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How to turn on COVID-19 exposure notifications on iPhone [Updated]

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Manage COVID-19 exposure notifications on iPhone
There's no good reason not to have exposure notifications enabled.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

With the omicron variant fueling lightning-fast spread of COVID-19, it’s a good time for iPhone owners to take advantage of the exposure notifications feature built into iOS. By simply enabling this feature, you will get an alert after being exposed to someone who tests positive for the virus — as long as they also have contact notifications turned on, and they report their test results.

For obvious reasons, this automatic version of contact tracing works more effectively if more people utilize it. If you discover that you’ve been in close contact with an infected person, you can take appropriate steps (getting tested, staying away from vulnerable people, etc.)

We’ll show you how to take control of COVID-19 exposure notifications on your device.

iOS 14.7 will bring Apple Card tweaks, Apple battery pack support

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iOS 14.7 will bring Apple Card tweaks, Apple battery pack support
iOS 14.7 brings some tweaks, but isn’t a major update.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The release candidate for iOS 14.7 was seeded to developers on Tuesday. It includes some promised improvements to the Apple Card, and it enables users to use a just-announced MagSafe Battery Pack. In addition, it allows users to manage timers on a HomePod.

Plus, the macOS Big Sur 11.5 release candidate, iPadOS 14.7 RC, watchOS 7.6 RC and tvOS 14.7 RC were also made available for developers.

You, too, can 3D-print a clock based on the iOS Settings icon

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Lucas Hall's 3D-printed Settings Clock is based on the iOS Settings icon.
Lucas Hall's 3D-printed Settings Clock is based on the iOS Settings icon.
Photo: Lucasjhall@Prusaprinters.org

A new 3D-printed Settings Clock based on the classic iOS icon looks flat-out cool. Lucas Hall designed the small, analog clock, which is driven by an inexpensive clock mechanism — and would look great on any Apple fan’s wall.

As you can see from the image, Hall based his Apple-inspired clock on the iOS Settings icon. And you can have one just like it. You just have to get your 3D printing on.

Last chance: Save on stellar iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch accessories in our Fourth of July sale

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Juuk polished Revo
Save on the stunning polished Revo from Juuk, and lots, lots more.
Photo: Juuk

The Cult of Mac Store just kicked off its big Fourth of July sale, offering 15% off all items when you spend $50 or more.

Take your pick from some of the best iPhone, iPad and AirPods cases, stands, Apple Watch bands and more — all hand-picked and approved by members of the Cult of Mac team.

The offer ends today, so enjoy it while you can!

Apple’s new Tower Theatre store in LA looks preposterously beautiful

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Many Angelenos on the hunt for Apple gear will recognize the historic theater's restored clocktower and sign. But the interior will blow them away.
Many Angelenos on the hunt for Apple gear will recognize the historic theater's restored clocktower and sign. But the interior will blow them away.
Photo: Apple

Apple previewed its newest retail location at the historic Tower Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. The company announced the store’s Thursday opening in conjunction with the launch of the Today at Apple Creative Studios global mentorship initiative for young creatives.

And wow, the new store looks like a real beauty. Apple called it “one of its most significant restoration projects to date.” That’s saying something. Just look at Rome. Or Bangkok. Or even the long-established Grand Central Station store in New York.

Hands on: Safari in iPadOS 15 forces tabs on everyone

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Hands On: Safari in iPadOS 15 forces tabs on everyone
iPad users will find browser tabs unavoidable in the version of Safari in iPadOS 15.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The redesigned Safari web browser in iPadOS 15 makes tabs an inescapable part of browsing. The new system is more space efficient, but forces many people to change the way they use their iPad.

I work in Safari on iPad all day every day, so I used the first iPadOS 15 beta to test the modifications that are coming. Here’s what I like. And what I don’t.

