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Brilliant deals on Beats, Bose and Sony headphones for those who don’t like AirPods

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headphones-deals
A whole bunch of options to choose from!
Image: Cult of Mac

If your ears just don’t get along with AirPods, check out these awesome deals on headphones from Beats, Bose, and Sony instead. You can save up to $119 on some of the hottest models for a limited time only.

There are both in-ear and on-ear options to choose from — as well as wireless speakers, if you prefer.

Quibi insists that it has a lot more fans than reported

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Quibi
Quibi is taking a different approach with streaming.
Photo: Quibi

According to mobile analytics firm Sensor Tower, 4.5 million people have downloaded bite-sized video subscription service Quibi since its highly publicized launch. Of these, around 8% are continuing to use the service.

However, Quibi says that this estimated number of paid subscribers is “incorrect by an order of magnitude.”

Get the most from your iPhone’s augmented reality features [Deals]

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MagiMask
These AR goggles make the most of immersive games, interactive learning and 360-degree movies.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The power of the new iPhones to produce augmented reality experiences is really amazing. Thanks to powerful graphics processing and cameras, it’s possible to overlay convincing 3D images over the real world.

Unfortunately, the only way to get that AR experience is typically through the phone screen — but not so with this headset and accessories.

Apple’s retail tax bill on UK sales is surprisingly low

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Cash app with cash money
Apple paid $7.8 million, according to a new report.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple paid 6.2 million British pounds ($7.8 million) on U.K. retail sales of $1.37 billion and gross profits of $337 million last year, a report published by i News claims.

The publication viewed Apple’s latest annual results filing at Companies House, and found that Apple Retail UK was able to reduce its pre-tax profit to only $39 million after accounting for costs and expenses.

TikTok reigns as world’s most downloaded non-gaming iOS app in June

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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

TikTok enjoyed another month at the top of the App Store charts in June, becoming the most downloaded non-gaming iOS app, according to a new report from Sensor Tower.

The leading app analytics firm says the Chinese social video app was installed more than 87 million times last month on iOS and Android. That represents an impressive 52.7% increase from June 2019.

European Union will rule on Apple’s $16 billion tax case next week

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International governments plan to rethink tax rules for the ‘digital age’
Apple has been disputing the fine since the moment it was levied.
Photo: Pixabay/Pexels CC

The second-highest court in the European Union will make a ruling next week regarding Apple and Ireland’s appeal of a $16 billion fine in back taxes for Apple.

The European Commission ordered Apple pay the sum in August 2016. This was based on a so-called sweetheart deal under which Apple allegedly received favorable tax rates in Ireland.

Easily control outdoor lights with Meross waterproof HomeKit outlet [Review]

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Meross Smart WiFi Indoor/Outdoor Plug review
Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night bothers this Meross smart outlet.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Add Siri voice control to your outside spotlights with the Meross Smart WiFi Indoor/Outdoor Plug. It’s waterproof and actually offers two plugs, each separately controllable with Apple’s HomeKit.

I tested this home-automation accessory around my house. Here’s how well it lives up to regular use.

Latest Tablo over-the-air DVR holds 700 hours of commercial-free shows

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The Tablo QUAD 1TB can hold a crazy amount of TV shows
A new Tablo over-the-air DVR holds about a month of HD shows, and can stream them to your Apple device without ads.
Photo: Tablo/Cult of Mac

A Tablo over-the-air DVR released this week boasts 1 terabyte of internal storage. That’s enough space to hold 700 hours of HD shows. This digital video recorder from Nuvyyo captures up to four shows at once off free local airwaves, then streams them to a phone or tablet without ads.

Apple retail stores launch one-on-one ‘Shop with a Specialist’ service

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TO deal with COVID-19, Apple Store offer ‘Shop with a Specialist’ service.
“Shop with a Specialist” puts you one-on-one with a salesperson at Apple Stores.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Schedule a visit to an Apple Store and you’ll have an expert standing by just to answer your questions. That’s the promise of the “Shop with a Specialist” program that launched Wednesday.

