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Top stories - page 709

Marc Newson designs the Apple Watch of fountain pens

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Marc Newson's Montblanc M pen is sleek as can be.
Meaning it's really expensive and does one thing really well.
Photo: Montblanc

Apple’s Marc Newson is one of the best designers in the industry. His plane-inspired Lockheed Lounge chair was reflective, smooth and looked incredibly uncomfortable. And we’re still enjoying the look and feel of our Apple Watches, even if the other night a drunk girl at a bar made fun of me for wearing mine in public. And that was hurtful.

But Newson isn’t just about shiny devices and even shinier chairs. He’s recently teamed up with luxury accessory designer Montblanc to create the Montblanc M, a classic fountain pen that looks like it came from the future.

Meet the guy who hacked the Apple Watch

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There's a lot more where that came from, says the hacker.
There's a lot more where that came from, says the hacker.
Photo: Hamza Sood

“I guess I’m known as that firmware-poking guy,” says Hamza Sood, the young hacker who most recently found a way to create and add custom watch faces to Apple Watch.

Cult of Mac chatted with the London-based 19-year-old via email to find out more about what makes him tick.

iPhone monopod is more than you’ll ever need but exactly what you want

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High-end kit for iPhone videos (and photos) that scream
High-end kit for iPhone videos (and photos) that scream "pro."
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Taking iPhone video is usually a pretty manual affair. You try to hold your hands steady, but eventually some shudder creeps in. Trying to maintain a steady focal point can be tricky, especially if you’re filming a larger scene, like a concert or play.

You could use a tripod, but they’re big, bulky and require some setup. You don’t want to move around with a tripod.

Monopods, however, offer the stability and easy-panning joy of a tripod without all the fuss. Manfrotto’s monopod (the aptly-named 562B-1) is a solid, tall, adjustable, simply fantastic accessory to make all your videos, iPhone or otherwise, look much more professional.

OnePlus 2 review: A pretty powerhouse that won’t break the bank

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the-oneplus-2-is-a-pretty-powerhouse-that-wont-break-the-bank-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads2015082015-08-20-140305-jpg
The new OnePlus 2 is faster and prettier than its predecessor.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
OnePlus 2 is faster and prettier than its predecessor. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
The new OnePlus 2 is faster and prettier than its predecessor. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

The latest “flagship killer” from Chinese startup OnePlus is getting even more attention that its predecessor. And rightly so: The OnePlus 2 is better looking and more advanced than the OnePlus One, with a faster Snapdragon 810 processor, up to twice as much RAM, and a new 13-megapixel camera sensor.

The device also comes with OnePlus’ latest OxygenOS software pre-installed, which offers a pure Android experience with some added extras.

All these things come in a pretty package that costs just $329 with 16GB of storage and 3GB of RAM. (You can bump up to 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM for $389.) But is this a great smartphone that’s worth waiting for?

Chrome for Mac is about to get a lot faster

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Chrome for iOS  just got faster.
Chrome for iOS just got faster.
Photo: Google

If you’ve been using Google’s Chrome browser on Mac, you’ve been missing out on some serious performance gains made by Apple with its Safari browser: Not only is Cupertino’s favorite browser faster than Chrome, it also saves battery power.

But Chrome is looking to catch up with a coming update that some Mac users are raving about.

Swiss watchmaker hits back at Apple by trademarking ‘One more thing’

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“One more thing” returned at this year's iPhone keynote. Photo: Apple.
One more thing...
Photo: Apple

Sometimes trademarks are about defending brand names you’ve spent years and millions of dollars building up. Other times they’re meant as jealous, petty ways of striking back at people who are doing better than you.

Guess which category Swatch’s decision to trademark Steve Jobs’ iconic “One more thing” signature phrase falls under.

With Geronimo, loving email again may not be such a leap

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Geronimo lets you quickly identify and organize important emails.
Geronimo lets you quickly identify and organize important emails.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

While some are writing the eulogy for email, Erik Lukas has worked for the last two years trying to make it relevant again.

