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AirPods - page 9

Apple could go all in on USB-C across its product lineup

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This AirPods charging case has a USB-C connection.
USB-C could finally be the standard charging port across all Apple devices
Photo: Ken Pillonel

Beyond iPhones, Apple is looking to switch to USB-C on all its other products with a Lightning connector like the AirPods, Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and more.

A reputable Apple analyst thinks the Cupertino company will make the transition in the “foreseeable future.”

Pick up brand-new AirPods 2 for less than $100

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AirPods 2. AirPods S, more like.
Now is a great time to get those AirPods you’ve been thinking about.
Photo: Apple

If you act fast, you can get one of Apple’s best products ever for less than $100. That’s how low AirPods 2 have dropped — that’s $59 below the usual price for these wildly popular in-ear headphones. Or you can save a nice chunk of change on AirPods Pro.

You might even be able to get the wireless earbuds delivered in time for Mother’s Day.

Apple’s ‘controversial’ Mighty Mouse lives on with some TLC [Setups]

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The Mighty Mouse and the Leopold mechanical keyboard in this MacBook Pro setup are both rarities.
The Mighty Mouse and the Leopold mechanical keyboard in this MacBook Pro setup are both rarities.
Photo: [email protected]

Here at Setups Central we love spotting people working with gear we rarely or never see. Today’s featured setup includes rarities in the form of its input devices.

One of the peripherals is a high-quality Leopold mechanical keyboard and the other is an original Apple Mighty Mouse, which first came out in 2005. It was the company’s first mouse with more than one button as well as a trackball.

The setup’s owner called the mouse “kind of controversial.” And it was.

This sleek charging station powers 5 Apple devices at once

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This modular charger can power 5 devices at once.
This might be the perfect solution to handle all your charging needs.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Why mess with multiple chargers for multiple devices when you can use one for everything? A quality charging station can provide the same charging power as dedicated cables, while taking up a fraction of the space.

The modular Omnia Q5 5-in-1 Wireless Charging Station can power five devices at once: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Pencil. And for a limited time it’s $89.95 (regularly $120) with code SPRING10.

Get a launch discount on this affordable 3-in-1 magnetic wireless charger

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The new 3-in-1 magnetic wireless charger from Excitrus is affordable, and you can get another 20% off with a launch code.
The new 3-in-1 magnetic wireless charger from Excitrus is affordable, and you can get another 20% off with a launch code.
Photo: Excitrus

Need a MagSafe-compatible charger that won’t break the bank? Mobile charging specialist Excitrus, known for power banks, rolled out its capable new 3-in-1 MagSafe Wireless Charging Stand on Thursday.

Not only does it come with an 18W fast-charging wall adapter and an elegant LED light circle on the main charging pad, but the price is right — especially with an additional 20% off as a launch discount. See the details below.

Keep your AirPods clean and charged with this discount accessory bundle

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Keep your AirPods in perfect condition with this cleaning kit and charger, now less than $23.
Get more than half off this useful AirPods cleaning kit and charger.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We love our AirPods. But do we like thinking about all the gross stuff that accumulates inside the little holes which you then put into your ear? Not so much.

The way to fix that is with a reliable AirPods cleaning tool. And right now, you can get this great Wireless Charger + Cleaning Pen Set for AirPods on sale for just $22.99. That’s 54% off the regular price of $49.

Compact new magnetic charger tops up iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all at once

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You can stick this all-in-one charging station on a nightstand.
You can stick this all-in-one charging station on a nightstand.
Photo: Native Union

Does charging up all your gadgets in one place sound good? Native Union rolled out a new MagSafe-compatible 3-in-1 wireless charging station Tuesday that should do the trick, topping up your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all in one go.

The compact Native Union Snap 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger joins the previously released Snap 2-in-1 in the company’s charging lineup.

Why you should turn off Activation Lock when selling your AirPods

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How to turn off Activation Lock when selling your AirPods. And Why.
You must turn off Activation Lock when you sell your AirPods. Here’s why, and how.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple added Find My to AirPods in 2021, and it’s causing problems for resellers of these wireless headphones. Many people are unaware that their AirPods now support Activation Lock, which means they are locked to their user’s Apple ID. This must be deactivated when selling or giving the devices away or no one else can use them.

Here’s how to turn off Activation Lock on your AirPods.

