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Enter to win $1,000 to spend in the Apple Store [Deals]

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Enter now for a free chance to win a $1,000 Apple Store Gift Card!
Enter now for a free chance to win a $1,000 Apple Store Gift Card!
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Here’s a chance to win big: Our new $1,000 Apple Store Giveaway means a chance to get pretty much any Apple product your heart desires. With a cool grand of Apple credit in your pocket, you can snag a new iPhone SE, a new 9.7-inch iPad Pro or take a huge chunk out of a new MacBook. Or, if you really wanted that Apple TV, it’ll buy a bag full of those.

Entry is free so there’s literally nothing to lose and plenty to gain. But hurry, it’s only up for the next 23 days.

Apple’s new iPad Pro packs pretty display and plenty of grunt

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I want one, like, now.
Apple's gorgeous new iPad Pro.
Photo: Apple

Forget the iPad Air 3. Apple’s new 9.7-inch tablet will be a scaled-down version of its supercharged 12.9-inch iPad Pro — called (drumroll, please) the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

The new, smaller iPad Pro features four-speaker audio, a rear flash, Apple Pencil support, a Smart Connector for an all-new 9.7-inch Smart Keyboard, Apple’s most advanced iPad camera yet, and some very, very cool True Tone technology for matching the ambient light wherever you are.

Oh, and a fancy new 256GB storage option.

Liveblog: Apple loops us in with the iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro

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Apple event let us loop you in
Get ready for a new iPhone and iPad.
Photo: Apple

The first big Apple media event of 2016 is finally here.

Months of rumors, speculation and anticipation have been leading up to Apple’s “Let us loop you in” event this morning, at which the company is expected to unveil a new 4-inch iPhone, a new iPad Pro model, and some Apple Watch hardware.

Tim Cook and the rest of the Apple crew are set to take the stage at 10 a.m. Pacific and Cult of Mac will be here to liveblog the festivities. Will there be a “one more thing” at the end to make this a truly unforgettable event? Come follow along with us below:

Samsung Gear S2 to gain iPhone support this month

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samsung-gear-s2-to-gain-iphone-support-this-month-2-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201603Gear-S2-with-iPhone-jpg
iPhone is getting a new companion in Gear S2.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
iPhone is getting a new companion in Gear S2. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
iPhone is getting a new companion in Gear S2. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Samsung’s Gear S2 smartwatch will get an update that adds iPhone compatibility by the end of this month, according to a new report.

The move will allow Samsung to compete with the Apple Watch in its own backyard, but some features — such as Samsung Pay — will be lost when the wearable is connected to iOS.

Researchers find gaping hole in Apple’s iMessage encryption

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Federal judge shoots down down group iMessage lawsuit.
iMessage contains a critical encryption flaw.
Photo: Apple

Encryption researchers at John Hopkins University have found a serious flaw in the encryption of Apple’s iMessage platform that shatters the FBI’s stance that encryption on devices like the iPhone is unhackable.

The group of researchers discovered a bug that would allow attackers to decrypt pictures and video sent over iMessage. The flaw wouldn’t help the FBI in its investigation of the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone, but it shows just how hard it is to get air-tight encryption right, even for a company with as much talent and resources as Apple.

How to watch the Apple event on March 21

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ipad-pro

Monday, March 21, will be a big day for Apple, with possible reveals of a budget 4-inch iPhone SE, a 9.7-inch iPad Pro and maybe even some new Apple Watch bands ahead of the second iteration of Apple’s wrist computer.

Want to watch the Apple event live? Here’s how you do it on any of your Apple devices (and even a PC).

Note: Monday’s Apple event starts at 10 a.m. Pacific. Cult of Mac’s liveblog will start serving up color commentary an hour before that, so don’t be late!

Protecting your online activity is critical, and also easy [Deals]

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Easily anonymize and protect your online activity with a virtual private network.
Easily anonymize and protect your online activity with a virtual private network.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Sure, the Internet is a risky place, but what are you doing to protect yourself? Something you can do right now to avoid pitfalls like identity or data theft is to connect to the Internet via a virtual private network. ZenMate VPN offers an easy and powerful option, and right now is the last chance you have to get a lifetime premium subscription for just $49.

