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Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on n7:

How to connect an external keyboard to your iPad

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Satechi’s new aluminum iPad stand is ready for work or play
Add a keyboard and your iPad become a very capable desktop. Or a laptop, if you’d prefer.
Photo: Satechi

Your iPad is a powerful computer, and becomes even more so if you attach a keyboard to it. Fortunately, it’s easy. The only complication is there are a bunch of different options.

Let’s go through the possibilities so you can pick the one that’s best for you.

Everything you need to know about the Pegasus spyware infecting smartphones

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Pegasus spyware FAQ
And how to tell if your iPhone is infected.
Photo: NSO Group/Cult of Mac

NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware is making headlines again after it was reported that a number of governments around the world have been using it to hack the smartphones of activists, politicians, journalists and other individuals.

A list of potential surveillance targets, which includes more than 50,000 phone numbers, was leaked and obtained by a number of news outlets over the weekend, reigniting concerns over government surveillance.

So, what exactly is Pegasus? And who might be a potential target of an attack? How can you tell if your iPhone already fell victim to the spyware? We rounded up everything you need to know about Pegasus.

Next-gen MacBook Pros might top out at 32GB of RAM

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This is a 16-inch MacBook Pro concept image. Not a leak from Apple.
The 2021 MacBook Pro might be beautiful, but not offer the same amount of RAM as its Intel-based predecessor.
Photo: Antonio De Rosa

The much-anticipated 2021 MacBook Pro models will be limited to a maximum of 32GB of data, according to an unconfirmed report. But the same source indicates that the upcoming macOS notebooks will have speedy SD slots and backlit TouchID sensors.

Original HomePods reportedly ‘bricked’ by 14.6 software update

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HomePod speaker
Everything you heard about the HomePod is true.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Recent reports suggest owners of the original HomePod should steer clear of the device’s software version 14.6 and the newer version 15 update for beta users.

After numerous reports surfaced on Reddit and elsewhere, it appears the updates “brick” some users’ devices in certain configurations.

2022 iPad Pro could pack next-gen 3nm chip for even greater performance

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iPad-Pro-Magic-Trackpad-3
Coming in late 2022?
Photo: Apple

The 2022 iPad Pro could ship with a next-generation chipset manufactured using a cutting-edge 3-nanometer process, according to a new report out of Asia, citing several sources familiar with the matter.

The upgrade would lead to even greater performance for what is already one of Apple’s fastest mobile devices. But we may have to wait longer for the same technology to make its way to iPhone.

Confessions of a former Mac hater [Setups]

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Ignore the electric guitars and amps. Thisis about Macs replacing PCs.
Ignore the electric guitars and amps. This is about Macs replacing PCs.
Photo: gnophy@Reddit

Sure, it may be overstating things to call Redditor gnophy a former “Mac hater.” After all, he only said he used to be “anti-Mac” and he “couldn’t get along with the OS.”

Well, good news for Apple. He’s finally been assimilated. And it only took many, many years to subdue the software engineer and musician.

Frenzic: Overtime flips fast-paced puzzle action onto Apple Arcade

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‘Frenzic: Overtime’ debuted Friday on Apple Arcade.
Hurry, hurry, hurry. Those Frenzic Industries Power Cores won’t build themselves, you know.
Photo: The Iconfactory

Frenzic: Overtime, an arcade-style puzzle game, is the latest addition to Apple Arcade. Match the colorful pieces and shapes before the clock runs out.

And that’s not all. Game Dev Story+, an updated version of the App Store classic, debuted on Apple’s gaming service on Friday as well.

Teen dev re-creates ‘nostalgic’ iOS 4 as standalone app called OldOS

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OldOS
What's old is new.
Photo: OldOS

The days of iOS 14 are numbered. Here in June 2021, it’s all about … err, iOS 4?

At least, that’s the case for Zane Kleinberg. While most of the Apple fanbase is focused on the newly announced iOS 15, teen developer Kleinberg painstakingly remade iOS 4 — which Apple released in 2010 — from the ground up as a standalone app. He calls it OldOS, and you can try it out for yourself today.

