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Intel confirms Spectre fixes can cause unwanted reboots

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Intel-Kaby-Lake
Intel will task GPUs with antivirus scanning.
Photo: Intel

Intel has confirmed that fixes for the widespread Spectre bug can cause unwanted reboots on many PCs. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the company has also revealed that its latest chips — including the Kaby Lake line launched in 2017 — are also susceptible to the bug.

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery RPG puts you into the story

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Harry Potter
Set during the 1980s, the game lets you join the ranks at Hogwarts.
Photo: Jam City

Harry Potter is coming to iOS. Well, kind of.

In fact, a forthcoming game from Los Angeles-based developer Jam City, in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, will let you create your very own Hogwarts student and then take them through the school: attending classes, learning magic, forming friendships and rivalries, and generally learning how to grow as a wizard.

It sounds intriguing, and we’re hoping it lives up to the enormous potential of its concept. Check out the first trailer for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery below.

Deck out your Macbook with these awesome add-ons [Deals]

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We've rounded up the best deals on essential accessories for your Macbook.
We've rounded up the best deals on essential accessories for your Macbook.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Buying a Macbook is just the first step. Once you’ve got your shiny new machine, it’s time to outfit it with the peripherals that’ll make it yours. So we’ve gathered some of the best deals on essential Macbook add-ons. That includes a neck-saving laptop stand, powerful drive repair software, a USB connection expansion, and more. Read on for more details:

Apple and Silicon Valley continue to fight Trump on immigration

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President Trump: Apple encryption could protect ‘criminal minds’
Apple and other tech giants say ending immigration program would be bad for hiring.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

Apple’s not giving up on fighting what it considers to be the good fight when it comes to immigration. On Thursday, a coalition of businesses including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and others urged President Trump not to abandon a program that allows the spouses of high-skilled immigrants to work in the U.S. while they are in the process of seeking permanent residence.

The initiative was introduced by President Barack Obama in 2015, but could be abandoned by the Trump administration as part of its crackdown on immigration.

Apple will start paying its enormous E.U. tax bill in March

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money
Apple was handed its massive tax bill in the middle of 2016.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple will pay its 13 billion euros ($15.5 billion) tax bill between March and September this year, Ireland’s Department of Finance Secretary General Derek Moran has told the country’s Public Accounts Committee.

The European Commission ordered the Irish government to recover the money from Apple after ruling that it received illegal state aid in Ireland. While Ireland is still appealing the decision, it must still collect the money, which will then be placed in an escrow account until the dispute is settled.

Apple snaps up Culver City office after HBO backs out

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Apple Culver City
Apple video's new home in Culver City.
Photo: Culver City Planning Dept.

Apple looks set to open a new office in Culver City, California, after HBO backed out of plans to take the lease. The new building, which features 128,000 square feet of space, is projected to open in late 2019 and could become the home of Apple’s original video efforts.

You’ll soon be able to disable Apple’s iPhone throttling feature

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iPhone-8
iOS 11 will likely land on most people's iPhones in March.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

With Apple facing mounting pressure, Tim Cook has revealed that a future iOS 11 update will let users disable the feature that was causing their iPhone to throttle performance.

In an interview with ABC News, Cook said that, “We’re going to give people the visibility of the health of their battery so it’s very, very transparent. This hasn’t been done before.”

How to install the official Apple SEED training app on iPhone

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Apple SEED
Sales Enablement, Education and Development.
Photo: Apple

Apple SEED is an official training app that you can’t download from the App Store. It’s designed to teach Apple Store employees and Authorized Resellers all they need to know about the company’s products and services.

Here’s a trick that lets you try out the SEED app on your own iPhone.

Apple employees get big bonus thanks to Trump

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

President Donald Trump’s new tax law is doing great things for Apple employees’ wallets.

Apple told employees today that it plans to give all of them $2,500 worth of restricted stock, thanks to the revised tax law that goes into effect this year.

