WhatsApp promises to protect every one of its 2 billion users with end-to-end encryption that ensures their messages cannot be seen by anyone outside of the original conversation. But does it live up to that promise?

A new report alleges that the Facebook-owned messaging platform uses artificial intelligence and more than 1,000 contract workers to examine “millions of pieces of users’ content” using “special Facebook software.”

That’s despite Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg telling the U.S. Senate in 2018 that “we don’t see any of the content in WhatsApp.”

You have the site, the app, the ad deal, the social media — all the things you need to get your voice, name or business out there. The only thing you need are pictures to populate everything. Unfortunately, free, open-source images — particularly pictures of people — are incredibly limited.

Instead of dealing with strange stock photos that lack diversity, try Scopio Authentic Stock Photography. Its standard lifetime subscription is on sale now for only $20.30 in honor of Labor Day. But act fast, because this deal is only available for a few days.

iPhone 13 could make its much-anticipated debut on September 14, according to teasers from one U.K. carrier.

Sky Mobile is already giving customers the opportunity to pre-register for “all the info on the upcoming big announcement.” Those who do will get access to an exclusive offer on the “next generation” device.

WhatsApp could soon give users the ability to hide their “last seen” status from individual contacts. Evidence of the change has already popped up in WhatsApp beta releases ahead of its rollout on Android and iOS.

Apple may be planning to unveil a revised MagSafe Charger alongside iPhone 13. A new version of the accessory, with model number A2548, spilled this week in Federal Communications Commission filings submitted by Apple just last month.

Sam’s Club is where you go when you know what you need and you need a lot of it. Like any exclusive club, once you’re a member, you get in the door and access to a lot of special stuff. You can find bulk items, high-quality home decor, clothes — even freshly made meals.

However, a Sam’s Club membership normally costs at least $45. For a very limited time, you can get a year-long Sam’s Club membership for just $19.99. And if that’s not enticing enough, you’ll also get a free rotisserie chicken and cupcakes!

Apple will ask iPhone and iPad users for their permission to show personalized ads within its own apps in iOS and iPadOS 15.

A new popup appears when opening the App Store for the first time after installing one of Apple’s latest betas. It says personalized ads “help you discover apps, products and services that are relevant to you.”

Redditor Doyniish runs a Mission Control-looking workstation, thanks a gargantuan monitor in between a substantial 24-inch iMac display on the left and a MacBook Pro on a stand to the right. In the shot, they’re all festooned with open windows, making it look like all the work in the world is in progress at that particular desk.

Apple’s most popular devices could get even more expensive next year, with chip-maker TSMC said to be planning its biggest price increase in more than a decade. The move could also affect companies like Nvidia and Qualcomm.

Sources are blaming the price hike on a number of factors, including higher material costs and the ongoing chip shortage, which has encouraged some device vendors to buy up more components than they actually need.

Germany is calling on the European Union to force smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung to repair and update their devices for at least seven years. It also wants manufacturers to offer spare parts at reasonable prices.

The European Commission has already proposed stricter rules for mobile device vendors. It’s all part of an effort to reduce waste by ensuring smartphones and tablets can remain in use for longer.

Smartwatches have improved significantly since they first hit the market. Now it’s not just your phone you’re wearing, it’s also your workout buddy, your music, even something to help you keep tabs on your health.

The ChronoWatch Multi-Function Smart Watch is a streamlined smart device that can make your life easier but costs a fraction of what an Apple Watch does. For a very limited time, you can get a ChronoWatch in blue, gray or rose gold for just $30 — a huge markdown from its regular price of $200.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has called on Apple to completely abandon its child safety features after their rollout was delayed.

The group says it is “pleased” Apple’s move is on hold for now. But it calls the plans, which include scanning user images for child abuse material (CSAM), “a decrease in privacy for all iCloud Photos users.”

The EFF’s petition against Apple’s original announcement now contains more than 25,000 signatures. Another, started by groups like Fight for the Future and OpenMedia, contains more than 50,000.

Certified Lover Boy, the newest album from Drake, has broken the Apple Music streaming record set by Kanye West just a few days ago.

