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Apple Arcade ready for action in tvOS 13 for Apple TV

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Apple-Arcade
Can Arcade ever become the service Apple promised?
Photo: Apple

Apple Arcade is now live on Apple TV for users running the iOS 13 beta.

Its arrival comes just under one week after the official launch of Apple Arcade on iOS. Subscribers get access to around 70 games (rising to 100 by the end of the year) for just $4.99 a month.

Get those colorful Infograph complications back on your Apple Watch

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Want to restore colorful complications to Apple Watch monochromatic Infograph face? Here's how.
If your Infograph complications went a ghostly white, there's a quick fix.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Did your Apple Watch’s Infograph face go monochromatic for seemingly no reason at all? If upgrading to watchOS 6 sapped your Apple Watch Series 4 of all its multicolored complications, there’s an quick way to bring back the glory … mostly.

It’s easy, but it’s not as obvious as it could be. Plus, some people aren’t happy about the way Apple changed the Infograph face’s customization options.

Nixed bilateral charging could have been iPhone 11 Pro exclusive

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iPhone 11 teardown disassembled
Taking an iPhone 11 to pieces finds no sign of one rumored feature, but hints Apple Tags could still be on the way.
Photo: iFixit

A teardown of the iPhone 11 finds Apple’s less-expensive handset lacks any sign of inverse wireless charging. iFixit did discover hardware possibly related to this rumored feature in the iPhone 11 Pro series, however.

An X-ray of the iPhone 11 does turn up evidence of ultra-wideband support, however. That will prove important if Apple launches the item-tracking tags that also showed up in many rumors.

Check out iOS 13’s amazing NFC-triggered Shortcuts

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nfc shortcuts
These little NFC tags are discreet enough to stick anywhere.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Shortcuts has gotten so many amazing new tricks in iOS 13 that it’s going to take a while for us to cover them all. So, how about starting with the new NFC automations? This lets you tap your sleeping iPhone onto an NFC sticker or tag, and your iPhone will run a shortcut. This is pretty amazing, because you can walk around you home (or office), and just tap your iPhone onto objects to perform tasks: open apps, set timers, play music, dim the lights — in fact, you can do anything a regular shortcut can do.

Here are two great examples of using NFC shortcuts in iOS 13.

Can’t figure out how to update apps in iOS 13? Here’s how.

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iOS 13 app store
App Store updates are still open for business.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

In all versions of the App Store up until iOS 13, there has been an Update tab — a whole page of the store dedicated to showing you the latest updates to your installed apps. In iOS 13, that’s gone, replaced by Apple Arcade, whether you subscribe to the new gaming service or not.

So, how do you update your apps in iOS 13? And if you have auto-update switched on, then how do you even see which apps have been updated, and read their release notes? Fear not. Manual update is still there. It’s just hidden.

EarthNight is an endless runner set on the back of a frikkin’ dragon [Review]

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EarthNight brings all the dragons you could hope for. And it's beautifully hand-painted.
This beautifully hand-painted game delivers all the dragons you could hope for.
Image: Cleaversoft

An endless runner with gorgeous hand-painted graphics, in which you sprint on the backs of enormous flying dragons? Welcome to the world of EarthNight, one of the plentiful launch titles for Apple Arcade.

Put on your running shoes and let us race you through its features in our EarthNight review.

iPhone 11 is first phone to survive this brutal torture test

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Apple has raised $220 million to fight AIDS-related deaths in Africa
Apple has raised $220 million to fight AIDS-related deaths in Africa
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

We know Apple’s new iPhone 11 lineup is its toughest yet. And a number of rudimentary drop tests have already proven that. But what do more scientific torture tests tell us about its strength?

SquareTrade used a series of punishments to simulate real-world incidents that could damage your pricey new phone. It says iPhone 11 is the only handset to survive its brutal tumble test.

iPhone 11 Pro Max wins highest-ever A+ score from DisplayMate

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iPhone 11 Pro Max display specs
The OLED display in the iPhone 11 Pro Max has some impressive specs.
Photo: Apple

The experts at DisplayMate positively gushed about the quality of the iPhone 11 Pro Max display. They call the screen “almost certainly considerably better than your existing Smartphone, 4K UHD TV, Tablet, Laptop and computer monitor.”

