A unique thermoform exterior provides great protection. Photo: Twelve South
Keep your MacBook safe and snug while you travel with Twelve South’s awesome new SuitCase. It’s quilted and enveloped in a water-resistant twill, and features a hard shell for maximum protection.
The case also opens right up so that you can comfortably use your MacBook inside it without having to pull it out.
Don’t disrupt your desk with a dozen dangling dongles every time you need to connect peripherals to your MacBook. Anker’s excellent 7-in-2 USB-C hub is a much cleaner, more elegant solution that’s now $15 cheaper.
Enjoy this limited-time discount before it disappears.
Don't miss out on these awesome new accessories. Photo: Elago
Looking for some great accessories for your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Mac? The Cult of Mac Store is full of them, and we’re adding new ones all the time that you won’t want to miss.
This week’s top picks include a terrific wireless charging stand from Zens, must-have MacBook protection from Elago, an ultra-cool protective sleeve for your Apple TV remote, and more!
A Mini LED screen could make the 2021 iPad Pro look even better. Photo: Apple
A 12.9-inch iPads Pro is reportedly set to become Apple’s first device with a Mini LED screen. It’ll supposedly be followed by a MacBook with the improved display technology in the second half of the year.
Customers are pretty darn satisfied when it comes to Mac. Photo: Apple
Apple fans love to complain every so often, but overall they remain pretty darn satisfied when it comes to the company’s personal computer offerings.
That’s according to data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which reports that Apple ranks No. 1 in user satisfaction for personal computers with a score of ACSI score of 82. This ranking covers iMacs, MacBooks and iPads.
Woot is hosting another massive blowout on refurbished Apple devices, giving you the chance to save hundreds on MacBook, MacBook Pro, and iPad — as well as some original Apple accessories.
These deals are available today only, so enjoy them while you can.
This guy knows how to save desk space. Photo: @danbarbera1
When tech YouTuber Dan Barbera built his desk, he wanted something that gave him a lot of space and flexibility. He runs his rig off a 2019 MacBook Pro, so his computer is not chained to his desk. The Autonomous SmartDesk 2 is roomy and gives him the option to sit or stand.
The most accommodating thing on the desk, though, is a 32-inch Samsung Space 4K Monitor. Designed to save space, the hyper-adjustable Samsung Space allows him to push the monitor against the wall, or tilt it all the way down onto the desk, freeing up valuable desk real estate underneath it.
One of Apple’s first ARM-powered notebooks could be a 12-inch MacBook with butterfly keyboard, according to one tipster. The entry-level machine could sell for just $849 with 256GB storage as standard.
Other specifications are said to include up to 20 hours of battery life in between charges, up to 16GB of RAM, and a single USB-C port.
Bands, stands, cases, and more at up to 72% off. Photo: Cult of Mac
The Cult of Mac Store’s big back-to-school sale kicks off today with sweet discounts on awesome iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods and Mac accessories from Elago, Just Mobile, Mujjo and Twelve South.
Save up to 72% on brilliant bands, stands, cases, and more, with prices starting at a mere $9.95. The discounts are good for a limited time only, so enjoy them while you can!
Laugh along with Apple in ‘The whole working-from-home thing’ video. Photo: Apple
Working from home is the new normal, and an Apple video released Monday shows a team using Mac, iPad and iPhone to collaborate on a rushed project.
But this is less an instructional “how to” video and more something we can all commiserate with as the team struggles with kids, cats and crazy coworkers to make a looming deadline.
The 2020 MacBook models are selling so well that Apple is bumping up the number it’s making. Photo: Apple
Apple is reportedly enjoying strong sales of the MacBook Pro, and will increase production in the next few months. Laptop shipments could be up significantly for the third quarter.
All macOS computers seem to be having a strong 2020. In the second quarter of this year, total Mac shipments were up 36%, according to a market-research firm.
Why would you deface your gorgeous MacBook by covering up its FaceTime camera? Photo: Apple
Mark Zuckerberg introduced large numbers of people to the idea of taping over their MacBook’s camera when, in 2016, he uploaded a photo that revealed a few of his security measures.
But Apple says using camera coverings can hurt MacBooks. In a new support document, Apple notes that covering the MacBook’s built-in FaceTime camera could interfere with the computer’s ambient light sensor, which is located next to the camera. The sensor controls True Tone and the Mac’s automatic brightness feature.
Mac shipments went through the roof last quarter. Photo: Apple
Shipments of Apple Macs increased a full 36% year-over-year during the second quarter of 2020, according to a market-research firm. The growth is pegged to individuals, companies and schools buying computers to make remote work and learning possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This setup was designed to get work done. Photo: Luke Peluso
Luke Peluso runs a mid-sized IT company from his desk so organization is essential. He has to be in constant communication with his team and his clients. That is why he uses both a MacBook and an iPad: the MacBook for work, and the iPad for communication.
