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iPhone X survives 11,000-foot fall from an airplane

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An iPhone X fell about 11,000 feet from a Diamond DA40 aircraft -- and survived!
An iPhone X fell about 11,000 feet from a Diamond DA40 aircraft -- and survived!
Photo: Diamond Aircraft

You know how technology publications do “drop tests” on gadgets like smartphones, just to see if the thing is likely to survive if and when you knock yours off the kitchen counter? Well, an iPhone X recently passed an accidental drop test from 11,000 feet. From an airplane.

Check out these awesome deals on charging blocks for your Apple devices

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These chargers are fast, convenient and on sale.
Give your phone a little luxury with these chargers.

Finding the right charger isn’t just buying a cable that fits your phone. You also have to find the right place for that plug to go. Whether it’s a wall plug for fast charging, a car charger that keeps your tunes or apps running, or an adapter that can power multiple devices at once, your charger has a lot of big jobs.

Apple is already scanning your emails for child abuse material

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iCloud Passwords land on Windows
iCloud Mail accounts are banned for sharing CSAM.
Photo: Apple

Many Apple fans are upset about the company’s plan to start scanning for child abuse material (CSAM) in iCloud Photos uploads later this year. But did you know that Cupertino has already been scanning for CSAM in your emails?

Apple has confirmed that it started detecting CSAM using image matching technology in iCloud Mail back in 2019. It says that accounts with CSAM content violate its terms and conditions and will be disabled.

WhatsApp for Mac gets new public beta ahead of multi-device upgrade

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WhatsApp has debuted its official OS X native app.
Try out new WhatsApp features early on Mac and Windows.
Photo: WhatsApp

WhatsApp now allows anyone to beta test its desktop app for Mac and Windows. You can enroll in its new public beta program today to get your hands on the newest updates early — and you won’t want to miss it.

By gaining access to the beta, you’ll be one of the first to try out WhatsApp’s incoming multi-device overhaul when it finally starts rolling out.

Apple’s under-display Touch ID tech won’t feature in iPhone 13

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2020-iPhone-Touch-ID
Touch ID may never return to high-end iPhone models.
Concept: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple won’t bring Touch ID back with iPhone 13 this year, despite testing new technology that would allow the fingerprint scanner to be hidden away under an iPhone’s screen, according to one reliable reporter.

Earlier reports have claimed Apple is working to bring Touch ID back to iPhone as an alternative to Face ID for those who want it. But the feature “won’t make the cut” for Apple’s big smartphone refresh this fall.

Work remotely from anywhere with iScanner, on sale for under $50

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Work remotely like never before with one app.
There's never been a more literal remote office than iScanner.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Your iPhone can be so many things: a way to talk to friends, to kill time, to do research. And now it can also be your office. iScanner packs a whole corner office into one app, so you won’t have to fiddle with outdated scanners, deal with clunky file editing software, or wait for big files to attach to emails people don’t check often enough. For $39.99, you can get lifetime access to this all-in-one office app, and you definitely won’t miss waiting in line for the scanner. 

One of Apple Arcade’s best games, a great notes app, and the best Twitter client [Awesome Apps of the Week]

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Awesome app icons fading into distance
There’s plenty to love in this week’s installment of Awesome Apps!
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Whether you’re a gamer, a social media junkie, a productivity geek, or just love adding personality to your device, this week’s Awesome Apps of the Week offer something for just about everyone.

For those of you that don’t feel like any of those describe you, some of this weeks apps may still check a box or two for you.

Master video production with this super bundle

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Learn to make videos you'd actually watch with this bundle.
This video production bundle covers videography, cinematography, screenwriting & more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

A lot more goes into making videos than pointing and shooting a camera. To make good-quality videos, you have to be a bit of an expert on everything from screenwriting to camera hardware. Because getting a degree in film can cost upwards of $100,000, The 2021 Complete Video Production Super Bundle is here to give you a deep dive into all the skills that go into video production, and right now it’s on sale for $34.99. 

Apple households need this powerful Linksys mesh router [Review]

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Linksys Velop AX4200 Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6 System review
iPhone, Mac and iPad users, the Velop AX4200 might be the mesh Wi-Fi router you’ve been looking for. Especially if you also use HomeKit.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Linksys Velop AX4200 Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6 System offers the features Apple users need. And that’s especially true for fans of HomeKit as the routers add extra security to these home automation accessories. Plus, the system offers an improved version of Wi-Fi.