While this is a touch of luxury, it’s also a necessity brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple is trying to keep its retail locations from being overcrowded. That apparently means limiting the number of customers to one per salesperson.

Tom Hanks dives deep into Greyhound‘s thrilling sea battles

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‘Greyhound’ launches on Apple TV+ on July 10.
Tom Hanks gives us an inside look at the naval action shown in his new Apple TV+ film, Greyhound.
Photo: Apple

Tom Hanks wrote and stars in Greyhound, a feature film about World War II debuting Friday on Apple TV+. In a new video, the beloved actor talks about the real-life story it depicts: the challenges of Allied ships crossing the Atlantic infested with Nazi submarines.

Watch Hanks’ inside look at his upcoming film now:

Tell LinkedIn users how to pronounce your name properly

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Tap the little speaker icon to hear the LinkedIn name pronunciation
Tap the little speaker icon to hear the name pronunciation
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

If you’re applying for jobs and want to help recruiters avoid an awkward moment as they struggle to pronounce your name, a new LinkedIn feature can help.

It just takes a minute to record the proper pronunciation of your name and add the audio clip to the networking and job-search platform. Here’s how to do potential recruiters a solid — and how to have a little (possibly ill-advised) fun if you dare.

Thunderbolt 4 brings only incremental advances over Thunderbolt 3 [UPDATED]

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Thunderbolt 4 coming later in 2020
Apple and Intel developed Thunderbolt, and a new version debuts later in 2020.
Photo: Intel

Intel unveiled the specs for Thunderbolt 4 on Wednesday without bringing dramatic changes to this connectivity standard built into most Macs. Still, any computer running the new version has to offer an upgraded set of specifications, including the ability to handle a pair of 4K monitors.

Update: Apple promised to build Thunderbolt 4 into future Macs. “We remain committed to the future of Thunderbolt and will support it in Macs with Apple silicon,” an Apple spokesperson told The Verge.

FTC and Justice Department reportedly investigate TikTok

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U.S. investigations of TikTok gather steam.
TikTok's not going away just yet.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

Both the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department launched probes into allegations that TikTok breached an agreement regarding child-privacy protections, Reuters reported Wednesday.

News of the investigations follows a story earlier this week claiming the U.S. government might ban TikTok for security reasons.

Apple takes its iPhone independent repair program international

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Apple repair program
Apple's making it easier to get your out-of-warranty iPhone safely repaired.
Photo: Apple

Apple has added new locations in the U.S., Europe, and Canada to its out-of-warranty Independent Repair Provider Program for iPhones.

The program launched in the United States last fall. Today it is expanding out of the U.S. for the first time. It’s also announcing that a total of more than 700 registered independent repair providers are now available across America.

HomeKit-compatible EufyCam 2 Pro smart camera now available from Best Buy

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Anker eufyCam 2 protects your privacy.
Anker eufyCam 2 protects your privacy.
Photo: Anker

Anker has launched its new HomeKit-compatible smart security camera. The EufyCam 2 Pro, exclusive to Best Buy, boasts 2K resolution and free local video storage.

It also carries over the 365-day battery life, on-device human detection software, and “user-friendly interface” of the previous generation EufyCam camera.

Filter disruptive wavelengths from your phone’s screen [Deals]

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Ocushield Anti-Blue Light Screen Protector
Block out disruptive blue light from your iPhone without turning the screen a weird shade of orange.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Our eyes, minds and bodies are sensitive to light. Different wavelengths have different effects, just like the times of day they correspond to. So for all the hours we spend staring at our phones, it’s no surprise that it can make a real impact on our health.

Steve Jobs was talking about the power of remote working back in 1990

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Steve Jobs 1990 interview
Jobs was predicting the power of Slack and similar tools 30 years ago.
Photo: The Machine That Changed the World

As a result of coronavirus-induced lockdowns, the way we work has changed dramatically in 2020. Plenty of employees and businesses are now talking seriously about remote working and whether it represents a viable path forward for reimagining employment.

