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iPhone 13 might offer emergency satellite communication, too

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iPhone 13 might offer emergency satellite communication, too
It won't be just the iPhone 14 communicating with satellites.
Photo: Cult of Mac

It might not be necessary to trade in an iPhone 13 for the iPhone 14 to get the upcoming model’s satellite communication capabilities. Apple’s 2021 handset reportedly already has this feature – it’s just not activated.

It’s possible Apple will announce at a September 7 event that both the iPhone 13 and 14 will be able to send emergency texts via satellite.

Mountain biker paralyzed in crash said Apple Watch saved his life

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Paralyzed in the crash, Ryan McConnaughey said he'd be dead if not for the Apple Watch.
Paralyzed in the crash, Ryan McConnaughey said he'd be dead if not for the Apple Watch.
Photo: KGTV News San Diego

Mountain biker Ryan McConnaughey took his usual daily ride near San Diego only to find himself going over the handlebars in a steep section. He slammed into the ground, head-first, helmet on.

Sprawled on his back, he soon found he couldn’t move from the neck down. “I knew for sure that I needed to get medical attention as quickly as possible. My brain kind of kicked into survival mode,” he said.

With his iPhone in his backpack, he began talking to his Apple Watch.

iPhone stuck on the Apple logo? Fix it with Dr.Fone.

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Is you iPhone stuck in a boot-loop? Dr. Fone can help.
Is your iPhone stuck in a boot loop? Dr.Fone can help.
Photo: Wondershare

This iOS system repair post is presented by Wondershare, maker of Dr.Fone.

Apple devices like iPhones have great reputations for reliability, but nothing’s perfect. And if you find your iPhone stuck on the Apple logo while booting up — often called a “boot loop” — what to do about it can be a real head-scratcher.

Fortunately, there is software designed to help fix that and other problems. One such option is Dr.Fone from Wondershare.

Netflix advert-supported plan could cost just $7

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Commercials are coming to Netflix
You'll soon be able to get Netflix at a lower cost by watching commercials.
Photo: Netflix/Cult of Mac

The price of Netflix is going way down … if you’re willing to watch commercials. When the streaming service revealed that it’s prepping an advertising-supported option for subscribers, it didn’t reveal how much it will cost. The price has now leaked out, and it might be 30% to 55% below the current cost.

The new option could debut before the end of 2022.

This sick rig sports 9 Macs and 3 Apple displays [Setups]

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Can you picture needing 9 Macs, including 3 top-shelf machines?
Can you picture needing 9 Macs, including 3 top-shelf machines?
Photo: [email protected]

Occasionally a computer setup displayed on social media makes you swoon. Usually it’s a combination of amazing gear, artful arrangement and exceptional photography, like something staged by a pro. But sometimes it’s just a sick amount of awesome Apple computers and displays.

Today’s featured setup, run by a consultant who “works for several companies,” relies on four high-spec Macs, five very-nice-but-not-exceptional Macs and three Apple Displays, including a Pro Display XDR — which goes for $5,000 or more by itself.

Does your wallet hurt yet? We just took ours to the ER.

Violent extortion threat pauses Apple TV+ series with Natalie Portman in Baltimore

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The shooting threat halted filming in downtown Baltimore.
The shooting threat halted filming in downtown Baltimore.
Photo: Pexels/Abdullah Almutairi

Shooting on the set of Apple TV+ series Lady in the Lake paused Friday afternoon in downtown Baltimore to consider another type of shooting. According to reports, locals threatened that if production didn’t stop, they’d return with guns blazing. Unless producers paid them $50,000.

Taping on the limited crime drama series starring Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram shut down. But producers refused to pay. They opted to move locations instead.

Trademarks might reveal name of Apple VR/AR headset

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Apple mixed reality headset
The first Apple VR/AR headset might be dubbed "Reality One."
Photo: Vu Hoang/Flickr CC

Companies working with Apple have reportedly filed for trademarks in multiple countries that might relate to Apple’s upcoming virtual reality and augmented reality headset. They are variations on “Reality,” and it’s possible the filings reveal the name for the device.

The Apple VR/AR headset could be unveiled as easily as the Mac-maker’s September 7 product lunch event.

Every book is a page-turner when you’re a speed reader, and this Mac app could make you one

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Become a speed reader with this training app.
Race to the finish line with this speed reader training app.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Between long emails, intensely meticulous meeting notes, research materials and everything else that requires your eyes on a page, how much time do you spend reading every day? There’s no convenient summary of your co-worker’s memo online, so you can’t exactly skip the reading you’re required to do — but you might be able to make it pass faster.

