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News - page 119

Apple M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max boost Mac performance up to 50%

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Apple M3 chip family
Apple unveiled the M3 and didn't make Mac users wait for the M3 Pro and M3 Max.
Image: Apple

Apple broke with tradition and unveiled the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max processors all at once on Monday, rather than stringing the releases out. The performance cores in the new chips are up to 30% faster than M1, and the efficiency cores are up to 50% faster.

“Apple silicon has completely redefined the Mac experience. Every aspect of its architecture is designed for performance and power efficiency,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s SVP of Hardware Technologies. “With 3-nanometer technology, a next-generation GPU architecture, a higher-performance CPU, faster Neural Engine, and support for even more unified memory, M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max are the most advanced chips ever built for a personal computer.”

Apple’s online store goes down ahead of ‘Scary Fast’ event

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Apple store is down just before the start of the Scary Fast event.
The online Apple store is down just before the start of the Scary Fast event.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Apple’s online store has gone down ahead of its ‘Scary Fast’ event this evening. It is typical of Apple to take down its online store before major product launches, but this usually happens hours before. This time it was mere minutes.

This will likely be the company’s last product launch event for 2023.

Get ready to play Scary Fast event bingo

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See if you can get bingo tonight during Apple's Scary Fast event.
See if you can get bingo tonight during Apple's Scary Fast event.
Photo: Basic Apple Guy

If a big Apple event like Monday evening’s Scary Fast is happening, you can you’ll find a selection of bingo cards to play on social media. It could make the event go by quicker. And it’s fun just to check them out to see if the predictions align with your own and spot if anyone got a good joke or two in there.

Sometimes the best cable organizer is your desk mat [Setups]

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We don't feature a ton of iPad-driven setups, but that's not actually the cool thing we're obsessed with in this photo.
We don't feature a ton of iPad-driven setups, but that's not actually the cool thing we're obsessed with in this photo.
Photo: Fernando Silva

We love it when unfamiliar gear in a computer setup cropping up on social media makes us go, “what the hell is that thing?”

It happened with today’s featured setup, which is bit unusual because it centers on an iPad Pro rather than a desktop computer or laptop. But the unfamiliar item turned out to be a desk mat with a cool trick using metal pieces to tame cable clutter.

Full version of Resident Evil Village launches for iPhone 15 Pro and iPad

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'Resident Evil Village' on iPhone
You don't need a console to play Resident Evil Village, just an iPhone 15 Pro or a recent high-end or mid-range iPad.
Photo: Capcom

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max owners can start playing the console-quality version of Resident Evil Village. The survival horror game hit the App Store just in time for Halloween.

It can also be played on iPads with high-end processors.

All the Macs to expect at Apple’s M3-focused ‘Scary Fast’ October event

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Apple's events page for the Halloween event contains a massive hint.
The Apple M3 series of processors will be scary fast.
Photo: Apple

UPDATE: The “Scary Fast” event has come and gone, and it brought the fresh MacBook Pro models and the iMac — all powered with a new M3 processor — that leaks predicted. Check out Cult of Mac‘s full coverage for more details.


Apple fans are getting a treat this Halloween: an event that’ll bring the M3 processor and a range of new Macs to run it.

Here’s everything we’re expecting at Monday’s event, including an iMac and MacBooks, with some accessories thrown in.

These 7 spooky Apple Arcade games dish out Halloween treats

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These 7 spooky Apple Arcade games dish out Halloween treats
Here are the best games with the unquiet dead available on Apple Arcade for your Halloween enjoyment.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Halloween is almost here, making this a great weekend to play some spooky games. Apple Arcade has a nice selection of these to help you enjoy the creepy season.

Here are the best options in Apple’s gaming service to find ghosts, ghouls and goblins.

iOS 17.1 boosts battery life of most older iPhones

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iPhone 13 charging test
iPhone 13 runs longer on iOS 17.1 than other recent versions.
Photo: ChargerLAB

The most-recent iOS update increases the battery life of several older iPhone models, according to tests on a range of devices. And it’s a jump for almost every model tested over the first iOS 17 version.

But there’s still room for improvement.

Here’s the latest on new MacBooks to expect from Scary Fast event

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Certain new MacBook Pro models powered by the M3 chip may appear Monday at Apple's Scary Fast event, while others are still in development.
Certain new MacBook Pro models powered by the M3 chip may appear Monday at Apple's Scary Fast event, while others are still in development.
Photo: Apple

UPDATE: The “Scary Fast” event has come and gone, and it brought the fresh MacBook Pro models and the iMac — all powered with a new M3 processor — that leaks predicted. Check out Cult of Mac‘s full coverage for more details.


As Apple’s Monday-evening Scary Fast event fast approaches, the latest rumors Friday say new M3-powered 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are likely to appear, while a new 13-inch M3 model likely remains in development.

Why choosing the right monitor light bar matters [Setups]

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The user said his $180 monitor light bar is absolutely worth it.
The user said his $180 monitor light bar is absolutely worth it.
Photo: [email protected]

A good external monitor like Apple’s Studio Display is an important part of a computer setup. But what about the monitor light bar that sits on top of it? They’re not all the same and they can hugely impact your workspace.

Today’s MacBook Pro setup boasts a Studio Display, and on top sits a fairly pricey BenQ monitor light. Read on the find out why the user says it’s worth every penny.

Get a one-year Costco Gold Star Membership and a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* for $60

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Here's how to shop get a Costco membership plus a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* for $60.
This limited-time deal gets you a year-long Costco membership plus a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* for $60.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Editor’s note: Apologies, but this deal is not yet live. We accidentally published this post too early. The deal will go live at midnight on October 30th. Again, we’re sorry for the mistake.

