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Lewis Wallace - page 17

How to get your $25 ‘Batterygate’ settlement from Apple

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iPhone
Did you own an iPhone throttled by Apple? If so, you could get a $25 check.
Photo: andri333/Pixabay CC

If you owned an iPhone that took a performance hit after a controversial iOS update, Apple might owe you $25. The payments follow Apple’s settlement of a class-action lawsuit over “Batterygate.”

However, to get your check, your claim must be received by October 6, 2020. Find out how to apply for a Batterygate payment, and exactly what you need to qualify, below.

It’s App Store trivia time! [Cult of Mac Magazine 357]

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Time to bone up on your App Store trivia.
Time to bone up on your App Store trivia.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Today, the App Store is a part of every iPhone owner’s life — but it almost didn’t happen. Get the story behind that near-miss, plus some other fascinating App Store factoids, in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine.

It’s free, and it also packs the latest Apple news and how-tos. Plus, this week we’ve got reviews of three new Apple TV+ offerings, including Tom Hanks’ World War II movie, Greyhound.

Download it now and enjoy it on your favorite iOS device. (Or use the links below to read in your browser.)

Tell LinkedIn users how to pronounce your name properly

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Tap the little speaker icon to hear the LinkedIn name pronunciation
Tap the little speaker icon to hear the name pronunciation
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

If you’re applying for jobs and want to help recruiters avoid an awkward moment as they struggle to pronounce your name, a new LinkedIn feature can help.

It just takes a minute to record the proper pronunciation of your name and add the audio clip to the networking and job-search platform. Here’s how to do potential recruiters a solid — and how to have a little (possibly ill-advised) fun if you dare.

Tom Hanks says Apple TV+ ‘saved the day’ by snapping up Greyhound

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Tom Hanks saves Apple TV+ threw Greyhound a lifeline.
Tom Hanks thanks Apple TV+ for throwing his new World War II movie a lifeline.
Photo: The Today Show

Tom Hanks said Tuesday that Apple TV+ “saved the day” by releasing his new World War II movie during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the actor couldn’t say enough good things about Apple when he hit The Today Show to promo Greyhound, which debuts on Apple TV+ this Friday.

All the happy talk came a day after Hanks made headlines for calling Greyhound’s upcoming streaming debut an “absolute heartbreak.”

Logitech’s high-end MX Keys and MX Master 3 get makeovers for Macs

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MX Master 3 for Mac and MX Keys for Mac - optimized for Mac and now in space gray.
The high-end MX Series keyboard and mouse from Logitech get a Mac-oriented overhaul.
Photo: Logitech

Logitech launched Mac versions of its popular MX Keys and MX Master 3 on Tuesday, giving the pro keyboard and mouse a space gray makeover and adding some Apple-specific tweaks.

Most of the changes seem totally awesome for the “Mac purists” Logitech is targeting with these high-end accessories. One change might not be so welcome, though, depending on your experience with Bluetooth peripherals.

The company also released a new Mac-oriented version of its smaller K380 keyboard in white and pink color options.

Inside an indie dev’s ‘overnight success’ [Cult of Mac Magazine 356]

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It took 10 years of work to create StaffPad, an iPad music app that won an Apple Design Award.
It took 10 years of work to create StaffPad, the iPad music app that won an Apple Design Award.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

David William Hearn, co-creator of revolutionary iPad music notation app StaffPad, reveals the decade-long quest that earned the app an Apple Design Award.

You’ll find that story, plus the usual roundup of iPhone and Mac news and rumors, in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s packed with Apple how-tos and reviews, too. Download it to read the slick iOS mag on your iPad, or hit the links below to get the stories in your browser.

P.S. Don’t miss our Fourth of July sale in the Cult of Mac Store.

This $27 tool helped me ID the Ethernet cables in my wall [Under Review]

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Elegiant Wire Tracker: This $27 tool will quickly identify Ethernet cables buried in your wall.
If you can't tell which Ethernet cable goes where, this inexpensive tool can help.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Under Review on The CultCast The Elegiant Wire Tracker looks unassuming, but it helped me solve a frustrating problem: identifying the Ethernet cables buried behind the walls of my house. The inexpensive kit consists of a little plastic probe about the size of a Polish sausage and an emitter about the size of an iPhone (only it’s an inch or so thick).

It’s made of blue plastic, so it doesn’t pack that heavyweight “pro” feel, but it seems fairly durable. And if you need to figure out which Ethernet cable goes where, it gets the job done.

Boys State trailer somehow makes politics look like summertime fun

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First Boys State trailer makes politics look fun.
Who says politics needs to be nasty?
Image: Apple TV+

It might seem totally impossible in 2020, but upcoming Apple TV+ documentary Boys State makes politics look fun. The first trailer, which Apple released Tuesday, introduces some of the real-life young men who engage in an annual Texas tradition that’s basically summer camp for citizens.

