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News - page 170

Clever iOS 17 concept wishes for Split View, sideloading and more

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Clever iOS 17 concept wishes for Split View, sideloading and more
There'd be few complaints if Apple built all these features into iOS 17.
Concept:

A skilled concept artist created a video with a wish list of new features for iOS 17, including displaying two applications at once and directly installing applications outside of the App Store. Plus quite a few more additions.

It’s a demonstration that, as good as iPhone is, there’s plenty room for improvement.

Siri desperately needs some ChatGPT-like smarts

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Siri desperately needs some ChatGPT-like smarts
There's a lot Siri doesn't understand. And that's a problem.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Users have complained about the limitations of the Siri “intelligent” assistant for years, but now that OpenAI’s ChatGPT is showing the world that artificial intelligence can do amazing things, it’s never been more obvious that Apple’s version is as dumb as a bag of hammers.

Not only does this make Apple look bad, it makes HomePod less useful. Really, it makes all the company’s products less useful than they could be.

Apple needs to step up its AI game or it risks being left out of an important new wave of computing.

iPhone 14 Pro performance beats new Galaxy S23 Ultra [Updated]

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iPhone 14 Pro vs Galaxy S23 Ultra
For the best performance, iPhone is still the only choice.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Benchmarks for the Galaxy S23 Ultra show that Samsung’s new flagship handset offers substantially slower performance than the top-of-the-line iPhone 14 Pro.

This continues a long string of high-end Androids that can not match the performance of the latest iPhone.

Apple hires new head of HR

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Apple hires new head of HR
Say hello to Carol Surface, the new Apple Chief People Officer.
Photo: Medtronic

Carol Surface is reportedly stepping in as Apple’s new Chief People Officer, the company’s term for head of human resources.

She’s taking over part of the responsibilities of Deirdre O’Brien who was previously both the HR chief and in charge of managing Apple’s retail store business.

New OnePlus mechanical keyboard plays well with Macs

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It's designed in collaboration with keyboard maker Keychron, and it looks it.
It's designed in collaboration with keyboard maker Keychron, and it looks it.
Photo: OnePlus

Best-known for its smartphones, OnePlus broadened its horizons Tuesday by rolling out the new OnePlus Featuring Keyboard 81 Pro wireless mechanical keyboard, among other products.

The keeb’s name may be off-kilter, but its design and functionality, co-engineered by well-known keyboard maker Keychron, look right on target for Mac users.

Get $18 off Ugreen’s new multiport wall charger with international plugs

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Wide compatibility and US, UK and EU plugs make the new charger great for travelers.
Wide compatibility and US, UK and EU plugs make the new charger great for travelers.
Photo: Ugreen

Calling it “perfect for use anywhere in the world,” accessories maker Ugreen unveiled its new 65W Nexode GaN USB-C three-port wall charger Wednesday.

Not sure about “anywhere,” but the new gallium nitride (GaN) charger comes with US, UK and EU plugs that you can easily swap in or out for use in many countries. And its two USB-C ports and one USB-A port make it handy for charging up to three devices at once.

Apple Pay Later could launch next month with iOS 16.4 [Updated]

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Apple Pay Later
Apple Pay Later could finally be ready to launch.
Graphics: Apple/Rajesh

Apple Pay Later reportedly has entered beta testing among Apple’s retail store employees, signaling that the “buy now, pay later” service is nearing public release.

The move comes months after Apple announced the financing option at its Worldwide Developers Conference last June.

Find an irresistible mix of Apple Watch bands and cases for 15% off

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Elkson's rugged bumper case will make your Apple Watch much harder to break.
Elkson's rugged bumper case will make your Apple Watch much harder to break.
Photo: Elkson

The Cult of Mac Store has another sale going — through Saturday you can take 15% off a variety of cool accessories from Mifa and Elkson. This one’s especially good for Apple Watch fans.

Mifa is known for its assortment of high-quality Apple Watch bands. Elkson does great bands too, but also rugged cases for Apple Watch, AirPods Pro and AirTags.