“What I’ve created [with] OldOS is iOS 4 beautifully rebuilt in SwiftUI,” the up-and-coming developer told Cult of Mac. “In essence, the app is something of an emulator, or perhaps, a second operating system that lives inside an app on your phone. It’s really designed to be a near-functioning, near-pixel-perfect re-creation of iOS 4.”

iPhone 13 could be thicker to fit larger batteries

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This is a CAD drawing supposedly showing the iPhone 13 notch
The 120Hz screen in the iPhone 13 might require a heftier battery.,
Screenshot: Jon Prosser/Front Page Tech

An improved display in the iPhone 13 series reportedly will force Apple to put in a larger battery, making the upcoming handsets slightly thicker.

This could mean we finally get an iPhone screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. The faster rate makes the user interface of a phone or tablet just a bit smoother and more responsive.

Rome’s Apple Via del Corso may be the most jaw-dropping Apple Store yet

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Apple Store Rome
Peek inside Rome's gorgeous new Apple Via del Corso store.
Photo: Apple

As impressive as the sleekly minimalist, modernist Apple Stores are when they’re built from the ground up, there’s something dazzling about the company’s retail outlets that take over and restore classic buildings.

That second category certainly applies to Apple Via del Corso, which opens Thursday in the historic city of Rome. The 17th Apple Store in Italy, the new (well, old) structure is described by Apple as one of its “most significant restoration projects.”

That may be understating its appeal, too. Judging by the images, this could be the most spectacular Apple Store yet.

Redesigned MacBook Pro could arrive this summer, larger iMac in the works

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13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 boasts amazing speed and battery life.
The next MacBook Pro sounds like a winner.
Screenshot: Apple

A redesigned MacBook Pro could hit Apple Store shelves as early as this summer, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

It will come in 14- and 16-inch screen sizes, with a redesigned chassis, MagSafe charger, next-gen M-series chip and the return of the HDMI port and SD card reader. The last time Apple released a new MacBook Pro was November 2020.

Strong interest in AirTag shows Apple could have a winner

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Apple AirTag finally jumped from rumor to reality.
Lots of Apple users say they’re interested in getting an AirTag.
Photo: Apple

The Apple AirTag tracker will be a huge hit, if a new survey of iPhone and iPad users is correct. More than 60% of respondents said they planned to buy the accessory.

Most people in the survey said they were satisfied with AirTag’s $29.99 price. But they were mostly drawn to the item tracker because it’s tied into Apple’s global Find My network.

Clever DIY project turns AirTag into slim wallet card

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This DIY AirTag wallet card project isn’t for the faint of heart
Apple AirTag can help users locate keys, luggage and — with a lot of modifications— their wallet.
Screenshot: Andrew Ngai

An intrepid do-it-yourselfer disassembled Apple’s new AirTag and rebuilt it into something slim enough to fit into a wallet.

Watch his video with step-by-step instructions for following in his footsteps — if you dare.

5 takeaways from Apple’s latest Mac-tastic quarter

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Mac FTW! Apple earnings Q2 2021: Sales of new M1 Macs powered Apple to yet another record-smashing quarter.
Sales of new M1 Macs powered Apple to yet another record-smashing quarter.
Photo: Wes Hicks/Unsplash CC

Apple did it again. It just announced a quarter where it didn’t just beat everyone’s expectations, it blew them away. The Mac had a phenomenal quarter, and so did iPhone and iPad.

But you don’t have to bury yourself in spreadsheets to get the lowdown on what it all means. Just read on.

What you need to know about 12.9-inch iPad Pro’s swanky new mini-LED display

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There’s more 2021 iPad Pro RAM than in any previous Apple tablet.
The larger iPad Pro packs a mini-LED screen, but what exactly does that mean?
Photo: Apple

The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro boasts a swanky mini-LED display, making it the first Apple tablet without a traditional LCD screen.

Apple calls the mini-LED screen in the 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro a “Liquid Retina XDR display.” The new technology brings a welcome boost to the iPad’s display quality. And it seems likely that mini-LEDs will show up in MacBook Pros and other Apple gear in the near future.

“This is the display you have to see to believe,” said iPad marketing manager Raja Bose during Apple’s mind-blowing “Spring Loaded” event on Tuesday.

But what exactly are mini-LED displays, and how do they differ from LCD or even OLED or micro-LED screens? Don’t worry: We’ve got the answers to your questions.

Apple could combine HomePod speaker, Apple TV and smart camera for ultimate smart home device

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HomePod in China
Apple's got an intriguing concept for a next-gen smart home device.
Photo: Apple

Apple is working on a new smart home product that would combine Apple TV, a HomePod speaker and a camera for FaceTime or Zoom-style video conferencing, Bloomberg reported Monday.

