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David Snow - page 114

Google Pixel Watch is coming for Apple Watch’s crown

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After lots of rumors and leaks, it turns out the Pixel Watch is only months away from release.
After lots of rumors and leaks, it turns out the Pixel Watch is only months away from release.
Photo: Google

After ongoing rumors and leaks, Google finally confirmed Wednesday at its I/O 2022 developer conference that the Pixel Watch exists. And the round-cased smart watch will be released in fall 2022 alongside the Pixel 7 smartphone.

The Pixel Watch will duke it out with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch, which it resembles. But it will also look to knock market leader Apple Watch off its pedestal.

Google Pixel Buds Pro could go toe-to-toe with AirPods Pro

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Google's top new earbuds will come in several colors.
Google's top new earbuds will come in several colors.
Photo: Google

Google brought out a range of new Pixel devices to compete with Apple products at its I/O developer conference Wednesday. They include Pixel Buds Pro, premium earbuds with a number of AirPods Pro features.

But Google’s new buds, available July 21, will cost about $50 less than Apple’s top wireless earbuds.

Google shows a possible killer feature for AR glasses

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A screen shot from Google's video shows language transcription on the screen.
A screen shot from Google's video shows language transcription on the screen.
Photo: Google

Years ago Google failed to find a broad audience for Google Glass, its internet-connected glasses. But now the tech giant’s trying something new. It previewed augmented reality (AR) glasses Wednesday that translate language, Bloomberg reported.

The company conducted a brief demonstration at its annual I/O developer conference and released a video on Twitter, below.

Survival of the fittest at stake in Apple TV+ Physical season 2 trailer

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Rose Byrne plays fitness entrepreneur Sheila Rubin in
Rose Byrne plays fitness entrepreneur Sheila Rubin in "Physical."
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ offered up a new trailer Wednesday for season two of the darkish comedy Physical, starring Rose Byrne as a pioneering entrepreneur in the 1980s fitness boom in Los Angeles.

But Byrne’s character, Sheila Rubin, faces daunting competition as her husband continues to struggle with his political career.

Last chance: Save 30% on Function 101 Cable Blocks

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The magnetized cable blocks click together.
The magnetized cable blocks click together.
Photo: Function101

Pretty much anyone with gear powered by electricity — like a computer setup — can tell you how pervasive a problem cable clutter can be. Dealing with cable management is nobody’s favorite task, though, so it often goes unaddressed. And yet certain products, like cable blocks, go a long way toward solving the thorny problem.

Function 101 Cable Blocks are perfect for keeping your cables neatly arranged and within reach, rather than splayed all over the place. And you can get them for 30% off today in the Cult of Mac Store. It’s the last day of the sale.

Aura Strap 2 for Apple Watch slims down, adds subscription service

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Aura Strap 2 lets you track your fat, muscle and water levels with an app and a fitness-oriented subscription service.
Aura Strap 2 lets you track your fat, muscle and water levels with an app and a fitness-oriented subscription service.
Photo: Aura Devices

Aura Devices updated its health-metrics-focused smart band for Apple Watch Wednesday by slimming it down and adding a fitness-oriented subscription service.

The second-generation Aura Strap 2 records metrics like body fat percentage, muscle density and water levels.

Discontinued iPod touch sells out in some configurations

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Apple's discontinued iPod touch is getting harder to find for sale.
Apple's discontinued iPod touch is getting harder to find for sale.
Photo: Apple

Only one day after Cupertino discontinued the iPod touch, its last dedicated portable music player, some configurations are already sold out in the Apple Store. Others remain for sale “while supplies last,” as Apple said of its fast-dwindling stock.

Traveling musician takes his Mac mini rig on the road [Setups]

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It beats paying for a MacBook Pro. Or does it?
It beats paying for a MacBook Pro. Or does it?
Photo: [email protected]

Apple products are famously not cheap. So much so that some people will go to considerable lengths to avoid shelling out for a new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or iPad with keyboard. Today’s featured computer setup belongs to a traveling musician (famously not rich).

He takes his Mac mini on the road with him. Of course, with a Mac mini, you also need some sort of display and input devices, as in a keyboard and a mouse or trackpad. And you have to find room and set it all up wherever you lay your head.

Is it worth it? For some people, it is. We’ll explain why.

Apple now sells Mophie’s tiny but powerful new USB-C GaN chargers

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Compared to Apple's most similar charger, Mophie's 67W GaN unit is quite small.
Compared to Apple's most similar charger, Mophie's 67W GaN unit is quite small.
Photo: Mophie

Mophie’s latest ultra-compact USB-C wall chargers, containing gallium nitride (GaN), are available exclusively at Apple or Mophie’s parent company Zagg, the companies said Wednesday.

