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News - page 198

RGB hues bathe Beatles-themed retro Apple rig in otherworldly light [Setups]

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Three types of RGB lighting create this effect.
Three types of RGB lighting create this effect.
Photo: [email protected]

Sometimes you just can’t help taking a wholistic approach to a computer setup, taking in the whole room. That’s what happens when the user makes their home office a veritable museum like that which surrounds today’s featured MacBook Pro setup.

Three themes set it apart: The Beatles, the variety of RGB lighting and the concrete blocks holding up the Ikea countertop and the retro Thunderbolt Displays sitting on it.

iPhone 14 Pro wait times reach 4 to 6 weeks

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iPhone 14 Pro has the processing power for great gaming.
If you waited to order an iPhone 14 Pro until now, you'll have to be patient for weeks before receiving it.
Photo: Apple

If a coworker came in today with a new iPhone 14 Pro, you may have decided you just have to have one. Bad news: the wait is a month or more before it can be delivered.

There’s much better news for anyone interested in the more basic iPhone 14.

All iPhone 15 models will include Dynamic Island

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iPhone 14 Pro wait times already stretch into October
The two "standard" iPhone 15 models will supposedly get the Dynamic Island, too.
Photo: Apple

The highlight of the iPhone 14 Pro models is the Dynamic Island – the interactive replacement for the screen notch. It’s currently only in the most expensive iOS handsets, but those who prefer Apple’s two “standard” models reportedly won’t have to wait too long for a chance at the screen cutout.

The same apparently isn’t true for ProMotion displays.

iPhone Pro needs a radical color revolution

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The new
The new "deep purple" iPhone 14 Pro looks about as edgy as an eggplant.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Apple desperately needs to shake up its iPhone Pro colors. The brand-new iPhone 14 Pro — in the exotic-sounding “deep purple” color — actually looks like a dull gray in real life.

When Apple marketing chief Greg “Joz” Joswiak revealed the new deep purple color at last month’s Far Out product launch, I immediately thought of “Smoke on the Water.” I envisioned a bold hue that would actually look trippy and unique. And I thought maybe Cupertino’s brightest minds finally broke free from the iPhone Pro’s typically mundane color palette.

What was I smoking?

Hidden iOS 16 features make us love it even more [The CultCast]

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Hidden iOS 16 features make us love it even more - The CultCast Apple podcast
The iOS 16 upgrade makes even old iPhones feel brand new.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: iOS 16 makes our year-old iPhones feel fresh again. And the various “hidden” features flying under the radar make the iOS 16 experience even more impressive.

Also on The CultCast:

  • We can’t wait for our first trip to the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island.
  • Is the iPhone 14/iPhone 14 Plus really a failure? (Even Steve Jobs’ daughter is dissing this year’s “upgrade” to Apple’s midrange iPhones.)
  • What to expect at Apple’s October event.

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 sponsor: CultCloth

Get the only cleaning cloth you need: CultCloth!

New Apple Arcade game Garden Tails is painfully cute

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New Apple Arcade game 'Garden Tails' is painfully cute
A new match-3 game includes plenty of fuzzy bunnies.
Image: Playdots

Garden Tails: Match and Grow is a new match-3 game for nature lovers who are looking for a calming time-killer. Play through a series of levels to unlock flowers, bushes and friendly animals.

It debuted Friday on Apple Arcade, and there are versions for a range of Apple computers.

Update to iOS 16.0.1 immediately to fix iPhone 14 activation problems

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The iPhone 14 Pro is in the wild on launch day. Just be sure you update to iOS 16.01 before activating with your cellular carrier to avoid problems.
The iPhone 14 Pro is in the wild on launch day. Just be sure you update to iOS 16.01 before activating with your cellular carrier to avoid problems.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Anyone having activation problems with their iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro series model should install iOS 16.0.1. Apple specifically created the update to deal with an issue in setting up its latest handset.

It also takes care of other bugs in the iPhone 14 series.

