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Now’s your chance to save on professional and creative tech courses [Deals]

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Get unlimited access to over 4,500 expert-Led tech and creative courses.
Get unlimited access to over 4,500 expert-Led tech and creative courses.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Work in tech and looking to bolster your resume or develop a new skill for projects of your own? Pluralsight’s more than 4,500 expert-led courses in topics critical to the tech and creative industries are a great place to start (and finish). Right now you can get a one years ‘Plus’ subscription for 40% of the normal price, just $299. With coupon code “PLURAL15” get an additional 15% off!

We talk iPhone 7s features and Tesla’s Model 3 on The CultCast

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Tesla
This Model 3 could have carried an Apple logo one day.
Photo: Tesla

This week on Cult of Mac’s: Rumors point to an iPhone 7s with a drastic redesign, facial recognition and the return of the glass front and back. Plus: Folks around the world line up for the Tesla Model 3; Apple is making a show about apps hosted by technology expert musician Will.i.am; why the new iPad Pro is not a notebook replacement for the masses; and, in a bizarre plot twist, Apple seeks FBI’s iPhone unlocking secrets.

Our thanks to Freshbooks for supporting this episode. FreshBooks is the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small-business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster. It also makes tax time a cinch. Get started now with a 30-day free trial.

40 years of Apple, unboxing new goodies, and tons of how-tos

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Apple turns 40 this week, and we couldn't be prouder.
Apple turns 40 this week, and we couldn't be prouder.
Cover Design: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is 40 years old today, and its journey from scrappy indie to world-conquering behemoth is the stuff of anecdote, history, and even legend.

Get the scoop on this significant anniversary for our favorite company, a look at the latest iPhone SE and iPad Pro models (and learn how to set them up the right way), along with a roundup of all the cool Apple TV tricks and some quick tips on how to keep Facebook’s mobile app from draining your iPhone’s battery.

All this (and much, much more) in this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine.

Here are this week’s top stories:

iPhone SE proves size doesn’t matter [Reviews]

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iPhone SE
Two new iPhone SE models for 2020?
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

I forgot how good it feels to hold 4 inches of magic in my hands.

Spending the past year and a half with the luxurious 5.5-inch screen of the iPhone 6 Plus and 6s nearly convinced me that bigger really is better. But after using the iPhone SE, I’m starting to rethink everything I love about iPhone.

The moment I clasped the iPhone SE it was like reconnecting with an ex-lover. Everything is familiar and yet it has somehow improved in nearly every single way. I’ve been re-captivated by its beauty, brains, and brawn all over again, even though on the outside, it looks like such a boring device.

How can an iPhone that looks so old feel so right?

Has Apple become boring in its middle age? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Well... are you?!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is 40 years old today. In that time, the Cupertino company has delivered some incredible products and services, and revolutionized smartphones, tablets, and music players. But is it boring now?

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2Some say Apple’s innovation has stalled in recent years, and it has become too predictable. The surprises we used to see during its big keynotes no longer show up, and despite its secrecy, you can almost predict its product roadmap for the next year.

Are those claims harsh? Is Apple really past its best, or will it deliver groundbreaking new products again that can shake up the consumer technology industry?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we fight over Apple at 40.

6 useful Apple Pencil apps for people who don’t draw

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The Apple Pencil isn't only useful for artists, but for business, photography, and other interests too.
The Apple Pencil isn't only useful for artists, but for business, photography, and other interests too.
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

When I purchased a 12.9-inch iPad Pro back in November, I bought an Apple Pencil to go with it. When I decided against the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, I kept my Apple Pencil.

Even though I don’t draw, I found a lot of other ways the Apple Pencil fit into my workflow. And I knew Apple would release a smaller iPad with full support for the Apple Pencil.

That day has come, and I can’t wait to get back to using my Apple Pencil. Here are some of the best Apple Pencil apps that have absolutely nothing to do with sketching or drawing.

LOL: April Fools’ Day pranks that are actually funny

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lol-april-fools-day-pranks-that-are-actually-funny-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604Zuckerberg-HM-jpg
Zuckerberg's new H&M collection.
Photo: H&M
That's Snoop Dogg... churning out code for YouTube. Photo: YouTube
That’s Snoop Dogg… churning out code for YouTube. Photo: YouTube

For most of us, April Fools’ Day is an abomination. It’s like watching your dad crack terrible jokes at a party. But unlike your dad, some tech companies have perfected the art of the April Fools’ prank and come up with some pretty spectacular ones.

