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The nasty change to Fortnite matchmaking Epic is keeping quiet

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Fortnite on iPad with SteelSeries Nimbus
It's the end of the road for Legacy Look Controls.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Fortnite finally offers skill-based matchmaking — and that’s good news for everyone. But it comes with a nasty change Epic Games didn’t mention when it first revealed the overhaul.

Here’s why lots of longtime fans are finding Battle Royale unbearable after last week’s version 10.40 update.

Apple Watch alerts 30-year-old dad about dangerous heart condition

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Apple Watch alerts user of irregular heart rhythms in sleep
Apple Watch may have saved another person's life.
Photo: Apple

A 30-year-old British dad and “fitness fanatic” was recently alerted to an irregular heart beat by his Apple Watch.

Chris Mint’s physician told him that it was unlikely that he was suffering from atrial fibrillation. However, using a five-minute ECG test on his Apple Watch convinced his doc otherwise.

Apple debuts upgraded maps in New York City

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Apple Maps just got a New York update.
Didn't Apple tell us it loves New York?
Photo: Apple

Apple Maps users in the Big Apple just got a sizable update to their service. As part of Apple’s quest to challenge Google’s mapping services, Apple Maps now offers far more local detail in New York City. That includes extra details about buildings, roads and footpaths, parks, and more.

Thanks to iOS 13, users can also take advantage of the 360-degree, Google Street View-style “Look Around” feature.

Netflix has a plan to win over new subscribers in an age of Apple TV+

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Netflix has a plan to win over new subscribers in an age of Apple TV+
The world of streaming content is about to get more crowded.
Photo: Netflix

Disney+ and Apple TV+ may not have made their debut yet, but their influence is already showing up in the market place. Netflix, the established guard of streaming content, recently launched a new strategy to hook subscribers.

For one of its new shows, Netflix is offering the first episode for free — even if you’re not a Netflix subscriber.

Dig into a gold mine of books, audio books, articles and more from your iPhone [Deals]

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Scribd
Save 25% or more on 6 month and year-long access to a million books, audiobooks, articles, and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The world is awash in great writing and journalism, from books to articles on the internet. That leaves a ton of stuff to sort through. So having it all in one place makes it easier to find the best content, and saves lots of time.

Scribd offers access to a vast library of content straight from any device, via the app or a web browser.

2020 iPad Pro could pack brand-new display technology

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2018 iPad Pro display
Mini-LED screens could make iPad Pro even greater.
Photo: Apple

You might want to think twice about upgrading your iPad Pro this year. A new report claims Apple could deliver a more significant refresh with brand-new display technology as early as 2020.

The same technology, which is expected to use approximately 10,000 tiny LEDs, could also appear in a new MacBook around the same time, according to one reliable analyst.

Thieves steal dozens of iPhones from Apple Store in Canada

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Chinook Apple Store
Apple Store was robbed Saturday night.
Photo: Apple

A group of thieves robbed an Apple Store in Canada over the weekend, making off with dozens of iPhones.

The incident took place at the Apple Store in Calgary’s Chinook Center on Saturday night. The thieves were captured on surveillance video. However, they were able to get away with the stolen handsets.

Apple Watch’s health focus took Apple by surprise

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Apple Watch may have saved the life of a 79-year-old with heart condition
COO Jeff Williams says that Apple more or less stumbled into its health focus.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Apple didn’t predict how important health-tracking tech would be to the Apple Watch, COO Jeff Williams said in an interview published over the weekend.

“It was very organic,” he said. “Most people think we had this major health initiative, well, we had some notions in the beginning but no idea where it would lead. And honestly, it’s a situation where we started pulling on threads and the more we pulled, the more we realised there’s such a huge opportunity for us to impact people with the information that’s on their wrist.”

New Totallee leather cases balance style and protection for your iPhone 11, 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max

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Totallee leather iPhone Pro case
Totallee's new leather cases protect your iPhone 11, 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max in style.
Photo: Totallee

This post on leather iPhone 11 cases is presented by Totallee.

When you want to go premium, there’s nothing like leather. Leather is the good stuff. That’s why Totallee’s new leather cases for iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max are made of it, giving your device an elegant look with rugged protection.

iPad Pro case rocks backlit keys in a rainbow of color combos [Review]

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Inateck Stellarie KB02006 review
The Inateck Stellarie KB02006 is very useful with a touch of whimsy.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

If you want to stand out in a darkened classroom, Inateck has the iPad keyboard case for you. The outside is professional-looking, and there’s an Apple Pencil slot. But the standout feature is the keyboard backlights, which can be set to more than 100 color combinations.

This affordable case believes in business on the outside and party on the inside. Is it right for you? Find out in our Inateck Stellarie KB02006 review.

iPhone 11 Pro Max review: Even better than the best! [Cult of Mac Magazine 316]

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Hands down, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is our favorite iPhone yet.
Hands down, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is our favorite iPhone yet.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 11 Pro Max has it all: an unbeatable battery. The best display yet. A gorgeous, nearly unbreakable glass body. Maybe even dormant reverse wireless charging hardware. There’s no doubt about it. This is the finest iPhone yet.

