David Snow - page 60

Go to the dark side with special-edition Nanoleaf Shapes smart lights

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See the special-edition all-black Shapes turned off, at left, and turned on, at right.
See the special-edition all-black Shapes turned off, at left, and turned on, at right.
Photo: Nanoleaf

Celebrating its “10-year Nanoversary,” Nanoleaf put out a special edition of its Shapes smart-lighting panels. It’s a new all -black color option: Ultra Black Shapes Triangles.

Like the other colors, the new set works with HomeKit as part of your smart-home lighting.

If you’re anti-mouse and anti-trackpad, what device can you use? [Setups]

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That thing in the foreground is a Wacom Intuos Pro M tablet.
That thing in the foreground is a Wacom Intuos Pro M tablet.
Photo: happy_haircut

Some people dislike using a mouse. Others can’t fathom a trackpad. And believe it or not, some folks hate both. So what do they do to get their brilliant thoughts onto the computer screen?

Knowing it’s hard to get by in life on just a keyboard, what input device can they use in addition to it? As today’s featured computer setup illustrates, they might try using a certain tablet like it’s a cross between a trackpad and a mouse.

Apple TV+ Five Days at Memorial trailer tracks horrors in wake of Hurricane Katrina

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Vera Farmiga stars in
Vera Farmiga stars in "Five Days at Memorial" on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Released Wednesday, the first trailer for Five Days at Memorial depicts the agonizing decisions Hurricane Katrina forced on staff at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans in 2005. The storm itself was just the first of many horrors.

The drama series lands on Apple TV+ on August 12.

AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max could employ powerful next-gen Bluetooth

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AirPods Pro 2 could be among Apple's earphones that take advantage of the new Bluetooth standard.
AirPods Pro 2 could be among Apple's earphones that take advantage of the new Bluetooth standard.
Photo: Killian Bell / Cult of Mac

The standards body behind Bluetooth technology said Tuesday the next-gen version first promoted two years ago is finally here. With Bluetooth LE Audio now complete, new headphones like the upcoming AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max can incorporate an array of improvements.

Just to name a few, we can expect better sound, improved power efficiency and connectivity to an “unlimited” number of devices if Apple fully integrates the new standard.

Apple TV+ bags 51 Primetime Emmy nominations

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Apple TV+
With 51 nominations, Apple TV+ stands to do well at the primetime Emmy Awards.
Photo: Apple TV+

The Television Academy said Tuesday Apple TV+ received 51 Primetime Emmy nominations, including 20 for the hit comedy Ted Lasso.

That matches the show’s record-breaking number of Emmy nominations in 2021. And the psychological thriller Severance received 14 nominations this year, second most among the streaming service’s titles.

Apple TV 4K hits lowest price ever

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The current Siri Remote was an improvement on its predecessor.
Apple TV 4K at 32GB and 64GB are both at best-ever prices right now.
Photo: Apple

Amazon Prime Day runs officially on Tuesday and Wednesday, but many deals, including bargains on Apple gear, tend to creep in early.

Earlier today it was Apple Watch 7 hitting a new low price, and now it’s Apple TV 4K — now at its lowest price ever on Amazon.

New Jya Fjord purifier for HomeKit lets you clear the air with Nordic flair

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The new Jya Fjord and Fjord Pro air purifiers support HomeKit.
The new Jya Fjord and Fjord Pro air purifiers support HomeKit.
Photo: Jya

If you’re looking for a HomeKit-enabled air purifier that can handle large rooms, you have a new option: SmartMi launched its new brand Jya and its Fjord air purifier.

It joins SmartMi’s two existing HomeKit air purifiers, but it features more of a “Nordic” aesthetic and is designed for larger rooms, the company said.

New Studio Display gives LG 4K monitor the boot [Setups]

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Another satisfied customer: New Studio Display pairs with an M1 MacBook Air and a homemade keyboard.
Another satisfied customer: New Studio Display pairs with an M1 MacBook Air (not shown) and a homemade keyboard.
Photo: Asleep_Painting6103

Another week, another bunch of new Studio Displays shipped. They’re cropping up in Setups far and wide as replacements for until-recently-good-enough 4K monitors by the likes of LG and Dell.

Today’s featured M1 MacBook Air setup runs a new Studio Display in place of a 4K LG screen. And for input devices, the user opts for a Magic Trackpad over a mouse, using it with a pretty nifty homemade mechanical keyboard.

