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iPhone X makes stunning motion capture dirt-cheap

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Face ID iPhone X
Face ID can be used for more than just unlocking your iPhone X.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone X’s TrueDepth camera system could soon make capturing Hollywood-quality motion capture as easy as snapping a selfie.

In a demo showing you don’t need millions of dollars in studio equipment, Big Screen VR founder Darshan Shankar tweeted a demo of some motion capture work that is being done using nothing more than an iPhone X and commodity body trackers.

Check it out:

How to quickly zoom text on your iPhone and iPad

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zoom text
A magnifying glass is the OG zoom for paper
Photo: theilr/Flickr CC

It’s not just old folks or people with bad eyesight that like big text on their iPhones and iPads. Maybe it’s late and you’re getting sleepy. Or perhaps you have your iPad propped up on the desk during the day and would appreciate larger text because it’s quite a bit farther away than when you hand-hold it. Or maybe you’ll try this tip and realise that zooming text is as useful as zooming photos.

iOS has long allowed you to zoom text, but it was buried deep in the Accessibility section of Settings, making it hard to adjust on the fly. Ever since iOS 11, though, you’ve been able to zoom text as easily as adjusting the screen brightness. Let’s take a look.

Your iPhone tracks every place you visit. Here’s how to see the map.

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Significant Locations
Bubbles show you where you have visited.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Your iPhone knows where you are, and it remembers where you have been. It keeps a record of your frequent hangouts — aka “significant locations” — and uses this data to make location-based suggestions using Siri and to power other features. Don’t panic, though: This data is kept on your phone, not collected by Apple.

Maybe you want to switch it off anyway, though. Perhaps you’re having an affair and don’t want your suspicious spouse to find out where you and your lover hook up. Or you’re an undercover cop and don’t want your visits to the police station to show up on your phone. Today we’ll see how to access your recent locations data, remove it, and switch it off altogether.

How to find and use the custom spelling dictionary on your Mac

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Edit your Mac custom dictionary.
A dictionary definition of "dictionary," to illustrate an article about dictionaries.
Photo: Caleb Roenigk/Flickr CC

Your Mac has a built-in dictionary and spell-checker. You knew that. You also know that you can add and remove words from that dictionary as you go, teaching the dictionary on the fly.

But did you know that there’s also a text document on your Mac that contains your entire personal custom spelling dictionary? And that you can use this to move your spelling preferences between computers?

You can!

5 awesome cases to keep your iPhone X safe and stylish

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iPhone X case roundup
Looking for a new case for your iPhone X? We've got you covered.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

At $1,000, the iPhone X is as expensive as it is attractive. That’s not so great should the worst happen, since replacing the screen alone will cost around $300.

Since I’ve had mine, it’s practically lived in a case. In today’s video, I’m sharing some of my favorite iPhone X cases so far — ranging from the stylish to the extra-durable. Check them out below.

iPhone X users report overheating, excessive data consumption

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iPhone X
Ready to ditch your iPhone X already? There's still time to get a great price!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Life with an iPhone X isn’t as rosy as it should be for some adopters. Many report that their handsets are plagued by frequent overheating and excessive data consumption. Some have even resorted to placing their handset in a freezer to cool it down.

Name your price for a complete coding education [Deals]

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This is a great opportunity to add the super marketable skill of coding to your resume.
This is a great opportunity to add the super marketable skill of coding to your resume.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s as true in 2018 as it was in 2017: coding is one of the most marketable skills you can learn. Learning any new skill can feel intimidating, but with the right instruction it’s possible for anyone to add coding to their resume. And with the right deal, it can be affordable to almost anybody too.

How to reopen a recently closed tab in Safari on iOS

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Reopen recently closed tabs in Safari.
None of these Tabs is yet open.
Photo: Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr CC

You’ve done it. We’ve all done it. You’ve closed a tab in Safari and instantly realized that it was the wrong one.

It’s not the end of the world. You can open a fresh tab and schlep over to the history panel to hunt down that URL. Or, if you remember something about the title of the page, you can start typing it into Safari’s URL bar and watch for suggestions that match. But there’s a much easier way to access all your recently closed Safari tabs — and it’s just one long-press away.

iPhone and iPad are susceptible to widespread CPU flaw, too [Update]

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Apple A5 chip
Apple's A series chips could also be vulnerable to a nasty flaw.
Photo: Apple

A nasty CPU flaw that leaves computer users’ most sensitive data at risk is also present in iPhone and iPad processors, Apple confirmed Thursday.

The “Spectre” bug has been discovered in the mobile ARM processors that power iOS devices, as well as Apple TV — but there’s probably no need to panic.

How to use iOS 11’s Files with (some) unsupported apps

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file

Photo:

iOS’ Files app is one of the best new features in iOS. It lets you move files from app to app almost as easily as in the Mac’s Finder. The problem is, not all apps support it. To use an app with Files, that app needs to either accept files dragged onto it via drag-and-drop, or it needs to integrate the Files picker.

