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News - page 147

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.

Win a super-versatile, folding origami iPad case from SwitchEasy [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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SwitchEasy Origami Protective Case
SwitchEasy's Origami case easily folds into four configurations for different uses.
Photo: SwitchEasy

This week, Cult of Mac is giving away four Origami Protective Cases for iPad from SwitchEasy. This versatile iPad case folds in four different ways to make it easy to type, read or browse your iPad.

If you want a protective case that is also useful for relaxation or work, be sure to enter this giveaway.

Apple announces nationwide support for ‘right to repair’ bill

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Self repair components and tools for iPhone with the necessary tools from Apple.
Apple wants to make it easier to repair your broken iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Photo: Apple

During Tuesday’s right-to-repair event in the White House, Apple announced the expansion of its Self-Service Repair and Independent Repair Provider programs nationwide.

This move will help independent repair shops by providing them with the necessary tools and documentation for repairing Apple devices.

Add a calculator widget to your Home Screen [Awesome Apps]

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Calcullo is a simple calculator widget for your Home Screen.
Calcullo is a simple calculator widget for your Home Screen.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Awesome Apps

New in iOS 17 are interactive widgets on the Home Screen — that is, widgets that can do things, not just passively show information — and a handy one is Calcullo.

Calcullo is a $1.99 calculator widget for your Home Screen that makes it easy to tap out quick calculations on the fly.

3 Ted Lasso cast members become Barbie dolls

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Yup, those are new Barbie dolls based on three
Yup, those are new Barbie dolls based on three "Ted Lasso" characters.
Photo: Mattel Creations

Breakout Apple TV+ comedy hit Ted Lasso may no longer be in production, but it’s never really gone. That’s not only because it’s streaming, it’s because officially related products like the new Barbie Signature dolls keep coming out.

That’s right, Mattel Creations released three new dolls Tuesday based on characters from the show — Ted Lasso, Rebecca Welton and Keely Jones. Step right up, they’re $50 apiece.

Apple plans ‘Scary Fast’ event for Halloween eve

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Apple plans ‘Scary Fast’ event for Halloween eve
A late-October Apple event is expected to bring out a collection of new Macs.
Image: Apple

With Apple’s invitations sent, it’s official, a second Apple product-release event of autumn takes place the evening before Halloween — Monday, October 30 at 5 p.m. PT. Most folks expect some new Macs to shamble forth.

Amazon moves away from passwords to passkeys instead

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Passkeys let you use Face ID or Touch ID to sign into websites.
You can use Face ID or Touch ID to sign into Amazon via a passkey.
Image: Amazon

Add Amazon to the list of tech giants throwing their weight behind passkeys. With the new system, customers can shop online or in Amazon’s apps without passwords. Passkeys are considered safer and easier.

Apple, Google and others have already started their own move away from passwords.

iPhone 15 gets big discounts in China to boost sales

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iPhone 15 and 15 Plus review: Pro features for less
iPhone 15 is available with up to $200 off in China.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple’s latest iPhones are available with deep discounts of up to $200 in China. Many analysts believe Apple’s iPhone 15 series has been doing poorly in China.

The slowdown in sales has caused online Chinese e-commerce companies to offer hefty discounts on the new iPhones.

Pencil in new iPads for March 2024

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iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad
Multiple new iPads could be just five months away.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Spring 2024 could bring array of new iPad models, according to a reliable Apple tipster. This might include models from the smallest iPad mini to the largest iPad Pro.

Some of the changes will be only a faster processor, but other tablets will supposedly see more dramatic improvements.

Killers of the Flower Moon bags big box-office numbers

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Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in
Robert De Niro, left, and Leonardo DiCaprio bring plenty of star power to Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon.
Photo: Apple TV+

Martin Scorsese’s historical crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon saw both critical acclaim and solid box-office proceeds the opening weekend of it theatrical run ahead of its release on Apple TV+.

In terms of dollars, it placed second among movies in theaters now and third among films in Scorsese’s long directing career.

Get up to 35% off big selection of eye-catching iPhone cases

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SwitchEasy's MagEasy lineup of iPhone cases is on sale.
SwitchEasy's MagEasy lineup of iPhone cases is on sale.
Photo: SwitchEasy

If you have an iPhone, you should probably protect that expensive gadget from drops and scrapes with a case. And it’ll change up your handset’s look, too. Good thing SwitchEasy is having a big sale on its MagEasy lineup — one case for 20% off and an additional 15% off when you buy two cases.

The collection on sale includes a variety of cases for iPhone 14, 13, 12, 11 and SE. Just remember to use coupon code cultofmac on the product page when you buy.

iOS 17.1 fixes weird iPhone 15 Pro screen ‘burn-in’ problem

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iPhone 15 screen burn-in isn't really
This isn't screen burn-in. It's an image retention problem that's fixed by iOS 17.1.
Photo: spriteice/Reddit

Anyone with an iPhone 15 Pro should install iOS 17.1 when it launches this week, especially if their new handset seems to be suffering from screen burn-in. Turns out it’s not a hardware problem but the result of a software bug that gets fixed by the upcoming update.

Plus, there are other new features coming in iOS 17.1.

Update to Matter standard makes your fridge smarter

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Matter standard logo
The Matter 2.1 update adds support for 9 new kinds of appliances and more.
Photo: Connectivity Standards Alliance

The Matter connectivity standard helps different devices and smart-home platforms like Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa work together. And with an update Monday, it added nine home-appliance types and got other improvements, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) behind it said.

Matter specification 2.1 adds support for refrigerators, dishwashers, laundry washers, robot vacuums, air-quality sensors, air purifiers, fans, stand-alone room air conditioners, and smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms.

Apple admin runs clinic with formidable M2 MacBook Pro rig [Setups]

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Start with a new 16-inch M2 MacBook Pro, a CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 dock and a huge Samsung display, and go from there.
Start with a new 16-inch M2 MacBook Pro, a CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 dock and a huge Samsung display, and go from there.
Photo: [email protected]

Perhaps you’ve heard an expression often used in sports commentary — “so-and-so is running a clinic on this,” meaning showing anyone and everyone how it’s done.

Today’s featured computer setup comes from an Apple administrator who clearly knows how it’s done, if “it” is setting up a rock-solid and highly functional workstation.

China investigates Apple’s iPhone-assembler Foxconn

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Foxconn building
Foxconn is Apple's biggest contract manufacturer.
Photo: Puddingworld, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons

The Chinese government began multiple investigations into Foxconn, the Taiwanese company that assembles the iPhone, MacBooks and other Apple devices in China.

There are suspicions that the investigations are politically motivated: Foxconn founder Terry Gou is running for president of Taiwan.