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How to avoid macOS reinstallation errors on M1 Macs

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reinstall errors on M1 Macs
How to reinstall macOS when things go wrong.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple has confirmed that some M1 Mac owners may run into an error message when attempting to reinstall macOS on their new machine. If you’re one of them, there are some things you can do to avoid it.

These include using a bootable installer, rather than macOS Recovery, or initiating a reinstall from Terminal. We’ll show you how.

Snag Kodak photo gear that bridges the old and the new

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Kodak Film Scan for Mac
Got shoeboxes crammed with memories? This Kodak photo gear helps you bring old-school film into the digital realm.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Kodak became a household name due to its dominance of the photographic film industry. But even after the worldwide shift to digital photography, Kodak still has a role to play. These four great bits of Kodak gear bridge the classic and the modern, from film-related tools to an iPhone case printer.

They make great gifts for friends and relatives with loads of old negatives or slides, too.

New Apple gear … and the reviews are in! [Cult of Mac Magazine 376]

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iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 mini and HomePod mini reviews: So many Apple products, so little time ...
So many Apple products, so little time ...
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

With so much new Apple hardware arriving on doorsteps around the world, it’s like Christmas in November. That makes it a target-rich environment for reviews.

In this week’s free edition of Cult of Mac Magazine, we showcase a shootout between the year’s two most intriguing iPhones. It’s the iPhone 12 Pro Max versus the iPhone 12 mini in dueling reviews. And then there’s the HomePod mini

Our fearless leader Leander Kahney went nuts reviewing everything he could get his hands on this week. Grab the free mag to read on your iPad or iPhone. Or view the stories at the links below.

P.S. Like podcasts? We discussed all three of these devices, and the amazing new M1-powered Macs, on this week’s episode of The CultCast. It’s now available as a video, too.

Get a great computer and save dough with refurbished Macs

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Apple MacBook Pro 13.3-inch: Save money on refurbished Macs, from MacBook Pro to MacBook Air, Mac mini and iMac.
Save money on refurbished Macs.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

There are plenty of reasons we might want another computer. If you’re not saving up for one of the new Macs with the M1 chip inside, you can save some scratch with one of these four refurbished Macs.

Going with a refurb means some tradeoffs: Most of these won’t run the new macOS Big Sur, for instance. (You can check compatibility on Apple’s site.) However, they can deliver things you just can’t get anymore. The MacBook Pro, for instance, comes with a built-in SuperDrive.

Will M1 Macs ever run Windows? It’s up to Microsoft.

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Apple MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon running Windows
Macs with Apple Silicon could run Windows for Arm. Potentially.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, says Macs with the new M1 processor could run the version of Windows Microsoft created to run on similar chips. Apple did nothing to make that impossible. So whether Apple Silicon Macs ever run Windows depends on Microsoft.

Add old-world charm to your iPhone with an Oakywood wooden case [Review]

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Oakywood Wooden iPhone Case review
Oakywood makes cases Norm Abram would be proud to own.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

An iPhone doesn’t have to look coldly technological. Oakywood cases add cherry or walnut to your phone, giving it a more natural appearance. And the cases add shock resistance to Apple’s handset.

I enjoyed wrapping my iPhone 12 in an Oakywood bumper case. Here’s why.

On The CultCast: M1 Macs are totally insane, our HomePod mini reviews, and iPhone 12 Pro Max vs. mini!

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M1 Macs
Apple's M1, destroyer of benchmarks!
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: Apple’s new M1 Macs are breaking all the benchmarks, and are now officially the fastest Macs ever made. The MacBook Air is outperforming the iMac — these M1 Macs are insane.

Plus: iPhone 12 Pro Max versus mini — we’ve got them both! Which one is the keeper? We discuss. And stay tuned for our HomePod mini review, and our favorite new gadgets in an all-new Under Review!

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Apple works to bring Xbox Series X controller support to iOS and Mac

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Xbox Series X controller
An update is on the way.
Photo: Microsoft

Apple is working with Microsoft to make new Xbox Series X controllers compatible with iPhone, iPad, Mac and more.

Support for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and other controllers is already baked into the latest versions of iOS. It’s not yet clear if Apple will add support for the PlayStation 5’s new DualSense controller, too.

