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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.

Last chance: Buy one, get one free on all Laut Apple accessories

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Laut's iPad Pro folio is a handsome case and stand.
Laut's iPad Pro folio is a handsome case and stand.
Photo: Laut

Father’s Day sales are drawing to a close, but one of the Cult of Mac Store’s promotions extends to the end of Monday. There’s still time to enjoy a buy-one-get-one-free offer from Laut on all of its Apple accessories. They have many kinds of cases, stands for iPads and MacBooks, Apple Watch bands and more, including plenty of fun stuff.

So Laut’s buy-one-get-one-free promotion on 79 Apple accessories in the Cult of Mac Store runs through the end of Monday. There’s just several hours to go, so shop away!

You can see some prime choices below.

Apple’s clever Escape From the Office ad hits YouTube top 10

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Apple’s clever 'Escape from the Office' ad hits YouTube top 10
Escape from the Office is more than an ad for Apple products. It's fun and aspirational.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple successfully created an extended video advertisement that people want to watch. Escape From the Office made it on YouTube’s own most most popular global ads of the past year.

It’s about a group who sets out to create a small business after ditching corporate life. They use Apple products, of course, but that’s not truly the focus.

Get busy with 4 great apps on World Productivity Day

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Setapp has great productivity apps for macOS and iOS.
Setapp has great productivity apps for macOS and iOS.
Photo: [email protected]

A subscription service might not sound like a great way to get your apps, but don’t sell it short. Many folks find subscribing to Setapp is an easy and worthwhile way to get more than 200 apps that help with a variety of tasks — and that someone else has already curated.

After all, the main alternative is diving into the vast app ocean of the App Store. Good luck finding just what you need in there before you drown.

In honor of World Productivity Day — that’s right, at least try to look busy on June 20 — we take a look at some of Setapp’s great tools.

Epic OLED smart TV and pro audio gear distract from wrong-color keyboard [Setups]

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Would you have gone with a darker-colored keyboard? Which one?
Would you have gone with a darker-colored keyboard? Which one?
Photo: [email protected]

Will you rue the day you choose the wrong color peripherals? Will you ask strangers on social media to help you fix the problem? The owner of today’s striking M1 MacBook Air-based computer setup did just that.

But if you ask us, they could just take solace in the setup’s strengths. Those include an epic OLED smart TV and some top-shelf, professional-level audio gear, plus a cool Edison desk lamp.

But we’ll share some good advice we saw about the keyboard issue. Read more below.

Apple store workers vote to unionize

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Apple Store workers in Maryland vote to unionize
Apple store employees in Towson, Maryland, voted to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Photo: International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

Employees at an Apple store in Maryland have made it the first of any of the Mac-maker’s retail locations to vote in favor of joining a union. Several other such stores are preparing to hold their own votes. Meanwhile, Apple is trying to discourage any efforts by its employees to unionize.

It’s not clear how all this will affect users of Apple devices.

Why you shouldn’t buy an Apple Watch Series 3

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Apple Watch Music
Apple Watch Series 3 was a great smartwatch in its day. But that day was in 2017.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch Series 3 is still in Apple’s product lineup but you should avoid it. It’s so near the end of its product life that it’s not a good value even at $199.

There’s another Apple wearable that costs just a bit more and isn’t about to ride off into the sunset.

Apple finds success with AirTag item tracker

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A New York Times reporter found that AirTag tracking and privacy alerts can work better than other trackers.
AirTag is off to a strong start, and sales are growing.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s launch into item trackers has been a success, according to an analyst. The company has sold millions of AirTags, and the number is expected to grow 75% this year.

Still, the Bluetooth tracker has generated controversy since it came on the market in 2021.