But you can still use Files with some older apps, or apps from developers who don’t want to add support: Many file-based apps will open up a web server to let you load stuff in via a browser on a Mac or PC. We can exploit this old-fashioned workaround with a workaround of our own, effectively adding local Files support. And don’t worry, it’s dead easy.

iMac Pro packs more memory than every Apple II computer ever built

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Apple II
This amazing stat comes from Apple's first ever applications software engineer.
Photo: Computer History Museum

A midrange model of Apple’s new iMac Pro comes with a massive 11 times as many bytes of electronic memory as the Apple II, the company’s first breakthrough computer.

Doesn’t sound all that impressive? We’re not just talking about a single Apple II unit. Instead, that figure refers to the sum total of all electronic memory ever installed on all 6 million Apple II computers ever built!

How to sell your old iPhone or iPad

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iPhone X scuffs
Be honest about wear and tear on your old iPhone.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Maybe you got a new iPhone or iPad for Christmas. And now you must deal with offloading your old device. (Thanks a lot, Santa.)

You can give away your old iPhone, or sell it, but before you do either of those you need to do a little prep work. Today we’ll see how to find out how much your old iPhone or iPad is worth, and then how to make it safe to sell.

The best iPhone screen protectors

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cracked-iphone
Don't let this happen to you.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Dropping your iPhone may crack it, but the most likely way to ruin the screen is to scratch it. You might drop your iPhone into your bag and let it rattle around with your keys. You may absent-mindedly slip some change into your dedicated iPhone pants pocket. Or your significant other might pick up your week-old iPhone and a nail file in the same hand, gouging the screen so badly that the scratches are all you’ll ever see from then on.

To prevent this, you should get an iPhone screen protector. Here are the best you can buy.

Start the new year by learning to code iPhone apps [Deals]

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PWYW iOS 11
This bundle of courses covers all of iOS 11. Just beat the average price to score the entire bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

iOS 11 has become the new standard when it comes to design-focused operating systems. With every update, comes more fun, intuitive, and functional features. Learning to code for the iPhone isn’t as daunting as you think, practice makes perfect.

How to squeeze the longest life from your iPhone battery

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battery
Just be thankful your iPhone doesn't run on these.
Photo: Toshiyuki IMAI/Flickr CC

Thanks to batterygate, the good news is that Apple will now switch out the battery in your old iPhone for $29 instead of $79, a price so cheap it would be crazy not to do it. But how do you take care of that new battery to stop it going bad? The truth is, the lithium ion batteries in phones and notebook computers have a finite life. But you can prolong that life with a few easy tricks.

What’s the best Apple gadget of 2017? Catch our picks, on The CultCast

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Lisa CultCast
It's been a great year for Apple hardware.
Photo: @YSR50

Very spicy episode this week on The CultCast: We break down why everyone is pissed that Apple is slowing down iPhones and Macs with older batteries, and how you can tell if you’re being throttled. Plus, it’s been a great year for Apple hardware — don’t miss our picks for Apple gadget of the year!

Our thanks to Upsie for supporting this episode. Why pay $200 for AppleCare+ when an iPhone X accidental damage warranty from Upsie is $80 less? Get 10 percent off your first purchase at upsie.com with code “CultCast” at checkout.

Best gadgets of 2017

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Best gadgets 2017
What gadgets grabbed our attention in 2017? Funny you should ask.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac's 2017 Year in Review Welcome to Cult of Mac‘s Gadget of the Year extravaganza. Unlike some other blogs, where harassed writers get a last-minute order from the boss to come up with an end-of-year list, and then spend a half-hour writing up the first five Google results for their given subject, our top gadgets are all rad, and all genuinely worth your cash.

Two of them will even change how you use technology, which isn’t a bad score for just one year. Let’s take a look at our favorite gadgets of 2017, and see why they’re so good.

Best iPhone accessories [2017 Gift Guide]

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iPhone Gift Guide 2017
Need gift ideas? Find them right here!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2017 Gift Guide bugThe holidays are right around the corner, which means it’s time to start picking out the perfect gifts for your loved ones. Cult of Mac can help! This gift guide offers up a whole bunch of awesome gift suggestions for the iPhone lover in your life.

We handpicked some of the finest cases, wireless chargers, Bluetooth earbuds and more. They’re better than a bookstore voucher, and they’re guaranteed to fetch a smile.

Best Apple Watch accessories for smartwatch fans [2017 Gift Guide]

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Apple Watch gift guide
Great gift ideas for any Apple Watch wearer.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2017 Gift Guide bugTreat the Apple Watch lover in your life to some sweet gifts this holiday season.

Cult of Mac can help you pick out the finest accessories money can buy for Apple Watch fanatics. We have everything from swanky straps to chic charging stands in our best Apple Watch accessories roundup.