His mobile app, Geronimo, takes its first public leap Aug. 27 for iPhone and the Apple Watch with an interface that involves gestures and uses the four corners of an iPhone screen for quick and easy management of your email.

Review: Rhapsody’s redesign takes on Apple Music and Spotify

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Rhapsody
The streaming music veteran takes a shot at becoming "hot stuff" with a total app overhaul.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Responding to the existential threat posed by Apple Music and Spotify, old-school streaming music service Rhapsody has completely overhauled its mobile app. The revamped Rhapsody comes with a fresh design and new features to take things up a notch — although some of these things look mighty familiar.

Will this redesign be enough to take on the newcomers that are eating Rhapsody’s lunch? Check out what Rhapsody brings to the table and see for yourself.

Rhapsody fights for relevance in streaming world it helped create

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After 14 years, what's next in Rhapsody's queue as it attempts to take on the biggest competition yet?
After 14 years, what's next in Rhapsody's queue as it attempts to take on the biggest competition yet?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Music cranked up the volume on music streaming, turning an insider topic into water-cooler fodder as musicians, industry bigwigs and tech analysts weighed in with questions about the future of the music industry.

Seemingly everybody is suddenly talking about Apple Music subscription numbers and the chances of competitors like Spotify and Pandora. But in all the media buzz about who’s winning and who’s losing, almost everyone is disregarding another major player — Rhapsody, the streaming music service that just happened to spark the streaming revolution.

Apple bucks the trend as global smartphone market declines

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Gene testing, coming soon to an iPhone near you. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
What can we say? People just love their iPhones.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Smartphone sales may be slowing down worldwide, but try telling that to Apple!

According to a new report by research firm Gartner, iPhones sales increased by an impressive 36 percent in the June quarter this year — representing a 2.4 percent increase in total market share.

Twitter for Mac’s anemic update is a total slap in the face

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twitter-for-mac
Twitter for Mac got an update no one asked for.
Photo: Twitter

Good news: the official Twitter app for Mac finally got some attention today for the first time in almost a year. It now supports direct messages without the 140-character limit. Bad news: that’s the only feature added in the update, rendering it so totally insignificant you’re probably considering donating a new coffee machine to the Twitter for Mac team.

How to enable subtitles on Apple TV

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Closed captions make it easier to understand what's going on.
Closed captions make it easier to understand what's going on.
Photo: Apple

Closed captioning is useful to those with a hearing impairment to make the audio of videos accessible. Subtitles help those who speak a different language understand what’s going on in a film not in their original language.

You can enable these features on your Apple TV, but it’s not super-intuitive — there’s no single button to make it happen.

However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t easy. Here’s how to turn on Apple TV subtitles, even if you just want to watch a scary movie at night and have the sound turned down.

New iPhone 6s bend test reveals super-strong aluminum shell

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The first iPhone 6s bend test is here.
The first iPhone 6s bend test is here.
Photo: Lewis Hilsenteger

Apple is hoping to avoid another Bendgate controversy by using a new aluminum shell for the iPhone 6s that’s twice as strong as the iPhone 6 version. We got our first look at the super-strong iPhone 6s last week, when Lewis Hilsenteger got his hands on a leaked shell that indicates Apple will use series 7000 aluminum for the upcoming model.

Hilsenteger’s latest video puts the new and improved iPhone 6s aluminum frame to the bend test. Only this time, instead of using his bare hands like he did with the original Bendgate video, Hilsenteger uses sophisticated equipment to give us extra insight into the new case’s super strength.

The most popular colors for App Store icons explained

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The Top 200 iOS app icons, charted to a color wheel.
The Top 200 iOS app icons, charted to a color wheel.
Photo: Stuart Hall / Medium

There are thousands of colors an App Store icon can be … so why does it so often look like developers only had half a box of crayons to choose from when we look at our iPhones?

