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How to report bugs you find in iOS and iPadOS 14

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How to iPadOS 14
Help make iOS and iPadOS 14 more stable.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

If you’ve already updated to the iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 public betas, you have an opportunity to help ensure they are as stable as can be by the time they roll out to everyone this fall.

Found a bug? Report it to Apple to increase the chances of it being fixed in a future beta release. It’s quick and simple, and it will make using iPhone and iPad better for everyone.

Here’s how to file effective bug reports for iOS and iPadOS 14.

macOS Big Sur beta hints at Face ID for Mac

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Face ID on MacBook
Face ID on a MacBook could be a better fit than it is for iPhone or iPad.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

New evidence indicates that Apple will bring its Face ID biometric security system to Macs. The latest beta of macOS Big Sur reportedly contains code related to facial recognition.

We’re not in Kansas anymore: Apple II fest gets geeky online (and you’re invited)

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KansasFest soldering 1
A past KansasFest during less socially distanced times.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Being a fan of the Apple II is a lonely hobby. While being an Apple lover in 2020 is more mainstream than ever, being an enthusiast for Apple’s first mass market computer — launched way back in 1977 — is significantly less common.

Unless it’s July 24-26, that is. Kicking off today, and running through the weekend, KansasFest is a conference dedicated to all things Apple II. And like every other conference this year, in 2020 it’s gone online only.

SmartDesk 2 lets you sit or stand at a stellar price [Review]

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SmartDesk 2 full setup with monitor and light
The SmartDesk 2 can turn your boring desk into a versatile workspace.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Until very recently, I never spent a lot of mental energy thinking about the desk I worked at. As long as there was enough space for whatever I was doing, and it wasn’t getting in the way, I was pretty flexible.

As I’ve started spending more time working and taking meetings from home, I have started to notice when certain “desks” don’t work as well. Sitting on the couch, standing at the bar in our kitchen, or working from the dining table are all OK from time to time, but none are particularly comfortable long-term. Some of this comes down to having a desk at the proper height, and some of it is the lack of flexibility I get in those situations.

That why, when the folks at Autonomous asked if I wanted to check out their SmartDesk 2 adjustable standing desk, I saw it as an opportunity to see if the hype about standing desks is all it’s cracked up to be.

Apple pushes tech toward green manufacturing, this week on The CultCast

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CultCast 442: AirPods with health sensors
Apple is definitely not neutral on going carbon neutral. (And neither are we.)
Image: The CultCast

This week on The CultCast: Apple — and the company’s entire supply chain — will be 100% carbon neutral by 2030, pushing the world of tech toward big changes. Plus: A powerful iOS 14 privacy feature will be great for consumers, but might kill the billion-dollar online ad industry. We’ll also tell you about some exciting new podcast features coming to Spotify, and wrap up with our favorite new gadgets on an all-new Under Review.

Our thanks to NETGEAR for supporting this episode. The Orbi WiFi 6 router gives you ultra-fast speeds and wider coverage throughout your home — it’s the biggest revolution in Wi-Fi ever. Check it out today at Netgear.com/bestwifi.

Connect Mac and TV over an ultrafast wireless connection with Hyper Mirror [Review]

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LikPok Hyper Mirror review
The tiny Hyper Mirror transmitter sends high-speed video from your Mac to an external display. It can plug into a bulkier USB-C adapter.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The LikPok Hyper Mirror saves you the hassle of stringing wires between your computer and TV. It makes a wireless connection instead, using the extremely fast mmWave technology normally found in 5G networks rather than Wi-Fi.

Read on for the results of my tests with this replacement for HDMI cables.

New Gorilla Glass could make the toughest iPhone yet

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Corning's Gorilla Glass 6 can survive being dropped over a dozen times. Ape not included.
Gorilla Glass Victus protects phones from drops and scratches better than ever before.
Photo: Corning

Corning unveiled an improved version of Gorilla Glass on Thursday that it promises is much more scratch and shatter resistant than its predecessor. The new iteration, dubbed Victus, could lead to iPhones that survive both being dropped and being stuffed in a pocket with a set of a car keys.

Make older Macs feel new again by switching web browsers [Pro tip]

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Switch browsers to speed up an old Mac
Some browsers are better than others on older machines.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Pro-tip-4

Got an old Mac that’s crawling to a halt every time you browse the web? It might not be your hardware that’s in need of a change. Before splashing out on new components, try switching browsers instead—or consider what to do with old MacBook to give it a new lease on life.

How iPhone fuels Dimpy Bhalotia’s ethereal street photography

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Dimpy Bhalotia's photos capture little slices of life from unusual angles.
Dimpy Bhalotia's photos capture little slices of life from unusual angles.
Photo: Dimpy Bhalotia

For nearly a decade, photographer Dimpy Bhalotia has been using iPhones to document captivating street scenes in luscious black and white. She’s used almost every model Apple ever released — and this week, she took home top honors in the prestigious iPhone Photography Awards.

