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Apple Watch - page 18

This 5-in-1 modular charging station is the perfect gift for any Apple fan

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Give the gift of a full battery this holiday season.
This five-way charger takes up very little room on your desk or nightstand.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

You shouldn’t need separate charging cables for each of your devices. The Omnia Q5 5-in-1 Wireless Charging Station is one of the first wireless charging stations that works for five devices at the same time. It’s on sale now for $99.95 (regular price: $120), but you can save even more — get an additional 20% off with code GREEN20.

This awesome X-ray wallpaper lets you see inside your Apple Watch

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Apple Watch X-ray wallpaper
One of the coolest ways to use the Photos face.
Photo: iFixit

Your Apple Watch is surprisingly pretty on the inside. Take a peek behind the screen with this awesome wallpaper from the fine folks over at iFixit.

The photo is a real X-ray image of Apple Watch Series 7. It clearly shows off a number of important components, including its Taptic Engine, intricate chipset, and the wireless charging coil. And it works great as a watch face.

Apple Watch owners sue for injuries caused by swollen batteries

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Apple Watch battery repair
Apple didn't leave enough space for expansion, plaintiffs claim.
Photo: iFixit

Apple faces a class action lawsuit from Apple Watch wearers who claim to have been injured by their device after its battery swelled and cracked its screen.

The plaintiffs say Apple, in its efforts to make Apple Watch as thin as possible, doesn’t provide enough space for potential battery expansion. So, when this happens, the display pops out and can leave “razor-sharp edges” exposed.

watchOS 8.3 brings gesture controls to older Apple Watch models

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Apple Watch AssistiveTouch gesture controls
Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5 support on the way.
Photo: Apple

The new watchOS 8.3 release candidate, rolled out by Apple on Wednesday, brings AssistiveTouch gesture controls to older Apple Watch models.

The feature made its debut back in May, but could be used only on newer devices, like Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 7. The release candidate expands support to Series 4 and Series 6 devices for the first time.

Apple has big plans for 2022, including iPad Pro and MacBook Air overhauls

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Apple in 2022
It could be another great year.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly plans ambitious upgrades for a number of its hottest products in 2022, including major revamps for iPad Pro and MacBook Air — as well as an Apple silicon boost for the Mac Pro. Mac mini is also expected to see a refresh.

What’s more, the next-generation Apple Watch will come in a “ruggedized version aimed at extreme sports athletes.”

What’s the most ambitious watch band Apple ever made?

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The Clover Solo Loop for Apple Watch comes in nine sizes -- as well as six other Solo Loop colors besides dark green.
The Solo Loop for Apple Watch comes in nine sizes and seven colors.
Photo: Apple

One of the many things that set an Apple Watch apart from traditional watches is the massive selection of inexpensive straps. Cupertino made installing Apple Watch bands so easy that you can change up your look on a dime — and for almost that little money.

While seemingly millions of options exist for a mere $10 or so, Apple makes some of the best bands in the business. They cost a little more than most, but they may be worth it.

And one band, in particular, stands as the “most ambitious” watch band Apple ever made, according to Evans Hankey, Apple’s VP of industrial design.

Apple hasn’t given up on making a do-it-all charger for multiple devices

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AirPods on AirPower
AirPower might be dead, but the dream lives on.
Photo: Apple

Apple continues to work on a wireless charger, similar to the abandoned AirPower mat, that will allow users to charge multiple devices simultaneously, according to a new report. The company also hopes to develop truly wireless charging in the future.

Cupertino reportedly is working on “short and long distance” charging solutions that don’t require physical contact. It also wants to give all major Apple devices the ability to charge each other.

Seiko WristMac, aka the ‘first Apple Watch,’ will look weird as hell on your wrist

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Here's your chance to have your very own Seiko WristMac, a piece of wearable tech history.
Here's your chance to have your very own Seiko WristMac, a piece of wearable tech history.
Photo: ComicConnect

An exceedingly rare wearable from 1988 called a “WristMac” is currently on auction at ComicConnect. Seiko and partner company Ex Machina made this ancestor of the smart watch, not Apple, but it could connect to a Macintosh and perform certain functions — and a version of it even did so on a Space Shuttle mission. It’s expected to fetch anywhere between $25,000 and $100,000.

We’ll have to see it if goes that high. Bidding started on Monday at $1. It stood Tuesday at $950 with 30 bids in. The auction runs through December 18.

Maximize your iPhone trade-in by cutting Apple out of equation

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Sell your old iPhone today
The quick and easy way to make the most from your old iPhone.
Photo: Aaron Yoo

Apple just gave customers another big reason to avoid its trade-in service by slashing prices on almost all iPhone models. Instead, sell your old handset to Cult of Mac to make more from it, and get real cash you can spend anywhere.

Find out how much your old iPhone is worth today in just a few simple steps, and secure your quote for 14 days.

Apple Watch could miss out on a big redesign again next year

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Apple Watch Series 7 review roundup: Bigger is a bit better
Copy and paste.
Photo: Apple

Those hoping for a major Apple Watch overhaul could again be disappointed next year, with a new report claiming only minor design changes are planned for Apple Watch Series 8 — which could be almost identical to Series 7.

Many fans had expected an Apple Watch revamp this year after months and months of speculation and leaks. But it’s beginning to look like those weren’t just badly timed, but perhaps entirely inaccurate.

watchOS 8.1.1 removes charging bug on Apple Watch Series 7

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watchOS 8.1.1 removes charging bug on Apple Watch Series 7
watchOS 8.1.1 is out, but it might not be for you.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple Watch Series 7 wearers should install a small “bug fix” update that debuted on Thursday. If you don’t have that model, don’t waste time looking for the new version — watchOS 8.1.1 is apparently only for the recently released Series 7.