The crisp OLED screen in Apple’s newest flagship handset met or exceeded the test lab’s records in color accuracy, brightness, reflectance and more.

Apple will make the new Mac Pro in Texas

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Mac-Pro-manufacturing-US
Mac Pro manufacturing isn't going anywhere.
Photo: Apple

Apple today confirmed that its brand new Mac Pro will be manufactured in Austin, Texas. It will soon enter production at the same facility where the last Mac Pro was assembled.

The move is part of Apple’s commitment to U.S. economic growth, it says. It is currently on track to invest $350 billion into its home country by 2023.

Got a new Apple Watch? Now get the best price for your old one

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watchOS 5
Avoid selling your old Apple Watch to Apple.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Now that you have your shiny new Apple Watch Series 5, it’s time to make back some of the money you just spent by selling your old model. But don’t take it to the Apple Store.

Apple will offer you just a fraction of what your old Apple Watch is really worth. Make a lot more by selling yours to Cult of Mac instead.

Price of iPhone 11 with space history is out of this world

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Gargarin space craft, Titanic iPhones from Caviar
Caviar's customized iPhone 11 Pro models have fragments of historic ships, Yuri Gargarin's Vostok 1, left, and the Titanic.
Photo: Caviar

Caviar is a Russian jeweler that routinely applies precious gems and gold-plating to iPhones to sell to the rich.

Now it is working with new materials – pieces of the Titanic and the first manned spaced craft.

Protect your online privacy and security with a VPN [Deals]

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NordVPN
Score a year of top tier VPN protection for a fraction of the usual price.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’re not already using a VPN, you’re leaving yourself exposed to tons of online threats. From trackers to hackers to snoops and content restrictions, there are lots of online headaches and threats to contend with. So it’s well worth taking a simple step to protect yourself.

Oprah’s Book Club finds new home in Apple Books

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Oprah-Book-Club
Preorder Oprah's first selection today.
Photo: Apple

Oprah’s Book Club has landed in Apple Books, connecting readers worldwide to “stories that truly matter by today’s most thought-provoking authors.”

Its arrival comes weeks before Oprah’s new TV show kicks off on Apple TV+. A new episode will air every two months, and every title selected will be available from Apple Books.

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates is Winfrey’s first selection, and you can preorder it now in ebook and audiobook formats ahead of its debut tomorrow, September 24.

6 reasons the 6.1-inch iPhone 11 is Apple’s best new smartphone [Review]

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Latest iPhone was 1 out of every 10 smartphones sold in US last quarter
Latest iPhone was 1 out of every 10 smartphones sold in US last quarter
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Everyone shopping for a 2019 iPhone faces a conundrum. The new Pro models come loaded with top-of-line features, but they cost much, much more than the 6.1-inch iPhone 11. Is it really necessary to pay $1,000 or more to get a great iPhone?

No, no it isn’t. In our iPhone 11 review, we’ll tell you why it’s Apple’s best new smartphone for most people.

The week’s best iOS 13 apps (and one Mac app)

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app roundup
Lots of great iOS 13 apps this week.
Photo: Cult of Mac

This week we get grooving with EG Pulse, take control of Mission Control, drag stuff around with Yoink, and wonder why we need Pocket Casts.

Read all about the best new and updated apps in this week’s roundup.

Access a universe of mind-expanding documentaries [Deals]

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Curiosity Stream All
Access two years of top quality documentary films and series.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

There’s no shortage of streaming video content to consume. But on most platforms, compared to TV shows and popular movies, there’s a shortage of quality educational and documentary content. To deliver the goods, Discovery Communications founder John Hendricks launched CuriosityStream.

iPhone 11 makes powerful first impression [Cult of Mac Magazine 315]

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The iPhone 11 looks simply stunning in red. And that's just for starters ... read all about it in Cult of Mac Magazine 315.
The iPhone 11 looks simply stunning in red. And that's just for starters ...
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

The new iPhones and Apple Watch are out, and they’re racking up rave reviews. Our hands-on iPhone 11 first impressions show it to be a pretty, powerful photographic phenom. Meanwhile, other reviewers can’t stop complimenting the entry-level iPhone (or its beefed-up siblings, the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max). Same goes for Apple Watch Series 5.

