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iPhone 13 battery life improvements come at the cost of increased weight

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iPhone 13 battery improvements come at the cost of increased weight
The iPhone 13 is heavier than its predecessor. But that’s because of a larger battery.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

The good news for buyers of the iPhone 13 series is that all four handsets promise significantly longer battery lives. The downside is that the change required putting in bulkier batteries that add to the weight and thickness.

Still, the increases are fairly marginal for an improvement that’s near the top of so many iPhone users’ wish lists.

Flash poll: 80% plan to buy iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max

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The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the big winner in our flash poll.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the big winner in our flash poll.
Photo: Apple

When it comes to the iPhone 13 lineup, it’s apparently time to go Pro or go home.

An overwhelming 80% of people who responded to Cult of Mac’s flash poll after Tuesday’s Apple event say they will buy either iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max on launch day.

7 things to love (or hate) from the Apple September event

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7 things to love (or hate) from the Apple September event
There was a lot to love at the Apple September event. But not everything.
Photo: Apple

Apple surprised us several times Tuesday during its September product launch event. There was a lot to love on display … but not everything was awesome. We got some products we expected and some we didn’t.

Here are the high and low points of Apple’s “California Streaming” event.

Wirelessly charge 3 Apple devices at once with this unique floating stand

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This foldable charging station transforms into a floating stand.
This innovative charging stand powers three Apple devices at once.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The MagStack Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station with Floating Stand is a perfectly portable wireless charging station you can enjoy for its multipurpose features. If features a trio of wireless charging spots that allow you to charge multiple devices at the same time.

Adding up Apple’s ‘California Streaming’ event by the numbers

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Apple's
Apple's "California Streaming" event by the numbers.
Photo: Apple

If there’s one thing you can expect from a new Apple product release like its “California Streaming” event on Tuesday, it’s a lot of impressive facts and figures. After all, the older products are still impressive, yet the new ones have to be better. And they always are, at least to some degree.

It’s a little bit like the staggering numbers Apple throws around on its quarterly earnings calls. But here it’s all about the product performance indicators that will most likely lead to more record-breaking earnings in the near future. Shipping on the items below is imminent in most cases.

See below for a rundown of the newly announced products and updates by the numbers.

The real Apple Watch Series 7 looks way nicer than those fugly mockups

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Series 7 is an evolution rather, not a revolution. And that's a good thing.
Series 7 is an evolution rather, not a revolution. And that's a good thing.
Photo: Apple

As expected, the new Apple Watch Series 7 features a bigger, brighter display and slimmer bezels. Fortunately, that’s about the only thing the rumors got right.

Mockups suggesting the new wearable would come with clunky, flat sides turned out to be way off the mark. The design of Series 7 is more evolution than revolution, taking the classic Apple Watch look and refining it to become more elegant than ever.

iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max bring 120Hz displays, big camera upgrades

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iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 is faster and more improved in so many ways.
Photo: Apple

The wait for iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max is over. At an event in California on Tuesday, Apple unveiled its newest flagships with faster ProMotion displays that can reach 120Hz, an even faster A15 Bionic chipset, and big camera improvements for both photos and videos.

This year’s refresh also adds a 1TB storage option for iPhone 13 Pro models and finally shrinks the notch above their screen. You can preorder yours starting Friday, September 17 before the new iPhone lineup makes its official debut one week later on September 24.

New budget iPad 9 gets better video chat, doubles storage

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New budget iPad 9 gets better video chat, doubles storage
iPad 9 has twice the storage capacity for the same low price.
Photo: Apple

Apple caught many people by surprise by launching the iPad 9 on Tuesday. The budget tablet has twice the storage capacity of its predecessor and a faster processor, too. Plus, an upgraded front-facing camera makes this a better option for video conferencing.

The 2021 iPad will hit store shelves later in September.

iPad mini gets its biggest, most amazing upgrade yet

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2021 iPad mini
Wow! iPad mini is better than ever.
Photo: Apple

Apple today surprised us with a brand-new 2021 iPad mini — its best compact tablet to date. It sports a gorgeous new design inspired by iPad Pro, an edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display, and a blazing-fast A15 Bionic chip with 5G connectivity. It’s the only compact tablet worth your hard-earned cash.

Microsoft says Windows 11 on Apple Silicon is ‘not a supported scenario’

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Windows 11 not supported on Apple Silicon. It's not surprising, but it is a shame.
It's not surprising, but it is a shame.
Photo: Dwayne/Flickr CC

Microsoft has dashed hopes that Windows 11 might one day be available on Apple Silicon machines. The company says running its newest operating system on an M1 Mac is “not a supported scenario.”

The statement comes after Parallels Desktop 17 users ran into hardware compatibility errors when running Windows 11 on newer Apple devices.

Last chance! Learn 14 languages on your own time with a lifetime Babbel subscription

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Learn up to 14 languages with Babbel.
Get a lifetime subscription to Babbel at best-of-web pricing of $199 for just one more day.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you want to be part of the massive community of bilingual, trilingual, polyglots, then you’ll likely want to start with Babbel. Babbel is one of the top language-learning apps around, and you can get a lifetime subscription and start learning all 14 of Babbel’s languages for $199. That deal is going away after the 16th of September though, so if you want a new language, this is the time.