Read our full iPhone 11 Pro Max review for all the details. Plus, don’t miss all the rest of the week’s best Apple news, reviews and how-tos. All that and more is jammed into this free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine.

Plus, enter our Apple Watch Series 5 giveaway for your shot at winning the hot new wearable.

Enhance your iPhone with sweet savings on 4 awesome apps [Deals]

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iOS Apps Main
Save big on private phone numbers, VPN protection and more for your iPhone.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Your iPhone comes out of the box full of potential. But a lot of that potential requires having the right apps. To put you on the right track, we rounded up some of the best iOS apps around — and all at the best prices.

From consuming content offline, to staying safe and anonymous online, to getting a secondary “burner” phone number and more, these top apps give your iPhone new capabilities. And they’re all going for anywhere from half to more than 90% off their usual prices.

checkm8 promises to permanently jailbreak millions of iOS devices

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At long last, we can announce the winner of the Cult of Mac iPhone X Giveaway.
Your iPhone X may have just got a lot more interesting.
Photo: Cult of Mac

A security researcher claims to have discovered an expliot that could lead to jailbreaken iOS models released as recently as 2017. Just as significantly, checkm8 supposedly can’t be patched by Apple, so any jailbroken device will remain so, no matter which iOS version it’s running.

10 years later, Hipstamatic is still around and deep in its retro roots

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new logo for Hipstamatic X
Hipstamatic X hits the App Store Tuesday.
Photo: Hipstamatic

The smartphone photography tidal wave started with ripples from Hipstamatic. It was the first app with filters for snap-happy iPhone users to change the look of their photos.

A tap of the finger and that ho-hum photo of your dog became a work of art, quirky and painterly with the look of a photo spit out by an old Polaroid camera. Quickly, it became a tool for serious artists and photographers.

Hipstamatic celebrates 10 years this Tuesday with a free download for iPhone called Hipstamatic X. The anniversary app will bring some of the simple, original analog charm of the first app as well as a stable of old-school cameras, from Pinhole to Tintype.

Apple shows off its kids shows in latest batch of Apple TV+ trailers

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Snoopy
Snoopy in Space looks like Apple's best kids' show.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s full lineup of shows for the upcoming launch of Apple TV+ is starting to come into clearer focus ahead of the big November 1 launch. The iPhone-maker shared three new teaser trailers this morning showcasing what it has in store for kids and its educational shows might be some of Apple’s best content.

The new minute-length teaser trailers for Ghostwriter and Helpsters don’t divulge much details about the plot. However, the new Snoopy in Space trailer provides a solid peek at the Peanuts gang as they help Snoopy try to become a NASA astronaut.

Watch all three:

Got a new iPad? Now get the best price for your old one

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iPad-back
Cult of Mac pays real cash — and fast!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The brand-new 10.2-inch iPad is now available from the Apple Store. If you already have yours, it’s time to make some of your money back by getting rid of your old model.

Cult of Mac offers real cash for any unwanted Apple devices, and we typically pay more than anyone else. What’s more, we make the whole process quick and simple!

Two great sleep-tracker apps for Apple Watch

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apple watch sleep tracking
Zzzzzz!
Photo: Danny G/Unsplash

The new Apple Watch series 5, running watchOS 6, can track just about any kind of activity. But one thing it doesn’t track is your sleep. Or at least, it doesn’t offer sleep-tracking in a native form. That’s left to third-party app makers. Today we’ll see two great apps to do just that. One is ultra-simple, and the other is super deep. Let’s take a look.

iOS 13.1.1 arrives with fixes for battery drain and keyboard security flaw

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iOS 13 on an iPhone X
You should install the new update ASAP.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple put out yet another iOS 13 update this morning to fix some major bugs, just over a week after the huge update for iPads and iPhones was released to the public.

iOS 13.1.1 and iPadOS 13.1.1 address a major security issue that allowed third-party keyboard apps to have network access. The flaw could have allowed keyboards to track what you type, including usernames and passwords, and send them to a remote server. Anyone that’s running iOS 13 of iOS 13.1 should update ASAP.

Best 10.2-inch iPad cases revealed so far

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Logitech Slim Folio with 10.2-inch iPad
The Logitech Slim Folio is one of the first keyboard cases for the 10.2-inch iPad.
Photo: Logitech

The seventh-generation iPad reached customers’ hands this week, and the new owners need cases for this budget tablet. Fortunately, accessory makers stepped up by releasing a range of offerings, with built-in keyboards and without.

Check out the best ones that have been announced to date.

Spotify starts testing Siri support for iOS 13

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Spotify app now playing screen
Spotify and Siri are finally a team.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

You will soon be able to ask Siri to play your favorite tracks from Spotify.

The world’s biggest music streaming service just started testing Siri support in iOS 13. It comes after Apple’s latest updates introduced new SiriKit audio APIs that allow third-party access.