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David Snow - page 63

Thunderbolt 4 dock helps M3 MacBook Pro share massive display and more [Setups]

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Setups with two MacBook pros and an LG smart TV
A powerful M3 MacBook and its older sibling -- an M1 Max -- play nice with a big LG smart TV via a Thunderbolt 4 dock.
Photo: [email protected]

Today’s featured setup packs two powerful MacBooks Pro — an M1 Max for work and an M3 Pro for play. To give them hassle-free equal time with peripherals, including a big, beautiful OLED smart TV serving as a display, the user employs a Thunderbolt 4 dock bristling with ports for maximum connectivity options.

A personalized AirTag dog collar keeps track of your best friend

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They're loyal and true, but sometimes they get lost. AirTag to the rescue.
They're loyal and true, but sometimes they get lost. AirTag to the rescue via a Nine Twenty Eight collar.
Photo: Nine Twenty Eight.

Never worry about losing your pet again with one of Nine Twenty Eight’s new AirTag dog collars. The family-run Canadian retailer — new to the Cult of Mac Store — designs the collars with a double-stitched slot for an AirTag, which is included with some models.

That way, you have a secure, comfortable collar for your pooch that also lets you use Apple’s AirTag tracking technology to help ensure he or she never gets lost.

Nine Twenty Eight also makes cat collars, but currently the lineup in the Cult of Mac Store is a selection of small, medium and large dog collars — and personalization is an option on the medium and large sizes!

Snag up to 48% off Samsung displays in Black Friday deal

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Samsung G9 ultra-wide display
Here's your chance to add a 49-inch curved ultra-wide display to your computer setups, or any of dozens of other choices.
Photo: Samsung

If your computer setup could use a new external display, don’t sleep on Amazon’s Black Friday bargains on Samsung monitors. You can nab steep discounts of up to nearly half off regular prices on a few items, with more like a third off on many others.

And the selection is as wide as some of those ultra-wide displays! If you want to spend less, you can skip 4K-resolution screen and find choices with 1080p resolution.

Fallen New England Patriots won’t go away in The Dynasty trailer

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New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick
A smile on Bill Belichick's face is a rarity, but he can almost manage it immediately after a Super Bowl victory.
Photo: Apple TV+

Everybody loves a winner — except when they don’t. The NFL’s New England Patriots saw so much success over two decades, with six Super Bowl wins, they gained a lot of fans as well as haters.

But even if you despise the Pats, who are having another post-dynasty bad year, you might want to consider watching the upcoming 10-part documentary series The Dynasty: New England Patriots. The teaser trailer Apple TV+ dropped last week takes a decidedly defeated tone after the opening scenes wallow in the thrill of victory.

The series, which promises “unprecedented access” to the team, debuts February 16 on Apple TV+. If it sparks riots in Boston, we’ll know it touched a nerve.

Super-cool vertical Mac mini stand does it all [Setups]

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M1 Mac mini setup features vertical stand with SSD enclosure and 5-in-1 USB-C hub.
The unobtrusive vertical stand holding up the Mac mini at right does a lot.
Photo: [email protected]

Mac mini, Apple’s small-but-mighty desktop machine, does a lot of things well — especially the M1 and newer models. They make bigger desktop computers unnecessary for people who don’t need truly massive computing power.

And today’s featured M2 Mac mini user found a way to greatly expand his computer’s capabilities with a vertical stand that also saves space on the desk.

Buy 2, get a third one free: SwitchEasy magnetic wall mounts for iPhone

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SwitchEasy's MagEasy magnetic wall mount lets you easily stick your iPhone practically anywhere.
SwitchEasy's MagEasy magnetic wall mount lets you easily stick your iPhone practically anywhere.
Photo: SwitchEasy

Following a recipe in the kitchen? Assembling furniture via online instructions? Taking a hands-free call in the tub? Sometimes you need to put your iPhone where you can see it, or talk via speaker, without holding it — and that’s when a magnetic wall mount comes in handy.

SwitchEasy sells two such mounts in the Cult of Mac Store, and through December 1 you can get a third one free when you buy two of the handy devices.

Craft 74 new workouts on Apple Watch with SmartGym app [Awesome Apps]

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SmartGym 7 for Apple Watch
Time to get ripped with SmartGym 7 for Apple Watch. Or at least fit.
Photo: SmartGym
Awesome Apps

The SmartGym app is already well-loved by Apple Watch users, and its recent update adds more than 70 new workouts and loads of convenient new functionality.

And it’s considered so good it’s currently up against two other finalist apps to win the App Store Award for Apple Watch App of the Year.

On For All Mankind‘s Mars, the working man’s life sucks (and then he dies, probably) [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Miles Dale (Toby Kebbell) in For All Mankind★★★
Miles Dale and his new Helios colleagues are psyched to work on Mars. But that doesn't last long.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review Last week’s season four opener of Apple TV+ alt-history drama series For All Mankind went necessarily big to catch everyone up and start off with a bang. So it’s not surprising episode two establishes a more practical stride, focusing on the realities of life in a working Mars colony.