That might sound nerdy and dry, but the first promo spot crackles with energy. It feels almost like a mashup of Election, Dazed and Confused and Napoleon Dynamite (with a little bit of Little America and, hopefully, Meatballs, thrown in to spice things up).

WWDC 2020’s biggest reveals [Cult of Mac Magazine 355]

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Relive WWDC 2020's biggest moments.
WWDC 2020 gives us a clear vision of the bright future of macOS and iOS.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020 We didn’t get the new Apple hardware we expected during this week’s WWDC keynote, but we did get a whole bunch of hot new software. Get our take on upcoming updates to Apple’s biggest platforms — macOS Big Sur, iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7 and more — in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine.

Don’t miss our roundup of all the cool “hidden” iOS 14 features that Apple couldn’t squeeze into its slick virtual keynote. We’ll also toss in the rest of our coverage of this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, plus some handy how-tos and reviews. Read it all in the free mag (which you can download from the App Store) or in the links below.

Get ready to log into websites with Face ID or Touch ID

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Use Face ID or Touch ID to log into websites with Safari.
Logging in to websites is about to get easier for Apple users.
Screenshot: Apple

WWDC 2020 Safari users soon will be able to securely log into websites using Face ID and Touch ID. The new feature, which Apple is rolling out in iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and macOS Big Sur, should take away one of the most irritating things about using the web — remembering, and then typing in, user names and complicated passwords.

On websites that support the feature, users can opt in to use Apple’s biometric ID systems, making that irritating login dance a thing of the past.

macOS 11 Big Sur ushers in sweeping changes to Mac

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WWDC 2020: It's official: The next version of macOS will be called
It's official: The next version of macOS will be called "Big Sur."
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020 The next Mac operating system, called macOS Big Sur, will bring the biggest design overhaul in nearly two decades, Apple said Monday. In addition to the massive visual upgrades, MacOS Big Sur will usher in huge changes to the Messages, Maps and the Safari web browser.

Apple unveiled the massive changes coming to macOS on Monday during the company’s keynote kicking off this year’s online-only Worldwide Developers Conference.

“This year, we’re taking the macOS experience you love even further,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior VP of software engineering, as he launched into a deep dive into changes coming soon to Mac.

Our WWDC 2020 predictions [Cult of Mac Magazine 354]

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WWDC 2020 keynote predictions: Get ready to rumble.
Here's what to expect from next week's WWDC keynote.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020 Are you as psyched for WWDC 2020 as we are? The cover story of this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine tells you what to expect from next week’s big keynote. (Spoiler alert: Sounds like some new hardware in addition to the mandatory look at upcoming software.)

Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find the latest Apple news and leaks, plus how-tos for your Apple devices. Finally, don’t miss our reviews and recommendations — including a look at new documentary Dads, the latest disappointment from Apple TV+.

Grab your copy of the free iOS mag today (or hit the links below for the stories.)

Twitter gets mouthy with new voice tweets feature

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Twitter adds voice tweets: Brace yourself for a barrage of voice tweets.
Brace yourself for a barrage of voice tweets.
Photo: Sara Kurfeß/Unsplash CC

As if Twitter wasn’t noisy enough, it soon will let certain users post audio tweets. The new feature, which Twitter is testing exclusively on iOS devices, will let users talk for up to 140 seconds.

Twitter says the voice tweets will “add a more human touch” to the service.

These obscure ingredients make one hell of a cocktail [What We’re Into]

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You need Velvet Falernum and Scrappy's Firewater Tincture to make a Spicy Dead Lady cocktail.
Spice up your backyard bar with these quirky ingredients.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

What We're Into bug If you’re looking to shake up your cocktail game, try putting these two ingredients in the mix: John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum and Scrappy’s Firewater Tincture.

The first is a syrupy liqueur from Barbados that’s typically used in Tiki drinks. The second is a devilishly hot habanero tincture. They’re both key ingredients in a fantastic cocktail called the Spicy Dead Lady.

Why HealthKit needs an iCloud upgrade [Cult of Mac Magazine 353]

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Adding iCloud integration to HealthKit would be a game-changer.
Adding iCloud integration to HealthKit would be a game-changer.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Giving HealthKit an iCloud injection would make Apple’s health-tracking framework much more powerful. Will this be the year Apple takes HealthKit to the next level?

Find out why it should be, in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. You can download it now from the iOS App Store. Grab it now and get the week’s top Apple news, including some juicy new bits about what’s coming next from Cupertino’s product pipeline.

P.S. Don’t miss the big Father’s Day Sale in the Cult of Mac Store.

How to use ‘dot’ glitch to skip paywalls and watch YouTube without ads

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This quick trick lets you dodge YouTube ads.
This quick trick lets you dodge YouTube ads.
Photo: Szabo Viktor/Unsplash CC

Adding a single character to a URL can let you bypass some websites’ metered paywalls and watch YouTube videos without having to endure those annoying ads.

