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Apple TV app for Mac finally getting left sidebar

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Apple TV app for Mac finally getting left sidebar
This is likely close to what the redesigned Apple TV for macOS app will look like.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Apple TV app for macOS is reportedly about to get a redesign that includes a left sidebar. That will apparently make it nearly identical to the iPad version.

The update might debut in macOS Ventura 13.3, which is currently in beta.

Why you should buy Apple Certified Refurbished products

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Apple logo lit up, with
Buying a Certified Refurbished product from Apple can make a lot of sense ... but not always.
Photo: Laurenz Heymann/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

Apple products are known for delivering high performance and carrying a premium price tag. If you are on a tight budget, should you consider buying a refurbished Apple product instead?

Apple’s Certified Refurbished store offers a great way to get a like-new product while letting you save hundreds of dollars on your purchase. Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s refurbished gear.

Yellow iPhones, faster iMacs and more! [The CultCast]

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A yellow iPhone 14 and a yellow iMac, along with the logo of Cult of Mac's Apple-oriented podcast,
Apple just decided to paint the town yellow.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Did the world really need a yellow iPhone 14? Especially one that looks about as bold as a buttered banana? At least we’ve got new iMacs coming to ease our disappointment.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Those new iMacs are just the beginning of a coming wave of even-more-powerful Apple computers.
  • Who in their right mind would pay $600 for an Apple Watch band?
  • At least the yellow iPhone wallpaper is free (and so is Microsoft Outlook for Mac).

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

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4 must-have productivity apps for Mac

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Speed up your work on a Mac
These apps (and system features) will help you work faster.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

I’m going to show you five ways you can instantly boost your productivity on your Mac. You might not have thought your Mac was capable of these advanced features. But in my opinion, the Mac’s reputation for being un-customizable is misunderstood. Four of these tips depend on third-party productivity apps that will add radical new system features to your Mac.

I’ll show you how to get instant window snapping on the Mac, powerful screenshot and recording tools, a clever clipboard manager that should be built into macOS, a simple tip for opening apps faster, and a smart time-tracking tool that’ll keep you productive.

Apple’s M3 iMac might ship in second half of 2023

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M1 iMac with yellow light
Apple's next iMac could look a lot like the current iMac.
Photo: Ishtiaq Khan Parag/Unplash

Apple might launch an upgraded iMac in the second half of 2023. The machine is currently in an advanced development stage, according to the latest report.

While the upcoming iMac will retain the same 24-inch display as the current model, Apple reportedly will make some internal layout changes.

Apple boosts iPhone, Mac and iPad trade-in values

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MacBook, iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch
Users of many Apple computers can trade them in for cash.
Photo: Apple

Apple bumped how much it will pay for trading in used products. An iPhone 13 series model now brings in as much as $600, a previous-generation iPad Air is worth up to $320, while the trade-in value for a MacBook Pro is as much as $730.

The payouts have increased up to $160 when compared to what Apple was offering last week.

Correction: Linux will not run on Apple silicon

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NOT the year of Linux on the Mac.
Linux on the desktop has been foiled once again.
Image: PantheraLeo/Wikimedia Commons/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Last week, I wrote a story incorrectly concluding that a full Linux desktop environment would soon run on Macs with Apple silicon. This was a misunderstanding of the facts.

While some of the work in the Asahi Linux project has been worked into Linux Kernel 6.2, and while Linux 6.2 will be adopted by the next major versions of Ubuntu and Fedora, this does not mean that Apple silicon Macs will be able to boot into these desktop environments.

How Apple’s secret Exploratory Design Group makes magic happen

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The Exploratory Design Group works at Tantau 9, this building on the Apple campus.
The Exploratory Design Group works at Tantau 9 on the Apple campus.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Few outside of Apple have ever heard of the company’s secretive Exploratory Design Group. However, the team includes many of Apple’s brightest minds — and is developing some of its most innovative products.

Despite the secrecy, the XDG made headlines recently when its project to add blood glucose monitoring to Apple Watch leaked out. Now more details on the group and its moonshot projects have come to light.

