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Apple teams with PBS to broadcast beloved Peanuts holiday specials

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Apple will let PBS broadcast ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ for everyone to see.
Everyone can watch a broadcast of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on PBS. No computer required.
Photo: Apple

Apple has an answer for all who want to watch Peanuts specials on regular TV. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving debuts Wednesday for Apple TV+ subscribers, but it’ll also be broadcast later this month on PBS stations across the US. The companion special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, will also appear on Apple’s streaming service as well as PBS stations in December.

Apple TV+ recently acquired the rights to all Peanuts holiday specials. The deal brought loud criticism when It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown didn’t appear on broadcast TV for the first time in decades, but only online. The team up with PBS is apparently Apple’s fix.

Apple settles multistate ‘Batterygate’ investigation for $113 million

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iPhone batteries
Batterygate is long over, but Apple is still dealing with the repercussions of a severe lapse in judgement.
Photo: iFixIt

Apple came to a settlement with a group of U.S. state attorneys general over 2017’s “Batterygate.” The iPhone-maker will pay $113 million spread around 30 states to end the investigation.

This comes closer to ending Apple’s problems resulting from not telling customers it was throttling the performance of older iPhones to prevent the devices from unexpectedly shutting down.

MNML Cases treat iPhone 12 series to fresh new colors, branding-free protection and a Cult of Mac discount

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MNML iPhone cases are think, light and protective.
MNML iPhone cases are think, light and protective.
Photo: MNML

This iPhone 12 case post is presented by MNML Case.

Those who upgrade to the new iPhone 12 series face a dilemma. Do they flaunt the gorgeous thing to the max, going without a case? Or do they protect the precious and pricey device like a responsible person, strapping on a protective covering that obscures it? Thanks to MNML, it’s hardly a hard choice anymore, because the company’s cases provide barely noticeable protection.

Cut in iPhone App Store fees will hardly nudge Apple’s bottom line

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Small businesses pay a small percentage of App Store fees.
Lowering App Store fees will help small businesses without also hurting Apple.
Photo: Cult of Mac/Steve Johnson/Pexels CC

Apple will cut App Store fees in half for small-business developers of iPhone applications. But while the change sounds dramatic, it will actually lead to a relatively tiny reduction in Apple’s revenue, according to a market-research firm.

iPhone 12 mini is the ultimate one-handed phone [Review]

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iPhone 12 mini
The iPhone 12 mini is a hot little number.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Buying a compact smartphone used to mean making some big sacrifices. You either had to settle for an older model, or you had to opt for an Android handset (ugh!). That’s no longer the case, thanks to iPhone 12 mini.

iPhone 12 mini makes no compromises. It’s not a watered-down version of the larger iPhone 12; it is an iPhone 12 that’s squeezed into a smaller body. It has a gorgeous Super Retina XDR display, a blazing-fast A14 Bionic processor, great cameras, 5G and Face ID.

What’s missing? Absolutely nothing! If you want a small smartphone that has it all, iPhone 12 mini is the only option.

Learn up to 14 languages with a lifetime subscription to Babbel

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Babbel
Learn 14 languages with more than 10,000 hours of high-quality online language education.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We all say we’re going to learn that second language, but something always gets in the way. Now we can hardly leave our houses, so it’s even harder to get the immersion that helps a new language stick. But that’s no excuse, thanks to apps like Babbel.

With this half-off deal on a lifetime subscription to this top language app, you can learn more than a dozen languages

$129 MagSafe Duo charger is slower than $49 MagSafe puck

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MagSafe Duo
It maxes out at 14W, but iPhone 12 can charge at 15W.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s fancy new MagSafe Duo charger delivers less power than the more affordable MagSafe puck, despite its $129 price tag.

Its charging power can be increased — if you cough up more for a beefier charging adapter — but even then, the MagSafe Duo is unable to match the solo MagSafe in charging speeds.

Apple slashes App Store fees in half for ‘vast majority’ of devs

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App-Store-UK-coronavirus
Those who earn less than $1 million a year will pay just 15%.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple on Wednesday confirmed plans to cut App Store fees to just 15% for many of its developers.

