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iPhone 5 Pre-Orders To Begin September 12th In The U.S. [Rumor]

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Get your checkbook ready for the new iPhone next month.
Get your checkbook ready for the new iPhone next month.

Apple is expected to unveil the next iPhone at a rumored media event Wednesday, September 12th. Today iMore reports that Apple will start U.S. pre-orders for the sixth-gen iPhone on the same day as the announcement. International customers will reportedly have to wait until the first week of October to place pre-orders.

iMore originally reported the September 12th announcement date and an in-store U.S. release date of Friday, September 21st.

Count Again: The iPhone 5’s 8-Pin Dock Connector Really Has 9-Pins

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That 8-pin dock connector is really a 9-pin one upon closer inspection.
That 8-pin dock connector is really a 9-pin one upon closer inspection.

Will the next iPhone have an 8 pin or 9 pin dock connector? The iOS 6 beta says 9, but if you count the pins on the leaked dock components, there are only 8. Which is correct? Both: according to a new report, the new dock connector’s aluminum shell teams up with the 8 gold pins to make a ninth pin, resulting in 60% less real estate than the existing 30-pin connector, and better transfer rates with a fraction of the electrical contacts.

Adding New Dock Connectors To All iOS Devices This Fall Is A Manufacturing Impossibility

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In today's forecast: Lightning!
There's a good reason why this new dock connector won't be coming to all iOS devices this fall.

It seems like Apple’s sixth-generation iPhone will be the first iOS device to boast a brand new, mini dock connector when it launches this fall. But there have been rumors that claim Apple will refresh all its iOS devices to make the new connector a standard across its entire lineup.

Not only does this seem highly unlikely, but there’s one reason why it’s an impossibility: Apple’s supply chain just couldn’t handle a refresh that big.

How To Fix Mac Missing Plug-In Errors [MacRx]

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Missing Plug-In

If you’re a Mac user on the Internet, chances are you’ve come across a few websites where embedded content isn’t displayed correctly. Instead you get an icon or an error message saying Missing Plug-In, often with few additional details about exactly what is missing.

While there’s no single installer which will solve all missing plug-in problems, there are a few common things to start with. If those don’t work you can delve deeper into non-common formats or the forgotten codecs of yesteryear.

iPhone 5’s New Logic Board Shows Its Face

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This is the part that will be the brains for your next iPhone.
This is the part that will be the brains for your next iPhone.

As we edge closer towards the unveiling of Apple’s sixth-generation iPhone next month, component leaks have hit their peak. Last week we showed you images of some of the handset’s internals — including a number of flex cables and a display shield — and today we get our first glimpse at what appears to be the iPhone 5’s logic board.

Monster iSport USA Earphones: We’re Pretty Sure Only Olympian Michael Phelps Has Enough Gold And Cred To Wear These [Review]

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You’re an American, and you’ve just watched your athletes come away with a barrel full of gold medals in London. Maybe you’re feeling a little patriotic; maybe a little like you want to go out and train for Rio de Janiero. If so, then Monster has created the perfect earphones for you: A special edition “USA” version of their impressive, washable, iSport IEMs.

Logitech Mini Boombox Bluetooth Speaker: Powerful Sound in a Futuristic Suit [Review]

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The Mini Boombox ($100) is Logitech’s entry into the hotly contested Bluetooth micro-speaker contest. Like its contemporaries (the Jawbone Jambox and Monster iClarityHD are two prime examples), the Boombox supplies big sound in a tiny, wireless, battery-powered package — only in this case with Logitech’s signature sleek, stylish approach and a futuristic control panel. Let’s take a look at how it stacks up.

Proof that Samsung is a Huge Apple Fanboy

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I wrote a column last week saying that the “smoking gun” document Apple submitted into evidence in the Samsung patent infringement lawsuit does not constitute proof of infringement by itself.

Still, it’s a remarkable document that does prove something: Samsung is very impressed with Apple. In fact, it’s clear that Samsung is a huge Apple fanboy. 

Leaked Images Seemingly Confirm New iPhone Dock Connector Will Only Have 8 Pins

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Nowherelse.fr has scored another major parts scoop: they say this leaked image shows what the new, smaller Apple dock connector looks like. Counting the pins, it looks as if iMore’s scoop that the new dock connector would only be 8 pins, and not 19 pins as previously reported, may have panned out.

Very, very interesting if true: expect a number of third-party iPod and iPhone accessories to be made obsolete by this move, even with an adapter. It’s also interesting to note that the pins seen in this image resemble traditional USB pins more closely than the pins used in Apple’s 30-pin dock connector. You can see more images of the part in question at the link below.

This story is developing…

Source: Nowherelese.fr

First Macintosh Praised By Its Creators In Rare Promo Video From 1983

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I bet you haven't seen this clip before.
I bet you haven't seen this clip before.

A rare Apple promotional video for the original Macintosh has surfaced online today, courtesy of one of the machine’s creators, Andy Hertzfeld. The one-minute clip, which was produced in 1983 by Chiat-Day, features members of the Macintosh team — including Hertzfeld, Bill Atkinson, Burrell Smith, and Mike Murray — who praise their product for its affordability, reliability, and more.

