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Verizon hands out annual subscriptions to Apple Arcade

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Apple Arcade is closing in on 200 games.
Get your gaming fill with Apple Arcade.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Commencing May 25, both new and existing Verizon unlimited plan subscribers can get up to a year of free Apple Arcade, along with the other goodies already offered.

Customers on the $90 per month Get More Unlimited or $80 per month Play More Unlimited plans will receive the full year of free access. Meanwhile, those on other unlimited plans will get six months.

There may be a problem with Apple’s pricey Hermès’ AirTag range

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AirTags
Is there a fault with Apple's most expensive AirTags accessories?
Photo: Apple

Apple products have always cost a premium, but they’re also some of the best-made devices and products that you’ll find. Most of the time, at least.

9to5Mac points out that all three of Apple’s Hermès AirTag Key Rings and Luggage Tags are listed as “Currently Unavailable” on Apple’s website, regardless of which option users try to select. It also cites a reader who suggests a quality issue could be to blame.

Get a 78% discount on this popular video-editing suite

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Movavi
Movavi apps give you total control over your photos and videos.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Video and photo editing is easier now than it’s ever been. There are thousands of apps to choose from, as well as built-in filters on phones and popular social media apps like Instagram.

But when it comes to elite, professional-level editing software that’s easy to use, there’s only one option: Movavi. For a limited time, you can download the entire suite of Movavi photo and video editing software for just $49.99 (78% off).

The flimsy reason Apple TV Siri Remote doesn’t feature AirTag tracking tech

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Apple's new Apple TV 4K with redesigned Siri Remote
Wouldn't it have been great if the Siri Remote featured some of Apple's smart AirTag tracking tech?
Photo: Apple

Of all the items that get misplaced regularly in my home, the TV remote has got to rank up there as number one. Other items, such as keys and wallet, may have a smaller footprint, but for whatever reason it’s the TV remote which constantly winds up going MIA.

With Apple redesigning the hated Siri Remote for its 2021 Apple TV 4K, you’d think it would be the perfect time to add some kind of tracking functionality to the device. After all, Apple’s just introduced AirTag, its location-tracking smart tech which promises to help you locate those hard-to-find with impressive accuracy.

Surely Apple could have squeezed its U1 Precision Tracking tech into the revamped Siri Remote? Apparently not. And according to a somewhat cryptic comment by Tim Twerdahl, Apple’s vice president of product marketing for home and audio, it’s to do with it being too thick. Or something.

Protect your internet connection with this lifetime VPN

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KeepSolid VPN
KeepSolid VPN is the best solution to protect your online activity and browse restriction-free for life.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

There are plenty of moments where you need to use your data or internet connection — like during your morning commute to check on a work email or when connecting to a new flight in-between destinations. Unfortunately, a myriad of bad things might happen along the way, whether you’re using a public or private Wi-Fi connection (or even your own data).

Shield yourself from hacking attempts, spying and more when you browse the web with this KeepSolid VPN Unlimited: Lifetime Subscription, available now for just $39.99, 80% off its list price.

Last chance! Enter to win a mini Vava USB-C hub for MacBook Pro/Air [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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VAVA USB C Hub
Tiny but mighty: The Vava USB-C hub greatly expands your MacBook's capabilities.
Photo: Vava

This week, we are giving away two tiny but mighty USB-C hubs from Vava worth $75 each.

The Vava five-port hub turns your MacBook’s two puny USB-C ports into five powerful ports, allowing you to connect two 5K external monitors to your MacBook Pro or Air. You also can hook up external hard drives, printers, memory sticks and more, making you more productive and connected.

If you’d like your shot at winning one, be sure to enter this week’s giveaway below.

Why you’ll love the new iPad Pro [Cult of Mac Magazine 402]

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2021 iPad Pro review: Why you'll love the new iPad Pro.
How do we love the iPad Pro? Let us count the ways.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

If you loved the old iPad Pro, you’re really gonna love the new one. Cult of Mac writer (and veteran iPad user) Ed Hardy lays out all the ways Apple turned its pro tablet up to 11 this year. Heck, maybe even all the way up to 12.9.