This refurbished MacBook Air with an Intel Core i5 processor can do it all

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Need a powerful work device? This refurbished MacBook Air with an Intel Core i5 Processor can do it all.
Score this refurbished MacBook Air with an Intel processor for just $459.99 during the Refurbished Event.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

While Apple’s chips are undeniably impressive, you may need an Intel Mac, especially if you’re working a hybrid or remote schedule and need to use certain software. This refurbished MacBook Air offers all the convenience of a lightweight macOS device, with an Intel chip inside for $459.99 during our Refurbished Event.

You’ll have to act fast, though, as this promotion ends on February 23.

Linux is now officially supported on Apple silicon [Correction: No it’s not]

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The Year of Linux on the Mac
Everyone’s third-favorite desktop operating system comes to the Mac.
Image: PantheraLeo/Wikimedia Commons/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Correction: This story was based on a misunderstanding of the facts. We published a correction to set the matter straight. Read that instead of the story below.

Linux has officially added support for Apple silicon in its latest release. Ubuntu and Fedora, two of the most popular distributions of Linux, will soon be integrating this feature.

While it’s still early for Apple silicon support, and not all computers with M-series chips will work, this is a significant milestone for Linux users. Computer scientists, programmers and hobbyists have not yet been able to fully take advantage of Apple’s powerful new hardware.

Why a super-size MacBook Air might be the perfect laptop [The CultCast]

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When it comes to laptops, size matters!
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The upcoming 15.5-inch MacBook Air might be the perfect laptop for many people. In fact, Erfon plans to buy one almost immediately. And he might get his chance in as little as six weeks! How can he contain his excitement?

Also on The CultCast:

  • What’s next for iPhone 15?
  • “Periscope lens” is a strange term, and one of these things is likely coming in the next iPhone Pro Max. Let’s discuss!
  • The MagSafe cable gets a … software upgrade. Welcome to 2023. 🤣
  • Sir Jony Ive designs a logo fit for a king. Literally.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below, along with this week’s CultCast show notes.

Our sponsor: CultCloth

Get the only cleaning cloth you need: CultCloth!

Looking for a new laptop? Score this refurbished MacBook Air for $355.

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Looking for a new laptop? Score this refurbished MacBook Air for $355.
This MacBook Air is like new and comes with all the Apple features you love for just $355.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Buying a laptop is an investment, and with tech inflation where it’s at, it can be a pretty pricey one. If you’re in the market for an upgrade, buying new isn’t your only option. You can score high-quality refurbished gear that is far more budget-friendly than buying new ones.

Apple is known for its top-notch devices, from the iPhone to the iPad, and now you can grab the cult-classic MacBook Air at a lower price. This refurbished Apple laptop is on sale for only $355, but this special discount ends on February 23 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

Don’t forget to update the software on your MagSafe cable

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Official product photo of the renowned USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
Official product photo of the renowned USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
Photo: Apple

Apple issued an important software update recently — and we’re not talking for iPhone, Mac, iPad or Apple Watch. It’s 2023, so it’s for something way more esoteric: a power cable.

Yes, the USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable comes with a tiny computer inside of it that needs software updates, for some inscrutable reason.

Snatch up these bargains on iMacs, MacBooks and iPads while they last

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You can get various versions of the 24-inch iMac, among other gear.
You can get various versions of the 24-inch iMac, among other gear.
Photo: Apple

Amazon-owned discount site Woot! is offering a slew of deals on iMacs, MacBooks and iPads through Thursday.

Some M1 laptops are already sold out, but a lot of gear remains, so jump on this if you’re in the market for Apple hardware. It’s the sort of sale that may make people wish they’d waited to buy instead of going all-in at launch.

15.5-inch MacBook Air could arrive in April

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2022 MacBook Air with M2 processor
The 2022 MacBook Air with M2 processor could soon be joined by a bigger brother.
Photo: Apple

A super-size MacBook Air is supposedly right around the corner. An analyst who’s built a solid reputation for accurately predicting Apple products says the next macOS notebook will be out in six weeks or so.

This will be the first time the thin and light line of notebooks has expanded past the current 13.6-inch screen.

iMac with Apple M2 upgrade looks unlikely

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24-inch iMac 2021 with Apple M1 processor. In blue and pink
The M1 iMac could stay in Apple's product lineup for three years.
Photo: Apple

There reportedly haven’t been any signs that a 24-inch iMac with an Apple M2 processor is on the way. And that means the next iMac upgrade might be as much as a year away.

