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Apple TV+ original Dickinson premieres in New York

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Dickinson-cast-Apple-TV
The cast of Dickinson at its Brooklyn premiere.
Photo: Apple

Apple this week premiered Dickinson, an original show coming to Apple TV+, at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, New York.

The half-hour comedy series based on rebellious young poet Emily Dickinson will be available November 1. It is the second show Apple has premiered this week following For All Mankind.

Share the misery by reporting traffic problems to Google Maps

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Report traffic problems with Google Maps
Warn your fellow Google Maps users of crashes, speed traps and other traffic slowdowns.
Photo: Google/Cult of Mac

Google Maps already alerts drivers about crashes and other traffic slowdowns, but the app is just now allowing users to report these incidents on their iPhone.

This has long been a feature of Waze, Google’s other iOS navigation app.

Fitbit hopes to copy Apple Watch’s ECG

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Fitbit Ionic takes on Apple Watch
Fitbit’s offerings have become more sophisticated as they try to catch up to Apple Watch.
Photo: Fitbit

A highlight of the Apple Watch is the ability to tell if the wearer has a heart problem called atrial fibrillation, and rival wearable-maker Fitbit is working to add AFib detection to its smart watches.

How to enter Mac passwords with your Apple Watch

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Apple Watch password
Is there anything the Apple Watch can’t do?
Photo: Jens Kreuter/Unsplash

You know how you can double-press the side button on your Apple Watch, and then wave it over a contactless terminal to pay with your credit card? Wouldn’t it be great if you could do the same with your Mac login password? Instead of having to type your password to authenticate yourself, you’d be able to double-tap the Apple Watch’s side button to do it instantly.

Well, now you can do exactly this — if you’re running macOS Catalina.

macOS 10.15.1 beta 2 brings fresh bug fixes to Mac

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macOS Catalina is here. But proceed from Mojave with caution.
A few new features, a few bug fixes ...
Photo: Apple

Apple is making quick progress on the development of macOS 10.15.1, publishing its second beta build this morning.

macOS 10.15.1 beta 2 arrived for developers today, less than a week after the first beta dropped. The latest dev seed brings a host of bug fixes as Apple tries to patch up some of the holes in macOS Catalina, which launched earlier this month.

Heads up: Apple Arcade free trial subscriptions expire soon

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Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade is a great deal, but it might be time to drop out if it’s not right for you.
Photo: Apple

Everyone who signed up for a free trial of Apple Arcade when this gaming service launched is about to be charged for their first month. The 80+ titles currently available give plenty of options, but anyone who hasn’t warmed up to it should drop out before they get their first bill.

Fortunately, iOS makes this a snap.

iOS 13’s powerful new Slide Over features make it useful at last

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Slide Over in iPadOS 13 is like having an iPhone inside your iPad.
Slide Over is like having an iPhone inside your iPad.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

In iOS 13, Slide Over goes from being a useful-but-annoying novelty, to being an essential utility. Instead of only letting you dock one app window to the side of the screen, and sliding it out for a quick look or edit, Slide Over is now fully integrated.

In iOS 13, you can have multiple Slide Over panels, you can switch between them as easily as switching apps on an iPhone, you can open almost anything into a Slide Over pane, and you can easily turn a Slide Over app into a full-screen app. Here’s how it all works.

Emily Dickinson faces Death in latest Apple TV+ trailer

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Death kindly stops by Dickinson
Death kindly stops to visit Emily Dickinson.
Photo: Apple

Emily Dickinson’s poems often dealt with death and immortality, and that’s reflected in the second trailer for Apple TV+’s Dickinson. She finds herself facing the personification of Death, as well as struggling to make her poetry immortal in a world of men.

Watch it now:

Photoshop for iPad will ship without some key features

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Photoshop-iPad
As the great D:Ream once sang, things can only get better.
Photo: Apple

Adobe is finally close to bringing real Photoshop to iPad. But before you get too excited, you should know that the first version of the app will ship without some key features.

Early testers have described the current state of Photoshop as “rudimentary,” according to a new report. It seems it won’t be replacing its desktop counterpart anytime soon.

iOS 13 reaches more than half of all iPhones in first month

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ios13
Users can't wait to get their hands on iOS 13.
Photo: Apple

iOS 13 is now running on an impressive 55% of all iPhone models introduced in the last four years. It has taken less than a month for adoption to reach that figure. And it puts iOS 13 on par with iOS 12.

iPadOS, now its very own operating system, has reached 41% of all iPads introduced during the same time period.

Master new languages with this truly conversational app [Deals]

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The Mondly language app uses speech recognition and other advanced tools to enhance the learning experience.
This language app uses speech recognition and other advanced tools to enhance the learning experience.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When you set out to learn a new language in 2019, the first approach that comes to mind probably involves an app. And apps are useful, no doubt, but most can only take you so far. To really learn a language, you need the feedback of someone who can correct your pronunciation.

When  a native speaker isn’t available, Mondly uses advanced technology to make up the difference — in 33 different languages!

Netflix warns investors of ‘headwinds’ caused by Apple TV+ and Disney+

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75% of Netflix users have no plans to jump ship to Apple TV+ (right away)
75% of Netflix users have no plans to jump ship to Apple TV+ (right away)
Photo: Stock Catalog/Flickr CC

Netflix warned investors that the upcoming launch of Apple TV+ and Disney+ could generate “modest headwinds” when it comes to new subscriber growth. Despite the warning, Netflix shares surged in after-hours trading today after it reported better-than-expected earnings.