From iPad Pro to iMac to Apple TV 4K, it seems like all Apple’s new gear delivered the goods this week. And the new Spatial Audio coming soon to Apple Music sounds absolutely awesome, at least in theory. (The fact that lossless audio won’t play on AirPods … not so much.)

Catch up on it all with this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Read it on iOS or hit the links below to read in your browser. Oh, and if you haven’t seen the video of how Assistive Touch will work on Apple Watch, take a minute to do it. It’s a wild new way that Apple’s wearable will work for people with certain disabilities.

Rejoice, audiophiles: Apple Music lossless audio is coming to HomePod, HomePod mini

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Apple Music lossless audio coming to HomePod, HomePod mini
HomePod and HomePod mini will be able to take advantage of a significant improvement coming to Apple Music.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple smart speakers will be able to play Apple Music’s lossless audio after an upcoming software update. Both HomePod and HomePod mini will get support for the high-quality audio format, according to Apple.

This is good news for HomePod owners who may have been feeling disgruntled about being left out of a signature new Apple Music feature.

8 reasons to totally love the 2021 iPad Pro [Review]

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7 reasons to totally love the 2021 iPad Pro [Review]
The Liquid Retina XDR display in the 12.9-inch version of the 2021 iPad Pro displays movies better than many TVs.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

There’s so much to love about the 2021 iPad Pro. There’s a better screen, a faster processor and many other enhancements. As a long-term iPad user, I put the Apple’s latest to the test. And there’s a lot here to like.

Previous iPad Pro models were already the best tablets on the market. So Apple had to really stretch to make something that surpassed them by this much.

CdkeySales.com: Take 20% off low-price Windows 10 and Office 2019 keys now

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You can now save 20% off Microsoft Officevand Windows activation keys at CdkeySales.com.
You can now save 20% off Microsoft Officevand Windows activation keys at CdkeySales.com.
Photo: CdkeySales.com

This software keys post is brought to you by CdkeySales.com.

Now’s the time to take advantage of another CdkeySales.com special price offer for Cult of Mac readers. You can get 20% off the site’s already-inexpensive software activation keys for an array of Microsoft Office 2019 and Windows 10 products. See the links below for this round of special deals.

Want a new Apple TV 4K? Sell your old model for upgrade cash

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apple tv upgrade
Apple might combine video and music into one subscription.
Photo: Apple

The new Apple TV 4K with faster A12 Bionic processor, high frame rate HDR, and all-new Siri Remote is out now. Prices start at just $179, and there is a way to make yours even more affordable.

Sell your old Apple TV (and other Apple devices) to Cult of Mac today and we’ll send you a nice stack of cash to make your upgrade more affordable.

How to fix a frozen MacBook Pro Touch Bar without rebooting

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How to fix a frozen MacBook Pro Touch Bar
Restart your Touch Bar in an instant.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Whatever your opinion may be on the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar, there’s no denying it comes in handy from time to time. Except when it freezes — which can be a common occurrence — and then it’s no use at all.

You might reboot your MacBook Pro to get its Touch Bar working again when this happens. But there is a quicker, much less disruptive fix. Here’s how to restart your Touch Bar without rebooting your Mac.

The Mosquito Coast ratchets up the tension in Mexico City [Apple TV+ review]

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The Mosquito Coast review on Apple TV+: Things keep getting dicier for the Fox family.
Things keep getting dicier for the Fox family.
Photo: Apple TV+

The Foxes hit Mexico City this week on The Mosquito Coast, the simmering new Apple TV show about a family off the grid and on the run. They’re fugitives, but that doesn’t stop them from becoming tourists, with all that entails.

This week’s episode, titled “Elvis, Jesus, Coca-Cola,” tightens the noose around the criminal family of four, while showing off the wider world they’ve been missing out on.