Bhalotia, a full-time fine art street photographer based out of London, told Cult of Mac she loves shooting with an iPhone so much that it’s become second nature.

“It’s a lightweight butter slice always in my hand, which has the entire world in it,” she said. “It feels like I’m shooting with my palm.”

How to lock down Facebook Messenger with Face ID or Touch ID

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Add Face ID or Touch ID to Facebook Messenger for maximum security.
Take this simple precaution to keep your chats private.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Facebook Messenger’s new App Lock feature lets you add an extra layer of security to the popular chat app. iPhone and iPad users can switch on Face ID or Touch ID so they never need to worry about anybody seeing their messages.

The previously rumored feature, which Facebook rolled out for iOS devices Wednesday, is easy to enable. Plus, you can tweak a setting to make sure App Lock works ideally for you. Here’s all you need to do to turn on Face ID or Touch ID for Facebook Messenger.

How to use a PS4 or Xbox One controller in Call of Duty: Mobile

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How to use a controller in Call of Duty: Mobile
Controller support has its problems, but it works if you use it right.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Recent Call of Duty: Mobile updates have made big improvements to game controller support, but it’s still not as seamless as it could be. You will often find yourself running into issues for no apparent reason.

Here’s everything you need to know about using a controller in CoD: Mobile — including how to get set up the right way with a PS4 or Xbox One controller to avoid common problems.

Year’s finest iPhone photos look absolutely stunning

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Shot on iPhone 2020 winner 1
So, that's what's possible with an iPhone camera and a bit of imagination.
Photo: Dimpy Bhalotia

The iPhone has transformed photography by giving everyone (well, everyone with an iPhone) a passably professional camera that they carry with them every moment of the day.

To celebrate all things iPhone photographic, the iPhone Photography Awards (IPPA) showcase the best snaps taken each year on an Apple handset. Here are some of the newly announced winners of the 2020 contest. They’re stunners.

Change the size of picture-in-picture windows on iPhone and iPad [Pro tip]

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iOS 14 picture-in-picture pro tip
Switch window sizes in an instant.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Pro-tip-4 iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 don’t just bring picture-in-picture (PiP) to iPhone for the first time; they also make it possible to change the size of PiP windows on iPhone and iPad in an instant.

There are three PiP window sizes to choose from, and in this pro tip, we’ll show you how to switch between them.

Apple (and its entire supply chain) will be 100% carbon neutral by 2030

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campus
Apple Park leads the way forward for sustainability. The rest of Apple's supply chain is following suit.
Photo: Apple

Apple will become carbon neutral across its entire business and manufacturing chain by 2030, the company said Tuesday.

Cupertino’s global corporate operations are already carbon neutral. Now, the company promises that in 10 years’ time, “every Apple device sold will have net zero climate impact.”

Apple News Today is an Apple News+ promo disguised as a peppy news podcast [Review]

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Apple News Today review: A daily news podcast with zero partisan rage.
Apple News Today is a news podcast with zero partisan rage.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Apple News Today, the breezy new podcast showcasing the day’s top news stories, sounds perfectly peppy and polished. Maybe too perfectly polished, in fact — you won’t find a single rough edge on this slickly produced daily news report, which Apple unleashed last week with iOS 13.6. You will endure no energized, partisan rants, either. These straight-down-the-middle reports won’t get your blood boiling while you make your morning coffee or tea. If you’re tired of partisanship, this is the antidote.

What you will find in the weekday audio show is steady promotion of the Apple News app, and of Apple News+, the company’s reportedly struggling subscription news service. This upbeat and earnest free daily news briefing basically functions as a Trojan horse for getting in the ears of potential Apple News+ subscribers.

Why Apple needs to fix the medical mask emoji ASAP [Opinion]

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The medical mask emoji needs an update for 2020.
The medical mask emoji has way too much in common with the disappointed face emoji.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when wearing a face mask slows the spread of this disease, Apple really must change its medical mask emoji. It seems like a small tweak, but it’s important.

Currently, the face shown is unhappy about having to wear a mask. The design needs to show the person is glad to do their part.

Apple gets hacked, and the vanishing of prolific leaker Jon Prosser, this week on The CultCast

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CultCast 442: AirPods with health sensors
This week's gigantic Twitter hack gives us the creeps.
Image: The CultCast

This week on The CultCast: A massive Twitter hack has Apple pushing a bitcoin scam to millions! Plus: iOS 13.6 brings some cool new features to Apple News. And we’ll tell you the newest info on Apple Glass, while pondering the fate of Jon Prosser, the prolific Apple insider who vanished right after leaking details on the AR specs.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.