Here are some of the best that have made us LOL today.

Simple iPhone trick frees up storage space you didn’t know you had

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If you've got a smaller iPhone SE, this might really help.
If you've got a smaller iPhone SE, this might really help.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

Quick — go check and see if you have enough free space on your iPhone.

I’m guessing you’re like the rest of us, and can use a little more — especially if you’ve got a smaller iPhone in the 16 GB range.

If you’re looking to free up some storage space on any size iPhone, here’s a bizarre little trick that just might astound you.

Electric uke looks like an oil can but is a gas to play [Reviews]

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Now you're cooking with gas, err, motor oil.
Now you're cooking with gas, err, motor oil.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

I’ve heard of cigar box guitars, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen an oil can electric ukulele.

Bohemian Guitars makes a ton of unique metal oil can guitars, basses and ukuleles, and they’re as fun to play as they are to look at. This electric uke is easy to play, sounds great through an amp, and is the probably the most unique uke you ever did see.

Joke’s on Google after April Fools’ prank backfires

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jokes-on-google-after-april-fools-prank-backfires-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604Minion-Mic-Drop-gif
Gmail "Mic Drop" didn't go down as well as Google hoped.
GIF: Giphy
Gmail "Mic Drop" didn't go down as well as Google hoped. GIF: Giphy
Gmail “Mic Drop” didn’t go down as well as Google hoped. GIF: Giphy

One of Google’s April Fools’ Day pranks was so unpopular with users that the company was forced to pull it just hours after it rolled out.

The Gmail stunt, which automatically inserted a “mic drop” GIF into users’ emails as they were sent, was greeted by a torrent of complaints and labeled inappropriate.

Get certified to hack for the good guys [Deals]

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Get certified to hack for the betterment of all.
Get certified to hack for the betterment of all.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

With more and more personal and professional life running on the Internet, the war is heating up between those who hack these systems to exploit them and those who do it to improve them. You can join the right side of this struggle by learning “white hat” hacking and penetration testing skills, and this bundle of 117 courses will get you there. It’s an ideal way to get started with ethical hacking and penetration testing, and right now you can get access for just $39.

Apple in a word is …

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What does Apple mean to you?
What does Apple mean to you?
Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Over the past 40 years, Apple has been many things to many people. Innovative or imitative, premium or overpriced, saintly or evil — everybody’s got their own take on what Cupertino and its revolutionary products mean.

While Apple was founded on April Fools’ Day in 1976, the company and the profound impact that its shiny devices have made on our lives is truly not a joke. Here’s what Cult of Mac staffers said when asked to describe what the company means to them in a single word.

40 moments that have defined Apple over 40 years

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A photo of people looking at the first-gen iPhone inside a glass case on the original iPhone launch date.
Admiring fans check out the first iPhone in its public debut.
Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac

Apple turns 40 years old today, and what a journey it’s been: from a promising homebrew startup to an underdog fighting off bankruptcy to an industry-straddling behemoth with $233.7 billion in revenue, all thanks to the vision of the co founder of apple.

It’s impossible to boil down every significant Apple event into one story, but we did our best to pick out the 40 most significant moments in the company’s past.

Check out these key moments in Apple history below.

Yo ho ho! Apple flies pirate flag to celebrate its 40th birthday

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Ce6xNxhXIAUw02Q
I assume engineers don't get an accompanying bottle of rum.
Photo: Tommy W Farley/Twitter

In case you didn’t know, Apple turns 40 today. To celebrate, the company is giving a wink to longtime fans with a cheeky nod to its past.

A pirate flag flying outside Apple’s campus at 1 Infinite Loop is a reference to the “Jolly Roger” pirate flag flown by the original Macintosh team when it was developing Apple’s (arguably) most iconic computer back in the heady days of the early ’80s.

9.7-inch iPad Pro unboxing: Big things come in small packages

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Looks like an iPad Air, but it's so much more.
Looks like an iPad Air, but it's so much more.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The new, powerful iPad Pro is available at Apple Stores today and we’ve got a fantastic iPad Pro unboxing video to show you all the ins and outs of the new tablet.