You can now buy a USB-C AirPods Pro case, just not from Apple

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Ken Pillonel modded an AirPods Pro charging case and now offers a 3D-printed replacement case.
Ken Pillonel modded an AirPods Pro charging case and now offers a 3D-printed replacement case.
Photo: Ken Pillonel

The guy who made headlines in 2021 for replacing an iPhone X’s Lighting port with a USB-C port — and then selling the handset for big bucks on eBay — is back. This time he’s modding AirPods Pro cases with USB-C instead of Lightning ports, and he’s selling them as well as 3D-printed parts.

Engineering consultant Ken Pillonel said he’s doing it to highlight Apple products’ repairability issues and the unfortunate fact that items like AirPods are meant to be discarded rather than fixed.

Triple-display MacBook Pro rig perches in attic ‘closet’ [Setups]

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A wall mount lets the huge display sit up and behind the others.
A wall mount lets the huge display sit up and behind the others.
Photo: [email protected]

A room is what you make of it, and today’s featured computer setup finds a home in a room only a computer science student could make. He may have to live in a windowless attic, but he brings a lot of computing power and light to it, making it look and feel larger than it is.

Check out all the gear in the M1 Max MacBook, custom PC and triple-display outfit below.

Apple Pencil 2 is more affordable than ever after a $40 discount

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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.
The Apple Pencil 2 is rarely discounted to such a low price.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

The Apple Pencil 2 is again down to its lowest price of $89, a sweet $40 off its $129. If you use your iPad heavily for note-taking or sketching, the Apple Pencil 2 is a no-brainer.

Apple’s handy iPad accessory can magnetically attach to the tablet and charge wirelessly.

Handy shelf makes the back of iMac or Apple Studio Display useful

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Twelve South BackPack for Apple Studio Display
The back of an Apple Studio Display doesn't have to be so blank.
Photo: Twelve South

The Twelve South BackPack for Apple Studio Display and iMac adds storage space to the rear of the monitor. The snap-on shelf can be used to declutter a desk or to add a bit of decor to an office.

There was already a version of the accessory specifically for iMacs.

Apple execs reveal what went wrong with Intel

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Vice President of Platform Architecture and Hardware Technologies at Apple, Tim Millet, standing in the Apple chip lab.
Tim Millet, Apple's vice president of platform architecture and hardware technologies, introduces the new MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips.
Photo: Apple

What pulled Apple away from Intel? In a new interview, Apple executives Tim Millet and Bob Borchers reveal why the company shifted to making its own Mac chips.

Plus, they shed light on what they’re doing to make the Mac a gaming platform once again, how the Apple silicon architecture can make it happen, and when the best time is to buy a new Mac.

Aqara devices in smart homes begin jump to Matter standard

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Aqara's Hub M2 is receiving a firmware update enabling Matter support for Zigbee devices.
Aqara's Hub M2 is receiving a firmware update enabling Matter support for Zigbee devices.
Photo: Aqara

Aqara began rolling out beta firmware designed to bring many of its devices already in smart homes in line with the new Matter connectivity protocol. Matter makes it easier for devices from different makers to work together.

The update works via Aqara’s M2 Hub with more than 40 of the company’s Zigbee-controlled devices. But it might not roll out to all users until March, however, and the company cautioned HomeKit users about it.

Learn to protect your kids online with a free class from Apple

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Child with iPad
iPad and iPhone have free tools to help protects kids online. Apple offers a class on how to use them.
Photo: Apple

February 7 is Safer Internet Day, and parents can take part by signing up for Apple’s “Your Kids and Their Devices” class. It shows parents how to maintain the online privacy of children who use iPhone or iPad. For those looking for more tools for kids to stay safe online, Apple offers various built-in features and educational resources.

The class is free and available online or in person around the world.

