Top stories - page 545

By Joey Pritikin

Over the last five years, biometrics has evolved from the stuff of crime scene investigation and science fiction movies to a broad set of technologies that make our lives easier, more personal, and more secure. Starting with the Touch ID sensor in the iPhone 5s, Apple led the way in the acceptance and adoption of biometrics.

The latest indications are that Apple is embracing a face-recognition approach that goes beyond a standard 2D, visible-light sensor. When used in a situation where there are only a handful of approved users, like a consumer mobile device, the promise is great.

With every new week come great new deals at the Cult of Mac Store. This go-round, we’ve got a simple but powerful writing platform for Mac, and a super versatile, double-sided phone mount. Also in are comprehensive lessons in social media marketing, and a powerful VPN for enhanced online privacy and security. Plus everything is discounted by at least 25 percent, and as much as 97 percent. Read on for more details.

This week on The CultCast: Even more juicy details leak on iPhone 8, plus a report says Apple’s keynote reveal is right around the corner. Plus: There’s a strange twist in Apple’s autonomous car project; why the 13-inch MacBook Pro might soon get a lot more horsepower; and stick around for an all-new storytime, where we’ll tell you what it’s like inside the eerie darkness of a total solar eclipse.

Samsung delivers the new Galaxy Note 8, and it’s bigger and better than ever. So, how does it stack up against iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and the upcoming iPhone 8?

In this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine, you’ll find that story and more. Get the latest on iPhone 8 facial recognition that will amaze you. And, check out the classic Speidel Twist-O-Flex watch band. All the rage mid-century, this stretchy stainless steel band is now available in our Watch Store. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

A looper is a great musician’s tool, for practice and for making songs. Looper apps are also fantastic fun for anyone who wants to take a crack at creating a tune. Just hit record on a looper app, and make some noise. Then hit the button again, and your recording is played over and over, in a loop.

Then you then build on this, adding more layers. A guitarist can chop out drum beats, then some chords, and play a melody over the loop. A beatboxer can boom, boom, chick and spit into a microphone to build up what the kids call “sick beatz.” And Jimmy Fallon can sing a duet with Billy Joel.

There are many looper apps for iOS. Here are a few of the best.

If you’re reading this, you probably see a lot of PDFs cross your desktop. After all, they’re the format of choice for digital documents. But you might not realize that PDFs can be a lot more flexible and useful, with the right tools.

Yet another supposed next-generation iPhone component has leaked out early, adding another piece to the wireless charging puzzle.

This time, it’s another circular circuit board — but it doesn’t quite line up with previous iPhone 8 leaks.

Apple TV is expected to get a major upgrade this September. Sources familiar with Apple’s plans say the set-top box will finally deliver 4K video streaming with support for HDR, and a greater focus on live television content like news and sports.

You know how on your Mac you always drag stuff to the desktop as a kind of temporary holding spot? You might be gathering together some photos, or just keeping a PDF until you work out where to put it, or until you have emailed it and can delete the original. That kind of thing isn’t possible in iOS, because a) there is no real concept of files, at least not in the Mac way, and b) there’s no desktop. But that’s about to change in iOS 11. The new Files app takes care of a), and thirdparty apps like The Shelf will be able to take to role of the desktop.

If you’re reading this, you probably don’t need to be introduced to the iPad Pro. After all, the laptop-busting tablet gained a reputation as a powerful, flexible platform perfect for digital creativity. They’re also quite expensive.

Yesterday, we saw how to set the default screenshot format on your Mac to JPEG instead of PNG, in order to make your screenshots more universally usable. You can’t change the default screenshot file type on iOS, so today we’re going to look at the next best option — converting PNG to JPEG as easily and quickly as possible.

You wait months for an iPhone 7s leak and then two come along at once. First, we saw images of what is claimed to be the handset’s new logic board, and now we have photos of a supposed display assembly that looks remarkably familiar.

The guts of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7s have apparently been revealed in yet another leak.

