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David Snow - page 52

Sleek new vertical MacBook stand is a real space-saver

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Twelve South BookArc Flex stand in chrome
It comes in chrome, above, as well as matte-black and matte-white finishes.
Photo: Twelve South

If you’re ready to put your MacBook in clamshell mode on a vertical stand, Twelve South rolled out a nice one for you Tuesday — BookArc Flex.

The minimalist stand lets you run your closed laptop like a desktop — just plug in your external display and fire up a keyboard and mouse — while saving loads of space on your desk for other gear. And you can get it with chrome, matte-black or matte-white finishes.

Apple pitches Vision Pro as ‘ultimate entertainment device’

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Apple Vision Pro Environments
Environments are dynamic vistas in your space that change as the day progresses.
Photo: Apple

New entertainment experiences launching with Apple Vision Pro on February 2 should be dazzling, as users can turn any space into a personal theater, enjoy more than 150 3D movies and experience “the future of entertainment” with Immersive Video, Apple said Tuesday.

“Apple Vision Pro is the ultimate entertainment device,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing. “Users can turn any place into the best seat in the house, enjoy personal concerts and adventures with Apple Immersive Video, interact with lifelike prehistoric creatures in Encounter Dinosaurs, and even land on the surface of the moon using Environments. It’s unlike anything users have ever seen before and we can’t wait for them to experience it for themselves.”

How many movies will Apple TV+ get out of Argylle franchise?

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Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill in Argylle
Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill star in Argylle, in theaters February 2.
Photo: Apple TV+

For a would-be blockbuster packed with A-list Hollywood talent, the Apple TV+ spy thriller Argylle coming to theaters next month sure flew under the radar until recently. And not only is the high-concept global romp starring Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa and everyone else in Hollywood seeming to come out of nowhere. So is the developing Argylle movie franchise, which could dominate screens for years.

Turns out Argylle is based on book four of a novel series that has only just released book one. Does that mean a whopping four Argylle movies will come to Apple TV+? Or maybe even more?

Good monitor arms ‘go a long way’ [Setups]

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Mac Studio setup with three mounted displays
This user swears by the arms his 4 displays are mounted on.
Photo: [email protected]

Sure, you can buy a computer monitor and set it up on the stand that came in the box. But what if you want to easily move the external display around? And what if you want to have multiple screens and move them around?

Keeping monitors up off the desk and mobile can really improve your setup. And the best way to do that is to mount your screens on arms. It takes some effort, but as today’s user points out below, it’s worth it.

Apple offers free book in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

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Apple homepage on MLK Jr Day 2024
Here's your chance to read Martin Luther King Jr.'s most transformative speeches and sermons.
Photo: Apple

As always on the third Monday in January, Apple’s homepage honors the memory of slain Civil Rights Movement leader Martin Luther King Jr.

It’s his national holiday. And this year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day you can download a free book that collects the man’s greatest writings.

For All Mankind season 4 finale burns with new hope [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Kuznetzov Station For All Mankind★★★★
Is this just a foward-looking ending, or is this upcoming season 5? We shall see.
Photo: Apple TV+

You can’t ask for much more than For All Mankind‘s season 4 finale “Perestroika” gives. It wraps up the season in heart-pounding and heartstring-tugging fashion Friday, bringing climax and resolution to the audience along with hope for the future of the space program — and maybe a season 5 of the show.

It’s a satisfying end to the conflict over Mars-based asteroid mining at the heart of the season. But the future development teased as the episode wraps up, which appears to beg a fifth season, could simply make a fitting end to the series (as we wait to see if Apple TV+ will renew it).

Get 20% off flexible stand that mounts MagSafe iPhone anywhere

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Need to stick your iPhone in an unusual place? No problem.
Need to stick your iPhone in an unusual place? No problem.
Photo: SwitchEasy

Some iPhone MagSafe stands are ideal for use at your desk or on your bedside table. Others are car mounts. But what if one mount could go almost anywhere and let you view your handset at any angle? That’s the SwitchEasy Orbit Universal Magnetic Stand.

And all the better, you can get 20% off the portable and flexible stand in the Cult of Mac Store — a savings of $8. The sale ends this Sunday.

