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News - page 109

Crucial dock connects new MacBook Pro to classic Cinema Display [Setups]

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Setup with MacBook Pro and Cinema Display.
The user connects a MacBook Pro and Cinema Display via dock, as the Mac mini mainly stays with the TV in the living room.
Photo: [email protected]

One thing we love about Apple is the staying power of its beautiful displays. We see the Studio Display maker’s much older Cinema Displays and Thunderbolt Displays used in modern computer setups pretty regularly.

Today’s MacBook Pro setup recently added a docking station to charge the laptop while connecting it to a classic LED Cinema Display.

Score $200 off M3 Pro MacBook Pro in this Black Friday deal

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The top two new MacBook Pro models now come in a space black aluminum finish.
The top two new MacBook Pro models now come in a space black aluminum finish.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s M3 Pro MacBook Pros are available with up to $200 off in Amazon’s pre-Black Friday deal. This drops Apple’s latest laptops down to their lowest price within days of launch.

With Amazon’s offer, you can currently get the 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro for $1,849. The 16-inch variant is available with a bigger discount of $200, bringing its price down to $2,299.

Power up gadgets fast with Journey’s new ‘Ultra’ MagSafe chargers

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Journey Alti Ultra charging desk mat
Journey's Alti Ultra wireless charging desk mat is one of the company's fastest chargers.
Photo: Journey

Alogic’s Journey brand recently rolled out its fastest-ever chargers — a wireless charging desk mat and 3-in-1 wireless charging station.

The new Ultra series chargers — Alti Ultra Wireless Charging Desk Mat and the Trio Ultra 3-in-1 Fast Wireless Charging Station — carry Made for MagSafe certification, the company’s first to do so.

Apple’s in-house 5G iPhone modem delayed once again

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The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads.
Apple will have to stick to Qualcomm's 5G modem for the foreseeable future.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple is falling further behind in creating an in-house modem for iPhones. After multiple delays, the company targeted a 2025 spring timeline to ship its first modem. But that’s not going to happen.

A new report signals that Apple has delayed the modem’s launch until the end of 2025 or early 2026.

Shocker: Apple commits to RCS for better texting with Android users

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iMessage bullying
But we don't yet know if blue and green bubbles will remain.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

 In what is apparently an enormous change of direction, Apple reportedly plans to add support for Rich Communication Services to the iPhone Messages app in 2024. This will enable iPhones and Androids to communicate more effectively, with more of the bells and whistles associated with Apple’s proprietary iMessage platform.

It also could be the end of the green bubble versus blue bubble controversy, though not necessarily. If you’re wondering how to get RCS on iPhone, Apple’s latest update will bring end-to-end encryption to RCS messaging. Find out more here.

Note Apple’s holiday shipping deadlines so your gifts get there on time

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Ted Lasso animation
Sure, this is mustache-less Ted Lasso from a 2022 holiday animated short, but the coach looks pretty worried his gifts won't get to Kansas by Christmas.
Photo: Apple

If you’re planning on giving the gift of Apple gear to someone this holiday season, you better follow holiday shipping guidelines Apple posted on Thursday.

That way you can make sure your presents get to where they’re going by December 24, just in time for Christmas.

iPhone 15 handily beats iPhone 14 in 5G download speed tests

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The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads.
The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

iPhone 15 Series handsets released in September smoke iPhone 14 handsets by up to 54% in 5G download speeds, new tests released Wednesday showed.

Given the modem chipset upgrade in the newer models, the results aren’t surprising. But it’s always reassuring when the new gear performs as advertised.

Apple Music Classical expands to iPad

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Apple Music Classical for iPad
The Apple Music Classical application now supports large tablet screens.
Photo: Apple

The Apple Music Classical app that launched for iPhone earlier this year has been updated with support for the larger screens on iPads.

The app offers access to the world’s largest classical music catalog, with more than 5 million tracks. It’s free for Apple Music subscribers. If you’re interested in Mac music, you can find more insights in Apple Music Classical listening guides. This is just one of many apple digital services expanding across devices—learn more about it on Apple Music Classical on the web.

