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Apple takes issue with pear-based logo it considers too close to its own

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Pear/Apple
Spot the difference.
Photo: Prepear/Apple

Apple is taking aim at a meal planner and grocery list app called Prepear, which it claims bears a more-than-passing resemblance to Apple’s iconic logo.

In an Instagram post by the app’s creators, Prepear’s founders express their shock that the “trillion dollar Apple” has gone after a small business’ trademark. They say that fighting Apple will cost “tens of thousands of dollars,” but that they will fight nonetheless.

Learn how to produce polished audio on Logic Pro X

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Logic Pro Lifestyle
Master the many features of the leading digital audio workstation with 45 hours of lessons.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

One of the greatest things about computers is how easy it is to create music. Even more so if you use a Mac, because of Logic Pro X, Apple’s industry–leading Digital Audio Workstation. With this massive collection of lessons, you can learn to use it like a pro.

Get more productive with Vissles’ attractive portable display [Review]

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Vissles-M review
Easily expand your working space, or enjoy a movie on a larger display, with the Vissles-M.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A portable monitor makes you more productive on the go. And the 15.6-inch Vissles-M is a thin and lightweight LCD screen that easily connects to a Mac or iPad Pro through its USB-C port.

I tested this affordable external display in a variety of conditions, and used it for both for work and fun. Here’s how it held up.

Phil Schiller’s greatest hits! [Cult of Mac Magazine 361]

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10 reasons we'll miss Pete Schiller.
Here's why we love this longtime Apple exec.
Cover: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

We’re all going to miss Phil Schiller now that he’s stepped down from his role as Apple’s marketing chief. He was a close friend of Steve Jobs, and he played a major role in Cupertino for decades.

To be clear, he’s not leaving Apple entirely. Instead, he became an Apple Fellow (and he’ll run the App Store and Apple Events). Still, it’s a big change for Cupertino. In tribute to an Apple OG, let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive Phil Schiller’s greatest hits.

That post is just one of the good reads you’ll find in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now and get all the week’s top Apple news, reviews and how-tos in an easy-to-read package.

Grow your audience by mastering the many facets of digital marketing

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Marketing Lifestyle
This massive bundle of lessons will teach you how to connect your brand or products with the widest possible audience.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Marketing moved online long ago, and every week that goes by, it becomes more fundamental to the ways we buy and sell. Facebook, YouTube, Google and Amazon have become the core of our modern economy. So if you’ve got a product, brand or anything else you want to connect with customers or audiences, you’ve got to learn the ins and outs of digital marketing.

Why we’re skipping the new iMac and buying Apple stock, this week on The CultCast

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CultCast 436: This week we talk iPhone SE 2, HomePod and the AirPower charging mat, resurrected!
Which makes a better investment, iMac or AAPL?
Photo: @YSR50

This week on The CultCast: The brand-new iMac may look the same, but it’s so powerful that video editors are gleefully buying two or three at a time — we’ll tell you everything that’s new.

But look, forget buying the shiny new iMac, and put your money in Apple stock instead! I’m going all in on AAPL. Find out why I’m about to dump a huge cash stockpile into Apple stock, and the cash value of my current investments. We’re talking real numbers here, people.

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.

Join the Night’s Watch in Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows on Apple Arcade

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Try too pretend Season 8 didn’t happen in ‘Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows’
Return to the world of Game of Thrones in a new game for Mac, iPhone and Apple TV.
Photo: HBO

Travel to before the events of HBO’s hit series in Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows, a new game released Friday on Apple Arcade.

Explore the history of the Night’s Watch in this narrative-driven, real-time idle game that extends beyond the TV series. Become the shield that guards the realms of men, the sword in the darkness and the enduring sentry upon the Wall.

iPhone 12 camera problem might have an upside for Apple

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iPhone-12-concept-2
Ming-Chi Kuo says there's a problem with iPhone 12 camera lens.
Concept: PhoneArena

Apple reportedly encountered a problem with some of the camera lenses it plans to use for the iPhone 12. Specifically, some of the coatings for the wide-angle lens cracked during a high-pressure, high-humidity stress test, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

While that might not sound great, there’s actually no reason to panic. And the supply-chain problem might even wind up saving Apple a few bucks.

Facebook blasts Apple as its long-delayed Gaming app debuts in App Store

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Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade
It took long enough to go live!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The Facebook Gaming app finally landed in the App Store on Friday, several months after it made it to Android devices. The delay isn’t the only downside, though. According to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, iOS users will get a considerably “inferior experience” due to Apple’s App Store policies.

The app allows users to livestream video games, much like the ultra-popular Twitch app. And the Android version includes mini-games users can play. But not the iOS version. “We had to remove gameplay functionality entirely in order to get Apple’s approval on the standalone Facebook Gaming app,” she said.

Despite challenges, TikTok remains world’s No. 1 non-gaming app

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TikTok continues to dominate the App Store in 2020.
TikTok continues to dominate the App Store in 2021.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

Despite the controversy surrounding it, 15-second video creation and sharing app TikTok remained the world’s most downloaded non-gaming app in July, according to a new report by Sensor Tower.

