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Michigan man pleads guilty to scam that cost Apple $1 million

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iPhone XS box gold
Bag yours before they're all gone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A Michigan man this week pleaded guilty to running an “empty-box” fraud scheme that cost Apple more than $1 million.

Van-Seyla Mork filed complaints on behalf of Apple customers, alleging that purchased products had not been received. After obtaining refunds, he transferred the money through various bank accounts in an effort to conceal the fraudulent proceeds.

Pride comes in new faces with watchOS update

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Pride Apple Watch faces
Pride has its range of styles.
Photo: Apple

Apple Watch wearers now have a couple of style options on how to show LGBTQ Pride, including a new face with thicker threads of color and a choice of analog watch hands.

The Pride face options became available this morning when Apple released watchOS 5.2.1.

Pick the power strip that’s perfect for you [Deals]

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This pair of innovative powerstrips offers convenience and clutter-free charging for any home or office.
This pair of innovative powerstrips offers convenience and clutter-free charging for any home or office.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Among the least feng shui aspects of any home or office are the power cables. Cluttered tangles of wires and charging strips make a mess of even the tidiest workspace. So this pair of cleverly designed power strips from BESTEK is a welcome opportunity to bring order to your charging situation.

WhatsApp users must update now to avoid spyware attacks

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WhatsApp on iPhone
Don’t ignore the latest WhatsApp releases.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

WhatsApp users must update to the latest version of the app to avoid be infected by malicious software.

A security flaw in the popular messaging client allows the Pegasus spyware to be installed on your smartphone. WhatsApp is investigating the situation and urges its 1.5 billion users to update.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars updated for latest iOS devices

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GTA Chinatown Wars
Get your hands on the latest version today.
Photo: Rockstar Games

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars now plays nicely with modern iOS devices.

Rockstar’s mobile hit is the fourth in the GTA franchise to add support for iPhone and iPad variants with edge-to-edge displays and the latest A12 processors. The latest version is free for those who have already purchased Chinatown Wars.

Clothing brand LRG becomes Apple Music’s latest tastemaker

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Apple Music
The new LRG playlists on Apple Music have a little something for everyone.
Photo: Apple

Apple Music enlisted clothing company LRG to become the latest company to handpick songs for a new set of curated playlists.

LRG, short for Lifted Research Group, became popular for its street wear thanks to endorsements from some of the biggest rappers and R&B artists in the world. As you’d expect, its new playlists are highly influenced by those genres too.

Fortnite to get ‘undo purchase’ option, health bar tweaks

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fortnite
ZylTV has made $13,000 so far.
Photo: Epic Games

Epic Games has confirmed some of the changes and improvements it has planned for Fortnite following the launch of season nine.

Battle Royale players will soon see tweaks to the in-game health and shield bars that make them easier to read at a glance. It’s also going to become a lot easier to reverse accidental purchases.

Why app subscriptions are taking over (and how to cope) [Video]

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You can subscribe to just about anything these days ... but why?
You can subscribe to just about anything these days ... but why?
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Over the last couple years, tons of iOS apps switched from one-time purchases to monthly or annual subscriptions. As a user, this can seem frustrating — or annoying even — but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The rise of app subscriptions brings benefits to users, developers and the app ecosystem as a whole. Whether you’re subscribing to your favorite weather app, task manager or podcast player, the subscription model offers perks that never existed in the one-time-purchase world of apps.

Apple’s new TV app arrives with iOS 12.3

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The Apple TV app gets a raft of new features in iOS 12.3.
The Apple TV app gets a raft of new features in iOS 12.3.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple’s updated TV app is finally ready for the public to dive into.

iOS 12.3 was released to the public today, adding the new Apple TV app to iPhones and iPads as Apple prepares to launch its streaming TV service this fall. The update also adds AirPlay 2.0 and Apple TV support to compatible Samsung smart TVs.

Supreme Court sides against Apple in big antitrust case

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Apple removes 17 malware apps which secretly clicked on ads
Lawsuit could change Apple's relationship with App Store customers.
Photo: Apple

A lawsuit targeting Apple and the App Store will be allowed to proceed, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided.

