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Fix battery drain, missing GPS data after updating to iOS 14, watchOS 7

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Fix GPS data loss iOS 14
It's not easy, but it's essential.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple has acknowledged problems with iOS 14 and watchOS 7 that can cause some users to lose GPS data and experience excessive battery drain on Apple Watch and iPhone — among other things.

There is a way to fix these issues and prevent future data loss, and it means resetting your devices. We’ll walk you through it.

‘Self-healing’ display could make folding iPhone invincible

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Apple filed for a ‘self-healing’ folding iPhone patent on Thursday
Of course a folding iPhone screen won‘t develop a crease. But Apple is still exploring how to make this possible.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple is working on a solution for the biggest drawback of folding displays. The first generation of foldable handsets made by rival companies develop a crease where the screen bends, but Apple engineers want to put a bendable display that includes a self-healing material in a folding iPhone.

How to use Smart Selection in iPadOS 14

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How to use Smart Selection in iPadOS 14
Smart Selection makes your iPad and stylus even more useful.
Graphic: Apple/Cult of Mac

Smart Selection in iPadOS 14 can be amazingly useful for anyone who takes notes with their iPad. This new feature lets you handwrite some words, then turn them into text at any point later on.

Here’s how it works.

iOS 14.2 public beta 2 brings dozens of fun new emoji [Updated]

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iOS 14.2 beta 2 is all be out emoji.
iOS 14.2 beta 2 includes a random collection of new emoji.
Graphic: Apple/Emojipedia

Apple seeded a second beta of iOS 14.2 to everyone on Wednesday, along with the iPad equivalent. It brings plenty of fun new emoji like ninja, the transgender symbol and a certain Italian hand gesture. And beta testers get Shazam music recognition integrated into the Control Center.

But anyone hoping to get an iPhone 12 in October might want to skip this beta.

Save almost $100 on Apple Watch 5 as Woot clears out new stock

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Get Apple Watch 5 at its lowest price yet
Bag yours before they're all gone!
Photo: Apple

Woot is offering some of the biggest discounts we’ve seen so far on Apple Watch Series 5 for a limited time only. You can pick up new, open-box models with GPS for as little as $329.99.

Both 40mm and 44mm options are available in silver, gold and space gray. Stock is limited, so bag yours before they’re all gone!

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

Take control of your daily tasks and to-do lists with this handy app

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Pagico 9 Task Management
Boost your productivity with this tool's task timeline, project visualization, daily planning and cross-links.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

You’re not alone. These days, it’s harder than ever to stay focused on tasks both big and small. Times are strange but life goes on. To help you stay focused on work, errands and to-do lists, this app — which runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad and more — brings together a ton of intuitive tools and features.

How to prevent AirPods from automatically switching to different devices

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AirPods-Pro-how-to
Take care of switching manually like you used to.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple recently gave AirPods and AirPods Pro the ability to automatically switch between different devices depending on what you’re doing. Sometimes the feature is useful, but other times it’s really frustrating.

You may have noticed it after updating to iOS 14 on your iPhone or iPadOS 14 on your iPad. The good news is, it’s possible to disable the feature and take care of switching yourself.

We’ll show you how.

10 awesome accessories for your new Apple Watch

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juuk
Treat your new Apple Watch to some of the best accessories!
Photo: Juuk

Now that you’ve got your shiny new Apple Watch, you’ll want some great accessories to go with it. A sturdy charging stand, essential protection, and a selection of great bands are all must-haves.

We’ve rounded up 10 awesome accessories for any new Apple Watch owner to help get your collection started. They’re some of our favorite items available right now, and they’re all nicely priced.

Belt out your favorite songs with mobile karaoke

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Karaoke On Demand
Sing your favorite tunes anywhere and anytime with Karaoke On Demand.
Photo: Bruce Mars

Few things are as therapeutic as passionately singing your favorite songs completely out of key. Even better if your friends are in on the fun. That’s the joy of karaoke — and this app makes it easy to pop up a karaoke session just about anywhere.

Save $100 on the highly rated, dirt-busting Deebot N79S robot vac

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Save on Deebot N79S robot vac
Let the N79S take care of the cleaning for you.
Photo: Deebot

Leave the vacuum cleaner in the cupboard, sit back and relax, and let the Deebot N79S take care of the dirty floors for you. This highly rated robot vacuum is a steal at $100 off for a limited time only.

The N79S cleans hard floors and carpets with ease with its powerful suction, and runs for up to 110 minutes on a single charge. You can control it with your phone, or by using Amazon Alexa.

Bag yours today before the price returns to normal.

