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Ex-Apple mapping cars reportedly up for sale in the UK

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Apple Car
Some of Apple's former mapping cars are up for sale.
Photo: Big Motoring World

Apple has long been rumored to be working on an Apple Car. But if you live in the United Kingdom, you can buy one. Right now. Today. Kind of.

According to Car Dealer Magazine, Apple is selling off some of its fleet of white Subaru Imprezas which have spent the past year driving around the U.K., collecting mapping data for Apple Maps’ “Look Around” feature.

The 4 best apps for learning a language just went on sale

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The best language learning apps out there are on sale today
With a lifetime subscription to one of these innovative apps, you'll pick up new languages in no time.
Photo: StackCommerce

There are plenty of reasons why you’d want to learn a new language. Maybe you’re planning a move, need to chat with your significant other’s parents, or want to open yourself up to new career opportunities.

Whatever your reason, there’s no need to take classes with an expensive tutor. These four incredible apps will help you learn the language(s) of your choice in record time. Plus, we’re offering these highly rated apps at their lowest prices all season. Be sure to snag these lifetime subscriptions while they’re still available.

PSA: Apple TV+ gets festive with Mariah Carey and A Charlie Brown Christmas

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Charlie Brown Christmas
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV+ is getting into the holiday spirit with a number of family friendly new shows (and one beloved classic) arriving on the streaming service to kickstart the festive season.

The big two festive-themed debuts are the one-off Mariah Carey’s Magic Christmas Special (reviewed here) and the Apple TV+ debut of the 1965 animated television special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. (The latter will also air on PBS and PBS Kids on Sunday, December 13.)

Stillwater will teach kids how to avoid meltdowns [Apple TV+ review]

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Apple TV+'s newest animated series Stillwater
A talking bear teaches kids life lessons in this new Apple TV+ show.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ continues its inspired streak of children’s fare with an adaptation of Jon J Muth’s Zen storytelling book series. Stillwater takes the central character from those books, a stoic and wise panda, and pits him against the foibles of three young kids.

Stillwater, which lands on Apple TV+ today, feels like a kind of classic PBS kids cartoon. It’s all about trying to prepare pipsqueaks for life’s disappointments by teaching them how to shift their perspective — and understand that some of life is beyond our control. There’s an awful lot to enjoy in this one.

FTC warns about scammers calling people pretending to be Apple

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Apple ditched plans for secure iCloud backups after FBI concern
Scammers could claim your iCloud account has been breached.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The Federal Trade Commission is warning people that scammers are posing as Apple customer support workers in an attempt to defraud them. The agency shared a couple of recorded messages (which you can listen to here) that sound quasi-legitimate but are, in fact, trying to steal personal information.

In one message, the caller says they have detected suspicious activity in the recipient’s iCloud account. They suggest that the account has been breached and, to secure it, the person should speak to an Apple customer service representative. They then give the option to connect to such a person on the phone.

All I want for Christmas is Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special on Apple TV+ [Review]

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Apple TV+
Festive fierceness incoming.
Photo: Apple

Let’s be honest, you already know whether you’re going to watch Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special on Apple TV+.

This isn’t an early Apple Silicon Mac where you need to read up on whether the transition to a new chip architecture has worked before making your purchasing decision. You either heard the words “Mariah” and “Christmas special” and thought “that’s an easy skip,” or immediately set about making space on your calendar to enjoy it in all its festive fierceness.

Nothing I write here is going to change your mind on either of these polarized takes. But, for the record, I enjoyed the show, which premiered today on Apple TV+.

Apple’s Family Sharing just got a lot sweeter

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Apple’s Family Sharing now includes in-app purchases and subscriptions
Siblings can share an iPad, as well as in-app purchases and subscriptions.
Screenshot: Julia M Cameron/Pexels CC

Developers of iPhone applications that include in-app purchases and subscriptions can now make them part of Family Sharing. This allows a family to share an item or subscription — at the developer’s discretion.

This is already a feature of Apple’s own services. A family can share a subscription to Apple Arcade or Apple TV+, for example. With this change for third-party apps, the Family Sharing option should become more widely available.

This setup will make Luddites want to scream [Setups]

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Mac Pro Setup
Anthony Ivanovsky's setup features a Mac Pro for work and a gaming PC under the desk.
Photo: Anthony Ivanovsky

Anthony Ivanovsky is a Toronto-based marketing expert and IT manager who has a knack for gadgets, both big and small. In his setup, an MSI Optix MAG341CQ 34-inch UltraWide Curved Gaming Monitor immediately draws the eye. And at $500, it costs considerably less than other ultrawides on the market.