The case involves whether or customers technically buy apps from Apple, or whether Apple is a middleman connecting app developers with consumers. The Supreme Court ruled against Apple on Monday by 5 votes to 4.

Apple share price hit by renewed China trade tensions

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Hong Kong police arrest smugglers with $1 million of iPhones and other devices
Proposed trade tariffs have had a big impact on Apple's share price.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Concerns about the U.S.’s trading relationship with China is hitting Apple shares.

AAPL’s share price has been steadily sliding since President Donald Trump took to Twitter to talk trading tariffs. It’s currently trading at $189.15, down from its high of $211.75 earlier this month.

Google ad blasts iPhones for being more expensive than Pixel 3a

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
Google thinks iPhones are too expensive.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Banner ads showcasing Google’s new Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL handsets pit them against Apple’s iPhone X series devices.

The banner ads, which are appearing on a number of billboards around the U.S., contrast the $999 price of the iPhone XS to the significantly cheaper $399 for the Pixel 3a.

Make yourself an expert in Microsoft Excel [Deals]

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Excel bundle
Become more than proficient in Excel with this comprehensive bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

There are few applications more common to the modern workplace than Microsoft Excel. So no matter your industry, if you’re looking to boost your resume and skill set, Excel a great place to start. For resume-worthy training, you can’t do much better than this certification bundle.

iPhone XR ads find smart ways of selling privacy and battery life

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iPhone XR 1
Apple's latest ads are pretty darn great.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s latest iPhone XR ads focus on the superior battery life and privacy features of its more affordable (kind of!) iPhone.

Titled “Up Late” and “Inside Joke,” the two ads are just half a minute each. However, they do a good job of making their reasonably dry point in an entertaining, and human manner. Check them out below:

Pro-level keyboard case nearly turns iPad Pro into a touchscreen MacBook [Review]

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Brydge Pro review
Make your iPad Pro into a tablet/laptop with the Brydge Pro.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Since the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is faster than the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the tablet is serious competition for Apple’s notebooks. Its design offers many advantages over a notebook, but most people demand a physical keyboard for their primary computer. Of all the options for this, the Brydge Pro comes the closest to transforming a 2018 iPad Pro into a convertible touchscreen MacBook.

Read our hands-on review to see how well this premium keyboard case performs in the real world.

2020 iPhone should get a boost from TSMC’s cutting-edge 5nm processors

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Gather_Round_A12Bionic 2
The Apple A12 Bionic processor is powerful but the the A13 is coming soon and the A14 is already on the horizon.
Photo: Apple

The company that makes all Apple’s chips is nearly ready to make 5 nanometer processors, down from the 7nm ones it’s manufacturing now. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s innovation reportedly will bring notable performance gains to next year’s iPhone and iPad.

The 2021 models should get a boost as well. And it’s even possible these chips will appear in future Macs.

Score a smart cable that charges devices safely [Deals]

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This Lightning cable upgrade offers extra reach, overcharge protection, high speed charging and more.
This Lightning cable upgrade offers extra reach, overcharge protection, high speed charging and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The standard Lightning cable comes with a number of shortcomings. It’s short in length, vulnerable to nicks or fraying, and can’t keep track of what its charging or when it’s done. This extra long smart cable offers an upgrade on all those fronts.

Breakout! Inside an Apple escape room [Cult of Mac Magazine No. 296]

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An unusual Apple-themed escape room is set to inject some fun into this year's AltConf during WWDC.
An unusual Apple-themed escape room is set to inject some fun into this year's AltConf during WWDC.
Cover: Martin Cortinas/Cult of Mac

Imagine yourself in a nightmare scenario. You’re tasked with making an Apple keynote run smoothly, but Murphy’s law is in full effect. Everything that can go wrong does. Tim Cook is not pleased. And you must wield your Apple knowledge to make things right.

That’s what you’ll experience if you dare to go “Backstage at the Keynote” during WWDC 2019. Find out all about this unusual Apple-themed escape room, which should spice things up at AltConf next month, in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine for iOS.

Or read on to get the rest of the week’s best Apple news, reviews and how-tos in your browser, including our scoop on what’s up with that mysterious rainbow stage spotted inside Apple Park.