AirPods Pro 2 may replace current model to avoid Apple’s AirPods 3 problem

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When AirPods Pro 2 come out later in 2022, they might be the only 'Pro' model.
When AirPods Pro 2 come out later in 2022, they might be the only 'Pro' model.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple will release AirPods Pro 2 in the second half of 2022, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. And when it does, the new buds will replace the current AirPods Pro rather than joining them in the lineup. That would signal a strategy change, Kuo said.

Why? After Apple added AirPods 3 alongside AirPods 2 in its earbuds lineup, it noticed a lot of people stuck with the less-expensive product rather than going with the upgrade. Apple wouldn’t want that to happen again.

Apple should build ‘Find My’ into everything it makes

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Apple should build ‘Find My’ into everything it makes
We should be able to locate every type of Apple accessory with Find My.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

I’ve misplaced my AirPods case. It’s in my house … somewhere. Fortunately, I can use the Find My app to locate it, as though it were a lost AirPod or AirTag.

Ha, ha, ha! No, I can’t. AirPods cases don’t offer Find My support. Just as the feature is missing from far too many other Apple accessories.

This needs to change. Find My is amazing, but limited by not being on devices that need it.

Update: In autumn 2022, Apple built Find My support into AirPods Pro 2, a sign that the tracking system might be coming to more peripherals.

AirBuddy is the Mac app that makes the most of your AirPods

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This on-sale app lets you connect your AirPods to your Mac.
Mac owners: Get more from your AirPods with this discounted app.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

AirPods are some of the best wireless earbuds on the market. Once you use them with your iPhone, it’s hard to switch to something else. Unfortunately, all that AirPods magic doesn’t necessarily translate when you use Apple earbuds with a Mac.

There’s a workaround, though. The AirBuddy app adds some of that beautiful, Apple-style simplicity to the “using AirPods with a Mac” equation. And right now the Mac app is on sale for $6.29 with code DOWNLOADNOW.

Save on awesome accessories for all Apple devices this St. Patrick’s Day

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Cult of Mac Store St. Patrick's Day sale
Use the code PATRICK at checkout.
Image: Elago/Cult of Mac

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by saving 20% on outstanding accessories for all your Apple devices in the Cult of Mac Store.

We’ve got cases, premium Apple Watch bands, do-it-all charging stands, sturdy in-car mounts, MacBook risers, and lots, lots more. Use the promo code PATRICK at checkout to take advantage of the discount today only.

Buying new Apple devices this week? Sell your old stuff to us to get an extra $20

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Sell your old Apple devices to Cult of Mac
Use the code "UPGRADE" at checkout to get an extra $20.
Photo: Jeremy Bezanger/Unsplash

Planning to buy some new Apple gear? Sell your old Apple gadgets to Cult of Mac now to earn an extra $20.

Simply use the code UPGRADE at checkout to top-up your buyback quote. The offer is good through the end of March, so enjoy it while you can.

Honor’s new AirPods Pro-like earbuds will take your temperature

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Honor's new Earbuds 3 Pro will sense temperature.
Honor's new Earbuds 3 Pro will sense temperature.
Photo: Honor

Fresh off its rollout of a smartphone that can charge wirelessly at 100W, Honor said at MWC 2022 it will offer new earbuds that monitor temperature. The new buds look like AirPods Pro. And temperature sensing is a function Apple has reportedly tested in AirPods.

The former Huawei subsidiary, based in China, said its new $199 Earbuds 3 Pro combine a temperature sensor with an AI temperature algorithm. It has an 80% chance of coming within plus or minus 0.3 degrees Celsius of an accurate reading, the company said.

Unclutter your desk with an invisible wireless iPhone charger

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Free up a little desk space by putting your wireless charger under it.
Free up a little desk space by putting your wireless charger under it.
Photo: Choetech

If you suffer from a cluttered desktop — and who doesn’t, at least sometimes? — Choetech has something for you. Right now you can preorder its new Invisible Wireless Charger and take one more item off the junk pile.

Of course, unless you also suffer from some seriously magical thinking, you know it’s not literally invisible. But it does hide the charger under your desk so you can power up your iPhone or other Qi-enabled gadget right on the desktop without another piece of gear sitting there.

