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Apple Announces New iMac With Faster Intel Processors, New Graphics & Next-Gen Wi-Fi

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The Rumor: Retina iMacs really are on the way soon, according to some info in Apple's new Xcode 6 program.

The Verdict: Looks promising. WWDC came and went without a single hardware announcement, meaning Apple has gone over 8 months without a significant new product. Based on code found in the Yosemite beta, it looks like we won't have to wait much longer for sharper iMacs to land on our desks, thanks to a file that lists scaled-up resolutions for such a display. The structure of the list is identical to resolution listings for the Retina MacBook Pro, making this rumor feel more like a sure-thing now.

The Rumor: Retina iMacs really are on the way soon, according to some info in Apple's new Xcode 6 program.

The Verdict: Looks promising. WWDC came and went without a single hardware announcement, meaning Apple has gone over 8 months without a significant new product. Based on code found in the Yosemite beta, it looks like we won't have to wait much longer for sharper iMacs to land on our desks, thanks to a file that lists scaled-up resolutions for such a display. The structure of the list is identical to resolution listings for the Retina MacBook Pro, making this rumor feel more like a sure-thing now.


Apple has today announced a new iMac update which sees the latest fourth-generation Intel quad-core Haswell processors, new graphics, next-generation Wi-Fi, and faster PCIe flash storage options added to the popular all-in-one desktop.

FIFA 14 Now Available On iOS For Free

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EA Sports has brought the controversial free-to-play game model to the world’s biggest soccer franchise in FIFA 14 for iOS, which is now available to download from the App Store — three days before the big console release.

The title boasts a whole heap of improvements, including a new and intuitive control system, online multiplayer, a game of the week feature, and the hugely popular FIFA Ultimate Team mode.

Apple Offers In-Store Pickup Option For iPhone 5s As Shipping Estimates Slip To October

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Apple sold a lot of new iPhones over the weekend—9 million to be exact. While we don’t know the breakdown sales for the 5c and 5s, estimates suggest that the ratio of 5s sales to 5c sales was around 3 to 1.

Launch supply of the 5s was significantly constrained due to what was likely shortages of new parts. It’s nearly impossible to get a 5s in most stores around the country. Many carriers and third-party retailers only got a few units per location for launch weekend.

Apple’s online store also sold out of all initial 5s stock over the weekend, and shipping estimates for all configurations have been pushed back to an ambiguous October timeframe. To help cope with demand, Apple is now offering an in-store pickup option for helping you find a 5s at a local Apple Store.

iPhone 5s and 5c Sales Top 9 Million In First Weekend

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Apple announced this morning that it sold an ungodly number of iPhones during the iPhone 5s and 5c launches this weekend – 9 million to be exact. The launch was Apple’s most successful ever, after Apple sold a record-breaking 5 million iPhone 5 units during its launch.

Along with the stratospheric sales numbers, Apple also announced that more than 200 million iOS devices were updated to iOS 7 since its launch on September 18th, making it the fastest software upgrade in history.

iPhone 5s: The Closest Any Smartphone Comes To Being Perfect [Review]

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The iPhone 5s is undoubtedly the biggest iPhone ‘S’ upgrade Apple has released to date. Not only does it come with the usual improvements you’d expect from an “incremental” upgrade — a faster processor, better graphics, and an improved camera — but it also boasts Touch ID, a fingerprint scanner built into its home button; the M7 coprocessor, and a new dual-LED flash

Touch ID will change the way we manage security on our iPhones. No longer must we remember 4-digit pass codes that have to be entered dozens of times a day; we can simply scan our fingerprint to quickly gain access to our device. It takes the hassle out of securing our data, and there’s no good reason why you wouldn’t use it.

The iPhone 5s is the biggest iPhone ‘S’ upgrade to date.

As for the M7 coprocessor, that’s “like a sidekick to the A7 chip,” Apple says. It’s specifically designed to measure motion data recorded by your iPhone’s built-in accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass — a task which was previously handled by the processor itself. Why? Well, the M7 chip is more efficient and handling this task, and with little input needed from the main processor, there’s less drain on your iPhone’s battery.

While the iPhone 5s make look identical to its predecessor on the outside, then, there are lots of improvements under the hood. But are those improvements worth your hard-earned cash?

