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Apple seeds fifth macOS 10.13.1 beta

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macOS High Sierra
Apple is said to be working on a fix.
Photo: Apple

Developers received a new beta build for Macs this morning after Apple seeded the fifth beta for macOS 10.13.1.

The new beta build comes just three days after Apple released the fourth macOS 10.13.1 beta alongside new betas for iOS 11.1 and tvOS 11.1.

Undisturbed takes control of your Mac’s Do Not Disturb mode

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Undisturbed
Undisturbed turns off those annoying red badges.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Do you know how to turn on your Mac’s Do Not Disturb mode? That’s right, you open up the Notification sidebar, pull down, and toggle the switch. It works great. Right up until you look at the Dock, or the app switcher, and see a bunch of big red badges hassling you to read your email or check your boss’ Slack messages.

That’s where Undisturbed comes in. It’s an app that improves Do Not Disturb, so you really don’t get disturbed.

Awesome Mac app makes managing contacts easier than ever

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Cardhop contacts app for Mac
Cardhop was created by the stellar team behind Fantastical.
Photo: Flexibits

Remember how Flexibits made managing your calendar incredibly easy with Fantastical? Now it is doing the same for your contacts with a brand new app called Cardhop.

Cardhop makes keeping your address book up to date and staying in touch with friends and colleagues quick and easy. It uses the same great natural language recognition found in Fantastical, and it’s available today on macOS.

How to quickly trim video on Mac and iOS

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How to quickly trim videos on Mac and iOS
Editing your video clips will make them way less boring.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

The secret of a good movie is in the editing. Well, the script, the lightning, the directing, the photography and the acting are all important, but for home movies, you have little control over those.

So it’s down to the edit. And the most basic of edits is to lop the ends off a clip, to trim video and make it shorter. Watching excessively long clips is the equivalent of a conversation with someone who can’t ever get to the point. “Let me tell you about that time I fell out of the plane. It was a Tuesday. No, I think it was Wednesday. Wait, it must have been a Tuesday because …”

It’s painful. So, do yourself a favor and trim your video clips. Even if you’re not planning on combining your edits into a short movie, you should at least remove the cruft from anything you’re going to show. The good news is that it’s dead easy to trim video on Mac and iOS.

Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 is ready to take on the MacBook Pro

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Microsoft Surface Book
The Microsoft Surface Book 2.
Photo: Microsoft

The MacBook Pro is about to face some tough competition from Microsoft’s newest laptop/tablet hybrid that was just revealed today.

Microsoft’s new Surface Book 2 computers are being billed as the most powerful laptops to come from Microsoft. The company even says they’re twice as powerful as the latest MacBook Pro.

There’s a serious security flaw in Wi-Fi and we’re all at risk

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KRACK Wi-Fi attack
Beware the KRACK attack.
Photo: Mathy Vanhoef

A major security flaw has been discovered in Wi-Fi and we’re all at risk.

Researchers discovered the weakness in WPA2, the protocol that secures all modern Wi-Fi networks. Any modern device with a wireless connection could be open to a KRACK attack that would expose information like credit card numbers, passwords, messages and more.

Streamline your keyring, passwords, and lots more [Week’s Best Deals]

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This week's best deals include a 21st century key keeper, top shelf apps, and more.
This week's best deals include a 21st century key keeper, top shelf apps, and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Another week, another round of great deals on top shelf gear, apps, and learning resources. This time, we’ve got a bundle of 5 premium Mac apps, and a keyring designed to never be lost. Additionally, we’ve got a powerful password manager and comprehensive course in iOS 11 development. Read on for more details:

Apple’s biggest wireless keyboard could be set for a refresh

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Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
Apple's extended wireless keyboard is only four months old.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad could be about to get a refresh.

Shipping estimates for the existing model, which launched just four months ago, have slipped to a surprising six to seven weeks. A new model could arrive alongside the exciting iMac Pro this December.

Almost two-thirds of Americans own an Apple product

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Apple adds 5 new vice presidents to its executive lineup
Breaking news: People sure do love Apple.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

64 percent of Americans own Apple products, with the average U.S. household owning more than two, a new poll claims.

The survey, carried out by CNBC, suggests that Apple ownership is a trait shared by every income group, age demographic, race, sex, and region of the United States, although the ownership rate falls below 50 percent for those on incomes under $30,000, retirees, and women over the age of 50.

Apple brings back the App Store with alternative iTunes update

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iTunes App Store
The App Store is back in iTunes 12.6.3.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple has released an alternative version of iTunes that still includes the App Store, ringtones, and other features that were removed last month.

You can download and install iTunes version 12.6.3 for Mac and PC now — even if you have already upgraded to iTunes version 12.7.