To test the system out, I added Linksys mesh Wi-Fi routers to my home. Here’s how they work in real-world use.

Design concept dreams of ‘HomePod TV’ and ‘HomePod Show’

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The HomePod TV would pair great audio with great TV.
The HomePod TV concept would pair great audio with great TV.
Photo: www.handy.abovergleich.ch designed by Eric Huismann

Apple’s original HomePod, the big smart speaker that predated the HomePod mini, lasted less than three years on the market. It never became a hit for the Cupertino tech giant. But a new design concept from a Swiss outfit imagines it coming back in two new forms.

Bluetti Power Week showcases 5 new products plus sale items and freebies

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Bluetti Power Week sees the introduction of new products and special deals.
Bluetti Power Week sees the introduction of new products and special deals.
Photo: Bluetti

Recently, power supplies purveyor Bluetti added five new charging products to its fleet — two new portable power stations, two “industry first” battery modules and a DC-charging tool that adds capacity to most of the company’s products.

And, with Bluetti Power Week running between August 20 and August 30, many of the company’s other products are deeply discounted. Plus, you can take advantage of some freebies.

Apple launches invite-only app to make Siri smarter

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Siri
Siri may be in for new voice lessons soon.
Photo: Apple

Apple quietly introduced a new app to the App Store earlier this month. It’s called Siri Speech Study. It allows participants — by invitation from Apple — to opt in and share voice requests and other data to help improve the voice-activated digital assistant’s performance.

Going from a tricked-out 27-inch iMac to an M1 MacBook Air [Setups]

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What happens when you go from a 2017 27-inch iMac to a 2020 M1 MacBook Air?
What happens when you go from a 2017 27-inch iMac to a 2020 M1 MacBook Air?
Photo: [email protected]

Redditor 1st_thing_on_my_mind posted about replacing the main machine in his computer setup. He swapped out a 2017 27-inch iMac stacked with 64GB of RAM in favor of a 2020 MacBook Air flexing 16GB of integrated memory. “THATS A DOWNGRADE” hollered one commenter.

And yet the switch pretty much worked out for 1st_thing.

Access your Mac desktop remotely with Remotix

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Remotix allows you to access your mac from anywhere.
Keep your business in sync with Remotix, the Mac remote desktop software.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

A computer serves as a digital home for important documents, media and applications – which is why having a  “work” computer separate from your “home” computer can sometimes make things complicated. 

Engrossing Truth Be Told returns to the scene of the crime [Apple TV+ review]

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Octavia Spencer as Poppy Parnell on Truth Be Told
Octavia Spencer plays true-crime podcaster Poppy Parnell.
Photo: Apple TV+

Truth Be Told, the Apple TV+ series about a true-crime podcaster, makes its triumphant return this week after winning a host of awards and setting up a new-yet-old-fashioned kind of TV heroine.

In the show’s second season, which kicks off today, star Octavia Spencer and a host of the greatest actors in America keep Truth Be Told rooted in a relatable reality.

Puzzle to the rhythm of new Tetris Beat

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‘Tetris Beat’ is coming soon to Apple Arcade
Take “Tetris” and give it some rhythm and you get “Tetris Beat.”
Photo: Apple Arcade

This isn’t your parents’ Tetris. N3TNetwork updated the classic puzzle game to give it some rhythm — the result is Tetris Beat.

It launched today on the gaming service Apple Arcade.

Apple could host multiple events in September for a bunch of new products

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There are lots of things that make Apple so great, Cook says.
But don't get your hopes up.
Photo: Apple

 

 

Cupertino has previously staggered its fall events over September, October and November. But according to some sources, it will unleash a barrage of hardware within just a few weeks this time around.

We’re expecting big refreshes for iPhone and Apple Watch, as well as a new iPad and iPad mini, third-generation AirPods, and more.

Google wants to bring Android games to your Mac

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Android games on the way to Mac
It wants to "provide the most reach of any platform."
Photo: Oppo

Google plans to bring Android apps and games to Mac and Windows in the coming years, according to internal documents recently made public as a result of the ongoing lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games.

As part of a project it calls “Games Future,” the company wants to make quality games available “on all screens.” The service is expected to run alongside Stadia, Google’s platform for streaming PC games to any device.