Sticking to a household budget is a challenging task, especially if you have to bounce from store to store to get all your errands done. That’s a waste of gas, time and money. With the holidays so close, it might be worth it to start shopping at Costco and turn any savings you find into gifts for your friends and family. Plus, this is your chance to get a One-Year Gold Star Membership and a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* for the price of a normal membership. 

NexDock transforms iPhone 15 into clamshell notebook

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NexDock transforms iPhone 15 into clamshell notebook
Add a 13-inch touchscreen, keyboard and trackpad to your iPhone with NexDock.
Photo: Nex

NexDock and the infiniteX2P app are designed to turn an iPhone 15 into a laptop. Connect Apple’s latest to the touchscreen/keyboard/mouse and run the app to start multitasking on a 13-inch display.

The USB-C port in the iPhone 15 makes this combination possible.

Finding what to watch gets easier in redesigned Apple TV app

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Apple may simplify its TV app for users by the end of the year.
Apple may simplify its TV app for users by the end of the year.
Photo: Apple

Finding what to watch with the Apple TV app is about to get easier. The newly released developer beta for tvOS 17.2 gives a preview of the new navigation users will soon see.

Apple TV+ and other content sources will surface in a sidebar list on the left side of app pages.

Apple already begins testing iOS 17.2 with new Journal app

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Apple Journal App press images creating new entry and list of past entries
Journal can help you create personalized entries, with content from multiple apps, to help you preserve life’s memories.
Screenshots: Apple

Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 17.2 to developers on Thursday. The major new feature seems to be the AI-enhanced Journal app that Apple previously promised. macOS 14.2 beta 1, iPadOS 17.2 beta 1, watchOS 10.2 beta 1 and tvOS 17.2 beta 1 are also available to devs.

These come just a day after the previous versions of all these operating system went out to the public.

‘Definitive’ new John Lennon murder doc on Apple TV+ reveals ‘shocking’ details

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Mark David Chapman confessed to murdering John Lennon.
Mark David Chapman confessed to murdering John Lennon.
Photo: New York State Department of Corrections

A new documentary claiming to be the “definitive” look at the murder of John Lennon — the former Beatle and enduring cultural icon — is coming to Apple TV+. Unfortunately, though, the streaming service hasn’t yet said when the exhaustively researched, three-part series will arrive.

But we do know the narrator of John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial. It’s Emmy Award-winning actor Kiefer Sutherland, the streaming service said.

Adding one feature would make AirTag way more useful

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AirTag
We want to be warned if our AirTag starts to move away on its own.
Photo: Mark Chan/Unsplash

Apple sells millions of AirTags because people want to track the location of their stuff. But the tracker does only part of the job — it only warns the user when their iPhone moves too far away from the tag. Making it also set off an alarm when the tag moves away while the user is sitting still would be a welcome improvement.

This could be done with a changes to the Find My application. No new hardware is required.

watchOS 10.1 update brings new double-tap gesture for hands-free use

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Double tap lets users select the primary action in a variety of watchOS apps and notifications.
Double tap lets users select the primary action in a variety of watchOS apps and notifications.
Photo: Apple

One of the more exciting updates to Apple Watch lately is the new double-tap gesture now available in the watchOS 10.1 update. It allows Series 9 and Ultra 2 users to tap their finger and thumb together twice to launch a function without touching the wearable.

After appearing in the watchOS 10.1 beta — but in nonfunctional form — now it’s out for real with the public release.

Basketball fans can now jump into the action in NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition

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NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition is for serious fans.
NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition is a serious game for serious fans.
Screenshot: 2K Games/Apple Arcade

NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition, the latest addition to the long-running esports games franchise, launched a bit earlier than expected. The feature-packed basketball game is now on Apple Arcade for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV.

This is the definitive basketball game for Apple devices, and each new version adds even more features.

Find live music with Shazam’s new Concerts feature

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Shazam app
Now you can see live-music recommendations right in Apple's Shazam app.
Photo: Apple

Apple-owned music-identification app Shazam now lets users find live music through a new feature called Concerts, the company said Wednesday.

It surfaces shows in the iOS app’s My Music section based on a user’s Shazam history.

iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 are here with useful new features

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iOS 17.1 release notes
iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1 are here with several big and small changes.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iOS 17.1, the first major point release of iOS 17, is here. It drops just over a month after iOS 17 arrived.

Alongside iOS 17.1, Apple is also releasing iPadOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 to the public today. Below is a look at some of the top new features in the OSes.

Monday’s ‘Scary Fast’ Macs could sport M3 chips after all

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Here are the M3-powered Macs expected in fall 2023
The Apple M3 is almost here, and it’s reportedly going into multiple Macs.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

After Apple invited the world to its Scary Fast product event Monday, speculation turned more seriously to the idea that newly announced Macs might sport faster new M3 chips rather than versions of the current M2 series chips.

One prominent analyst who had said the upgrade wouldn’t happen yet even changed his tune on the matter.

Cheap LED strip lights give coder’s MacBook rig a moody vibe [Setups]

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Two cheap LED lights strips create that whole effect, and with many light strips the colors can change endlessly.
Two cheap LED lights strips create that whole effect, and with many light strips the colors can change endlessly.
Photo: [email protected]

Deliberate lighting choices, especially those featuring vibrant colors, can do a lot for a computer setup. They can improve mood and vision, and they can even give humdrum gear in a boring room a dazzling look and feel.

Today’s featured MacBook Pro setup belongs to a coder in Panama who used some basic, cheap LED strip lights to transform his workstation into a light show — to the delight of viewers on social media.