It turns out that Steve Jobs was talking about this exact topic 30 years ago. No, Jobs didn’t foresee COVID-19. But an old interview clips unearthed by journalist Jon Erlichman shares Jobs’ thoughts on the way technology can transform the way that you and I work.

Check it out.

iOS 14 could allow Apple Pay users to pay up by scanning QR codes or barcodes

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QR codes
That's a whole lot of QR codes.
Photo: Thomas Leuthard/Flickr

iOS 14 will allow users to make payments using QR codes with Apple Pay, a hidden feature in the Wallet app discovered by 9to5Mac suggests.

While the feature isn’t functional yet, it will allow users to point their iPhone camera at a QR code or barcode in order to pay bills. Apple didn’t make any mention of it at WWDC 2020, but that could potentially be transformative for scan-as-you-go shopping and other scenarios.

Apple re-closes retail stores in Melbourne, Australia after coronavirus spike

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Apple Chadstone store
Apple Chadstone is one of the stores to re-close.
Photo: Apple

Apple is re-closing four more of its Apple Stores in Melbourne, Australia as coronavirus cases spike again in the region.

Apple Chadstone, Apple Southland, Apple Doncaster, and Apple Fountain Gate will all be temporarily closing down, along with Apple Highpoint, which closed its doors last week. Australian Apple Stores began reopening two months ago, after having been shuttered since March 14.

This setup goes UltraWide [Setups]

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MacBook Pro Setup
All it takes to build a nice setup is a MacBook and an UltraWide.
Photo: @developerdylan

Programmer Dylan Garrett used to have a dual monitor rig, until he became enlightened in the ways of the UltraWide. Although the extra screen space that comes with having two monitors was an obvious plus, their resolutions were terrible and he decided to throw them both in the trash and adopt the LG 34-inch UltraWide as his sole monitor.

iPhone 12 dummy vids and packaging leak get us stoked for the future

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These iPhone 12 dummy units show what the real handset might look like.
As these iPhone 12 dummy units show, Apple’s 2020 handset is expected in a wide range of sizes.
Photo: Marques Brownlee

iPhone 12 dummy models supposedly show how this upcoming handset will look in various sizes. Reliable leaker Marques Brownlee got his hands on some, and videoed them in action.

Meanwhile, a separate report claims to show the packaging of the iPhone 12, adding weight to rumors that this handset won’t come with a wall charger.

iOS 14 beta 2 adds Files widget, other tweaks

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iOS 14 beta 2 adds a Files widget.
The new Files widget is the biggest change in iPadOS 14 and iOS 14 beta 2.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded the second beta versions of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 exclusively to developers Tuesday. The most notable new feature appears to be a widget for the Files app, giving users access to recently used files directly from the Home screen.

The latest betas bring some small changes as well, of course. Development of these operating systems continues, with full releases expected this autumn.

Apple keeps tinkering with the best design for folding iPhone

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A folding iPhone might leave a portion of the screen always exposed.
Apple patented a folding iPhone with a section of the screen ialways available for notifications or other functions.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple has undoubtedly been investigating a folding iPhone for years because it keeps patenting designs. Including one awarded on Tuesday for an iPhone that folds closed while leaving a portion of the screen exposed to display status updates.

CaliCase lets Cult of Mac readers take their iPhones anywhere – at a 20% discount

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CaliCase with lanyard
Every CaliCase comes with a lanyard to keep it safely on your person.
Photo: CaliCase

This iPhone case post is presented by CaliCase.

You never really want to be without your iPhone, do you? And that goes for any smartphone. The precious thing is going to be in your pocket or hand in almost any scenario. But you can keep it on your person in extreme conditions, too, like scuba diving and mountain climbing, thanks to the rugged wares of CaliCase.