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M1 vs. M2 MacBook Air: Which one should you buy?

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M1 MacBook Air versus M2 MacBook Air: Which MacBook Air is right for you?
M1 versus M2: Which MacBook Air is right for you?
Photo: Cult of Mac

After unveiling the M2 MacBook Air, with its sleek new design and some major upgrades, Apple surprisingly did not discontinue the M1 MacBook Air. Both laptops will co-exist, with the M2 Air commanding a $200 premium over its predecessor.

So, is the M2 MacBook Air worth the additional price? Or should you save some money and go for the M1 Air? Read our comparison to find out.

iPhone dominates sales of $400-and-up phones

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iPhone shipments grow while Android tanks
Android makes up most cheap smartphone sales, but anyone able to pay more usually gets an iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

High-end Android models sell in much smaller numbers than iPhones, according to a market research firm. Apple handsets that cost over $400 outsold all Androids in that price range almost two-to-one.

The data shows that while Androids with cutting-edge features like folding screens and very high-res camaras draw a lot of attention, they don’t attract many buyers. But pricier iPhone models do sell well.

Apple TV+ Five Days at Memorial trailer grapples with Hurricane Katrina’s ravages

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Vera Farmiga stars in
Vera Farmiga stars in "Five Days at Memorial" on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

The new Apple TV+ trailer for the drama series Five Days at Memorial is just a one-minute preview. But it’s a powerful 60 seconds.

It depicts the desperate struggle in a New Orleans hospital in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest storms to ever hit the United States.

iOS 16 lets users report spam SMS messages as junk

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iOS 16 lets users report spam SMS messages as junk
Apple is making it easier for iPhone users to fight the scourge of spam texts.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

 The upcoming iOS 16 will help battle the growing problem of spam text messages. The latest beta includes the ability to report SMS messages as “junk” to the user’s wireless carrier. iPhone users already can report spam messages that come through Apple’s own iMessage service. If you’re looking for a way to delete and report junk, here’s a helpful guide on how to report spam texts.

If you’re curious about what does delete and report junk do, you can find out more in this guide.

iPhone users already can report spam messages that come through Apple’s own iMessage service.

You can back up your iPhone to iCloud over LTE in iOS 16

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Apple makes a multitude of changes with iOS 16.
iOS 16 will put your unlimited mobile data plan to good use.
Photo: Apple

With iOS 16, you can back up your iPhone to iCloud over a 4G LTE network. The feature is a part of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 beta 2. It should also make its way to the final public release later this year.

Apple currently requires you to connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network and a power source for an iCloud Backup to occur.

Send aid to Ukraine for chance to win rare WWDC19 pin

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Send aid to Ukraine for chance to win rare WWDC19 pin
This WWDC 2019 pin could be yours if you donate to a Ukrainian aid fund.
Photo: Sergii Kryvoblotsky

Sergii Kryvoblotsky, head of R&D at MacPaw, is raffling off a Worldwide Developers Conference 2019 pin to raise money for Ukrainian aid.

The money raised will go to the MacPaw Development Fund to provide Ukrainian defenders with medicine and protective equipment.

Gain one-touch control of HomeKit scenes with Leviton’s updated switch

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Leviton's updated switch gives you one-touch control over HomeKit scenes.
Leviton's updated switch gives you one-touch control over HomeKit scenes.
Photo: Leviton

Following related May releases, Leviton said Wednesday orders will open soon on a new version of a popular accessory in its No-Neutral HomeKit Switch and Dimmer stable of products.

The Decora Smart Wi-Fi 2nd Gen Scene Controller Switch features four buttons that give you one-touch control over HomeKit scenes as well as smart devices.

Apple M2 is fast, but not faster than M1 Pro or M1 Max

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Apple's M1 vs. M2.
The Apple M2 outperforms the M1, but not the other processors in the M1 series.
Photo: Apple

The first real-world benchmark tests of Apple’s M2 chip show that the just-launched processor is about 20% faster than the original M1. That’s welcome news for anyone in the market for a MacBook or iPad in the next few years.

But the newest chip does not offer better performance than Apple’s M1 Pro or M1 Max from 2021. That will have to wait for advanced versions of the M2 expected to launch in 2023.

Elago’s protective AirPods covers will make your ears happy

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Elago's AirPods Pro covers, made of protective silicone, have precise cutouts.
Elago's AirPods Pro covers, made of protective silicone, have precise cutouts.
Photo: Elago

Even little earbuds can get scratched up, so a product like Elago’s covers for AirPods Pro and AirPods 3 can come in handy. And the covers’ thin but protective layer of silicone can also help with fit, helping ensure your earbuds don’t fall out too easily.

You can find Elago’s AirPods covers for the Pro and 3 series in the Cult of Mac Store at great prices. See more information and direct links below.

M2 MacBook Pro review roundup: Powerful chip, archaic design

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13-inch MacBook Pro with an Apple M2 processor
The M2 MacBook Pro gets called "a relic from another era" by Engadget.
Photo: Apple

The first reviews of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with an Apple M2 processor are not kind. It gets called a “Pro in name only” and “literally a processor update and nothing more.”

Still, the M2 provides a pleasant increase in speed over the M1, making the new MBP the best-performing 13-inch Mac notebook.

Get iPad mini 6 at a major $90 discount

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2021 iPad mini 6
This deal knocks $90 off the iPad mini 6's price
Photo: Apple

The petite but powerful 2021 iPad mini is currently available with up to an 18% discount on Amazon. This brings its price down from $499 to $409.

You can also score up to $50 off on the Wi-Fi + cellular variant of the tablet.

Add a handle to your iPad Pro with Pitaka FlipBook Case

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Add a handle to your iPad Pro with Pitaka FlipBook Case
The Pitaka FlipBook Case for iPad works with the Apple Magic Keyboard to make your tablet a bit more portable.
Photo: Pitaka

The Pitaka FlipBook Case for iPad wraps around an iPad Pro and the Apple Magic Keyboard to protect them and add a handle.

The tablet and its keyboard can be used while the magnetic sleeve is still wrapped around them, making them easy to grab and go.

T-Mobile beats the competition in 5G speeds

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T-Mobile 5G service
Put your iPhone on T-Mobile for the fastest average speeds,
Photo: T-Mobile

T-Mobile is the clear winner in a cross-country study of cellular data by PCMag. For the second year in a row, rivals Verizon and AT&T can not come close to providing the same average download or upload speeds.

PCMag summed its results up with, “T-Mobile isn’t just America’s fastest network, it’s also the best.”

Another set of top-shelf ANC cans takes on AirPods Max

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Could these be the ones? At $599, they better be.
Could these be the ones? At $599, they better be.
Photo: Master & Dynamic

The new Master & Dynamic MW75 over-ear headphones will undoubtedly compete with top cans from Apple, Sony, Sennheiser and others. They boast up to 28 hours of battery life and adaptive, environmentally aware active noise cancellation.

But the premium Master & Dynamic headphones actually make AirPods Max look somewhat affordable. They cost an eye-popping $599.

Last chance: Clear clutter with 4-in-1 iPhone charging stand [20% off]

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SwitchEasy's charger lets you juice up four devices at once.
SwitchEasy's charger lets you juice up four devices at once.
Photo: SwitchEasy

The more gadgets we buy, the more separate chargers we end up with. If you’re sick of plugging in your stuff all over the place, try a multi-device charger like the SwitchEasy MagPower 4-in-1 Charging Stand.

The compact stand’s ingenious design lets you easily charge four devices at once. You can power up your iPhone or other smartphone, Apple Watch,  AirPods and another device all at the same time. Three out of those four gadgets power up wirelessly, too, so you can cut some cords.

And through tonight, you can get 20% off the stand in the Cult of Mac Store. That’s a savings of $17 off the regular price.

Apple iWork 12.1 desperately tries to make presentations more exciting

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Apple iWork 12.1 desperately tries to make presentations more exciting
Moving backgrounds are new feature of Keynote 12.1.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple’s Keynote version 12.1 adds moving backgrounds intended to add visual interest to presentations. And Pages 12.1 adds support for mail merge.

Add in a performance-oriented tweak in Numbers 12.1, and you’ve got iWork 12.1, the latest version of Apple’s free productivity suite for Mac, iPad and iPhone.

Add a trio of hi-res monitors to your Mac with Plugable’s new desktop dock

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Add three hi-res monitors to your Mac with Plugable's new desktop dock
You can add three screens to your Mac (even M1 and M2 ones) with the Plugable UD-ULTC4K.
Photo: Plugable

While the Plugable UD-ULTC4K doesn’t have a very exciting name, the USB-C hub does boast a whopping 13 ports. It can add up to three high-res external displays to a Mac, plus USB-A accessories, Ethernet and more.

It’s an improved version of a popular model that first launched back in 2017.

Philips Hue expands smart-lighting lineup for HomeKit

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The new track-lighting system opens up many customization options.
The new track-lighting system opens up many customization options.
Photo: Philips Hue

Signify said Tuesday it plans to expand its Philips Hue smart lighting range with the addition of track lighting, a new dimmer and scene-selection switch, and its first portable indoor-outdoor rechargeable lamp, among other items.

Philips Hue products support HomeKit via the Hue Bridge. The new options will launch during the summer, the company said.

Apple’s Automatic Verification will help us escape from annoying CAPTCHAs

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Apple Automatic Verification will help save us from CAPTCHA hassles
Apple users may be freed from CAPTCHA.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple developed Automatic Verification to let iPhone, Mac and iPad users bypass those irritating CAPTCHA image tests that websites use to confirm that someone is a human and not a bot.

Cloudflare and Fastly, big cloud computing companies that power tons of websites, are already on board to adopt the new system.

Apple TV+ sci-fi drama For All Mankind rockets to popularity

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‘For All Mankind’ season 3 rockets to Mars this June on Apple TV+
'For All Mankind' is one of the most popular shows on streaming.
Photo: Apple TV+

For All Mankind is one of the most popular shows available on streaming, according to a ratings tracker. Season three of the alternate-history sci-fi series premiered on Apple TV+ in early June, and it’s been a Top 10 show both weeks since then.

Critics praise the series, too, so it’s doubly a success for Apple’s streaming service.