A reliable tipster posted photos today of what is believed to be the iPhone 7s logic board, which ties together all the handset’s components. It’s one of just a few iPhone 7s leaks we’ve seen ahead of the handset’s unveiling this fall.

Your iPhone is a splendid device. But to make the most of its potential, you need the right accessories. That’s why we’ve rounded up a group of accessories that covers all the bases. We’ve got a double-sided magnetic phone mount, and trio of extra long, MFi-Certified Lightning cables. On top of that, we’ve got a clip-on light and a set of five lenses that’ll transform the way you take photos with your phone. Plus, most are discounted by more than 70 percent. Read on for more details:

Apple Pencil has become such an essential accessory for iPad Pro owners that Apple is working on bringing it to the iPhone.

New patents again reveal the company’s work on making the iPhone compatible with its beloved stylus, just a day after Samsung announced its new Galaxy Note 8, a smartphone that has become so popular thanks to its S Pen.

By default, any screenshots you take on your Mac, iPad or iPhone get saved as PNG files. That’s great, because PNG files are pixel-perfect, and they support transparency (for those neat floating-window shadows).

But they’re not JPEGs, which means they’re not universally supported. Luckily, you can easily make JPEG screenshots the default, at least on the Mac.

Ever tapped an App Store link for a Mac app while browsing on your iPad, and gotten sent to a useless page telling you that the app is only available on the Mac? Like, you couldn’t possibly want to know the price, or see screenshots, or read any other information about a Mac app while you’re using your iPhone?Well,

Well, those dark, patronizing days are over. In iOS 11, clicking on a link for a Mac App takes you to the proper iOS 11 App Store entry for that app. Right there on your iPad.

The long wait for the Apple’s next iPhones may be over sooner than expected, based on a new report that claims to have insider info on when Apple plans to unveil the new devices.

Samsung today delivered its new Galaxy Note 8, and it’s bigger and better than ever.

With a stunning 6.3-inch Infinity Display, incredible new features, and the best smartphone specifications available right now, it’s going to prove to be tough competition for Samsung biggest rivals.

So how does the Galaxy Note 8 stack up against iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and the upcoming iPhone 8? Find out right here.

The Galaxy Note 8 has landed, and it’s ready and waiting to take on the next iPhone.

It is Samsung’s best smartphone to date, building upon the strong foundations laid by the Galaxy S8 series, and setting an even higher bar for new competitors.

It boasts everything you want in a modern smartphone and more, including a stunning Infinity Display, iris scanning, dual cameras like iPhone 7 Plus, and the beloved S Pen stylus.

Some online content makes its mark online. Other content never gets noticed. The reasons can seem like black magic, but it’s actually more like a science. And in actuality, it needs a little nudging from companies like Marketing Heaven to kickstart the business. That means anyone who is growing a brand, promoting a message, or creating content online can benefit from understanding social media marketing.

Samsung is about to unwrap its new Galaxy Note 8 at an event in New York City. This is the device that will be giving iPhone 8 a run for its money this fall, while hoping to convince Samsung fans that last year’s Note 7 fiasco was nothing more than a minor hiccup.

You can tune in and watch the whole thing live right here.

You know how the Lightning cable that plugs into your iDevice has a USB plug on the other end? That’s because the Lightning port is a kind of fancy USB port itself. You already know that you can in plug a keyboard, or an audio interface, or a camera, using Apple’s Lightning to USB Camera Adapter. But did you know that you can plug in all of those at once? That’s right — by using a powered USB hub, you can hook up as many accessories as you like to your iPad at once. If you ever use your iPad to work at your desk, with a keyboard, then you can use this tip to build your own iPad docking station.

Mail app on iOS has a built-in unsubscribe feature that works great. Just a couple of clicks and Mail will attempt to remove you from unwanted future correspondence. But even that method is slow compared to the no-click unsubscribe method that we’ll share with you today.

Our Macs serve a lot of purposes, and maybe the most common is as a writing tool. Whether for emails or Facebook posts, articles or books, the computer is our go to for turning thoughts and ideas into text.