You need more than a case to protect iPhone 14

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MagEasy's Vetro Privacy Screen Protector keeps your screen from prying eyes.
MagEasy's Vetro Privacy Screen Protector keeps your screen from prying eyes.
Photo: MagEasy

A new case is a good way to protect your pricey new iPhone 14 from scrapes and drops. But it’s not the only protective measure you should take, whether or not you pay for Apple Care insurance. You might also want to get a screen protector to safeguard the HDR display and a shield for those fabulous camera lenses.

The Cult of Mac Store has the goods you need. Its screen and lens protector collection features six screen protectors and one lens protector from two of our favorite brands, all at great prices.

M1 Max Mac Studio drives monster OLED display [Setups]

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That giant screen is a 48-inch LG OLED monitor.
That giant screen is a 48-inch LG OLED monitor.
Photo: [email protected]

Some well-developed computer setups go for quantity in their displays, with three or more, but others stick with a solo screen and go for quality.

And no, with today’s featured setup we’re not talking about a $5,000 Pro Display XDR. We’re talking about a massive, $1,500 OLED display. If you’re searching for the best monitors for Mac, be sure to check out this article on Apple Music Classical on the web for more insights.

Apple video explains how to activate an iPhone 14 eSIM

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Apple video explains how to activate an iPhone 14 eSIM
Setting up an iPhone 14 with an eSIM should be simple.
Graphic: Apple

iPhone 14 models require eSIM rather than physical SIM cards. That means those getting Apple’s latest handsets have to activate them via eSIM – they can’t simply plug in a SIM card to get connected to a wireless network.

It’s new to many iPhone users, but Apple released a video that explains how to activate an eSIM on an iPhone.

iPhone 14 Pro’s Always-On display will turn off in these scenarios

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Here’s how much RAM the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are packing
iPhone 14 Pro smartly manages the Always-On display to save battery life.
Photo: Apple

Getting the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max for its Always-On display? True to its name, the display on the new iPhones remains in an always-on state, except in a few situations.

In a support document, Apple has detailed the scenarios when the iPhone 14 Pro’s Always-On display will go dark to save battery.

Visit virtual AI-powered fitting room in Walmart iPhone app

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Visit virtual AI-powered fitting room in Walmart iPhone app
The Walmart iPhone app now has Be Your Own Model, an AI-powered virtual fitting room with thousands of outfits.
Photo: Walmart

Walmart added Be Your Own Model to its iPhone application. The goal is to bring the in-store fitting room experience to online shoppers.

Customers scan in a photo, AI will analyze it, then the software can show what the user would look like wearing more than 270,000 items.

Choose from Speck’s array of 10 new iPhone 14 MagSafe cases

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Speck's lineup of new iPhone 14 series cases includes 10 models.
Speck's lineup of new iPhone 14 series cases includes 10 models.
Photo: Speck

Speck released a wide assortment of 10 new cases for the iPhone 14 series. All but one of them are designed for MagSafe. The collection includes Presidio cases with 13-foot drop protection and and upgraded version of the colorful CandyShell Pro case.

The company said the cases are slim, durable and protective, with Microban antimicrobial protection.

New Logi webcams feature ‘Show Mode’ and a take on Center Stage

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Logitech Brio 500 webcam series and Zone Vibe headphones series are designed for hybrid workers.
Logitech Brio 500 webcam series and Zone Vibe headphones series are designed for hybrid workers.
Photo: Logitech

Logitech unveiled its new Brio 500 webcam series and Zone Vibe headphones series for hybrid workers Thursday. The company said “they bring quality, style, affordability, and sustainability to today’s workers for ultramodern collaboration experiences.”

“Many remote and hybrid workers are still underequipped and grappling with pre-pandemic era solutions,” said Scott Wharton, Logitech Video Collaboration general manager. “Our innovative new genre of Brio webcams and Zone Vibe headphones answer the call of modern workers who need business-grade quality, style, and affordability for work and play.”

Keep iPhone 14 safe on the mean streets with MagSafe Urban Folio

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The folio case keeps your iPhone 14 and other valuables safe.
The folio case keeps your iPhone 14 and other valuables safe.
Photo: Laut

Some new accessories for iPhone 14 are almost unbelievably practical. Why just slap a plain-jane case on your handset when you get much more use out of a Laut MagSafe Urban Folio?

