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How to stop Apple from targeting you with personalized ads

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Ads everywhere
Apple targets users with personalized ads, too.
Photo: Jo San Diego/Unsplash CC

A French lobbyist group is accusing Apple of hypocrisy over new privacy measures in iOS 14, which make it harder for other companies to track users. Why? Because Apple also operates a feature called Personalized Advertising, which capitalizes on user data to display targeted ads within apps.

Want to stop Apple from targeting you with personalized ads? Here’s how you do it. (And everything else you need to know about the new complaint.)

Put a full audio studio in your pocket for just $159 with this tiny gadget

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Audio Studio
This compact and convenient audio gadget earns top ratings on Amazon.
Photo: AudioWow

With the explosion of TikTok and the surging popularity of podcasting, innovative gear is making life easier for creators who are constantly on the go. Just the size of a matchbox, the AudioWow wireless audio studio is small enough to take with you anywhere. But it offers studio-quality sound capabilities — and costs just $159.

iPhone could get a periscope lens in 2023, improved telephoto lens this year

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iPhone 12 Pro series include cameras tat support ProRAW
The iPhone camera setup is set to get even better.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone will get a periscopic telephoto lens in 2023, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims in a new research note seen by Cult of Mac.

Although Kuo doesn’t provide much in the way of details, this would greatly improve the zoom capabilities of the iPhone. Currently the best iPhone for camera zoom is the iPhone 12 Pro Max. That handset features a 2.5x optical zoom in, and 2x optical zoom out. Digital zoom goes up to 12x.

A periscope zoom could increase this significantly. For example, the 2019-era Huawei P30 Pro and Oppo Reno offer 10x zoom capabilities using a periscope lens.

Apple’s AR headset will pack 15 camera modules, advanced biometrics

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Hololens
Microsoft's HoloLens are currently the mixed reality glasses to beat.
Photo: Microsoft

Apple’s mixed reality/augmented reality headset will come with 15 camera modules, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo, who has a strong track record when it comes to reporting on Apple rumors, also suggests that it will feature “innovative biometrics,” along with the ability to detect the environment the user is positioned in at the time.

Concept artists imagine crazy cars from Apple, Netflix and other tech giants

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An Apple Car as imaged by ‘ Vanarama.’
The iDrive is just one of the Big Tech concept cars imaged by Vanarama.
Concept image: Vanarama

The Apple Car really is on the drawing board at Cupertino, but no one outside the company knows what it’ll look like. Vanarama came up with a concept design.

And it didn’t stop there. Its designers had fun imagining vehicles designed by Netflix, Peloton, Airbnb and Zoom if these other Big Tech companies got into the market.

Get a lifetime sub to DogTV, a streaming service made for your best friend

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DOGTV
This 24/7 video channel is scientifically developed to comfort dogs when left alone.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Humans enjoy plenty of options for keeping our minds occupied, from binge-watching Apple TV+ to winding down with a meditation app. But what about your dog?

If you have a pooch that suffers from separation anxiety, you know that sometimes a treat or toy isn’t enough to keep them preoccupied while you’re away. But a lifetime subscription to DogTV can deliver sights and sounds that keep your pooch calm.

Apple Watch gets a makeover with Goldenerre’s gorgeous Pyramid band

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Goldenerre Pyramid bracelet for Apple Watch
A metal band unlike any other.
Photo: Goldenerre

Celebrate International Women’s Day by supporting Goldenerre, an awesome accessory company founded and operated by women. Its beautiful Pyramid bracelet is enough to give any Apple Watch a glamorous makeover, and it’s available in a number of color options.

Order yours today for 38/40mm or 42/44mm Apple Watch models.

iOS 14.4.1 squashes dangerous Safari security bug

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iOS 14.4.1 and iPadOS 14.4.1 and watchOS 7.3.2
Apple recommends you install iOS 14.4.1 on your iPhone to fix a security problem. And there are iPad and Apple Watch equivalents.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

iPhone users should install iOS 14.4.1, which Apple released Monday entirely to kill a bug in the Safari web browser. Obviously, Apple considers it a significant enough threat to devote an entire software update to justify it.

There’s also an equivalent iPadOS 14.4.1 version. Plus, the newly released watchOS 7.3.2 deals with the same security problem, as does macOS Big Sur 11.2.3.

BMW exec says he’s not losing any sleep over impending Apple Car

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Apple Car
BMW's CFO has chimed in on Apple Car-in-progress.
Photo: BMW

BMW’s Chief Financial Officer Nicholas Peter isn’t worried about Apple’s entry into the automotive industry. Or, if he is, he’s not willing to say as much.

“I sleep very peacefully,” Peter said when asked about the rumored Apple car. “Competition is a wonderful thing — it helps motivate the others. We’re in a very strong position and we want to remain in a leading position of the industry.”

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai signs wide-ranging deal with Apple TV+

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Malala Yousafzai
Educator Malala Yousafzai will be a new voice on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple

Apple revealed on Monday a new “multiyear programming partnership” with women’s rights activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai to produce content for for Apple TV+.

Yousafzai will produce original programming for the streaming service, spanning drama, comedy, documentary, animation and kids’ shows.

