Cult of Mac Magazine: Finally! New MacBook Pros, and more!

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In this week's Cult of Mac Magazine: The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with Touch Bar up the ante for pro users.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine: Apple just updated its MacBook Pro line, ramping up performance and adding various advanced features. Phil Schiller, Apple’s marketing VP, calls the new Apple laptops “the fastest and most powerful notebook we’ve ever made.”

You’ll find that story and more in this issue. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

Cult of Mac Magazine, Issue 253

macbook proFinally! New MacBook Pros!
Apple just updated its MacBook Pro line, ramping up performance and adding various advanced features. Phil Schiller, Apple’s marketing VP, calls the new Apple laptops “the fastest and most powerful notebook we’ve ever made.”

n2New keyboard doesn’t fix the Butterfly problem
People around the world are hoping the new MacBook Pro models introduced today have a keyboard that’s been carefully designed to not have the same sticky keyboard keys as their predecessors. But it didn’t happen.

macbook proApple axes beloved 2015 MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro fans that want a variety of port connections are officially out of options. Along with releasing new MacBook Pro models this morning, Apple discontinued the 2015 MacBook Pro which was the last notebook to offer more than just expandable Thunderbolt 3 ports.

NikeFuel's ring looks a lot like the Apple Watch's Activity RingsMove ring vs. Exercise ring: What’s the diff?
Closing your Apple Watch Activity Rings can become such an obsession that it’s easy to forget why you’re doing it. It’s not just to keep Tim Cook happy in his giant, ring-shaped office in Cupertino. So, what does it really mean to close a ring?

n5When did Apple’s built-in apps get so good?
It used to be that the first-party iOS apps were only used by people who didn’t care enough to download something better. Mail, Notes, Contacts, the Calendar — all of these were immediately dumped into a junk folder by experienced users, to be replaced with a proper app. But something happened along the way to 2018.

n6How to use Apple’s new Shortcuts app
Apple has made its new Shortcuts app available for beta testing, and over the weekend I took a look. Shortcuts is Apple’s new automation app for iOS 12, which integrates with Siri and lets you build all kinds of amazing automated workflows, from shutting your house down when you go to sleep, to downloading videos from YouTube and saving the them to iCloud.

n7Swipe iOS Copy/Paste menu to see hidden actions
Are you still tapping the little arrows to scroll through the sections on your iPhone’s tiny copy/paste menu? Forget about that nonsense. This is 2018, the year of living dangerously, so may as well join in with the world. Did you know that you can just swipe that menu? You’ll never have to tap a tiny arrow ever again.

n8Set up a blank home screen on your iPad
What’s on your main iPad home screen? Is it organized so that you can find your most-used apps quickly? Today I’m going to suggest you do something even more radical. How about keeping your home screen entirely blank?

n11Name your price for a dive into UI/UX design
Creating engaging sites, apps, and content are big business. Whether you’re looking to get a new gig or launch your own project, user interface and user interaction design skills are super valuable. So this massive set of courses is a can’t-miss deal, yours for whatever you want to pay.

n9Portable battery meets Bluetooth speaker
There are so many cool accessories we can get for iPhone. But after you get enough batteries, speakers, and other peripherals, they really start crowding your bag. So just like cell phones, the natural next step is for them to start coming together.

world cupWorld Cup Apple Watch bands are a real score
Wear the World Cup on your wrist with Casetify’s colorful, tournament-inspired Apple Watch bands. This international collection of bands represents 18 countries, the teams of which are currently battling it out at the 21st FIFA World Cup, held every four years.

widuoFire up Apple Watch & iPhone with WiDuo
For lovers of versatility, and Apple gear, I bring you a two-in-one charging solution for iPhone and Apple Watch. Who doesn’t enjoy a twofer? The WiDuo by Wiplabs is a beautifully minimalist charging pad that provides up to 20 percent faster charging that many of its wireless competitors. And, it’s cute and sleek to boot.

n10What you need to know about new Mac Pros
This week on The CultCast: It’s the best update in years. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about Apple’s very powerful new MacBook Pros. Plus: New Mac minis are on the way; Ming-Chi Kuo confirms Apple’s about to update its entire product line; how coke heads use Apple Watch to maximize their high.

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