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News - page 157

Get Steve Jobs’ new ‘memoir’ for free

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The new digital book comes out April 11 for free.
The new digital book comes out April 11 for free on the Steve Jobs Archive website and Apple Books.
Photo: Steve Jobs Archive

The Steve Jobs Archive released its first book Tuesday, Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words. It’s a memoir of sorts because almost everything in it comes directly from Jobs, from major speeches and interviews to emails he sent to himself. It covers the Apple co-founder’s life from a young age until he passed away in 2011.

The new book includes never-before-seen content, the archive said, and it’s free from multiple sources.

Apple’s next 27-inch display is not coming anytime soon

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A table of desktop Macs. Going clockwise around the table, starting at the front: the Mac Studio with Studio Display (height-adjustable stand and nano texture glass), the iMac, Mac Pro with Pro Display XDR (with Pro Stand) and Mac mini with Studio Display (tilt stand).
Apple's next Studio Display could be a lot slimmer.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next-gen Studio Display might not ship with a 120Hz ProMotion mini-LED panel as initially rumored. It’s reportedly still in development though, and the monitor could debut in 2024 or early 2025 with all the features of a “high-end monitor.”

Apple’s current 27-inch display features a 5K 60Hz panel. With its next upgrade, it could switch to a mini-LED backplane for thinner bezels.

Slick new Soundcore hi-fi speaker sports spatial audio

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The new speaker has a stainless steel grille and an aluminum handle.
The new speaker has a stainless steel grille and an aluminum handle.
Photo: Soundcore

Soundcore unveiled its elegant new Motion X600 Portable High Fidelity Speaker Monday. The compact speaker offers hi-res, spatial audio in a handsome package with a metal grille and a choice of gray, green or blue colors.

When it becomes available in early May, it’ll go for $200. But you can get an early-bird discount. See below.

Latest iOS update doesn’t fix iPhone battery drain

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iOS update does not deliver promised iPhone battery improvement
iPhone battery life doesn't improve under iOS 16.4.1, as had been hoped.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Testing shows that the recently released iOS 16.4.1 does not fix an iPhone battery problem introduced by its predecessor.

This wasn’t the usual small change in battery life that’s usual with updates. Many iPhone models saw significant drops with iOS 16.4. And the latest version isn’t a fix.

Updated OnePlus Nord earbuds add noise cancellation at low price

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Now with ANC and improved sound quality, OnePlus Nord Buds 2 cost $59 and come in white or gray colors.
Now with ANC and improved sound quality, OnePlus Nord Buds 2 cost $59 and come in white or gray colors.
Photo: OnePlus

Another week, another set of active-noise-cancelling (ANC) wireless earbuds. The latest buds vying to take a piece of the AirPods pie are the updated OnePlus Nord Buds 2. They add ANC and improved sound quality over their super-affordable predecessor.

Nord Buds made a splash with good sound quality at a bargain-basement price of $39 when they came out. Now Nord Buds 2 piles on more features and boosts quality at a still-low $59 price point.

YouTube Premium getting SharePlay support for watching with friends

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YouTube Bundle
Google is adding a collection of new features and enhancements for YouTube Premium.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

YouTube will soon get support for SharePlay, as well as videos with higher bitrates. And queuing up videos and jumping between devices will get easier, too.

The enhancements are part of Google efforts to get more subscribers for YouTube Premium.

New HaloLock wallet is also a battery and stand for iPhone

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Charge your iPhone on the go, carry a couple of cards and set it up as a stand to watch videos.
Charge your iPhone on the go, carry a couple of cards and set it up as a stand to watch videos.
Photo: ESR

Accessories maker ESR unveiled its new HaloLock Power Bank Wallet on Wednesday. Now on Amazon, the magnetic 3-in-1 device charges your phone, keep your cards in order and lets you “enjoy hands-free viewing in a sleek, pocket-friendly package,” the company said.

Affordable iMac rig sees no need for Apple silicon [Setups]

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You won't find any M1 or M2 Macs here.
You won't find any M1 or M2 Macs here.
Photo: [email protected]

Not every computer setup flaunted and much-admired on social media is an Apple silicon powerhouse with an ultra-fast M1 or M2 chip. Today’s featured setup leans on a 6-year-old iMac and a MacBook Air almost twice as old as that.

But with the help of an impressive-yet-affordable audio gear list and a trio of gaming systems, the rig gets the work and play done. And don’t miss the beefed up iPod classic in the mix.

Slowing computer demand finally catches up to Mac

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2023 MacBook Pro in 16-inch and 14-inch versions
Even the speed-boosted 2023 MacBook Pro couldn't bring up Mac shipments.
Image: Apple

Mac shipments declined a jaw-dropping 41% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2023, according to a market-analysis firm. It seems Apple finally joined other PC makers in seeing reduced shipments of traditional computers.

Apple’s Tetris film slots easily into top 10 list

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In Tetris, Nikita Efremov (left) plays the long, straight block while Taron Egerton stars as the square block. (Kidding!)
Photo: Apple TV+

The new Apple TV+ film about sneaking Tetris out of Communist Russia is pulling in plenty of viewers. It was actually more popular than Ted Lasso last week, according to one TV ratings company — though that Apple comedy is very popular, too.

And Shinking continues its long run in the top 10 most popular streaming shows, possibly because it’s now possible to binge the entire first season.

Mac mini is a total dream machine [The CultCast]

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Apple crammed a whole lot of computing power into the Mac mini.
Apple crams a whole lot of computing power into the Mac mini.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The M2 Pro-powered Mac mini is a dream machine for creative types, according to our reviewer D. Griffin Jones. He joins us to sing the praises of this pint-size powerhouse. (It’s quite an upgrade from the 2015 MacBook Pro he used before.)