On the left-hand side of his desk, standing like a monument, is the commanding Mac Pro. He uses this beast of a machine for video editing, photo editing and for his day job working for a tech startup. Aside from the base Radeon 580X, he also has two additional Radeon VII graphic cards, which may seem like overkill until you learn that he also runs three different YouTube channels.

How to get your Replay 2020 mix and stats on Apple Music

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How to get Apple Music 2020 Replay mix
Find out which artists you've enjoyed most in 2020.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

It’s almost the end of 2020 (hallelujah!) which means it’s time to start looking back at all the things you’ve enjoyed this year. All the vacations, parties, social events … okay, maybe not those things. But what about the music?

If you have Apple Music, it’s easy to check out all the artists, tracks, and albums you’ve enjoyed this year with your 2020 Replay mix. You can even see how long you’ve listened to your favorite artists and played your favorite albums. We’ll show you how!

Upgrade your workspace with this 4-in-1 fast charging station, now 59% off

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Magnetic Power Tiles 4-in-1 Wireless Charging Station
You can organize your space and boost your productivity with this sleek 4-in-1 wireless charging station, on sale now for $39.99.
Photo: Vista Shops Vista Shops

There are no two things more chaotic in life than 1) a desk full of tangled wires and 2) a low iPhone battery. In fact, in a time-management study, 91% of people said they would be more efficient if their workspace was better organized.

Thankfully, you can organize your space and boost your productivity with this sleek Magnetic Power Tiles 4-in-1 Wireless Charging Station, on sale now for $39.99.

It’s not just you: Complaints about iPhone 12 battery life and dropped calls are widespread

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It’s not just you: iPhone 12 battery problems & dropped call complaints are widespread
Other people also have iPhone 12 battery problems or dropped calls.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Some iPhone 12 users are reporting problems with either battery life or dropped calls. The difficulties aren’t happening to every user, but they seem to be fairly widespread.

There have been complaints about all four variations of the iPhone 12, not a specific model.

Big discount brings 6th-gen. iPod touch to its lowest price yet

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iPod touch 1
Get yours before they're all gone.
Photo: Apple

Pick up a brand-new sixth-generation iPod touch at its lowest price yet, thanks to big discounts from Woot. You can pick up a 32GB model for just $139.99 — its lowest price yet — for a limited time.

Bag yours before they’re all gone!

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

Apple plans mysterious hardware release on December 8

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While not a literal crystal ball for seeing the future, the EEC database gets close when it comes to Apple products.
Apple plans to release something on December 8. Could be a Christmas Surprise.
Photo: Jennifer Hubacher/Pexels CC

Apple reportedly warned authorized service providers that new products are coming the morning of Tuesday, December 8.  Among the possibilities are AirPods over-the-ear headphones and AirTags item-tracking tags. Or new Apple TV hardware.

This could be the Apple “Christmas Surprise” that had been predicted.

Apple showcases what Accessibility features can do for you

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Accessibility webpage
Apple's updated webpage shows off all the features it offers to Accessibility easier.
Photo: Apple

Apple just overhauled its Accessibility website, emphasizing all the ways these built-in features can make using your iPhone and other gear easier to use. The updated Accessibility page is now headed up by a banner advertising “built‑in features that work the way you do. Make them yours, and make something wonderful.”

It goes on to describe the various tools — broken into Vision, Mobility, Hearing and Cognitive categories — that Apple offers users as built-in features within its software.

Apple reportedly boots camera module supplier over human rights violations

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iPhone 12 Pro series include cameras tat support ProRAW
O-Film reportedly makes camera modules for the iPhone.
Photo: Apple

Apple has reportedly removed Chinese manufacturer O’Film Group from its camera module supply chain, a report by TheElec claimed Thursday.

The reason for giving O’Film the boot reportedly involves its use of forced labor of marginalized Uighur people in China. O’Film modules are found in around 10 percent of iPhones. It supplied the triple camera and time of flight (ToF) modules for the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max.

New playlists reveal what Apple Music subscribers were listening to in 2020

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2020 in Apple Music
How your tastes compare?
Photo: Apple Music

Do “certified freak, seven days a week” or “Pour up the whole damn seal, I’ma get lazy” mean anything to you?

