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Killian Bell - page 20

Awesome, affordable Apple TV alternatives on sale right now

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Awesome, affordable Apple TV alternatives
Get yours from just $19.99.
Photos: Amazon, Roku

You don’t have to splash out on an Apple TV to enjoy Apple TV+ and Apple Music alongside all your other favorite streaming services. They’re now available on a whole host of brilliant third-party devices — many of which are on sale now.

Unlike Apple, the likes of Amazon and Roku are offering big Black Friday discounts that are already live. Here are our picks of the best Apple TV alternatives that you can buy today from just $19.99.

Glorious GTA: The Trilogy gameplay footage leaks ahead of release

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GTA The Trilogy leaked gameplay footage
It's also coming to iPhone and iPad next year.
Image: okayjosh/YouTube

Glorious new gameplay footage captured from Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition has leaked before it makes its official debut on consoles and PC tomorrow, November 12 — and lands on mobile next year.

The rather lengthy clips, taken from GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas, give us a closer look at the games’ improved graphics and significantly faster frame rate. They also show off some user interface enhancements.

91-year-old grandma creates unbelievable masterpieces in Microsoft Paint

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Concha García Zaera art from Microsoft Paint
Who'd have thought Microsoft Paint could produce art like this?
Images: Concha García Zaera

Who needs expensive Photoshop subscriptions and fancy drawing hardware? 91-year-old grandma Concha García Zaera creates and sells beautiful and insanely detailed masterpieces using nothing but a mouse and Microsoft Paint.

Zaera’s artwork, which is all put together using a Windows 7 PC, has attracted more than 300,000 followers on Instagram. It features everything from serene and colorful landscapes to cute and cuddly pet portraits.

Google rolls out big upgrades for Gmail, Meet and Sheets on iOS

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Gmail, Meet and Sheets gets big updates on iPhone and iPad
Enjoy Home screen widgets and Picture in Picture support.
Photo: Google

Google this week rolled out a bunch of rather significant updates for Gmail, Meet, and Sheets on iPhone and iPad that add a number of neat new features and improvements. You can download them from the App Store now.

Gmail now offers a Home screen widget that lets you see your inbox at a glance, while Meet now features Picture in Picture support so you can carry out remote meetings while you continue to do other things on your device.

The next Mac revolution: Companies rush to buy new M1 machines

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Adobe Photoshop does support the MacBook Pro notch.
"Engineering hours are much more expensive than laptops."
Photo: Apple

The new MacBook Pro lineup is an exceptional upgrade over its predecessors, with new M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets that offer more mobile computing power than ever before. And big companies are scrambling to reap the benefits.

The likes of Reddit, Twitter and others are rolling out 2021 MacBook Pro units to employees so that they can take advantage of the massive performance gains. “Engineering hours are much more expensive than laptops,” one said.

Netflix Games goes live on iPhone and iPad with 5 titles to choose from

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Netflix Games goes live on iPhone and iPad
Included with your Netflix subscription.
Image: Netflix

Netflix Games is now available on iPhone and iPad, just over one week after making its debut on Android. Users can access all titles through the main Netflix app, but — as expected — they must be downloaded individually.

The service offers five games to begin with, including the two Stranger Things titles that were already available on iOS, and is available at no extra cost to those who already have a Netflix subscription.

iOS 15.2 lets you scan for Find My devices that may be tracking you

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AirTag's Precision Finding feature will guide you directly to your tracked item.
Apple doesn't want AirTags and other devices to be used to track others.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new iOS 15.2 beta gives iPhone and iPad users the option to scan for nearby AirTags and Find My devices that may be tracking their movements.

The beta adds a new “Items That Can Track Me” button to the Find My app. Tapping it will display a list of “Unknown Items” — if there are any nearby. The app then provide users with instructions on how to disable anything that shows up.

App Store must add third-party payments by December 9

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App Store
Apple motion for a delay has been denied.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Apple to add third-party payment options to the App Store by December 9, after denying the company’s motion for a stay in Fortnite developer Epic Games’ case against Cupertino.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said the motion, which argued that Apple needed time to implement the changes, was based on “a selective reading of the Court’s findings” and “ignores everything” in favor of an injunction.

Tim Cook says Apple is ‘looking at’ cryptocurrency after revealing he’s an investor

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Tim Cook at Unleashed event
But don't expect investment advice.
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook revealed in an interview on Tuesday that he owns cryptocurrency and sees it as a “reasonable” way to diversify his portfolio. The Apple CEO also admitted that Cupertino is “looking at” ways cryptocurrency could one day work with Apple Pay, or be used to buy Apple products.

However, if it’s investment advice you’re after, you can look elsewhere.

Logitech Pop keyboard and mouse make depressing desks more colorful

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Logitech Pop keyboard and mouse
Available this month.
Photo: Logitech

Logitech’s new Pop collection hopes to make dark, drab desks a thing of the past. Both its Pop Keys keyboard, which features real mechanical keys, and the Pop Mouse sport quirky designs with bright and colorful finishes.

Prices start at $39.99, and they work great with Apple devices, including Mac and iPad. You can order yours this month.

Apple spoils the one thing that made MacBook’s MagSafe charger so great

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2021 MacBook Pro MagSafe
Is the new MagSafe charger too secure?
Photo: Apple

Apple brought back the MagSafe charger for its newest MacBook Pro models — much to the delight of long-time fans who have appreciated the proprietary charging port in the past. And although it might be faster now, Cupertino has spoiled one of the biggest things that made MagSafe charging so great.

2021 MacBook Pro adopters are taking to Reddit and other online forums to complain that MagSafe’s new magnets are too damn strong.

