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Learn what it takes to podcast like a pro [Deals]

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Study the tools and techniques that make for professional-grade podcasting.
Study the tools and techniques that make for professional-grade podcasting.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Launching a podcast is something anybody can do, which is why it seems like everybody is. With so much content out there, quality stands out. So if you’re looking to get in on the podcast action, it pays to know how to do it right.

macOS 10.14.1 goes to developers as a beta

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Group FaceTime Mac
The most likely improvement in macOS 10.14.1 beta 1 is the return of Group FaceTime.
Photo: Apple

macOS 10.14 Mojave launched yesterday, but Apple already started testing the next version. Developers were just given access to a pre-release beta of macOS 10.14.1.

With availability so recent, it’s not yet known what’s in the new version. That said, the most likely enhancement is the return of Group FaceTime.

Hands-on with the TimePorter Travel Case for Apple Watch [Unboxing]

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TimePorter
This gorgeous capsule is both a case and a stand.
Photo: Twelve South

Traveling with Apple Watch is a fairly simple affair: strap on your watch and go. Traveling with all the extra accessories, however, is a serious pain in the butt.

There’s that 6-foot charging cable, for one, which always manages to get tangled up in my bag. Add extra Apple Watch bands and a wall plug, and you’ve got some serious carry, and we haven’t even mentioned dealing with the watch when you aren’t wearing it.

Twelve South has an answer to this conundrum, and it’s called TimePorter. And, Cult of Mac’s Nadine Kahney unboxes this great little case before our very eyes. 

iPhone XS Max production cost is shockingly low

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Open the iPhone XS Max and you'll see just $443 worth of components.
Open the iPhone XS Max and you'll see just $443 worth of components.
Photo: TechInsights

An estimate of the component costs for each iPhone XS Max shows that much less than half of the purchase price goes to producing the device. This is Apple’s most expensive phone ever — and likely its most profitable.

The cost of storage went up considerably but Apple managed to save money by removing some 3D Touch components from the display.

How to use the Walkie-Talkie app on Apple Watch

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What a lovely set of talkies walkie.
What a lovely set of talkies walkie.
Photo: Joe Haupt/Flickr CC

One of watchOS 5’s greatest features is the Walkie-Talkie app. If you know other Apple Watch owners, you can just talk into your wrist, like in a 1950s secret agent TV show, and chat to them. It’s way better than having to make a phone call, because the chat is pushed.

Imagine that you’re on vacation camping, or on a bike trip across country, or working in a large (but fairly quiet) job site. You can talk to people as if they are there next to you. And in one way, this is better than a real walkie-talkie: Because it doesn’t use radio, there’s no limit to distance. You can chat to people on the other end of town, or the other side of the world.

Let’s see how to use the Apple Watch Walkie-Talkie app.

iPhone pix of craggy lunar surface sends photog over the moon

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iPhone moon pictures
Here's what you get when you mount an iPhone to a telescope.
Photo: Tom White

An iPhone 7 is not the first camera you’d think about when figuring out how to get good shots of the moon. It certainly wasn’t Tom White’s first choice.

But after trying to get his DSLR mounted to a telescope just so, White wondered if his iPhone could do the job. The end result feels like the view astronauts would have from an Apollo command module in the moon’s orbit.

Apple wants US to overhaul privacy laws

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Apple takes privacy seriously
Any future privacy legislation will likely have little effect on Apple as it already bends over backward to avoid collecting user information.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A high-level Apple executive will tell the the U.S. senate tomorrow that the iPhone maker is in favor of federal privacy regulations.

He’ll be testifying along with representatives of Google and other companies likely to argue against privacy laws.

Check out these awesome and unusual cases for iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max

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Grovemade iPhone XS cases
From weird to wonderful, you won't have any problem finding the perfect case for your new iPhone.
Photo: Grovemade

You’ve got a shiny new iPhone XS or XS Max, and you want top keep it that way. Thankfully, there are already a ton of cases available for you. For simple protection, there’s Apple’s own leather or silicone case, but why stop there? You can choose for rugged cases, cases that hold two phones, cases that also work as wallets, and cases that can carry your EarPods.

Even if you don’t normally go for a case, you may like one just so it covers up the iPhone XS’ big camera bump, which really does make the phone wobble on the table. So, sit back, relax, and read our guide to the best iPhone cases around right now.

Is iPhone XS battery life really better?

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iPhone XS gaming
The first iPhone with ProMotion?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple promises that you’ll get better battery life if you upgrade to the iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max. Their cutting-edge A12 Bionic chips and power-efficient Super Retina displays should mean that they last longer than any other iPhone in between charges.

But is that really the case? One battery test has found that last year’s iPhone X actually has more stamina than its successor.

iPhone XS has a worrying connectivity issue

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iPhone XS crazy performance means speed at your fingertips.
How's connectivity on your iPhone XS?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

It seems the first week with the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max isn’t as sweet as it should be for some. A growing number of users are reporting poor Wi-Fi and LTE performance with both of Apple’s newest flagships.

