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Save on 3 years of VPN security for all your devices [Deals]

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WifiMask VPN Unlimited Devices- 3-Yr Subscription
Stay secure, anonymous, and free of annoying content restrictions for three years, and on all your devices.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Here at Cult of Mac, we’re big fans of VPNs. That’s because they not only keep us secure and private online, they also bypass annoying location-based content restrictions, so you can stream your favorite content anywhere you go. With this great deal, you can get VPN protection on all your devices for three whole years.

Apple Music finally available inside Shazam on Android

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Apple-Music-Shazam-Android
Grab the latest update to get started.
Photo: Android Police

Shazam is finally offering Apple Music integration on Android, almost two years after the music identification service was acquired by Apple.

Users have the ability to identify songs and enjoy full versions of them using their Apple Music subscription. The feature comes with a beta tag for now, but works just as you would expect.

More details emerge on Apple’s ARM Mac and AirTags — catch the discussion on The CultCast!

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CultCast 429
Apple's AirTags may be far more powerful than we thought...

This week on The CultCast: Apple’s first ARM-based Mac is headed our way — we’ll tell you what we know. Plus, Apple’s new AirTags tracking tiles will be unlike anything we’ve seen, and way more powerful than we thought. We discuss! And stay tuned — we’ll tell you the weird rule Apple makes big movies follow if they want to put iPhones or Macs on the silver screen.

Out thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast, and use offer code CultCast at checkout for 10% off your first purchase.

MI5 boss thinks tech companies should provide ‘exceptional access’ to encrypted messages

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UAE iPhone hacks
Spymaster thinks intelligence agency should be able to read encrypted messages when it needs to.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The UK’s director general of intelligence agency MI5 thinks that tech companies should provide it with “exceptional access” to encrypted messages when required.

Sir Andrew Parker made his remarks for an ITV documentary broadcast on Thursday about the domestic intelligence agency. He said that it is “increasingly mystifying” why intelligence agencies are not able to easily read the secret messages being sent and received by terror suspects they are monitoring.

Claim deadline looms for iPhone owners with a faulty power button

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International governments plan to rethink tax rules for the ‘digital age’
Affected customers can claim their piece of the settlement.
Photo: Pixabay/Pexels CC

The deadline for California citizens who bought an iPhone 4, 4s or 5 with a defective sleep/wake power button to cash in is coming up.

A class action lawsuit against Apple was filed in 2013. It alleged that Apple knowingly sold iPhones with “defective” power buttons and then failed to properly remedy the issue. A settlement reached with Apple means that people who bought one of these devices can complete a form to receive “up to $24” for their troubles.

Budget iPhones took a huge chunk of 2019 smartphone market

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iPhone 11 in a pocket
Only the iPhone XR was able to outsell the 6.1-inch iPhone 11 last year. iPhone sales dominated the market.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPhone XR took the top spot in the global 2019 phone sales, according to market researchers. And these analysts highlight that the 6.1-inch iPhone 11, a model only available in the final four months of 2019, also outsold every other handset.

Apple made six of the top 10 best-selling phones in 2019.

Series based on WeWork saga in development for Apple TV+

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Wework logo
A limited series based on the story of WeWork is close to become reality on Apple TV+.
Photo: Wework

The meteoric rise and fall of the co-working space startup WeWork is set to be turned into a show for Apple TV+, according to Variety.

Apple tapped Lee Eisenberg and Drew Crevello to develop a limited series based on the six-part Wondery podcast WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork. The last episode of the series was just published this week but Apple is wasting no time trying to come out with the first movie or series based on the disastrous startup.

FCC plans to hit U.S. cellphone carriers with massive fines

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Verizon
All the major carriers are about to get fined.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

America’s largest cellphone carriers are about to get hit with hundreds of millions of dollars in fines from the Federal Communications Commission according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

Officials at the FCC found the companies broke the law by selling customers’ location data to third parties and are prepared to make AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint pay big time. The companies have reportedly been notified that fines could be on the way.

10.2-inch iPad owners get new keyboard case options from Zagg

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Zagg Slim Book Go and Zagg Rugged Messenger for 10.2-inch iPad
Both these Zagg keyboard folios are made specifically for the latest budget iPad.
Photo: Zagg

Zagg today increased the number of keyboard folios in its product lineup designed for the 2019 iPad. The latest versions of the Slim Book Go and Rugged Messenger fit this 10.2-inch tablet exactly.

Earlier this month, a version of the Zagg Messenger Folio for this newest iPad also hit store shelves.

You should really stop checking your phone all the time

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stop checking phone
It's hard not to pick up your iPhone all the time.
Photo: Tyler Lastovich/Unsplash

Your iPhone is amazing. And that’s part of its problem. Every time you’re at a loose end, waiting in line, or just think that you’re bored, you pull it out and graze those Home screen icons to find something that might interest you.

