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How iOS 14 will make gaming on iPhone and iPad better than ever

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Fortnite mobile controller
This changes everything.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

iOS and iPadOS 14 will make gaming on iPhone and iPad better than ever, with huge improvements to game controller support. Players can look forward to button remapping, motion controls and more.

And for the first time, you’ll be able to play games on iPad using a keyboard and mouse!

Ditch the pad of paper to take better notes [Deals]

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The Notebag app lets you type out your thoughts without getting distracted.
The Notebag app lets you type out your thoughts without getting distracted.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

For some things, computers can feel more like an obstacle than a productivity tool. Taking notes is one such task. Competing tabs, interruptive apps, embarrassing typos and pokey internet connections can make a good old pen and paper feel like the absolute best tools for taking notes.

Not so with this powerful app, which harnesses your Mac’s power to make paperless note-taking a breeze.

iOS 14 protects your privacy in important new ways

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During the WWDC 2020 keynote, Apple doubled down on its commitment to privacy.
During the WWDC 2020 keynote, Apple doubled down on its commitment to privacy.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020 The next iPhone and iPad operating systems warn you when the microphone or camera is on, let you share your approximate location, and block apps from tracking you. And these are just some of the ways iOS 14 and the iPad equivalent protect user privacy. Apple is clearly working hard to live up to its promise that it regards privacy as a fundamental human right.

Is noise cancellation fixed in latest AirPods Pro firmware? Nobody knows.

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Apple reportedly adding another supplier for its ultra-popular AirPods Pro
AirPods Pro users can't agree whether active noise cancellation is fixed by the latest firmware update.
Photo: Apple

Apple updated AirPods Pro to firmware version 2D27 on Tuesday. Users of these truly wireless headphones have since had a chance to install it, but there’s no consensus about whether it makes active noise cancellation as good as it was when this product first launched.

This visual guide to WWDC 2020 hits all the high points

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The virtual WWDC 2020 keynote packed in loads of exciting revelations. Breeze through the highlights in sketchnotes!
The virtual WWDC 2020 keynote packed in loads of exciting revelations. Breeze through all the highlights in these very visual sketchnotes!
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020 Monday’s WWDC 2020 keynote was very polished and a little fast-paced for me. This year, the entire Worldwide Developers Conference is virtual due to COVID-19, and the presentations flowed seamlessly from presenter to presenter, leaving little time for someone drawing to catch a breath. I ended up with five pages of drawings in my notebook.

I sketched out the important new features coming in iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS Big Sur, watchOS 7 and more. For a quick visual recap of the highlights of the WWDC 2020 keynote, check out my sketchnotes below.

The Afterparty murder mystery comedy heads for Apple TV+

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‘The Afterparty’ on Apple TV+ will deliberately mix up film genres.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller, shown here at San Diego Comic-Con, created a a genre-mixing murder comedy for Apple TV+.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikipedia CC

A couple of TV industry virtuosos are reportedly prepping an unusual comedy for Apple TV+. Phil Lord and Chris Miller will create The Afterparty for this streaming service. It about a murder seen from a variety of viewpoints, each in a different film genre.

iOS 14 warns you exactly how loud your AirPods are

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iOS 14 looks out for your hearing
Find out if the song you’re listening to is permanently damaging your hearing with an iOS 14 Control Center feature.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020 Listening to music on AirPods at too high a volume can damage your hearing. As a reminder of this, iOS 14 offers an optional icon in the Control Center to show just how loudly the song is playing on a connected pair of AirPods or earbuds at that moment. And it measure the sound pressure down to the exact decibel.

Some lucky gamers get second free Apple Arcade trial

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Apple Arcade
With so many new games added in recent months, would you give Apple Arcade a second try?
Photo: Apple

Some people who already gave Apple Arcade a try and passed on this gaming service are getting a second shot. Apple sent emails to an unknown number of former users with an offer of “How about another month on us?”

How to customize Home Screen widgets in iOS 14

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How to use widgets in iOS 14
Make the most of widgets in iOS 14.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020iOS 14 will ship with a bunch of built-in widgets that put helpful information on your Home screen (with many more coming from third-party developers this fall), and most are customizable in some way.

Here’s how you can edit widgets so that they display the information that’s most relevant to you.

Guard your data with a PIN-enabled solid state drive [Deals]

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diskAshur2 SSD 256-bit Encrypted Solid-State Drive
This award-winning SSD gives you 128GB of storage, with PIN authentication, advanced encryption and super-fast read/write speeds.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

There is some data that can’t be kept safe enough. Personal finances, professional project files, digital family pictures — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sensitive files.

How best to stash all that safely? Cloud storage is easy, but it’s not exactly 100% reliable. SSDs are great, but if they fall into the wrong hands, your data is as good as gone. However, this SSD packs PIN protection so only you can access your data.

Pick up Apple Watch 5 at its lowest price yet in time for watchOS 7

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

Get ready for Apple’s big watchOS 7 update this fall by treating yourself to Apple Watch Series 5 at its lowest price yet. Prices now start at just $299 (down from $399) for a 40mm model with GPS connectivity.

