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Apple’s top lawyer: DoJ ‘has thrown all decorum to the winds’

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Apple Security Jacket
The Department of Justice is taking Apple to task -- and head counsel Bruce Sewell just isn't having it.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

We knew we were going to hear back from Apple’s lawyers after the Department of Justice filed another motion in its ongoing struggle to get the company to disable the passcode lock on a terrorist’s iPhone, and we weren’t disappointed.

Apple’s lead counsel Bruce Sewell fired back at the new document in a phone conversation with reporters today, and this whole thing is just one chair-toss away from being a talk-show episode. According to Sewell, the government’s response was “intended to smear [Apple] with false accusations and innuendo,” and he just kept going from there.

‘Let us loop you in’: Decoding Apple’s latest cryptic invite

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Apple March 21 event invite
What do you mean?!
Photo: Apple

Apple’s sent out the invite to its March 21 event, and it’s making everyone crazy. The message contains a single image (one version of which is pictured above) and a message: “Let us loop you in.”

The Internet has been trying to figure out what it all means since it went out.

And some of its guesses are … well, we’ll just say “interesting.” But others might be on to something.

4 iOS games with awesome soundtracks

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Just like music often makes movies, it can also make an already great game even better!
Just like music often makes movies, it can also make an already great game even better!
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

app-factor-logo-thumbnailYou can usually tell when a game has been well-crafted. A great game will include excellent graphic design, playability, a captivating story and, of course — the soundtrack. A soundtrack can turn a great game into an extraordinary game, captivating the player and immersing them into a world they’ve only dreamt about.

A compelling soundtrack will have amazing melodies, epic chord changes that make you feel something, and sounds that are perfectly tailored to the atmosphere of the game. Below, check out four great iOS games that have amazing soundtracks. I caught up with a few of the soundtrack creators who make these beautiful soundscapes, and their answers to my questions give a ton of insight into how special this music really is.

Laptop or tablet? Brydge the gap with Bluetooth iPad keyboard case [Reviews]

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Brydge
The BrydgeAir iPad keyboard case is the perfect fit for your iPad Air.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

We all like to carry our gadgets around with us, but there are certainly times when being ultra-portable is apropos to the activity at hand. Say, vacation. I want to be able to take along just my iPad, or perhaps get some writing done in the local coffee shop — and the trendy ones usually have tiny tables that aren’t big enough for a full laptop.

The BrydgeAir iPad keyboard case is an impressive Bluetooth accessory and a fantastic match for the iPad Air. The keyboard allows me to be a bit more productive than I would without an actual keyboard, turning my iPad into a small, MacBook-like, laptop-style tablet.

Everything we know about Apple’s new 4-inch iPhone

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That iPhone in your pocket is much more well-traveled than you are.
That iPhone in your pocket is much more well-traveled than you are.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is expected to unveil a brand new iPhone in a little over a week, only instead of going big, the first new iPhone of 2016 will be perfect for people with tiny hands and those who don’t want to spend a lot on a new smartphone.

The rumor mill has been serving up juicy bits of gossip on Apple’s upcoming handset for over a year, so as the big day approaches we have some pretty solid clues about the next iPhone’s design, hardware, price, name and much more.

Here are the probable answers to all your iPhone SE questions.

Apple’s March 21 event promises to ‘loop you in’

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Apple March 21 event invite
Just eleven days to go.
Photo: Apple

Apple has confirmed the date of its next keynote event, which will take place on March 21 in Cupertino, California.

Invitations to the event don’t offer any details about what’s going to be unveiled, but feature a tagline (“Let us loop you in”) and close-up of the Apple logo.

Pay what you want to learn coding for serious games [Deals]

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Pay what you want for a comprehensive set of 10 courses in game development.
Pay what you want for a comprehensive set of 10 courses in game development.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s clear that video games aren’t going anywhere, and they remain as rich a career field for developers new and seasoned alike. Both can learn a lot from this massive bundle of 10 courses, clocking in at 108 hours, from Unity3D to JavaScript to SpriteKit and beyond. The best part is that you can pay whatever you want for these courses, with part of every dollar going to support the important work of Save the Children.

Beat Netflix region restrictions to watch whatever you want

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Watching a UK-only  movie on Netflix from the US.
Watching a UK-only movie on Netflix from the US.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

If you live in the United States and use Netflix, you might be disappointed to find out that some shows, like Kajaki: The True Story, are unavailable due to region restrictions.

These are based on licensing agreements that Netflix has with content providers. Many shows and movies are region-locked, which means that you can’t watch a show in the U.S. if it’s only available in the U.K., and vice versa.

There is a way around it, however. Here’s how to beat Netflix region restrictions to watch whatever you want, whenever you want, from wherever you want.

Future Apple Watch may call for help if it detects a medical emergency

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The Apple Watch turns a wearer's heartbeat into something very vivid and visual.
"Now dialing 911..."
Photo: Apple

One of the most positive pieces of publicity the Apple Watch has yet received came when its in-built heart monitor revealed that a teenager was suffering from a potentially fatal condition, which could have resulted in his untimely death if left unchecked.