This Week in Cult Of Mac Magazine: iOS 7 Extreme Makeover Edition

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With the release of iOS 7, we’ve prepped a guide to what you need to know about Apple’s new operating system — along with some things you might not already know.

In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine we catch up with uber-designer Khoi Vinh who has been using it since the beta, why experts think the new activation lock (aka “kill switch”) won’t stop iCrime and take a light-hearted look at the real-world objects that inspired the new icons.

Once again, we’ve tapped an Apple Store Genius to answer your questions on how to get an iPhone 5 replaced for free and what to do when your MacBook Pro gets all wet.

The latest issue is available for free in the App Store.

Got questions, comments, topics in the Applesphere you’d like us to cover in-depth?

Tweet, email or give us a shout out any way you feel appropriate. (Just FYI, though, smoke signals are hard to read here in foggy San Francisco.)

Thanks for all your kind words and input on the first issue.

And, just so we know, were you guys serious that we should call it a “Macazine?”

Why iOS 7’s Activation Lock Is a Disaster Waiting to Happen

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There’s no question that the iPhone 5S and iOS 7 together make for the best phone ever made.

The din of offhand, dismissive criticism from the Android fan base that Apple never innovates should be silenced, at least for awhile, given that Apple now sells the only dual-tone LED flash; the only 64-bit mobile CPU; the only 64-bit OS; the fastest touch-screen performance phones by far; the only wide-scale deployment of Multipath TCP; and the only useful, usable and widely used fingerprint scanner ever placed on any consumer electronics device.

Yes, there’s plenty of petty grousing. And who knows what competitors will ship tomorrow?

But today, it’s clear that Apple rules the smartphone market.

The Android fan critics now also have to contend with a razor sharp, concise rebuttal to the cacophony of general criticism of Apple by Apple VP Craig Federighi: “New is easy. Right is hard.” He said that after referring to Samsung by saying that Apple “didn’t start opportunistically with 10 bits of technology that we could try to find a use for to add to our features list.” Ouch!

Unfortunately, iOS 7 is going to cause some huge problems that nobody is talking about yet, but will do when the unwanted bricking epidemic starts.

First Impressions: I’ve Fallen Hard For The iPhone 5s

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I’ve been playing with the 5s for about the last two hours, and I can’t remember the last time I was so stubbornly wrong about, gee, anything really — as much as I was wrong about the iPhone 5s. And not just the 5s, but also iOS 7, which I hated when I first launched it on my iPad last night; but man, is it ever beyond perfect on the 5s.

I know, my iPhone 5s and I have just begun our honeymoon phase, but here’s the first-impression verdict in a nutshell: The iOS 7 / iPhone 5s pairing is phenomenal. I’m so in love.

Apple TV 6.0 Arrives With iTunes Radio, Airplay From iCloud, Shared Photo Streams, And More

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Today Apple released a major update to the Apple TV that was originally predicted to arrive alongside iOS 7 on Wednesday. Version 6.0 of the set-top box’s software includes some big additions, including iTunes Radio, shared Photo Streams support, and AirPlay from iCloud, which is essentially Apple’s answer to the Chromecast from Google.

iPhone 5s First Impressions: Touch ID

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You’ll be blown away by the new Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5s the first time you use it. You’ll be prompted to set it up when you first start up your iPhone, and you’ll have to scan your fingerprint numerous times at different angles before your iPhone is happy with it. Once it’s recorded, you can use the tip of your finger to unlock your device and authorize purchases from iTunes and the App Store.

Apple Says Demand For iPhone 5s & iPhone 5c Has Been ‘Incredible’

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I just wrote a piece about how difficult it is to obtain the iPhone 5s — particularly if you want the gold model — and Apple has now confirmed that it has completely sold out of certain iPhone 5s models in some stores. Demand for that and the iPhone 5c has been “incredible,” the Cupertino company said, but it’s yet to reveal just how many handsets have been sold so far.

Good Luck Getting An iPhone 5s Today, Particularly If You Want Gold

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Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple never seems to be able to make enough iPhones to meet launch day demand, but it seems the Cupertino company has found that task particularly difficult this year. The iPhone 5s has proven incredibly difficult to get hold of all over the globe, while that fancy new gold model is near impossible to get hold of.

At Apple’s flagship store in San Francisco, there were just 20 gold iPhone 5s units waiting to go on sale this morning, and they were all claimed before the store even opened its doors.