Sleek new Satechi 3-in-1 magnetic charger powers up iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch

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The new Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger features a black finish and steel-and-aluminum construction.
The new Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger features a black finish and steel-and-aluminum construction.
Photo: Satechi

Satechi rolled out a new 3-in-1 MagSafe-compatible charger on Thursday to help users power up their iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watches. The sleek black Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger features a hands-free, adjustable, MagSafe-compatible mount for your phone, plus solid steel-and-aluminum construction.

Apple Watch seems to break Mail Privacy Protection in iOS 15

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Mail Privacy Protection on Apple Watch
That's not good.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Beware using Mail on your Apple Watch. Security researchers have found that receiving messages on your wrist compromises Mail Privacy Protection in iOS 15 by revealing your IP address to senders.

Mail Privacy Protection — available across Mac, iPhone and iPad — is designed to prevent this from happening by masking your actual IP address. But it seems that using Mail on Apple Watch completely undermines it.

Build your Apple Watch charging dock out of Lego bricks

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Redditors show you can make an Apple Watch charging dock out of Lego bricks rather than buying one.
Redditors show you can make an Apple Watch charging dock out of Lego bricks rather than buying one.
Photo: [email protected]

Once you get an Apple Watch, you may be tempted to buy a charging dock for it. But folks on Reddit.com are happy to show off how they saved some money by constructing charging docks out of their beloved Lego building bricks.

All you need is the USB charging cable and puck that came with your Apple Watch and the imagination to make something that hides it while charging the wearable.

New Twelve South ActionBand absorbs even your sweatiest Apple Watch workouts

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The new Twelve South ActionBand is a full-on sweatband.
The new Twelve South ActionBand is a full-on sweatband.
Photo: Twelve South

If you sweat a lot when you work out — and if your Apple Watch bands barely stand up to the torrent — rejoice. Twelve South rolled out its new ActionBand Thursday. The company designed the soft, absorbent, wide band to keep up with the hardest workouts and resulting perspiration.

In no hurry? Sleek, compact Zens 4-in-1 magnetic charger tops up your gear. [Review]

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The aluminum build gives the Zens Magnetic + Watch Wireless Charger a sense of premium quality.
The aluminum build gives the Zens Magnetic + Watch Wireless Charger a sense of premium quality.
Photo: David Snow / Cult of Mac

The Zens Magnetic + Watch Wireless Charger stands in the ranks of MagSafe-compatible chargers designed to be your go-to device for juicing up multiple pieces of Apple gear — and the sleek and compact 4-in-1 device does it in style. But not with a huge amount of charging power.

The Zens Magnetic + Watch Wireless Charger tops up four devices — all at once, if you like.

A puck on a dark metallic stem holds a MagSafe iPhone (12 or 13 series) firmly in place, horizontally or vertically. The surface underneath charges an AirPods case or any Qi-enabled device. A USB-A charging stick lets you top off an Apple Watch in Sleep mode. And a USB-A port on the side powers up something else, like an iPad.

iPhone and Apple Watch could get car crash detection next year

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Apple Watch car crash detection
That would be handy!
Photo: Huggs2 CC/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly plans to bring “crash detection” to iPhone and Apple Watch next year, with the ability for both devices to automatically dial 911.

The feature is said to use existing sensors like the accelerometer and gyroscope, already baked into both devices, to measure sudden spikes in movement or force that will allow them to “detect car accidents as they occur.”

Apple Fitness+ adds SharePlay for motivation and ‘smack talk’

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SharePlay makes Apple Fitness+ workouts more personal by letting you communicate with friends in real time.
SharePlay makes Apple Fitness+ workouts more personal by letting you communicate with friends in real time.
Photo: Apple

Apple Fitness+ added group workouts and meditation sessions Monday, letting users communicate in real time with up to 32 other people. The new capability taps FaceTime’s new SharePlay feature, which works on iOS devices now and comes to macOS Monterey later this fall.

“It’s a really fun way to connect with friends and family, even trade some words of encouragement or friendly smack talk, while also making progress toward closing their rings,” said Jay Blahnik, Apple’s vice president of fitness technologies, in a press release.

Apple Watch Series 8 health sensors might include blood glucose monitoring

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The Blood Oxygen sensor employs LEDs, along with photodiodes on the back crystal of Apple Watch Series 6.
Blood glucose monitoring could be a major change in Apple Watch Series 8.
Photo: Apple

Rumors that Apple Watch 7 would include be able to sense the wearer’s blood glucose didn’t pan out. But Apple is reportedly collaborating with a pair of Asian companies to add non-invasive blood sugar monitoring to the 2022 model.

This would add to the already lengthy list of health-monitoring features available in Apple’s current wearable.

It’s time for Cupertino to sell Apple Watch without a band

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It’s time to sell Apple Watch without a band
Wouldn’t this be great? Too bad it’s only a dream.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

People around the world are receiving their new Apple Watch Series 7, and every single one of them includes a band whether the buyer wants it or not. Over successive versions, many Watch wearers have built a collection of bands and don’t need another. But Apple doesn’t give them a choice when it comes to buying a new Watch.

At a time when Apple says it’s trying to fight waste, it really should offer the Apple Watch without requiring a new band.