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News - page 235

Apple moves to head off employee union efforts

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Apple moves to head off employee union efforts
It seems Apple won't sit quietly while its retail employees unionize.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly working with Littler Mendelson, a law firm with a history of helping companies prevent their employees from unionizing. The move comes in the wake of workers at several Apple stores moving to form unions.

If true, then Apple is going to do what it can to prevent the thousands of employees at its 250+ retail locations in the United States from organizing for collective bargaining.

Don’t miss this $250 discount on the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro [Updated]

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2021 MacBook Pro with M1 Pro, M1 Max
$249 off on the 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro? That's a sweet deal
Photo: Apple

Apple’s excellent 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip, 16GB of RAM and 512GB storage is discounted by $250 to just $2,249 on Amazon.

That’s 99 cents cheaper than the price when we originally spotted this deal last week. And the discount on the MacBook Pro with 1TB storage is bigger now, too. If you’re looking for a sale price on a 16-inch MacBook Pro, what are you waiting for? As with all Amazon deals, who knows how long this will last …

Elon Musk buys Twitter for a cool $44 billion

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The world's richest person will soon have total control of Twitter.
The world's richest person will soon have total control of Twitter.
Photo: Elon Musk/Twitter/Cult of Mac

Twitter said Monday it accepted Elon Musk’s offer to purchase the company for $44 billion. That gives the billionaire — who is the world’s wealthiest person — absolute control of the social media platform after the deal is approved.

Leak of Sony’s next flagship headphones shows sleek design, longer battery life

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Sony's next top headphones may have a sleek new design.
Sony's next top headphones may have a sleek new design.
Photo: Nils Ahrensmeier/TechnikNews

Sony’s WH-1000XM4 over-ear noise-cancelling wireless headphones are considered one of the best sets of cans in the business. Now a new leak shows what may be in store for the audio giant’s next version, the WH-1000XM5, in terms of a sleek new design and key specs.

Twelve South updates iPhone 13 leather folio case with 2 new colors

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The new leather folio case colors are Electric Orange (shown) and English Lavender.
The new leather folio case colors are Electric Orange (shown) and English Lavender.
Photo: Twelve South

Twelve South refreshed its SurfacePad for iPhone leather folio case last week with two colors for springtime. Now you can get the handsome leather accessory not only in Cognac and Black colors, but also in hues Twelve South calls English Lavender blue and Electric Orange.

Singapore chicken rice ‘war’ looks delicious on iPhone 13 Pro

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People in Singapore are passionate about chicken and rice like New Yorkers are passionate about pizza.
People in Singapore are passionate about chicken and rice like New Yorkers are passionate about pizza.
Photo: Apple TV+

There’s a saying in Singapore that “the camera always eats first.” The folks there love their food and taking pictures of it. And that’s especially true of chicken rice, the subject of Apple’s latest “Shot on iPhone 13 Pro” video.

Poached is a short documentary film about chicken-rice food hawkers at war with one another. It’s a little more than 5 minutes long — time enough to make you hungry.

Apple TV+ documentaries win two BAFTA TV Awards

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The Staples Singers appear in
The Staples Singers appear in "1971: The Year that Music Changed Everything" on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ won its very first BAFTA TV Awards Sunday for two documentaries, 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room and 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything.

Each year the BAFTAs honor the best British programs and productions in addition to honoring films, such as CODA on Apple TV+, with separate awards.

Soon you can battle Diablo Immortal’s Lord of Damnation on iPhone and iPad

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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

Diablo fans will be soon able to answer the call to battle on their iPhone. On June 2, Blizzard Entertainment will launch Diablo Immortal, a massively multiplayer online action role-playing game for phones and tablets.

There’ll also be a PC version, and players will be able enjoy the game across platforms.

New Sennheiser sport earbuds quiet your heavy breathing

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You can set these to block out your own bodily noises, like panting, during a workout.
You can set these to block out your own bodily noises, like panting, during a workout.
Photo: Sennheiser

Sennheiser is rolling out a new set of true wireless earbuds for fitness enthusiasts. The company said its Sport True Wireless buds include an Aware EQ passthrough setting that can reduce noises from your own body during exercise, such as your pounding heartbeat, your huffing and puffing, and your footsteps.

