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Get amazing deals on top-rated apps you won’t find on Amazon

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Take your pick at some of the best apps + software for your iPhone and Mac.
Get these digital deals at their best prices on the web.
Photo: Unsplash

Whether you want to be more productive in your work, get your startup off the ground, or unleash the full potential of your Mac, these incredible tools will do just that. They have a couple more things in common, too: They’re all incredibly highly rated, with rave reviews across the internet, and they can’t be found on Amazon. Grab them quick, as these discounts are only available for a limited time …

7 great travel gadgets at better prices than on Amazon right now

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These portable products are travel friendly
These awesome products make traveling a breeze.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Having the perfect portable gadgets by your side makes traveling simpler, more efficient and more fun. From Bluetooth accessories that take your smartphone to the next level, to super-cool gift ideas and the best wireless headphones for any trip, we found all these products on sale for a limited time — at prices that are even better than Amazon!

Last chance! Win two Quattro Pro Apple Watch bumper cases [Cult of Mac Giveaway]

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Quattro PRO Apple Watch Bumper Case
Combined with a custom watch face, the Quattro Pro case and band gives your Apple Watch a vintage Casio look.
Photo: Elkson

You might make your Apple Watch look like a retro Casio with our giveaway this week. Four lucky winners will receive not one but two Quattro Pro Apple Watch bumper cases from Elkson. That’s one to keep and one to give to a friend.

The Quattro Pro bumper case combines a sturdy strap with a protective case to guard your Apple Watch from bumps and scrapes. If you worry about your Apple Watch and want to protect it in style, be sure to enter this giveaway.

iOS 15 is boring … and that’s a good thing [Cult of Mac Magazine 406]

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Cult of Mac Magazine: iOS 15 is boring (and that's a good thing).
After using the iOS 15 betas, we're actually thrilled with the lack of major changes.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Sweeping change is overrated, especially when it comes to something you use every day — like your iPhone.

It’s true that this year’s iOS update doesn’t bring a ton of mind-blowing new features. But when you’re trying to execute a simple task, sometimes you don’t want your mind blown. You want “it just works” … or maybe “it just works the way I’m already comfortable with.”

iOS 15’s iterative changes indicate just how mature the iPhone is. And that’s a very good thing. That’s the gist of Cult of Mac writer Ed Hardy’s reasoning. Get his full take in the cover story of this week’s edition of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s free on iPad or iPhone. And it’s got this week’s top Apple news, reviews and how-tos.

Binge-watch new documentaries weekly with lifetime access to CuriosityStream

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curiositystream
This streaming service serves up thousands of the world's best documentaries.
Photo: CuriosityStream

Even with all the different streaming options available these days, it’s still easy to get bored with the choices available. Haven’t we all scrolled endlessly through Apple TV+, Netflix or HBO Max, only to never decide on what to watch? Sometimes there is such a thing as having too many options. And with all the mysteries, dramas, rom-coms and more, it can prove overwhelming at the end of the day.

So why not switch up your binge-watching sessions with content that’s both fun and informative? This lifetime subscription to CuriosityStream focuses on delivering thousands of the best documentaries in the world to you — including award-winning exclusives and originals.

Physical’s endless cliches won’t get your blood pumping [Apple TV+ review]

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Rose Byrne gets Physical
Even the talented Rose Byrne can't save this mishmash of cliches and misfires.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ went fishing for its own Glow but instead landed the transparent, overcooked and overdetermined Physical, which debuts today.

Star Rose Byrne tries as hard as she can to enliven this mishmash of cliches. However, its grotesque, fetishistic anti-nostalgia goes nowhere fast.

‘Boring’ iOS 15 shows just how far iPhone has come

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‘Boring’ iOS 15 shows just how far iPhone has come
iOS 15 brings the many advantages of boredom to the iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iOS 15 is kind of boring. It brings some welcome new features, but nothing that will change the way you use your iPhone forever.

Some people might find the lack of earth-shaking new features dull. But the bottom line is, when it comes to something as integral to our daily lives as the way you interact with your iPhone, “boring” is shorthand for “good.”

YouTube relents, allows picture-in-picture video on iPhone

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YouTube Picture in Picture is back. At least for now.
Picture-in-Picture video from YouTube will soon be back for everyone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

YouTube will reportedly soon allow all iPhone users to watch video from its application in a small window while another app is open. This feature has come and gone several times since Picture in Picture support debuted in iOS 14. Now it’s apparently coming back to stay.