Bluetti Prime Day offers great deals on power products

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Amazon Prime Day features big deals on Bluetti power products this year.
Amazon Prime Day features big deals on Bluetti power products this year.
Photo: Bluetti

This post is brought to you by Bluetti.

If you’re wondering when Amazon Prime Day is this year, heads up — it’s Tuesday and Wednesday of this week! So you can look forward to price cuts from national brands and small businesses across virtually every category.

Taking a cue from the retail giant, power products maker Bluetti is calling its big annual shopping event “Bluetti Prime Day” on those same dates, July 12 and 13.

You can find the best deals at www.bluettipower.com on solar power stations, solar panels, various accessories and more. We link to the best deals below.

New magnetic sleeve is a perfect fit for M2 MacBook Air

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Get the optional strap and the sleeve becomes a shoulder bag.
Get the optional strap and the sleeve becomes a shoulder bag.
Photo: WaterField Designs

Got a new 13-inch M2 MacBook Air in need of some stylish protection? WaterField Designs just unveiled its new Magnetic Laptop Sleeve. It’s custom-fitted to that ultralight laptop.

The sleeve, made of waxed canvas in four color choices, offers serious protection, too.

And if you preorder one soon enough, you can get special early-bird gift. See below.

New iPhone 14 case leak supports rumor of ‘Plus’ model

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This lineup of purported iPhone 14 cases shows a
This lineup of purported iPhone 14 cases shows a "Plus" non-Pro model.
Photo: DuanRui@Twitter

A photograph said to show leaked iPhone 14 cases supports the widespread idea that the series will feature four models and bigger camera bumps. And it appears to show a case for a large, non-Pro handset that may be called “iPhone 14 Plus.”

If this holds up at launch in a couple of months, the two smaller models will be iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro and the two bigger models will be iPhone 14 Plus (or Max) and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Tiny apartment benefits from beautifully backlit Studio Display [Setups]

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This cozy corner benefits from Philips Hue Play light bars behind the Studio Display.
This cozy corner benefits from Philips Hue Play light bars behind the Studio Display.
Photo: cambookpro@Reddit.com

Today’s featured M1 Pro MacBook workstation has a new Studio Display with bias lighting, illuminating the wall behind the display. It comes from three strategically placed Philips Hue Play bars that really make that corner of the small apartment “pop.”

Apple TV+ nabs record 53 Hollywood Critics Association Awards nominations

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Apple TV+ will clean up at this year's Hollywood Critics Association Awards.
Apple TV+ will clean up at this year's Hollywood Critics Association Awards.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ garnered a record 53 nominations for 16 shows across a range of genres — comedy, drama, documentary, anthology series, variety-sketch series — for the upcoming Hollywood Critics Association Awards.

Psychological thriller Severance and comedy Ted Lasso led the way with a dozen nominations apiece.

Give them the power of choice with a Bluetti E-Gift Card

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When you send a Bluetti E-Gift Card, they can choose whatever power products they want.
When you send a Bluetti E-Gift Card, they can choose whatever power products they want.
Image: Bluetti

This post is brought to you by Bluetti.

Power stations, power banks, solar panels and related accessories make great gifts, but it’s not always easy to know exactly what your giftee needs. That’s what makes a Bluetti E-Gift Card so great — they can choose whatever power products they want!

And even better, Bluetti E-Gift Cards offer great savings and make for a quicker way to pay.

Should you grab a great deal on AirPods Pro or wait for the new ones?

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A great deal is a great deal, but the coming AirPods Pro 2 may feature sweet upgrades.
A great deal is a great deal, but the coming AirPods Pro 2 may feature sweet upgrades.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Some great sales prices have popped up lately for Apple’s flagship earbuds, AirPods Pro. That may relate to the fact that the highly anticipated next-gen version with new features is expected to launch before the end of the year. And sellers want to clear out stock.

So should you take the deal behind door No. 1, or wait for whatever’s coming with AirPods Pro 2 behind door No. 2? Let’s look at your options for Apple’s top active noise-cancelling (ANC) wireless earbuds.

Elago brings back a classic colorful case for iPhone 13

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Elago brought back its best-selling Glide cases for iPhone 13.
Elago brought back its best-selling Glide cases for iPhone 13.
Photo: Elago

There’s nothing like a splash of color to jazz things up. Elago found that out years ago when it first offered its popular Glide series of cases, which feature two-tone color combinations. Now an improved, more-protective version of the case is out for iPhone 13 handsets.

And better yet, you can get a great price on a selection of Glide cases for iPhone 13 in the Cult of Mac Store.