Why The Next iPhone Has A Two-Toned Metal Backplate

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iphone5_outsidedock

At this point, most of our readers are familiar with what the next iPhone is going to look like, including the fact that it will feature a unibody design with a two-tone metal backplate. But what’s the story with that metal backplate? Has it been designed that way just to look good and set itself apart from the design of the iPhone 4/4S, or is there a more cogent design philosophy behind the three alternating stripes of metal and glass?

We won’t know for sure what Apple is thinking until the iPhone 5 is officially announced, but one industrial designer has a great theory about why the back of the next iPhone looks the way it does. As is usually the case with Apple’s design, the new iPhone’s back plate doesn’t just look good… it’s incredibly functional and magnificently strong.

Protect Your Mac’s Data From Hackers – We’ll Tell You How On The CultCast

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The heat shield is off and the supersonic parachute is deployed – this episode of the CultCast is ready for touchdown!

On this new ep., we ponder the Mars Curiosity Rover, and how a team full of Mac users landed it safely on another world.

Then, let us regale you with the tale of how one very well-known tech writer got all his devices erased when hackers stole his Apple ID. It’s a scary story, but to comfort you, we’ll tell you how you can better protect your datas from getting thieved, and which backup strategies we use to keep ours safe from harm.

And finally, Facebook questions! You told us what you wanted us to cover on our new Facebook page, and we’re ready to work for you!

Subscribe to The CultCast now on iTunes, or easily stream new episodes right on your iPhone or iPad with Apple’s newly updated and freshly debugged Podcasts App.

Show notes ahead!

Over-The-Phone AppleID Password Resets Will Not Be Allowed Until Apple Beefs Up Security

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Apple is going to make it much harder to rest your password from now on.
Apple is going to make it much harder to rest your password from now on.

In the continuing saga of Mat Honan’s digital life getting hacked to pieces, Apple has stopped accepting over-the-phone AppleID password resets indefinitely. In a statement today, Apple confirmed that the freeze it put on over-the-phone password change requests last night will remain in effect until tighter security can be implemented on Apple’s end. For now, all AppleID password resets will have to be done online.

Leaked iPhone 5 Pic Compares New Smaller Dock With Current 30-Pin Dock [Rumor]

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Apple's new dock connector will be less than half the size of the current 30-pin dock, if the rumor mill is to be believed.
Apple's new dock connector will be less than half the size of the current 30-pin dock, if the rumor mill is to be believed.

In Cult of Mac’s feature on the future of Apple’s dock connector, John Brownlee hypothesized that Apple’s next iOS device dock would be significantly smaller because the current 30-pin architecture is severely outdated. Nearly half of the current dock connectors pins are for legacy technology no one uses anymore, and Brownlee’s research matched up perfectly with the general consensus at the time: Apple would introduce a smaller 19-pin dock connector in the next iPhone this fall.

Since then, newer rumors have surfaced claiming that Apple’s new dock connector will be even smaller than everything originally thought. Leaked photos have depicted a micro dock that could very well consist of only 7-9 pins.

New pictures of an alleged iPhone 5 exterior have surfaced today that compare the new dock connector with the current 30-pin design. The above pic reiterates the significantly smaller design, and also the possibility of a surprise to look forward to when the next iPhone is unveiled in the coming weeks.

Help Us Turn Mac Guy Into A Meme And Win A Free Copy Of FieldRunners 2! [Contest]

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mememac

Apple’s newest Mac ads have caused quite a stir with people loving and hating them. Whatever your feelings are on the “Mac Guy” we think he has some glorious Meme potential, but we need your help to turn it into an Internet success.

This week we want you to create your own Mac Guy meme. Share the link to it in the comments of this article and you’ll be entered to win one of ten free copies of FieldRunners 2 we’ll be giving out to our readers. Plus, you might see your Mac Guy Meme make onto the Cult of Mac homepage.

Don’t know how to create a meme? It’s easy, and we’ve already set everything up with QuickMeme.com so you can just add the captions. Here’s how to do it:

Apple May Be Working On A Top Secret Asymmetric Screw To Lock You Out Of Your Devices Forever [Updated]

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fkyQS
Forget Pentalobe screws, Apple's next-gen screw design could lock DIYers out of their Macs once and for all.

Self-repairability is often an aspect of Apple’s modern product design that gets Cupertino blasted by critics, with the Retina MacBook Pro being deemed “the least repairable laptop yet” by repair experts iFixIt. But if the leaked image above of a next-generation assymetric screw Apple is reportedly working on is to be believed, things are about to get a lot worse for Mac and iDevice owners who like to tinker with their devices.

iFixit Details Retina MacBook Pro’s Repair Limitations, Estimates Battery Replacement At $500

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Fixing this baby will cost you an arm and a leg.
Fixing this baby will cost you an arm and a leg.