Last chance! Run Windows apps on your Mac with this $25 app bundle featuring Parallels Pro

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Parallels Pro
Parallels Pro headlines this award-winning Mac app bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The All-Star Mac Bundle Featuring Parallels Pro is the ultimate curated app collection. In addition to Parallels Pro, which lets you run Windows apps on your Mac, the bundle boasts five award-winning apps that will boost your productivity, secure your data and more. But hurry, this deal ends on Tuesday, June 22.

These apps are trusted by millions of users worldwide to be among the best of the best in their fields. Typically retailing for $876, this bundle of five great Mac apps is on sale now for just $25 with coupon code ALLSTARMAC.

Stopping Apple from preinstalling apps might sound fair, but it’s a bad idea

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choice apples
It's all about the paradox of choice.
Photo: Raquel Martínez/Unsplash CC

As governments around the world scrutinize Apple’s App Store policies, the U.S. Congress is pondering legislation that could stop the company from preinstalling default apps on iPhones.

Apple critics suggest that such a move would level the playing field and give smaller developers a chance to compete. But would it actually benefit consumers, the purported goal of such antitrust legislation?

I’m not sure it would. In fact, it might simply make owning an iPhone a lot less enjoyable.

Lisey’s Story mixes psycho with silly in a very Stephen King-y episode [Apple TV+ review]

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Lisey's Story review
Julianne Moore and Clive Owen go to a strange place in this week's episode.
Photo: Apple TV+

Our widowed protagonist comes face to face with the bane of her existence in this week’s episode of Lisey’s Story, the Stephen King miniseries currently giving Apple TV+ a welcome shot of weird. Lisey must face some painful memories in order to avoid an even more painful future.

Get 2021 iPad Pro with 256GB of storage for the same price as 128GB

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2021 iPad Pro has an amazing mini-LED display
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has a super-fast M1 processor and a gorgeous mini-LED display.
Photo: Apple

The 12.9-inch version of the 2021 iPad Pro is such a hot item that Apple can’t keep it in stock, but that didn’t stop Amazon from having a sale. Buyers can pick up this tablet with 256GB of storage for the same price the 128GB configuration ordinarily sells for.

First-time MacBook fan runs a tight ship, sees M1 on horizon [Setups]

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And now for an M1 Mac and a long arm for the laptop stand.
And now for an M1 Mac and a long arm for the laptop stand.
Photo: KhanathanJr

These days, the M1-processor Macs are calling to a lot of people, and Redditor KhanathanJr is no exception. He’s a first-time MacBook fan wielding a formidable 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro packing an 8-core Intel i9 processor, 16 GB of RAM and a reasonably good graphics card, but … you know.

It may not retain its commanding position in the setup for much longer.

Apple Silicon is driving down Intel’s computer market share

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Apple silicon will power future Mac desktops and laptops
Apple Silicon is good for Apple and its customers. Bad for Intel.
Screenshot: Apple

Intel will experience a big decline in market share in 2022 as Apple further shifts away from Intel processors to Apple Silicon, Digitimes reports. It suggests that Intel will lose close to half its Apple orders this year. This is en route to Apple ditching all its Intel orders in the near future.

Letter Rooms is a canstfiat jumbled-word game for iOS

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Letter Rooms
A vrey fun wrod gmae to snik yuor tteeh itno.
Photo: Klemens Strasser

Looking for a fun brain-teaser this weekend? Look no further than Letter Rooms, a letter-jumblingly fun word game created by award-winning developer Klemens Strasser, maker of Subwords, Asymmetric and Elementary Minute.

The new $1.99 anagram-based game boasts more than 200 puzzles, broken down into a dozen topics — including animals, sports, pop culture, and more. What better way to dust off your mind after lockdown?

Frenzic: Overtime flips fast-paced puzzle action onto Apple Arcade

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‘Frenzic: Overtime’ debuted Friday on Apple Arcade.
Hurry, hurry, hurry. Those Frenzic Industries Power Cores won’t build themselves, you know.
Photo: The Iconfactory

Frenzic: Overtime, an arcade-style puzzle game, is the latest addition to Apple Arcade. Match the colorful pieces and shapes before the clock runs out.

And that’s not all. Game Dev Story+, an updated version of the App Store classic, debuted on Apple’s gaming service on Friday as well.

Gift your dad year-round fun with this golf simulator and swing stick

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If he likes to hit the greens, he'll love this PhiGolf golf simulator.
If he likes to hit the greens, he'll love this golf simulator.
Photo: Damir Spanic/Unsplash CC

Many things can get in the way of a perfect day of golf, from lousy weather to a lack of convenient tee times. If your dad likes to golf, and you’re still hunting for the perfect Father’s Day gift, this could be a hole in one.