How to enable and use Reachability on iPhone in iOS 14

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How to enable Reachability
Reachability makes even the largest iPhone models easy to use one-handed.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Reachability remains alive and well in iOS 14 — even if you have an iPhone without a Home button. The feature, which makes even the largest iPhone models easier to operate with one hand, is super-simple to use with just a quick flick of the thumb.

However, Reachability is disabled by default, so you’ll need to turn it on. Here’s how to enable and use Reachability in the latest iPhone firmware.

What does it take to freeze an M1 MacBook Air? [Setups]

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3D games, video editing, a million browser tabs -- how would you try to jam up a MacBook Air M1?
3D games, video editing, a million browser tabs -- how would you try to jam up a MacBook Air M1?
Photo: Typical_Andrew@Reddit

If you owned a new MacBook Air with an M1 chip and 16GB of unified memory, how much would you have to do at once for it to freeze, bringing up the spinning beach ball of death?

Redditor Typical_Andrew had a run at that.

MacPaw’s Apple museum will feature 323 rare pieces of tech history

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MacPaw
A Macintosh signed by Apple's co-founder is like the Mac fan's Holy Grail.
Photo: MacPaw

Fancy seeing an original Macintosh 128k, signed by Steve Wozniak? Want to feast your eyes on Apple’s first “portable” computer, which tipped the scales at nearly 16 pounds? How about eyeballing a rare Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh, the only computer Cupertino ever made that was delivered to customers in a limo, and installed by Apple employees wearing tuxedos?

If you answered “yes” to all these questions, then there’s one more to ask: Are you willing to catch a flight to Kyiv, Ukraine — approximately 6,000 miles from Apple’s home in Cupertino — to look at them in person?

Trying returns for a second unbearable blast of blandness [Apple TV+ review]

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There is not nearly enough Imelda Staunton on this season of Trying
We don't get nearly enough Imelda Staunton this season.
Photo: Apple TV+

No one’s favorite young parents-to-be return for another go-round in Trying, the maddening Apple TV+ show about the travails of a British couple who really want children.

Unfortunately, the show’s second season, which debuts Friday, proves just as exhausting and depressing as its first.

Increase your productivity with this Mac utility at 33% off

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utility app
MacOptimizer keeps your Mac in top shape.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

No matter how great you are at updating your Mac and closing all your windows, you’ll inevitably run into some performance issues now and again. These days, we rely on our computers too much to deal with any downtime. That’s true whether you need to hop into an important meeting in 10 minutes, or were right about to find out the twist in your favorite streaming series.

Chaos Monkeys author calls Apple firing a ‘snap decision’

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Chaos Monkeys
This was the book that led to employee's firing.
Photo: HarperCollins

The Apple employee fired because of controversial passages in his 2016 memoir Chaos Monkeys calls his termination a “snap decision” by Cupertino execs.

Antonio García Martínez, a former Facebook product manager, was recently hired and fired by Apple within the space of a few weeks. In a recent Twitter Space chat with journalists Kara Swisher and Casey Newton, Martínez opened up regarding the specific writing from his book that was widely circulated before his Apple departure. The book describes San Francisco Bay Area women as “soft and weak, cosseted and naive despite their claims of worldliness, and generally full of sh*t.”

1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything is a bloated boomer yawn [Apple TV+ review]

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The Staples Singers in 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything
Even the Staples Singers can't save this nostalgia-riddled mess.
Photo: Apple TV+

With 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything, Apple TV+ tried to buy itself a Ken Burns-style documentary about the potent cultural impact of rock and soul. Unfortunately, the eight-episode documentary series, which premieres Friday, proves so low-energy it will put you to sleep.

This deceptively “comprehensive” look at a single year in music history proves as scatterbrained and toothless as a school project. The impression it leaves is not that 1971 really changed everything, but that no one is even remotely willing to admit that their favorite bands really aren’t that interesting.