PlayStation 5 owners get 6 months of free Apple Music subscription

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Apple Music noted its most popular song and artists of 2022.
Offer is only applicable for new and returning users though.
Photo: Apple Music

Apple and Sony have teamed up to offer six months of Apple Music free to PlayStation 5 owners. The offer is only valid for new or qualified returning users, not existing subscribers.

Apple’s music streaming now comes with a relatively short one-month trial period. So, this promotion could be a boon for users on the fence about trying Apple Music.

MagSafe miracle: First Qi2 chargers arrive by Christmas

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Apple’s MagSafe fuels new Qi2 wireless charging standard
Qi2 is MagSafe for iPhone and Android.
Photo: WPC/Cult of Mac

The Wireless Power Consortium promised Wednesday that the first chargers using the emerging Qi2 standard will be on the market in time for the holiday season.

Qi2 unifies wireless charging for iPhone and Android, bringing the advantages of Apple’s MagSafe to rival handsets.

Congress wants to know why Apple TV+ axed Jon Stewart’s show

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The Problem with Jon Stewart
Did Apple's working relationship with China cause the cancellation of "The Problem with Jon Stewart"?
Photo: Apple TV+

Following last month’s abrupt cancellation of Apple TV+ commentary series The Problem With Jon Stewart, members of Congress sent a letter to Apple asking whether the show’s potential coverage of China played a role in the series getting the ax.

The lawmakers want to know if “the coercive tactics of a foreign power” were a factor in Apple’s decision.

Modern fashion rises from flames of WWII in The New Look drama on Apple TV+

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Ben Mendelsohn stars as Christian Dior.
Ben Mendelsohn stars as Christian Dior in "The New Look" on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Legends Christian Dior and Coco Chanel launched modern fashion design amid the horrors of Nazi occupation in Paris, according to the first look Apple TV+ provided Wednesday for The New Look.

Boasting a star-studded cast, the 10-episode historical drama series premieres February 14.

Find the perfect monitor riser for your desk [Setups]

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Mac mini setup Studio Display on monitor riser
Though most monitors come with adjustable stands, adding a monitor riser provides benefits to any computer setup.
Photo: [email protected]

Whether you call them monitor risers, desk shelves or display stands, finding the right one for your desk’s size can be a huge boon to your computer setup. Today’s featured Mac mini workstation benefits from a compact Balolo stand sitting toward the back of a small desk.

You can see that choice desk shelf and several other options below, along with all the setup’s gear, including a Studio Display and marvelous high-end headphones.

Tiny new Opal Tadpole webcam offers 4K quality on the go

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If your laptop's webcam isn't doing it for you, you might try the new Tadpole from Opal.
If your laptop's webcam isn't doing it for you, you might try the new Tadpole from Opal.
Photo: Opal

The ex-Apple and Beats folks behind the DSLR-like Opal C1 Webcam are back with a tiny new webcam claiming even better picture quality in an ultra-portable package for use with laptops and tablets — the Opal Tadpole.

And unlike the C1, which launched at $300 and dropped to $250, the Tadpole comes out of the gate at $175.

Why MacBook buyers should choose M3 Max chip over M3 Pro

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Why MacBook buyers should choose M3 Max chip over M3 Pro
It might be worth going with the M3 Max for the huge performance gain.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Professionals looking for a more powerful MacBook will get really significantly more performance by upgrading to an M3 Max processor instead of the M3 Pro.

It’s no surprise that the Max version of one of Apple’s new chips is faster than the Pro, but many people might not be aware how very much faster it is.

iPhone 14 gets another year of free Emergency SOS via satellite

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iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite comes to the rescue again.
iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite comes to the rescue again.
Photo: Apple

Apple is extending free Emergency SOS via satellite on the iPhone 14 Pro series for another year. The company initially promised two years of free access for the phones when they launched in 2022.