New house with Tesla, new home office with Tesla toys [Setups]

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A new house calls for a first-time home office with an ultrawide monitor and plenty of toys.
A new house calls for a first-time home office with an ultrawide monitor and plenty of toys.
Photo: StevenJ95

Redditor StevenJ95 recently moved from an apartment to a house, allowing him to have a new home office. For the first time. He’s got room enough in there for his MacBook Pro, his Samsung curved ultrawide monitor and even his Tesla Model S, Cybertruck and Supercharger.

OK, those last three are two diecast model cars and a cute little desktop Tesla charger for phones and such. But he does have a real Tesla Model 3 — which he sensibly parks elsewhere — as well as a lot of enthusiasm for the brand, judging by how he decorates his setup.

AirPods might offer lossless Apple Music after software update

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AirPods Max are available to order for $549.
Perhaps AirPods will be able to play Apple Music’s new lossless option.
Photo: Apple

There’s hope for AirPods users unhappy that the new Apple Music lossless option won’t work on their wireless headphones. Tipster Jon Prosser said on Wednesday that Apple will introduce a software update that will allow the earbuds to play lossless audio. Supposedly, AirPlay and Wi-Fi are just waiting to be enabled in AirPods.

You’ve got to see this iPhone notch ‘fix’ to believe it

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This iPhone M1 concept is by Antonio De Rosa from ADRStudio.
A new concept design thinks outside of the box on removing the iPhone notch.
Screenshot: ADRStudio/ConceptsiPhone

The screen notch isn’t anyone’s favorite iPhone feature, and an iPhone concept makes a radical suggestion for repositioning it: the artist suggests stretching the top of the handset to make room for the front-facing camera and other sensors.

Watch a pretend Apple advertisement from the concept artist demonstrating the innovative new device now:

8-inch folding iPhone might launch in 2023

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An iPhone concept shows a realistic folding iPhone design
If Apple makes a foldable iPhone, it might look like this concept design.
Screenshot: ConceptsiPhone

A folding iPhone is two years away, according to a trusted industry analyst. When open, the device will have an 8-inch screen, significantly bigger than the current largest iOS model, which has a 6.7-inch display.

Maotoam Pro brilliantly combines laptop stand with 13-in-1 USB-C hub [Review]

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Maotoam Pro review
Maotoam Pro is a robust tablet/laptop stand and a multifunction USB-C hub all in one well-designed package.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Maotoam Pro is two popular desktop accessories in one. It’s both a laptop/tablet stand and a USB-C hub with 13 ports. It can prop up a MacBook or iPad at your preferred angle, and connect it to up to a monitor, three USB devices, Ethernet and more.

I used the stand/hub in my everyday life for days. Here’s why I like it so very much.

2021 could mark end of the road for iPhone mini

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iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 mini was a great phone. Trouble is that it didn't sell.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

The iPhone mini looks unlikely to last longer than one more generation, based on a Wednesday report from a reliable Apple tipster.

Looking forward to the 2022 iPhone, TFI International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests Apple will continue its recent pattern of releasing four models. However, these will include higher-end 6.7-inch and 6.1-inch iPhones like the current Pro lineup, and lower-end models in the same sizes.

The 5.4-inch iPhone mini sounds like it’ll be nowhere to be found.

Give your drab Home app a spiffy remodel with HomePaper

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HomePaper for HomeKit lets you customize the Home app.
HomePaper lets you quickly give the boring Home app a fresh coat of paint.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

New app HomePaper for HomeKit lets you quickly customize the look of Apple’s notoriously bland-looking Home app — with zero hassles.

With the app, you simply select a photo from your iPhone or iPad camera or take a new one. Then you can quickly adjust the color(s) and make your own customized wallpaper for the Home app. There’s no fussing around with a complicated image editor or painstaking resizing required.

Here’s how to use HomePaper, which runs on iPhone and iPad, to give your Home app the remodel it deserves.

