David Snow - page 12

You can ask the new AI-powered Rabbit R1 gadget to do pretty much anything you’d normally do with some combination of apps on your smartphone, according to Rabbit’s fascinating keynote at CES 2024.

You can ask it to explain something, call an Uber, order a meal delivery or even book a fairly complex vacation itinerary, to name a few examples.

And unlike a would-be iPhone replacement like the Humane Ai Pin, Rabbit R1 comes with a screen and costs just $199 with no subscription necessary.

Update: Rabbit noted it sold out its R1 units on day one of sales, moving 10,000 units. See the company’s tweet below.

Mujjo, known for its high-quality leather cases for iPhone and other Apple gear, is having a rare sale — 25% off a wide variety of goods through January 18.

This is the good stuff, so don’t miss it.

When someone asked a marketing director in the United Kingdom how much money he makes, the man laughed and said, “Not enough to justify the contents of this picture” of his computer setup.

Hey, we get it. But then we suffered immediate pangs of envy when he went on to say, “My sister works for Apple so got a sick deal on a refurbed [Mac] Studio and new Studio Display.”

Yeah, good for you, pal. No, really. We mean it!

Many companies use CES to unveil products that won’t go on sale right away — including Qi2 chargers — but Anker is using the major electronics show to make hay about much of its previously teased lineup of MagGo Qi2 charging accessories going on actual sale.

Qi2 is essentially MagSafe for all, and it can be used to charge MagSafe iPhones at a full 15 watts, so these are worth a look.

Alogic rolled out the portable Matrix Ultimate — calling it the world’s first foldable MagSafe-certified 3-in-1 wireless charger for iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch — at CES in Las Vegas Tuesday.

In addition, the company unveiled four new 32-inch Clarity 4K-resolution displays (previous Clarity models are 27 inches), plus Glide Flexible Monitor Arms.

Your Apple Watch may be the ultimate tool, but it can also be beautiful jewelry with the right accessory. Goldenerre makes some remarkably pretty Apple Watch bands, and its Basketweave model is no exception.

Now available in the Cult of Mac Store in three lustrous finishes, you can get it for just $108.

Aqara highlighted new HomeKit-enabled smart-home devices at CES 2024 Monday in Las Vegas — the new Hub M3, Border Router Plug and Smart Lock U300 — plus an AI chatbot interface for the Aqara Home App.

The devices support both Matter and Thread networking standards. And the hub may help you control your whole smart home.

Samsung showed off three transparent microLED displays at its First Look event Sunday just ahead of CES 2024 in Las Vegas, according to reports. Two of them are tinted, but the totally clear one can have an especially hologram-like effect.

Don’t get too excited, though. With no availability or pricing information available yet, it might be a while before even any rich people you know can buy these.

You can nab a 15-inch M2 MacBook Air for $1,049.99 on Amazon right now — $249 off the regular price of $1,299. That’s only about a buck behind the all-time low price the behemoth retailer has offered for the machine.

Multiple-display computer setups are all the rage, but can a workstation benefit from losing one of its external monitors, even one with 4K resolution?

If today’s featured MacBook Pro rig is any indication, yes, it can — especially if the outfit sees a bunch of other cool upgrades at the same time, like a cool new monitor riser, an open stand for the MacBook Pro and a great new office chair.

After receiving 14 Golden Globes nominations, Apple TV+ notched just one win Sunday — but it was a big one. Lily Gladstone became the first Indigenous winner of a best-actress Golden Globe for her performance in Martin Scorsese’s historical epic Killers of the Flower Moon.

So, while Apple TV+ remains the only streamer to win an Oscar — 2022’s Best Picture for CODA — it didn’t exactly clean up this year at the Globes, which tend to foreshadow the Academy Awards.

Zagg-owned mobile-accessories maker mophie let loose a blast from the past with a fresh twist at CES Monday, rolling out its re-engineered Juice Pack cellphone battery case to keep iPhone 15 series handsets charged anywhere.

And the company, which has made Juice Pack products since the first iPhone launched in 2007, also let everyone know its Qi2 Snap+ Powerstation Mini with Stand won a CES 2024 Innovation Award.

Season 4 of For All Mankind entered its tense final phase Friday, with action heating up on Mars and on Earth ahead of climactic episode 10. Episode 9, “Brazil,” is all about setting up that endgame (and it really could be the End, as we await Apple TV+ news of season 5 renewal … or not).

But two characters won’t live to see that endgame. And many more lives are at risk as forces on Earth seek to control the fight in space over the Goldilocks asteroid’s vast mineral wealth — and maybe even the future of space exploration.