The lower rate, which comes into effect in January as part of the new App Store Small Business Program, applies to those who earn less than $1 million a year in app revenue and in-app purchases.

macOS 11.1 shows Apple changed the way its assigns version numbers

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macOS 11.1 beta 1 was seeded to developers on November 17.
The first macOS Bug Sur 11.1 beta seems to indicate we’ll probably get macOS 12 in 2021.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Less than a week after the very messy launch of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, Apple seeded the first beta of the replacement to developers. Apple hasn’t yet revealed what new feature are coming in version 11.1.

But the new version number indicates Apple changed the system it uses to assign such things.

iPhone 12 Pro Max: Bigger, bolder and undeniably better [Review]

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iPhone 12 Pro Max: The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the biggest and best yet.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the biggest and best yet.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

The biggest and best version of iPhone 12 has finally landed. The iPhone 12 Pro Max takes everything that makes this year’s iPhone lineup so terrific and combines it with an even bigger screen and a better camera. Apple calls it “the photographer’s iPhone,” but really, it’s the best smartphone going for anyone who likes super-sized displays.

iPhone 12 Pro Max is Apple’s biggest smartphone to date, with a Super Retina XDR display that measures at 6.7 inches diagonally. It’s also the fastest handset on the market, thanks to an incredibly speedy A14 Bionic processor that’s coupled with 5G connectivity (where available).

However, the Pro Max is just one of four iPhone 12 options available this year —- and it’s the most expensive of the bunch. Is it worth it?

First M1 Macs blow reviewers’ socks off

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Apple M1 Mac mini
M1 makes the Mac exciting again.
Photo: Apple

Still on the fence over Apple’s new M1 Mac mini, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro despite their stellar benchmarks? Find out what tech experts think of them in new reviews and hands-on videos.

Spoiler alert: They’re all fantastic!

Boost your productivity with a pair of powerhouse apps

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Hyper Plan Pro
This pair of data-crunching apps will boost your productivity and streamline your workflow.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

You’re not alone. It’s extra-hard to get things done these days. Staring at data-heavy spreadsheets is especially difficult when the news feed beckons.

If you’re having trouble keeping your eye on the ball, these two great productivity-boosting Mac apps can give you an edge — even in the face of monumental distraction. (They work with Windows, too.)

Amazon warehouse employees allegedly steal $590,000 worth of iPhones

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Amazon packages delivered
Stealing an iPhone is easy if you work at an Amazon fulfillment center. Not getting caught is harder.
Photo: Morning Brew/Unsplash

Spanish National Police arrested a group of five Amazon warehouse employees in Madrid for a sneaky scheme to ship iPhones to accomplices who hadn’t paid for them. If the accusations hold up in court, the scofflaws stole nearly $600,000 worth of Apple handsets.

Get wowed by amazing camera tech in Earth at Night in Color on Apple TV+

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‘Earth At Night In Color’ premiers December 4 on Apple TV+.
Earth At Night In Color journeys into the night , and makes it like day.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s next nature docuseries goes where ordinary cameras fear to tread: the darkness. Earth at Night in Color uses cutting-edge camera technology to explore life after dark in ways not possible before.

Watch the official trailer for the Apple TV+ series to get a first glimpse.

Apple M1 chip outperforms AMD, Nvidia graphics in new benchmarks

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Apple M1 chip
Gaming is about to get a lot better on Mac.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new M1 chipset has been blowing away rival Intel chips in CPU performance benchmarks, and it doesn’t stop there. It turns out Apple Silicon can give many graphics cards a run for their money, too.

New tests reveal the M1 easily outperforms the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 560 in graphics benchmarks. It could make gaming on a Mac better than ever.

No, Apple Gatekeeper isn’t tracking every Mac app you open

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Apple Gatekeeper isn’t actually dressed in steel armor.
Apple Gatekeeper protects Mac users — it doesn’t spy on them.
Photo: PhotoMIX/Pexels CC

Apple promises it isn’t spying on Mac users to find out which applications they are using. The company was forced to make this clear after a server glitch caused users to realize that Gatekeeper in macOS sends a message to Apple whenever they open an application.