Top stories - page 32

Secrets and hard decisions bring Swagger to a boil [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★★

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Isaiah Hill in ★★★★★
Jace (played by Isaiah Hill) and Team Swagger need to bring the heat.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewSwagger finds Ike and Naim at odds this week, even as CJ and Camden share a road trip and some secrets. And while Emory and Ike pursue a common goal, the team faces more scrutiny than ever.

With so little left of the sports drama’s extremely strong second season, how will the building pressure come between the players and their goals? Entitled “Homecoming,” this week’s stirring and strong episode hits hard as we prepare to wrap up season two of this outstanding Apple TV+ show.

MacBook Air pairs with Studio Display in creator rig [Setups]

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Wade said his setup is usually a total mess, but he cleaned it up for once.
Wade said his setup is usually a total mess, but he cleaned it up for once.
Photo: Wade B. TechDaily

It’s only natural that a user would clean up his computer setup to show it off to the world, and that’s exactly what TechDaily’s Wade B. did with his MacBook Air and Studio Display setup before sending it to us with a video.

“It’s really the first time I’ve ever had a desk that wasn’t a total disaster area,” he told Cult of Mac.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs acknowledges MobileMe failure

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MobileMepic
MobileMe was the failed precursor to iCloud.
Photo: Apple

August 4: Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs acknowledges MobileMe failure August 4, 2008: Steve Jobs owns up to mistakes in launching MobileMe, spinning Apple’s bungled cloud service rollout as a learning opportunity.

“It was a mistake to launch MobileMe at the same time as iPhone 3G, iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store,” Jobs writes in an email to Apple employees. “We all had more than enough to do, and MobileMe could have been delayed without consequence.”

Slash $50 off power bank perfect for blackouts and camping

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Anker's portable power bank has a light and 60,000mAh battery capacity to charge your devices.
Anker's portable power bank has a light and 60,000mAh battery capacity to charge your devices.
Photo: Anker

You may not want to lug around a full-on generator for the occasional camping trip or brief power outage, but wouldn’t it be cool to have a powerful little one to provide light and keep your gadgets going?

That’s the Anker 548 Power Bank PowerCore Reserve Portable Charger. And you can get $50 off the regular price right now on Amazon.

Tim Cook calls AI ‘absolutely critical’ to Apple products

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Apple's got AI inside.
Why doesn't Apple go on and on about the "AI revolution"? Because it's already baked-in to Apple products.
Image: Michael DziedzicUnsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

Apple has been conspicuously quiet about its plans for artificial intelligence, even as rivals like Google and Microsoft made headlines touting the latest tech buzzword. But CEO Tim Cook leaped to his company’s defense Thursday, pointing out that AI is already used by many Apple products.

And he also listed upcoming software and services that wouldn’t be possible without machine learning and AI.

Get 3 charging spots in 1 with back-to-school pricing on this compact power hub

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Get 3 charging spots in 1 with back-to-school pricing on this compact power hub.
This 3-in-1 charging hub is under $40 during our Back-to-School Sale.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’re heading back to school next month, chances are you’re taking a lot more than schoolbooks. Bright students use their iPhones and iPads to take notes and keep their class schedules organized, but it’s a lot harder to keep your desk organized when those devices and their charging cables start piling up.

Now, there’s an ingenious, space-saving charging solution for every student’s (or working professional’s) tech needs. Whether you’re juggling countless cables to keep your iPad charged for taking lecture notes or juice up your iPhone for important work conferences, you need to upgrade your charging experience to the MagStack Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station. During our Back-to-School Sale, you can get it for only $39.97, the best price online, but only until August 13 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.

1 billion subscribers push Apple’s services revenue to all-time high [Updated]

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Apple logo with
Apple says more than a billion paid subscriptions pushed services revenues to an all-time high last quarter.
Photo: Goran Bogicevic/Free Stock photos by Vecteezy

The number of people subscribing to Apple services passed the 1 billion mark during the company’s most recent financial quarter, allowing that segment of the company to bring in record revenue.

But total revenue decreased slightly during the June quarter, the third time that’s happened in a row. And the money coming in from all Apple’s hardware groups is down.

Would you buy Apple Watch 9 or Ultra 2 in these new colors?

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Apple Watch Ultra 2 may come with both plain and black titanium cases.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 may come with both plain and black titanium cases.
Photo: @ShrimpApplePro

You can expect a new color for Apple Watch Series 9 — pink — and a new black titanium case for the second-gen Apple Watch Ultra, according to a reliable leaker.

