News - page 233

We don’t run across huge numbers of computer setups online driven by M1 MacBook Air laptops. When a laptop is the main computer, it’s more often a MacBook Pro.

But a MacBook Air powered by an M1 chip is a formidable machine, whether you’re tossing it in your knapsack for work on the go or leaving it on a stand on your desk, jacked into a USB-C hub and external display.

An M1 MacBook Air drives today’s featured setup — located in Germany — which also features some interesting bits and pieces we haven’t seen elsewhere. Those are a nifty Marshall wireless speaker and a foot hammock.

Apple-owned Beats drew up a new limited-edition Studio Buds design Wednesday in collaboration with Daily Paper, an Amsterdam-based, African-inspired fashion brand.

In the new design, the signature white case in particular looks heavily tagged with blacked graffiti and the brand name in red.

Apple’s new contactless feature that lets one iPhone user pay another without additional hardware — known as Tap to Pay — is rolling out to Apple Stores across the U.S. starting Wednesday, according to a new report.

This follows a trial earlier in May at the Apple Park visitor center. The system lets iPhones accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets.

App Store revenue for smaller developers increased by 113% over the past two years – more than double the growth of large developers, according to a study financed by Apple.

And the iPhone app economy supported more than 2.2 million jobs in the U.S. in 2021.

Google’s Waze navigation app makes driving a little more fun by building in support for Apple Music. This allows drivers to make changes to the music streaming through their iPhone or Android without leaving Waze.

The app already supports other music streaming services.

Ahead of the June 30, 2022 deadline, Apple has reminded developers that if they offer users an option to create new accounts from their app, they must also provide a way to delete them.

Apple first announced this change in June last year, with the rule initially set to go into force by January 31, 2022. However, due to the complexity involved, the company delayed its implementation by five months to give developers additional time.

Just under two weeks from its Worldwide Developers Conference 2022, Apple notified winners Tuesday of its annual Swift Student Challenge. Along with typical prizes for winners as in recent years — outerwear and a pin set — the company is giving winning students a pair of AirPods Pro.

This year’s winners made an interesting variety of apps, according to quick replies to queries via Twitter.

It’s dinosaur week on Apple TV+. There’s a new episode of Prehistoric Planet on every night, and critics are heaping praise on the docuseries.

It has a 100% positive score on the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 14 Pro models could feature always-on displays because of the handsets’ ProMotion technology, which allows for variable refresh rates, a well-known analyst said Tuesday.

Essentially, an inactive iPhone 14 Pro handset may be able to drop all the down to a 1Hz refresh rate, similar to recent Apple Watch models.

Amazon cut the price on Apple’s excellent M1 MacBook Air down to just $899.99 after a $99 discount.

This is the lowest price the MacBook has dropped down to in the last 30 days on Amazon.

Rode unveiled its RodeCaster Pro II Monday, giving content creators a powerful production studio tool that adds features over its popular predecessor, the RodeCaster Pro.

The update provides an all-in-one audio tool for streamers, podcasters, musicians and other content creators at a price you don’t need to be famous to afford.

Anyone wanting a new Apple Studio Display needs to be patient. Order the high-end display now and you could be waiting until August for it. The accessory has apparently run into COVID-related production problems in China.

Unfortunately, there are several other Apple devices with very long wait times.

Linksys launched two new Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems Tuesday. They’re for anyone hoping to find affordable home-internet options that support the fastest wireless speeds.

And the two mesh systems — Linksys Atlas 6 and the Linksys Hydra 6 — are the company’s lowest-cost such systems so far.

Cupertino rolled out its new Apple Watch Pride Edition bands and faces Tuesday in support of the global LGBTQ+ community. Long a supporter of LGBTQ+ advocacy through numerous programs, Apple launched two new bands and two new watch faces.

The launches come ahead of Pride Month in June, when the company said it will also run a Shot on iPhone Pride Campaign.

Apple is taking the Today at Apple Creative Studios to additional countries to reach even more young creatives from underrepresented communities around the world. The program offers career-building mentorship, training and resources across a wide range of artistic disciplines.

It started in summer 2021 and expanded in the autumn. Last year, over 400 young people participated in Creative Studios programming.

In its latest release, Logitech offers an upgraded logitech mx master 3s Wireless Mouse and two new mechanical keyboards. The new mouse is an update on the popular MX Master 3 mouse. The 3S has a quieter click and a more sensitive sensor.

And the new MX Mechanical and MX Mechanical Mini keyboards feature mechanical switches, a departure from the existing MX Keys keyboards.

The MX Master 3S, MX Mechanical and MX Mechanical Mini, which will ship by the end of May, all readily pair with both Macs and PCs.

A reliable Apple analyst claims AirPods Pro 2 will enter mass production in the second half of 2022. The noise-canceling earbuds’ charging case will continue to feature a Lightning connector instead of switching to USB-C.

This time around, Apple suppliers will mass produce the AirPods Pro 2 in Vietnam instead of China, long the company’s primary manufacturing hub.

Apple has stopped signing iOS 15.4.1 following the release of iOS 15.5 just over a week ago.

Since the OS is no longer being signed, you cannot downgrade your iPhone to it if you have already installed iOS 15.5.

Apple reportedly held talks about buying out Electronic Arts, the company behind the wildly popular Madden series, The Sims series and many more.

But EA has also supposedly held acquisition talks with others, including Disney.

When you want to look good but need to travel light, ditch the compact mirror and slap Casetify’s Mirror case on your iPhone.

Its reflective back will keep you from rushing to the bathroom to ensure your hair is in check, while its shockproof shell protects your iPhone from bumps and scratches. Bag yours today from the Cult of Mac Store.

When Tim Cook and other Apple executive first show off iOS 16 in early June, there’s a good chance it’ll have much in common with a recently released artists’ concept. The new video shows some of the most-anticipated features, including an always-on screen and interactive widgets.

Watch the iOS 16 concept video now for a sneak peek at what might be coming soon to iPhone.

The M1 iPad Pro just dropped back to the lowest price we’ve seen. Amazon is currently selling the 11-inch model with 128GB of storage for just $699.99 after a $100 discount. (Note that part of that discount shows up at checkout.)

On higher-storage variants, you can score a discount of as much as $200. As usual, there’s no way of knowing how long these deals will last.

Wireless magnetic chargers don’t have much of a reputation for being fun, but a new one features a playful design, at least. Zendure will soon launch preorders for the new SuperMini Go, which features MagSafe-compatible docking and up to 15W of wireless charging power.

A crowdfunding campaign for the pocket-sized power bank starts in June, the company said.

Add an autofocus front camera to the list of improvements expected for the iPhone 14 when it debuts this autumn. This supposedly tripled Apple’s cost for the component.

If the unconfirmed report is true, the upcoming model will be the first iPhone with an auto-focus selfie camera.

Mia, a software developer from Detroit who writes mobile apps, got in touch with Cult of Mac recently to share her MacBook Pro-driven, dual-display workstation.

“I love your setup articles but sometimes they make me feel bad about myself,” she said.