Top stories - page 265

How many important photos and documents have you lost on misplaced USB drives or computers that haven’t worked in years? Confronting the impermanence of so much of our digital data is a frustration we all experience. And the more important the file, the more it hurts when it disappears forever.

For everyone from entrepreneurs to casual web users, losing data is painful, and it’s estimated that if it’s not copied and verified frequently, there’s up to an 8% chance every year that your data will be lost.

The Starchive 1TB Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription offers an alternative to the stress of constantly worrying that your files might fade. For under $100, you can have a safe place to store all your most important digital possessions.

It looks like the MacBook Pro isn’t the only Apple laptop that’s going back to the future. The next-gen MacBook Air supposedly will get MagSafe, just like the MacBook Pro we learned about last week. Plus it should come in thinner and lighter than ever.

Add in the upcoming iMac and Mac Pro redesigns, and this year is looking pretty fantastic for Mac fans.

Meanwhile, this year’s iPhone might be a bit of a welcome throwback as well. You can luxuriate in all the latest Apple news and rumors in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Grab it now to read on your iOS device. Or scroll down for the links to this week’s top Apple news, reviews and how-tos.

Socrates once said, “The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing,” and these words ring true, even today. Those who are truly intelligent seek more learned experts to educate them in areas where they’re lacking. That’s why you often hear about successful entrepreneurs reading multiple books each month.

Even so, our busy lives can leave us exhausted at the end of the day, so having the time or energy to crack open a book is a luxury. There are methods out there to help you read faster, but if you want to get straight to a book’s main point, Four Minute Books can help.

Dickinson rocks the party this week on Apple TV+ as Sue hosts a salon and Emily tries to boost her confidence long enough to be proud of herself in public.

The show’s tightrope walk of purposeful frivolity keeps butting up against its desire to say and do things of real substance. It’s the rare show that can pull off such a feat. And so far, Dickinson seems too interested in strained wordplay to quite get there.

Woot is blowing out new, open-box MacBook units from as little as $789.99. You can pick up various MacBook Air or MacBook Pro models, but note this sale is good for today only, so bag yours before it’s too late!

New Apple TV+ miniseries Losing Alice takes a deep dive into the psychology of two sexually charged rivals. There’s a lot to sink your teeth into with this eight-episode psychological thriller, which premieres Friday on the streaming service.

Losing Alice offers a cautionary tale about the perils of collaboration — and about riding the wave of TV production to series length.

People have been using Face ID to unlock their iPhones since 2017, and their iPads since 2018. But don’t expect to unlock your iMac using facial recognition just yet.

According to a Friday report from Bloomberg, Apple has been developing Touch ID for Mac. However, while it was originally planned for the 2021 iMac redesign, it’s now been pushed back to a later update.

Smash-hit Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit left us with two feelings.

1. We need a stylish midcentury wardrobe.
2. Competitive chess is cool and we want to play it right now.

Whether you want to brush up your chess skills to Beth Harmon level or simply learn a fun new hobby over the winter, here are the best courses to do it. Even better, we identified the finest chess courses offering great deals right now, with discounts of up to 92%. Now that’s a smart move.

Apple’s next-gen MacBook Air will be thinner and lighter than the current version, as well as boasting a MagSafe charger and, possibly, a redesigned display.

According to a Friday report from Bloomberg, Apple is planning to launch these new laptops in the second half of 2021 or in 2022. This would be the second MacBook Air to feature Apple Silicon processors, following the M1 MacBook Air released at the end of last year.

Apple seeded a macOS Big Sur‌ 11.2 release candidate to developers on Thursday. Among other changes, it promises to improve Bluetooth reliability, which is probably music to the ears of those using the recently released Macs built around Apple’s first-generation M-series processor.

Apple seeded to developers the release candidates for iOS 14.4 and the iPad equivalent on Thursday. It’s probably the last step before a public release. Among other changes, these new versions will apparently give iPhone and iPad users the option to block third-party applications from tracking them.

Devs can also install watchOS 7.3 RC and tvOS 14.4 RC, which became available Thursday too. But macOS Big Sur 11.2 is still on Beta 2.

Beeper is a new all-in-one chat app that merges 15 different platforms into one. That sounds pretty interesting already, but what makes Beeper really exciting is its promise to put iMessage on Android and Windows.