But App Store iconography may be more colorful than it seems at first. Don’t believe me? These color wheels show exactly how dominant certain colors are in the icons of the most successful apps.

Robot butler rolls out to begin life of thankless drudgery

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Botlr hotel robot Aloft

Photo: Aloft

Guests of the boutique Aloft Silicon Valley hotel might be a little surprised to see its newest employee.

It might be his height or his odd way of moving around, or it might be the basket of towels where its head should be. But mostly, it’s going to be weird because the new guy is a robot, and that’s just inherently strange at this point in history.

Why leave? Apple Music is great right now

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Find new music; listen to your favorites. It's that simple.
Find new music; listen to your favorites. It's that simple.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

What the hell, internet? Apple Music, for all its growing pains and glitches, is a fantastic music streaming service.

It’s free unlimited music now, cheaper unlimited music later, and Apple Music is undoubtedly going to get better, especially if you’re already tied into Apple’s ecosystem.

If you take off before the trial period ends, you’re gonna miss out.

How to cure WhatsApp’s picture hoarding

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WhatsApp

Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

WhatsApp is a pretty popular messaging app that went from 200 million daily active users in April of 2013 to 800 million of them as of April 2015.

Unlike competitor SnapChat, however, WhatsApp will save every photo and video file sent to you to your Camera Roll. This could make for some embarrassing moments when you’re swiping through your photos to show mom your latest cat pictures.

It could also start to clog up your iPhone, really, with all that racy video your friends keep sending you.

To avoid these situations, you can disable the “feature.” Here’s how.

Track flights with iOS 9 and El Capitan’s secret tool

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DSC07218

Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

If you travel a lot, iOS 9 and El Capitan have a hidden feature just for you.

Apple’s latest operating systems (both of which are currently in beta) offer a way to keep tabs on airline flights. Here’s how to access this hidden new feature.

Jeff Bezos dismisses claims that Amazon is an evil employer

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Amazon beats Apple and Google to be named 'most valuable' brand
Amazon beats Apple and Google to be named 'most valuable' brand
Photo: Steve Jurvetson/Flickr CC

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wouldn’t want to toil in the dehumanizing hellhole described in a recent report about work conditions at his company. In a memo to employees responding to the allegations, Bezos painted a picture of caring Amazonians who are “fun” and “brilliant” and “helping to invent the future, and laughing along the way.”

He also said anybody who gets treated badly by Amazon should snitch to HR — or email him directly to air their grievances.

The life of a professional Instagrammer, this week on The CultCast

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Imagine getting paid to Instagram...
Imagine getting paid to Instagram...
Photo: @withhearts

This week on The Cultcast: Ever wonder what it’s like to have companies pay you to travel the world snapping their Instagram photos? Professional Instagrammer Cory Staudacher shares his workflows and favorite iOS photo apps — and you won’t believe how much some companies will pay you to make them look cool.

Plus: Neat new features coming to iOS 9; Apple quietly beefs up the iPhone 6s to prevent another #Bendgate; and don’t miss our list of new favorite apps.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Build a beautiful new website quick with Squarespace’s drag-and-drop interface. Start a free trial and save 10 percent off any first order with code “CultCast.”

Catch our favorite new apps in the show notes below.

Apple’s savvy fitness plan: Build an indispensable platform

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The Activity app forms the hub of Apple’s fitness platform strategy.
The Activity app forms the hub of Apple’s fitness platform strategy.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

If you compare the Apple Watch to dedicated fitness tracking devices, it comes up short, and the forthcoming watchOS 2 will do little to address these limitations. Instead, with this update Apple is focusing on helping improve third-party fitness apps.

That’s because Apple sees its wearable as the main component of a fitness platform, with the Activity app as hub. While the built-in Workout app is mostly for beginners, third-party apps will provide the missing features for hardcore users.