Apple will accept App Store submissions over the holidays for the first time

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Trust in the App Store is critical to the success of the iPhone.
The updates will keep on comin'.
Image: Apple

Apple today confirmed that it will continue to accept App Store submissions over the holiday period for the first time.

The company usually takes a short break in December, during which App Store submissions are closed and developers must scramble to get their updates out. That changes this year, but Apple warns that reviews may be delayed.

App Store rules could force Netflix to deliver subscription games individually

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Netflix’s Apple Arcade rival launches but iOS support still ‘on the way’
It's the only method Apple approves of.
Image: Netflix

Netflix may be forced to release its subscription games as individual downloads on the App Store to comply with Apple’s rules. Other subscription services, such as GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, aren’t allowed on the App Store.

It is believed users will still be able to discover and launch titles through the main Netflix app, but they’ll need to download each one first.

WhatsApp rolls out multi-device support to all iPhone users

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WhatsApp multi-device beta
Activate the beta today.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WhatsApp’s handy multi-device feature is now rolling out to all users on Android and iPhone, making it easier to access your messages on other devices. The upgrade finally makes WhatsApp a little less reliant on your smartphone.

Sadly, multi-device support still does not allow you to use WhatsApp on two different smartphones — like you can with rival messaging services.

2021 MacBook Pro owners suffer kernel crashes when playing HDR video

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2021 MacBook Pro
That's not fun.
Photo: Apple

Some 2021 MacBook Pro owners are reporting that their new machines are susceptible to kernel crashes when playing HDR video on YouTube. The problem appears to be happening inside Safari and third-party web browsers.

It’s not yet clear what the root cause is — or if it will be fixed with the upcoming macOS 12.1 update, which is currently in beta testing ahead of its release.

This retro racer is as close as we got to Mario Kart on the original Mac — and you can play it

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Emora Kart Mario Kart clone for Macintosh
Gaming has come a long way since 1994. (Thank goodness.)
GIF: Matt Sephton

Even back in the early ’90s, Mario Kart was one of the hottest games you could get to scratch that crazy kart-racing itch. Super Mario Kart became an instant success after it debuted in 1992 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. So, naturally, other game developers tried to replicate it on other platforms.

Emora Kart, launched in 1994, is the closest we got on Macintosh.

Later distributed with a 2002 copy of MacLife magazine in Japan, Emora Kart looked pretty fun — even in black and white — and it’s obvious where it got its inspiration. You can play this retro racer now in your browser (or download an original copy for free).

Control freak Apple makes iPhone 13 the ‘strongest case yet for right to repair’

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iPhone 13 display repairs kill Face ID
Way to go, Apple.
Photo: iFixit

The teardown experts at iFixit have confirmed that unauthorized display replacements break Face ID on iPhone 13. They also warn that Apple’s rather unscrupulous move has “huge implications for the professional repair industry.”

The only way around the change is to employ incredibly complicated micro soldering practices to transfer the display chip from the original screen over to the new one. It is “the strongest case yet for right to repair laws,” iFixit says.

Twitter fixes a big search problem on iPhone and iPad

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Twitter profile search iPhone
Install the latest Twitter update to get its new search tool.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Trying to find tweets posted by a certain user has long been a complicated process on Twitter. But it just got a lot easier on iPhone and iPad, thanks to a new button that can now be found on every user profile.

The button allows you to quickly search tweets posted by a specific account, while leaving out everything else.

Peloton partly blames Apple for post-pandemic sales plunge

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Peloton blames Apple for sales slump
It's much more difficult for Peloton to serve targeted ads.
Photo: Peloton

Apple’s efforts to bolster your privacy protections on iPhone and iPad are being blamed for a sharp decline in Peloton sales.

The company enjoyed a boom while everyone was stuck at home during the pandemic, but it has since been forced to cut its outlook by as much as $1 billion. It said this week that Apple’s crackdown on tracking is partly at fault.

6 brilliant but affordable AirPods alternatives

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AirPods might just be the best wireless buds you can pair with Apple devices, but they’re also pretty expensive. Plenty of more affordable options that deliver stellar sound and reliable connectivity in a neat design are available.

So, if you’re buying on a budget this holiday season, skip the Apple Store and check out these six brilliant but more affordable alternatives to AirPods.

iPhone X with USB-C port hits eBay with bids at over $85,000

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iPhone with USB-C hits eBay
Will you be placing a bid?
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Remember the iPhone X that was modded to use a USB-C port? The robotics engineer who created it this week listed the device on eBay, and it has already racked up more than 140 bids to reach an eye-watering $85,550.

The auction, which includes a 30-minute phone call with seller Ken Pillonel, still has seven days left to run. But Pillonel asks bidders not to restore or update the device — or even use it as their daily driver.

iPad mini could get 120Hz ProMotion display, fixing ‘jelly scroll’

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iPad mini on table
But don't get your hopes up.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

A future iPad mini refresh could bring 120Hz ProMotion technology to Apple’s smallest tablet, according to a new report.

The upgrade could fix the “jelly scrolling” effect that his been exhibited by many 2021 iPad mini units — upsetting a lot of early adopters — which use the same 60Hz refresh rate as iPad Air and the 10.2-inch entry-level iPad.

Will Smith will be Oprah’s next guest on Apple TV+

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Will Smith sits down with Oprah for Apple TV+
Watch it tomorrow, November 5.
Photo: Apple

Apple on Friday confirmed that award-winning actor, rapper and producer Will Smith will be the next guest on The Oprah Conversation. The episode is scheduled to premiere on Friday, November 5 on Apple TV+.

Apple says the conversation will focus on Smith’s memoirs, deepest insecurities, biggest life lessons, and navigating a complex marriage that has become increasingly public in recent months.