Apple news, analysis and opinion, plus general tech news | Cult of Mac

Moft reinforces its 4-in-1 origami folio for iPad with stronger magnets

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Moft's Snap Float Folio for iPad offers four stand positions.
Moft's Snap Float Folio for iPad offers four stand positions.
Photo: Moft

Moft released its cool, origami-style Snap Float Folio for iPad in 2022, offering a versatile four stand positions for the tablet. Now the company has updated the folio, reinforcing it and adding stronger magnets for a better hold, among other changes.

“In retrospect, yeah, stronger magnets would definitely improve the stand,” said Ed Hardy, Cult of Mac‘s reviewer of the original Snap Float. He loved it then, and it sounds like the new one’s even better.

Latest Belkin power bank can fast-charge Apple Watch

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Belkin BoostCharge Pro Fast Wireless Charger for Apple Watch + Power Bank 10K in use
Quickly power up your Apple Watch and iPhone with Belkin's new portable battery.
Photo: Belkin

A new power bank from Belkin includes a built-in wireless charger that can juice up the latest Apple Watch models in the minimum amount of time. The battery also can simultaneously replenish an iPhone through its USB-C port.

The BoostCharge Pro Fast Wireless Charger for Apple Watch + Power Bank 10K launched Thursday.

Bling up Apple Watch with a slick band and shiny cases

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The stud Apple Watch band in taupe is perfect for spring and summer.
The stud Apple Watch band in taupe is perfect for spring and summer.
Photo: Goldenerre

With spring soon turning to summer, isn’t it time you lightened up your look and added a bit of bling? Maybe a studded leather Apple Watch band in taupe and some shiny and colorful Apple Watch cases to go with it are just the thing.

Goldenerre’s popular leather band is now available in a taupe color in the Cult of Mac Store, along with shiny gold and silver Apple Watch cases, with (or without) rhinestones for maximum bling.

Today in Apple history: Apple probes Foxconn suicides

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Apple faces criticism for conditions on the iPhone production line in Foxconn factories.
Apple faces criticism for conditions on the iPhone production line.
Photo: SACOM Hong Kong/Flickr CC

May 25: Today in Apple history: Apple investigates Foxconn suicides May 25, 2010: Apple opens an investigation into a string of suicides at Foxconn, its Chinese manufacturing partner.

After reports of a ninth death at a Foxconn factory, Apple says it is “independently evaluating” Foxconn’s response. Cupertino vows to take a long, hard look at the facilities that manufacture its products. It’s a tough challenge for Apple to deal with — and Steve Jobs’ controversial comments don’t exactly help.

Hijack trailer takes off with Idris Elba in airborne standoff

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Elba looks tense here for a reason. He's got big problems to solve.
Elba looks tense here for a reason. He's got big problems to solve.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ went wheels-up Thursday with a trailer for the upcoming thriller series Hijack. In it, Idris Elba plays a business negotiator who finds himself on a hijacked airliner and sets about handling a desperate situation that is much more complicated than it first appears — with the lives of 200 passengers at stake.

On the plane the clock is very much ticking, and so is ours as we wait for this show to take off. It debuts June 28 on Apple TV+.

How to use ChatGPT on iPhone for good, not evil

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How to use ChatGPT on iPhone for good, not evil
The new ChatGPT for iOS app is useful in many ways, not just cheating.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

OpenAI’s ChatGPT for iOS makes the much-hyped chatbot easy to use on an iPhone. It’s powered by the same artificial intelligence as the web version, so it’s useful in many ways for people on the go. Plus, the app has its own voice-recognition system. And the basic version is free.

The ChatGPT AI already stirred up enormous controversy. But here are some suggestions for how to use the new iPhone application in positive ways.

Get outsized savings on an M2 Mac mini refurb straight from Apple

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Mac mini sitting on desk alongside LG display, LaCie hard drive, Model F keyboard and Magic Trackpad
Save big on the slim 2023 Mac mini with M2 chip.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The 2023 Mac mini with the powerful Apple M2 processor is already an amazing deal, and shoppers can now save even more by buying a refurbished unit.

These are primarily desktops that consumers bought then returned so supplies are limited. There are no units with the M2 Pro processor available at this time, for example.

Embarrassing medical info fuels jokes in Apple’s privacy-themed ad

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Embarrassing medical info fuels jokes in Apple’s privacy-themed ad
Apple's latest video advert uses humor to drive home an important point.
Screenshot: Apple

Walking into a doctor’s office to be greeted by a public announcement of the medical condition you’re there to have treated would be a nightmare. A nightmare that plays out in the latest Apple video advert.

But one person in the ad is safe from embarrassment: the one who stores her medical data in the iPhone Health app, which Apple designed to protect user privacy.

iOS 17 might add smart home display mode to iPhone

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Nest Hub Max
Apple might borrow an idea from Google and let iPhone as a smart home hub.
Photo: Google

The always-on display in recent iPhones will get a new use in iOS 17, according to a tipster. The device will reportedly show upcoming appointments, controls for smart home accessories, and more.

We won’t have long to wait to find out if this is an accurate leak — the official unveiling of iOS 17 at WWDC23 is expected in under two weeks.