Learn to automate your home office like an IT pro [Setups]

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After seven years working at home, Derek Seaman built this computer setup.
After seven years working at home, Derek Seaman built this computer setup.
Photo: Derek Seaman

Blogger Derek Seaman may be an IT systems architect in his day job, but he also designs and builds advanced computer setups. That is, if his home office is any indication. Which it is.

He shared his MacBook Pro-driven workstation — actually, the whole room — with Cult of Mac recently.

AirPods with Ear ID could someday unlock your iPhone

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AirPods 3 drop back to their lowest price ever
Apple hopes to someday enable AirPods to identify who is wearing them.
Photo: Apple

First there was Touch ID, then Face ID. Now Ear ID could be on the way. Apple filed for a patent on a biometric system using AirPods wireless earbuds.

The idea is that headphones should be able to identify who is wearing them and refuse to work for unidentified wearers. But if the system is accurate enough, it could potentially be used to unlock an iPhone or Apple Watch without needing a passcode.

Intelli’s compact new StepUp is the Transformer of 3-in-1 iPhone chargers

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Those little platforms for Apple Watch and AirPods pop in and out.
Those little platforms for Apple Watch and AirPods pop in and out.
Photo: Intelli

In a world awash with multi-device charging stations that juice your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods at the same time, it’s refreshing to see an unfamiliar design once in a while. Intelli provided one recently when it launched its new StepUp Magnetic Wireless Charging Station.

With its tidy little pop-out charging platforms, the MagSafe-compatible StepUp can be a sleek charger just for your iPhone or transform into a 3-in-1 for your trio of devices. But even fully deployed, the design is compact.

AirPods 3 drop back to their lowest price ever

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AirPods 3 drop back to their lowest price ever
AirPods 3 are brilliant… and on sale!
Photo: Apple

Amazon has an answer for what to do with that gift card you received over the holidays. The recently released AirPods 3 are once again selling for their lowest price ever: $139.99.

And there are significant deals on AirPods Pro and AirPods 2 as well.

Satechi’s new AirPods Max charging stand also tops up your iPhone

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Satechi's new stand holds and charges AirPods Max and other gear -- and it looks good doing it.
Satechi's new stand holds and charges AirPods Max and other gear -- and it looks good doing it.
Photo: Satechi

Among accessories maker Satechi’s new products showing at CES 2022 is the new 2-in-1 Headphone Stand with Wireless Charger designed for AirPods Max, rolled out Thursday.

While a sleek, stainless steel arm suspends your headphones, the base charges your iPhone or other Qi-enabled device and provides a USB-C port to power up the headphones, too.

Google steps up fight against iPhone by ripping off more Apple features

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Google rips off iPhone features
Spatial audio, unlock with Wear OS, and more on the way.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Google plans to make its latest Pixel and Wear OS devices more compelling alternatives to iPhone and Apple Watch by ripping off some of Cupertino’s most popular software features — including spatial audio and AirDrop.

The Android-maker revealed the long list of improvements, which will span all of Google’s software platforms as well as Windows, this week at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. Here’s what you can expect if you plan to ditch your Apple devices and swap sides.

Win a Journey 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Station for all your Apple gear [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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Journey 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Station giveaway: Sleep soundly knowing all your devices will be fully charged in the morning.
Sleep soundly knowing all your devices will be fully charged in the morning.
Photo: Journey

The holidays are finally over, and if you were lucky enough to receive an Apple Watch, iPhone or AirPods as gifts, this latest giveaway is for you. Journey, a maker of innovative consumer electronics, is giving three lucky winners its 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Station.

This minimalist charger takes up little space and will charge your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at the same time. If you want to simplify your life by cutting out cords and charging hassles, make sure to enter this Cult of Mac giveaway.

Redesigned AirPods Pro 2 will support high-quality lossless audio

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AirPods Pro bring Active Noise Cancellation with superior sound to the AirPods family.
The current AirPods Pro will stay around for a while, but a replacement is reportedly on the way with some interesting new features.
Photo: Apple

Apple will launch a second generation of AirPods Pro in the fall, according to an analyst who’s also a reliable tipster. The upgraded earbuds allegedly will offer better sound than the current version, via support for lossless audio. And there reportedly will be other changes, too, including a new design.

Long before the launch, AirPods of all kinds are shipping like crazy, thanks to Apple’s lowering the cost, according to the same analyst.