FBI was ‘stunned’ by Apple’s hardened encryption of iOS

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So many new updates!
iOS 8 is when the FBI got really worried about Apple encryption.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The FBI was reportedly “stunned” when it first got to see what Apple had planned for iPhone encryption, after it received early access to iOS 8 (where Apple introduced its new, stronger iPhone encryption) so that it could examine how its evidence-gathering techniques would have to change.

Twitter turns 10 years old today

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twitter-turns-10-years-old-today-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201603twitter-png
Twitter in its earliest days.
Photo: Twitter
Twitter in its earliest days. Photo: Twitter
Twitter in its earliest days. Photo: Twitter

Twitter turns 10 years old today — with the company having been founded back in the halcyon days of March 2006, when V For Vendetta had just arrived in theaters, James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” was being played on repeat by every radio station, and the iPhone was still an excited rumor on tech sites.

#ManyHappyReturnsOnYourBirthday.

Get ready! Apple Store is down in preparation for today’s keynote

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Never is an outage more exciting than before a keynote.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The Apple Online Store has temporarily gone down in advance of today’s Apple keynote.

When it returns, we’re expecting to see a new 4-inch iPhone SE, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, additional Apple Watch straps, and more — although you probably won’t be able to order them right away.

Woz in wax: Madame Tussauds unveils Steve Wozniak statue

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Woz poses with his waxwork double.
Photo: Rogers & Cowan/Getty CC

Steve Wozniak sure likes to wax lyrical about the Apple II, and now he can do so with his very own wax figure (sorry for the awful pun!) — which was unveiled over the weekend at the first ever Silicon Valley Comic Con at the San Jose Convention Center.

“I am so honored. I have always wanted to be in a wax museum due to characters we idolize like our superheroes. You live on forever,” said Woz.

Is this our first glimpse of Apple’s Lightning EarPods?

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iPhone 6 headphone jack
Wave goodbye to EarPods that connect to the headphone jack.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

There are plenty of rumors that Apple plans to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack connector for the iPhone 7 — and now we’ve got our first (possible) photo of the company’s next-gen EarPods, complete with Lightning connector.

The picture first appeared on Chinese social network Weibo over the weekend. Check it out below.

Deezer for Apple Watch, Jump Legends, and other apps of the week

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It's the weekend -- and have we ever got some great apps to help you fill up the next two days!From nuclear bunkers to photo-editing suites, and Apple Music playlist importers to run-and-gun actioners, check out our picks for the week's most newsworthy apps. You won't regret it!
'Appy weekend everyone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Happy Sunday everyone!

If you’re looking to kick back and relax, we’ve got you covered when it comes to the apps you need to download to enjoy the rest of your hard-earned weekend — and the 7 days to come.

From nifty adventure games for your iPhone to a great music app for Apple Watch, check out our picks for awesome apps of the week below.

Today’s the day to upgrade your mobile game [Deals]

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This Bluetooth keyboard makes it easy to type on any mobile device, and folds up when you don't need it.
This Bluetooth keyboard makes it easy to type on any mobile device, and folds up when you don't need it.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you use your mobile a lot, anything you do to get more out of your device can go a long way. We’ve found four of the best deals on upgrades to the mobile in your life, from portable keyboards to solar powered chargers and multitalented phone cases. Get in on it now though — these deals won’t last.

New Macs? One more thing? Catch our March 21 event predictions on The CultCast

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Tim Cook's next WWDC keynote is right around the corner!
The WWDC keynote is right around the corner!
Photo: Forbes

This week on The CultCast: Will we see new Macs? Perhaps the elusive “One more thing”? Don’t miss our March 21 Apple event predictions and expectations. Plus: How Instagram is about to be ruined; reports of an Apple Car price and ship date surface; why pirates are excited for the AyeCar; and some new iPhone 7 leaks echo familiar rumors.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to build a website that looks beautiful on any device at Squarespace.com. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off.

Prospective web developers, it’s time to tame Python [Deals]

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Learn the many facets of Python with this bundle of 7 lessons.
Learn the many facets of Python with this bundle of 7 lessons.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Python’s name isn’t accidental — it’s one of the most flexible and wide-reaching web development languages around. It can seem intimidating to learn such a massively applicable language, but this comprehensive bundle of lessons make it easy to learn Python from stem to stern. Comprising 7 courses and around a dozen hours of content, you can get it now for just $49.

