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Catch our WWDC 2016 hardware and software predictions on The CultCast

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Next week's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco is looking pretty momentous.
Photo: Apple

This week, on The CultCast: it’s our WWDC 2016 predictions! We’ll tell you what hardware and software to expect. Plus: Apple makes huge changes to the prices you’ll pay for apps; this year’s Back to School specials are some of Apple’s best yet; and Steve Jobs… the opera? Don’t miss more weird and wild stories from the Cult of Mac.

Our thanks to Freshbooks for supporting this episode. FreshBooks is the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster. Get started now with a 30-day free trial.

Will major changes kill the MacBook Pro? [Friday Night Fights]

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Don't you want an OLED touchpad on your MacBook Pro?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s MacBook Pro redesign this fall will bring big changes to one of its most beloved notebooks. According to recent leaks, the machine will pack an OLED touchpad above its keyboard, and only USB-C connectivity.

FNF-bugSome fans aren’t happy about that. Many love the physical function keys already found on the MacBook Pro, while others don’t believe it will be a suitable “pro” machine without standard USB ports. But isn’t it time they moved on?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over the rumored changes to the MacBook Pro.

The week’s best Apple deals: free classes, free headphones and more

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Update your fancy wrist computer to the latest watchOS.
Update your fancy wrist computer to the latest watchOS.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
With WWDC 2016 just days away, you’d be right to hesitate at buying new Apple gadgets this week. But with experts expecting more new software than hardware, rest assured that these great deals and freebies will still look good next week. Read on for free headphones, free classes at the Apple Store, and more in this week’s best Apple deals.

Sleek skins give your MacBook the marble look

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Use UNIQFIND for a unique look.
Photo: UNIQFIND

When you’ve owned a lot of Apple devices, aluminum starts to look a little… boring. But not when you slap a UNIQFIND skin on it.

For as little as $25, these sleek wraps and cases make your MacBook, iPhone, or iPad look like it was made out of marvelous marble.

Want a new MacBook Pro? Get ready to wait a little longer

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The new MacBook Pro won't be shipping soon.
Photo: Apple

Apple will unveil a new MacBook Pro this month along with a minor update to the MacBook Air lineup, according to the latest Apple rumor out of China.

The big announcement will supposedly happen in June, though it might not happen at WWDC. A “reliable Chinese supplier” claims the new MacBook Pro will ditch USB-A connectors, Thunderbolt 2 and MagSafe 2 charging for USB-C, just like the spy shots we posted, but you’ll have to wait a few more months to get it.

This slim SD card adds a huge chunk of storage [Deals]

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Nifty MiniDrive instantly adds 128 gigs of space to your Macbook, without adding a bulky external drive.
Nifty MiniDrive instantly adds 128 gigs of space to your Macbook, without adding a bulky external drive.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’ve ever found yourself up against the limits of your Macbook’s hard drive, raise the limit. The Nifty MiniDrive instantly adds 128GB of storage, fitting seamlessly with the contours of the MacBook, eliminating the need for bulky external hard drives. Right now you can get a Nifty MiniDrive for $33.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Is it time for Apple to ditch the MacBook Air? [Friday Night Fights]

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Isn't the MacBook Air too good to go?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple could be about to kill its most popular notebook. According to reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company is planning to ditch the MacBook Air and add a 13-inch MacBook to its lineup as a replacement.

FNF-bugThe original ultraportable is starting to look a little long in the tooth. Having gone without an update for over a year, it is Apple’s only laptop without a Retina display, a Force Touch trackpad, and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity.

But is it really time to let it go, or does it just need a refresh? Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over whether the MacBook Air has a place in Apple’s future.

USB-C battery pack gives your MacBook a full charge on the go

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The GoPower is a MacBook's perfect companion.
Photo: Kanex

Apple’s notebooks pack some of the best laptop batteries out there, but you’re always going to find yourself low on power when using your MacBook on the road. Fortunately, Kanex’s new PowerGo battery pack can save the day.

Packing 15,000 mAh of power and USB-C connectivity, it’s capable of giving your 12-inch Retina MacBook a full charge on the go — and it’ll keep your iOS devices topped up, too.

Why the MacBook Pro needs an OLED touch pad

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MacBook-OLED-touch-pad
What the MacBook Pro might look like with a fancy touch pad.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is expected to deliver one of its biggest ever MacBook Pro refreshes later this year, ushering in a thinner and lighter design and amazing new features. One of them, according to a reliable analyst, will be an OLED touch pad.

Here’s why that would be a stellar addition to Apple’s best notebook.

Want to sell your iPhone? Better do it soon

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It's a great time to convert your Apple gear into cash.
It's a great time to convert your Apple gear into cash.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Although WWDC is mostly software focused, it’s also significant reminder that Apple is always moving forward with new devices and other big announcements on the horizon.

Unfortunately for us Apple addicts that means you have to be prepared to shell cash when Apple busts out a surprise ‘One more thing…’ announcement, but it turns out Apple devices are a really good way to recoup some of those costs.

Google’s MacBook rivals will soon run Android apps

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Chrome OS is finally getting the Google Play Store.
Photo: HP

A Chromebook may be a super affordable alternative to the MacBook, but relying solely on web apps inside Google Chrome, they’re not ideal for those who have more than basic computing needs. Except they won’t just run web apps soon.

At its I/O conference in California today, Google announced that Chrome OS is finally getting the Google Play Store with full Android app support.