HyperJuice magnetic iPhone 12 battery is handy but hefty [Review]

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The HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack matches the look of an iPhone 12.
HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack for iPhone 12 really simplifies on-the-go charging. It’s almost MagSafe, but not quite.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Sanho HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack magnetically clings to the back of an iPhone 12 series model, recharging it without wires, clips… anything else. It packs 5000mAh of power and a USB-C port too.

I put the MagSafe-like battery pack through real-world testing. Here’s what’s I found.

Mac OS X turns 20: Why it’s Apple’s most important software yet

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Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah 20th birthday: OS X changed the game for Apple.
OS X changed the game for Apple.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

OS X, the most important piece of software in Apple history, turns 20 today.

Going on sale in its full, public version on March 24, 2001, Mac OS X 10.0 — code-named Cheetah, the first of many cat-themed names — transformed Apple’s operating system forever. It brought user interface enhancements that persist to this day, as well as technological advances that form the backbone of Apple’s current operating systems. In fact, OS X paved the way for today’s post-PC devices, from the iPhone and Apple Watch to HomePod and Apple TV.

While Apple eventually ditched the “OS X” branding for “macOS,” and switched from naming Mac software after big cats to California locations in 2013, Cheetah’s impact continues to be felt two decades after its introduction.

How to quickly calculate the wattage of any iPhone charger

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How to calculate wattage of iPhone charger
A simple calculation is all you need.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Looking for an iPhone charger that will deliver the fastest possible charging speeds? Forget the one that came bundled with your old iPhone and pick up a super-speedy 20W adapter instead.

If you can’t find the wattage of an adapter in its product description, we’ll show you a quick and easy way to calculate it yourself so you don’t waste your hard-earned cash on the wrong one.

iOS 14.4.1 squashes dangerous Safari security bug

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iOS 14.4.1 and iPadOS 14.4.1 and watchOS 7.3.2
Apple recommends you install iOS 14.4.1 on your iPhone to fix a security problem. And there are iPad and Apple Watch equivalents.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

iPhone users should install iOS 14.4.1, which Apple released Monday entirely to kill a bug in the Safari web browser. Obviously, Apple considers it a significant enough threat to devote an entire software update to justify it.

There’s also an equivalent iPadOS 14.4.1 version. Plus, the newly released watchOS 7.3.2 deals with the same security problem, as does macOS Big Sur 11.2.3.

Weird series Calls brings terrifying phone convos to Apple TV+

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New audio-intensive Apple TV+ show Calls leaves a lot to the imagination.
New audio-intensive Apple TV+ show Calls leaves a lot to the imagination.
Image: Apple TV+

Calls, the new thriller coming to Apple TV+, will depend on ears instead of eyes to get hearts pounding.

The oddball series “masterfully uses only audio and minimal abstract visuals to tell bone-chilling snackable stories,” Apple said in a description of the Calls trailer posted Wednesday.

How to tell if Silver Sparrow malware is hiding on your Mac

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How to tell if Silver Sparrow malware is hiding on your Mac
Silver Sparrow could be in your M-series or Intel Mac. Here’s how to find out.
Graphic: Cult of Mac/Red Canary

Some of the first malware targeting both M-series and Intel Macs has affected thousands of computers. At this point, the malicious code — called “Silver Sparrow” — is not dangerous, and Apple may have pulled its teeth. But users of the latest macOS computers still might want to know if their device has it. And the same goes for owners of Intel-based Macs.

Here’s how to find out if your computer has been hit.

New Apple TV+ sizzle reel serves up hits and giggles

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The Apple TV+ sizzle reel 2021 has a few surprises.
Apple has more than 20 fresh series and films premiering in coming months.
Screenshot: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is prepping at least 21 new shows, movies and additional seasons of current series for release throughout 2021, and possibly beyond. A new sizzle reel gives a glimpse of all of them in two exciting minutes.

Watch it now to get a glimpse of the dramas, comedies, sci-fi and action series Apple hopes will entice audiences in 2021.

And there may have been some surprise announcements.