Racy MacBook Pro and Xbox rig seeks beefier sound system [Setups]

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Those white desktop speakers might not be cutting it.
Those white desktop speakers might not be cutting it.
Photo: [email protected]

You can have a lot of good gear in your computer setup but still feel it falls short somehow. Like with today’s featured setup, you could have a recent MacBook Pro and an Xbox Series X gaming console. You could have a sweet curved gaming monitor. You might even have a kick-ass Lego Technic McLaren Formula 1 Race Car mounted on the wall.

But do you have stellar audio or just OK audio? That’s the issue our setup’s owner faces.

Apple TV+ host Jon Stewart wins prestigious Mark Twain Prize for humor

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Jon Stewart is back behind the anchor desk on Apple TV+.
Jon Stewart is back behind the anchor desk on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Comedian Jon Stewart, host of The Problem With Jon Stewart on Apple TV+, won the Mark Twain Prize for humor for his long stint hosting The Daily Show and his activism on behalf of veterans and 9/11 responders.

Stewart received the award at a ceremony Sunday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Get into Slow Horses on Apple TV+ with this spy slang glossary

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"Slow Horses" on Apple TV+ features Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, plus a lot of muttered words and phrases you might need help understanding.
Photo: Apple TV+

There’s nothing like discovering a truly rich and deep source of entertainment — like a darkly amusing TV series that you find out is made from a whole lineup of engrossing books that you at least aspire to read. Such is the case with Slow Horses on Apple TV+, adapted from a series of spy-thriller novels by Mick Herron.

The dozen books and subsequent TV show rise from a complex world of spy circles with Cold War underpinnings leading into and out of MI5. That’s the U.K.’s primary security agency, sort of like the FBI in the U.S. In the story, a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents relegated to “Slough House” become embroiled in matters of national security, often at odds with M15 first-stringers.

Even if you’ve got a good ear for U.K. and European accents, you may still find yourself baffled by the in-jokes, shop talk and slang coming out of the characters’ mouths. Good thing there are helpful reference materials out there, like a whole glossary of terms.

iMac with M3 processor could be out much sooner than expected

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Apple M3 processor
The wait for the Apple M3 processor could be shorter than expected.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Apple M2 processor hasn’t yet been released and the first report of an M3-based Mac is already out. It could launch as soon as 2023.

This might be an indication that Apple will release new versions of its Mac/iPad chip more quickly than it has until now.

Leak shows new Ecobee SmartThermostat will pack air-quality sensor

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A hidden image in the updated iOS app shows the upcoming air quality monitor.
A hidden image in the updated iOS app shows the upcoming air quality monitor.
Photo: Ecobee

It appears Ecobee, the Canadian smart home accessories maker, will soon release a new version of its SmartThermostat with an air-quality sensor built right in.

The leak of the upcoming product came in the form of a hidden image in an update to the company’s iOS app.

‘Outdated’ iPhone apps about to be kicked out of App Store

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App Store
Apple is warning developers of "outdated" applications that they'll soon be removed from the App Store.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Numerous developers report that their applications that aren’t being actively updated will soon be kicked out of the App Store. This is apparently part of an ongoing effort by Apple to remove “outdated” software from the store.

Devs must submit new versions of their applications to stay in the store, which means they’ll have to comply with newer Apple policies.

Get a launch discount on this affordable 3-in-1 magnetic wireless charger

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The new 3-in-1 magnetic wireless charger from Excitrus is affordable, and you can get another 20% off with a launch code.
The new 3-in-1 magnetic wireless charger from Excitrus is affordable, and you can get another 20% off with a launch code.
Photo: Excitrus

Need a MagSafe-compatible charger that won’t break the bank? Mobile charging specialist Excitrus, known for power banks, rolled out its capable new 3-in-1 MagSafe Wireless Charging Stand on Thursday.

Not only does it come with an 18W fast-charging wall adapter and an elegant LED light circle on the main charging pad, but the price is right — especially with an additional 20% off as a launch discount. See the details below.

Next Macs and iPhones: Whose bump will be bigger? [The CultCast]

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CultCast 541: M2 Macs and iPhone 14: Which gets a bigger bump? The CultCast episode 541
Looks like 2022 is gonna be bumpin'!
Image: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: It sounds like Apple is planning nearly a dozen new Macs with a next-gen M2 processor. The question is, just how big of a speed bump will that new chip bring? And then there’s iPhone 14, which sounds like it might come with a very big bump indeed — and not the kind you might be hoping for.

