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What is your Apple Watch trying to tell you about your health?

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Apple Watch may have saved the life of a 79-year-old with heart condition
Understanding these Apple Watch stats is key to unlocking its healthy potential.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

If you’ve been wearing an Apple Watch for a while now, chances are you have built up a huge amount of data related to your health. But do you know what it all means? What exactly is that wrist-mounted technological marvel trying to tell you?

All those different stats Apple Watch saves to the Health app can be a little overwhelming. But if you know how to interpret them, they provide a surprisingly wide variety of insights into your health. Like how fit you are, how much stress you are under and whether you are at risk of heart disease — click here to learn more.

It’s worth taking the time to understand what your Apple Watch is telling you. It can help you improve your wellbeing — and it might even save your life.

All Apple’s app stores are partially down [Updated]

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Coronavirus could have a surprisingly positive impact on App Store revenue
An ongoing problem mans you might not be able to complete your purchase on any of Apple’s software stores.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The official System Status page for all Apple’s services  shows that three of the most important ones are having problems The iOS App Store, the Mac App Store and the iTunes Store are all affected.

Update: Full service has been restored.

Unusual escape room traps you backstage at an Apple keynote

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Apple escape room
This Apple Watch with dongle band was part of an Apple-themed escape room created by Chadwick Severn
Photo: Ben McCarthy

Tim Cook is 15 minutes from the start of his Apple keynote and you’ve been invited backstage because he trusts you and your friends can help the big event run without a hitch.

But then comes a crisis. Cook’s clicker is broken — and the new products Apple is set to debut are missing. It’s up to your group to quickly solve the mystery and find the devices on time.

This is not a bad dream, but an actual experience you can have during the Worldwide Developers Conference next month in San Jose, California. The nightmare scenario fuels a pop-up Apple escape room coming to AltConf 2019.

‘AirPods 3’ could bring big design changes this year

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AirPods 2 with box on desk
AirPods Pro could be more affordable thank you think.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple’s third-generation AirPods could bring big internal design changes, according to a new report.

Supply chain sources claim Apple will switch to system-in-package (SiP) technology that frees up space inside each bud. The move could allow other components to be squeezed inside the tiny wireless headphones.

Apple finalizing locations for proposed India retail flagship

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Bangkok apple store
Apple could finally be getting its India flagship store.
Photo: Apple

Whether Apple will ever open an official flagship retail store in India is the greatest “will they, won’t they” off-and-on relationship since Pam and Jim in The Office.

From the sound of things, things are back in the “it’s happening” category. According to a new report, Apple has finalized a short list of locations for its first Apple Store in the country.

Score a 6-course master class in Adobe Photoshop [Deals]

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This bundle of six courses offers tools and insights for beginner and experienced users alike.
This bundle of six courses offers tools and insights for beginner and experienced users alike.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard for digital visuals. But it’s also a real challenge to master, and even experienced users have lots to learn. That makes this massive Photoshop master class bundle great for beginners and pros alike.

Renders offer early look at 2019 iPhone XR with two cameras

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iPhone XR successor with big battery
A bigger battery is now on the list of rumored features on the successor to the iPhone XR
Photo: PriceBaba/OnLeaks

New renders offer Apple fans an early glimpse at the rumored 2019 iPhone XR with an additional rear-facing camera.

The images, which are allegedly based on leaked information, show a significantly larger camera bump on the back of the device. But no obvious changes to its front.

Four ways to send email attachments on iPhone and iPad

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A rather poor email metaphor.
A rather poor email metaphor.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

In the bad old days, there used to be just one way to send an email attachment from your iPhone. You had to find the file or image, and use the share sheet to send it via email. Then, you’d add the address, subject line and message, and send the mail. And if you needed to add another file to that email? Tough.

Now, things are much better. There are now several ways to send mail with attachments on iOS — the exact number depends on whether you’re using the iPhone or iPad. Let’s check them out.

Fact checkers will start patrolling Instagram for bogus posts

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Instagram fact checking
Instagram will use fact-checking teams to identify false information.
Photo: Instagram

As part of a promise to choke off fake news and conspiracy theories on its platforms, Facebook will begin sniffing out false posts on its photo-sharing app, Instagram.

Facebook reportedly has 52 “fact-checking partners” in 30 countries to flag dubious posts, a program it has been building since December 2016, one month after a contentious presidential election that was widely considered influenced by bad actors using social media.

You can now try out Microsoft’s new Edge browser for macOS

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Microsoft
Get your hands on it today.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft is bringing its brand new Edge browser to macOS “soon,” but you don’t have to wait any longer to get your hands on an early version.

Both Canary and Developer builds are now available to Mac users. You won’t want to use them for everyday browsing, but they’re great for getting an early taste of Edge ahead of its official debut.

How Apple could turn personal data into a gold mine for the masses [Opinion]

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Apple is the best on privacy, but it's still not close to what we need.
Apple is the best on privacy, but it's still not close to what we need.
Photo: Ash Edmonds/Unsplash

Apple should be building a data marketplace for its users, not raising fears about privacy. Privacy is about preventing the leakage of personal data and does nothing about the ownership and monetization of that data.