The Mophie Speedport chargers, designed to power up iPhone, iPads and Macs, come in 30W and 67W sizes.

EU may force tech giants to remove and report child sex abuse images

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The European Commission's draft law could force companies to detect, remove and report CSAM.
The European Commission's draft law could force companies to detect, remove and report CSAM.
Photo: European Commission

According to a new report, the European Commission could release a draft law this week requiring tech companies like Apple and Google to better police their platforms for illegal images of child sexual abuse, known as CSAM.

The law would require tech companies to detect, remove and report images to law enforcement.

Road map shows pill and hole replacing notch on all iPhone 15 models

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A render shows the pill-and-hole display design.
A render shows the pill-and-hole display design.
Photo: 91mobiles

According to a new prediction, a pill-and-hole display design will replace the notch on all four iPhone 15 models scheduled for release next year. In the upcoming iPhone 14 series, the new design is expected only on the two Pro models.

The prognostication also looks ahead to all sensors and front cameras going under the display starting with some iPhone 16 models. The predictions come in the form of a road map of upcoming releases that display industry consultant Ross Young tweeted Tuesday.

Modder makes the first USB-C AirPods charging case

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This AirPods charging case has a USB-C connection.
This AirPods charging case has a USB-C connection.
Photo: Ken Pillonel

The robotics engineering student who made a name for himself replacing an iPhone’s Lightning connector with USB-C is at it again. But this time he’s bringing a USB-C AirPods charging case into the world for the first time.

Ken Pillonel got $86,000 for the iPhone. No word yet on whether crazy money will come his way for the AirPods case.

Compact new drone packs a 48MP camera and obstacle sensing

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The DJI Mini Pro 3 can fly for 34 minutes on a standard charge.
The DJI Mini Pro 3 can fly for 34 minutes on a standard charge.
Photo: DJI

DJI launched its newest consumer drone Tuesday, the compact and lightweight Mini Pro 3. It’s just light enough so you don’t have to register it with the Federal Aviation Administration. Folded up, it fits in the palm of your hand.

And it packs features associated with bigger, pricier drones, like a 48MP camera, 4K 60fps video and obstacle sensing.

Get 20% off a magnetic iPad stand that offers unlimited viewing angles

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Mount your iPad on the stand magnetically and rotate and tilt it as much as you want.
Mount your iPad on the stand magnetically and rotate and tilt it as much as you want.
Photo: SwitchEasy

For anyone who wants to use their iPad like a desktop computer or laptop, with proper ergonomics in mind, the SwitchEasy MagMount Magnetic iPad Stand can help.

And you can get it for 20% off the regular price in the Cult of Mac Store through May 16. That’s $20 off.

Jony Ive unveils his top 12 tools for ‘making’

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Want to be like Jony Ive? Here's about $10,000 worth of tools to carry with you every day.
Want to be like Jony Ive? Here's about $10,000 worth of tools to carry with you every day.
Photo: Apple

Former Apple design chief Jony Ive recently served as a guest editor for the UK’s Financial Times. In the magazine’s “How to Spend It” issue, he lists a dozen tools he finds indispensable for “making.”

More specifically, these are his top picks “for making, for marking, for measuring, and carrying with you every day.”

But don’t break your neck craning to see if he included any Apple items, or even computing products. He didn’t.

Dual Studio Display rig comes with a light show [Setups]

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Nanoleaf Lines, behind the displays, are the primary lights in this show.
Nanoleaf Lines, behind the displays, are the primary lights in this show.
Photo: apple_tech_admin

Recently we wrote about a PC gamer converting to the Apple ecosystem, happily, with an M1 MacBook Pro-based setup. Now we have a lucky recipient of not one but two recently shipped Studio Displays, freshly arrived to replace a pair of gaming monitors.

M1 MacBook Pro powers ‘cozy productivity corner’ [Setups]

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Don't worry, there's an image with a little more light below.
Don't worry, there's an image with a little more light below.
Photo: [email protected]

We usually prefer to feature sunny or exotic or just-plain-fun computer setups on Fridays, but today a dark and brooding one caught our eye. A 13-inch M1-powered MacBook Pro and a 34-inch LG curved ultra-wide display are at its center.

But the “cozy productivity corner” also features excellent input devices, formidable audio and a rather nice standing desk.

Discreet new Sonos voice assistant will work with Apple Music

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Sonos Voice will give you a new way to talk to your Sonos speakers.
Sonos Voice will give you a new way to talk to your Sonos speakers.
Photo: Sonos

Smart speaker maker Sonos will soon deploy its own voice assistant, similar to Apple’s Siri. It will let you play and control music on the company’s products, according to a new report.

