

Regular users of Reddit’s iOS app and Snapchat can now share content between the two social media networks, both companies announced today.

Reddit has never partnered with another app but said it will expand the feature to other social media apps down the road.

Instagram steals from Snapchat for new Threads app

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Threads
Instagram has yet another standalone app.
Photo: Instagram

Facebook-owned Instagram launched a new standalone app today that pretty much steals some of Snapchat’s key features.

Threads, rolling out globally to iOS today, is built around Instagram’s Close Friends feature, giving you a quicker way to message the people you care about on Insta the most.

Snapchat’s 3D Camera Mode lands exclusively on iPhones with Face ID

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snap
Snapchat just added another dimension to photos.
Photo: Snap

Snapchat just added another cool feature to distinguish it from Instagram but you’ll need to have one of the newest iPhones to use it.

A new 3D Camera Mode is rolling out to users today, allowing you to create and share images that have a 3D depth effect as you tilt your display in different directions. It’s the same feature that debuted on the newest version of Snap’s Spectacles, only now you can create them from your iPhone.

Take a look at all the possibilities 3D Camera Mode unlocks:

Snap’s Spectacles 3 are an ugly reminder why smart glasses aren’t ready

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Snap 3 glasses
This is as good as Spectacles 3 are ever going to look. For better or worse.
Photo: Snap

Despite Apple’s focus on ARKit and augmented reality, it’s yet to release the AR headset it is supposedly working on.

Tim Cook has previously said Apple will only do it when it can do so in “a quality way.” Snapchat’s newly unveiled Spectacles 3 may be a reminder as to why Apple is hanging back.