Turns out life sucks for the working man up there in more ways than just an alarming chance of fatality. Life in Happy Valley, Mars, also tells a deeply unfair tale of haves and have-nots, just like on Earth.

Crucial dock connects new MacBook Pro to classic Cinema Display [Setups]

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Setup with MacBook Pro and Cinema Display.
The user connects a MacBook Pro and Cinema Display via dock, as the Mac mini mainly stays with the TV in the living room.
Photo: [email protected]

One thing we love about Apple is the staying power of its beautiful displays. We see the Studio Display maker’s much older Cinema Displays and Thunderbolt Displays used in modern computer setups pretty regularly.

Today’s MacBook Pro setup recently added a docking station to charge the laptop while connecting it to a classic LED Cinema Display.

Power up gadgets fast with Journey’s new ‘Ultra’ MagSafe chargers

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Journey Alti Ultra charging desk mat
Journey's Alti Ultra wireless charging desk mat is one of the company's fastest chargers.
Photo: Journey

Alogic’s Journey brand recently rolled out its fastest-ever chargers — a wireless charging desk mat and 3-in-1 wireless charging station.

The new Ultra series chargers — Alti Ultra Wireless Charging Desk Mat and the Trio Ultra 3-in-1 Fast Wireless Charging Station — carry Made for MagSafe certification, the company’s first to do so.

Note Apple’s holiday shipping deadlines so your gifts get there on time

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Ted Lasso animation
Sure, this is mustache-less Ted Lasso from a 2022 holiday animated short, but the coach looks pretty worried his gifts won't get to Kansas by Christmas.
Photo: Apple

If you’re planning on giving the gift of Apple gear to someone this holiday season, you better follow holiday shipping guidelines Apple posted on Thursday.

That way you can make sure your presents get to where they’re going by December 24, just in time for Christmas.

iPhone 15 handily beats iPhone 14 in 5G download speed tests

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The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads.
The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

iPhone 15 Series handsets released in September smoke iPhone 14 handsets by up to 54% in 5G download speeds, new tests released Wednesday showed.

Given the modem chipset upgrade in the newer models, the results aren’t surprising. But it’s always reassuring when the new gear performs as advertised.

mophie upgrades popular travel charger for speedy Apple Watch top-ups

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The product was already a hit, Mophie just made it a little better.
The product was already a hit, Mophie just made it a little better.
Photo: Mophie

mophie added fast charging for Apple Watch and a more sustainable design to its popular folding 3-in-1 MagSafe travel charger, the company said Wednesday.

So now the well-loved travel accessory gives you fast MagSafe charging for iPhone and quicker charging for your wearable.

Modern fashion rises from flames of WWII in The New Look drama on Apple TV+

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Ben Mendelsohn stars as Christian Dior.
Ben Mendelsohn stars as Christian Dior in "The New Look" on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Legends Christian Dior and Coco Chanel launched modern fashion design amid the horrors of Nazi occupation in Paris, according to the first look Apple TV+ provided Wednesday for The New Look.

Boasting a star-studded cast, the 10-episode historical drama series premieres February 14.

Find the perfect monitor riser for your desk [Setups]

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Mac mini setup Studio Display on monitor riser
Though most monitors come with adjustable stands, adding a monitor riser provides benefits to any computer setup.
Photo: [email protected]

Whether you call them monitor risers, desk shelves or display stands, finding the right one for your desk’s size can be a huge boon to your computer setup. Today’s featured Mac mini workstation benefits from a compact Balolo stand sitting toward the back of a small desk.

You can see that choice desk shelf and several other options below, along with all the setup’s gear, including a Studio Display and marvelous high-end headphones.

Tiny new Opal Tadpole webcam offers 4K quality on the go

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If your laptop's webcam isn't doing it for you, you might try the new Tadpole from Opal.
If your laptop's webcam isn't doing it for you, you might try the new Tadpole from Opal.
Photo: Opal

The ex-Apple and Beats folks behind the DSLR-like Opal C1 Webcam are back with a tiny new webcam claiming even better picture quality in an ultra-portable package for use with laptops and tablets — the Opal Tadpole.

And unlike the C1, which launched at $300 and dropped to $250, the Tadpole comes out of the gate at $175.

Top apps and games: Apple names 37 App Store Award finalists

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App Store Award finalists for iPhone apps
If you're looking for reliably good apps and games, this is a fine place to start. These are the apps for iPhone finalists (AllTrails, Duolingo and Flighty).
Photo: App Store

Apple’s App Store named its apps and games of the year for different devices/services plus other App Store Award finalists Tuesday. All told, it recognized 37 apps and games whose developers “are delivering exceptional experiences and making a profound cultural impact.”

And in a matter of weeks, we’ll find out who the winners are, the company said.

