David Snow, author at Cult of Mac

Apple warns of dire threats to unencrypted cloud data

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Apple security lock logo
Apple offers end-to-end encryption in Advanced Data Protection for iCloud.
Photo: Apple

Data breaches have compromised 2.6 billion personal consumer records in the past two years, with a rapid rise since last year, according to an independent study Apple published Thursday.

Increasing threats to consumer data stored in the cloud underscore a need for end-to-end data encryption like Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, launched in 2022, Apple said.

“Bad actors continue to pour enormous amounts of time and resources into finding more creative and effective ways to steal consumer data, and we won’t rest in our efforts to stop them,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “As threats to consumer data grow, we’ll keep finding ways to fight back on behalf of our users by adding even more powerful protections.”

Apple TV+ sets countdown for space psycho-thriller series Constellation

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Psycho-thrilller series
Whatever Jo (Noomi Pace) is looking at here, it's ain't good.
Photo: Apple TV+

After a disaster in space, an astronaut returns to Earth to find pieces of her life missing in the upcoming Apple TV+ sci-fi series Constellation. Apple released a “first look” at the action-packed psychological thriller Thursday.

The “conspiracy-based space adventure,” which stars Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks, sets down on Apple TV+ on February 21.

Mount iPad anywhere with this sleek magnetic pad

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Any sealed surface will take Xvida's mounting pad to magnetically hold your iPad.
Any sealed surface will take Xvida's mounting pad to magnetically hold your iPad.
Photo: Xvida

iPads are light and easy to handle, but sometimes you need your hands for other tasks — like glancing at a recipe while cooking. That’s where Xvida’s Magnetic Wall Mount for tablets comes in super, well, handy.

And it’s available now in the Cult of Mac Store for just $25.

Amazon lops $531 off Samsung’s 5K ViewFinity display

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Samsung ViewFinity S9 5K monitor
Don't sleep on a deal like this one.
Photo: Samsung

If you’re ready to graduate from a 4K to a 5K external display but the high prices have held you back, here’s your chance. Right now you can take  off the regular price of Samsung’s direct competitor to Studio Display — the 27-inch Samsung ViewFinity S9 monitor.

This beauty is going for $1,068.61. That’s 33% off its regular price, which is the same as Studio Display’s steep cost (about $1,600).

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Masters of the Air trailer blazes across WWII’s hellish war in the sky

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Masters of the Air trailer
The men who flew harrowing bombing missions had a lot to do with defeating Germany in WWII.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ dropped a devastating payload of aerial warfare in its new trailer Wednesday for the upcoming World War II drama series Masters of the Air.

Piloted by the team behind WWII series Band of Brothers and The Pacific, the new series dramatizes the U.S. Army Air Force’s role in helping defeat Germany through bombing. It premieres on Apple TV+ January 26.

You won’t see a vertical display more nuts than this one [Setups]

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Mac Pro setup with 55-inch curved Samsung display in portrait mode
Can you imagine working on that screen?
Photo: Born4One@Reddit.com

Curved ultra-wide gaming displays have been making their way into Mac setups for quite some time now. But some people want to experiment, maybe push the envelope a bit, so they mount them on top of other displays or sometimes in portrait mode (vertical). But today’s Mac Pro setup takes the cake in that regard.

The user nixed a Studio Display with a high-quality external webam in favor of a truly massive, 55-inch curved ultra-wide Samsung gaming display — mounted vertically. It towers over everything with a pronounced stoop.

MagSafe Gravity case protects iPhone 14 with zero added bulk

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The MagSafe Gravity case is protective yet minimal.
The MagSafe Gravity case is protective yet minimal.
Photo: SwitchEasy

If your iPhone 14 case is a little bulkier than you’d like — maybe a bit tight in the pocket — perhaps it’s time to try SwitchEasy’s MagSafe Gravity iPhone Case.

The incredibly slim case adds zero bulk, works with MagSafe and is available in the Cult of Mac Store for just $25, but is currently on sale for $19.99.

Beeper Mini app brings iMessage to Android, blue bubbles included

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Beeper Mini messaging app
Beeper Mini may be the first app to reliably make Android users' text appear in blue bubbles on iPhone.
Photo: Beeper

Believe it or not, a 16-year-old high school student may have been the first to fully reverse-engineer iMessage and turn green Android text bubbles blue on iPhones with the new Beeper Mini app, released Tuesday.

The text messaging world is buzzing over it, wondering how it may avoid security pitfalls like other recent attempts to merge the two texting worlds — and puzzling over whether Apple may put a stop to this incursion into its “walled garden.”

Stay dry with Rainbow Weather’s hyper-local AI forecasts [Awesome Apps]

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Rainbow Weather: AI Forecast app
Avoid the raindrops -- or hurricanes, if it comes to that -- with the Rainbow Weather app.
Photo: Rainbow Weather
Awesome Apps

Tired of getting caught in the rain? Startup Rainbow Weather released its hyper-local rain-alert and hurricane-tracking app Rainbow Weather in November, giving you a great way to track weather tied to your precise location at all times via your iPhone.

Ingenious new 2-in-1 Butterfly fast-charges iPhone and Apple Watch

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Twelve South's Butterfly 2-in-1 MagSafe charger in hand
Twelve South's Butterfly 2-in-1 MagSafe charger couldn't be much more portable.
Photo: Twelve South

Twelve South’s new 2-in-1 Butterfly MagSafe Charger folds into a tiny footprint, fast-charges MagSafe iPhones and Apple Watches, and can serve as a kickstand for your handset, as well.

The cool gadget, which you can get directly from Twelve South or Apple, looks like a winner and is priced as such, at a steep $129.95.