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Save big on a renewed iPhone XS on Amazon — now under $460

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iPhone XS refurb
Don't miss out!
Photo: Apple

Want an iPhone that offers some of Apple’s latest and most impressive technologies without breaking the bank? Check out Amazon’s latest deal on renewed iPhone XS units, which are now up to $434 cheaper.

You can pick up a 64GB model that looks and works as good as new, fully unlocked for use on any carrier, for under $460. But you’ll need to act fast — remaining stock won’t last long at this price!

Totallee’s thin iPhone cases are now 30% off at Amazon

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Right now you can get 30% off Totallee iPhone cases on Amazon.
Right now you can get 30% off totallee iPhone cases on Amazon.
Photo: totallee

This iPhone case post is presented by Totallee.

These days, you may be looking for ways to shop online rather than venturing out into the world. Here’s a good thing to shop for from the comfort and safety of home: Your iPhone needs protection and Totallee is offering its super-thin cases for 30% off at Amazon right now.

Survival of the fittest: Can Apple Fitness+ crush the competition?

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Can the competition keep up with Apple Fitness+?
Get ready for a serious workout with Apple Fitness+.
Photo: Apple

Apple Fitness+ will enter a crowded market when the service launches later this year. Established players like Peloton and Adidas already have a significant head start.

But Apple is in great shape to give them a run for their money. Fitness+ is a logical next step for Cupertino. The upcoming service plugs some significant gaps in Apple’s fitness offering while intelligently leveraging the power of its platform to gain an advantage.

After Apple Fitness+ sprints off the starting line, the competition might find itself struggling to keep up.

Before you buy your Apple Watch Series 6, catch our one-week reviews on The CultCast

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CultCast 433
Spoiler alert: We're loving Apple Watch Series 6!
Photo: @YSR50

This week on The CultCast: Don’t miss our one-week reviews of Apple Watch Series 6! We’ll tell you if it’s worth upgrading. Plus: Multiple sources are now confirming a second Apple hardware event coming October 13, where a new “iPhone 12 mini” may be announced — we’ll tell you what we know. And stick around for more Apple stock talk! Erfon reveals what his big investment is worth now, following this month’s depressing AAPL stock plummet, and we’re talking real numbers.

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.

New emoji for 2021 will set your heart afire

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The list of new 2021 emoji is short.
Some of the new emoji in iOS 14.5.
Image: Emojipedia

The new emoji set to appear in 2021 will help you express relief or confusion. Or show that your heart’s afire, or that it’s mending.

Those might seem fairly ordinary, but there is something extremely odd about the the list of upcoming emoji: It’s very short. The group responsible for coming up with new emoji picked just seven new designs to debut next year. The reason is simple: COVID-19.

Case stickers appear to confirm ‘iPhone 12 mini’ naming

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These iPhone 12 dummy units show what the real handset might look like.
iPhone 12 will run from mini to Pro Max.
Photo: Marques Brownlee

An image that reportedly shows iPhone case stickers seemingly adds more evidence that Apple will call its smallest iPhone 12 model the “iPhone 12 mini.”

The pictures, posted on Twitter Thursday evening by Apple leaker DuanRui, follow a recent report from @L0vetodream suggesting that this year’s models will be called the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

With this intuitive graphic design app, anyone can add vivid visuals to any project

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Edraw Infographic Software
Create engaging infographics with this easy-to-use tool.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Nothing makes a project pop like good visuals. But since not everyone is a graphic designer, sometimes coming up with even simple imagery can seem like a tall order. This powerful but accessible graphic design app offers a suite of tools and resources that will help you get the job done.

European Commission will keep fighting in $14.8 billion Apple tax battle

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iPhone with gavel.
Europe isn't throwing in the towel.
Photo: Tingey Injury Law Firm/Cult of Mac

Contrary to reports suggesting otherwise, the European Commission has revealed that it will appeal a recent court decision that went in Apple’s favor concerning a massive $14.8 billion tax bill.

The EC made the tax demand to Apple in 2016, accusing it of benefitting from illegal state aid from Ireland. However, Apple appealed the decision and, in a July hearing, had its objections upheld. Now the EC is asking another court to overturn that verdict.

