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

Flexible device and display mounts make this home office [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup with mounted devices and displays
Everything in this setup but the keyboard, wrist rest, mouse and desk mat is mounted.
Photo: SQU1DZ@Reddit.com

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If you’re not elevating your laptop, iPad and displays on mounts and arms, you’re limiting your computer setup. Today’s feature MacBook Pro and iPad setup illustrates the point well by putting those devices and dual displays on four separate mounts, some with moveable arms.

That makes all of those devices more flexible, and much easier to move around than they would be on stationary stands. It also frees up space on the desk.

Today in Apple history: Pixar IPO makes Steve Jobs a billionaire

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Steve_Jobs_2007
The Pixar IPO is a key part of Steve Jobs' professional turnaround.
Photo: Ben Stanfield/Flickr CC

November 29: Today in Apple history: Pixar makes Steve Jobs a billionaire November 29, 1995: Capitalizing on the success of Toy Story, Pixar floats 6.9 million shares on the stock market. The IPO makes Steve Jobs, who owns upward of 80% of the animation studio, a billionaire.

After the windfall, one of the first people Jobs calls is his friend, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who’s already a member of the billionaire’s club.

“Hello, Larry?” Jobs tells his friend on the phone. “I made it.”

Get Speidel’s soft silicone Scrub Band for Apple Watch for just $6

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Speidel's Matching Scrub Band for Apple Watch is just $5.99 for a limited time.
Speidel's Matching Scrub Band for Apple Watch is just $5.99 for a limited time.
Photo: Cult of Mac Store

Speidel makes all sorts of watch bands and straps — including a wide range of bands for Apple Watch. Little did we know there’s one made for medical workers, as in doctors and nurses. It’s the Speidel Matching Scrub Band for Apple Watch, and it’s on sale in the Cult of Mac Store for just $5.99, or 70% off the regular price.

You don’t need to work in health care to grab one. But if you like the looks of these colorful and inexpensive silicone Apple Watch bands, you should act fast — once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Apple reportedly ending Apple Card partnership with Goldman Sachs

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Making Apple Card payments is as simple as its design.
Apple might have to find a new banking partner for Apple Card.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s partnership with Goldman Sachs for the Apple Card is reportedly coming to an end. The Wall Street Journal says Apple sent a proposal to the bank to exit from the agreement in the next 12 to 15 months.

At the moment, it remains unclear if Apple has zeroed in on another banking partner for Apple Card.

New doc takes closer look at John Lennon’s killer [Apple TV+ trailer]

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Trailer for
Lots of information from various sources plus exclusive interviews shed light on the music icon's murder.
Photo: Apple TV+

Exclusive interviews with eyewitnesses to John Lennon’s murder, unseen crime-scene photos and discussions with experts — including the psychiatrist who first assessed confessed murderer Mark David Chapman — shed light on the music icon’s killing, according to a new trailer Apple TV+ dropped Tuesday for the documentary series John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial.

The three-part series, narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Kiefer Sutherland, debuts on Apple TV+ December 6.

Today in Apple history: QuickTime 5 takes the world by storm

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QuickTime 5 was being downloaded 1 million times every three days.
QuickTime 5 was being downloaded 1 million times every three days.
Photo: Apple

Nov. 28: Today in Apple history: QuickTime 5 downloads fuel web video revolution November 28, 2001: Apple says QuickTime 5 is being downloaded for Mac and PC a million times every three days, putting the multimedia software on track to exceed 100 million downloads in its first year of distribution. The announcement comes as websites adopt the MPEG-4 format, and online video begins to take off in a big way.

In particular, Apple’s movie trailer website proves a massive success. Millions of people download previews of upcoming blockbusters like Spider-Man and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Online trailer releases for films like The Lord of the Rings become buzz-worthy events.

In a pre-YouTube world, Apple has everything to gain!

Last chance to win a super-protective iPad case from Zugu [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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Lather your iPad in a luxurious sheild.
Keep your iPad safe and secure at all times in a rugged Zugu case.
Photo: Zugu

The prize in this week’s giveaway is every iPad owner’s dream: an iPad case from Zugu with a built-in Apple Pencil holder. We teamed up with Zugu to give five lucky winners the chance to win one of these fantastic iPad cases.

Zugu’s cases start at $49.99, fit a wide array of iPads, and come in nine different colors. So if you win, you will be spoiled for choice.

Peruse Apple Books’ top titles of 2023 and learn more about your own favorites

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Apple Books Year in Review
Apple Books' new Year in Review feature offers insights into what you read.
Photo: Apple

There’s nothing like cracking open the ol’ iPad to the next page of the book you can’t put down — thanks to Apple Books. And now you can find your next great read from the service’s most-popular books of 2023 and enjoy a Year in Review with insights into the books and authors you enjoyed, Apple said Tuesday.

Pick new podcasts from Apple’s list of most popular ones

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Pick new podcasts from Apple's list of most popular ones
The Apple Podcasts app will show you to most popular offerings in your country.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

One of the best ways to discover new podcasts is by finding out what other people are listening to. Apple made that easy Tuesday by tabulating the most popular podcasts of 2023.

These hit podcasts are available in localized versions for listeners in nearly 100 countries and regions.

Why iPhone NameDrop feature is not a security risk

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NameDrop in iOS 17
See that "Share" button? It's important.
Photo: Apple Support

Parents are mistakenly being warned that they need to quickly deactivate iOS 17’s NameDrop feature on their children’s iPhones. The warnings claim that it’s causing the devices to broadcast their contact information to anyone nearby.

This simply isn’t true.