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These pico projectors will enhance your favorite shows during lockdown

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These projectors will enhance your viewing experience from home
Take your pick of these two hot deals on pico projectors.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We’re experiencing yet another bump in the road as coronavirus cases spike nationwide. With stores and public outings closed for the foreseeable future, we’ll need to find new ways to stay entertained during lockdown, especially now that our usual routines are months old at this point.

Apple’s biggest manufacturer may invest $200 million in electric car startup

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Byton Byte
The Byton M-Byte was publicly unveiled at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show.
Photo: Alexander Migl/Wiki CC

Foxconn, Apple’s largest supplier, looks to be getting in on the electric vehicle business. According to a Monday report from Bloomberg, the Taiwanese manufacturer is in talks to invest in Chinese EV startup Byton.

Foxconn reportedly plans to invest around $200 million in the company to begin mass-manufacturing the anticipated Byton M-Byte car by Q1 2022. An announcement could come as early as today.

Apple backtracks after threatening to boot Amphetamine out of Mac App Store

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Amphetamine
No, it's not the drug-promoting nightmare app Apple feared.
Photo: Amphetamine

A Mac app that raised Apple’s ire with its drug-referencing name won’t be pulled from the Mac App Store, its developer says.

Apple reportedly threatened to remove utility app Amphetamine, which stops your Mac from going to sleep. The reason? Violating rule 1.4.3 of the App Store guidelines, which prohibits apps relating to “consumption of tobacco and vape products, illegal drugs, or excessive amounts of alcohol.”

Learn a new language fast with this song-based app

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The most fun way to learn a new language
The Lirica app uses hit songs to teach you a new language.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s about that time where everyone is making New Year’s resolutions — whether getting fit or mastering investing with a powerful new tool.

If you’re looking to learn a new language in 2021, there’s probably no more fun, intuitive way than with a lifetime subscription to the Lirica Premium Language Learning App.

2021 might be even better than 2020 for Apple [Cult of Mac Magazine 382]

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Can Apple pull off an even more amazing year in 2021?
Can Apple pull off an even more amazing year in 2021?
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac Magazine

2020 was rough. However, the pandemic gave Apple a chance to show its true colors. From fantastic new products to altruistic accomplishments, the company found many ways to excel.

Read Leander Kahney’s recap for an informed look at Apple’s incredible year. Then read Ed Hardy’s predictions about what to expect from Apple in 2021. And, if you’re ready to achieve your fitness goals, read Graham Bower’s piece on how to make your New Year’s resolutions stick with Apple Fitness+.

It’s all in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now to read on your iOS device, or get the links below.

Ugreen X-Kit cleverly combines MacBook stand with USB-C multiport hub [Review]

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Ugreen X-Kit review
The Ugreen X-Kit looks like an ordinary laptop standing, but it does much more.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Laptop stands make it easier to type as well as see what’s on your MacBook display. USB-C hubs make adding peripherals to your laptop a snap. The Ugreen X-Kit is both a display and a hub. Plus, it’s designed to be used on the go.

I tried out this combination stand/hub to see how well it works with Apple gear. Read on to see what I found out.

Invest intelligently with this real-time financial tool

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This financial tool will help your investments
Ready to rake it in? This financial tool will help you manage your investments.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether you’re an experienced trader who’s been dabbling with the stock market for years, or just beginning to seek out ways of earning passive income, the people who get the most out of their investments are ones that strategically manage their hard-earned funds. And, while the stock market can sometimes be volatile, the best way of keeping track of your funds and shifting your investments around is being able to track how your stocks are performing in real time.

If you want to do that without needing to work with a broker (and pay brokerage fees), check out this lifetime subscription to the Currency HeatwaveX Financial Tool.

Ring in the new year by mastering Six Sigma training

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This is an invaluable skill to learn in 2021
Get some serious skills to set yourself up for a successful 2021.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

As we all know, 2020 was an exceptionally rough year, but January is a great time to take stock, reflect on what you learned, and start making decisions and taking actions that will make 2021 far better. One way to get started in that regard is this 2021 Complete Six Sigma Training Suite Bundle.

It includes 45 hours of content on Lean, Six Sigma and Minitab, and it can help you slash inefficiencies and boost profit in almost any business. Right now, the whole bundle is just $31.99 (98% off the normal $2,988 price tag).

Expect exciting new MacBooks, iPad, Apple Watch and more in 2021

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Expect Apple 2021 to bring exciting new MacBooks, iPads, Apple Watch features.
There are outstanding improvements coming to many Apple product in 2021.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple broke new ground in 2020, and will build on that in many ways in 2021. It should be a really significant year for Mac. And iPad and Apple Watch are expected to get important new features as well.

Plus, this could be the year a product Apple has been quietly developing finally breaks out.