Take your pick of hefty discounts on AirPods models

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AirPods Pro 2
AirPods Pro 2 are seeing a solid discount right now on Amazon.
Photo: Apple

Amazon is offering discounts on all Apple AirPods models right now, including some hefty ones. Depending on the right model for you, you might save as much as 24% off the regular price, or about $60.

Even AirPods Max over-ear headphones are priced down a bit, with prices ranging from $495 to $535 depending upon which color you choose (under the regular $549 price).

New Sennheiser wireless earbuds measure heart rate and body temperature

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Sennheiser Momentum Sport earbuds olive
These new sport buds will track your heart rate and body temperature.
Photo: Sennheiser

Sennheiser unveiled three new earphones at CES 2024 that will compete with various AirPods, including Momentum Sport wireless earbuds that track heart rate and body temperature. Those kinds of sensors were expected in AirPods Pro (2nd generation), launched in September 2022, but didn’t show up.

In addition, Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds become the venerable brand’s new flagship buds for sound quality and Accentum Plus bring top-shelf features to relatively affordable over-ear headphones.  

Ask AI-powered Rabbit R1 for anything (without touching an app) [Updated]

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Rabbit R1 AI device
It won't replace your iPhone anytime soon, but it could make operating all your apps easier.
Photo: Rabbit

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.

His sister works for Apple. Brace for jealousy. [Setups]

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Mac Studio setup with 5K Studio Display and 4K Samsung monitor
What do you do if one display is 5K resolution and one is 4K resolution?
Photo: [email protected]

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!

Anker ships its first Qi2 MagGo chargers

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Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Charging Station
This folding 3-in-1 charging station is Qi2-certified and on sale now.
Photo: Anker

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 unveils world’s first foldable MagSafe 3-in-1 wireless charger

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Matrix Ultimate folding 3-in-1 wireless charger
This 3-in-1 MagSafe charger folds and disassembles for true portability.
Photo: Alogic

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.

Turn Apple Watch into high-end jewelry with this band

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Isn't it time you made your wearable an elegant piece of jewelry?
Isn't it time you made your wearable an elegant piece of jewelry?
Photo: Goldenerre

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’s new HomeKit-enabled wares include powerful hub, smart plug and lock

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Aqara Hub M3
The new Aqara Hub M3 can help your run your whole smart home.
Photo: Aqara

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.

Holograms at CES? Samsung shows off world’s first transparent microLED displays.

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Samsung transparent micro LED display
A screenshot from a video posted on X shows the transparent display in action.
Photo: Dave Snelling, @snellingD on X

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.

Can removing a 4K external display count as an upgrade? [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup with LG UltraFine monitor on stand
Once again, a monitor riser (and other updates) elevates a computer setup.
Photo: [email protected]

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.

Lily Gladstone wins Golden Globe for Killers of the Flower Moon

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Lily Gladstone in a scene from
Lily Gladstone's performance in Flowers of the Killer Moon earned her a Golden Globes win for best actress.
Photo: Apple TV+

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.

New mophie Juice Pack battery case keeps iPhone 15 series going

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mophie juice pack for iPhone 15 series
mophie's renewed juice pack keeps iPhone 15 series handsets powered up.
Photo: mophie

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.

Dream of ‘Brazil’ dies in For All Mankind‘s fraught episode 9 ★★★★☆

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For All Mankind season 4, episode 9, Kelly and Ed hug★★★★☆
Tears and hugs aside, Kelly Baldwin isn't falling for her dad's BS.
Photo: Apple TV+

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.

16-year-old Mac Pro drives even more-ancient Cinema Display [Setups]

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2008 Mac Pro and 2005 30-inch Cinema Display
Wait, what year is it again? 2024. Right.
Photo: [email protected]

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.

How does Apple use AI and machine learning?

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Siri on an iPhone
Apple takes a different approach to AI from many of its competitors.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

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?

SPONSORED
This post is brought to you by Web Oracle.
In contrast to competitors’ high-profile activities, Apple lays low on the AI revolution. In fact, the company scarcely mentioned AI at all until recently. You’d be forgiven for thinking Cupertino might not even be involved in the buzziest tech around.

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.

New keyboard case turns iPhone into CrackBerry

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Clicks Creator Keyboard for iPhone
If you miss physical buttons and can get used to a much-bigger iPhone, this could be for you.
Photo: Clicks Technology

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.