101 things to draw and send with your Apple Watch

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Learn to draw like Leonardo with Apple Watch Digital Touch Sketches
Learn to draw like Leonardo with Apple Watch Digital Touch sketches.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

The ability to send tiny finger drawings — or “Digital Touch sketches,” as Apple calls them — is probably the least-popular Apple Watch feature. Which is a shame, because once you get the hang of drawing them, they can be a lot of fun.

To help get you started, I’ve put together a compendium of 101 Digital Touch sketch ideas you can quickly and easily draw with your Apple Watch. I’ve sorted them by theme, and given them star ratings to indicate how difficult they are to draw. (Don’t miss the holiday section for some Easter greetings ideas.)

But first, a few tips on how to copy my drawings — and create your own — using your Apple Watch.

Apple’s big event, iPhone 7 leaks and rumors, malware and more

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What's coming down the pike?
What's coming down the pike?
Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s set to bring the noise at an exciting new keynote event March 21, full of iPad Air 3 and iPhone SE news, and we’re sure you’re ready to hear it.

While you wait for Apple’s big event, though, we’ve gathered together all the things we think you need to know about the upcoming Apple-fest and put them into this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine.

Enjoy the noise, and check out this week’s top stories.

AR and VR-mixing headset is too awesome to exist

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If this thing gets past the concept stage, we'll be super excited.
If this thing gets past the concept stage, we'll be super excited.
Photo: AOL

We’d play this game in a heartbeat, especially if it can bust video games into our living rooms in such a realistic way.

Putting on a typical virtual reality (VR) headset like an Oculus Rift can be disorienting at first, as VR tends to shut you out of the real world and into a, well, virtual one. Augmented reality, like you might find with Google Glass, for example, tends to place the digital world into the real one.

This Sulon Q looks like a VR rig, but lets you see the real world through it, with some digital overlay to make the fantasy of a video game look like it’s in the same place as you are.

In the video below, you’ll see a demo of a Jack and the Beanstalk game which starts out in the Sulon offices, but then things get fantastic fast as the giant beanstalk finds its way upward to the sky.

Check it out and thrill along with us.

Silicon Valley nerds get new boss in Season 3 trailer

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Erlich Bachman is back in the saddle.
Erlich Bachman is back in the saddle.
Photo: HBO

Silicon Valley, the HBO comedy about the hard knocks of startup life, is coming back for its third season this April, and based on the first trailer that was released today, it’s going to be every bit as whacky as the first two seasons, if not more.

The Pied Piper gang gets a new CEO to kick things off, after last season ended with founder and CEO Richard Hendricks getting booted from his top spot by the board. It appears that Richard hasn’t completely left the company despite getting fired, while Gavin Belson and the Piper’s other rivals are still trying to kill the nerdy compression company.

Watch the first trailer below:

Should we be excited for next week’s Apple keynote? [Friday Night Fights]

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Our resident Apple fanboy can't wait!
Our resident Apple fanboy can't wait!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Tim Cook will take to the stage to host another Apple keynote on Monday, but who cares?

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2It seems only a small percentage of Apple fans are interested in a 4-inch iPhone, and although the rumored iPad upgrade will be a big one, interest in tablets is falling like Jennifer Lawrence at big events. So that leaves… Apple Watch straps? Please!

Without a major unveiling, is Monday’s keynote really worth getting excited for? Or will it be another disappointment, with interest quickly turning to Eddy Cue’s colorful shirts and Craig Federighi’s impeccable hair instead?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we battle it out over those very questions!

12 amazing iOS games definitely worth downloading

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Here are 12 awesome iOS games, old and new, we think are definitely worth a try!
Here are 12 awesome iOS games, old and new, we think are definitely worth a try!
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

app-factor-logo-thumbnailOn a recent episode of The App Factor podcast I got into (or rather, confessed) how many apps were on my iPhone prior to me having to start from scratch and install the OS and apps fresh (for what it’s worth, it was 750+ apps).

While I try to use my iPhone and iPad for a number of things including writing, catching up with friends and more, a lot of times I’ll want a quick fix or even an in-depth game to play.

After having to install apps from scratch and picking up a new iPad Pro, a few games made the cut while I thought what I really wanted to install and play. Here are a wide variety of games that I love. From new games to classics, these are some of my favorites.