For a limited time, you can get him a PhiGolf Mobile & Home Smart Golf Simulator with Swing Stick at a reduced price. It’s sure to help your dad perfect his golf swing, no matter what Mother Nature has in mind.

TSMC is already looking beyond A15 chips to make even smaller, faster processors

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Apple A15 concept
Apple chip manufacturer is looking to the future.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is already looking beyond the A15 chip that will come with this year’s iPhone 13. According to a Friday report, the world’s biggest chip fab is “fast advancing” its 4-nanometer and 3-nanometer processes ready for mass manufacturing.

Digitimes reports that TSMC’s 4-nanometer process will move into risk production in the third quarter of 2021. Risk production is a smaller production run of new hardware to sort out any problems. If there are none, TSMC  can then progress to volume production. The same report also claims that TSMC’s 3nm production process will commence volume production in the second half of 2022.

Spotify snaps up AI startup Podz which helps listeners find the perfect podcast

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Podz
Podz launched its "Audio Newsfeed" on iOS in February.
Photo: Podz

As part of the podcasting arms race between tech giant, Spotify has acquired Podz, an AI podcast discovery service for an undisclosed amount of money. Podz generates (or generated) short audio clips that populated a Instagram Stories-style timeline users could flip through to find podcasts they were likely to enjoy listening to.

Improved HyperDrive is the USB-C hub your iPad needs [Review]

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Sanho HyperDrive USB-C 6-in-1 Hub for iPad review
Attach the Sanho HyperDrive USB-C 6-in-1 Hub to your iPad to use a wide variety of accessories.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Sanho HyperDrive USB-C 6-in-1 Hub clips to an iPad and adds a collection of ports, allowing the tablet to make use of a variety of popular accessories, from mice and headphones to external displays. The multiport adapter offers outstanding functionality in minimal space.

The original version is one of the best iPad accessories ever. I tested the followup and it’s even better.

SurfacePad iPhone 12 case stores credit cards without interrupting MagSafe charging

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Twelve South SurfacePad iPhone 12 case stores credit cards without interrupting MagSafe charging
The SurfacePad wraps an iPhone 12 in leather and provides slots for two cards. All without getting in the way of MagSafe charging.
Photo: Twelve South

The Twelve South SurfacePad is a folio leather wallet case for iPhone 12. It’s designed to hold ID and credit cards and protect the handset’s screen. And it does so without interfering with MagSafe wireless charging.

Dark comedy rules in Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd’s The Shrink Next Door

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First trailer reveals the dark comedy of Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd in ‘The Shrink Next Door’
Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd will play the leads in “The Shrink Next Door,” premiering autumn 2021 on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ gave a first look at a hotly anticipated comedy starring the brilliant Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd. A trailer for The Shrink Next Door premiered on Thursday, and the streaming service revealed that the limited series will debut November 12.

Watch the trailer now for an early glimpse:

AppleCare+ for MacBooks just got more affordable

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2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and AppleCare
It now costs less to insure several MacBook models against breakage with AppleCare+.
Photo: Apple

Apple dropped the cost of AppleCare+ breakage insurance plans for MacBooks with the M1 processor by up to $50.

These plans offer deeply-discounted repairs on two accidents for every twelve months of coverage.

Apple awards $5 million to historically Black colleges to train future engineers

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Alabama A&M University
The Carnegie Library on the campus of Alabama A&M University.
Photo: Chris Pruitt/Wikipedia CC

Apple has awarded $5 million in “Innovation Grants” to four historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States. Alabama A&M University, Howard University, Morgan State University, and Prairie View A&M University will all receive funds from Apple as part of its $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.

The money, given over three years, will be used to help prep students for future careers in both hardware technology and silicon chip design. In other words, while there’s no guarantee of this, Apple could be helping provide the training that will up-skill future Cupertino employees. If that pays off, it’s a great investment on Apple’s part, as well as being a positive social contribution.

Learn how to code apps for iOS 15 with this $24.99 software development bundle

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iOS coding
Take advantage of iOS 15 and learn to develop your own apps

iOS 15 is a big deal — and it’s coming soon, with lots of exciting new features. From FaceTime movie sharing to a new Focus feature that allows you to concentrate without distraction, iOS 15 will make our lives simpler.

But the arrival of iOS 15 isn’t just good news for Apple users: It’s also a great opportunity for app developers. The pandemic boom that started in 2020 looks unlikely to go bust anytime soon.