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Join the World’s End Club for side-scrolling adventure on Apple Arcade

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‘World’s End Club’ is the latest addition to Apple Arcade.
World’s End Club starts at an abandoned undersea amusement park. Then it gets weird.
Photo: Izanagigames

Just-released World’s End Club happily mixes genres. It’s a side-scroller puzzle-action game and a story-adventure game… all at the same time.

The action starts when a group of Japanese school kids find themselves in a long-abandoned amusement park under the ocean. It just gets weirder from there.

Some iPhone owners refuse iOS 13.7 update over fear of COVID-19 contact tracing

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iOS 13.7 contact tracing feature: Life-saver, or NSA spy tool?
Life-saver, or new NSA spy tool?
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Some iPhone owners are refusing to install Apple’s latest software update for fear of being tracked. iOS 13.7, which Apple released Tuesday, makes COVID-19 contact tracing easier for government health agencies to implement — but some people claim its true purpose is more sinister.

“Another step towards a totally surveillanced state,” said one iPhone user on Twitter — and many others continue to voice similar complaints and fears.

Concept video shows just how tiny iPhone 12 might be

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The 5.4-inch version of Apple 2020 handset could be the ‘iPhone 12 mini.’
Take a sneak peak at the 5.4-inch version of the 2020 iPhone 12.
Concept: the Hacker 34

Apple is supposedly prepping an iPhone with a screen that’s just 5.4 inches. A concept artist created a video that effectively demonstrates exactly how small that “iPhone 12 mini” will be.

Watch it now to see the rumored handset absolutely dwarfed by a 2020 iPhone SE.

This video-editing setup goes wide [Setups]

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MacBook Pro Setup
A MacBook Pro and an UltraWide are staples of any great setup.
Photo: @justin.tse

Justin Tse is a video editor and popular tech YouTuber. As a video editor having plenty of screen space is paramount. That is why he uses a LG 5K2K 34-inch UltraWide Monitor. Since switching to the UltraWide he says he can’t go back.

Running the UltraWide is a 15-inch 2019 MacBook Pro. His MacBook is specced with maxed-out graphics and 32GB of RAM. Since he has a lot on his plate, the MacBook is great for mobility so he can work on the go.

OWC drive adds a whopping 32 TB of storage to Mac or iPad

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The OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual also includes a 3-port USB-c hub.
The OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual is ready to be part of a home office.
Photo: OWC

The OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual is a deskto drive that offers up to 32 TB of storage capacity, and can transfer data at up to 1250 MBps.

Plus, there’s a 3-port USB-C hub built in, allowing the external drive to be part of a home office or small business.

Mujjo makes one of the best iPhone 11 leather wallet cases [Review]

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Mujjo Leather Wallet Case for iPhone 11 can be all you need to carry around.
Mujjo Leather Wallet Case for iPhone 11 comes in these colors, and more too.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Everyone should use an iPhone case, and practically everyone needs to carry a wallet. Consider combining those two necessities with the Mujjo Leather Wallet Case. Updated for the iPhone 11 series, it remains just as beautifully slim-but-practical as its predecessors.

I’ve used this wallet case for weeks. Learn how well it survived daily use in my full review.

Apple delays controversial privacy change in iOS 14

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iOS 14 will do a bit less to protect your privacy
iOS 14 would have let iPhone users opt out of being tracked by the applications they use.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple pushed back the release of a major privacy change previously coming in iOS 14. It would have required each iPhone application to specifically ask if it can track the user for advertising purposes.

Most people are expected to deny access, which would shake up the advertising business.

Funny Apple video touts iPhone privacy advantages

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Apple and privacy go hand in hand.
A new video features people oversharing their personal info. Apple says iPhones help users prevent the digital version of this.
Screenshot: Apple

People don’t walk around announcing their recent purchases to strangers. Or yell out to the whole office what they think of their coworkers. Or reveal where they live to people on the street. But they do violate their own privacy in a new Apple video, created to point out that owning a rival smartphone is the digital equivalent of oversharing.

Watch it now:

Report claims only a single iPhone 12 variant will offer fastest 5G

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iPhone 12 might mix iPhone 11 and iPad Pro designs
And only in select markets.
Concept: Ben Geskin

Those who plan to upgrade to iPhone 12 for its 5G connectivity may need to be careful about which variant they choose this fall. A new report claims only one will offer the fastest 5G technology.

While all iPhone 12 units are said to feature Sub-6 5G capabilities, one source claims you’ll need to opt for the largest, most expensive model to also enjoy faster mmWave 5G.

Photos reveal early Apple Watch prototype disguised as iPod nano

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Apple Watch prototype disguised as iPod nano
That case isn't fooling anyone.
Photo: AppleDemoYT

New photos reveal an original Apple Watch prototype apparently used for internal testing before the wearable made its official debut in 2015.

The device is protected by a security case, which looks a little like an iPod nano, to disguise it during transportation. It also comes in a brown cardboard box marked “Apple Confidential.”

This Mac app trains your brain to read better and faster

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ZapReader Lifestyle
Read faster and more effectively by harnessing the techniques of the world's best speed-readers.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Lots of people are doing a lot more reading these days. That’s good for the mind and the soul, but it can also mean realizing that your reading skills haven’t improved much since high school. This Mac app delivers tech tools, exercises and expert guidance so you can get the most out of each page.

