Getting online is getting in position to be hacked, snooped or blocked. Hotspot Shield dramatically reduces the risk of all of the above, encrypting your data through high speed connections with a secure and private network even via public Wi-Fi. If you’re uneasy about identity theft, frustrated by geo restrictions, or having your activity tracked, sign up with Hotspot Shield Elite VPN for life for $39.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Facebook is giving up on its attempt to be your go-to news outlet. Just seven months after it made its initial debut, the standalone Notify app, which provided push notifications for breaking news, is no more.

The 4-inch iPhone SE may not be the go-to choice of users wanting to get their hands on Apple’s premium handsets, but they’ve proven immensely popular in developing markets where they’ve been causing a major headache for Chinese makers of low-cost phones.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise to hear that Xiaomi — a company not exactly not for its reluctance to rip off Apple’s ideas — is rumored to be developing a smaller-sized smartphone aimed at taking back some of the ground it’s lost to the iPhone SE.

You may identify as an Apple fan in life, but is that really the way you’d like to be best-remembered in death?

If so, a company called Autograph, founded by Serbian artist Pavel Kayuk, may be able to help you. It has created a tombstone in the shape of an iPhone, referred to (of course) as the iTombstone — forever marking you out as coolest character in the graveyard. Or something like that.

Apple’s often-ridiculed Maps app is getting some much-needed assistance, thanks to a recent new hire who helped invent the satellite navigation systems used by a bevy of automakers. 

Sinisa Durekovic, a software engineer who was the principle architect and engineer for Harman International Industries’ navigation systems, has reportedly joined Apple, and the company won’t say what he is working on.

Having trouble using iCloud, iTunes, or pretty much any other Apple service right now?

It’s not just you. Multiple Apple services are currently down and there’s no word on when they’ll be coming back up.

Mainland China is Apple’s second biggest market, and will one day be its first. The company is making a big push on the mainland, opening new stores and investing in home-grown companies. Why the interest? Because China is the new Japan — it’s where the future is happening. All this week we take a look at the cutting-edge apps that define mobile life on the mainland.

SHANGHAI CITY, China — A Chinese friend of mine recently started a fashion blog and asked me to take and edit some photos of her. We met up one sunny afternoon and I snapped various shots of her posing in a local park for an hour or so. After the shoot, we took a look at the photos together and she selected a few for me to edit. I took a crack at the photos in Photoshop, but she was far from satisfied.

“You barely even fixed my face,” she told me. “Just send me the photos and I’ll edit them on my iPhone.”

I was mystified. What iPhone app can rival the technology of Photoshop? How exactly was she going to “fix” her face?

Apple is expected to introduce a massive MacBook Pro redesign later this year, and photos recently published by Cult of Mac all but confirm it will feature an OLED touchpad and USB-C connectivity.

But it seems the company will have to win some fans over first, because many aren’t happy about these changes.

The folks at Chick-fil-A have found a magical formula for shooting to the top of the App Store charts: free chicken.

To promote its new mobile ordering app, the chicken-based fast food company is giving away free chicken sandwiches, all you have to do is download the new app and createa Chick-fil-A One account.

We’ve got another bonanza of discounted Apple gear, from laptops to desktops. These and more are in the best Apple deals we’ve seen this week.

Used Apple MacBook Air Laptops from $479

Other World Computing discounts a selection of used Apple MacBook Air Laptops, with prices starting at $479. This price was found on a 13″ MacBook Air with Core i5 Sandy Bridge processor, 64GB SSD and 4GB RAM. Plus, all orders qualify for free shipping. Available quantities for some models may be limited. Each is covered by a 90-day warranty.

Apple took a major step this week toward getting out of its $533 million payment to the patent troll Smartflash LLC after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled that two of three patents owned by Smartflash are invalid.

The patent agency ruled that the two of the patents shouldn’t have even been issues in the first place because they are abstract concepts and not specific inventions. The USPTO made a similar ruling against one of Smartflash’s patents in March, which could help Apple get the case dismissed.

Microsoft today announced that it’s opening up its HoloLens platform to third-parties — and it has a crazy new ad to celebrate.

The three-minute clip showcases some of HoloLens’ insane capabilities, like turning an old warehouse into a shoe store, putting people from around the world in the same room, and taking you on sublime acid trips without the acid.

