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News - page 224

Mac mini with Apple M2 processor appears on retailer website

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Apple M1 Mac mini
A Mac mini with a faster M2 chip could be right around the corner.
Photo: Apple

An unannounced Mac mini is now listed on the B&H website, though without full product details. The desktop’s most eye-catching feature is an Apple M2 processor, which also has not yet been announced.

In addition, the retailer lists a “Mac mini Tower” running an M1 Pro. Both products are labeled as “New Item – Coming Soon.”

A great new game, camera controls and a better budget app [Awesome Apps of the Week]

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Awesome Apps of the Week with iPhone in middle of desk
Whether you're interested in a fun iPhone game, a better way to budget, or want to master your camera controls, this week's Awesome Apps has something for you.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

The last time we published an Awesome Apps of the Week roundup, I asked for you (or your friends) to email me or tweet at me with new apps (or app updates) worth checking out. And, as evidenced here, some of you came through. Also, it seems like there have actually been some cool/interesting new apps coming out lately. Thanks to the combination of those two things, we’re back with a great camera app, a super-fun new game, and an app that’s helping me budget better!

Talking turkey about WWDC22 keynote predictions [The CultCast]

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The CultCast 547: It's time to discuss our last-minute WWDC22 predictions, hopes and fears.
It's time to discuss our last-minute WWDC22 predictions, hopes and fears.
Image: Cult of Mac
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: With WWDC22 coming next week, it’s time for last-minute predictions about what Apple will hit us with. The next-gen versions of iOS, macOS, iPadOS and watchOS are a given. But what about an AR/VR headset or the realityOS it supposedly will run on? A new MacBook Air with an M2 chip?

It’s time to talk turkey about Monday’s big keynote.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Will we finally get an iPhone with an always-on display this year?
  • In an all-new Under Review, Juuk’s metal Apple Watch bands — one that looks like Iron Man built it, and one that puts a rainbow on your wrist — blow us away.
  • Forget talking turkey. Erfon talks chickens in a pre-WWDC fever dream!

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 livestream, embedded below.

Our sponsor: Squarespace

Special thanks to this week’s sponsor, Squarespace. Get all the tools you need to set up your very own website and commence selling anything online. Start your free website trial today at squarespace.com/cultcast (no credit card required). Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain with code cultcast at checkout.

M2 MacBook Air may not come in the same eye-catching colors as the M1 iMac

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New renders show a sleek and colorful New MacBook Air.
M2 MacBook Air's color options might not look as dazzling as the M1 iMac.
Image: Darvik Patel
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

Contrary to rumors, the upcoming M2 MacBook Air may not come in the same eye-catching colorways as the M1 iMac.

Instead, it will be available in the standard three colors as the current-gen MacBook Air, with a shade of blue being the only new addition to the lineup, according to the latest intel.

Games get to the top of App Store ranks easier than other apps

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Competition is making things harder, but game apps climb the App Store charts much more easily than non-game apps.
Competition is making things harder, but game apps climb the App Store charts much more easily than non-game apps.
Photo: Sensor Tower

New data from a couple of analytics firms shows that it’s harder now than ever to get an app to the top of App Store rankings, thanks to stiffer competition.

But the data shows that gaming apps have an easier time of it than other types of apps.

PC gamer converts to all-Mac rig plus PS5 and gaming handhelds [Setups]

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Plenty of oohs and ahhh were uttered over this setup on social media.
Plenty of oohs and ahhh were uttered over this setup on social media.
Photo: [email protected]

We’ve seen a fair number of PC gamers converting to one or more of the new Macs lately, including some who let go of their main gaming machines entirely.

Today’s featured setup fits that bill. It belongs to a UI designer who ditched a gaming PC and got himself a Mac Studio and Studio Display to go with his work-provided MacBook Pro.

But he kept a few gaming devices around, along with a suite of Elgato AV streaming gear and a new Sonos Ray Soundbar used, strangely enough, as a wireless desktop speaker.

Maya Rudolph makes rich people look funny in Loot Apple TV+ trailer

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Emmy Award winner Maya Rudolph stars in
Emmy Award winner Maya Rudolph stars in "Loot" on Apple TV+. See the trailer below and tune in on June 24.
Photo: Apple TV+

Money may be the root of all evil, but sometimes it sprouts plenty of comedy, too. Apple TV+ debuted a new trailer Friday for Loot, a new comedy series starring Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph that may prove that point.

And who doesn’t like to laugh at the ultra-wealthy, anyway? See the trailer below.

Meet 3 Swift Student Challenge winners whose coding makes a difference

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This year’s Swift Student Challenge winners include (left to right) Josh Tint, Jones Mays II and Angelina Tsuboi. Their coding helps their communities.
This year’s Swift Student Challenge winners include (left to right) Josh Tint, Jones Mays II and Angelina Tsuboi. Their coding helps their communities.
Photo: Apple
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

Apple showcased three Swift Student Challenge winners Friday — out of 350 total — who solve problems in their communities with their coding skills.

The three teens were all first-time participants in the annual app-coding competition for young developers using Swift Playgrounds. The challenge takes place at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference.

New scheduling policies make Apple stores better places to work

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Apple West Lake
Improvements to scheduling rules for Apple retail employees are likely intended to head off unionizing efforts.
Photo: Apple

Apple U.S. retail store employees now get a minimum of 12 hours between shifts, up from 10 hours. And they won’t have to work more than five days in a row. These are just two of the changes Apple is reportedly making to how it schedules workers at its 270+ retail locations.

It’s likely these are intended to reduce employee interest in joining unions.

What to expect from iOS 16, macOS 13, iPadOS 16 and watchOS 9 at WWDC22 [Updated]

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What to expect from iOS 16, macOS 13, iPadOS 16 and watchOS 9 at WWDC22
WWDC22 will give us our first official looks at iOS 16, macOS 13, iPadOS 16 and watchOS 9. But you don't have to wait.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

We’re less than a week away from WWDC22, but it’s not too late to take a look ahead to the unveiling of iOS 16, macOS 13, iPadOS 16 and watchOS 9. As always, these operating system upgrades are expected to be the highlights of Apple’s annual developer conference.

Some details about them already leaked out, though. Here’s a foretaste of WWDC22.

Square tests Apple’s Tap to Pay ahead of full rollout

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Apple's Tap to Pay by iPhone feature is coming to Square.
Apple's Tap to Pay by iPhone feature is coming to Square.
Photo: Apple

Square, a digital payments platform, said Thursday it opened an early-access program with support for select sellers to use Apple’s Tap to Pay on iPhone feature. It will work with the Square Point of Sale app.

The program will roll out across the platform for all sellers later this year, the company said.

Case X protects your MacBook while adding extra storage and ports

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Case X protects your MacBook while adding extra storage and ports. It's three accessories in one.
Case X from Byrdbyte Creations is three MacBook accessories in one.
Photo: Byrdbyte Creations

There are cases for MacBooks. And there are USB-C hubs. And external hard drives, too. Case X is all three of these. It clips to the top of the laptop, adding six extra ports and up to 4TB of additional storage.

Byrdbyte Creations’ product is still at the crowdfunding stage, though.

Amazon tries invite-based PS5 and Xbox orders amid supply chain woes

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The very first product availably only by invitation will be the Sony PlayStation 5 console.
The very first product availably only by invitation will be the Sony PlayStation 5 console.
Photo: Amazon

As COVID-19 lockdowns complicate technology products’ ongoing supply-chain issues and consumers compete to find scarce products, Amazon is trying something new.

The behemoth hopes its new invitation-based ordering option will help keep robot traffic from causing inventory shortages, as well as price gouging, for in-demand items.

The new system launches for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X orders. Then it will expand to other products. If it works well, it could end up helping consumers lay hands on hard-to-get Apple hardware, too.

Sexy psychological thriller Surface premieres on Apple TV+ in July

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Sexy psychological thriller 'Surface' premieres on Apple TV+ in July
This is our first look at Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Surface, coming this summer to Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ revealed that the psychological thriller Surface from Veronica West will premiere on July 29. It stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, best known for appearing in Apple’s critically acclaimed The Morning Show.

The upcoming series asks, what if you woke up one day and didn’t know your own secrets?

Ready to play WWDC22 bingo? See developers’ predictions.

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Time to play WWDC22 bingo!
Time to play WWDC22 bingo!
Photo: Peter Rimar/Wikimedia Commons CC
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

WWDC Bingo is back ahead of next week’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. The crew behind the Flighty flight-tracking app put together the contest, which doubles as a survey about what participants expect during Monday’s WWDC22 keynote.

Unlike your granddad’s bingo, where something like five correct numbers in a row constitutes a win, WWDC Bingo serves up 74 possible outcomes to vote on. Contestants strive to achieve the highest percentage of correct answers.

And both the biggest winner and the biggest loser get prizes, sort of.

Battle the Lord of Damnation in Diablo Immortal on iPad and iPhone

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Battle the Lord of Damnation when 'Diablo Immortal' debuts for iPhone and iPad in June
Pit yourself against the demonic forces of Skarn, Lord of Damnation in Diablo Immortal.
Photo: Blizzard Entertainment

Grab your sword and your iPad to battle the demonic forces of evil in Diablo Immortal. Blizzard Entertainment created the massively multiplayer online action role-playing game for iPhone, Android and Apple tablets.

It’s also out for PC, and players will be able enjoy the game across platforms.

Apple touts events ‘Beyond WWDC,’ from watch parties to hackathons

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Apple launched a
Apple launched a "Beyond WWDC" webpage listing all sorts of fun events.
Photo: Apple
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

In addition to promoting the new #WWDC22 hashtag this week, Apple has made a special webpage highlighting community-hosted events set to happen during or after its Worldwide Developers Conference next week.

The events are a good opportunity for “learning, networking, and fun,” Apple said.

App Store stopped nearly $1.5 billion in fraud in 2021, Apple says

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Apple's press materials led with this graphic.
Apple's press materials led with this graphic.
Photo: Apple

Apple distributed a new set of fraud analysis data Wednesday. It indicated the App Store prevented 1.6 million “risky” and “untrustworthy” apps from defrauding users in 2021, stopping “nearly $1.5 billion in fraudulent transactions.”

As with other recent data compilations, Cupertino released the news at a time when the App Store’s strict policies have come under fire.

Here’s what the new MacBook Air might look like

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New renders show a sleek and colorful New MacBook Air.
New renders show a sleek and colorful New MacBook Air.
Image: Darvik Patel
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

Sources have begun to doubt Apple will unveil its realityOS and AR/VR headset at next week’s Worldwide Developers Conference, but some folks still believe a colorful new MacBook Air could still be in the offing.

Whether or not Apple rolls out a new version of its slimmest laptop at WWDC22, here’s what you should expect to see soon enough, from the latest rumors to new renders by concept artist Darvik Patel.

Make switching between 2 laptops on an external display a breeze [Setups]

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No need to always be plugging and unplugging.
No need to always be plugging and unplugging.
Photo: [email protected]

These days, more people than ever have more than one computer. That’s because many people work from home or do the “hybrid” work thing, toiling at an office part time but working remotely, too. And that means they probably tap away on both a work laptop and a personal one.

Today’s featured setup follows that trend. And its owner succinctly explained how they go about switching between the two machines on the same external display with the press of a button.

Nomad’s new Apple TV remote cover adds 2 features Cupertino missed

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Never lose your Apple TV Siri remote again.
Never lose your Apple TV Siri remote again.
Photo: Nomad

When Apple revamped the Siri Remote along with Apple TV in 2021, many people thought it odd the remote didn’t get Find My support. It is, after all, almost inevitable you’ll lose the sleek little device in the couch cushions.

Fortunately, Nomad just made it easier to find the remote — and to hold onto the slippery thing better when you do. The company’s new leather cover adds a touch of heft while also providing a space to insert an AirTag.