TikTok ranked as the No. 1 app on both iOS and the Google Play app stores, with more than 65.3 million installs in the month. This represents a 21.4% increase from July last year. In the first quarter of 2020, TikTok registered the best three months of any app ever when it comes to downloads.

Trump’s executive order won’t hurt Fortnite or League of Legends

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Fortnite-Battle-Lab
Fortnite developer Epic Games is part owned by Tencent.
Photo: Epic Games

President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking “transactions” involving Tencent’s WeChat will not hurt games owned, or partially owned, by the company.

That means it would not affect the likes of Riot Games’ League of Legends or Epic Games’ Fortnite, both of which have financial ties to Tencent. Instead, the executive order covers only WeChat transactions.

App Store approvals mean major headaches for cloud gaming services

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Microsoft Project xCloud on iPhone
Despite a beta test, the Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming service isn’t headed for iPhone.
Photo: Microsoft

Google Stadia and Microsoft Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming services aren’t debuting on iPhone or iPad anytime soon. And the holdup isn’t for technical reasons. It’s about Apple’s App Store policy.

These services could bring desktop-level games to Apple mobile devices. But Microsoft’s offering definitely won’t debut in the App Store this autumn, and Google’s isn’t available, either.

OWC adds wheels to your Mac Pro for a mere $199

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You could feed a family for week on what Mac Pro wheels cost.
The OWC Rover Pro adds Mac Pro wheels for much less than Apple’s price.
Photo: OWC

Apple sells wheels for the 2019 Mac Pro for the slightly ridiculous price of $699. On Thursday, a third-party accessory maker launched a cheaper option. Well, relatively cheaper: the OWC Rover Pro wheel kit is $199.

iOS 14 beta 4 adds TV widget, fixes bugs [Updated]

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iOS 14 Beta 4 makes it easier to watch TV on your iPad
Just tap on the Apple TV widget to jump to your favorite shows in iPadOS 14.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A highlight of iOS 14 beta 4 is a TV widget on the Home screen, giving users easy access to shows in the Apple TV app. And the Weather widget returns for iPad users, among a handful of other tweaks.

Apple released the public beta Thursday after seeding it to developers earlier this week.

Leaked iPhone 12 display shows the notch isn’t shrinking

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iPhone x battery percentage
There’s new evidence the iPhone 12 notch will be the same size it’s been for years.
Photo: Apple

A supposed image of the iPhone 12 display hardware shows that the screen cutout in the upcoming handset remains the same size as in its predecessors.

Earlier this year, we heard unconfirmed reports that this feature, usually called the notch, would shrink considerably in the iPhone 12. That’s not going to happen, if the image that leaked out Thursday is legit.

This fast-charging iPhone and Apple Watch stand is a monument to good design [Review]

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Twelve South HiRise Duet iPhone Apple Watch charging dock
Twelve South's HiRise Duet is a primo charging dock for iPhone and Apple Watch.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Twelve South’s HiRise Duet iPhone and Apple Watch Stand is one of the best high-end charging stands on the market.

It charges fast, keeps my Apple Watch in nightstand mode, and takes up minimal room on my bedside table. Constructed from premium materials, the HiRise Duet makes decluttering sleek and stylish.

Twitter update lets you control who can reply to your tweets [Updated]

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Apple's Twitter account and other high-profile accounts hacked in massive Bitcoin scam.
New feature helps keep out the trolls.
Photo: Ravi Sharma/Unsplash CC

The latest update to the Twitter app for iOS allows users to limit who can reply to their tweets. Twitter started testing the feature with a small number of users in May. Thursday’s update rolls it out to everyone.

Update: Twitter admitted Thursday that it got ahead of itself. It announced this feature in the release notes of its latest iOS app, but then told The Verge “the ability to limit replies on tweets is not currently available to everyone.”

Apple could ‘lead the industry’ in AI, says Cupertino’s machine learning boss

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John Giannandrea
Apple's AI boss says machine learning is being used in more places than ever.
Photo: Apple

Apple is using machine learning technology in more and more of its features, John Giannandrea, the company’s senior vice president for machine learning and AI strategy, reveals in a new interview with Ars Technica.

Giannandrea, who joined Apple from a job at Google, said “there are increasingly fewer and fewer places in iOS where we’re not using machine learning.” This stands in strong contrast to a few years ago — and even the point at which Giannandrea landed his Apple job.

Become a true master of Microsoft Excel with these master classes

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The Premium A to Z Microsoft Excel Bundle Ft. Alan Jarvis & Chris Dutton
Get a complete tour and education in the many powerful capabilities of Microsoft Excel.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’re a professional who works on a computer, chances are you’ve encountered Microsoft Excel. That’s because it’s one of the most powerful tools for managing data, schedules and more. It’s truly a fundamental part of any modern workplace, so it pays to get familiar with the popular spreadsheet program.

This bundle of courses will make you a master of Microsoft Excel.