The company “has been a laggard in the smart-home space, but [this] versatile new device in early development could change that,” according to the story, which describes the in-development product as “Apple’s most ambitious smart-home hardware offering to date.”

iPad mini 6 mockup shows edge-to-edge screen so many hope for

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An iPad mini 6 mockup from xleaks7.
An iPad mini 6 mockup could show that a significant redesign is one the way.
Photo: xleaks7/Pigtou

There’s a bit more evidence that the iPad mini 6 will feature a dramatic redesign. A mockup of the tablet leaked out, showing an edge-to-edge display and an in-screen fingerprint scanner.

Other sources previously pointed to Apple’s smallest tablet getting a size upgrade in the near future.

Apple Watch Explorer Edition could be the first great rugged smartwatch

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Apple Watch Explorer Edition could be Apple's answer to the ultra-popular G-Shock series.
A rugged Apple Watch could compete with the ultra-popular G-Shock series.
Photo: Moritz Kindler/Unsplash CC

A ruggedized version of Apple Watch could take the device’s lifesaving smarts to new extremes.

The so-called Apple Watch Explorer Edition, rumored to be in the works with a possible release as early as this year, could be Cupertino’s answer to Casio’s ultra-popular G-Shock watches. The benefits of implanting Apple Watch’s advanced sensors into such a beefy body seem like a no-brainer.

Apple Watch’s blood oxygen sensors, heart rate monitors and fall detection can make a difference in the daily life of average folks. But they could prove far more valuable to wearers snowboarding down frigid slopes, climbing up sand dunes or mountains, scrabbling over mud and rocks or diving the ocean’s depths.

Such extreme environments, in which adventurous humans test their limits, are just dying for an injection of Apple Watch smarts.

Apple Watch Explorer Edition could bring new ruggedized design

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Casio G-Shock
New Apple Watch could offer a design reminiscent of Casio's G-Shock watches.
Photo: Alexandru-Bogdan Ghita/Unsplash CC

Apple is considering whether to launch a more ruggedized Apple Watch aimed at athletes and people doing outdoor activities in extreme environments, Bloomberg reported Friday.

This device could potentially be launched as early as this year or 2022. Inside Apple, the project is referred to as the “Explorer Edition” Apple Watch. It would offer the same basic functionality as the regular Apple Watch, but with added rubberized impact-resistance and protection — similar to Casio’s G-Shock line of watches.

New image might show redesigned AirPods 3

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AirPods 3 might borrow some features of AirPods Pro.
New AirPods could replace 2019’s AirPods 2 in Apple’s lineup.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Real-world images of the third-generation AirPods allegedly leaked out Wednesday. These could give an early look at the in-ear headphones that might launch before the end of March.

The pics supposedly show that AirPods 3 won’t borrow a major feature of AirPods Pro.

Leaked image allegedly shows off redesigned AirPods 3

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AirPods2021
Coming soon to a pair of ears near you?
Photo: 52audio

A leaked image posted online over the weekend shows off what may by the third iteration of Apple’s AirPods earbuds (fourth if you count the over-the-ear AirPods Max).

The pictures, which were shared by the Chinese-language website 52audio, depict next-gen regular AirPods with smaller stems and silicone tips, alongside a new LED charging indicator on the front of the charging case.

Apple struggles to make MagSafe battery pack for iPhones

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MagSafe on iPhone 12 Pro GIF
The MagSafe connector made a return with last year's iPhone refresh.
GIF: Apple

Apple reintroduced its MagSafe branding for the magnetic charging and clip-on accessories system for the iPhone 12. But it’s hoping to introduce the best accessory yet with 2021’s iPhone refresh: a magnetically attached battery back.

This will reportedly wirelessly charge handsets on the go, extending the time you can use your iPhone between charges. Unfortunately, Apple is apparently having a few teething problems with it — and these could prove fatal.

First folding iPhone might be a fun, colorful ‘flip phone’

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The first folding iPhone might look something like this.
The first folding iPhone might look something like this.
Screenshot: Front Page Tech

Apple could have decided on the look of the first folding iPhone. Previously, the company was thought to be considering two options, but the winner is a “flip phone” design, according to a trusted Apple prognosticator.

The same source also has a hint that the folding iPhone might cost less than rival flexible phones. But it supposedly will not arrive before 2023 (and could come even later).