With ZapReader, you can train to become a speed reader and learn to race through text using helpful software and instruction from experts. Right now, you can snatch up a lifetime subscription to ZapReader on sale for $39.99 (regularly $499).

Apple Watch could talk to satellites in the future

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Apple Watch and MacBook
After iPhone, Apple reportedly wants the Apple Watch to connect to satellites.
Photo: Naipo.de/Unsplash

Rumors of Apple working on adding satellite connectivity to the iPhone have been circulating since last year. The company has reportedly also discussed bringing such a feature to a future version of the Apple Watch.

Apple wants to use satellite connectivity to allow iPhone users to send SOS messages when they are in a no-network zone.

Awesome Apps for every kind of moment in life

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iPhone and AirPods Pro on desk with “Awesome Apps of the Week”
Your iPhone goes nearly everywhere you go, so why not let it help you with life’s biggest moments?
Photo: Ian Fuchs, Vista Wei

Life is all about what you make of it. Or at least that’s how the saying goes, I guess. This week, we have an app that helps you make the most of your time, an app to help document it, and an app for the times in between. As usual, if you have something you want us to check out for a future Awesome Apps post, be sure to email your suggestion or tweet them over!

Protect your data for life with this decentralized virtual network

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Conceal your data from prying eyes with a VPN that could be with you for life.
Rope off the data mine because it's closed for business when you grab this DPN hardware.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Your personal online data may not be as secure as you’d like it to be. If you’re browsing on public Wi-Fi or even at home, your data may be tracked, sold and used by advertisers, your ISP or malicious snoops.

Luckily, you can help conceal your activity online with a single piece of hardware. The Deeper Connect Pico Decentralized VPN protects your devices and data from intrusion, and it’s only $248.

Expect Apple Watch Pro to sport 47mm display

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Apple Watch Pro with flash screen
A new top-of-the-line Apple Watch Pro allegedly coming in 2022 will have a flat screen and a titanium body.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A critical detail has leaked about about Apple’s upcoming wearable designed for serious athletes. The new top-tier Apple Watch will have a 47mm screen, according to a new report coming out of Asia.

This will make it the largest version yet of Apple’s wrist computer.

Build your cybersecurity skills for $69 with lifetime access to Infosec4TC

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Get lifetime access to advanced cybersecurity with Infosec4TC.
Stay on the cutting edge of cybersecurity with Infosec4TC.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

While Apple is giving individual users more tools to handle security threats with each upgrade, greater cybersecurity measures are needed to protect businesses and government organizations as a whole.

If you’re interested in bringing the fight to the hackers, you can do it with lifetime access to an Infosec4TC Platinum Membership for $69 (regularly $999).

Just how ‘far out’ will Apple’s Sept. 7 event be? [The CultCast]

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The CultCast podast: Are we going to get a big bang out of Apple's September 7 event?
Are we going to get a big bang out of Apple's September 7 event?
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: What does Apple’s star-studded September 7 event invite mean? Some of the speculation is pretty “far out,” but Erfon thinks he has the answer.

Also on The CultCast:

  • The M2 MacBook Air humiliates a pricier Dell laptop.
  • Shazam still works like magic (and somehow Apple didn’t screw it up).
  • Zombie cinema-subscription service MoviePass is coming back from the dead!
  • Don’t miss Best Buy’s killer freebie: three months of Apple TV+, for new and returning subscribers.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Our sponsor: CultCloth

Get the only cleaning cloth you need: CultCloth!

The 5 best comedies on Apple TV+

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Best comedies on Apple TV+: Itching for a laugh?
Itchin' for a laugh? These Apple TV+ comedies deliver.
Photos: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is known perhaps first and foremost for its international hit Ted Lasso. But that heartwarming show about a bumbling soccer coach with a positivity streak a mile wide only scratches the surface of the streamer’s burgeoning comedy roster.

Comedy veterans and unlikely newcomers alike staked out spots in the ever-growing Apple TV+ lineup, offering laughs for the cost of emotional engagement with some deeply wounded and weird characters.

Ultimately, the best comedies on Apple TV+ are the ones that hurt a little.

Get ready to stream a world of content with Getflix Smart DNS

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It's a whole new world of streaming when you try Getflix.
Unlock a world of new content with an affordable, lifetime subscription to this smart DNS.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

You know what you use the internet for. If you’re mostly just streaming and browsing, you might not need a super-intense, full-service virtual private network. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t still get some of the benefits of a VPN with one that’s a little more suited to your purposes.