If Apple remains true to its usual scheduling, we should see both new items in September at an event unveiling the iPhone 15 lineup.

This is the power bank professional digital nomads are looking for [Review] ★★★★

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HyperJuice 245W USB-C Battery Pack review★★★★
The latest HyperJuice power bank is big but is packed with features professionals will love.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The HyperJuice 245W USB-C Battery Pack has four USB-C ports, stores a whopping 27,000mAh and can output 100W through a single port for high-speed recharges. Plus, its built-in display gives more info about the battery status than any rival I’ve tested.

I used Hyper’s power bank on vacation and when working out of the office. Here’s why I love it.

This pixel-precise stylus for iPad (and other tablets) costs less than $36

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This pixel-precise digital pen for iPad and other tablets is now under $36.
Head back to school with this affordable stylus, now only $35.97.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Going back to school means taking notes, marking up projects and assignments and perhaps a little doodling on your iPad as well. But, you can’t do any of that without a reliable and precise stylus for your tablet. While the Apple Pencil works great, it costs a lot. Fortunately, we’re offering a much more affordable iPad stylus just in time for the new school year.

The Digi Pen for iPad is designed to make it feel like you’re using pen and paper, without any of the drawbacks of those old-school school supplies. And you can save $64 on Digi Pen during our Back-to-School Sale. Through August 13 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific, you can get it for only $35.97 (regularly $99).

Get these award-winning earbud translators for less than $100

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Get these award-winning earbud translators for under $100 during our Back-to-School Sale.
Stop struggling to understand foreign languages. These translation earbuds can do it in real time.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Imagine being able to communicate with people of other cultures in 37 different languages, all with the same earbuds that you use to listen to music and answer calls. That’s precisely what you can get with Mymanu’s Clik S Translation Earbuds.

And now you can take advantage of this amazing tech for less. Thanks to our Back-to-School Sale, you can get a set of these translating Bluetooth earbuds for only $99.97 (regularly $157).

Wall Street feels meh about Apple earnings, looks to future

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meh.
Yawn.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple is about to reveal the financial results of its most recent quarter, and Wall Street analysts are preparing for a whole lot of ho-hum. They’re predicting a very slight drop in revenue and earnings, during a traditionally slow time of the year for Apple sales.

That said, Apple has a habit of beating analysts’ predictions. So Thursday’s earnings call could be more upbeat than expected.

Pumped for Physical season 3? Here’s why we’re really not. [Apple TV+ reviews] ★★☆☆☆

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Episode 10. Rose Byrne in ★★☆☆☆
It's basically more of the same for Sheila (played by Rose Byrne) in season three of Physical.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+’s enormously frustrating ’80s fitness comedy Physical bounces back for its third and final season this week. Aerobics queen Sheila faces a new adversary, both physically and mentally, as well as a new business model — and all the same old problems.

In the first two seasons, the show never expanded or focused enough to make its surface-level treatment of a tormented self-help icon the impressively acidic comedy or drama it so clearly strove to be. Season three of Physical opens with a few promising developments before becoming bogged down in the same distraction and confusion that marred its first two outings.

Apple TV+ courts college football with possible Pac-12 deal

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The deal is far from done, but Apple TV+ may pick up Pac-12 football games at some point.
The deal is far from done, but Apple TV+ may pick up Pac-12 football games at some point.
Photo: Pac-12

NCAA Pac-12 conference leaders saw an offer Tuesday from Apple TV+ for a streaming deal to replace the conference’s expiring TV contact for football games, a report noted.

After Apple’s deals to air Major League Soccer (MLS) and Major League Baseball (MLB) games, its potential entry into college football is intriguing — but it’s not a done deal yet.

ChatGPT digs up major threat to Macs on dark web

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An attacker could take full control of your Mac to steal your personal and financial information.
An attacker could take full control of your Mac to steal your personal and financial information.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A security company recently asked OpenAI’s ChatGPT about Mac threats online and used the results to uncover some scary malware for sale from Russia on the dark web.

At a price of $60,000, it can give an attacker total control of someone’s Mac. A more damaging version is available for $80,000.

In any case, if the malware gets on your Mac, you won’t know it’s there, it’s very hard to get rid of, and it can steal a lot of your information. Luckily, you can probably avoid it.

