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News - page 107

Entire iPhone 16 lineup could feature force-sensitive Action button

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Closeup of iPhone 15’s new Action button.
iPhone 16's Action button could benefit from force-detection capabilities.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly will bring the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action button to the entire iPhone 16 lineup next year. It will seemingly be a capacitive button and pack a lot of additional functionality.

The new rumor indicates the iPhone 16’s Action button will use a force sensor, allowing it to detect changes in pressure.

Apple’s new Personal Voice feature rings clear in ‘The Lost Voice’ video

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Tristram Ingham 'The Lost Voice' video
Disability advocate Tristram Ingham prepares to record Apple’s “The Lost Voice" video.
Photo: Apple

The new Personal Voice feature in iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma can restore a person’s voice even after they lose it for any reason.

Apple demonstrated that quite well Thursday in an article and video featuring a disability advocate suffering facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).

Tiny fan makes MacBook Air perform like MacBook Pro

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Frore Systems AirJet cooling chip fits MacBook Air
A Frore Systems cooling chip can boost MacBook Air performance.
Photo: Frore Systems

MacBook Air performs well without a MacBook Pro’s cooling fan, but now a tiny cooling chip can bridge the difference between the two laptops, according to a new report.

The thin membrane-based AirJet chip fits in Apple’s lightest laptop and boosts its performance when needed. Too bad you can’t just buy it and install it.

AirPods Pro 2 drop back to Black Friday price after 24% discount

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AirPods Pro 2 in hand with case opened
Here's another chance at getting the AirPods Pro 2 at their Black Friday price.
Source: Unsplash

Amazon is once again running an insane deal on the AirPods Pro 2, dropping them to their Black Friday price. You can get the earbuds for $189.99, a whopping $59 off their $249 MSRP.

With no AirPods Pro successor coming anytime soon, Apple’s 2nd gen earbuds are the best earphones you can get for your iPhone.

New deal means fully American-made Apple silicon chips

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TSMC chip wafer
Chip wafers can't simply be plugged into a computer. They must be packaged first.
Photo: TSMC

Apple silicon processors that TSMC makes at its Arizona plant will be packaged by Amkor at a nearby facility. This will save them from having to be shipped to Taiwan before going into iPhone, Mac, etc.

“Apple is deeply committed to the future of American manufacturing, and we’ll continue to expand our investment here in the United States,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s COO. “Apple silicon has unlocked new levels of performance for our users, enabling them to do things they could never do before, and we are thrilled that Apple silicon will soon be produced and packaged in Arizona.”

Try one of Elago’s stylish steel bands for Apple Watch

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Elago's new stainless steel bands for Apple Watch come in three colors.
Elago's new stainless steel bands for Apple Watch come in three colors.
Photo: Elago

There are few things more classic than a stainless steel watch band. It’s durable yet stylish, rugged yet elegant, and appropriate for work or play. You can wear it with a T-shirt or a tuxedo. And that goes for your grandfather’s Rolex as much as it goes for your Apple Watch.

Lucky for you, Elago’s stainless steel watch bands for Apple Watch in three colors to the Cult of Mac Store. And they’re affordable, too.

These apps and games won the 2023 App Store Awards

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Apple Store Awards 2023
These are the App Store Award winners of 2023.
Photo: Apple

Apple has announced the 2023 App Store Awards winner after highlighting the 37 finalists earlier this month. The iPhone App of the Year went to AllTrails, while Prêt-à-Makeup won the iPad App of the Year.

Photomator was crowned as the Mac App of the Year. Unsurprisingly, generative AI was the Trend of the Year, with App Store Editors highlighting some apps that used it to deliver an innovative app experience.

Robert De Niro jabs Apple over deleted anti-Trump comments

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Robert De Niro, 2023 Gotham Awards
De Niro wasn't happy Apple deleted his anti-Trump comments.
Photo: Gotham Film & Media Institute, YouTube

Actor Robert De Niro slammed Apple this week over anti-Donald Trump comments deleted from his speech at the Gotham Awards Monday evening.