Benchmarks make Apple’s M2 chip sound even better than we thought [The CultCast]

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The CultCast 549: Time to walk back that M2 skepticism just a smidge.
Time to walk back that M2 skepticism just a smidge.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Erfon’s warming up to Apple’s new M2 chip. New benchmarks make it sound even more capable than we thought.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Brace yourself for better narcissism: iPhone 14’s selfie cam is getting a major upgrade.
  • It sounds like Apple is planning a wild array of new MacBooks and iPads, in some very interesting sizes.
  • Apple TV shoots and scores! Major League Soccer is coming to the Apple TV app.

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: CultCloth

Get the only cleaning cloth you need: CultCloth!

Win a 65W GaN mini charger that packs a punch [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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Lululook 65W USB-C GaN Charger: With three ports, this is a great charger for anyone using multiple devices at once.
With three ports and plenty of power, this is a great charger for anyone using multiple devices at once.
Photo: Lululook

The Cult of Mac giveaway prize this week is a perfect fit for anyone who needs a powerful yet compact charger. We teamed up with Lululook to give five lucky winners a chance to get their hands on a three-port, 65W gallium nitride charger.

This thing can charge everything, from your iPhone mini to your MacBook Pro.

Apple marks Juneteenth with artist’s iPad Pro illustrations

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To celebrate Juneteenth, artist Ajuan Mance is revisiting “The Ancestors’ Juneteenth,” a series that depicts historical Black figures in present-day settings.
To celebrate Juneteenth, artist Ajuan Mance is revisiting “The Ancestors’ Juneteenth,” a series that depicts historical Black figures in present-day settings.
Photo: Apple

In the run-up to Juneteenth, which takes place on Sunday, Apple showcased an artist Friday who created a series of digital drawings with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.

The series, by Juan Mance, celebrates and chronicles Black figures throughout U.S. history, putting them in modern contexts.

New 5-in-1 USB-C hub brings ports to the front of your iMac

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The new Anker 535 puts five ports on the front of your iMac.
The new Anker 535 puts five ports on the front of your iMac.
Photo: Anker

Anker targeted a pet peeve of some iMac users Friday when it introduced a USB-C hub that puts useful ports on the front of the machine. The desktop’s own hubs are on the back, which not everybody likes.

The company designed the new 535 model, a 5-in-1 USB-C hub made of metal, specifically for the 24-inch M1 iMac, though it also works with other iMacs.

And you can get it at a launch discount. See below.

Got vinyl? New turntable streams high-quality sound over Bluetooth.

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Great record-player sound over Bluetooth? Yes, according to Cambridge Audio.
Great record-player sound over Bluetooth? Yes, according to Cambridge Audio.
Photo: Cambridge Audio

Cambridge Audio just released a new turntable that can play vinyl records the old-fashioned way or over Bluetooth, streaming audio wirelessly to speakers, headphones or amplifiers.

The new Alva ST follows the company’s Alva TT, which the world’s first aptX HD Bluetooth turntable.

And the Alva ST uses the same codec technology for high-quality sound — the kind that until recently could only be had through wires.

Mac mini rig’s monster monitor pushes standing desk to limit [Setups]

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That 38-inch monitor is almost too much for the standing desk to handle.
That 38-inch monitor is almost too much for the standing desk to handle.
Photo: [email protected]

In a world of ever-increasing monitor sizes (and weights), you need a pretty tough, supportive desk — especially if it’s a motorized one for sitting or standing. Otherwise, the whole thing might wobble all over the place under the combined, imbalanced weight of your fabulous gear.

Today’s featured Mac mini computer setup copes with an electric desk that struggles under the weight of a behemoth of a curved ultra-wide monitor.

Amazon slashes $200 off 2021 MacBook Pros

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Many apps can make using your MacBook or iMac even easier, as well as more productive.
Apple's 2021 MacBook Pro is the perfect Father's Day gift.
Photo: Apple

Looking for a gift for your dad this Father’s Day? Amazon has slashed the prices of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro by $200, making them an ideal option.

On the 14-inch MacBook Pro, you score a 10% discount off its retail price bringing its price down to $1,799. As for the 16-inch model, you can grab it for as low as $2,299 after an 8% discount.