Pick the perfect cam to enhance your automobile

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Protect yourself and preserve your trip highlights with car-ready cameras, like this 170-degree wide-angle BlackBox with night vision.
Protect yourself and preserve your trip highlights with car-ready cameras, like this 170-degree wide-angle BlackBox with night vision.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether for safety, security or just to share your best road trips, cameras and cars go together surprisingly well. These four great cameras — three dash cams and one backup cam, all at big discounts — will help you get more from your car, new or old.

Google Chrome finally supports multiple windows on iPad

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Chrome for iPad got a major update.
Chrome for iPad can finally show two web pages at the same time.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A fresh update to Google Chrome for iPad lets users open multiple browser windows side-by-side. This long-overdue feature enables tablet users see two web pages simultaneously.

Google also released Gmail and Google Drive Home screen widgets.

Apple squashes iPhone 12 mini Lock Screen bug with iOS 14.2.1

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iPhone 12 mini held up
If your iPhone 12 mini touchscreen has a Lock Screen bug, you need iOS 14.2.1.
Photo: Apple

Apple today released a small “bug fix” update for iPhones. iOS 14.2.1 takes care of problem that caused the iPhone 12 mini’s touchscreen to not always respond on the Lock Screen. A couple of other small problems were taken care of too.

In an unusual move, there is no iPadOS equivalent for this update. It’s iPhone only.

HomePod mini sounds pretty big for such a little guy [Review] ★★★★☆

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HomePod mini★★★★☆
The HomePod mini sounds great for such a small speaker.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple has been doing some remarkable things with audio lately. The sound coming out of a new MacBook or iPad Pro is nothing short of amazing, given the tiny speakers they have. AirPods sound spectacular. And then there’s the original HomePods, which punch way above their weight and are some of the best speakers out there.

But what about the new HomePod minis, which cost $99 and pack the potential to give Apple a much-needed boost in the smart speaker game? Do they sound any good?

Google Stadia cloud gaming service coming to iPhone and iPad at last

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Google Stadia for iOS is going into public beta testing soon.
Google bypassed the App Store to make a version of Stadia that’ll run on an iPhone and iPad.
Photo: Google/Cult of Mac

Add Google Stadia to the list of cloud-gaming services that’ll soon be available for iOS and iPadOS. But all the action won’t be in the App Store — iPhone users will access Stadia though a web browser.

This is the same route other online-gaming services are also having to take because of Apple rules restricting cloud gaming.

CrossOver runs Windows apps and games brilliantly on M1 Macs

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CrossOver on M1 Mac
It's surprisingly snappy, even with all that emulation.
Photo: Codeweavers

It’s not possible to run Windows in Boot Camp on an M1 Mac, but that doesn’t mean you can’t run Windows apps. CrossOver allows Apple’s newest machines to run x86 software built for Microsoft’s platform.

And despite all the translation that’s required, it runs surprisingly well. So much so that you can use it to play action-packed online games on a MacBook Air that doesn’t even have a fan.

Peer into the microverse with macro smartphone camera lenses

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Macro Lense Kit
This pair of super slim macro lenses slip right over your phone or tablet's camera and open up new photographic possibilities.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Our smartphones come with great cameras, but only if what you’re photographing is fairly large. There are whole universes to explore in smaller scales, and adding a macro lens to your phone or tablet is a great way to open up new photographic possibilities. That’s just what these incredibly slim macro lenses offer.

Lil Baby, Taylor Swift winners in second Apple Music Awards

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2020 Apple Music Awards Lil Baby
Lil Baby has been named Apple Music's Artist of the Year.
Photo: Apple

Apple has confirmed the winners of its second annual Apple Music Awards. Lil Baby, Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, and others have been honored for their achievements across five different categories.

A celebration kicks off on Monday, December 14, with a week of special performances, fan events, interviews, and more.

Zagg stylus is just right for everyday iPad use [Review]

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Zagg Pro Stylus review
Zagg Pro Stylus helps you take notes, sketch, swipe, mark documents and more on your iPad.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Zagg Pro Stylus has an active tip for writing and drawing, and also a capacitive tip for swiping. It’s two styli in one, making it useful every day. It’ll magnetically attach to an iPad Pro, but works with a whole range of Apple tablets.

I drew some conclusions after using this stylus for work and fun. Here are the results.