Let Hollywood’s top photographers teach you a lesson or two

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Photography
Celebrity photographer Michael Muller leads Photo School.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether you’re document your adventures or need eye-catching images to grow your brand or social media presence, learning take great pictures is a fundamental skill for the digital age.

This Photo School: Learn Photography & Photoshop from Hollywood’s Masters bundle includes 13 courses taught by some of the most well-regarded and influential photographers in Hollywood. Snag this deal and learn from the best!

Ted Lasso scores hat trick of awards for Apple TV+

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Jason Sudeikis plays a clueless college football coach in the Apple TV+ comedy series
Ted Lasso is turning out to be MVP for Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ comedy Ted Lasso scored a hat trick of awards at the 2021 Critics’ Choice Awards on Sunday, garnering prizes for Best Comedy Series, Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Hannah Waddingham and Best Actor in a Comedy Series for Jason Sudeikis.

Considering that it’s an underdog tale about a fish-out-of-water football coach struggling to adapt to the world of soccer, the fact that Ted Lasso is proving to be Apple TV+’s MVP — winning against the likes of Netflix, Hulu and CBS — seems weirdly appropriate.

Apple augmented reality devices could help shape all future computers

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The eventual culmination of Apple augmented reality efforts will be AR contact lenses
Apple will eventually release augmented reality contact lenses, according to a trusted analyst.
Photo: Skitterphoto/Pexels CC/Cult of Mac

A respected Apple analyst just made a startling prediction about mixed reality/augmented reality: “We believe that MR/AR products could replace all display-equipped electronics in the long term,” wrote Ming-Chi Kuo in a note sent to investors Sunday.

Kuo said he expects Apple to play a big part in taking these emerging technologies mainstream. And he sees Cupertino making augmented reality contact lenses eventually, and a variety of AR products before then.

This bestselling VPN comes as a 2-pack for just $60

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VPN 2-pack
With pricing this good, everybody can stay safe online.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

With all the time we’re spending online these days, it’s become essential to keep all the information you share as private as possible. From your home address and personal phone number to credit card and Social Security numbers, we share a lot of sensitive information online daily.

iPhone: The Next Generations! [Cult of Mac Magazine 391]

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The future of the iPhone is coming into focus.
The future of the iPhone is coming into focus.
Cover: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

An unusually deep and detailed report from one of the world’s most reliable Apple analysts gives us a possible look at where the iPhone is headed in the next few years.

From no-brainers like bigger batteries (coming later this year) to more mysterious possibilities like a folding model (2023 at the earliest), this week’s top stories offer a glimpse of what the next generation of iPhones might bring.

Get up to speed with this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now to read on iPhone or iPad, or get all the top headlines in the link lists below. And let us know if the features you’re craving are on Apple’s agenda.

iMac Pro discontinued: Get it before it’s gone

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The new iMac Pro brings awesome firepower to the desktop this December.
The iMac Pro might not be replaced with a new version.
Photo: Apple

Apple discontinued the iMac Pro, which is still one of the fastest Macs available despite being more than three years old. Whether the move means an updated version of the all-in-one desktop is on the way is unclear.

UPDATE: Don’t miss the Cult of Mac editorial “Good riddance to iMac Pro and the era of underwhelming Macs.”

Enhance your audio experience with this listening software, now 83% off

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Audio Optimization
This software makes music, games and movies sound better than ever on a Mac or PC.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Nothing enhances an experience the way sound can. You know that’s true if you’ve ever felt your heart race during a musical swell while watching a thriller, or felt more focused and productive while listening to the perfect playlist.

You can take advantage of the power of sound with this lifetime subscription to Audio Optimization Experience. The Mac app provides depth, clarity, bass definition and more to your audio for a truly immersive experience, whether you’re listening to music, watching a movie or playing a video game.

You’re always ready to play with OtterBox’s protective Xbox controller case [Review]

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OtterBox Gaming Carry Case review
OtterBox Gaming Carry Case provides solid protection for your Xbox controller.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Slip your Xbox controller into the OtterBox Gaming Carry Case to protect it when gaming on the go. There’s a built-in phone stand so you can play anywhere, and the case makes room for OtterBox’s new phone mount.

I’ve used this Xbox controller case for several weeks. Here’s why I like it.

Selena Gomez, Jane Fonda will be profiled in Dear… season 2 on Apple TV+

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‘Dear…’ season two was green lit by Apple TV+
Dear… has been renewed for a second season and will highlight the lives of 10 more celebrities.
Photo: Apple

A second season of the documentary series Dear… will take a look at the lives and careers of more actors, musicians and athletes like Viola Davis, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and 8 more. It was approved on Friday, and is set to premiere later in 2021 on Apple TV+.

I want a folding iPhone and I want it now

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Why should Android users have all the folding fun?
Why should Android users have all the folding fun?
Photo: Mika Baumeister/Unsplash CC

If you’ve been paying attention to cutting-edge smartphones, you probably noticed a trend — foldable screens. And while folding phones might seem gimmicky, I think they present the perfect solution to a market-inflicted problem.

Unfortunately, while Apple is reportedly working on folding iPhone prototypes, the latest report suggests it we might wait nearly three more years for Cupertino’s first crack at such a device.

That’s way too long when the Android market is pressing forward fast. Please, Apple, don’t make us wait for a folding iPhone.