Getflix is a simplified version of full VPN, designed with streaming in mind. It provides many of the same privacy features while allowing you to stream a lot more content. For a limited time, a lifetime subscription to Getflix Smart DNS is on sale for just $49 (regularly $540).

Bad Sisters delves deeper into poison and plots [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Bad Sisters recap Apple TV+: Bibi (played by Sarah Greene, left) and Eva (Sharon Horgan) have a plan to get rid of their evil brother-in-law, John Paul.★★★
Bibi (played by Sarah Greene, left) and Eva (Sharon Horgan) hatch a plan to get rid of their evil brother-in-law, John Paul.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ dark comedy Bad Sisters regroups and strikes back harder this week. The Irish series about five sisters and their common enemies keeps winning — by losing.

After the untimely death of Grace’s no-good husband John Paul, Becka won’t let potential new boyfriend Thomas take “no” for an answer. And Thomas’ brother, Matthew, does the same in opening an insurance investigation into the death of Becka’s brother-in-law. In the past, Ursula gets on board with the murder plot as Bibi and Eva reassess after their first botched effort.

DOJ takes a step closer to Apple antitrust suit

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App Store faces barrage of antitrust charges
The U.S. Justice Department might hit Apple with an antitrust lawsuit before the end of 2022.
Photo: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels CC

The U.S. Department of Justice reportedly moved closer to filing an antitrust lawsuit against Apple. The DOJ has investigated the iPhone-maker over the past several years and begun to actually write a potential suit.

The government agency has looked into many aspects of Apple’s business and there’s no clear word on whether the complaint will be about the App Store or something else.

Juice up all your Apple devices at once with this 4-in-1 charging cable

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Charge your Apple Watch, your iPhone and more with this 4-in-1 cable.
This 4-in-1 Apple Watch charging cable can power all your devices at the same time.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Own an Apple Watch and an iPhone? If they ran out of juice, your plans could quickly fall apart. You would normally need a collection of cables to keep them and any other gadgets charged up on the go. But with this Apple Watch-compatible four-in-one charging cable, you can power up to four devices from a single outlet.

This four-headed wonder is on sale for $17.99 (regularly $34.99) for a limited time.

Surface squanders an intriguing premise [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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Surface recap Apple TV+: So many questions, so little time ...★★☆☆☆
So many questions, so little time ...
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ thriller Surface circles the drain this week as it strains for meaning and solves its many mysteries in as tidy a fashion as possible.

Sophie hears two conflicting versions of events about who she really is and where her life was headed before what was either a suicide attempt or an attempted murder. Meanwhile, her husband James and cop Thomas Baden lock horns — with Sophie’s affection their reward.

Surface’s writers have one episode after this to really make everything fall into place.

Back-to-school savings: Get Windows 10 Pro for $16 and other great software deals

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Get ready to grab great savings on genuine Microsoft software.
Get ready to grab great savings on genuine Microsoft software.
Photo: CDKeylord.com

This discount software activation keys post is brought to you by CDKeylord.com.

In CDKeylord.com’s Back to School Sale, you can score big savings on software, games and gaming accessories. The software activation key provider extends major discounts on genuine products from Microsoft and other developers.

Even better, Cult of Mac readers can get 30% off the regular price of a Windows 10 Pro key. And when you buy a Windows 10 key, you can get a free upgrade to Windows 11! Just enter the special discount code CULT when you check out.

iPhone 14 might offer free texting via satellite

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Globalstar satellites
iPhone 13 will reportedly be able to use satellites to exchange texts.
Photo: Globalstar

iPhone 14 users may never be out of contact as long as they’re outdoors. Apple’s upcoming handset will be able to exchange texts via satellites in low-Earth orbit, according to an expert in satellite communications. And the service will be free.

Apple might even have hinted about this feature in the invite to its September 7 event during which the iPhone 14 is expected to be announced.

Five Days at Memorial takes tragedy to a powerful place [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★★

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Five Days at Memorial recap Apple TV+: Don't worry. Help's on the way. (Actually, worry all you want.)★★★★★
Don't worry. Help's on the way. (Actually, worry all you want.)
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ thriller Five Days at Memorial enters its tragic endgame this week, with the Coast Guard forcing everyone out of the hospital. That means some patients will be left alone to die by themselves after Hurricane Katrina’s onslaught. Extraordinary measures must be taken — some ethical, some not.

The show’s cast all do their best work this week, and writer/director/producer John Ridley holds their hand every step of the way, doing right by this amazing assortment of talent.