Fab office remodel suits MacBook Pro and massive display [Setups]

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The accent wall and solid-wood DIY standing desk steal the show from the M2 MacBook Pro and 49-inch curved display.
The accent wall and solid-wood DIY standing desk steal the show from the M2 MacBook Pro and 49-inch curved display.
Photo: JZAGA053@Reddit.com

When you remodel your home office, isn’t that a great excuse to revamp the ol’ computer setup? That’s what happened with today’s featured rig, which relies on a new MacBook Pro and a Samsung super-ultra-wide display.

But all commenters wanted to talk about was the accent wall and the solid-wood DIY standing desk. And the killer Klipsch audio got some love, too.

Today in Apple history: Newton MessagePad inspires mobile revolution

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The Newton MessagePad, an product line run by Gaston Bastiaens, looks gigantic next to an iPhone.
The Newton MessagePad looks gigantic next to an iPhone.
Photo: Blake Patterson/Wikipedia CC

August 2: Today in Apple history: Newton MessagePad launch inspires mobile revolution August 2, 1993: Apple debuts the MessagePad, the first product in its Newton line of handheld personal digital assistants.

The most unfairly maligned product in Apple history, the Newton is a revolutionary device. It predates Apple’s push toward app-based mobile devices 14 years later. Often dismissed as a failure, the Newton ranks near the top of the list of Apple’s most influential creations.

Brace yourself for Hijack’s fiery finale [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Idris Elba in ★★★★☆
Can Sam Nelson (played by Idris Elba) figure out a way to save Flight KA29?
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review Apple TV+’s high-altitude thriller Hijack finally hits the runway in this week’s series finale. Our hero Sam Nelson has a new problem on his hand — and an hour in which to solve it as the rest of the passengers panic anew.

On the ground, Sam’s family is in danger. And in the air, Sam’s running out of options. The episode, entitled “Brace Brace Brace,” serves up as good a conclusion as Hijack fans could hope for.

Introvert Marcie takes center stage in new Peanuts trailer

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You remember Marcie, don't you? She's the smart, quiet one.
You remember Marcie, don't you? She's the smart, quiet one.
Photo: Apple

“Sometimes, the people who make the biggest difference aren’t the ones who grab the spotlight,” Apple TV+ said Wednesday, when it dropped a trailer for a new Peanuts special focusing on the introverted character Marcie and all the behind-the-scenes work she does.

Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie premieres Friday, August 18.

Here’s what I use my Apple Newton for in 2023

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A MessagePad with the optional keyboard and carrying case.
A MessagePad with the optional keyboard and carrying case.
Photo: Adam Tow

They say the early bird gets the worm. But the bird that’s too early spends an hour looking for worms in the middle of the night and has to give up after a while. That’s an apt summary of the Newton Messagepad, Apple’s handheld computer that launched on this day in 1993.

The Newton launched at a high price and with a somewhat limited feature set. As a result, it never found a strong enough customer base or a “killer app” to make it a must-have device.

But all these years later, I still found two good uses for my Newton MessagePad 2000.

This 3-way cable charges iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods at once

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Just in time to go back to school, save more than $18 on this highly rated 3-in-1 charging cable.
Get more than half off this five-star 3-in-1 charging cable for your Apple devices in our Back-to-School Sale.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Why carry three separate cables when a reliable three-way charging cable can keep all your gadgets charged and ready?

This three-in-one USB-C charging cable for Apple Watch, iPhone and AirPods is ideal for the job. And during our Back-to-School Sale, you can grab it for just $16.97, a savings of more than 50% off the regular price of $34.99, with no coupon needed. Note: This special price drop ends August 13.

The cheapest and easiest way to add wireless CarPlay to any vehicle

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CarPlay with Fire tablet and adapter

The easiest and cheapest way to add Apple’s CarPlay to any vehicle is with a cheap Amazon Fire tablet and a USB CarPlay dongle.

You don’t need to buy an expensive new car stereo, nor spend the weekend ripping out your dash and fiddling with wiring. Adding a Fire tablet is very plug-and-play, and instantly makes a big difference. It cost me less than $100 and gave my old pre-Bluetooth stereo a new breath of life. Now I have a big, beautiful, 8-inch screen for maps and directions.

However, it took me a while to find the right combination of gear. Plus, you should consider a few things before taking the plunge with this DIY wireless CarPlay hack.