Gamers can gear up with new custom-fit wireless earbuds

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Logitech G Fits wireless gaming earbuds feature a custom-molded fit and strong connectivity.
Logitech G Fits wireless gaming earbuds feature a custom-molded fit and strong connectivity.
Photo: Logitech G

Keyboard and mouse maker Logitech, whose Logitech G brand has made gaming headsets for the past couple of years, launched its first set of wireless gaming earbuds last week.

Logitech G Fits True Wireless Gaming Earbuds are not only the first buds to use Lightspeed technology for strong, low-latency connectivity, they add Lightform technology for a custom fit that isolates sound and cancels external noise, the company said.

Google and Mozilla test iPhone browsers not based on WebKit

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Google claims Chrome for Mac is now faster than Safari
A major under-the-hood change might be coming to Chrome for iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Google is tinkering with a version of its Chrome web browser for iPhone that does not use the WebKit rendering engine. The same is true for Mozilla and the Firefox browser.

Releasing these is currently impossible because of Apple’s browser rules, but the iPhone-maker may be forced to drop that restriction soon.

Love and terrorism tangle in French-English Liaison trailer

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In the Apple TV+ trailer for the thriller
In the Apple TV+ trailer for the thriller Liaison, Vincent Cassel and Eva Green gaze into each other's eyes a lot.
Photo: Apple

If there’s one thing you can tell from the trailer Apple TV+ dropped Tuesday for its first French- and English-language series — the thriller Liaison — it’s that a shadowy Frenchman (Vincent Cassel) and an English operative (Eva Green) have a thing for each other.

Almost every time you see the international stars onscreen, both of whom are actually French, they’re staring into each other’s eyes. Meanwhile, London endures assault after assault, and it’s only getting worse.

‘iPhone Ultra’ concept envisions what a titanium iPhone might look like

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Mockup of the rumored iPhone Ultra
This might be what an "iPhone Ultra" looks like.
Mockup: Jonas Daehnert

Apple is reportedly working on an “iPhone Ultra,” an even-more-premium iPhone that sits above the Pro series. A designer wondered if that might mean an iPhone Pro mixed with an Apple Watch Ultra, and dreamed up a concept device that merges the two.

The result is fun and gorgeous, if not anything Apple is likely to ever make.

Software update brings tiny tweaks to Apple TV and HomePod

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Apple TV and HomePod mini
tvOS 16.3.1 and HomePod software 16.3.1 are ready to be installed.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

A tvOS 16.3.1 update is out for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD. There’s also an equivalent update for HomePod smart speakers.

These bring general improvements, not new features, but are nevertheless recommended for users of the Apple entertainment devices.

Get killer deals on iPhones and Apple Watches before it’s too late

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Want an iPhone 13 on the cheap? Here's your chance.
Want an iPhone 13 on the cheap? Here's your chance.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Amazon-owned discount site Woot! is back with another Apple bargain-fest. We spotted it Monday. It’ll let you grab a variety of iPhones and Apple Watches at discounted prices through February 11.

A bunch of items are already sold out, like Apple Watch 7 and most of the iPhone series 12 handsets, unfortunately. But you can still find some great deals.

13 ways to improve this dual-Studio Display workstation [Setups]

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How can we make this setup better? Let us count the ways.
How can we make this setup better? Let us count the ways.
Photo: [email protected]

Among the everlasting truths about computer setups, first comes “a setup is never finished.” And the second might be, “A setup can always be improved.” The user behind today’s featured setup certainly found out about No. 2  when he asked for advice on how to improve his M1 Max MacBook Pro and dual-Studio Display workstation.

Find all the advice below — jokes ‘n’ all — as well as all of the setup’s excellent gear.

Apple could launch an ‘Ultra’ high-end iPhone as soon as 2024

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iPhone Ultra concept with dual front cameras
Are you ready for an Ultra iPhone?
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly working on an iPhone “Ultra” that could debut in 2024. The company is internally discussing adding an even-more-premium iPhone that sits above the Pro series.

Apple apparently does not want to replace the iPhone Pro Max with an Ultra model. Instead, the iPhone Ultra would be an entirely new addition to the company’s smartphone lineup.