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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.

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.

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?