That would leave users of the all-in-one Mac desktop waiting for a total of three years for a faster version.

Siri desperately needs some ChatGPT-like smarts

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Siri desperately needs some ChatGPT-like smarts
There's a lot Siri doesn't understand. And that's a problem.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Users have complained about the limitations of the Siri “intelligent” assistant for years, but now that OpenAI’s ChatGPT is showing the world that artificial intelligence can do amazing things, it’s never been more obvious that Apple’s version is as dumb as a bag of hammers.

Not only does this make Apple look bad, it makes HomePod less useful. Really, it makes all the company’s products less useful than they could be.

Apple needs to step up its AI game or it risks being left out of an important new wave of computing.

Save big on a spacious 512GB MacBook Air with M2

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13-inch MacBook Air with M2
The M2 MacBook Air is the perfect Mac for most users.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s M2 MacBook Air with 512GB storage is down to $1,349 on Amazon after a $150 discount. If you have been eyeing the slimmest MacBook in Apple’s lineup, this is a deal you should not miss.

With 512GB storage, the M2 MacBook Air will easily last you for the next few years.

Apple execs reveal what went wrong with Intel

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Vice President of Platform Architecture and Hardware Technologies at Apple, Tim Millet, standing in the Apple chip lab.
Tim Millet, Apple's vice president of platform architecture and hardware technologies, introduces the new MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips.
Photo: Apple

What pulled Apple away from Intel? In a new interview, Apple executives Tim Millet and Bob Borchers reveal why the company shifted to making its own Mac chips.

Plus, they shed light on what they’re doing to make the Mac a gaming platform once again, how the Apple silicon architecture can make it happen, and when the best time is to buy a new Mac.

The specs check out on new MacBook Pro and Mac mini [The CultCast]

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We're talking the many pros and a couple of cons about the brand-new MacBook Pro Mac mini and HomePod models Apple just released.
We're talking the many pros and a couple of cons about the brand-new MacBook Pro Mac mini and HomePod models Apple just released.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The first reviews and early benchmarks reveal impressive performance boosts from the new MacBook Pro and Mac mini. We’re talking the pros and cons of upgrading — including one very important “buyer beware” scenario.

Also on The CultCast:

  • What’s new in iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3 and macOS Ventura 13.2? We walk through the updates.
  • A great giveaway from Goldenerre, maker of fine Apple Watch bands.
  • Our beloved old-school HomePods just got some upgrades — including one Erfon’s been dreaming of for years.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

What to check before you power on an old Macintosh

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An unexpected find in this room was a Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh.
Hold up, you don’t want to ruin a rare Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh — take some precautions first.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

When you pick up a classic Macintosh (or a vintage computer of any kind) that hasn’t been used in a while, you need to check it out before plugging it in and turning it on. Capacitors on old motherboards fail and leak over time; you DO NOT want to run power to a computer if this has happened; you could easily fry the motherboard.

Collecting old computers is a lot of fun. You can use old versions of Mac OS in emulators online, but it’s nothing compared to the experience of setting up a heavy machine on your desk, hearing the fans and disk drives whir to life and watching a fuzzy CRT display fade in from black. If you’re new to this (rather expensive) hobby, you can also check out my earlier piece on how to get started — what to look for, what to watch out for and where to shop.

So, you are the new custodian of a classic computer. What should you do before you power it on for the first time?

Slim new hub adds the ports a MacBook needs

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Slim new hub adds the ports a MacBook needs
Make your MacBook more useful, not bulky.
Photo: Satechi

The Satechi Pro Hub Slim connects plugs directly into the side of a MacBook to greatly expand the range of ports available to the user while adding minimal bulk. It’s slim enough for Apple’s latest notebooks.

There’s nevertheless room for HDMI, two full-size USB-A ports, memory card readers and more.

M1 iMac is cheaper than even after a massive $200 discount

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New M1 iMac
Save big on Apple's 2021 iMac.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s entry-level M1 iMac is down to its lowest price of $1,099.99 after a massive $200 discount. The machine carries an MSRP of $1,299.

You can get a similar $200 discount on the 8-core M1 variant, dropping its price to $1,299.99 after a $200 off.