Apple will not be updating its old ass Thunderbolt display anytime soon, despite rumors that suggested the company was planning to unveil a new 5K Thunderbolt display with a built-in GPU at this year’s WWDC.

Apple should have started development on the Apple Car a lot earlier than it did, according to Space X and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

The real-life comic-book superhero sat down for an interview at Code Conference and said that when it comes to autonomous cars, Google won’t be a competitor because they’re not a car company, however Apple will be.

Musk thinks it may be too late for Apple to be truly competitive though.

It looks like a dual-lens camera will be the most exciting upgrade for the iPhone 7 Plus this year, but you might be able to get one a month early from Samsung.

According to one report, the South Korean company is expected to deliver one inside the Galaxy Note 7 edge, which is due to make its debut in mid-August.

9.7-inch iPad Pro devices that were bricked by Apple’s initial release of iOS 9.3.2 are finally getting some relief today in the form of a new update that should set everything right.

Two dating Mac geeks set a gift ground rule one Christmas: presents must be handmade.

Roberto Hoyos, with the ability to sew in his DNA, crafted seven throw pillows in the shape of the Mac OS X icons. The Apple fan couple is no longer an item — but the pillows are.

So you forgot to activate Find My iPhone when setting up your new iOS device, and now you’ve lost it. Fear not, because thanks to Google, you have a backup service.

Simply type “I lost my phone” into Google Search and you’ll be able to locate all the devices connected to your account.

If you’ve ever found yourself up against the limits of your Macbook’s hard drive, raise the limit. The Nifty MiniDrive instantly adds 128GB of storage, fitting seamlessly with the contours of the MacBook, eliminating the need for bulky external hard drives. Right now you can get a Nifty MiniDrive for $33.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple today kicked off its latest back to school promotion, offering students big savings on wireless Beats headphones when they purchase a new Mac, iPhone, or iPad.

Eligible customers are also entitled to education pricing, which reduces the cost of their new device.

New cases designed for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus strengthen claims that the larger model with have a dual-lens camera system and a Smart Connector. In exchange for those upgrades, it seems Apple really will do away with the headphone jack.

SAN FRANCISCO — Look carefully at the cracks in the sidewalk around Apple’s new flagship store in San Francisco. They all line up with architectural elements of the store.

Some are continuous with the metal panels on the exterior walls. Some line up with the windows, and the huge glass panels that make up the 42-foot high front door. Some of the cracks are continuous with the stone floor tiles inside the store.

In turn, the joints in the floor line up with panels on the wall, which line up with the lighting panels on the ceiling.

In fact, most of the lines in the store — the edges of the glass balconies, cutouts in the middle of the tables, the edges of shelves and drawers — all line up with other elements of the store.

Some of these lines run continously from the sidewalk in front of the store all the way through to the tree-lined plaza in the back. It’s a bit crazy, when you examine it, and very, very difficult to pull off.

Few Apple bloggers can strike fear in the heart of Apple execs like 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman, and starting next month the ace Apple reporter will be taking his scooping talents to Bloomberg.

Gurman has been one of the most prolific Apple reporters during his time at 9to5Mac. Despite being just 22 years-old, the scoop master has revealed some of Apple’s biggest products and software updates well in advance of their official unveilings.

Now with the full backing of the Bloomberg media machine, Gurman will be extending his reporting skills to cover other tech companies. According to a memo sent to staff by Bloomberg editor Brad Stone, Mark Gurman will now cover consumer products made by Apple as well as its rivals.

Mainland China is Apple’s second biggest market, and will one day be its first. The company is making a big push on the mainland, opening new stores and investing in home-grown companies. Why the interest? Because China is the new Japan — it’s where the future is happening. All this week we take a look at the cutting-edge apps that define mobile life on the mainland.

SHANGHAI CITY, China — “Where are we going to eat? Have you DianPing-ed it yet?” These are questions my friends and I often ask each other when we get together. This convenient app, backed by internet powerhouse Tencent Holdings, is a great tool that combines the functions of Groupon and Yelp.

Apple’s new Thunderbolt Display will ship with a built-in GPU that will provide entry-level and older Macs with enough power to drive its super sharp 5K resolution, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans.