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Warren Buffett’s Apple holdings are now worth more than $100 billion

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Buffett
Warren Buffet is Apple's biggest investor.
Photo: CNBC

Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and big-time Apple booster, now has a share of the company worth upward of $100 billion.

Even more impressive? Buffett’s firm Berkshire Hathaway reportedly spent on around $35 billion to secure its 5.7% stake in Apple. That’s a pretty darn great return on investment — and Apple’s only climbing higher.

Turn any text into an instant audiobook with this highly rated iOS app

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Speechify
Speechify scans and converts any text to speech so you can "read" faster and retain more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Reading is essential to daily life and staying informed, but so is listening. In an age of podcasts, audiobooks and multitasking, many of us have adjusted to take in information through our ears while our eyes are busy doing other things.

Plus, some people simply retain information better through listening rather than reading. That was the case with Cliff Weitzman, who struggled with learning because of dyslexia. So he built a simple but powerful tool that makes any text instantly listenable.

Trump’s TikTok standoff could wind up hurting Apple

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U.S. investigations of TikTok gather steam.
Apple relies on both the U.S. and China.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

President Donald Trump’s dispute with TikTok and other Chinese tech companies could wind up hurting Apple.

Trump threatened to ban TikTok from the United States if Beijing tech company ByteDance does not sell the app by Sept. 15. (Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok. Apple on Tuesday shot down a rumor that it was interested in buying the social media company.)

According to multiple reports, China could respond to the United States’ “bullying” over TikTok by hitting back in its own way. The language in the reports, some of which come from government-backed Chinese newspapers, is vague. However, others suggest Apple could be an obvious target of China’s wrath.

Bag PNY’s 240GB portable SSD for less than half price today only

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PNY-SSD
Just $32.99 — down from $79.99.
Photo: PNY

PNY’s ultra-portable 240GB solid-state drive is ideal for anyone who needs extra storage that they can take with them everywhere. And for today only, you can bag yours from Best Buy for less than half price.

The drive works with both Macs and Windows machines, as well as iPad Pro. Get yours for just $32.99!

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

Apple creating China-based supply chain exclusively for local market

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Apple's relationship with Foxconn on the rocks
Apple is rethinking its supply chain.
Photo: Apple

Apple is reportedly putting together a supply chain consisting of exclusively Chinese manufacturers to build iPhones for the China market.

This is at the same time that Apple is trying to expand its supply chain. That is partly so as to lessen its reliance on China. Apple has also been building iPhones in India which are aimed at the local market there.

ProtonMail developer says Apple is a ‘monopoly’ that crushes competition

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ProtonMail app
ProtonMail is the latest company to take issues with Apple's App Store policies.
Photo: ProtonMail

The makers of secure email service ProtonMail are the latest developers to speak out about Apple’s control of the App Store.

In a blog post published Monday, founder and CEO Andy Yen wrote that Apple has become a “monopoly, crushing potential competitors with exploitative fees and conducting censorship on behalf of dictators.”

Ted Lasso’s heart is too big to bench [Apple TV+ review]

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Jason Sudeikis is the titular Ted Lasso
Jason Sudeikis is the titular Ted Lasso in the mostly winning comedy series.
Photo: Apple TV

Created for a diverting if not particularly funny web short, Jason Sudeikis‘ clueless coach Ted Lasso now has his own Apple TV+ series. The question is: Is there enough meat on the bones of the premise to support a comedy series?

Like the NBC Sports promos that spawned the character, Ted Lasso is about an American coaching football in England — and being sorta kinda unfit for the demands. Fish-out-of-water, culture-clash comedies are as old as film comedy itself. And there’s certainly potential in the idea of an old-fashioned Southern gentleman dropped into tough-as-nails, hyper-masculine soccer culture. But ultimately, the high-concept stuff isn’t what works in Ted Lasso’s favor. You must get past the show’s premise to get to the good part.

Surging iPad sales help Apple stay world’s No. 2 computer-maker

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MacBook, iMac and iPad are all computers
All of these are computers, and all contributed to Apple’s growing share of the global computer market.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Strong sales of iPad and Mac during Q2 2020 propelled Apple closer to taking the lead in the worldwide computer market. But they weren’t quite enough to push Lenovo out of the top spot, according to a market-research firm.

Still, the Mac-maker stayed ahead of rivals HP, Dell and Samsung as the global computer market grew 14% year over year.

Turn your old iPad into quick cash for a bargain upgrade

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iPad Pro
It might be worth more than you think.
Photo: Apple

It’s a great time to replace your aging iPad, with up to $500 off brand-new iPad Pros for a limited time only. And we can help make your upgrade even cheaper.

Sell your old tablet to Cult of Mac and we’ll pay you the money you deserve. We offer real cash — and fast — and we typically cough up more than other trade-in services.

Apple signs first-look deal with Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company

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Leonardo DiCaprio‘s Appian Way production company teamed up with Apple.
Films or TV shows from Leonardo DiCaprio‘s Appian Way production company could be headed for Apple TV+.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Leonardo DiCaprio is the latest Hollywood star teaming up with Apple. His production company Appian Way reportedly signed a first-look deal with the iPhone maker.

This means the Apple TV+ streaming service gets the right of first refusal for all projects DiCaprio and co. dream up.

Ewan McGregor motorcycle odyssey zooms toward Apple TV+

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‘Long Way Up’ premiers on Apple TV+ on September 18
Long Way Up is just a couple of guys out for a 13,000 mile ride.
Photo: Apple

Ewan McGregor and his buddy Charley Boorman took a little motorcycle ride — a mere 13,000 miles over 100 days. They went through 16 border crossings and 13 countries, starting from the city of Ushuaia at the tip of South America.

Their epic journey is the subject of Long Way Up, a series that launches on Apple TV+ in September.

Instantly triple your MacBook’s screen real estate with this add-on

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Mobile Pixels Trio
Perfect for presentations, mult-screen workflows, gaming and more, this USB add-on instantly expands your laptop's screen space.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Few things improve productivity like having more screen space to play with. Plenty of us rely on two screens to keep our workflows straight. And if you’re a gamer, you might want even more screen so your experience is truly immersive. With this lightweight add-on, you can get all of the above straight from your laptop.

iPhone 12 could get two separate releases

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An iPhone 12 concept video shows off lots of color options.
Apple could release the iPhone 12 in two phases this year.
Photo: Terquosive Labs

The iPhone 12 release could be staggered, with certain models going on sale before others, a new report from Digitimes suggests.

This year, Apple is expected to release four iPhone models. These are likely to include a regular iPhone 12 in 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch models, and an iPhone 12 Pro in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch variants.

App Store spending on mobile games hit $11.6 billion last quarter

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birthday
This was one of the top games of the quarter.
Photo: Niantic

Spending on mobile games in the App Store grew significantly over the past quarter, despite the coronavirus pandemic, a new report by Sensor Tower claims. Across the App Store and Google Play, global spending grew 27% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2020 to hit $19.3 billion.

Of the total revenue, the App Store made up $11.6 billion to Google Play’s $7.7 billion. That’s even though the App Store only making up a tiny 2.7 billion of the overall 15.1 billion app downloads in the quarter. As ever, the App Store is where the lion’s share of profits is to be made!

Apple asks UK landlords for rent cuts despite record earnings

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apple.store.regent.street.london.1
One of Apple's flagship retail stores in the UK.
Photo: Richard Shrum for Cult of Mac

Despite pulling in record earnings last quarter, Apple reportedly asked the landlords of its U.K. retail outlets to cut their rent by a massive 50%, The Sunday Times reports.

The newspaper says Apple is also asking for a “rent-free period” as the COVID-19 pandemic plays out. In return, the company says it will extend its leases for a lengthy period — although some of the stores in question have several years left on their lease agreements.

American Airlines starts showing Apple TV+ shows on flights

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Apple TV+
Apple Originals are free to view on flights. Well, free aside from the cost of actually flying that is!
Photo: Apple

Apple struck a deal with American Airlines to stream Apple TV+ shows during flights.

The agreement, which started this month, means American’s seat-back entertainment systems come preloaded with Apple Originals. These include The Morning Show, For All Mankind, Dickinson, Defending Jacob and seven more.

Best Apple Pencil alternatives for your iPad

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Adonit Note+ review
Apple Pencil isn’t the only iPad stylus. With Adonit Note+, you can draw Tippy. Or take notes, sign PDFs, and more.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPadOS 14 includes Scribble, finally allowing you to hand write text on an iPad with a stylus. If you don’t already have a stylus, there are some great options out there besides the very expensive Apple Pencil.

Here are some of the best available, so you can take full advantage of your iPad’s capabilities without paying too much.

Make quarantine a little easier with Rosetta Stone, VPN protection and more

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Social Distancing Bundle
Learn new languages, expand your knowledge and dodge online restrictions with lifetime access to three trusted apps.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Being stuck at home can be a drag, so we’ve rounded up three things that can make it more bearable. With language lessons, VPN protection, and a library of short reads, you can pass the time productively and safely.

It’s time to get back in shape with Apple Watch [Cult of Mac Magazine 360]

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Time to get back in the game! Here's how to get back in shape with Apple Watch.
Time to get back in the game!
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

If you put your fitness goals on the back burner due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s time to turn up the heat. And if you own an Apple Watch, the wonderful wearable is your ultimate post-lockdown fitness pal.

These tips will help you get back in shape, post-lockdown, with a little help from your friend. Find out how in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now to read on your iOS device, or follow the links below to read this week’s top Apple news, how-tos and reviews in your browser.

This week, you’ll get the scoop on another surprisingly good Apple earnings call. Plus, a full rundown of Tim Cook’s relatively painless appearance during a congressional antitrust hearing.

Unwind with streaming content designed to calm your mind

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Restflix
Get unlimited access to video and music that will put an end to sleeplessness and anxiety.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

More than ever, it’s easy to carry stress throughout the day and into the night. Research shows that sleep quality is one of the most important indicators of overall health. And if you want a reliable way to feel your best, it’s getting a good night’s sleep.

This streaming service, loaded with content designed to calm your mind, will take you to the Land of Zzzzs …

Delete downloaded podcasts to free up storage space on iPhone

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How to delete Podcasts from iPhone
Don't let Podcasts eat up all your storage.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

For most podcast listeners, there comes a time when you have way too many unplayed shows, taking up way too much space on your iPhone or iPad. Fortunately, this is a problem with an easy fix.

Take back precious storage space by deleting episodes you don’t need to have saved locally, and prevent the Podcasts app from hoarding content in the future. We’ll show you how.

Apple shares close at new all-time high [Updated]

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Apple MacBook cash dollars money
Apple is now valued at $1.78 trillion.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple shares hit a new all-time high Friday on the back of the company’s shockingly good Q3 earnings. AAPL closed up 10.47% at $425.04, fueled by Thursday’s record-breaking report.

Friday’s surge gives Apple a market cap of an astonishing $1.84 trillion, within spitting distance of the once-unimaginable $2 trillion valuation. And it makes Apple the most valuable publicly traded company in the world.