Anker 7-in-1 USB-C hub for MacBook, iPad Pro a steal at 25% off

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Anker 7-in-1 USB-C hub
All the ports you really need.
Photo: Anker

If you plan to connect any peripherals to your MacBook or iPad Pro, you’ll likely need a decent USB-C hub. This highly rated, 7-in-1 solution from Anker is ideal — and it’s now 25% cheaper for a limited time.

It supports traditional USB-A devices, external monitors, SD cards and more. It’s the only USB-C hub most users will ever need.

Apple steps up renewable energy efforts in Europe with new investments

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Apple Denmark renewable energy
Apple will invest in two of the world's largest onshore wind turbines.
Photo: Apple

Apple on Thursday confirmed plans to expand its renewable energy footprint in Europe. Cupertino will invest in the world’s largest onshore wind turbines in Denmark and in new clean energy efforts in Germany.

The moves are part of Apple’s plan, announced last month, to become carbon neutral across its entire business and supply chain.

An iMac headlines this well-lit setup [Setups]

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iMac Setup: This setup is geared for productivity.
This setup is geared for productivity.
Photo: @markspurrell

Mark Spurrell is a Canadian tech YouTuber who knows a thing or two about building productive setups. His rig is geared toward getting things done. The mainstay is a 2020 27-inch iMac, a total workhorse of a machine.

He uses a sit-stand SmartDesk 2 by Autonomous. This desk is awesome for long grinds, because when he is bored of sitting, he can get new scenery with the click of a button. When he does sit down, he sits in a Kinn Chair, also made by Autonomous. This chair is basically an adapted Herman Miller Embody, the gold-standard of ergonomic office chairs. But at $419, it costs less than a third of the price.

Why you should add a second screen to your iPhone

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Connect your iPhone to a second screen for fun... and maybe even productivity.
Connect a big screen to your iPhone to watch movies and play games. And maybe even be productive.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Your iPhone is already one of the most useful things you own, but it can do even more if you hook it to a large second screen. Making the connection simply requires an adapter, and doing so opens up quite a few entertainment — and even some productivity — options.

iOS and iPhone are surprisingly powerful, and are being held back by the small display. Here’s what you get with a bigger one.

Apple makes it easy for devs to offer discounted app subscriptions

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Subscription offer codes could turn this crown into potential customers.
This crowd is potential customers that could be wooed with easily redeemable discounts on App Store subscriptions.
Photo: Cameron Casey/Pexels CC

It will soon be possible for developers to give out codes to customers that bring discounts on subscription fees for software or services in the Apple App Store. The goal is to help app creators “acquire, retain, and win back subscribers” with these one-time use codes that people can then easily redeem, according to Apple.

Realistic iPad Air 4 concept shows what to expect from Apple’s next tablet

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The 2020 iPad Air 4 could look a lot like this concept.
The iPad Air 4 could be the latest Apple tablet to offer an almost edge-to-edge display.
Concept: svetapple.sk

A concept artist compiled the leaks, rumors and unconfirmed reports about the iPad Air 4 into a series of beautiful images.

This tablet could be unveiled as soon as next week, bringing a very significant redesign. These concept pictures give a sneak peek and what’s probably on the docket.

Director of Apple’s classic 1984 ad is unimpressed with Epic Games’ parody

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Epic Games mocked Apple with a ‘1984’ parody.
Ridley Scott isn’t impressed with Epic Games’ Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite parody.
Screenshot: Epic Games

Ridley Scott, who directed Apple’s famous 1984 Super Bowl TV advertisement, is less than pleased with the parody version Epic Games released last month.

The original ad introduced the Apple Macintosh to the world. Epic Games’ version seeks to portray itself as the underdog in a legal fight with Apple over App Store policies.

First Tehran trailer packs serious Homeland vibe

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Niv Sultan plays an Israeli spy behind enemy lines in ‘Tehran.’
Niv Sultan plays an Israeli spy behind enemy lines in Tehran.
Screenshot: Apple TV+

The first trailer for upcoming Apple TV+ series Tehran delivers a healthy jolt of Homeland-style tension. The Israeli spy thriller, which centers on a female Mossad agent working undercover inside Iran, looks filled with dangerous scrapes, technical spycraft and some serious double-crosses.

Science teacher shows how to make the most of iPads in classrooms

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A science teacher’s free ebook shares years of experience using iPad in the classroom.
iPad can be very useful in school. And even more so when the classroom extends out into nature.
Photo: Apple

Jodie Deinhammer wrote the book on using iPad in science classrooms. Literally.

The middle school teacher — and Apple Distinguished Educator — has been using tablets to teach since her district first equipped every student with an iPad in 2014. All that experience went into a new e-book for teachers.

Reliable leaker says new Apple Watch won’t land in September

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Apple-Watch 6
October or November instead?
Photo: Luke Chesser/Unsplash CC

Apple Watch’s next big refresh won’t land in September as recent reports have predicted, according to one reliable leaker. Fans could be waiting until October or November instead.

It is believed the iPhone 12 lineup will also launch later than usual this year as a result of production delays from COVID-19.

Apple’s last iPod nano goes ‘vintage’ later this month

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ipod-nano-new
It's almost the end of the line for the last iPod nano.
Photo: Apple

The seventh-generation iPod nano, Apple’s last model, will be added to the company’s list of “vintage” products later this month.

First introduced in 2015, the device was marketed as the thinnest iPod ever, with the ability to connect to Bluetooth headphones and speakers, a built-in FM radio tuner, and a 2.5-inch color display.