Say what you will about old Apple hardware, it’s cool and it’s got staying power — sometimes to an amazing degree. Today’s featured setup, for example, sports a 16-year-old Mac Pro with some modifications driving a 19-year old Cinema Display (the big one — 30 inches — first released in 2004, a mere 20 years ago).

The user’s just happy she’s getting the venerable desktop machine to run as fast as her spritely young MacBook Pro … from 2012.

As artificial intelligence and machine learning become mainstream in business, large tech firms like Amazon and Facebook look to introduce AI features that transform the way we engage online through predictive purchase models and other algorithmic means. But how does Apple use AI?

But it definitely is. Apple’s business teams are cooking up many AI and ML opportunities. Still, Apple takes on AI challenges from a different angle with a more intuitive approach. Let’s look behind the scenes at the world’s largest tech company to see how tomorrow’s ideas are shaping today’s products.

Clicks Technology unveiled its first product Thursday — Clicks Creator Keyboard. It’s a case that fits around an iPhone, providing a full keyboard with physical buttons that may remind people of BlackBerry’s heyday.

“We use keyboards on our desktops, laptops and tablets every day – so it’s kind of odd that we abandoned physical buttons on the smartphone,” said Michael Fisher, Clicks Technology co-founder and a popular YouTube tech reviewer known as MrMobile.

“Clicks brings the tactility and precision of a physical keyboard to iPhone, so people don’t have to wait until they get back to their desks to create or communicate with the satisfying feedback only real buttons can provide,” he added.

Dell introduced new 34-inch and 40-inch ultra-wide, curved, high-resolution monitors Thursday ahead of CES 2024 in Las Vegas, including a big 5K screen that ratchets up the competition against Studio Display and other smaller 5K screens. Dell’s new monitors go on sale in late February.

Both screens are certified for eye comfort, but the larger one is “the world’s first 40-inch 5K monitor certified for five-star eye comfort,” the company said.

For anyone who only needs a PDF editor to occasionally sign or modify a document, paying Adobe Acrobat’s monthly price may be too much. So it’s a good thing you have less-expensive yet feature-rich apps like PDF Editor PDF Book Reader to try.

People have relied on the app for years, and now it’s optimized with new features to work brilliantly on iPhones with iOS 17 and on iPads with iPadOS 17. Plus, Cult of Mac readers can get a free one-year subscription to the app (details below).

Apple Fitness+ brings fresh ways for users to stay active and mindful in the new year with new activities starting January 8, Apple said Thursday.

You can try a new sound meditation theme, a workout program with golfer Rose Zhang, an Artist Spotlight series tied to the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show, Time to Walk episodes available on Apple Podcasts for the first time and more.

Stainless steel Apple Watch bands are where high-tech meets durability, style and comfort. And Speidel makes some exceptional examples, including its Stainless Steel Linked Watchband for Apple Watch.

Believe it or not, right now you can get that tough and stylish band for less than $40 in the Cult of Mac Store.

While smartphone sales have seen declines recently in general, premium handsets like iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max should see 6% sales growth to hit a new record for 2023, according to a new report Wednesday.

Apple dominates the premium market, but Huawei and Samsung have made inroads, especially because of foldable handsets — a market segment Cupertino hasn’t entered yet.

People often compare LG’s UltraFine 5K display to Apple’s Studio Display because they’re directly comparable, with the same size and resolution. But rarely do you find the two in the same setup. That makes today’s dual MacBook Pro and dual 5K display setup something of a rarity.

That, along with the rarely seen Wacom drawing tablet and the truly massive DIY desk, fashioned from a kitchen countertop and mechanized legs.

There’s nothing like a good crossword puzzle or word-search game to stimulate the brain. But a lot of themed crossword puzzles offer just a few clues and sometimes an image related to the subject. Not so with Digiluna Games’ Movie Crosswords game.

Happy New Year — and it will no doubt be happier if you can nab AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C charging case, which has returned to its lowest price yet. Maybe that’ll even motivate you to exercise more, if by chance you set certain New Year’s resolutions along those lines and could use the help of Apple’s top earbuds.

Amazon is selling the updated noise-canceling earbuds for $189, down from $249. That’s the best price we’ve seen. And you can find discounts on other Apple earbuds, too.

The darkly comedic spy thriller series Slow Horses has three seasons ready to binge-watch on Apple TV+ — season 3’s finale aired last week — plus season 4 on the way and now a fifth season planned for production, the streaming service said Tuesday.

The critically acclaimed hit show starring Gary Oldman might as well keep rolling, as there are more novels in Mick Herron’s Slough House book series to base new six-episode seasons on.