The legendary actor noticed the commentary missing from the teleprompter as he began to introduce the Gotham Historical Icon and Creator Tribute to Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon, produced by Apple (and starring De Niro). So he took out his smartphone and read them anyway.

Arm ain’t happy about how little Apple pays for its chip tech

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Apple gets Arm chip tech on the cheap
Whatever you think Apple pays Arm to license its technology, the real number is probably less.
Photo: Arm/Cult of Mac

All Apple computers run on chips based on technology licensed from Arm. And it turns out the licensing fee is surprisingly low. Pennies per device.

Apple is one of Arm’s most important customers, and the two have a relationship that goes back to the early 1990s. That’s turned into a sweet deal for the iPhone-maker.

Flexible device and display mounts make this home office [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup with mounted devices and displays
Everything in this setup but the keyboard, wrist rest, mouse and desk mat is mounted.
Photo: [email protected]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If you’re not elevating your laptop, iPad and displays on mounts and arms, you’re limiting your computer setup. Today’s feature MacBook Pro and iPad setup illustrates the point well by putting those devices and dual displays on four separate mounts, some with moveable arms.

That makes all of those devices more flexible, and much easier to move around than they would be on stationary stands. It also frees up space on the desk.

Apple reportedly ending Apple Card partnership with Goldman Sachs

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Making Apple Card payments is as simple as its design.
Apple might have to find a new banking partner for Apple Card.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s partnership with Goldman Sachs for the Apple Card is reportedly coming to an end. The Wall Street Journal says Apple sent a proposal to the bank to exit from the agreement in the next 12 to 15 months.

At the moment, it remains unclear if Apple has zeroed in on another banking partner for Apple Card.

New doc takes closer look at John Lennon’s killer [Apple TV+ trailer]

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Trailer for
Lots of information from various sources plus exclusive interviews shed light on the music icon's murder.
Photo: Apple TV+

Exclusive interviews with eyewitnesses to John Lennon’s murder, unseen crime-scene photos and discussions with experts — including the psychiatrist who first assessed confessed murderer Mark David Chapman — shed light on the music icon’s killing, according to a new trailer Apple TV+ dropped Tuesday for the documentary series John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial.

The three-part series, narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Kiefer Sutherland, debuts on Apple TV+ December 6.

Last chance to win a super-protective iPad case from Zugu [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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Lather your iPad in a luxurious sheild.
Keep your iPad safe and secure at all times in a rugged Zugu case.
Photo: Zugu

The prize in this week’s giveaway is every iPad owner’s dream: an iPad case from Zugu with a built-in Apple Pencil holder. We teamed up with Zugu to give five lucky winners the chance to win one of these fantastic iPad cases.

Zugu’s cases start at $49.99, fit a wide array of iPads, and come in nine different colors. So if you win, you will be spoiled for choice.

Peruse Apple Books’ top titles of 2023 and learn more about your own favorites

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Apple Books Year in Review
Apple Books' new Year in Review feature offers insights into what you read.
Photo: Apple

There’s nothing like cracking open the ol’ iPad to the next page of the book you can’t put down — thanks to Apple Books. And now you can find your next great read from the service’s most-popular books of 2023 and enjoy a Year in Review with insights into the books and authors you enjoyed, Apple said Tuesday.

Pick new podcasts from Apple’s list of most popular ones

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Pick new podcasts from Apple's list of most popular ones
The Apple Podcasts app will show you to most popular offerings in your country.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

One of the best ways to discover new podcasts is by finding out what other people are listening to. Apple made that easy Tuesday by tabulating the most popular podcasts of 2023.

These hit podcasts are available in localized versions for listeners in nearly 100 countries and regions.

