David Snow - page 39

EarFun launched its new flagship Air Pro 4 active noise-canceling (ANC) wireless earbuds Monday, calling them “the world’s first Auracast-supported earbuds under $100.” And the new buds run true to form for EarFun. They’re great-sounding, well-equipped earbuds that present an excellent value at a list price of $90. And EarFun Air Pro 4 present an even better value with the launch discount (see below).

It’s that time of year again — back to school time. So the person who spends all your money — you and/or your beloved child — needs expensive new gadgets. Good thing Amazon offers its typical iPad 10 back-to-school deal — $299 ($50 off). And you can pick any model of Apple’s basic tablet, actually, with or without cellular coverage and up to 256GB of storage. They’re all $50 off. Click on the links below to snag these deals.

A rookie FBI agent uncovers a massive money-laundering operation in American horse racing led by Mexico’s deadly Zetas cartel, according to a trailer Apple TV+ dropped Tuesday for the documentary series Cowboy Cartel. Watch it below.

The fascinating story, featuring first-time interviews with key players, looks like a tough but satisfying ride. The series debuts on Apple TV+ on August 2.

Update: As of Friday, you can watch this documentary and see how Mexican cartel Los Zetas infiltrated American horse racing and what a rookie FBI agent tried to do about it. Reviews so far seem a bit mixed. The story itself is compelling, but the story-telling may be a little forced in its use of re-enactments, for example (according to The New York Times). But other sources, like The Daily Beast, compare it favorably to the Netflix drama Narcos, and not just as a wanna-be version.

If you’re going to sound your best on podcasts, online videos or conference calls, it helps to invest in a USB microphone. Today’s MacBook Pro setup takes advantage of a USB mic from the excellent brand Shure. And the user throws in a nice pair of Audioengine speakers for loud-and-clear playback, too.

A federal judge should toss out an antitrust lawsuit accusing Apple of monopolizing the smartphone market because it “bears no relation to reality,” the iPhone giant said Thursday in a court filing. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have joined the lawsuit, according to a new report.

Google rolled out three new artificial intelligence (AI) features for its Chrome browser, including support for Mac users, the company said Thursday. Powered by Google’s latest AI and Gemini models, the new AI features in Chrome aim to make it easier to search visually, compare products and easily return to websites you’ve visited. If you work with colors frequently, tools like the Nix Mini can help you match and identify colors with precision.

“We’re making it even easier to search what you see with the power of Google Lens, compare products across multiple tabs and rediscover sites from your browser history,” wrote Parisa Tabriz, Google vice president, Chrome.

Frustrated game developers continue to vent about working on Apple Arcade titles, in a new report citing anonymous sources. In the story, a follow-up to one from earlier this year that noted “the smell of death around the service,” devs complain about poor communication with Apple, slow payouts, and big problems working on Vision Pro games.

The opinions expressed in the new story aren’t entirely negative, but they paint a pretty ugly portrait of Apple Arcade from some developers’ perspectives.

When you think of psychological thrillers, the first two people you picture probably aren’t Billy Crystal and Rosie Perez. But apparently they don’t just do funny — they do tense and scary, too. Apple TV+ gave a first look at the stars in upcoming thriller Beyond on Wednesday.

The new 10-episode series starring Crystal and Perez arrives on Apple TV+ on October 25.

In a surprising development that may concern Apple users, computer security researchers from Uruguay have discovered a method to reconstruct screen content by intercepting electromagnetic emissions from HDMI cables. The bad news is this HDMI cable security threat could potentially impact all devices using HDMI, including Apple gear. The “good” news is that it’s not easy to do, so individual users aren’t likely to be targets. But companies and governments might be.

Not many USB microphones favored by streamers and podcasters eclipse the big names like Shure, Sennheiser and Rode. But one example that comes close is the Blue Yeti USB mic. Once a rising mainstay in a oddball startup’s lineup, now it’s a mainstay for peripherals giant Logitech. And it remains popular and even award-winning. Today’s Mac Studio rig relies on one.

Apparently now’s the time to upgrade to a powerful 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro or M3 Max chip. Major retailers Amazon and Best Buy currently offer the same big-time deals on the killer laptops — $500 off. And it doesn’t matter what set of memory and storage specifications you go for, each machine is five Benjamins cheaper than normal.

A 3-in-1 MagSafe Travel Charger for iPhone and other gear tops the new SRGE lineup of charging accessories Urban Armor Gear (UAG) released Monday, the company said. Best known for mobile device cases previously, the company’s new lineup features four new charging products for iPhone, AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad and MacBook.

“We see massive opportunities within our new Power category. Our team has brought the same attention to detail and protection from our phone cases into this new category so our consumers can Go Further,” said Carlos Del Toro, UAG’s vice president of Product Management. “Whether on the road or just at your desk, these products are must-haves to keep your device ready to go throughout the entire day. We’re especially excited about the 3-in-1 Travel Charger and all of the places our consumers will bring it to power their day.”