Emergency SOS via satellite allows the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 series to connect to emergency services without mobile network or Wi-Fi access.

iOS 17.2 beta 3: All the features and changes

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iOS 17.2 release notes
Time to try out iOS 17.2 beta on your iPhone!
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A week after seeding the second iOS 17.2 beta, Apple has released the third beta of the OS. The first two beta builds were loaded with new features, and iOS 17.2 beta 3 is no different.

Below are all the changes and enhancements we have found in iOS 17.2 beta 3 so far.

Samsung T5 EVO portable SSD offers a whopping 8 terabytes of storage

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Samsung T5 EVO SSD in use
There's room for years of images and videos on the new Samsung T5 EVO solid state drive.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung just launched the T5 EVO, a consumer-oriented solid state drive that provides up to 8 terabytes of storage, the most currently available in a portable SSD.

And the lower-capacity versions cost less than the equivalent Samsung T9 pro-grade drives that also hit store shelves recently.

Top apps and games: Apple names 37 App Store Award finalists

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App Store Award finalists for iPhone apps
If you're looking for reliably good apps and games, this is a fine place to start. These are the apps for iPhone finalists (AllTrails, Duolingo and Flighty).
Photo: App Store

Apple’s App Store named its apps and games of the year for different devices/services plus other App Store Award finalists Tuesday. All told, it recognized 37 apps and games whose developers “are delivering exceptional experiences and making a profound cultural impact.”

And in a matter of weeks, we’ll find out who the winners are, the company said.

Save tunes you hear on TikTok straight to Apple Music

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TikTok Add to Music App
If you come across a cool tune, you can add it to your library with a click.
Photo: TikTok

Even if you only hear a snippet of a tune on TikTok, now you can add the whole song directly to Apple Music or another music-streaming service.

TikTok’s new Add to Music App launched Tuesday in the United States and the United Kingdom. It works with Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and other music streamers.

Store and charge Apple gear with the super-cool BentoStack

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You can use the BentoStack to neatly store you Apple accessories (and charge them).
You can use the BentoStack to neatly store you Apple accessories (and charge them).
Photo: Function101

Ever order a bento box from a Japanese restaurant, with sushi and other foods in separate little compartments? The Function101 BentoStack Charge 8000 is like that  — except it holds Apple accessories you want to store at your desk or tote around. Plus, it charges them.

The BentoStack comes with four useful compartments that you can use as trays. And it features a rechargeable power bank.

Apple Pencil 2 drops to its best price in this pre-Black Friday deal

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It's not the first time Apple Pencil 2 has been this cheap, but you may never see a lower price.
This is the Apple Pencil 2 deal ahead of Black Friday that you should not miss.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

You can get the incredibly useful Apple Pencil 2 for its lowest price ahead of Black Friday. Amazon is taking $40 off the iPad accessory, dropping its price to $89.

The Apple Pencil 2 works with iPad Air, iPad mini 6, and iPad Pro to make note-taking and drawing a breeze.

iPhone Tap to Pay expands to France

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Tap to Pay on iPhone empowers businesses to securely accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets by using an iPhone and a partner-enabled iOS app.
Tap to Pay enables businesses to use an iPhone to securely accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets.
Photo: Apple

French iPhone users now have access to Tap to Pay, which enables businesses to accept contactless payments from credit cards directly on their iOS handset – no additional hardware required.

The service has been gradually roiling out around the world since it launched in 2022.

Coming ‘ultrasonic’ revolution could change wireless earbuds forever

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xMEMS Cypress
The Cypress ultrasonic speaker promises a leap in digital sound quality.
Photo: xMEMS

xMEMS Labs is bringing what it calls breakthrough technology to the wireless earbuds market late next year after a CES 2024 debut — the Cypress ultrasonic speaker. It turns ultrasonic waves we normally can’t even hear into full-frequency, hi-res audio with remarkable detail, the California-based semiconductor company said Tuesday.

The solid-state microspeaker, which will find its way into various companies’ earbuds and headphones — hello, AirPods? — generates low-frequency sound pressure for a full bass response, according to xMEMS Labs.

That makes the ultrasonic speaker a true replacement for legacy speaker technology that has only been refined, not replaced, since your great-grandparents rocked the Victrola.