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How to see the AR easter egg hidden in Apple’s Sept. 15 event invite

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Augmented reality could play a part in the September Apple Event
The logo for the September Apple Event is more than just a simple graphic. It’s an AR object.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Hidden in Tuesday’s invite to the September Apple event is a clue that might confirm rumors that the company will make a major push into augmented reality.

The graphic for the invite is an apple sketched out with blue swirls. iPhone and iPad users can put that design in motion, with it seemingly appearing in the real world.

New Apple Marina Bay Sands store simply screams innovation

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Apple Store Singapore
Apple's most stunning retail store yet?
Photo: Apple

Opening this Thursday, Apple’s Marina Bay Sands retail store in Singapore is an absolute stunner. Resembling a lantern floating on the water (it’s not actually floating) or a Buckminster Fuller-style geodesic dome, the store may be my favorite Apple Store design yet.

In a year where most of Apple’s focus has been on reopening stores shuttered by coronavirus, it’s a reminder of just how brilliant Apple Store design has consistently been. Check out some of the photos of the new retail site.

Apple preps virtual event for Sept. 15, but don’t expect iPhone 12

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Apple event on September 15: Coming soon to a screen near you.
Coming soon to a screen near you.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s next virtual event will take place on September 15 — but don’t expect to see the new iPhone 12 models.

The big announcements for the “Time Flies” event that Apple announced Tuesday will likely be the new Apple Watch and iPad. The Apple Watch Series 6 could feature blood-oxygen tracking. Meanwhile, the iPad Air 4 could borrow a design from the iPad Pro — but retain Touch ID.

Beguiling Wolfwalkers trailer teases first Apple TV+ animated movie

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Wolfwalkers
Apple's new animated movie looks intriguing.
Photo: Apple TV+

The world got its first glimpse of upcoming Apple TV+ animated movie Wolfwalkers, thanks to a trailer dropped Tuesday.

The movie, directed by Oscar-nominated Tom Moore (Song of the Sea) and Ross Stewart, follows the adventures of a young apprentice hunter named Robyn Goodfellowe. She travels to Ireland in the 1600s to help her father in pursuit of a wolf pack — only to meet a girl who is part of a tribe rumored to turn into wolves at night.

French finance minister says tech giants that ‘lock in their users’ should be investigated

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iPhone with gavel.
A world first?
Photo: Tingey Injury Law Firm/Cult of Mac

France’s Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has lambasted companies such as Apple that “develop strategies to lock in their users” through the creation of ecosystems. Speaking Tuesday, Le Maire said that these companies represent a “competition issue” that should be scrutinized by antitrust investigators.

Le Maire’s comment was broader than just Apple. But he did note that Apple’s market capitalization is now larger than the capitalization” of all the CAC 40. This refers to the benchmark French stock market index.

Apple’s location-tracking AirTags are already in production

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Apple AitTags are going to have to take on Tile.
AirTags could arrive sooner rather than later.
Concept drawing: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple’s item location-tracking AirTags are already in production, claims a Nikkei report published Tuesday. This suggests that AirTags, which have been heavily rumored for months, are likely on the verge of launching.

AirTags can be attached to items like a keychain or luggage and then be easily located using the “Find My” app on iPhone. This tags will use ultra-wideband technology to accurately determine their location. Recently, sounds discovered in iOS code gave an indication of how the AirTag-finding process will work.

Don’t miss the biggest discounts yet on the newest iPad Air

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The new 2019 iPad Air, with its 10.5-inch screen, works with Apple's existing Smart Keyboard.
The sale runs for three days only!
Photo: Apple

Pick up Apple’s newest iPad Air during Best Buy’s three-day Anniversary Sale to enjoy the biggest discounts so far. You can save $100 on 256GB models with or without cellular connectivity.

Plus, you’ll get a year of free Apple TV+, and you can save another $30 if you also pick up the Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard Case.

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

Document your masterpiece-in-progress with this nifty timelapse Mac app

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Hustl app
What better way to record your stunning digital painting?
Photo: Hust

Judging by the number of timelapse art creation videos on YouTube, people in 2020 don’t just like to see great art online; they also like to see how it was created.

Timelapse videos are a great way to show this — since they allow creators to compress the lengthy process of making something, whether it’s a kickass Photoshop montage or a digital drawing into a few short minutes. The results can make you realize just how much work goes into a particular finished product.

Hustl 2.0, a newly rewritten Mac app, offers a great, one-click way to do this. While there are plenty of screen recording apps, this one doesn’t require a whole lot of postproduction speeding-up to create the finished piece. Just a couple of clicks and you’re good to go.

Accessorize your iPhone with 4 great Labor Day deals

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iPhone Accessories Labor Day Sale
Get more from your iPhone with Labor Day deals on four awesome accessories.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Unlock your iPhone’s awesome potential with one or more of the fantastic accessories in our Labor Day sale.

We’ve got fantastic noise-canceling headphones that cost a fraction of what you’d pay for AirPods Pro. A solar charger that lets you stay powered up when you go off the grid. And a handful of tools that will make your FaceTime calls or YouTube videos look their best.

No matter what you use your iPhone for, we’ve got something for you — and all of these accessories are heavily discounted for your Labor Day shopping pleasure.

Enjoy the stellar sounds of HomePod with $100 off today only

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HomePod
This HomePod discount is music to our ears.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

There’s no doubt HomePod is the best-sounding smart speaker on the market today. So, if you want to hear your music like never before, bag one of your own — and save $100 for a limited time.

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

Italy’s antitrust authorities will scrutinize Apple’s cloud services

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Apple ditched plans for secure iCloud backups after FBI concern
iCloud is one of the cloud services being scrutinized.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Italy has opened the latest investigation into potential Apple antitrust violations. Announced by the Italian antitrust authority Monday, this investigation will look into Apple’s iCloud cloud computing services.

