David Snow, author at Cult of Mac

Røde’s tiny new mic system goes for ultimate ease-of-use

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The compact system is great for use with small cameras and smartphones.
The compact system is great for use with small cameras and smartphone cameras.
Photo: Rode

The new Røde Wireless ME Compact Wireless Microphone System, with clip-on transmitter and receiver, tries to make pro-level audio recording effortless — not to mention inexpensive.

With the new release, content creators who want to hit the ground running with quality audio have another option.

Driver in Apple Store crash indicted on murder and other charges

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In the crash, the SUV plunged into Apple Derby Street in Hingham, MA.
In the crash, the SUV plunged into Apple Derby Street in Hingham, MA, causing a gaping hole in the glass and pinning people against the back wall of the store.
Photo: Apple

Bradley Rein, who allegedly crashed his SUV into an Apple Store in Massachusetts in November 2021, was indicted Tuesday. He faces second-degree murder, assault and other charges, a new report said.

The crash in Hingham, Massachusetts, killed one person and injured 22 others.

Under-desk mount keeps pesky Mac mini out of the way [Setups]

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In the
In the "after" shot, the desk is a little more clear because the M1 Mac mini is nowhere to be seen.
Photo: naked-na-sandali12@Reddit.com

There’s much to be said for hiding stuff under your desk. And we don’t mean cramming it down there like you shove junk under your bed. We mean mounting it properly out of sight. It gets said stuff — computers, docks, cables — off the desktop for a cleaner look to your setup, not to mention a more-efficient workspace.

Today’s featured setup uses an inexpensive acrylic mount to stash an M1 Mac mini and connected cables under the desk. Below you can see images of the mount itself as well the “before” shot of the setup. The “after” shot appears above.

Wozniak, Musk and leading researchers urge pause on ‘out of control’ AI dev

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The letter doesn't refer to the
The letter doesn't refer to the "rise of the machines" a la "Terminator," but it could have.
Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

A new open letter signed by tech leaders urges a six-month pause on development of advanced artificial intelligence applications that may pose “profound risks to society and humanity.”

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, other tech execs and many AI academics signed the letter. It urges caution concerning “emergent” AI more powerful than GPT-4. We’re not talking Siri here (at least not yet).

iPhone and iPad hop on Sid Meier’s Railroads! gaming train

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Ready to build an empire by rail?
Ready to build an empire by rail?
Photo: Feral Interactive

Here’s your chance to build an empire of rail — and even beat notorious railroad barons of yesteryear at their own game. Take that, Cornelius Vanderbilt.

The classic strategy game Sid Meier’s Railroads! arrives April 5 on mobile devices including iPhone and iPad. And you can preorder now via the App Store thanks to Feral Interactive.

This new robot vacuum really gets you

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It vacuums, mops, avoids objects and, apparently, understands your commands.
It vacuums, mops, avoids objects and, apparently, understands your commands.
Photo: Ecovacs

Ecovacs Robotics’ newest robot vacuum, the Deebot T10 Omni, includes its own artificially intelligent voice assistant named Yiko, which features natural language processing. Sorry, Siri.

The premium vacuuming-and-mopping bot joins the new Deebot N10+ and T9+ vacuums in the lineup. And it comes at a deep launch discount through March 30.

Stylish magnetic hoop stand holds iPhone or iPad securely

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SwitchEasy's MagEasy Flipmount is a sturdy stand for iPads, iPhones and other devices.
SwitchEasy's MagEasy Flipmount is a sturdy stand for iPads, iPhones and other devices.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

It’s almost magical how an MagSafe iPhone sticks so firmly and easily on magnetic stands and chargers. But your devices don’t actually need to be MagSafe-enabled to enjoy that kind of mount — not if you have the MagEasy FlipMount Magnetic Hoop Stand. It’s MagSafe-compatible, sure, but it also takes older, unmagnetized iPhones, iPads and practically anything else.

That’s because the handy, flexible stand comes with adhesive magnetic hoops — also sold separately — that can make almost any device MagSafe-compatible. Both the stand and hoops are available now in the Cult of Mac Store.

Get up to 46% off iMacs and MacBooks this week

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You can get a good deal on a 2021 24-inch 4.5K iMac, plus other iMacs and MacBooks.
You can get a good deal on a 2021 24-inch 4.5K iMac, plus other iMacs and MacBooks.
Photo: Apple

Amazon bargain site Woot! is pushing M1 Macs at low prices through April 3. You can get up to 46% off some machines, which include MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and iMac from 2020 and 2021, plus a handful of Intel-powered Macs.

Get 15% off when you pair magnetic iPad case with stand

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The sturdy magnetic stand is a perfect iPad companion.
The sturdy magnetic stand is a perfect iPad companion.
Photo: Elago

If you have an iPad, you should protect it with a case and put the device on a stand for perfect, hands-free use, whether you’re typing away on a keyboard, drawing with Pencil or just watching a video. And right now you get Elago’s Magnetic Folio case and the company’s magnetic stand for 15% off when you buy them both.

You can find Elago Magnetic Folio cases for all models plus the Magnetic Stand for iPads in the Cult of Mac Store.

Major workstation makeover covers all bases [Setups]

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The nearly maxed-out M1 MacBook Pro is on a shelf out of frame.
The nearly maxed-out M1 MacBook Pro is on a shelf out of frame.
Photo: nicknotes@Reddit.com

We often see big upgrades to setups we’ve covered here in the past. But they’re not usually comprehensive, where everything from the daily-driver Mac to the input devices to the audio gear gets made over (and in some cases greatly expanded).

Let’s just say today’s featured MacBook Pro setup looked a lot different 2 years ago. It’s more evidence that a setup is never, ever “done.”