A future feature for Apple devices might take this life-saving concept even further by not just notifying users of possible medical emergencies — but actually alerting doctors or family members on their behalf if required.

Apple invents 3D printer for space-age Liquidmetal rapid prototypes

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liquid
Space-age iPhone, coming soon to a 3D printer near you.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

On its journey to product perfection, Apple is well-known for its endless prototyping of the next iPhone, iMac or Apple Watch.

Now the company may add ultra-tough metal alloy Liquidmetal to the list of materials it can use to create these rapid prototypes, thanks to a cutting-edge 3D printer designed for the job.

Alleged iPad Air 3 case shows off quad speakers and Smart Connector

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Alleged-iPad-Air-3-case2
This case may offer some big clues about Apple's next tablet.
Photo: Steve Hemmerstoffer

If you’ve been lusting over the feature set of Apple’s iPad Pro, but would rather stick to the 9.7-inch form factor of the smaller-size iPad Air, today could be your lucky day.

That’s because new photos of an alleged iPad Air 3 case (complete with dummy device) appear to show that Apple’s next tablet will be a scaled-down version of the iPad Pro — complete with the same quad speaker setup as its big brother, along with the triple dot Smart Connector that the iPad Pro uses to connect to its Smart Keyboard attachment.

Obama shuns Apple when talking about tech companies who put privacy first

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Having not one but two U.S. presidents in your fan base is pretty good going. Sadly, President Barack Obama is not allowed an iPhone as part of his official wardrobe and is stuck on BlackBerry. That hasn’t stopped him from openly lusting after the iPhone 6 in recent pics, though. He’s also admitted to spending hours each day on his iPad.Photo:
Hey, it's easy to forget bit-part players like Apple.
Photo: Pete Souza/Wikipedia CC

President Obama threw some shade Apple’s way yesterday, failing to mention it as one of the tech companies putting user privacy and security first, while describing his new Cybersecurity National Action Plan.

Obama talked about businesses which “empower Americans” by keeping them safe with extra layers of security like fingerprints scanners — only to then namecheck “companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft… and Visa.”

No mention of the company which actually popularized Touch ID then? No, just checking!

Eddy Cue: Apple will fight FBI all the way to the Supreme Court

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Home Sharing coming back to iOS 9, says Apple's Eddy Cue.
Eddy Cue explains why encryption is so important.
Photo: Apple

Apple is ready to take its fight to protect user privacy all the way to the Supreme Court, says Eddie Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, in a newly-published interview with Spanish-lanugage television channel Univision News.

“We’re willing to take it wherever we have to — and such an important event needs to be settled by the Supreme Court,” Cue said.

How to report Game Center cheaters on iPhone and iPad

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If you come across someone cheating in a game that supports GameCenter, you can easily report them.
If you come across someone cheating in a game that supports Game Center, you can easily report them.
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

app-factor-logo-thumbnailUp until recently, I almost always accepted Game Center invites from whoever. I like playing games on my iPhone and iPad and always welcome a worthy opponent. However, there are a lot of people out there cheating and faking scores. While I handled some of this by just deleting them, I also realized that there is a way to report these accounts via Game Center.

Why iPhone battery life will never last more than 1 day

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Your iPhone will always need to be recharged everyday.
Your iPhone will always need to be recharged everyday.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Every year Apple introduces a new iPhone, and every year I get my hopes up that this will finally be the model that can go two or three days without needing to be recharged. But according to a lithium-ion battery expert, the odds of Apple adding a power source capable of boosting iPhone battery life like that are practically zero.

Dee Strand, chief scientific officer at battery research firm Wildcat Discovery Technology, says the throughput on smartphone batteries is rapidly improving every year. The problem is, new features are bogging them down.

Google swipes iPad’s killer work features for Android N preview

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google-swipes-ipads-killer-work-features-for-android-n-preview-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201603split-screen-Android-N-png
Split-screen finally comes to stock Android.
Photo: Google
Split-screen finally comes to stock Android. Screenshot: Google
Split-screen finally comes to stock Android. Photo: Google

Google I/O doesn’t kick off for another two months, but Google won’t wait that long to drop its next-generation Android N upgrade.

Its first developer preview is out today for Nexus devices, and it comes packing a number of features swiped from iPad Pro and iOS, including split-screen multitasking, picture-in-picture mode, and bundled app notifications.

Bluetooth LED makes iPhone camera even flashier [Reviews]

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iblazr-wireless-bluetooth-flash - 1 (2)
This portable Bluetooth flash is perfect for those who thrive on nightlife.
Photo: George Tinari/Cult of Mac

As far as smartphone cameras have come with improved low-light shooting and intelligent LED flash, there will always be some situations in which you could use just a bit more light. This is especially true for photographers who want to make smart adjustments for their photos, or people who tend to do most of their socializing at night. So it’s worth shining a light on iblazr 2, a fantastic Bluetooth LED flash.