Quick and easy game demo shows why iOS 14’s App Clips are so cool

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App Clip
Apple’s Craig Federighi says that iOS 14’s App Clips are an easy way to discover more of what the App Store has to offer.
Screenshot: Apple

App Clips, a signature feature of iOS 14, lets you quickly run a lightweight version of an application without actually installing it. If that capability leaves you scratching your head about what, exactly, App Clips would be good for, a hot new game demo shows the appeal of this powerful feature.

Simply visit the webpage for Phoenix 2 using Safari on a device running iOS 14 or iPadOS 14. Then tap on the big Play button, and start gaming. The process takes less than 10 seconds, and you’re in the game. (Note: It does not work if you are running Safari in Private Browsing mode.)

If you decide you’re not interested, just close the demo and it’s gone. There’s nothing to uninstall because Phoenix 2 was never on your iPhone or iPad. It was just an App Clip.

Get one cable to charge them all

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Charby Edge Pro
You can charge just about any device with this beefy cable's adapters.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Keeping our devices topped up means carrying around power packs and cables that eventually need a bag of their own. Personal tech is supposed to be convenient. If you’re carrying a tangle of cables, it’s time to simplify your setup.

Inject some cyberpunk style into your wireless charging

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Wireless Charging Wheel
Enjoy a dynamic light show while you power up your phone with this unique Qi charger.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Wireless charging is like something straight out of the future, so why does it already seem so ho-hum? The future was supposed to be sleek and shiny and multicolored — and that’s just what this hybrid, cyberpunk-style phone stand/charging hub brings.

Catch the best deals of the week you might have missed

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Best Deals Week
Catch the best deals of the week that you might have missed.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We serve up a lot of great deals on gear and apps at Cult of Mac. In fact, we do it every day, so it’s likely you may have missed good stuff. Just in case you did, we rounded up some of the best recent deals on personal audio, wireless charging, smartphone video gear and more for your weekend shopping pleasure.

Save big on a renewed iPhone XS on Amazon — now under $460

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iPhone XS refurb
Don't miss out!
Photo: Apple

Want an iPhone that offers some of Apple’s latest and most impressive technologies without breaking the bank? Check out Amazon’s latest deal on renewed iPhone XS units, which are now up to $434 cheaper.

You can pick up a 64GB model that looks and works as good as new, fully unlocked for use on any carrier, for under $460. But you’ll need to act fast — remaining stock won’t last long at this price!

Survival of the fittest: Can Apple Fitness+ crush the competition?

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Can the competition keep up with Apple Fitness+?
Get ready for a serious workout with Apple Fitness+.
Photo: Apple

Apple Fitness+ will enter a crowded market when the service launches later this year. Established players like Peloton and Adidas already have a significant head start.

But Apple is in great shape to give them a run for their money. Fitness+ is a logical next step for Cupertino. The upcoming service plugs some significant gaps in Apple’s fitness offering while intelligently leveraging the power of its platform to gain an advantage.

After Apple Fitness+ sprints off the starting line, the competition might find itself struggling to keep up.

Before you buy your Apple Watch Series 6, catch our one-week reviews on The CultCast

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CultCast 433
Spoiler alert: We're loving Apple Watch Series 6!
Photo: @YSR50

This week on The CultCast: Don’t miss our one-week reviews of Apple Watch Series 6! We’ll tell you if it’s worth upgrading. Plus: Multiple sources are now confirming a second Apple hardware event coming October 13, where a new “iPhone 12 mini” may be announced — we’ll tell you what we know. And stick around for more Apple stock talk! Erfon reveals what his big investment is worth now, following this month’s depressing AAPL stock plummet, and we’re talking real numbers.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

New emoji for 2021 will set your heart afire

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The list of new 2021 emoji is short.
Some of the new emoji in iOS 14.5.
Image: Emojipedia

The new emoji set to appear in 2021 will help you express relief or confusion. Or show that your heart’s afire, or that it’s mending.

Those might seem fairly ordinary, but there is something extremely odd about the the list of upcoming emoji: It’s very short. The group responsible for coming up with new emoji picked just seven new designs to debut next year. The reason is simple: COVID-19.

Case stickers appear to confirm ‘iPhone 12 mini’ naming

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These iPhone 12 dummy units show what the real handset might look like.
iPhone 12 will run from mini to Pro Max.
Photo: Marques Brownlee

An image that reportedly shows iPhone case stickers seemingly adds more evidence that Apple will call its smallest iPhone 12 model the “iPhone 12 mini.”

The pictures, posted on Twitter Thursday evening by Apple leaker DuanRui, follow a recent report from @L0vetodream suggesting that this year’s models will be called the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

With this intuitive graphic design app, anyone can add vivid visuals to any project

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Edraw Infographic Software
Create engaging infographics with this easy-to-use tool.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Nothing makes a project pop like good visuals. But since not everyone is a graphic designer, sometimes coming up with even simple imagery can seem like a tall order. This powerful but accessible graphic design app offers a suite of tools and resources that will help you get the job done.