Similar investigations will be carried out investigating Google parent company Alphabet and Dropbox.

Apple hires a top dealmaker who worked for Quibi, Hulu, and Disney

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Tim Connolly LinkedIn
Connolly recently updated his LinkedIn profile.
Photo: LinkedIn

Apple has hired a former executive who worked for shortform video service Quibi, in addition to Hulu and Disney, to work on growing its video-focused endeavors.

Spotted by the UK’s Telegraph newspaper, Tim Connolly recently updated his LinkedIn profile to reflect his job at Apple. It’s not evident exactly when he started working in the new role.

Fortnite-maker says it will suffer ‘irreparable harm’ if Apple doesn’t let game back in App Store

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Epic Games mocked Apple with a ‘1984’ parody.
The Epic Games vs. Apple battle rages on.
Screenshot: Epic Games

In the latest development in Epic Games’ battle with Apple, the Fortnite-maker requested that a court require Apple to return the game to the App Store and restore Epic’s developer account.

Lawyers for the company argue that Epic is “likely to suffer irreparable harm” if this is not done.

Put your laptop to work with hot Labor Day deals on MacBook accessories

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MacBook Accessories Labor Day
These four accessories will easily boost your Macbook's flexibility and functionality.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Working from home means building little battle stations for our MacBooks and other essential gear. So for Labor Day weekend, we pulled together some great deals on awesome accessories for getting the most out of your laptop at home and elsewhere.

From portable power and data hubs to extra screens and sleek monitor stands, these discounted MacBook accessories will work wonders when it comes to leveling up your setup.

Critics applaud Apple TV+ comedy lineup

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Apple TV+ has yet to cut into the lead of well-established streaming video services.
Central Park is a hit with critics. It’s ready to binge watch on a long holiday weekend, along with other Apple TV+ comedies.
Photo: Apple

Anyone looking for new TV comedies to binge watch on a long holiday weekend shouldn’t miss the very positive reviews for Central Park and Trying on Apple TV+. Both shows debuted at the beginning of the summer, which means their entire first seasons are available now.

And while Ted Lasso is only halfway through its first season on Apple’s streaming service, it also has drawn praise from critics.

Apple hardware rumors come in hot and heavy [Cult of Mac Magazine 365]

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Apple rumors are coming in hot and heavy.
It's that time of year again.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

It’s officially Apple hardware season. With new gear coming as early as next week, the rumors and leaks are coming in fast and furious. Read the latest to get an idea what to expect in the near future from iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, Apple TV and maybe even some high-end Apple headphones.

Get those rumors, plus the rest of the week’s top Apple news, how-tos and reviews, in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it to read for free on your iPad or iPhone. Or scroll below to get the headlines in your browser.

Why should you use a VPN on your iPhone and Mac?

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Surfshark VPN
Surfshark VPN helps you secure unlimited Apple devices.
Photo: Surfshark

This VPN post is presented by Surfshark.

Humans use the internet for almost everything. That’s hardly a revolutionary statement, but it’s crucial to keep in mind. From theater tickets to bank accounts, if we can have it all on one handheld device, why not do it? It’s convenient and easy.

But with that convenience comes risks. Typically, humans adapt to new technology — but so do criminals, shady corporations and marketing agencies looking to profit off as many internet users as possible.

That’s why virtual private networks (VPNs) have become popular. While the internet security product was initially created for corporations to protect their assets, demand eventually grew for everyday internet users. The market is ever-growing, and there’s a VPN for everyone, whether you want a free or a premium product. One of the top-rated and affordable options is Surfshark — a humanized VPN for anyone and everyone.

Save money on awesome Mac and iPhone apps in our Labor Day sale

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Labor Day Apps and Software Main
Get more from your Apple gear with Labor Day sales on language apps, cloud storage and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This year, fewer of us will spend Labor Day weekend at the beach or on a road trip. Luckily, it’s still a good time for retail therapy.

So, how about some instant gratification? We’ve got fantastic deals on great Mac and iPhone apps that will really make your day. Plus, that instant gratification will last forever: Our deep discounts apply to lifetime subscriptions on these life-changing apps.

A Mac mini and a massive screen make for a great combo [Setups]

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Mac mini setup
His Mac may be mini but his screen certainly is not.
Photo: Duncan Schultz

Duncan Schultz, a government official from the land down under, started working from his home in Brisbane earlier this year. It turned out to be a great opportunity to upgrade his setup. He got rid of his 2015 iMac and instead bought himself a 2020 Mac mini and decided to experiment. He specced out his Mac mini with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. He wanted plenty of screen real estate without having two screens. So he connected it to a Samsung 43-inch 4K Smart TV and is not looking back.

Apple explores new ways to promote its services

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Apple services are important to the company’s future profits.
Apple.com was all about Apple TV+ on Friday. It’s all part of advertising this company’s services.
Screenshot: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple TV+ took over the Apple.com home page on Friday. And the company also released a lengthy video about a game recently added to Apple Arcade. These Apple services are seen as increasingly important to its bottom line. And the company is using new ways to advertise them.

Use a second screen anywhere with $70 off this brilliant portable monitor

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Lepow portable monitor
This deals ends soon — don't miss out!
Photo: Lepow

Add a second screen to your mobile office setup with $70 off this excellent portable monitor from Lepow. It boasts a 15.6-inch display with a 1080p resolution, plus HDMI and USB-C connectivity.

The monitor is highly rated by Amazon customers, and now available at one of its lowest prices to date. The discount is good for a limited time only, though, so you’ll need to act fast.