This, you may not be surprised to know, is unhealthy behavior.

Apple said to be planning new iPad Pro keyboard with built-in trackpad

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iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard
Apple wants to make iPad Pro an even better laptop replacement.
Photo: Apple

Apple plans to deliver a brand-new iPad Pro keyboard with a built-in trackpad, according to a new report.

The accessory is will take advantage of mouse compatibility in iPadOS, and is aimed at making iPad Pro a better laptop alternative. Foxconn, Apple’s largest manufacturing partner, is said to be preparing for mass-production ahead of a launch later this year.

Facebook cancels F8 conference due to coronavirus, putting WWDC 2020 in question

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Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade
Coronavirus killed Facebook's big event.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The coronavirus killed another major tech event today as Facebook revealed the in-person component of its annual F8 developers’ conference is canceled due to concerns around the coronavirus COVID-19.

Facebook’s move comes close to the time when Apple normally announces the dates for its Worldwide Developers Conference. The iPhone-maker revealed WWDC 2019 dates on March 14 last year, but with more and more tech events getting shut down, it could change Apple’s plans for its biggest conference of the year.

Apple pulls pandemic-themed game Plague Inc. from App Store in China

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Plague Inc., a game about a pandemic, might a little too real for government regulators.
Maybe a little too real for government regulators.
Screenshot: Ndemic Creations/YouTube

Apple was forced to pull one of the world’s most popular games from the App Store in China by order of the country’s Cyberspace Administration.

The creators of Plague Inc. say it is unclear whether their pandemic-themed game was removed because of China’s ongoing battle to contain the coronavirus known as COVID-19.

Apple AR tech will bring Alabama civil rights history to life

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Apple CEO Tim Cook at the launch of Ed Farm in Birmingham.
Apple CEO Tim Cook attended the debut of Ed Farm, an educational initiative in Alabama.
Photo: Tim Cook/Apple

In Birmingham today, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced Ed Farm, which will help teach students to program with Apple’s “Everyone Can Code” curriculum.

In addition, Cook  reportedly spoke about employing his company’s augmented reality tools in Birmingham’s civil rights historical sites.

How to stop your UWB-equipped iPhone 11 from tracking you

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This is not how Apple's UWB tracking works.
This is not how Apple's UWB tracking works.
Photo: Hadis Malekie/Unsplash

The latest generation of iPhones (the 11 and 11 Pro) contain the new U1 chip, which lets your iPhone locate other iPhones with pinpoint accuracy. Currently it is only used to show you the direction of other iPhones when you AirDrop a file. However, it will almost certainly soon be used to keep track of the rumored Apple Tags (or AirTags) tracking devices.

But what if you want to turn off UWB (ultra-wideband) tracking altogether? No problem.

EU might force Apple to offer removable batteries in iPhones

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changing battery on iPhone X
Someone in the EU thinks its a good idea to force companies to design smartphones with easy-to-remove batteries.
Photo: iFixit

Imagine easily swapping out the battery of your iPhone as you would a smoke detector.

The European Union may consider adopting a law that would regulate the design of all smartphones sold in the 27 member nations to provide consumers with easy access to the battery.

Mystery Powerbeats headphones score FCC approval

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Apple Powerbeats headphones get FCC approval
These upcoming Apple headphones might be the rumored Powerbeats4.
Photo: Apple

The Federal Communications Commission signed off on Apple’s next pair of headphones Thursday, without revealing many details. Still, the government agency indicated these will be part of the Powerbeats line, not the “AirPods Pro Lite” model that appears in recent rumors.

Veteran operations exec leaves Apple; another considers exit

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Apple Park
Two operations execs could be on their way out of Apple.
Photo: Matthew Roberts

One veteran executive is leaving Apple, while another exec is considering departing the company as well, a new report claims. Both worked in the operations and supply-chain management side.

Nick Forlenza, a vice president of manufacturing design, has retired from Apple. Meanwhile, Duco Pasmooij, a vice president of operations, is discussing an exit in the near future. The operations side of Apple is currently facing challenges related to the outbreak of coronavirus in China, where many of Apple’s supply-side contractors are located.

Sorry, Friends won’t be coming to Apple TV+ any time soon

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Friends
The One Where Apple Doesn't Pay Up.
Photo: Warner Bros.

Were you hoping for Friends on Apple TV+? According to Tim Cook, you’re out of luck.

During Wednesday’s shareholder meeting, an investor asked Cook why Apple hadn’t bought the streaming rights to the popular sitcom and its forthcoming special. Cook’s answer not only squashed hope of this happening in the immediate future, it also underlined his vision for Apple TV+.