In just 12 hours after the album’s release at midnight EST on Friday, September 3, it become 2021 most-streamed album and surpassed the 60 million streams that Donda racked up during its first 24 hours of availability.

Charging your phone shouldn’t be inconvenient, even if everything else happening around you is. If you’re halfway through a double shift, stuck on a long drive, or lost in the woods, you should still be able to charge your phone as easily as you could at home.

The Xvida Magnetic Wireless Power Bank makes that possible by putting a powerful wireless charger into an ultra-slim package that attaches magnetically to your phone so you don’t have to stop using it while it charges.

Right now, this incredibly convenient charger is on sale for $39.99 if you buy one — or $69.99 for two.

This week, Cult of Mac is giving away six practical and protective PadFolio Cases for your 12.9-inch iPad Pro from tomtoc, a popular case company. Designed to carry your iPad Pro, keyboard, chargers, dongles and all your necessary accessories, this case will protect your iPad Pro while keeping everything in place.

If you want to make your friends and peers jealous of how super-organized and productive you are at work or school, be sure to enter this giveaway.

One of the most frustrating things that can happen online is when a video you love disappears entirely. Maybe it’s a tutorial for fixing your car’s ignition, or a guide for taking good pictures, or a cat that’s just absolutely floored by the existence of a cucumber.

Whatever it was, it’s gone now — and you can’t find it anywhere. But you don’t have to lose your favorite videos. With VideoDuke for Mac, you can download videos straight from many of the most popular video sharing sites for life. And right now the software is on sale for just $29.99.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: It sounds like iPhone 13 will come with a secret satellite trick that will give you signal anywhere on Earth! The feature might not prove as groundbreaking as it initially seemed, but it still sounds like a lifesaver.

Also on The CultCast:

• Sorry, but Apple Watch Series 7 might be a much smaller update than we’ve been told.
• A radical new South Korean law is forcing Apple to open up the App Store there — and other countries are sure to follow.
• Sadly, it couldn’t last forever. It sounds like our beloved Tim Cook is eyeing his retirement from Apple. So who at Apple will take the reins next?  We got it all figured out!

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 livestream, embedded below.

Zen Pinball Party lets you have a go on tables with a Kung Fu Panda theme. Or Trolls. Or How to Train Your Dragon. And these are just a few of the options in a game that debuted Friday in Apple Arcade.

And that’s not the only new option. Show off your kitchen skills in MasterChef: Let’s Cook. And Layton’s Mystery Journey+ was also added to Apple’s gaming service.

The Cult of Mac Store just kicked off its sweet Labor Day Sale, offering up to 51% off awesome Apple Watch bands, stylish charging stands, and great cases for AirPods, iPhone, iPad and more.

Take advantage of the discounts before they disappear!

Redditor NotDeadYet7917 dragged himself out of bed on Monday and photographed his M1 MacB00k Air computer setup exactly as it appears in real life. It’s not staged like some of these fancy-schmance setups you see (we’ve seen plenty). And you can tell the workstation is keeping it real by how “lived-in” it looks.

Facebook rolled out a fantasy gaming service for iOS and Android users in the U.S. and Canada this week. Facebook Fantasy Games lets you predict outcomes of sports events and other entertainment, like TV game shows.

This autumn software sale post is presented by CdkeySales.com.

Just as during previous sales events, Cult of Mac readers can now grab a special 20% discount on the already-low-priced software product activation keys available at CdkeySales.com. It’s time for the Autumn Sale!

Apple Pay’s latest promotion saves new Instacart customers a generous $30 on deliveries worth $50 or more. Existing customers can also save $5 when spending $35 or more. The promotion is available through September 8.

Apple TV+ drama Truth Be Told looks into a series of dark pasts this week — and finds a host of unsavory things. Can true-crime podcaster Poppy Parnell keep her life together long enough to help anyone else?

Apple on Friday confirmed it has delayed controversial plans to start scanning user photos for child sexual abuse material, aka CSAM.

The feature was originally scheduled to roll out later this year. Apple now says it will take time to “collect input and make improvements” before deploying the changes. However, the feature is far from canceled altogether.