If you’re anything like other Apple Music listeners around the world, they certainly do. That’s because they’re from Cardi B’s “WAP” and Roddy Ricch’s “The Box,” two of the songs atop the newly released “Most-Read Lyrics of 2020” list on Apple’s streaming music service. And there’s more data where that came from!

Apple could have to package power adapters with iPhone 12 in Brazil

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iPhone 12 box
Removing accessories let Apple shrink down the iPhone 12 box.
Photo: Marco Verch/Flickr CC

Apple made the bold decision to stop packaging its new iPhones with a power adapter and EarPods this year. But while you might think Apple’s within its rights to control the accessories that its handsets come with, not everyone agrees.

In Brazil, the state of São Paulo has reportedly decreed that doing so is a violation of consumer rights. The announcement was made by Procon-SP, a public consumer protection agency in São Paulo.

Tantalizing iOS 15 concept brings Split View and more to iPhones

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Split View iOS 15 concept
Is this how iOS 15 could look?
Photo: Kevin Kal

iOS 14 is still only a couple of months old for most users, but inside Apple designers and engineers will already be planning what next year’s upgrade will offer.

While we likely won’t get to see what they’re working on until WWDC 2021, Kevin Kal, a talented 20-year-old designer and engineering student in France, has created one of the first concepts we’ve seen for iOS 15.

Check it out.

Senator’s farewell speech advocates for iPads on the Senate floor

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Senator Michael B Enzi says iPads and other electronic devices should be allowed on the Senate floor.
Ironically, Senator Enzi had to read his farewell speech from a piece of paper, not an iPad.
Screenshot: Senator Enzi

U.S. senators are banned from using electronic devices on the senate floor, but retiring Senator Michael B. Enzi wants to change that. Despite being 76 years old, he used part of his farewell speech to urge his fellow lawmakers to end the restriction on laptops, phones and tablets.

Of course, the senator had to read his speech from a piece of paper, not the iPad he would have preferred.

M1 Mac mini runs Windows 10 far faster than Microsoft Surface Pro X

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M1 Mac mini running Windows 10
Even with a workaround, Macs with Apple Silicon have good performance running Windows 10 for Arm.
Photo: Cult of Mac

New tests show relatively speedy performance for a Mac mini with an ARM-based Apple M1 processor running the ARM version of Windows 10. Even though the OS is running as a virtual machine, benchmarks show the device can handle X86 applications far faster than the Microsoft Surface Pro X, which also uses an ARM chip.

Get premium products at low prices with this discounted Sam’s Club membership

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Enjoy premium products at a discount with this Sam's Club membership
Get ready to save big with this discounted Sam's Club membership.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you find yourself shopping around at different stores to get the prices and selection you want, check out Sam’s Club instead. The members-only warehouse store stocks plenty of Apple gear and other tech, as well as loads of groceries and household supplies, all at rock-bottom prices. And this discounted Sam’s Club membership means you’ll save even before you start saving.

With it, you’ll get a year of access to a rich array of high-quality products at great prices. Plus, you’ll bag a rotisserie chicken and gourmet cupcakes to sweeten the deal.

iPhone 12 is Apple’s best-selling handset in years

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Get the Phone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini with no extra wait.
Week one iPhone 12 sales were higher than any Apple launch in at least three years. The Pro Max did extremely well, but the mini...
Photo: Apple

In the first weeks they were available, each of the iPhone 12 models sold far better than any of their predecessors released in the past three years, according to a research firm.

And the biggest, most expensive version sold far better than any recent Apple model. But iPhone 12 mini sales might surprise some people.

How to unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes

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Tenorshare 4uKey
Locked out of your iPhone or iPad? Try Tenorshare 4uKey.
Photo: Tenorshare

This passcode-bypass post is presented by Tenorshare.

It’s the ultimate nightmare: Your iPhone is disabled, and you can’t get it unlocked. Maybe you created a complex passcode that now slips your mind. Perhaps you want to sell an older device you stashed in a drawer for a while, and you guessed wrong on the passcode too many times. Or it could be another common problem: Your device won’t accept a passcode because it (or its screen) is disabled.

In any of those cases, Tenorshare 4uKey can help. We will discuss how this software can help you unlock a disabled iPhone so you can enjoy your phone’s features to the fullest, and educate you from start to finish about how you can use this tool to unlock your disabled iPhone without iTunes.