The Urban Folio is both a protective case and a handy, detachable wallet for your cards and cash. And you can get right now in the Cult of Mac Store.

Read this before installing the iOS 16.1 beta if you plan to get an iPhone 14 ASAP

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iOS 16.1
You might want to avoid the iOS 16.1 beta for a bit.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded iOS 16.1 to developers on Wednesday and could give the general public access on Thursday. But you should think twice about installing it if you intend to get an iPhone 14 as soon as it’s released.

It’s likely the new handset will launch running an earlier version of iOS, which might cause you difficulties.

Apple Watch Series 8 review roundup: Best smartwatch gets a tick better

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Apple Watch 8 is great. But it's not necessarily great enough to upgrade, given its minimal improvements.
Apple Watch 8 is great. But it's not necessarily great enough to upgrade, given its minimal improvements.
Photo: Apple

The upcoming Apple Watch Ultra garners most of the oohs and aahs, and the Apple Watch SE takes the cake as Cupertino’s best-selling wearable, but gosh darn it, people like the Apple Watch Series 8, too. And by people, I mean reviewers.

Early reviews of Apple Watch Series 8 started coming in Thursday morning. They tend to emphasize that it remains the best smartwatch you can buy, even though its upgrades over the Series 7 seem minimal.

Apple Watch SE review roundup: Amazing value

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Apple Watch SE 2022
Apple Watch SE 2022 is an outstanding value at $250.
Photo: Apple

The first reviews of the new 2022 version of Apple Watch SE highlight was a value the device is. Engadget calls it “a $400 smartwatch for $250.”

Considering your first model? Or an upgrade from an older one? Read on to see if the revamped Apple Watch SE is right for you.

iPhone 14 Pro performance whips Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra [Updated]

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iPhone 14 Pro performance whips Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
The iPhone 14 Pro comes out way ahead of the Galaxy S22 Ultra in a popular cross-platform benchmark test.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Benchmark tests done on the newly announced iPhone 14 Pro show that its Apple A16 processor offers far better performance than the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip in the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

So, for another year, Apple’s flagship smartphone is much faster than Samsung’s.

iOS 16.1 beta begins testing new iPhone features

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iOS 16.1 beta begins testing new iPhone features
iOS 16.1 beta 1 is out for developers to test.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 16.1 to developers on Wednesday. This signals the start of testing for some iPhone features Apple already announced but didn’t debut in iOS 16.

This includes Clean Energy Charging. And there’s good news for some iPhones that couldn’t display battery percentage in the Status Bar.

Everyone ‘running away from something’ in wild Apple TV+ Shantaram trailer

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Feeling hunted and reckless? Welcome to 1980s Bombay.
Feeling hunted and reckless? Welcome to 1980s Bombay.
Photo: Shantaram

Looking for romance, adventure and more than a little life-threatening danger? That’s easy, just head to Bombay in the 1980s. Apple TV+ offered first-look images and an action-packed trailer Wednesday for the upcoming series Shantaram. It ticks all those boxes.

The 12-episode first season starring Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) debuts October 14. Watch the trailer below.

iPhone 14 review roundup: Deja vu all over again

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iPhone 14
iPhone 14 could be a good upgrade for those coming from iPhone 11 or older.
Photo: Apple

Early reviews of the new iPhone 14 are rolling in. The consensus? It’s a capable iPhone — basically an iPhone 13 with minimal improvements (and nowhere near as cool as the feature-rich iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max).

So it’s not quite worth an upgrade from an iPhone 13, or maybe even the fairly similar iPhone 12. Only people holding iPhone 11 and older have something to get excited about.

But for some who want the big screen of the iPhone 14 Plus — not yet in the hands of reviewers — an upgrade from a recent handset may be worth it.

New emoji? Talk to the hand!

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Proposed new emoji list shows we already have all the emoji we need
These are some of the emoji coming to Apple devices... probably in 2023.
Image: Emojipedia

Emoji are about visual communication, and the some of the new ones just approved say “Talk to the hand.” And there’s a new way to express love, too. Or there’s good news for everyone desperately waiting on a moose emoji.

Other new additions approved by the Unicode Consortium include a shaking face, a donkey, a jellyfish and a flute.