The simple hack — typing a “dot” immediately after the “.com” in a site’s URL — doesn’t work on every single website out there. But it does give you an advertisement-free pass to many of them.

Apple details exactly how WWDC 2020 will go down

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Apple WWDC 2020 lineup revealed
Apple's first online-only WWDC will be open to all.
Image: Apple

WWDC 2020 Apple laid out its plans for “the biggest WWDC to date” in a press release Wednesday, detailing exactly how the first online-only developers conference will go down.

With live streams available on Apple’s website, YouTube and other platforms, everyone can watch the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on June 22. During the highly anticipated event, Cupertino’s execs will showcase what the future holds for iPhone, Mac and other Apple devices.

Grab this refurb Mac Pro for just … $43,000

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President Trump will tour Apple's Mac Pro factory in Texas this week
Prep your credit card for maximum impact.
Photo: Apple

Hey, big spender. Act fast and you can snag a refurbished 28-core Mac Pro — for just $43,859.

It’s totally tricked out, so it’s the most expensive Mac Pro currently in Apple’s refurb store. Grab your credit card, and it can be sitting on your desk by Wednesday!

Every iMac design, ranked! [Cult of Mac Magazine 352]

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Every iMac design ranked.
Over the years, Apple designers came up with plenty of ingenious iMac designs.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Which iMac design stands as the best ever? Apple has unleashed some pretty radical revisions to its all-in-one computer over the years, and we ranked them all.

Find out which iMac came out on top in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. You can download it now from the iOS App Store. It’s stuffed with the latest Apple news, reviews and how-tos (plus some cool new Apple concepts). Or you can read the week’s top stories in the link roundups below.

The new king of Apple scoops? [Cult of Mac Magazine 351]

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Jon Prosser: The new king of Apple scoops?
There's an art to spoiling Apple's biggest secrets.

Jon Prosser is the hot new Apple reporter on the scene. On Twitter and his Front Page Tech channel on YouTube, he delivers Apple scoops with a healthy side helping of humor. So, is Prosser the new Mark Gurman?

Read our take in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. As always, the free iOS mag is filled with Apple news, reviews and how-tos.

Demystifying Apple’s COVID-19 efforts [Cult of Mac Magazine 350]

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Here's how Apple's COVID-19 contact-tracing system works.
Here's how Apple's COVID-19 contact-tracing system works.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

When Apple released iOS 13.5 this week, it paved the way for privacy-focused contact-tracing apps to fight COVID-19. However, these apps don’t yet exist. And, despite some panicked reports online, your iPhone isn’t going to start snooping on you as soon as you upgrade your operating system.

We set out to clear up some misconceptions about how this whole contact-tracing thing is going to work. You can read all about it in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine.

Elsewhere in the free iOS mag, you’ll get the scoop on our podcast interview with Jon Prosser, the Apple leaker who’s making headlines. Plus, the usual Apple news, reviews and how-tos. Download it now and get to reading, or get the stories in the links below.

Twitter tests feature that lets users clamp down on conversations

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Twitter tests new feature that lets users limit who can reply.
Imagine a Twitter where only specified people can reply to a given tweet.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Twitter is expanding testing of a new feature that lets users specify exactly who can reply to their tweets. The new conversation settings, which Twitter said Wednesday it is rolling out to a small percentage of users, lets people limit replies to people they follow or to certain individuals.

It’s Twitter’s latest attempt to tame toxic conversations on the free-wheeling platform. (As you might expect, not everyone is thrilled with the concept.)

Play Nintendo games on your iOS device [Cult of Mac Magazine 349]

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Get your game on! Find out how to play classic Nintendo games on iOS devices.
Get your game on!
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

You don’t need to jailbreak your iPhone or iPad to play classic Nintendo games on them these days. It’s easier than ever to get your game on — find out in how in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine.

This week’s issue also includes plenty of other tips and how-tos to help you get the most out of your Apple devices. Plus, you’ll get some juicy Apple news and rumors, including a report on a total Newton nerdfest attended by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak himself.

Dystopia doesn’t get any more disturbing than The Handmaid’s Tale [What We’re Into]

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In The Handmaid's Tale, Elisabeth Moss makes the nightmare real.
The Handmaid's Tale centers on Offred (played by Elisabeth Moss).
Photo: George Kraychyk/Hulu

What We're Into bug If you thought life during COVID-19 lockdown seems awful, trust me — it’s got nothing on Gilead. That’s the fictional setting of The Handmaid’s Tale, a riveting dystopian TV show that’s racked up awards for Hulu since its 2017 debut on the streaming service.

I’ve burned my way through the first season, and I can’t take my eyes off this terrifying vision of a perverted future.