Why iPhone NameDrop feature is not a security risk

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NameDrop in iOS 17
See that "Share" button? It's important.
Photo: Apple Support

Parents are mistakenly being warned that they need to quickly deactivate iOS 17’s NameDrop feature on their children’s iPhones. The warnings claim that it’s causing the devices to broadcast their contact information to anyone nearby.

This simply isn’t true.

Belkin extends top Cyber Monday deals on Apple accessories all week

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Belkin BoostCharge Pro charging pad with MagSafe
Belkin's BoostCharge Pro charging pad with MagSafe is an elegant (and portable) charging solution.
Photo: Belkin

Belkin, a big name in Apple accessories, is extending Cyber Monday deals on some of its best-selling products through Sunday, December 3, on Amazon.com (but note that some deals end Saturday. The company’s Amazon storefront showcases a diverse selection of tech accessories at discounts of up to 50% off.

So whether you need something for yourself or for someone on your holiday shopping list, check out Belkin’s sale. Everyone needs things like MagSafe chargers and iPhone mounts!

Last chance: Save on mega deals this Cyber Monday in the Cult of Mac Store

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Cyber Monday savings on Elago, Mifa, Laut and many more
Score Cyber Monday savings on Elago, Mifa, Laut and many more.
Photo: Adel/ Cult of Mac

Cyber Monday at the Cult of Mac store is a massive event you won’t want to miss. We’ve got deals on all kinds of accessories for all your Apple gear.

Get ready for incredible discounts, with savings of up to 75% on selected brands including Elago, Elkson, Mifa, Rilee & Lo, Laut, and many others. Don’t miss out on these fantastic offers!

6-display rig rocks Sonos home-theater sound [Setups]

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5-display Mac Studio and MacBook Pro setup with Sonos home-theater sound.
This expansive Mac Studio and MacBook Pro setup provides an audio-visual feast.
Photo: [email protected]

Some home computer setups go extra-large on visuals, others pump up quality sound — and some go nuts with both in equal measure.

Today’s featured Mac Studio and MacBook Pro setup features not only six exceptional displays — including Apple’s vaunted, $5,000 Pro Display XDR — it also adds a bonus sound system to its complete Sonos home-theater audio array.

Last call for 30% off great Laut accessories for iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch and more

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It comes in a nice array of colors.
It comes in a nice array of colors.
Photo: Laut

It’s that time of year when Black Friday and Cyber Monday seem to stretch for days and days. The Cult of Mac Store is offering 30% off a range of wonderful Laut accessories for Apple products through the end of the day Monday.

You can pick up a protective and colorful folio for your iPad, a luxurious steel mesh Apple Watch band, an iPhone 14 camera lens protector or a bike saddle mount for AirTag at great prices. See the whole Laut collection and some highlights below.

Best Cyber Monday Apple Deals: MacBooks, AirPods, Apple Watch and more

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Best Cyber Monday Apple deals
Check out these amazing Cyber Monday discounts on some popular Apple products.
Photo: Rajesh

Did you miss buying your favorite Apple gear or accessory during Black Friday? Do not worry, as Cyber Monday is here. This is probably your last chance to get a new MacBook, iPad, or Apple Watch at its lowest price before the holidays.

You can get the recently launched M3 MacBook Pro with a 10-core GPU for just $1,449 ($150 off). You can score even bigger discounts of up to $250 on the 15-inch MacBook Air. The Apple Pencil 2 is also down to its new lifetime low price of $79.99 after a massive $49 off.

While Apple is running its own shopping event for Cyber Monday, you should look at deals from third-party retailers, as they are offering bigger discounts. However, as always, these prices could change at any time and/or the products could sell out.

Monarch is a Godzilla-size hit for Apple TV+

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Godzilla in
Godzilla fans pushed "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" to near the top of the popularity chart.
Photo: Apple TV+

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters stomped onto the list of most popular shows on any streaming service this week. Even better, the Apple TV+ series with Godzilla and other kaiju debuted near the top of the list, according to a market analysis.

At the same time, Brie Larson’s Lessons in Chemistry continued to draw a big audience, week after week.