Apple Watch 7 and SE hit all-time low prices

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You can get great deals right now on Apple Watch 7 and SE.
You can get great deals right now on Apple Watch 7 and SE.
Photo: Apple

Various discounts across the Apple Watch lineup appeared Thursday, including Apple Watch SE hitting an all-time low price on Amazon for the first time and models of Apple Watch Series 7 reaching or returning to all-time low prices.

Act fast, though — these deals often don’t last long.

Luck trailer: First full-length, 3D-animated film on Apple TV+ looks fun

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"Luck" takes you to where luck comes from.
Photo: Apple TV+

Feeling unlucky lately? Wouldn’t it be nice if a black cat who speaks English with a Scottish accent could take you to a magical land where luck is made?

Not bloody likely to happen, but you get the next best thing with Luck, the first full-length, 3D-animated film to hit Apple TV+, which offered a trailer for it Thursday.

It’s also the streamer’s first film through its exclusive deal with Skydance Animation. Look for Luck’s Apple TV+ debut on August 5.

This is how you power a home-automation station [Setups]

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An M1 Max MacBook Pro and Raspberry Pi help make this a home-automation station.
An M1 Max MacBook Pro and Raspberry Pi help make this a home-automation station.
Photo: bob_the_lego_builder@Reddit.com

Most of the time, when we talk about home automation, we’re talking about Apple’s HomeKit system. But today’s featured computer setup, which relies on a formidable M1 Max MacBook Pro and dual displays, goes another route.

The homeowner runs a Raspberry Pi with open-source software to achieve about 50 automations, including Siri integration.

Have your way with documents on iPhone and Mac with Kdan’s PDF Reader

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Create, convert, edit and share documents with Kdan's PDF Reader.
Create, convert, edit and share documents with Kdan's PDF Reader.
Image: Kdan

This post is brought to you by Kdan.

If you want to work smoothly with PDF files, you need a capable tool like Kdan’s PDF Reader. The name may leave you thinking it just helps you read PDFs, but it actually does much more for your workflow.

With PDF Reader, you can create, read, edit, sign, scan, secure and convert PDFs on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Learn more and download it below.

Dress up your wrist with a classy calfskin leather Apple Watch band

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There's nothing like a classic leather Apple Watch band.
There's nothing like a classic leather Apple Watch band.
Photo: Speidel

Nothing beats the classic style and comfort of a premium leather Apple Watch band. And calfskin leather typically makes for an especially supple version of the classic strap.

If you’re looking to upgrade the look and feel of your wrist, check out the Speidel Sport Calf Skin Leather Apple Watch Band. You can get a good price on it in the Cult of Mac Store.

M1 Max MacBook pairs nicely with 40-inch ultra-wide display [Setups]

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No scaling issues seen here.
No scaling issues seen here.
Photo: AeGertjan@Reddit.com

Curved ultra-wide displays are all the rage lately, and it’s no wonder why. What a fantastic amount of real estate. But it can be worrisome buying one if you’re not sure how it will look with your Mac’s resolution and scaling options.

Today’s featured computer setup pairs a beast of a 16-inch M1 Max MacBook with a brilliant 40-inch LG 5K UltraWide curved display. Let’s look at how well it’s working and what some of the issues can be.

Edifier NeoBuds S offer decent ANC and articulate sound [Review] ★★★★☆

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Edifier does a nice job with presentation, including seven sets of eartips.★★★★☆
Edifier does a nice job with presentation on both NeoBuds Pro and NeoBuds S, including seven sets of eartips and a nice travel pouch.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Known for speakers and headphones with high-quality sound at affordable places, China-based Edifier plans to release a new set of true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) this month, the NeoBuds S. They closely track the look and feel of the well-regarded, high-resolution NeoBuds Pro the company rolled out in July 2021 — but with some promised improvements.

Edifier sent Cult of Mac a set of NeoBuds S to try out and see how well the company’s beefed-up noise cancellation and sound quality perform, among other features.

Catch the light with Laut Holo Apple accessory cases

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The cases' hard plastic materials catch iridescent light.
The cases' hard plastic materials catch iridescent light.
Photo: Laut

An Apple accessory case is a case is a case is a case — except when it’s both protective and catches all the colors of the rainbow. That’s what Laut’s Holo cases for AirPods Pro, AirPods 3 and iPhone 13 do as they reflect iridescent light.

Check out the Laut Holo Collection in the Cult of Mac Store and get a great deal on a stylish and protective case.