Following its Retina MacBook Pro teardown back in June, iFixit declared Apple’s latest portable “the least repairable laptop” it has ever taken apart. While some components aren’t too difficult to upgrade or replace, others — such as the battery and RAM — are near impossible without professional help. In its new repair guide, published today, iFixit details further repair limitations with the notebook, and estimates that a third-party battery replacement could cost around $500.

132 Page ‘Smoking Gun’ Report Proves Samsung Shamelessly Copied The iPhone

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Here’s something to read over your morning cup of joe this morning: amassive 132 page report Apple released into evidence this morning in its trial against Samsung, proving without a doubt that this case is about a lot more than — as the Korean handset maker would have you believe — “patenting the shapes of rectangles.”

The evidence contains a lot of snippets from a 2010 report, translated from Korean, in which Samsung’s engineers went through their phones feature-by-feature and stacked it up against the iPhone. In almost every instance, Samsung’s engineers decided their phones would work better if they were more like the iPhone.

Ouch. That’s damning.

It’s looking undeniable at this point that Samsung systematically and shamelessly ripped-off practically every aspect of the iPhone’s design, right down to the UI. Comparing a Samsung smartphone pre-iPhone and post-iPhone is like comparing a Cambrian trilobyte with a 21st century ballerina.

Does anyone else get the impression that Samsung might not win this one… and that they know it?

Source: All Things D

Soon You’ll Be Able To Pay With Square In Starbucks

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Starbucks and Square

Square just announced a huge partnership with Starbucks that will put the hot mobile payment startup in 7,000 Starbucks nationwide this fall. The news means that Square users will be able to use the app to pay at select Starbucks locations and find nearby stores in the Square Directory.

As part of the partnership, Starbucks is investing a cool $25 million in Square and the CEO of Starbucks will be joining Square’s Board of Directors. This is definitely a win-win for Square, Starbucks, and the mobile payment industry as a whole.

Apple Airs New “All On iPad” Ad [Video]

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Screen Shot 2012-08-07 at 9.14.08 PM

Apple has just uploaded a new a new iPad commercial to their YouTube channel, following in the same manner as the previous iPad ad, talking about all the various capabilities of the 3rd generation iPad.

The new ad, entitled “All On iPad”, shows people tweeting, having a FaceTime chat, browsing the web, painting, reading, and more.

The ad runs as follows:

Read it. Tweet it. Be surprised. Be productive. Make a sale. Make some lunch. Make it movie night. Play a game, or an old favorite. Do it all more beautifully, with the retina display, on iPad.

Clearly, Apple is continuing to stress the importance of the Retina display, as this is the third commercial Apple has aired about the new iPad, highlighting the Retina display in each one.

Apple’s iPad ads have been traditionally different than its iPhone ads, which have recently featured celebrities, as well as its recent Mac ads, which have been met with much criticism. Clearly, Apple is continuing to broaden its advertising strategy in a number of ways, experimenting with ads targeted towards a wide variety of consumers.

All in all, the 30 second spot is very similar to its predecessor, using the same music and voice.

Everything You Need To Know About The Apple Vs. Samsung Trial [Day Five]

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Keeping up with all the latest Apple vs Samsung happenings can be tough, and confusing. The trials is underway in San Jose California. Some days are filled with interesting witnesses taking the stand, while others are packed with lawyers hammering boring witnesses with silly questions.

To help you keep up on the Apple vs Samsung trial we’re compiling each day’s events into one short news story that consists of the best tweets from the reporters there on the scene. Here’s everything you need to about what happened in the Apple vs Samsung Trial on day five, August 7th.

BattSaver Wants To Maximize Your iPhone’s Battery Life, But Is It Right For You? [Jailbreak]

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iPhone-battery-low

An app that promises to double, if not triple, your iPhone’s battery life sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Jailbreak tweaks and apps have claimed to improve iOS device battery life for years, but for the most part it’s all smoke and mirrors. What sets a new jailbreak tweak called BattSaver apart is that there’s no magical software voodoo or cheap tricks. BattSaver actually works, and that’s because it gives you finely tuned control of what happens inside your iPhone.

An iPhone’s battery will last much longer when the device is barely used. We all know the tips that say to turn screen brightness down, don’t leave WiFi enabled when you’re not using it, leave Bluetooth off as much as possible, etc. It’s basic logic; keep as much of your iPhone turned off as you can and your battery will last longer. Your iPhone deals with 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, push notification, and even EDGE radios all the time. Running everything will drain your battery in no time.

BattSaver doesn’t magically create more battery life. Instead, this tweak efficiently manages your iPhone’s settings for you.

The Real Reason Apple Updated The Martin Scorsese Taxi Driver Ad: Perfectionism

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Today, Apple re-uploaded the newest Siri ad, the one featuring Martin Scorsese, to its YouTube channel. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this type of thing happen on their channel, so I went to investigate.

It turns out that Apple just has a remarkable attention to detail. Thanks to the numerous people who always upload Apple’s ads, I was able to compare the new upload to the original. Here’s what I found.