Also on The CultCast:

  • The original HomePod never ceases to surprise.
  • iPhone 14 could be the ultimate smartphone for narcissists.
  • Apple might be prepping an ingenious hybrid device to take over your living room.
  • When you’re tired of wearing earbuds, you’ve got options. Very strange options.

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 what you hear.) 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.

Leaked ‘final’ EU antitrust bill looks bad for Apple

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European Union
The European Union takes another step toward tough regulations on tech giants like Apple.
Photo: Freestocks.org

The European Union may force Apple to make big changes to its App Store as well as services like FaceTime and Messages, if a leaked version of an EU antitrust proposal becomes law.

The draft is said to be the “final version” of the Digital Markets Act, provisionally approved by EU regulators in March. It seeks to restrict how tech giants operate in order to foster greater competition.

Take a slingshot space adventure in Moonshot on Apple Arcade

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Take a slingshot space adventure in Moonshot on Apple Arcade
Blast off! Moonshot – A Journey Home premiered Friday.
Photo: Noodlecake Games

Physics-based puzzlers are all the rage, and the latest Apple Arcade game takes the concept to the stars. In Moonshot – A Journey Home, players use a slingshot to reunite a wandering moon with its home planet.

It debuted Friday on Apple’s gaming service, which now offers more than 200 titles.

Anker’s new 100W GaN charger beats Apple’s closest offering in 3 ways

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The new Anker 736 USB Charger is compact, powerful and versatile.
The new Anker 736 USB Charger is compact, powerful and versatile.
Photo: Anker

Anker showed off its much-anticipated 736 USB Charger at CES back in January. At long last, now you can buy the powerful-but-compact 100W gallium nitride (GaN) charger at Amazon.

And you might want to do just that. It looks like Anker’s new GaN II charger beats Apple’s 96W charger in three ways. It’s smaller, more powerful and more versatile.

Telling a marvelous Mac mini workstation story in pictures [Setups]

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The computer setup was updated this month and it couldn't be much nicer.
The computer setup was updated this month and it couldn't be much nicer.
Photo: [email protected]

A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. So today’s M1 Mac mini-driven computer setup, with eight smashing photos, must be roughly equivalent to 8,000 words. But instead of burying you in a horrible cascade of text, we’ll let the pictures tell most of the elegant rig’s story.

The newly updated setup has some exceedingly nice touches. Each of the photos below includes a little commentary.

Apple’s chipmaker counting on blazing-fast 2nm processors in rivalry with Intel

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TSMC looks ahead to super-speedy 2nm processors
2nm processors made by TSMC will be faster while using less power than today's 5nm iPhone and Mac chips.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPhones will continue getting smaller, faster and more efficient processors for years to come. TSMC, the company that manufactures all Apple’s chips, says it should be able produce processors in 2025 that are an amazing 2nm. These should make today’s fastest Macs and iPhones look like slugs in comparison.

Rival Intel is working hard to keep up. It says it’ll pass TSMC in a few years – but it’s missed plenty of similar self-imposed deadlines over the years.

Film and TV pros want Apple to love Final Cut Pro as much as they do

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Many film and TV editors say Final Cut Pro is powerful and fun to use. So why can't it be a professional standard?
Many film and TV editors say Final Cut Pro is powerful and fun to use. So why can't it be a professional standard?
Image: Apple

In an open letter sent to Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday, more than 100 film and TV professionals called on the company to publicly commit to building its video editing software Final Cut Pro into an industry-standard tool.

The group praised FCP as as “the biggest leap forward in editing technology since the move to digital” but complained it’s not living up to its potential.

The group noted, bitterly, that even the crew on CODA — the first streaming service release to win a Best Picture Oscar, and Apple’s own release — would probably not have chosen to edit it with FCP.

iPhone 13 mini makes up a tiny percentage of Apple sales

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iPhone 13 mini makes up a tiny percentage of Apple sales
The iPhone 13 dwarfs the iPhone 13 mini in size as well as sales.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 13 series is selling very well… with one exception. The iPhone 13 mini is not attracting U.S. buyers, according to a report by a market-research firm.

This helps explain why the upcoming iPhone 14 series isn’t expected to have a “mini” version with a 5.4-inch screen.