Save tunes you hear on TikTok straight to Apple Music

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TikTok Add to Music App
If you come across a cool tune, you can add it to your library with a click.
Photo: TikTok

Even if you only hear a snippet of a tune on TikTok, now you can add the whole song directly to Apple Music or another music-streaming service.

TikTok’s new Add to Music App launched Tuesday in the United States and the United Kingdom. It works with Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and other music streamers.

Store and charge Apple gear with the super-cool BentoStack

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You can use the BentoStack to neatly store you Apple accessories (and charge them).
You can use the BentoStack to neatly store you Apple accessories (and charge them).
Photo: Function101

Ever order a bento box from a Japanese restaurant, with sushi and other foods in separate little compartments? The Function101 BentoStack Charge 8000 is like that  — except it holds Apple accessories you want to store at your desk or tote around. Plus, it charges them.

The BentoStack comes with four useful compartments that you can use as trays. And it features a rechargeable power bank.

Coming ‘ultrasonic’ revolution could change wireless earbuds forever

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xMEMS Cypress
The Cypress ultrasonic speaker promises a leap in digital sound quality.
Photo: xMEMS

xMEMS Labs is bringing what it calls breakthrough technology to the wireless earbuds market late next year after a CES 2024 debut — the Cypress ultrasonic speaker. It turns ultrasonic waves we normally can’t even hear into full-frequency, hi-res audio with remarkable detail, the California-based semiconductor company said Tuesday.

The solid-state microspeaker, which will find its way into various companies’ earbuds and headphones — hello, AirPods? — generates low-frequency sound pressure for a full bass response, according to xMEMS Labs.

That makes the ultrasonic speaker a true replacement for legacy speaker technology that has only been refined, not replaced, since your great-grandparents rocked the Victrola.

Beautiful workstation serves up double the fun with dual everything [Setups]

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Want a highly functional and symmetrical setup? Get two of most things.
Want a highly functional and symmetrical setup? Get two of most things.
Photo: [email protected]

A New York City-based magazine editor showed off a beautiful computer setup that serves up twice the fun because it boasts two of everything. Well, not everything.

But it doubles up on a lot of the main gear — two M3 MacBooks Pro, two Studio Displays, two sets of Philips Hue smart lights, a pair of Yamaha speakers on stands and, believe it or not, two Magic Trackpads and a Magic Mouse.

Read more about the setup’s whys and wherefores below, and check out that gear list of links at the bottom of the article.

For All Mankind season 4 launches with painful look back [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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For All Mankind season 4★★★
Graying XO Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) pilots a craft with a Soviet colleague in "For All Mankind" season 4.
Photo: Apple TV+

Alternative-history space-race drama series For All Mankind returned to Apple TV+ Friday with a season 4 opener that handled two tough jobs pretty well — painfully looking back at past tragedies and peering ahead with trepidation to probable new ones. After all, space is dangerous and so are people.

In an episode called “Glasnost,” set 8 years after the end of season 3, For All Mankind sets its sites on asteroid wealth and a joint mission led by the United States and Russia to get it. And it doesn’t take long for people to start dying up there.

Be the ‘King of Digital’ with cool new synth app [Awesome Apps]

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AudioKit King of Digital synth app
Retro-obsessed audio mavens: Don't miss this one.
Photo: AudioKit
Awesome Apps

If you love the synth sounds of the ’80s, we have something for you. AudioKit Pro launched a brand-new hybrid synthesizer app for iPhone and iPad Wednesday for those who love the sounds of the 1980s, ’90s and early 2000s.

And while the developer said the synth app usually costs $19.99, right now you can get it for $3.99. And by the way, it’s currently rated #1 in Music on the App Store.

Save a couple hundred bucks on Microsoft Audio Dock

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Microsoft Audio Dock
At these prices, you might as well try it.
Photo: Microsoft

If you take a lot of calls via Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or Zoom — and if you like to save big on gear — new discounts on the Microsoft Audio Dock might be hard to pass up. You can get up to 86% off the normal $250 price.

Both Amazon and its bargain site Woot! offer deep cuts on the price. The lower price is just $35.

Killer MacBook Pro misses top billing in monstrous AV rig [Setups]

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That's pretty pricey for 'cozy,' but we'll take it.
That's pretty pricey for 'cozy,' but we'll take it.
Photo: [email protected]

If you use an M1 Max MacBook Pro bristling with 64GB of unified memory to drive two of Apple’s top Pro Displays XDR as well as off-the-charts audio gear in a Mission Control-looking workstation, can your computer setup accurately be described as “cozy?” That’s what today’s featured setup user said, improbably.

And while the user’s MacBook is still formidable despite Apple moving on to M3 chips, it’s not necessarily the workstation’s star. It almost pales in comparison to the AV components, including two of Apple’s $5,000-plus displays, incredible headphones and mounted KEF speakers that bring massive audio.