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iOS 10.3 inadvertently re-enables iCloud features you disabled

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Hacker who tried to extort Apple for $100k is spared prison
Hacker who tried to extort Apple for $100k is spared prison
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple warns that the iOS 10.3 update rolled out last week could inadvertently re-enable some iCloud features that users previously disabled.

Users have been asked to revisit the iCloud settings page to disable any services they do not use.

Sonos Playbase home theater speaker is skinny but can make a noise [Review]

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Sonos Playbase home theater speaker
The new Playbase home theater speaker from Sonos is slim but packs a punch.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Best List: Playbase home theater speaker by Sonos

As TVs get flatter, their sound gets worse. Enter Sonos’ latest home theater speaker, the $699 Playbase, a thin and flat home theater/streaming music system designed to sit underneath your TV.

Like the TV above it, the Playbase is thin, but it packs a significant punch. Resembling a pizza box with rounded corners, it features 10 speakers, including a muscular built-in subwoofer, and it can make quite a noise. In fact, it sounds fantastic.

The Playbase is louder and punchier than Sonos’ current home-theater speaker, the Playbar, and a lot more unobtrusive. You don’t really notice it’s there, until it starts shaking the room.

Superslim MacBook bag holds more than name suggests [Review]

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Slim is in the name, but the limit of what this bag by booq carries is deceptively generous.
Slim is in the name, but the limit of what this bag by booq carries is deceptively generous.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

We all have that skinny friend with the appetite that belies their profile. No matter how many times you’ve sat across the table, you marvel and ask yourself, “Where do they put it?”

The Superslim, a laptop bag designed by booq for the rollout of the new MacBook Pro, is kind of like that friend.

Bluetooth speakers are the new boom box [Deals]

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CoM - G-BOOM Wireless Bluetooth Boombox
This portable boombox brings modern features to a classic device.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

With personal music players, the age of the boombox slowly faded. But with the dawn of Bluetooth and improved speaker technology, portable music devices have begun to revive the spirit of the boombox. G-BOOM Wireless Bluetooth Boombox is a great example, bringing powerful, space-filling sound in a portable package, along with some other modern goodies. And right now you can get this G-BOOM Boombox for just $84.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Trump’s visa crackdown will likely upset Silicon Valley

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President Trump: Apple encryption could protect ‘criminal minds’
President Trump may butt heads with Apple again.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

As if Silicon Valley needed another reason to not approve of President Donald Trump, the White House has started to deliver on its promise of cracking down on work visas given to overseas workers — many of whom toil in the tech industry.

This week, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency issued a memo detailing moves it intends to make to fight “fraud and abuse” of the program, while also warning employers that they shouldn’t discriminate against U.S. workers in their hiring.

Apple brings faster Intel Xeon chips, better GPUs to the Mac Pro

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Mac Pro Trashcan
The Mac Pro is now slightly better.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple today delivered a slight refresh to the Mac Pro, introducing faster Intel Xeon processors and the option to add beefier graphics processing chips.

Nothing else has changed — not even the price — but Apple is “completely rethinking” the pro machine ahead of an all-new model.

Apple building all-new, modular Mac Pro and external display

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The Mac Pro is being
Turn your dusty old Mac into a fat stack of cash.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple today revealed that it is planning to introduce an all-new Mac Pro and a new external display next year.

The company acknowledges that the existing Mac Pro doesn’t fulfill all the needs of its pro customers, but the new model with have a more traditional modular design that will allow Apple to “keep it fresh.”

Apple will reveal Q2 2017 earnings on May 2

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Will Apple reach its own targets for Q2?
Will Apple reach its own targets for Q2?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has confirmed that it will reveal its Q2 2017 earnings during a conference call on May 2.

The company’s results for the second fiscal quarter of this year will reveal the state of demand for iPhone 7 almost eight months into its cycle, and whether there is still plenty of excitement for the new MacBook Pro.

Some Facebook users are seeing an alternate News Feed on iOS

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facebook-news-feed
Some Facebook users now have a second News Feed.
Photo: Facebook

Some Facebook users have been surprised by the addition of an alternate News Feed within the social network’s iOS app.

Those who see the rocket ship icon along the bottom of the screen get access to a second feed of photos, articles, and videos that Facebook believes you might be interested in.

Apple issues refunds for recent Workflow app purchases

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wofkflow
Workflow is now completely free to download.
Photo: Workflow

Apple has begun issuing refunds to users who recently purchased the Workflow app for iOS following its acquisition of the company that created it.

Workflow was recently priced at $2.99 in the App Store, but Apple made it free to download as soon as it claimed ownership of DeskConnect, Inc.

Galaxy S8 prototype ripped off iPhone 7 Plus’ dual camera

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Galaxy S8 camera
Galaxy S8 has a familiar camera, but it's better this year.
Photo: Samsung

At least one early prototype of the Galaxy S8 featured dual camera lenses just like the iPhone 7 Plus.

A leaked photo reveals Samsung stacked one camera module on top of the other, rather than side by side — but obviously decided against this design for the final model.

The lead designer of the original iPhone is leaving Apple

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Promotional image of the original iPhone.
The original iPhone was one of the best-looking iPhones.
Photo: Apple

One of the top Apple product designers of the past two decades is parting ways with the company, according to a new report that reveals there’s been a big shake-up on Jony Ive’s team.

Christopher Stringer was the lead designer of the original iPhone and was one of the top two or three designers on Apple’s industrial design team. Now he has apparently decided to jettison from the company right before Apple moves into its new spaceship.