PSA: Acclaimed spy series Tehran and more debut on Apple TV+

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Tehran is reportedly headed for Apple TV+.
Tehran is a spy thriller starring Israeli actress Niv Sultan.
Photo: Apple

It’s a packed day for Apple TV+ as the service debuted multiple episodes of new shows. The crown jewel of the bunch is Tehran, a new spy series about a Mossad hacker-agent who tries to infiltrate Tehran to destroy Iran’s nuclear reactor.

Apple TV+ dropped the first three episodes of the acclaimed show (check out Cult of Mac‘s effusive review) Friday. New episodes will debut each subsequent week.

Apple snaps up startup that makes finding podcasts more like listening to radio

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iPhone FM radio chips
Why can't finding the right podcast be more like this?
Photo: Alan Levine/Flickr CC

Apple quietly snapped up podcasting app Scout FM, which tries to make podcasting sound more like tuning into radio stations, for an undisclosed amount earlier this year.

Scout FM worked by letting users choose particular topics, then automatically customizing a radio station-like podcasting listening experience for them. It was intended as a way to cut through the findability clutter of hundreds of thousands of available podcasts.

Tiny World amazes with an Ant-Man view of nature [Apple TV+ review]

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Apple TV+ enters the world of nature docs with the charming 'Tiny World.'
Apple TV+ enters the world of nature docs with the charming Tiny World.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ invites you to take a look at the things beneath your feet in its new documentary series Tiny World. Narrated by Paul Rudd, this show is charming, if maybe too cute for its own good.

Tiny World, which premieres on October 2, is the first of three new docuseries coming to the streaming service this fall. It’s a shrewd and promising start, as Apple TV+ positions itself as a provider of episodic nonfiction content to match its high-profile dramas and films.

Super-portable skyBox SSD storage enables fast and easy streaming, sharing

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HyperAccessory's skyBOX SSD storage device lets you take your streaming and sharing on the go.
With massive amounts of storage, skyBox lets you take your streaming and sharing on the go.
Photo: HyperAccessory

This portable storage post is presented by HyperAccessory.

If you’re a photographer, videographer or content creator who likes to travel light, leaving the laptop behind, we found a must-have storage device for you. HyperAccessory’s skyBox features all-in-one portable SSD storage with built-in wireless connectivity and universal compatibility. It will have you streaming and sharing media on the go with gusto.

macOS Catalina 10.15.7 squishes a nasty Wi-Fi bug

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Jamf Now macOS Catalina and iOS 13 upgrades
macOS Catalina 10.15.7 takes care of multiple problems that might be bugging you.
Photo: Apple Inc.

Mac users can update their computer on Thursday with macOS Catalina 10.15.7. It’s important for anyone who’s noticed their computer not connecting to Wi-Fi like it ought to. There are no new features.

This might be the last Catalina version before the big macOS Big Sur upgrade gets introduced.

Amazon cloud gaming service heads to Mac and (surprise!) iPhone

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Amazon Luna brings console-quality games to iOS and iPadOS.
Amazon Luna is coming to a variety of devices including, amazingly, iPhone and iPad.
Image: Amazon

Amazon on Thursday unveiled a cloud gaming service that can play console-quality games on mobile devices and a range of other computers. Unlike rival streaming services from Google and Microsoft, Amazon Luna will be available on iPhone and iPad. It’s also coming to Mac.

iOS 14.0.1 fixes a totally annoying iPhone bug

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iOS 14.0.1
iOS 14.0.1 lets you set Gmail as your default email application, and have it actually stick.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple released a bug-fix update to iOS 14 on Thursday. iOS 14.0.1 removes a number of problems — most notably, a bug that prevented users from permanently picking a new default email app and web browser. And iPad users get iPadOS 14.0.1 with the same fixes.

There are also bug fix updates out for Final Cut Pro and some of Apple’s other media-production applications for Mac.

Early tests show iPad 8 brings a huge speed boost

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iPad 8 is smarter to help you get smarter.
iPad 8 boasts a significantly faster processor than its predecessor.
Photo: Apple

The new iPad 8 is only a “speed bump” version of the seventh-generation model, but it certainly offers a noticeable increase in performance. Benchmarks show this recently released tablet is about twice as fast as its predecessor.