This successor to Concepter’s original iblazr isn’t just your ordinary wireless LED flash. It’s equipped with tons of features that let me fine-tune the way I want my photo to come out. The most important feature for me is that it works with the native camera apps on iOS and Android. In fact, according to Concepter’s website, it’s the only wireless LED flash that does.

Tim Cook’s old high school swaps MacBooks for Chromebooks

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tim-cooks-old-high-school-swaps-macbooks-for-chromebooks-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201512Google-offers-Chromebooks-to-educational-institutions-as-a-low-cost-way-to-bring-students-online-jpg
Take that, Apple! Photo: Google
Take that, Apple! Photo: Google

It turns out that Tim Cook’s old high school in Robertsdale, Alabama, isn’t quite as fond of the MacBook is he is.

Robertsdale High, from which Apple’s CEO graduated in 1978, has swapped the company’s notebooks it was giving to every student for significantly more affordable Chromebooks built by Lenovo.

Here are some new ways your Mac can handle the day-to-day [Deals]

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Convert native and scanned PDFs into a range of editable documents
Convert native and scanned PDFs into a range of editable documents
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Macs are great for handling the day to day, but there we’ve found some great ways to make it even more productive. From unlocking PDFs to removing distractions from your daily workflow and managing finances, these apps are affordable ways to get a lot more out of your Mac.

Take a peek at what we’ve found:

5 Netflix keyboard shortcuts that put you in charge

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Netflix on a MacBook
You now have to pay more for the best Netflix package.
Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

When you’re binge-watching a show like Walking Dead or Person of Interest on Netflix, you may at times need to get up for a snack or bathroom break (or both).

Fumbling around for the mouse to bring up the playback overlay is fine, but using the keyboard to pause your streaming media is much faster. Here are five hidden keyboard shortcuts that will put you in charge of your Netflix experience.

Borat creator uses hilarious Apple parody to promote new movie

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Screen Shot 2016-03-09 at 12.08.32
Look familiar?
Photo: The Brothers Grimsby

Parodies of Jony Ive and Apple’s rarefied advertising are nothing new, but you rarely get to watch a spoof featuring a comedian as talented as Sacha Baron Cohen.

To promote his new movie The Brothers Grimsby, the creator of Ali G, Bruno and Borat recorded a spot-on Apple parody, which shows that — despite the many who have aped it in the past — there’s still mileage in poking some good-natured fun at Apple’s way of selling us on its latest revolutionary products.

Check it out below.

Best iOS apps for tracking TV shows and movies

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If you want to keep up on your favorite shows and movies, these are the best apps to do it.
If you want to keep up on your favorite shows and movies, these are the best apps to do it.
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

app-factor-logo-thumbnail A few years back, I looked forward to checking into my favorite TV shows and movies on GetGlue and seeing how many of my other friends were watching what I was. There’s something to be said about movie- and TV-tracking apps that build a sense of community, which is why I think GetGlue did so well with its initial strategy.

Since GetGlue went away, I’ve had to find other ways to not only track my favorite TV shows and movies, but build watch lists and get recommendations from friends. Here’s what I’m currently using and why I think they’re the best movie- and TV-tracking apps for the job, at least for now.

5 ways the Galaxy S7 beats the iPhone 6s

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Samsung-Galaxy
Yup, water-resistance is one of them!
Photo: Samsung
Yup, water-resistance is one of them. Photo: Samsung
Yup, water-resistance is one of them. Photo: Samsung

As the iPhone’s biggest rivals, Samsung’s latest Galaxy smartphones have to be good enough to convince consumers that they’re a better buy. None do that better than the new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

According to the overwhelmingly positive reviews published today, the duo have a number of big advantages over the iPhone 6s. Here are 7 of them.

Smart sensor will blast you with backyard weather data [Reviews]

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Like my own personal weather station for the backyard.
Like my own personal weather station for the backyard.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: Eve Weather by Elgato

Sure, I can check the weather using any number of built-in or third-party apps on my iPhone, but what if I want to know what the humidity is in my own backyard?

Weather nerds rejoice — we now have a way to access and track the weather from anywhere this simple, easy to use white box and associated app is placed. The Eve Weather outdoor weather sensor melds right in with Elgato’s other HomeKit-compatible products, too, letting me check the details of my local microclimate with ease.

I can also ask Siri what the temperature is in the backyard, which is all kinds of cool.

iPhone may get even bigger in 2017 with 5.8-inch OLED screen

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Does iPhone really need to get bigger?
Does the iPhone really need to get bigger?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If the iPhone 6s Plus seems just a little bit too small in your monstrous hands, fret not dear giant friends: Apple may be planning to go even bigger with a super-sized iPhone 7s Pro.

Apple is looking to add a 5.8-inch OLED display to the iPhone in 2017 or 2018, according to a new rumor that claims Samsung is already on board to supply the screens.