Amazon bargain site Woot! currently runs a sale with deals on iPad and MacBooks, including brand new, new (open box) and refurbished models, through August 6. Discounts range up to 31% off. So let it be Christmas in mid-summer with some new (to you) Apple gear.

“Jobs nods his head in approval from the Clouds,” Woot! says at the top of the sale page.

The main complaint about Apple’s 5K Studio Display is price — at about $1,600, it’s financially out of reach for many people. And 5K monitor competitors like LG only bring the cost down a few hundred bucks. So how about saving some dough by making your own DIY Studio Display? The owner of today’s M3 Pro MacBook Pro setup did just that, crafting dual 27-inch 5K monitors for several hundred dollars less than buying production models.

In a dramatic Emergency SOS via satellite rescue, Apple’s service led to a helicopter snatching up four women trapped on a glacier by wildfires last week in British Columbia, according to a report.

“In this instance, their cellphone literally saved their lives,” said a rescue manager.

For anyone who thinks of the world’s most popular laptop — MacBook Air — as Apple’s lightweight laptop in more ways than one, like it’s strictly for students and amateurs, it’s probably time to update your view. Today’s attractive working setup from Germany finds its slim-but-powerful M3 MacBook Air provides plenty of computing power.

Apple agreed to adhere to a set of voluntary artificial intelligence (AI) safeguards proposed by the Biden administration, according to a new report Friday. The move aligns Apple with other major tech companies like Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI. It’s a collective effort to help ensure responsible AI development (although there are, as of yet, no penalties for flouting the firmly worded but fairly vague suggestions).

The first German-language series to air on Apple TV+, a tech-centric dark comedy called Where’s Wanda?, will debut October 2, the streamer said Thursday. So we have an air date, an image (above) and a description (below). Soon enough, a trailer should follow for what looks like it might be a pretty compelling show.

This follows news of the second German-language show coming to Apple TV+, hospital drama KRANK Berlin, starring Haley Louise Jones. Still in production, it has no air date yet.

The sprawling North American Leagues Cup 2024 soccer tournament kicks off July 26 exclusively on MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app, the iPhone giant said Thursday.

The second annual Leagues Cup is a monthlong tournament featuring all 47 clubs from Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga MX. So participating clubs come from the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Emergency platforms RapidSOS and Prepared recently shared their plans to integrate with the new Emergency SOS Live Video functionality in iOS 18. That means most 911 calls will include the option to share video with dispatchers, like a FaceTime call. And that will help responders assess the scene and prepare to help in the best way.

Moft is way beyond its fundraising goal for its new Moft Snap Flow iPhone stand, which snaps to the handset magnetically and unfolds to give you a little organizer with pen and paper. Having raised more than 13 times the funding goal of $10,000 on Kickstarter, the accessories company will most likely put the new Snap Flow into production. With nearly 2,400 people financially backing it so far, there seems to be an appetite for the old-school accessory.

But in the meantime, you can pledge for one on Kickstarter at 20% off through July 31. So who needs a Samsung-style smartphone stylus (or Apple’s Notes app), anyway?

Best Buy just launched its Great Summer Sale with a variety of Apple deals — including up to $600 off M2 iPad Pro models. Now that M4 iPad Pro has been out a while, they must be clearing out their inventory of the older-but-still-great tablet.

Are you ready for some football … with iPads? This upcoming college football season should see plenty of Apple tablets teaming up with coaches and players on the sidelines. Two powerhouse NCAA Division I conferences — Southeastern (SEC) and Atlantic Coast (ACC) — recently struck deals with Apple to use iPads in college football games.

iPad’s “unique capabilities and versatility make it the ideal solution to support coaches and student-athletes,” said Scott Brodrick, a manager in Apple’s worldwide iPad product marketing group. “With an unrivaled combination of advanced displays, powerful performance, portability, fast connectivity, all day battery life and versatile accessories, iPad will let coaches and players make in-game adjustments and empower athletes to compete at the highest level.”

The new Pitaka MagEZ Case 2 for iPad Pro fuses stylish design and tough protection for your tablet, the company said Wednesday. And what’s more, you can use it more like a desktop computer or laptop with a highly functional magnetic case like this one.

Many folks building a computer setup love a good trick for compartmentalizing a bit — essentially, any way they can neaten up the space in a way that enhances productivity. That could include something we don’t see often enough in setups: multi-use keyboard trays. Today’s Mac Studio user proudly displays a wooden one for Magic Keyboard mini and Magic Trackpad 2. And you can find many others out there, like the popular Twelve South MagicBridge.

Trays like that give your keyboard and trackpad — or/or mouse, in some cases — one modular place to live, and you can easily move the pair or trio around as one unit or hold it in your lap.