Coalition for App Fairness unites Spotify, Epic and others to challenge App Store rules

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Coalition for App Fairness
Apple's rivals aren't backing down.
Photo: Coalition for App Fairness

Spotify, Match, and Fortnite developer Epic Games have joined a nonprofit that advocates for regulatory and legal action against Apple for what they claim is it unfair control of the App Store.

Their main objection is the way that Apple charges up to 30 percent for in-app payments. Apple lays out a detailed set of rules which apps must follow in order to be allowed in the App Store.

The first copper-coated iPhone case kills bacteria and viruses

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Aeris Copper Germ-Killing iPhone Case
The first copper-coated case protects your phone from bumps and scrapes, and your hands from a range of bacteria and viruses.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s always been smart to shield our phones with a protective case when we step outside. But nowadays, it’s not just our phones that need protection. Phones are major vectors for germs and viruses, so it makes good sense to get a case that guards against those, too.

Bag a 2018 iPad Pro for as little as $599 in Woot’s one-day sale

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2018 iPad Pro sizes: 2018 iPad Pro sizes
Apple has big plans for iPad Pro in 2020.
Photo: Apple

Woot is blowing out 2018 iPad Pro refurbs at big discounts for one day only. You can bag an 11-inch model for as little as $599.99, while 12.9-inch models start at just $679.99.

Get 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.

New braided Lightning cable for iPhone 12 appears in pictures

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These iPhone 12 dummy units show what the real handset might look like.
The new iPhone could come with a more robust charging cable.
Photo: Marques Brownlee

Twitter user @laobaiTD, aka Mr-white, posted images late Wednesday of what he claims is the braided Lightning cable that will come with iPhone 12.

At present, the Mac Pro is the only Apple product to come with a more-durable braided cable, which also provides a premium look. Check out the images of the alleged iPhone 12 cable below.

Big tech analyst thinks Apple could hit $3 trillion in next couple of years

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Money on Unsplash
That's a whole lot of cash.
Photo: Pepi Stojanovski/Unsplash

After seeming to defy the general COVID-19 downturn, tech stocks have taken a dip as of late. Loup Ventures’ tech analyst Gene Munster thinks there is going to be a split in future fortunes — with some soaring back up to previous highs and others, well, not.

Apple, he believes, is going to be a big winner. And from my calculations he thinks it could be just a couple of years from another major financial milestone.

Cherry Jones and Jason Segel join Apple TV+ original movie The Sky Is Everywhere

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Cherry Jones, who played a sly lawyer in Defending Jacob, is coming back to Apple TV+.
Cherry Jones, who played a sly lawyer in Defending Jacob, is coming back to Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Actors Cherry Jones and Jason Segel have joined the cast of upcoming Apple TV+ original movie The Sky Is Everywhere. Jones (HBO’s Succession and Apple TV+’s Defending Jacob) and Segel (the excellent Forgetting Sarah Marshall) will join relative newcomer Grace Kaufman.

The movie is an adaptation of a Jandy Nelson young-adult novel. The plot follows a high-school girl mourning the death of her sister. She becomes romantically attached to her late sister’s fiancé and another young man newly arrived in town.

iPhone owners race to upgrade to iOS 14

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iOS 14 adoption. It’s a good thing.
Many iPhone users can’t resist the new features in iOS 14.
Photo: Apple

Over 30% of iPhones are running iOS 14 exactly a week after the release, according to data from an analytics company. That’s a 50% faster adoption rate than iOS 13 a year ago.

Minix USB-C hub couples 4 useful ports with 480GB of storage [Review]

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Minix Neo Storage Plus review
Minix Neo Storage Plus could be the only accessory your MacBook or iPad needs.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Minix Neo Storage Plus handles two jobs. It’s a multiport USB-C adapter, adding USB-A, HDMI and Ethernet to Mac or iPad. And this accessory is also an SSD, bringing 480GB of storage.

We tested all the features of this multifunction hub. Here’s how it stands up to real-world use.