| Cult of Mac

Samsung charged for allegedly misleading Galaxy promises

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Samsung shows its phones being used in pools, but its warranty won’t cover that.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung has been charged by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for allegedly making false promises about its incredibly popular Galaxy S smartphones.

The watchdog says Samsung marketing made misleading representations about smartphone water-resistance.

The South Korean company depicted its devices being used in swimming pools and on the beach — then reportedly turned down warranty claims from customers who suffered water damage when using their phones in similar environments.

Aura band makes your Apple Watch even smarter

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Aura Band
Everything that makes the Aura Band great is coming to Apple Watch.
Photo: Aura

CES 2019 bugThere aren’t many health and fitness statistics Apple Watch can’t track, but to make up for some of those that are missing, there’s the impressive new Smart Strap from Aura.

By sending electricity through your body (without hurting you), the Smart Strap can measure your weight, fat, muscle mass, and more. It won’t cost you much more than a regular Apple Watch band, either.

Shower while grooving to your favorite tunes [Week’s Best Deals]

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This week's best deals include a shower-proof Bluetooth speaker, mobile VPN protection, and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We’re back for another round of the very best deals on gear and gadgets in the Cult of Mac Store. This week, we’ve got an extra huge Bluetooth shower speaker, a simple but powerful mobile VPN, a handy app for cutting down on reading times, and a set of workout-ready Bluetooth earbuds. Everything in this week’s roundup is discounted by 75 percent or more, read on for more details:

Expel water from your iPhone speaker grille using only sound

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iPhone 7 soaked in water
A crafty Redditor discovers a simple and free way to clear trapped water from your iPhone 7's speaker grille.
Photo: Apple

Apple touts the new iPhone 7 as being water-resistant enough to take into the shower. There’s really no good reason to bathe with your smartphone, but the point is that iPhone 7 owners don’t need to worry about a little rain or spilled tea.

Naturally, some people waltzed into their shower stalls with their expensive new phones in hand — just cuz — and some found a weakness in the iPhone 7’s water-resistance. Luckily for foolhardy iPhone owners everywhere, a Redditor discovered a simple hack for getting the water out.

iPhone 7 is water-resistant, but warranty won’t cover ‘liquid damage’

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Photo: TechSmartt
iPhone 7 wouldn't suit Aquaman.
Photo: TechSmartt

The new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are the first iPhones to receive IP67 dust and waterproofing certification. However, before you start planning all the new underwater activities you plan to do with your new handset, it’s important to know that those claims are advisory only.

In fact, as the small print for iPhone 7 makes perfectly clear, liquid damage is not covered under warranty.

From iPhone lens kits to waterproof smartwatches, the latest deals at Cult of Mac [Deals]

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These 3 lenses will up your iPhone camera game into DSLR territory
These 3 lenses will up your iPhone camera game into DSLR territory
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Wow, this week we brought in a truly great haul of fresh deals. It’s all about variety — lenses to take even better photos with your iPhone, a combination smartwatch/fitness tracker that’s waterproof, a kit of custom screwdrivers for repairing electronics, and courses in product management. There’s something here for everybody, and all at massively reduced prices.

Take a look:

Mini shock-absorbers could save your next iPhone from a nasty drop

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Apple doesn't want this happening to your future iPhones.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple’s always on the lookout for ways to improve the resiliency of its devices. For this reason, the U.S. Patent and Trademarks Office today published a new patent application from the company — calling for retractable drop-proof bumpers to be built into future iPhone housing, capable of doubling as a flotation device in case your handset accidentally lands in water.

The magic that makes iPhone 6s so water-resistant

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Apple doesn't want your iPhone dying if you accidentally drop it in the toilet.
Photo: iFixit

No, it’s not a collective delusion — the iPhone 6s really is more water-resistant than its predecessors.

In a new teardown carried out by our friends at iFixit, the iPhone 6s was found to include a gasket-style “mystery adhesive” around the handset display, specially designed to keep water out.