Falling iPad sales aren’t quite what they seem

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iPad mini 4
Is a new iPad mini right around the corner?
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

iPad sales have been falling for years now, but it turns out that Apple’s tablet business isn’t dying quite as quickly as it may seem.

In fact, if you take the iPad mini out of the equation, iPad sales are actually on the up.

Wave goodbye to location restrictions on streaming [Deals]

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CoM - Getflix
Don't let annoying geo-restrictions come between you and your favorite shows.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When you travel outside of the country, few things are as comforting as kicking back with your favorite TV show or movie. And few things are as annoying as realizing they’re blocked because of where you’re sitting. Whether it’s Hulu, Netflix, YouTube or any other streaming service, location restrictions can suddenly remove access to your favorite streaming content. Instead of going through the trouble of setting up a VPN, you can do something faster and easier when you sign up for a lifetime subscription with Getflix for just $39 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple ditches Imagination graphics to develop its own GPUs

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Imagination
The iPad Air was a massive hit for Apple.
Photo: Apple

Imagination Technologies has confirmed that Apple will no longer use its graphics processing technology in future iOS devices.

The British company revealed that Apple is developing its own graphics processing units (GPUs), and it suspects Cupertino might be ripping off its intellectual property.

Should fans skip iPhone 8 and buy the Galaxy S8? [Friday Night Fights]

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IMG_3674

You have to be impressed by the new Galaxy S8 — even if you’re a long-time iPhone fan. Samsung’s new phone boasts everything you could want in a smartphone, and it packages it all into a stunning curved-glass shell with an edge-to-edge Infinity Display.

Friday Night Fights bug But can the Galaxy S8 help you forget about the iPhone 8? Should you wait for what might be another boring iPhone refresh, or throw in the towel now and finally make the leap to Android?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we duke it out over Samsung’s latest flagship and whether it can help Apple fans forget about the iPhone.

Sway, Meganoid 2017, and other awesome apps of the week

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Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Looking to get up to speed on the week’s hottest apps? We’ve got your back!

Whether you’re looking for a great “roguelike” platformer, a meditation app from the makers of Monument Valley, or a much-loved calendar app which has finally landed on iPad, we think you’ll find something to entertain you.

Check out our picks below.

World’s thinnest iPhone case faces 21-foot drop test [Review]

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thinnest iPhone case Review
The Clear-Coat FUSION Bumper from Mobile Outfitters was put to the drop test. Did it survive?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Philadelphia-based company Mobile Outfitters is well-known for its ultra-strong iPhone screen protectors. Now it’s put all of its phone-protection know-how together to create the Fusion Bumper — the world’s thinnest iPhone case.

At 1.9 mm thin, the Clear-Coat Fusion Bumper case for the iPhone 6, 6s and 7 has been drop-tested up to 20 feet. But, can it really survive a drop from that sort of height?

Check out the video review below to see us really put it through the test.

Make your Mighty Mouse much more ergonomic [Week’s Newest Deals]

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collage-2017-03-28 (2)
Upgrade your Magic Mouse's ergonomics, access a massive icon library, and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Just in time for the beginning of a new month, a bunch of great new deals just came into the Cult of Mac Store. This week, we’ve got a massively discounted icon library for designers, a combination USB charger and car locator, a cable-free service that lets you keep your favorite cable channels, and a set of foam cushions for your Mighty Mouse to make it a lot more ergonomic.

Massive app bundles, lifelong VPN protection and more [Month’s Best Deals]

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collage-2017-03-28 (1)
Get access to a massive library of Mac apps, comprehensive VPN protection, and lots more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This year is off to a stressful start for many people, making the awesome gear and gadgets we get into the Cult of Mac Store every week a welcome relief.

As March comes to an end, we’ve gathered some of the best deals we’ve seen this month. They include a massive bundle of top-shelf Mac apps; a set of extra-long, MFi-certified Lightning cables; a powerful tool for unlocking PDFs; and a lifetime of VPN protection. There’s something here for everybody!

Weird and wacky Apple gadgets that time forgot, on The CultCast

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Apple TimeBand: great-great-grandfather of the Apple Watch.
Apple TimeBand: great-great-grandfather of the Apple Watch.
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: The weird and wacky Apple products Cupertino hopes you’ve forgotten! Well, we haven’t, Tim. Plus: The best new features in iOS 10.3 and macOS 10.12.4; rumor mills say Apple might resurrect the PowerBook; iPhone 8 rumors point to a backside Touch ID sensor; and the inspirations for Steve Jobs’ best one-liners.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10 percent off any hosting plan.

Find the right mobile mount for your car [Deals]

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collage-2017-03-28
We've got just the right car mount for your situation.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Almost everybody uses their phone on the reg. But for those of us who also drive all the time, the phone can easily become a costly and dangerous distraction. That’s why having a good spot to place your phone when you drive is essential, and we’ve gathered some of the best mobile mounts on the market right here at the Cult of Mac Store. Whether you’d like a swivel mount or a flexible arm, one that connects to the windshield, air vent, or even your old CD player, we’ve got you covered. Read on for more details:

iOS 10.3 fixes bug that enabled 911 ‘cyberattacks’

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iPhone 911
iPhone users are at risk without this feature.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s latest iOS 10.3 update fixes a bug that enabled “cyberattacks” on 911 centers across the United States.

The flaw, which was first discovered by an Arizona teen last October, led to repeated calls to the emergency services with just one tap.