Jony Ive: Why Experience Is More Important Than Megapixels

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Jony Ive with Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering. (Photo: Apple)
Jony Ive with Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering.

With the launch of two new iPhones, Apple’s top designer Jonathan Ive granted very rare back-to-back interviews with USA Today and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Having read everything he’s ever said in preparation for my book about him (due mid-November), I recognized the usual Jony Ive talking points; the striving for simplicity, the importance of caring, and so on.

But there are a couple of paragraphs in the USA Today that especially gave me a strong sense of Deja vu.

How To Survive Tomorrow’s Insane Lines And Get The iPhone 5s You Want [Feature]

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Previous iPhone launches have been crazy, and the iPhone 5s might be the most insane one yet. Be prepared.

So Apple won’t let you pre-order the iPhone 5s and the very thought of waiting in front of an Apple Store for eight hours send spasms of dread from your eye sockets all the way down the nether regions you don’t even want to think about. Standing in an a line, any line, for hours, sucks.

Yes, it’s a huge time investment, and no one really wants to sit outside an Apple Store for a couple of hours before the break of dawn, but we’re here to help you come prepared and make the most of your iPhone 5s launch line waiting experience. In fact, this could even be a lot of fun. Just follow this guide and you’ll be in and out of the store and cradling your precious golden iPhone  in no time.

iPhone 5s & iPhone 5c Get The Teardown Treatment Down Under

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The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c has just gone on sale in Australia, and the team at iExperts have already gotten their hands on the new devices and given them their first teardown.

Thanks to all the leaks we’ve been enjoying in recent weeks, many of the components you’ll see below have already been seen before. But if you get a kick out of seeing expensive gadgets being pulled apart — or you just admire Apple’s incredible build quality — then you’re in for a treat.

What Your Favorite Apps Look Like Designed For iOS 7 [Gallery]

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iOS 7 is out, and all of your favorite apps are being updated with new designs and features. We’ve been posting about big updates as they come out, but it’s impossible to keep up with everything.

We’ve collected big app updates for iOS 7 worth mentioning in a handy roundup. Take a look at how some of your favorite apps have changed:

A Visual Walkthrough Of iOS 7 With GIFs

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The new interface of iOS 7 has become one of the most polarizing Apple software releases since the iPhone came out six years ago. Some users think some of the UI elements look childish and boring, but there are a ton of new details and feature that make using iOS feel new again (for better or worse).

iOS 7 was just released to the public, but there are so many new additions it can be hard to keep track of it all, so we’ve complied this walkthrough of all the new little iOS 7 features, in GIF form:

iOS 7: The Cult of Mac Review Roundup

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We’ve already brought you an iOS 7 review roundup from everyone else, but you may have noticed that the Cult of Mac team published our own iOS 7 review today, too. It’s split up into separate parts to make it easier to digest, and this handy roundup will help you find each part and what it covers.

We’ve taken a look at all of the new features — including Control Center, AirDrop, and iTunes Radio — and all of the improvements Apple made to existing ones, like the Camera app and Notification Center. We’ve also got some tips and tricks that will help you get accustomed to iOS 7 in no time.

iOS 7 Is Now Available To Download

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The wait is finally over. iOS 7 is now available to download, three months after it got its first unveiling at WWDC. You can download and install it either via iTunes on your Mac and PC, or by using the over-the-air Software Update feature baked into iOS 6.

The Evolution Of iOS: From iPhone OS To iOS 7

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iOS has seen an enormous amount of change over the last few years. When the first iPhone was released, the most entertaining thing to do was to watch YouTube videos and try to find a few web-based games. This was a time before apps, multi-tasking, or folders. Looking back, it’s amazing to see how iOS has transformed from a simple touch operating system, lacking a lot of key features, to a true computing behemoth with more features and tools than one user could possibly need.

Today, the latest version of iOS, iOS 7, is set to arrive. Let’s take a look at how things have changed in Apple’s mobile operating system over the last few years.

iOS 7: Control Center, Notification Center, Notes, Reminders & Music [iOS 7 Review]

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Control Center on iPad.

iOS 7 is much more than a pretty face. Early “news” reporting focussed on the new look provided at the last minute by Jony Ive and team, but the inner workings of the new OS have clearly been under development for a lot longer. So, try to look past the bright colors, blurred popovers and beautiful parallax for a moment, and join us as we take a tour of the best new features of iOS 7.