Streamline your calendar, charging, coding skills, and more [Week’s best deals]

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This week's best deals include tools for keeping all your passwords safe, all your devices charged, and lots more.
This week's best deals include tools for keeping all your passwords safe, all your devices charged, and lots more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

To celebrate the start of a new week, we do what we do every week: gather up some of the best deals on gear, gadgets, and more. This round, we’ve got a comprehensive course in iOS 11 coding, and a ‘Hiffecient’ USB charging hub. We’ve also got a tool for streamlining online form-filling, and an upgrade for your Mac’s calendar. Everything is discounted by more than 40 percent. Read on for more details:

Paul Otellini, who helped bring Intel chips to Mac, dies at 66

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Paul Otellini
Former Intel CEO Paul Otellini.
Photo: Intel Corporation

Paul Otellini, the former CEO of Intel, who had a huge influence on helping Apple make the transition away from AMD processors on its Mac lineup, died earlier this week.

Otellini passed away in his sleep on Monday, Oct. 2 at the age of 66. He was the fifth CEO of Intel and helped the company make some huge strategic adjustments that helped it maintain its lead as the world’s premier manufacturer of computer CPUs.

Matias Wired Aluminum Keyboard improves on the Apple original

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Matias Wired Aluminum Keyboard
Wires make more sense than Bluetooth on the desktop.
Photo: Matias

If you want a wired Apple keyboard, you’re out of luck. The only Apple-made options for your Mac are the Magic Keyboard and the Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, both of which connect via Bluetooth. Soon, though, excellent Mac keyboard maker Matias will sell you a replacement — the Matias Wired Aluminum Keyboard. And not only that, it beats out the Apple original in one key way.

Awesome Mac apps for photo editors, coders and more [Deals]

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This Mac App roundup covers photo masking, web design, and lots more.
This Mac App roundup covers photo masking, web design, and lots more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Your Mac is a powerful machine, but it’s only as useful as the apps you put on it. This roundup of apps is a mixed bag of top shelf goodies for photo editors and web designers. There are also useful tools for just people who work with Wi-Fi and different a variety of media files. Additionally, everything is discounted by half or more. Read on for more details:

Your up-to-date Mac might be vulnerable to firmware attacks

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Clean up your Mac the easy way with MacFly Pro.
Check your Mac's firmware. It might be vulnerable.
Photo: StockSnap/Pixabay CC

Updating your Mac to the latest version of macOS might not mean it’s impervious to firmware attacks.

According to a new security report, a shocking percentage of Macs are still vulnerable to critical firmware exploits despite running the latest version of macOS. Making matters worse, most users are completely unaware that their firmware isn’t up-to-date.

Apple’s big batch of betas is ready for public testers

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iOS 11
The new Control Center is just one of many great new iOS 11 features.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The first big beta update for iOS 11 is already available to the public, just one day after Apple seeded the new beta build to developers.

iOS 11.1 beta 1 can now be installed on iPhones and iPads by public testers and comes with other big updates for tvOS 11 and macOS High Sierra.

Modder converts 2008 MacBook Pro into Android gaming laptop

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MacBook Pro DeX
This MacBook Pro is now a Samsung DeX laptop.
Photo: Kris Henriksen

The 2008 MacBook Pro isn’t much of a gaming machine nowadays, but apparently, if you just slap some new innards into it, it makes a pretty decent Android setup.

A modder named Kris Henriksen decided to take his old MacBook Pro and convert it into the most beautiful laptop to ever run Samsung’s DeX software which allows Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and Note 8 owners to plug their device into a monitor to run Android-based apps in a desktop environment.

Check the abominable creation in action:

How to upgrade to macOS High Sierra the right way

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Save $200 on a new iMac
Elevate your Mac to High Sierra.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s latest update for the Mac finally arrived today in the form of macOS High Sierra, bringing a host of improvements to Mac users. While the update doesn’t contain a ton of outward-facing changes, it’s definitely worth taking the time to upgrade if you want your Mac to be faster and more secure than ever.

Here’s how to do it.

Apple ditches Bing for Google on Siri and Spotlight

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Siri is switching to Google.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple just gave Microsoft’s search engine Bing a huge blow today by replacing it with Google on iOS and macOS.

The company previously used Bing search results as the default when users made a search query via Siri on iPhones or from Spotlight on Macs. Bing will still be around in some capacity, but it appears that the company has given in and turned back to using Google.

Apple seeds macOS High Sierra GM to devs and public testers

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macOS update
A macOS update adds support for Messages in iCloud.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The final build of macOS High Sierra is finally ready for prime time.

This morning Apple released the GM build of its next big update for Macs allowing registered developers and members of the public beta testing to install the software ahead of its public launch.