How to make your New Year’s resolutions stick with Apple Fitness+

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Time’s up for excuses - get in shape in 2021
Time’s up for excuses - get in shape in 2021
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Apple Fitness+ makes it easier than ever to get in shape. So you should have no problem smashing your New Year’s resolution. Right?

Wrong. The sad fact is, despite the best of intentions, most New Year’s resolutions fail. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I know from personal experience as someone who went from a middle-aged slob to the proud owner of six-pack abs for the first time in my life. Now I’m a qualified personal trainer and I write about fitness for Cult of Mac.

So what’s the secret? Why do some resolutions succeed where others fail? Here are my top five tips for how you can use Apple Fitness+ to get in shape in 2021 and stay that way.

Despite pandemic, 2020 was Apple’s best year ever [Year in Review]

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Apple products on a table
The big story for Apple in 2020, was, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: Elena Mozhvilo/Unsplash

In spite of a devastating pandemic, a moribund economy, widespread unemployment, factory and store closures, and a workforce toiling from home, Apple in 2020 had one of its best years ever.

The company released a raft of new products, saw its stock soar, enjoyed a record valuation, made record amounts of money, experimented with virtual product launches and events, released great advertising, and mostly skated through government antitrust hearings.

The company even killed off a hated product feature, to widespread plaudits from fans.

Kick-start your fitness goals in 2021 with more than 90% off this top-rated app

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Put Your Apple Watch to work with this fitness app
Fire up your Apple gear and achieve your fitness goals this year.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Ready to start the new year with a new workout regime? This top-rated fitness app is the easiest way to reach your goals — and right now, a one-year subscription to BetterMe Home Workout & Diet is on sale for just $15.99 with coupon code HOLIDAY20.

That code also gives you 20% off the Cult of Mac store, site-wide, to ring in the new year. Yes, that’s even on top of sale prices.

Get 7 of the best digital skills courses of 2020, for up to 98% off right now

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Here's 7 of the best online courses of 2020
Get some serious tech skills with one or more of these discounted educational bundles.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

What better way to round out the old year and kick-start the new one than by learning a new skill from home, in your own time? From Google Analytics to coding and app development, we selected some of the top-rated online courses of 2020 to level up your personal and professional skills.

Even better, all of these e-learning courses are on sale, with amazing discounts of up to 98% off right now.

Apple can take years to part ways with rule-breaking suppliers, report claims

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Apple's relationship with Foxconn on the rocks
Tim Cook meeting with a worker in the supply chain.
Photo: Apple

Apple can reportedly drag its feet when removing repeat labor violation offenders from its supply chain, a new report from The Information claims.

Cupertino supposedly postpones taking action when it has no other companies lined up to pick up the slack, or in other scenarios that would cause financial damage due to delays or higher costs.

Privacy-focused Brave browser adds native support for Apple Silicon

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Brave
Brave is a speedy browser with a focus on privacy.
Photo: Brave

Brave, a privacy-oriented, Chromium-based web browser, has been updated to add native Apple Silicon support for first-gen M1 Macs.

Brave’s big claim to fame is that it blocks ads and website trackers by default. It also lets users compensate creators by sending them cryptocurrency contributions, called Basic Attention Tokens.

Apple removes massive 39,000 games from App Store in China

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App Store image
All but 74 of the top 1,500 games vanished.
Photo: James Yarema/Unsplash CC

The App Store in China had its biggest single-day removal of apps ever — with a massive 39,000 games given the boot by Apple on Thursday alone. This is as a result of Chinese laws stating that all game publishers must obtain a special license in order to distribute their titles.

According to research firm Qimai, only 74 of the top 1,500 games in the App Store survived the massive app bloodbath. Major titles that vanished included the likes of Assassin’s Creed Identity and NBA 2K20.

App Store spending booms on Christmas Day in Europe

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TikTok continues to dominate the App Store in 2020.
The App Store had a great day December 25.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

For many people, Christmas was a bit more of a subdued affair in 2020 than in other years. But things were far from subdued in the App Store. According to new figures published by Sensor Tower, spending on mobile apps hit a big high point on Christmas Day in Europe.

The iOS App Store accounted for 60% of total app spending, adding up to almost $32.7 million on Christmas Day alone. That’s a massive 39% increase year-over-year. Android, by comparison, rose 17.4% year-over-year to hit $22 million on December 25.

Max Stand adds wireless charging to AirPods Max

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AirPods Max and Max Stand go great together.
Max Stand seems like something Apple should have thought of itself.
Photo: Floating Pixels

A small German design studio dreamed up an improvement to AirPods Max. The Max Stand from Floating Pixels holds Apple’s new over-the-ears headphones upright, making them easy to pick up and use. And it adds wireless charging, rather than requiring users to plug in a cable.