His MacBook is a 2019 13-inch MacBook Pro and he primarily uses it for “agency management type software and few Windows-only apps.” The iPad is the 2019 iPad Pro that he uses with a Brydge Pro+ Wireless Keyboard. The iPad is for “iMessage and Zoom meetings,” Peluso says, and that having “separate large device just for communications is very helpful.”
You won't find much clutter on this desk. Photo: @ jordanpulmano
Jordan Pulmano is a professional cinematographer and photographer so he wanted a desk with style, specifically minimalist style. He has two LG 27-inch FreeSync monitors. He got his first in 2017 and liked it so much he decided to get a new one. They are both held up by a pair of North Bayou Monitor Stands. He thought about getting a dual monitor stand but he rearranges his desk a lot and did not want to remove a monitor and have one arm exposed.
He has both the Magic Mouse and Keyboard. The setup is MacBook-run but he stows his laptop in a VIVO Sliding Laptop Tray. This gives him a convenient place to store his MacBook while freeing up space on his desk.
All the wooden products and plants make for a very calm setup. Photo: @hussaintausif
When accountant and realtor Tausif Hussain built his setup he was looking for wellness and nature themes.
He uses a Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk, which is both eco-friendly and joint-friendly. He also has a Muvmat, an anti-fatigue mat that is also a foot massager. The Muvmat simulates standing in a forest; it is filled with bumps that imitate rocks, branches, and twigs. And pretty much every device rests on top of some wooden accessory or stand.
Apple has expanded its 0% Apple Card financing option for products, including the Mac, iPad, AirPods Pro, AirPods, and Apple Pencil. (No Apple Watch, though!)
The company previously launched a 0% Apple Card financing option for iPhone in December. However, this is the first time that Apple has expanded this to cover other Apple products. Tim Cook suggested that Apple would be expanding the program during Apple’s most recent earnings call.
Order yours today for just $14.99. Photo: Twelve South
Twelve South’s brilliant BookArc stand is now compatible with Apple’s newest notebooks. Inserts for the 16-inch MacBook Pro, new 13-inch MacBook Pro, and new MacBook Air are available today for just $14.99.
The move we've all been waiting for is finally getting close. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Apple reportedly will confirm the Mac’s transition to ARM chips during its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on June 22.
The company has been using Intel processors inside the Mac since it ditched PowerPC chips in 2006. But speculation regarding a move to custom CPUs has been growing as Apple’s own chips have become incredibly powerful.
We may not see an ARM-powered Mac this year, however. Sources say Apple plans to announce the initiative, code-named Kalamata, at WWDC 2020. That would give developers time to adjust before the first ARM Macs arrive in 2021.
Apple’s newest macOS update makes it easier than ever to check MacBook battery health, and to prolong its lifespan. In this pro tip, we’ll show you where to find the new battery health features, and how to check the status of yours.
A future MacBook might let you put the trackpad anywhere you want. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Far from resting on its laurels, Apple continues to look for innovative features to build into MacBooks. A patent awarded Tuesday shows the company is considering making the trackpad virtual, so it can be positioned wherever the user likes.
And a second patent goes even further, making the keyboard and the area around it touch-sensitive.
Who says a MacBook-centered setup can't be epic? Photo: Aral Tasher
Front-end web developer Aral Tasher’s MacBook-powered rig is minimal but powerful. With just his laptop, a 49-inch monitor and a Thunderbolt 3 cable, he gets desktop-level performance from his humble MacBook.
To hold his MacBook, the nerve center of the setup, he uses a premium wood mount by Grovemade. This is paired with a custom-built keyboard from KBDfans, and a top-of-the-line MX Master 3 mouse from Logitech.
Tasher is also wired for sound. A pair of KRK studio monitors and LG noise-canceling headphones would make any audiophile jealous.
This week's issue will look great on your iPad Pro. Trust us. Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
We love the new Magic Keyboard, which adds a trackpad and lets an iPad Pro float almost magically. Read the full Magic Keyboard review and find out everything we like (and a couple things that could be better).
Plus, we’ve got even more reviews, the week’s top Apple news, and a bunch of great how-tos and pro tips. Download the free iOS mag now or get the links below.
Look and weep, modern MacBook owners. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
This is Apple’s 2008 aluminum unibody MacBook, model A1278. It replaced the white polycarbonate MacBook, but was itself replaced by, or rather rebranded as, the MacBook Pro, which was more or less the same computer1.
Apple introduced this magnificent MacBook on October 14, 2008, and produced them until June 8, 2009. And it was one of Apple’s best notebooks ever. It had a fantastic keyboard, and many comfy extras that today’s skinny MacBook owners can only dream about, from a battery indicator light to an almost hot-swappable hard drive (or SSD).
It’s so good that it’s still viable today as a daily driver, with the added bonus that its weight will help keep you fit during lockdown. How do I know? Because I have one right here, and I use it for music recording and production. I’m also using it to write this article. I thought, as my last post for Cult of Mac, that I’d review the 2008 unibody MacBook as if it were new. Let’s go.