Also on The CultCast:

  • It’s just two months until we’ll see Apple’s mixed-reality headset. We can’t help thinking this pricey “star product” is gonna flop hard, even as it points the way toward the future.
  • A free book coming next week will reveal Steve Jobs “in his own words.”
  • Will the next version of watchOS really bring big changes?
  • Erfon knows where you can find a steady supply of genuine Apple accessories at cut-rate prices.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Our sponsors: Hello Fresh and Mylio

  • Hello Fresh is America’s No. 1 food kit! Go to HelloFresh.com/cultcast50 and use code cultcast50 for 50% off, plus your first box ships free!
  • Mylio is the easy way to manage all your photos on all your devices. Try it at Mylio.com/cultcast.

Find new Doctor Who hidden-objects game on Apple Arcade

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Find new 'Doctor Who' hidden-objects game on Apple Arcade
The Thirteenth Doctor and her companions must solve a mystery.
Photo: Tilting Point/Apple Arcade

Doctor Who: An Unlikely Heist challenges players to solve mysteries by finding clues. The story-driven hidden-objects game debuted on Apple Arcade on Friday.

It’s the latest addition to Apple’s gaming service, which adds a new title almost every week.

Apple fixes security vulnerabilities and bugs with iOS and macOS updates [Updated]

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Apple goes on bug hunt with new iOS 16.4.1 update
iOS 16.4.1 is ready for your iPhone. And there are macOS and iPadOS updates, too.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPhone, Mac and iPad users got fresh operating system updates on Friday. iOS 16.4.1, macOS 13.3.1 and iPadOS 16.4.1 fix a smattering of bugs on the devices — including some security vulnerabilities that Apple admits may have been exploited — but there are no new features.

At this time, there are no equivalent updates for Apple Watch or Apple TV.

Easter Sale: Make AirPods even better with these accessories

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Elkson's case will keep your AirPods Pro safe and comes with a handy keychain ring.
Elkson's case will keep your AirPods Pro safe and comes with a handy keychain ring.
Photo: Elkson

No matter which AirPods you have, the Cult of Mac Easter Sale has something for you. Check out the selection of cool cases and stands in the Easter Savings collection.

See some highlights below, where the links go straight to the products. And if you think this sale is probably only for AirPods Pro, AirPods 3 and AirPods Max, guess again. Here’s six cases for AirPods 1 and 2, for example — all 25% off.

Floating iPad Pro works as a ‘perfect’ second screen [Setups]

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Whoah, how'd that iPad Pro learn to fly?
Whoah, how'd that iPad Pro learn to fly?
Photo: [email protected]

We often see computer setups festooned with several big external monitors, Mission Control style. But some great setups get by with zero external displays, like today’s featured iMac setup.

The iMac provides the main screen, of course. And then “black magic” makes the iPad Pro levitate as a second screen. Or something like that. See below.

Silo trailer delves into a deep mystery coming to Apple TV+

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Explore the deep mystery of the 'Silo'
In Silo, if the lies don't kill you, the truth will.
Photo: Apple TV+

Silo premieres in May, and Apple TV+ just released the full trailer for the upcoming drama series based on a bestselling trilogy of dystopian novels.

In the series, a few thousand people are left on earth hiding in a mile-deep silo. But what if everything they’ve ever been told about the outside world is a lie?

Apple couldn’t get away with proprietary USB-C cables for iPhone 15

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Apple couldn't get away with proprietary USB-C cables for iPhone 15
We might see this some day.
Photo: Cult of Mac

USB-C is finally coming to the iPhone, but there are rumors and speculation that only Apple-approved cables will be able to charge the device. Realistically, though, there’s no way Apple would be allowed to get away with that.

The European Union is forcing Apple to drop the Lightning port, and would surely squash attempts to make USB-C into anything but a universal standard. That’s if Apple is even trying to do that, which is questionable.

Save up to 40% on iPhone cases and accessories in our Easter Sale

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The Laut Prestige Folio is not just an iPhone case. It's also a stand.
The Laut Prestige Folio is not just an iPhone case. It's also a stand.
Photo: Laut

The Easter Sale in the Cult of Mac Store features an array of iPhone cases and accessories at great discounts — up to 40% off!

You can find a huge selection of Laut cases to fit any taste and almost any recent iPhone (not just iPhone 14 series). And if you want a screen or lens protector, the sale has you covered with various options.

Check out the Easter Savings collection! And see below for some sale highlights for iPhone. The links below go directly to products.

Patricia Arquette’s dark comedy High Desert hits Apple TV+ in May

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Patricia Arquette dark comedy 'High Desert' hits Apple TV+ in May
Will Patricia Arquette's second show on Apple TV+ be as big a hit as Severance?
Photo: Apple TV+

High Desert will join the collection of comedies on Apple TV+ when it premieres in May. This won’t be light fare, as it follows an addict who decides to become a private investigator.

The upcoming series stars Patricia Arquette, winner of several Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy awards.

Add ChatGPT to iPhone or Mac with this new Shortcut

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Add ChatGPT to iPhone or Mac with this new Shortcut
Have ChatGPT always available on your iPhone with S-GPT.
Photo: Federico Viticci/MacStories

Don’t be jealous of Microsoft Bing’s new AI capabilities: A new Shortcut called S-GPT integrates OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot into Apple devices. It works as a conversational search engine but can do much more, including summarizing a webpage and creating an Apple Music playlist from a list of suggested songs.

It’s a Shortcut rather than an app, and it’s free to download. There’s a very small fee for using it.