Time Capsule

How to keep using Time Machine without AirPort or Time Capsule

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This is what makes Time Machine backups possible.
Photo: Morgan Sherwood/Flickr CC

Apple’s AirPort routers introduced one game-changing new feature to the world: easy backups. Time Machine is Apple’s automatic backup utility, and it made backups easy enough for non-nerds to use regularly.

The easiest way to use it was to buy a Time Capsule, a wireless AirPort router with a hard drive built in. Before Time Capsule, nobody backed up. After Time Capsule, anyone could keep hourly, daily and weekly backups without even thinking about it. But now that Apple has stopped making Time Capsule, and AirPort routers in general, how do you keep using Time Machine?

Hackintosh monster Macs and iPhone 8’s marquee feature, on The CultCast

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Could this be the next Mac Pro?
Could this be the next Mac Pro?
Photo: Nvidia

This week on The CultCast: Why building a Hackintosh can get you the monster Mac you’ve always wanted. Plus: Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reveals iPhone 8’s marquee feature; AirPods ship date is finally revealed; and stick around for our top Apple AirPort router replacement picks!

Our thanks to Casper for supporting this episode. Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them. Learn why and save $50 off your order at casper.com/cultcast.

People love Apple’s doomed AirPort more than any other router

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Apple's routers are #1.
Apple's routers are #1.
Photo: Apple

Apple sure seems to be doing routers right. At least according to the more than 3,000 customers polled in J.D. Power’s 2016 Wireless Router Satisfaction Report.

Apple came out as the top-rated router manufacturer in Overall Satisfaction, which would be great news for the AirPort team — if Apple hadn’t just disbanded it.

Week’s best Apple deals: Get an iPhone 7 for free with trade-in

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week's best Apple deals
Swap your iPhone 6 for an iPhone 7. Or snag one of these other great deals on older Apple gear.
Photo: Apple, Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

We’ve got even more deals on the iPhone 7 this week, as well as one of the lowest prices we’ve ever seen on the first-generation Apple Watch. These and more are in this week’s roundup of best Apple deals.

Week’s best Apple deals: Lowest-ever prices on MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and more

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Apple deals
Get the lowest prices we've ever seen on current-gen Apple gear.
Photos: Apple, Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

We are already dreaming about the iPhone deals we’ll be able to bring you in coming weeks, after the iPhone 7 debuts on September 7 and retailers slash prices on older models.

But for now, we’ve got four Editors’ Choice deals with some of the best prices on Apple hardware we’ve ever seen.

Rumors point to a major Macbook Pro overhaul, this week on The CultCast

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New Apple hardware in March on The CultCast
New Apple hardware in March? Reports say yes, indeed.
Image: Erfon Elijah/Cult of Mac

This week, on The CultCast: Macbook Pro’s about to get its biggest refresh ever; Apple’s plans to rival Amazon’s Echo; more great stories from the Cult of Mac; the state of gaming in OS X, iOS, and tvOS; Apple gets serious about iCar charging stations; and we set aside our agendas to discuss YOUR topics in an all-new As You Wish.

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. Get started now with a 30-day free trial.

Ditch your old router, Eero is the new king of Wi-Fi routers [Review]

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In a recent survey, Apple's soon-to-disappear AirPort was ranked the most popular Wi-Fi router.
In a recent survey, Apple's soon-to-disappear AirPort was ranked the most popular Wi-Fi router.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

I’ve seen the future of Wi-Fi. It’s called Eero. It comes in a pack of three, costs an arm and a leg, but boy is it worth it.

Eero is a slick system of mesh-connected routers that blanket your whole house in Wi-Fi. Eero promises to eliminate dead spots, make restarts redundant, and offer blazing speeds from the basement to the attic.

In my tests, Eero performs as advertised. After years of Wi-Fiheadaches, and an Apple Time Capsule that barely worked, we now have fast and reliable Wi-Fi all over the house.

iPad Air Gets Benchmarked Plus Three Apps We Really Love On Our Newest CultCast

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Get your silver bullets and holy water ready dear friends, because our new CultCast: some Dell laptops are emitting a mysteriously pungent smell; iPad Air gets benchmarked, is murderously speedy; our fave photo app brings darkness… out of the shadows; Apple says some 5S batteries are dieing… faster than they should; Tim Cook says upcoming Apple products will blow… your mind; and we chant… aloud our favorite apps so you can vote on which is best… it’s an all new Faves N Graves!