The app, from Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky and his team, is “using some trickery” to make the impossible possible. But you’ll have to cough up a monthly subscription fee if you want to take advantage of it.

Whether you want to learn a new language, get fit or start a whole new career, make 2021 your year to do something new. If you’re looking to learn a highly profitable skill from the comfort of your home — and all on your own time — BitDegree Academy’s AWS Online Courses & Practice Exams is just the ticket.

Amazon Web Services is the world’s most prominent cloud platform. And if you learn how to use it, you can improve your chances of earning a full-blown career or even boosting your annual earnings in other development roles.

Don’t expect too much from Apple’s first virtual reality headset. A new report warns that Cupertino’s first stab at a wearable VR system, which could come in 2022, will be expensive with a limited set of capabilities.

The device is believed to be designed primarily as a “niche precursor” to more ambitious AR/VR glasses that Apple plans to launch later.

Apple will finally shrink iPhone’s notch for its next-generation devices, according to a new report citing sources in the company’s supply chain. Plus, all of the devices will pack even greater sensor-shift stabilization cameras.

It is believed design changes and upgrades to the iPhone’s front-facing Face ID camera and sensors will make the notch shrink possible.

It’s now possible to run Ubuntu Linux on an M1 Mac, thanks to an early build made available by Corellium. The operating system is booted from a USB stick, leaving macOS completely unchanged.

All the files you need can be downloaded now from GitHub, and Corellium says an installation tutorial is on the way.

A reliable source says Apple is considering stripping the Lightning port from future iPhone models and replacing it with … nothing. Hopefully, it’s not too late to stop this terrible, terrible idea.

A portless iPhone is possible. And there are even a few advantages. But the significant drawbacks make the idea something that should be dropped like a burning bag of poo.

Getting fit can be hard. From early morning alarms to get your Apple Fitness+ workouts in to making sure you’re getting the proper nutrition to fuel your body, it can take a lot to keep you motivated to stick with your new 2021 fitness routine.

Luckily, there’s one thing you can always rely on: Your music will power you through your next sweat session. These workout-ready Bluetooth earbuds offer crisp, clear audio and thrumming bass so you can get through your next run or HIIT session with ease.

The followup to the iPhone 12 might not be called the iPhone 13. Instead, a reliable source says it will such a minor update it’ll be dubbed iPhone 12s.

And triskaidekaphobia could cause Apple to skip straight to the iPhone 14.

Apple reportedly cut iPhone 12 mini production so it can meet stronger demand for the pricier iPhone 12 Pro.

Cupertino’s smallest handset apparently accounted for just 6% of all sales during the iPhone 12 series’ launch period last fall. And it suffered from lackluster demand ever since.

Apple’s smallest tablet is allegedly about to get the redesign so many people have hoped for. The screen bezels in the 2021 iPad mini will shrink significantly, supposedly allowing the display to increase to over 9 inches and become nearly edge-to-edge.

The computer will also reportedly get in-screen Touch ID and a hole-punch camera.

Whether entertaining ourselves with streaming apps, playing addictive games or scrolling through social media, we’re all sure to be spending a lot of time on our phones in 2021. And, while you might be used to seeing the same familiar apps, what if the next hit iPhone app is the one you create?

The Learn to Create an iPhone App Bundle will take you from a complete beginner to an actual iOS app development whiz with 41 hours of SwiftUI, Google Firebase and more.

The redesigned Satechi Aluminum Desktop Stand transforms your iPad into a desktop computer. And it looks great doing so, holding the tablet so it seems to float over your keyboard.

I added the accessory to my office. Here’s how it works in real life.

Unfortunately, it looks like we’ll be spending more time working from home this year. Is your workspace set up to help you be more productive than ever in 2021?

If you already updated to a standing desk and tweaked your workflow with some great apps, maybe you should consider upgrading the gadgets you use at your workstation. This KeySmart TaskPad Wireless Charging Desk Pad will keep your devices fully charged and ready to go while you work.

We want to help you master Safari. Cult of Mac’s Safari Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of Apple’s web browser on iOS and Mac.

Sometimes it’s handy to see complete URLs in Safari’s address bar, but they get shortened automatically for the sake of cleanliness. The good news is there is a way to prevent that from happening in macOS.

We’ll show you how in today’s Safari pro tip.