TarDisk is a slim solution for stretching MacBook storage [Deals]

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TarDisk adds 64GB of flash storage to your MacBook Air via the SD slot, without changing its slim profile.
TarDisk adds 64GB of flash storage to your MacBook Air via the SD slot, without changing its slim profile.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The MacBook Air is delightfully lean, but it’s less than pleasing when its drive space runs thin. It’s a costly hassle to upgrade the internal drive, which makes TarDisk’s 64 gig SD drive expansion a very attractive alternative. It plugs right into the SD slot on the side of your laptop and stays out of the way, for an easy expansion that you can get right now for just $99.99.

HP’s latest MacBook rival will only cost you half as much

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It's even made of aluminum.
Photo: HP
HP-Chromebook-13
It’s even made of aluminum. Photo: HP

HP has another answer to the super sleek Apple MacBook, and despite similar specifications, it costs less than half the price.

The new all-aluminum Chromebook 13 boasts an Intel Core M processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and a battery that lasts up to 11.5 hours in between charges — and it starts at just $599!

Apple IIc gets a second life in this neat restoration video

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Making an Apple IIc look this good isn't easy.
Photo: The 8-bit Guy

Long before Jony Ive was making ridiculously thin aluminum MacBooks, the Apple IIc reigned supreme as Apple’s first portable computer.

Finding a working model of the 7.5-pound notebook is a tough task, considering it was introduced more than 30 years ago, but restoration expert The 8-Bit Guy came across one and put together a video on how to make the 1984 machine look brand new.

Our WWDC 2016 hardware hopes and iPad Pro’s ‘practically perfect’ display on The CultCast

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What do you want to see unveiled at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference?
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: Why the new iPad Pro screen is “practically perfect”; stories from The Cult of Mac; our most anticipated WWDC 2016 announcements; a look at Apple’s newly updated MacBooks; Apple’s secret plan to create hit TV shows; and, have you ever wondered how rich you’d be if you invested in Apple’s IPO instead of buying its computers? We break down the numbers.

Our thanks to Freshbooks for supporting this episode. FreshBooks is the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small-business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster. Get started now with a 30-day free trial.

Here’s your chance to extend the usefulness and lifespan of your MacBook [Deals]

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These MacBook accessories are going fast!
Photo: Griffin

Whether keeping them charged, free from damage or just having enough connections for all the devices we use, our MacBooks can sometimes use a little help fulfilling our needs.

That’s why this collection of peripherals is exciting — there’s something here for everybody, and at prices that won’t last. Take a look:

Does rose gold MacBook bleed red when you cut it in half?

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This is not your typical tear down.
This is not your typical teardown.
Photo: What's Inside

The rose gold MacBook may be the most beautifully boring new Apple product released in 2016, but once you crack it open, the super-slim MacBook gets a lot more interesting.

Rather than going with the typical teardown procedure, the YouTubers at What’s Inside decide to take a grinder to the rose gold MacBook’s Retina display. Unbelievably, the sleek MacBook still worked after they cut halfway through the screen.

Check out what’s behind the glass in this unconventional MacBook teardown video.

Man wants to marry his MacBook to make (idiotic) point

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Actually, marrying a MacBook doesn't sound like such a bad idea.
Actually, marrying a MacBook doesn't sound like such a bad idea.
Photo: Ben Rosett/Unsplash

If you love your MacBook so much, why don’t you marry it?

The real answer to the above, typically hypothetical question is, “Because it wouldn’t be legal, and that’s stupid.” And if you understand that, you’re one step ahead of Chris Sevier, a guy who has just filed a civil suit in Houston demanding his right to be bound in holy matrimony with his laptop. And why would anyone want to do that, other than the obvious tax benefits and status as Ultimate Apple Fanboy?

Sevier’s taking his case across the country in protest of same-sex marriage.

The new MacBooks are out, and I don’t care [Opinions]

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New MacBook line Spring 2016
That’s 23% off the usual price!
Photo: Apple

We’d heard rumblings and observed omens and portents about the imminent release of new 12-inch MacBooks, and now they are here. And that’s pretty cool, I guess.

Longer battery life is always a plus, as are faster Skylake processors and speedier memory. The new Rose Gold option is pretty, too.

But despite the fact that I’m still rocking a 2011 MacBook Pro, I’m not reaching for my wallet to grab one of the new Retina MacBook models. I can’t even explain why that is — I simply don’t care.

Apple unleashes improved MacBooks, now in rose gold

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12-inch MacBook lineup
Aren't they stunning?
Photo: Apple

Update: As several readers have pointed out, right now Apple’s “buy” page appears to be down for its new MacBooks. Either the company’s not quite ready to make the MacBooks available for sale or someone in Cupertino is costing Apple thousands and thousands of dollars.

Apple today unveiled its new MacBooks, boasting the latest Intel processors, improved graphics, faster flash storage and an additional hour of battery life.

The new 12-inch notebooks are available in four different aluminum finishes, including gold, silver, space gray and — for the first time ever — rose gold.

Apple reveals how long its devices typically last

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How long do you keep your Apple devices?
Photo: Cult of Mac/Ken Marshall CC

How many years do you use your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac before shutting it down for the last time and sending it to the big Apple Store in the sky?

While Apple products are typically far more solid and long-lasting than those made by rivals, the company offers a clue in a newly released document concerning Apple and its commitment to the environment.

Apple deals: Lowest prices ever on iMac, MacBook and more

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Don't let OS X windows take over your whole screen.
Wouldn't a new iMac look great on your desk?
Photo: Luke Chesser/Unsplash

While the anticipated MacBook Pro revamp is grabbing all the headlines, we’ve got an iMac deal that should be getting your attention.

Get the details on this hot buy, plus the lowest prices we’ve ever seen on a premium MacBook and a handy iPad accessory, in this week’s roundup of the best Apple deals.