Put down that candy and join us for this week’s best Apple stories! Stream or download new and past episodes of The CultCast now on your Mac or iDevice by subscribing on iTunes, or hit play below and let the spookiness begin.

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New iPads Tuesday Plus Long Nights of Sweet Amore On Our Newest CultCast

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Confirmed! Apple’s October 22nd iPad event is locked and loaded, but it’s not just iPads we’re expecting to take the stage. We’ll walk you through what other treasures to expect sultry new CultCast. Then, Steve Jobs and his nights of profound amore; Apple hires a fashion icon to man retail stores; and we review a new app that makes it insanely simple to send money to anyone you know.

Have a few laughs and get caught up on each week’s best Apple stories. Stream or download new and past episodes of The CultCast now on your Mac or iDevice by subscribing on iTunes, or hit play below and let baseline roll!

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These Are The Deals You Can Expect From Apple Next Black Friday [Buying Guide]

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Apple-Black-Friday

The biggest shopping day of the year is fast approaching. The day after Thanksgiving in the United States is Black Friday, and it’s the best time to begin you’re holiday gift shopping — if you can face the frenzy, that is. Retailers all over the U.S. will be offering big discounts on some of this year’s hottest gifts, and the Apple store will be no exception, having given Black Friday discounts to Apple Store customers for the last few years regularly.

Next Friday the 23rd is Black Friday, and while Apple hasn’t tipped its hand as to when

If you’re looking to save cash on the latest Macs, iOS devices, and accessories, then Black Friday is an ideal time to buy them. Based on Apple’s previous Black Friday deals, here’s what you can expect to see this year.

Lawyer Sues Apple For $25,000 After Time Capsule Failure Causes Him To Lose Precious Photos

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Unfortunately, Time Capsule failures are an all too common occurrence.
Unfortunately, Time Capsule failures are an all too common occurrence.

Canadian lawyer Perminder Tung is suing Apple over a Time Capsule failure that cause him to lose laptop backups that included precious photographs of his child’s birth. Tung wants $25,000 in compensation for the broken device and the lost memories after Apple told him the data on his Time Capsule could not be saved.

Apple’s Black Friday 2011 Discounts Are Leaked

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Apple famously keeps its Black Friday deals a closely guarded secret until the day of the event. But thanks to a leaked sales pamphlet from a “trusted tipster,” we already know where the Cupertino company will be slashing prices, with savings to be made on the iMac, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, iPod nano and iPod touch, iPad, and plenty of accessories.

Here Are The Holiday Discounts You Can Expect From Apple This Black Friday [Apple Store Shopping Guide]

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The biggest shopping day of the year is fast approaching. This Friday, countless retailers all over the U.S. will be slashing prices for Black Friday, causing a frenzy amongst shoppers who cannot wait to spend some of their hard-earned cash on discounted goods.

Apple famously recognizes the event by discounting some of its hottest products in the Apple online store for one day only, with savings to be made on new Macs, iOS devices, iPods, and even the latest accessories for your beloved Apple gadgets. This year will be no different, so based on the past few years’ reductions, here’s what to expect at the Apple online store on Black Friday.

This Guy Walked Away From The Genius Bar With A Drive Full Of Apple’s Retail Secrets [Exclusive Pics]

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time capsule
An iCloud Capsule could work much like a Time Capsule.

After news broke yesterday that Apple had, for the second time in two years, lost an iPhone prototype at a San Francisco bar, the general reaction was one of incredulity. How could Cupertino carelessly misplace their prized corporate secrets twice in a row?

It happens more than you might think. In fact, we’ve got the exclusive scoop on how one guy walked out of his local Apple Store recently with something unique… a complete Time Machine backup of the Apple Store’s internal file server, filed with top secret and confidential Apple Store documents.

Even weirder? Apple just gave it to him.