Cult of Mac videographer Ste Smith talks us through the packaging, the setup and the latest-greatest device itself in this cool iPad Pro unboxing video that he made right after picking up the 9.7-inch tablet from his local Apple Store.

If you want to get your (virtual) hands on this sexy new iOS device, here’s your chance.

Best document editing and management apps for iPad

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The iPad is great at handling PDFs and other kinds of documents. Here are 4 must-have apps.
The iPad is great at handling PDFs and other kinds of documents. Here are 4 must-have apps.
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

app-factor-logo-thumbnailI’ve been spending the past week or so doing some app spring cleaning on my iPad, partially in preparation for the arrival of my new 9.7” iPad Pro on Thursday. During the process I realized that I have way too many document editing apps — half of which I have either never launched, or they didn’t do something I needed so I never used them again.

That’s why I took the opportunity to really cut down. Here are the document management apps that made the cut, and why:

10 ways to break your iPhone

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iphone in boiling coke
There's more than one way to fry an iPhone.
Photo: TechRax/YouTube

Sometimes if your iPhone is just in too good condition, it helps to break it in a little. The initial scratch or screen break relieves a lot of pressure. But maybe you ran out of good ideas about how to break it. We’re here to help.

iOS 9.3.1 brings fix for iPhone-crashing web links

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Get your iOS device up to date fast and easy.
Get your iOS device up to date fast and easy.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

iPhone users suffering from crashing woes on iOS 9.3 are finally getting some relief. Apple has released iOS 9.3.1 to the public, bringing new bug fixes and performance improvements for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

The update comes more than a week after the release of iOS 9.3, which turned hyperlinks into crash bombs for some users.

iPhone SE unboxing: Our first look at Apple’s new tiny dynamo

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iPhone SE boxed
Unboxing the iPhone SE is familiar ... yet somehow exciting and new!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone SE finally arrived on my doorstep this morning, and I couldn’t wait to get Apple’s new 4-inch iPhone out of the box.

Get our first impressions of the tiny dynamo in Cult of Mac‘s iPhone SE unboxing video below.

Samsung’s smart trousers boast a Wi-Fly and get up alerts

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samsungs-smart-trousers-boast-a-wi-fly-and-get-up-alerts-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201603Internet-of-Trousers-jpg
What a glorious time to be alive!
Photo: Samsung
What a glorious time to be alive! Photo: Samsung
What a glorious time to be alive! Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s taking the Internet of Things to the next level with its new Internet of Trousers lineup.

The South Korean company’s smart pants come with cutting-edge wearable technologies like Wi-Fly, get up alerts, and fridge lock, which prevents you from overeating when it detects your waist line is expanding.

Upgrade your Mac’s skillset with these utility apps [Deals]

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Keep an eye on your home or office via webcam with this super useful app.
Keep an eye on your home or office via webcam with this super useful app.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Your Mac can do a lot right out of the box, but it can do more. A lot more. Look no further than these four premium apps for expanding the utility of your favorite computing machine. We’ve found big savings on apps for remaining distraction free while working, saving or working with online video, keeping an eye on your home or office via webcam, and more.

Take a look:

Nintendo brings Miitomo game to U.S. and Europe

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nintendo-brings-miitomo-game-to-u-s-and-europe-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201603image-jpeg
Miitomo on iPhone.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Miitomo
Miitomo on iPhone. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Nintendo’s first smartphone game is finally available to download in the U.S. and Europe, two weeks after making its debut in Japan.

Miitomo, which lets you create your very own Mii and socialize in a virtual world, is free to play on both Android and iOS.

Make killer presentations on your iPhone with FlowVella

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So much potential here.
So much potential here.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Whether you need to make something to show of your science project, make the sale, or help museum patrons understand a work of art, chances are you’ll need to make a slideshow that incorporates images, text and other media. Sometimes, you might even need to make one on the fly.

FlowVella is a free slideshow creation app that works on your Mac, iPad, and now iPhone for making killer presentations both at home and on the go. Here’s how.

March into fun with these hot new iOS games [Reviews]

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March yourself right into fun.
March yourself right into fun.
Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

There’s nothing better than kicking back and playing an iOS game that respects your time, money and energy. Games that keep you entertained without costing you too much (especially at first) can be a great way to spend your time, whether you’re chilling on the couch at home, on the subway home after a long day at work, or waiting at the dentist’s office.

Here are all the hot new iOS games we found ourselves playing this month.