In a letter to shareholders, Netflix didn’t sound too worried about the upcoming streaming wars. The company pointed out that it’s already been competing against streamers and regular TV for over a decade now.

CleanMyMac X is all you need to maintain a healthy Mac

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CleanMyMac X
All the tools you need to make your Mac speedy and safe.
Photo: MacPaw

Are you maintaining a healthy Mac? It doesn’t have to be difficult. CleanMyMac X offers all the tools you need to ensure your machine is always speedy and safe.

The latest version of the app stops malware in its tracks, ensures your apps are always up to date, and keeps your Mac running as fast as it can be.

It also helps you weed out system junk from the darkest depths of your machine, and it’s three times faster than its predecessor.

Apple TV+ picks up second movie from A24 studios

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Apple spent more than $20 million advertising Apple TV+ last month
Apple TV+ is stocking up on movies now.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV+ is starting to stock up on new movies.

Apple has inked its second film deal with indie studio A24, which is already working with the iPhone-maker on Sofia Coppola’s next movie. The two companies are set to produce an adaptation of the critically acclaimed young adult novel The Sky Is Everywhere written by Jandy Nelson.

FCC approval makes T-Mobile/Sprint merger almost a done deal

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FCC chairman Ajit Pai isn’t down with China Mobile coming to the United States.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai openly supports the big T-Mobile/Sprint merger.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

The Federal Communications Commission reportedly will grant approval for the multibillion-dollar merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. This is one of the last hurdles before the third- and fourth-largest U.S. carriers can blend into a single entity almost as large as AT&T and Verizon.

How to fix a stuck iOS software update

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iPhone ios stuck update
Press a button while updating to see this message.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

iOS updates usually prove pretty reliable. Even during the buggy beta phase of a new iOS version, the updates themselves usually run without a hitch. But sometimes they do get stuck. Or they seem like they got stuck.

Here’s how to tell the difference between those two scenarios. And, if your iOS update really did hang, what to do about it.

Contemporary leather cuff makes Apple Watch ultra-comfortable

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Monowear-leather-cuff-1
And it's surprisingly affordable.
Photo: Monowear

Look no further than this contemporary leather cuff if you want an Apple Watch band that’s super-stylish and insanely comfortable.

It’s Monowear’s most comfortable band yet, and it’s available now from the Cult of Mac Store in two terrific color options. The cuff is compatible with all versions of Apple Watch in all sizes. Order yours today!

Luna Display turns your dusty old Mac into a second screen

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Luna Display Mac-to-Mac mode
The MacBook on right is supplying a second screen for the one of the left, thanks to Luna Display Mac-to-Mac mode.
Photo: Luna Display

While there are multiple options for using an iPad as a Mac’s second screen, Luna Display is adding a twist: the option to let one Mac take over another Mac’s screen.

This, for example, lets an iMac easily use a MacBook’s display.

Share passwords and sensitive data securely using Dashlane

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You definitely shouldn't be sharing your passwords via email or text.
You definitely shouldn't be sharing your passwords via email or text.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

This password sharing post is presented by Dashlane.

Let’s say you just got Netflix (again) and you want to share the password with your partner and kids so they can watch whatever it is they watch. Folks share like that every day with streaming apps, news sites and other online services. But how it’s done matters. Every time you text or email information like that, it can be visible as plain text to others somewhere. But sharing via a password manager like Dashlane keeps sensitive information safe. The Dashlane Sharing Center is easy to use and encrypts data before it goes to another user.

See what happens when a hacker tries to add USB-C to iPhone 11 Pro

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Scotty Allen taking apart an iPhone 11 Pro
Scotty Allen begins his quest to hack an iPhone 11 Pro.
Screenshot: Strange Parts/YouTube

Can you add USB-C to an iPhone 11 Pro?

The short answer is a “definitive yes,” according to YouTube host Scotty Allen, who quickly gained a following by documenting his attempts to build an iPhone from scratch and add a headphone jack to an iPhone 7 (both successes by the way).

How to master the Apple Watch Dock

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Apple Watch dock

Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

There are two buttons on the Apple Watch. You can press the Digital Crown, and you can press the side button. If you press the side button when your watch is displaying its watch face, then you’ll pop up the Dock. But what, exactly, is the Apple Watch Dock?

Just like the docks on macOS and iOS, it provides quick access to your most-used apps. But the Apple Watch Dock doesn’t work like the docks on Apple’s other devices. Here’s how to use it — and how to customize it.

Apple seeds iOS 13.2 beta 3 to developers

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3-nanometer chips will be ready for 2022 iPhone
3-nanometer chips will be ready for 2022 iPhone
Photo: Apple

Apple is back with a brand new beta build of iOS 13.2 less than a week after seeding the second beta to developers.

iOS 13.2 beta 3 builds on the last two betas that added over 57 new emoji to iPhone and iPad along with Deep Fusion camera technology for the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. Today’s update is joined by watchOS 6.1 beta 4 and tvOS 13.2 beta 3, bringing tons of improvements to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.