How to use the Siri news podcast feature

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siri
Siri can now play news podcasts for you, just like olden-day radio.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Thanks to an iOS upgrade, a simple question — “Hey, Siri, what’s the news today?” — will now play you an NPR podcast. It’s just like turning on the radio in the morning to catch up on events, only you don’t have to use sucky radio. Here’s how to use Siri News.

9 ways to strengthen your Apple products

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Step up your iPhone and Mac security with these tips.
Step up your iPhone and Mac security with these tips.
Photo: Free Photos/Pixabay CC

This post is brought to you by TheBestVPN.com.

Think you’ll never fall victim to a cybercrime? Think again.

Recent data shows individuals have a one in 10 chance of becoming a victim of cybercrime each year. In fact, people are 20 times more likely to experience fraud than robbery.

It’s time to start taking your data security seriously by ensuring your smartphone, computer and online accounts are safe from hackers. Luckily, Apple products are pretty secure on their own. However, it never hurts to add an extra layer of protection. Start with these nine ways to strengthen your Apple products.

How to speed up your iPhone if the Spectre patch slows it down

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ghosts
Ghosts are a bit like spectres.
Photo: Sean MacEntee/Flickr CC

Spectre is the worst kind of security flaw. Not only do the partial fixes not even protect against attacks, but they also slow down your iPhone, or other device. But things aren’t quite as bad as they seem. You can take steps to speed up your iPhone once again, and one of the fixes not only makes the web faster, but also fixes Spectre’s biggest attack vector.

Apple says it will add $350 billion to U.S. economy

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Apple leases new offices near to Apple Park
A new Apple HQ is already on the way!
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

Apple’s big tax break is about to unleash an avalanche of spending from the iPhone-maker.

In a public statement this morning, Apple revealed its plans to contribute $350 billion to the U.S. economy over the next five years now that the fee for repatriating its mountain of overseas cash has been significantly lowered.

Name your price for a social marketing master class [Deals]

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Learn the fundamentals of social media marketing, for whatever you want to pay.
Learn the fundamentals of social media marketing, for whatever you want to pay.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Today, digital marketing is one of the largest and most lucrative industries. In 2018, platforms like Google and Facebook have become fundamental to marketing. So if you’re going to be successful at marketing, you’ve got to understand how to master social media.

Kristen Wiig will make you laugh in Apple’s new comedy

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Kristen Wiig slayed us in Bridesmaids.
Wiig will play Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984 instead.
Photo: Universal Pictures

Apple is bringing Kristen Wiig back to TV.

Wigg is set to star in Apple’s first TV comedy series that’s being executive produced by Reese Witherspoon. It will be the first time Wigg has starred in a TV show since she left Saturday Night Live in 2012.

Apple earns spot in first ‘Top 100 Global Technology Leaders’ list

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Tim Cook
Apple named in another top tech list.
Photo: Apple

Apple has earned a spot on the first “Top 100 Global Technology Leaders” list from Thomson Reuters.

The iPhone-maker was named in sixth place behind rivals like Microsoft and Google, but it did beat out Amazon and Samsung. The list is based on a 28-factor algorithm that measures performance across eight benchmarks, including innovation, environmental impact, and reputation.

BMW wants to charge drivers an annual fee for CarPlay

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CarPlay
BMW plans to charge users $80 per year for CarPlay.
Photo: Apple

Up until now, Apple’s in-car platform CarPlay has been offered as a one-off payment if you want it in a BMW vehicle. That could soon change, however, according to a new report, suggesting that BMW is looking to switch to a subscription-based system.

Apple battles HBO to acquire new J.J. Abrams sci-fi show

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JJ Abrams
J.J. Abrams' latest show would be a big coup for Apple.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikipedia CC

Apple and HBO are vying for a new sci-fi drama series written by Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams. The untitled show is the first bit of TV writing Abrams has done since working on Fringe a decade ago in 2008.

In addition to Fringe, Abrams co-created the popular TV show Lost, as well as creating both Felicity and Alias. He has also executive-produced multiple shows in the past few years, including HBO’s Westworld, Showtime’s Roadies and Hulu’s upcoming Castle Rock.