Be right back: Apple Store goes down ahead of iPhone 13 event

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Apple Store down iPhone 13
New products on the way!
Image: Apple

Benjamin Franklin once wrote that nothing in this world is a certainty, “except death and taxes.” If he were alive today, he might add “and the Apple Store going down before a big keynote” to that list.

“Be right back” reads the message that greets visitors who attempt to purchase anything through Apple’s website this morning. When it returns, we expect a whole bunch of new additions, including iPhone 13.

New 10.5-inch iPad could make surprise appearance at iPhone 13 event

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New 2020 iPad
Will we get more than anticipated from today's Apple keynote?
Photo: Apple

The ninth-generation iPad could make its debut during Apple’s big iPhone 13 event later today, according to one tipster. The new device is expected to come with a slightly larger display and a faster Apple chip, as well as a revamped design that’s similar to that of the iPad Air and iPad Pro.

Epic Games pays $6 million owed to Apple, asks for its dev account back

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Epic Games vs. Apple
That's a lot of Benjamins.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Epic Games on Monday confirmed it has paid the $6 million it owed to Apple in royalties just days after it was ordered by the court. The fee covers Apple’s cut for in-game revenues collected between August 2020 and October 2020 when Epic allowed Fortnite players on iPhone and iPad to make direct purchases.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney also said that the company has asked Apple to restore its developer account.

Win one year of unlimited cloud backup from Backblaze [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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Backblaze Cloud Backup
Get unlimited Mac cloud backup from Backblaze.
Image: Backblaze

This week, Cult of Mac is giving five lucky winners one year of cloud backups from Backblaze. Your data is invaluable, and Backblaze is one of the most trusted providers of online backups for Mac. Run by ex-Apple employees, Backblaze has been around for 14 years and is reliable, easy to use and highly rated.

If you want peace of mind knowing all of your Mac files are safely backed up in the cloud, make sure to enter this week’s giveaway.

Star-studded Apple TV+ Swan Song Oscar-bait gets release date

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Star-studded Apple TV+ Swang Song Oscar bait gets release date
Mahershala Ali in “Swan Song,” coming soon to Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

The genre-bending film Swan Song is reportedly nearing its debut on Apple TV+. It’ll star Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali, and the cast includes Glenn Close, Awkwafina and Naomie Harris.

In addition to appearing on the streaming service, Apple is planning a limited theater release beginning December 17 to qualify the movie for Oscar awards.

Steve Wozniak rockets toward the final frontier

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Steve Wozniak
The Woz says the sky is no longer the limit.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak’s next venture is a private space company. Details are still scanty about his newly formed company, Privateer Space, other than its goal is to “keep space safe and accessible.”

Additional details are expected soon.

Apple issues surprise iOS 14.8 update to fix severe security threats

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Surprise! Apple releases iOS 14.8
Just when you thought Apple’s next software release would be iOS 15…
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Apple rushed out updates for iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watches on Monday to patch a pair of critical security vulnerabilities. The updates protect users from arbitrary code execution that can be triggered by maliciously crafted PDFs or web content, Apple said in its release notes.

In both cases, “Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited,” the company said.

The updates include iOS 14.8, iPadOS 14.8, macOS Big Sur 11.6, watchOS 7.6.2 and security patches for Safari and macOS Catalina.

How to watch Apple’s big ‘California streaming’ event for iPhone 13

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See iPhone 13, Apple Watch 7 and AirPods 3 as soon as Apple unveils them.
Photo: Apple

Apple will host one of its biggest events of the year on Tuesday. “California streaming” is expected to bring our very first (official) look at iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7, brand-new AirPods, and maybe more.

Just like recent Apple keynotes, this one will be streamed online, so you’ll be able to watch it in its entirety as it all unfolds. We’ll show you how.

Tame hairy cables gone wild — or don’t [Setups]

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"Honestly that's how it is supposed to be," one comment said of the cable mess. "Bushy just like the 70s."
Photo: [email protected]

A recurring theme across computer setups everywhere is the need for better cable management. It’s all about how well the careless, disheveled slob throwing together the gear — here we’re referring mainly to ourselves, not you — deals with the thorny mess of electrical cords and connectors that help make the workstation go.

Scrub your name off spammers’ call lists for just $49

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Get your name, email, and more off the internet.
This service will get your private info off the internet.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether you like it or not, your personal information is somewhere on the internet. If you’ve signed up for a subscription on a website, entered your birthday into a streaming service, or given your email to a grocery store, then someone has your information. Not to mention what’s on social media.

There’s also a good chance they’re selling your data. It’s almost impossible to scrub yourself from the internet, but as privacy concerns grow, so does the technology available to protect yourself. Optery Data Broker Removal is the best way you’re going to find to remove your sensitive personal information from the internet. Right now you can get one year of Optery’s Core Plan for $49, or an Ultimate Plan for $199.