The problem could be caused by an “antenna issue,” one report claims.

iPhone XS Max whips Samsung Galaxy Note 9 in speed tests

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Apple wins benchmark and real-world comparisons of the performance of the iPhone XS Max and the Galaxy Note 9.
Apple wins benchmark and real-world comparisons of the performance of the iPhone XS Max and the Galaxy Note 9.
Screenshot: SuperSaf TV

Both Samsung and Apple offer really large smartphones fo those who want to carry a miniature tablet around with them everywhere. Anyone trying to decide between the iPhone XS Max and the Galaxy Note 9 should consider which one offers better performance.

In several head-to-head tests, the iPhone solidly beats its Android-based rival. That’s in both benchmarks and real-world use.

Apple Park gets bricked in amazing Lego replica

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LEGO Apple Park
It took the LEGO brick master Spencer R two years to build his replica Apple Park.
Flickr screenshot: Fabrizio Constantini/Spencer R

As architecture to behold, the Apple Park “spaceship” campus has received the ultimate validation — as a Lego model.

The iconic ring, the circular Steve Jobs Theater, the fitness center, and even the plant life have been faithfully re-created at approximately 1/650th scale by a brick master who goes by Spencer R.

How to prepare your Mac for macOS Mojave

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Get ready to go dark with macOS Mojave Dark Mode.
Get your hands on the latest beta today.
Photo: Apple

macOS Mojave just launched, bringing all kinds of neat new features to Apple’s desktop OS. Dark Mode, Dynamic Desktop, Stacks and a fantastically redesigned Finder are some of the highlights.

If you are planning on upgrading, you should do a little prep work first. Here’s how to get ready for your sweet, free macOS Mojave upgrade.

iPhone XS Max vastly outsells smaller XS

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iPhone Xs
The iPhone XS Max is Apple's best selling model by a wide margin.
Photo: Apple

When it comes to iPhones, it appears bigger is much better. The iPhone XS series debuted on Friday, and a respected analyst reports the larger of the two is selling far, far better than its smaller sibling.

The analyst also reports that the new Apple Watch Series 4 is selling better than he expected.

Apple Watch fall detection disabled by default … unless you’re old

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apple watch series 4
If you’re under 65, fall detection isn’t enabled.
Photo: Apple

Don’t just assume your new Apple Watch Series 4 will be there to help you when you drunkenly fall into a neighbor’s flowerbed on your way home from the bar. If you’re under 65, fall detection is disabled by default.

Here’s how to enable it to ensure your emergency contact knows when you’re in trouble.

This Siri shortcut keeps an eye on police during a traffic stop

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Shortcuts app from iOS 12
Shortcuts app from iOS 12
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The smartphone has become a useful tool in shining a light on police abuse and overreach. Now, there’s a Siri shortcut that quickly readies your iPhone to record your experience with police during a traffic stop.

The shortcut was created by Reddit user Robert Petersen of Florence, Arizona, who suggests having users place their iPhone in a dash mount while driving.

Don’t be fooled: iPhone XS is not a boring ‘S’ upgrade [Review]

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iPhone XS and XS Max
There are over 1.4 billion active Apple devices in the world.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you ever watched schlocky ’70s sci-fi show The Six Million Dollar Man, you probably remember the opening sequence, during which a faceless narrator describes building a man who is “better than he was before. Better … stronger … faster.”

With the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, Apple’s engineers achieved just that type of incredible transformation. They fabricated phones that look “normal,” like last year’s iPhone X. But, just like the shadowy geniuses who built the bionic man, Apple indeed made the iPhone X better, stronger and faster — thanks in large part to the A12 Bionic chip that powers the new phones’ most advanced functions. (Other hardware and software upgrades help, too.)

Just like Col. Steve Austin, the ace astronaut who got $6 million worth of bionic implants after a devastating crash, the iPhone X received massive internal upgrades to morph into the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. While it looks like the same old (excellent) device, it’s actually far more fantastic and futuristic.

It’s a total bionic blast!

Learn to build awesome iOS 12 apps [Deals]

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iOS 12 Apps
Get coding for iOS 12 for less than $12!
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

iOS 12 has finally landed, bringing with it a whole raft of new features and updates like Siri Shortcuts and enhanced AR. It offers plenty of opportunity for developers to innovate and build awesome new apps. That is, if you know the development ropes.

Apple Watch Series 4 review: So good it’ll make your heart race

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Apple Watch Series 4 Infogram Watch Face
The Series 4 comes with some great new watch faces, like this information-packed Infograph face.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

I have a new best friend. It’s the Apple Watch Series 4. Boy, do I love this miraculous little machine.

The new Apple Watch really is wonderful. As with everything else, speed makes it so much more fluid and seamless. The display is gigantic and awesome! There’s so much technology packed inside, it’s a sci-fi marvel.

I took it for a long bike ride to test it out. Here’s what I found.

iPhone XS is stronger, but certainly not unbreakable

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iPhone XS broken
Yes, you still need a case.
Photo: SquareTrade

iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max boast the strongest glass ever used in a smartphone, Apple says. But is it strong enough?

New tests reveal that although Apple’s devices may be tougher than their predecessors, they’re still not unbreakable. Drop one on a sidewalk and it will almost certainly result in a pricey repair bill.