The new voice assistant, “Sonos Voice,” will work with Apple Music and a handful of other services.

These tasteful nylon Apple Watch bands look like knit fabric

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This BluShark Knit Weave Apple Watch Band is in the color
This BluShark Knit Weave Apple Watch Band is in the color "space," which is a dark blue.
Photo: BluShark

In the world of watch bands, nylon is sometimes overlooked in favor of steel, leather or silicone, but it’s an exceptionally good material for the job. That’s true of analog timepieces as well as smart watches like Apple Watch.

Done right, nylon is soft, comfortable and durable. It’s breathable and it dries quickly, too. It often doesn’t even look like nylon, either.

And if you can find a nylon band that looks and feels a lot like a knit weave fabric, all the better. But look no further, because the popular brand BluShark sells a selection of them in the Cult of Mac Store at a good price.

Apple TV+ Greatness Code trailer looks at what drives top athletes

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Season two of
Season two of "Greatness Code" premieres May 13.
Photo: Apple TV+

Ever wonder how champion pro athletes overcome all odds to win? Apple TV+ unveiled its trailer Tuesday for the second season of Emmy Award-winning sports documentary series Greatness Code.

It gives you a glimpse at what drives top athletes to succeed in impossibly competitive scenarios.

The series premieres May 13 on Apple TV+.

Recovering PC gamer converts to Mac and loves it [Setups]

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This M1 Pro MacBook rig runs with an ultra-wide display and a 50-inch TV.
This M1 Pro MacBook rig runs with an ultra-wide display and a 50-inch TV.
Photo: [email protected]

“Conversion” stories are fairly common in computing, with people deciding to switch from one “ecosystem” or another. Given Apple’s recent rash of hugely popular products, a fair number of folks are switching from PC-and-Windows-based setups to Apple-centric ones.

An avid PC gamer — strike that, a former avid PC gamer — owns today’s featured setup. In it, a new M1 Pro MacBook drives a couple of big displays. And an Elgato Stream Deck and killer audio components also enter the mix.

Apple shows off sound artists’ use of Macs for Star Wars Day

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At Skywalker Ranch, Skywalker Sound’s world-class artists create the world’s most recognizable sounds for films like the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.
At Skywalker Ranch, Skywalker Sound’s world-class artists create the world’s most recognizable sounds for films like the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" franchises.
Photo: Apple

Happy Star Wars Day — even if you didn’t know that was a thing. Apple is celebrating the nerdy holiday by showcasing the widespread use of Macs and iOS devices at Skywalker Sound.

Festivities include the release of a “Behind the Mac” YouTube video and feature article about the audio artists at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch, along with a special online “Today at Apple” session about creating Star Wars sound effects.

You can feel good about these tough and compostable iPhone cases

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Here's Casetify's compostable iPhone case in the color sunflower.
Here's Casetify's compostable iPhone case in the color sunflower.
Photo: Casetify

If you think something that’s “compostable” must be easily “destructible,” well, that may be true of your coffee filters. But it’s not true of everything. Take Casetify’s Ultra Compostable iPhone Cases, for example.

These things are tough as hell. They’ll protect your iPhone as well as many other iPhone cases. And the ultimate beauty of them is, once you move on to another iPhone and discard the case, it won’t hurt the environment.

Cupertino recruits veteran Ford exec for Apple car team

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Ford took the Apple Car chief, now Cupertino takes another veteran leader from Ford.
Ford took the Apple car chief, now Cupertino takes another veteran leader from Ford.
Photo: Peter Trones/Unsplash License

Accelerating work on its self-driving electric vehicle project, Apple recruited veteran Ford engineer and executive Desi Ujkashevic to join the team.

The move comes after various stalls and road bumps in Cupertino’s secretive Project Titan in recent years, including Ford luring away Apple car chief Doug Field last year.

Anker’s bulked-up battery pack broadens charging options

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The new Anker 633 Magnetic Battery packs a 10,000 mAh capacity.
The new Anker 633 Magnetic Battery packs a 10,000 mAh capacity.
Photo: Anker

If you’re one to suffer charging anxiety while out and about, Anker has your cure. It unveiled its latest portable, MagSafe-compatible charging bank Monday, the Anker 633 Magnetic Battery.

The beastly little brick packs a 10,000mAh battery capacity, Anker’s first product of this kind to do so. Plus it features speedier wireless charging than some previous packs as well as spritely USB-C charging when you just want to pull out a cable and get it over with.