So, basically, accolades all around. Well done, Apple.

If you picked up a new device, you’ll need to know the right way to set it up. Here are tips and tricks for setting up your new iPhone or Apple Watch the right way. And even if you don’t have a brand-new shiny device, you’ll want all our tips and tricks for Apple’s latest mobile software. Here’s everything you need to know about iOS 13.

Get all that info and more in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine.

Sail off to light hack-and-slash fun with Oceanhorn 2 [Review]

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Oceanhorn 2 from Apple Arcade
In Oceanhorn 2 it’s you and your robot buddy against the world. Actually, mostly it’s just you.
Screenshot: Cornfox & Brothers

One of the highlights of the just-launched Apple Arcade is Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm from Cornfox & Bros. It’s a familiar dungeon crawl through a bright world to solve a noble quest, and it provides hours of fun.

Buckle on your sword and run through this game with us.

Score a refurbished Magic Mouse, keyboard and more [Week’s Best Deals]

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Deals of the Week
We've rounded up some of the very best deals in the Cult of Mac Store this week.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This has been a banner week at the Cult of Mac Store, so we’ve rounded up some of the best deals we saw. Below you’ll find massive discounts on refurbished Magic Mouse and Keyboards, 12-minute book summaries, access to vast stock photo libraries, and a powerful personal finance tool. You’ve gotta see these deals …

Mysterious hardware in iPhone 11 hints at reverse wireless charging

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iPhone 11 Max Pro battery
We'll need bigger batteries for 5G.
Photo: iFixit

Buried in the iPhone 11 Pro Max are hardware quirks that iFixit suggests might be for reverse wireless charging, a feature reportedly planned and then dropped from this model.

Watch a video of techs from this repair company carefully disassembling Apple’s new flagship smartphone:

Apple wasn’t kidding about iPhone 11’s tougher glass

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iPhone 11 Pro drop test
Not the first thing we would do after buying a new iPhone.
Screenshot: Filip Koroy/YouTube

Like millions across the globe, Filip Koroy went to the Apple Store today to purchase an iPhone 11 Pro.

Unlike millions, Koroy began repeatedly dropping his iPhone 11 Pro and an iPhone 11 Pro Max on a concrete floor.

Got a new iPhone? Now get the best price for your old one

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iPhone 6 Plus
Your old iPhone might be worth a small fortune.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Picked up a shiny new iPhone 11 today? Now it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to make back the fat stack of cash you just dropped on an upgrade. It might be easier than you think!

Start by selling your old iPhone to Cult of Mac. It’s quick and easy, we pay real cash, and we typically offer more than other buyback services. Get a quote today and find out how much your old handset is really worth!

Why Series 5 might be my first Apple Watch

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Apple-Watch-Series-5-colors
Finally.
Photo: Apple

The Apple Watch has been around for almost four and a half years, and I’m just about to (maybe) buy my first one. This isn’t a new habit. I held off the iPhone for five years, until I could get a decent cellular data plan without a contract, and I’m still using an old iMac as my only Mac, 10 years after buying it.

So what is it about the Apple Watch 5 that finally makes it attractive? Well, there’s one obvious answer — and one reason that’s a lot less obvious.

Aging iPhone 11 batteries won’t take such a toll on performance

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iPhone-11-Pro-performance
Years from now, even with a nearly worn-out battery, an iPhone 11 should still be up to high-end games.
Photo: Apple

All types of phone batteries provide less power after years of use, but the new iPhone 11 minimizes the performance reduction that is an inescapable result.

The result should be iPhones that perform better after years of use.

Save up to 73% on a pro vector graphics app [Deals]

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Gravit Designer PRO
Score access to a powerful, intuitive, and affordable vector design app.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’re doing digital design work, you have to work with vector graphics. The scalable format is fundamental to today’s designers, but subscriptions with the big platforms like Adobe can get expensive. So this affordable alternative from Gravit is a great way to do the work while saving dough.