You can also enjoy $20 off Apple Watch Series 3 (also compatible with watchOS 7), which is now down to just $179.

iOS 14’s new Home screen widgets aren’t as powerful as you might think

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Home screen widgets in iOS 14
Widgets are awesome, but they're missing one thing.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020 For many iPhone users, the biggest and most exciting change in iOS 14 is the addition of Home screen widgets. It’s a feature we’ve been waiting years to get — and a feature Android has offered since the very beginning. But there’s something you should know before you start using them this fall.

iOS 14 Home screen widgets aren’t quite as powerful as you might think they are.

Tap the back of your iPhone to activate handy shortcuts in iOS 14

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Back Tap settings in iOS 14
A quicker, easier way to get things done.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020One of many hidden new features in iOS 14 is an option to set new shortcuts that are activated by tapping the back of your iPhone. It’s a new accessibility option that can be used for things like returning to the Home screen, snapping a screenshot, muting your device, and more. Here’s how it works.

Apple gets it ‘write’ with Scribble on iPadOS

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Scribble is the most significant new feature in iPadOS 14
Apple’s Scribble handwriting-recognition system makes iPad styli more useful.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020 Apple finally brought handwriting recognition to iPad. With Scribble built in iPadOS 14, it’s possible to enter text simply by drawing on the screen.

My testing with the first version shows its an amazing feature. But one with room for improvement.

Catch our reactions to the WWDC 20 keynote on The CultCast

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The CultCast podcast: Get our reactions to all the new software showcased during the WWDC 2020 keynote.
So ... much ... new ... software!
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020 On today’s special edition of The CultCast: Catch our reactions to all the great stuff announced at the WWDC 2020 keynote. We highlight our favorite features from iOS 14, MacOS Big Sur, tvOS, iPadOS and watchOS, and so much more.

Today’s episode is supported by CleanMyMac X, an all-in-one utility from MacPaw that takes care of your Mac’s health. It’s a macOS cleaner, a performance monitor, a malware remover and occasionally, a lifesaver. And until July 5, you can go to macpaw.com/cultofmac to get CleanMyMac X with a 30% discount.

Apple opens Find My app to rival item trackers

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The Find My‌ Network is created by iPhone, iPad and Mac devices
Tile and other location-aware Bluetooth item trackers could soon be accessible through Apple’s Find My app.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020Third-party item trackers will be able to connect to the Find My‌ Network created by iPhone, Mac and other Apple devices, the company announced Monday during its annual developers conference.

This will be a huge benefit to Tile, who recently complained to the EU Commission that Apple is making it harder for customers to use Tile’s location-aware tracking tags even as Apple prepares to launch its own.

After virtual WWDC, Apple should never go back to live keynotes

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During the WWDC 2020 keynote, Apple software chief Craig Federighi reveals big changes coming in iOS 14.
It was certainly a different experience, Craig. I'll give you that.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020 Apple turned chicken sh*t into chicken salad with Monday’s WWDC 2020 keynote, and now I don’t want Cupertino to ever go back to doing live keynotes. Crude? Perhaps. Truthful? You bet.

Before the streaming event started, some of my Cult of Mac colleagues discussed how Apple would deal with its first virtual keynote. Some of us thought Apple would simply deliver the same Steve Jobs Theater experience, but with no audience present. (Heck, if Apple wanted to, it could have gone the route of U.K. televised football and added crowd noise.) Others thought Apple would, well, think different.

Apple chose this second option and, in the process, freshened up a formula that has remained the same for years. Here’s why it would be a step backward for Cupertino to consider going back to live keynotes.

Charge up 5 iOS devices in one tidy platform [Deals]

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iPM 5 Charger
This all-in-one charging stand sports 5 USB 3.0 ports, AirPod charger, and detachable Apple Watch charger.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether working from home or sharing space at the office (remember those?), keeping everybody charged usually means dealing with clutter. This sleek charging stand can handle five iOS devices at once, and more.

2020 iMac, AirTags and other rumored devices skip WWDC 2020

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The 2020 iMac could like a bit like this.
The redesigned iMac wasn’t unveiled at WWDC 2020 as had been rumored.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020 Although Monday’s keynote address for Apple’s annual developers conference was chock-full of announcements, some much-rumored products didn’t see the light of day.

Despite the rumor mill working overtime in the run-up to WWDC 2020, there was no hardware presented at all.

iPad won’t get some of iOS 14’s best new features

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iPadOS 14 Home screen widgets aren’t nearly as flexible as they are in iOS 14
Home screen widgets in iPadOS 14 can only be placed along the left edge.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020 Apple gave the world its first look at iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 at WWDC 2020 on Monday. And while these are still closely linked, one of the signature features added to the iPhone version, the App Library, isn’t making the jump to the iPad version.

And placement of Home screen widgets is very limited for tablet users.