Individuals should be getting paid for their data directly, not the companies that collect that data. And that should be the focus of Apple’s efforts.

One charging strip supports four international formats [Deals]

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This slim international charging strip supports EU, UK, US, and AU outlets.
This slim international charging strip supports EU, UK, US, and AU outlets.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Traveling internationally is enough of a hassle on its own. Dealing with the different standards and formats involved in powering our gear makes it even more of a headache. So instead of carrying around a bag full of converters and adapters, just get this adaptable powerstrip.

Samsung will cancel Galaxy Fold preorders if it can’t ship this month

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Galaxy Fold front
Are you ready to splash your cash?
Photo: Samsung

Samsung has confirmed it will cancel preorders for the Galaxy Fold if it is unable to ship the device this month.

The South Korean company’s first foldable phone was scheduled to ship on April 26 but has been indefinitely delayed as a result of technical problems with its flexible screen.

How to block ads and malware on iOS

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This is the web without content blockers.
This is the web without content blockers.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Way back in iOS 9 days, Apple added “content blocking” to the iPhone and iPad. More commonly known as “ad-blockers,” this tech lets you use third-party apps to block ads, malware, trackers, comments, and more, in Mobile Safari. Apple itself doesn’t do any more than make blocking possible. To actual decide what to block, you need a third-party app.

Enabling ad-blocking is easy, once you know how, and you can set-and-forget it once done. Or you can keep on top of things, adding custom rules, and white-listing trusted websites. Here’s how.

Wildly customizable keyboard unleashes iPad creativity

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The new Buchla Thunder layout for the Sensel Morph.
The new Buchla Thunder layout for the Sensel Morph.
Photo: Sensel

The Sensel Morph is a different kind of “keyboard” for the iPad or Mac. It’s a pressure-sensitive panel onto which you can slap various silicone overlays, turning it from a QWERTY keyboard into a piano, a movie-editing controller or many other specialized interfaces.

It’s a customizable, wildly imaginative input device designed for musicians, video editors, illustrators, writers and other creative types.

iOS 13 could be Apple’s biggest iPad-focused upgrade ever

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Apple Smart Keyboard Folio turns the 2018 iPad Pro into a notebook.
Details leaking out ahead of next month’s iOS 13 announcement indicate it will offer plenty for iPad, but iPhone won‘t be overlooked.
Photo: Apple

The unveiling of iOS 13 is expected in less than a month, and a new report spills details on many of the improvements supposedly coming. For iPhone users, iOS 13 is bringing refinements to already existing features. iPad users, on the other hand, are supposedly getting plenty of new capabilities.

Apple Watch might get its own App Store

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It’s time to cut the cable and set Apple Watch free
Apple Watches running watchOS 6 could be significantly more independent from iPhone than their predecessors.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch is reportedly going to become less tied to iPhone this fall. An unconfirmed report indicates that watchOS 6 will have its own App Store, allowing wearers to download software directly.

And this is just one of the changes supposedly in store for Apple’s popular wearable.

5 reasons Apple should dump Intel processors [Opinion]

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Intel processors have overstayed their welcome in Macs of all types, but especially MacBooks.
Intel processors have overstayed their welcome in Macs of all types, but especially MacBooks.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

It’s past time Macs stopped depending on Intel processors. There’s new evidence to show they’ve outlived their usefulness. A switch to Apple-designed chips will make macOS devices better for a variety of reasons, including increased speed and battery life.

iPads and iPhones already use processors designed by Apple. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the company is pushing forward with plans to ditch Intel’s processors in Macs, too. The first MacBook or iMac with an Apple processor could be out as soon as 2020.

Logitech Crayon is a more affordable Apple Pencil alternative [Updated review]

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Save big by getting a Logitech Crayon for your iPad Pro instead of an Apple Pencil 2.
The Logitech Crayon costs less than the Apple Pencil, and it now works with the 2018 iPad Pro and other recent iOS tablets.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPad is a great educational tool, no matter the age of the student. But some children are too young for a keyboard. That’s where the Logitech Crayon comes in. It’s a digital pencil designed for students to write and draw on a variety of iPad and iPad Pro models.

We put this educational accessory to the test.

What’s brewing for iOS and macOS [Cult of Mac Magazine No. 295]

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Get the latest rumors about what's coming in iOS 13 (and macOS 10.15).
Get the latest rumors about what's coming in iOS (and macOS).
Cover: Marty Cortinas/Cult of Mac

With rumors, leaks and discoveries coming in hot and heavy, we’re getting a pretty good idea of exactly what iOS 13 and macOS 10.15 will look like when they land.

We’ve got three ways to get the latest. You can read our iOS/macOS rumor roundup, watch our YouTube video on the same subject or indulge in that story and more in our free Cult of Mac Magazine for iOS.