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News - page 238

Apple wants to make more money from streaming and advertising

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An Apple One bundle might be announced in September. Or October.
Eddy Cue wants Apple to make more money from its streaming and advertising businesses.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP of Services, is reportedly looking to restructure the company’s offerings to make a more significant push in streaming and advertising.

Apple’s services business has been growing rapidly over the last few years. It currently boasts more than 825 million paid subscribers.

Soundcore’s new Bluetooth boombox belts out 80 watts of audio

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Soundcore Motion Boom Plus
The Motion Boom Plus is built to stand up to water so you can take your tunes anywhere.
Photo: Soundcore

Soundcore’s new Motion Boom Plus boombox is built to blast out the tunes wherever you go this summer. The 80-watt Bluetooth speaker packs an array of new features designed to deliver “punchy bass and detailed high end,” the company said.

“Combining an IP67 rating with its upgraded woofers, newly added tweeters, more power,
and portable carry handle, the Motion Boom Plus is the ideal Bluetooth speaker for the park
or at an outdoor pool or beach party,” said Frank Zhu, general manager of Soundcore’s
speaker division, in a press release Monday. “We’ve also made it two times louder than its predecessor to help keep the party going, all day and all night long.”

Plus, you don’t need to worry about losing it in the pool or the lake. It floats!

Get 20% off a magnetic iPad stand that offers unlimited viewing angles

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Mount your iPad on the stand magnetically and rotate and tilt it as much as you want.
Mount your iPad on the stand magnetically and rotate and tilt it as much as you want.
Photo: SwitchEasy

For anyone who wants to use their iPad like a desktop computer or laptop, with proper ergonomics in mind, the SwitchEasy MagMount Magnetic iPad Stand can help.

And you can get it for 20% off the regular price in the Cult of Mac Store through May 16. That’s $20 off.

Jony Ive unveils his top 12 tools for ‘making’

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Want to be like Jony Ive? Here's about $10,000 worth of tools to carry with you every day.
Want to be like Jony Ive? Here's about $10,000 worth of tools to carry with you every day.
Photo: Apple

Former Apple design chief Jony Ive recently served as a guest editor for the UK’s Financial Times. In the magazine’s “How to Spend It” issue, he lists a dozen tools he finds indispensable for “making.”

More specifically, these are his top picks “for making, for marking, for measuring, and carrying with you every day.”

But don’t break your neck craning to see if he included any Apple items, or even computing products. He didn’t.

Will Smith’s Emancipation won’t premiere on Apple TV+ before 2023

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Will Smith
Will Smith's personal problems struck a blow to his upcoming Apple TV+ film Emancipation.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple has reportedly decided to push back the premiere of Emancipation. Insider sources that leaked the change did not say the delay of the historical drama staring Will Smith was the result of “The Slap,” but Smith’s shocking outburst at this year’s Academy Awards show almost certainly had to be a factor.

Emancipation is based on the real-life story of a man named Peter, whose saga of escaping slavery made headlines around the world in 1863.

Sign up now for a chance to attend WWDC22 in person

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Mark your calendars! WWDC 2022 happens online on June 6, 2022.
You might be lucky enough to win an invitation to attend WWDC22 in person, but not if you don't request an invite soon.
Image: Apple
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

Apple is now accepting requests to attend its next developers conference in person. WWDC22 in June is mostly online, but a fortunate few developers and students will be able to watch the keynote from Apple Park. The company will soon randomly select the lucky group who can attend from all the requests it receives.

The submission window isn’t open for long – don’t procrastinate.

Dual Studio Display rig comes with a light show [Setups]

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Nanoleaf Lines, behind the displays, are the primary lights in this show.
Nanoleaf Lines, behind the displays, are the primary lights in this show.
Photo: apple_tech_admin

Recently we wrote about a PC gamer converting to the Apple ecosystem, happily, with an M1 MacBook Pro-based setup. Now we have a lucky recipient of not one but two recently shipped Studio Displays, freshly arrived to replace a pair of gaming monitors.

What makes Apple’s Studio Display truly special? [The CultCast]

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Artist Adam Duff explains why Apple's Studio Display makes perfect sense.
Artist Adam Duff explains why Apple's Studio Display makes perfect sense.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Haters gonna hate, but digital artist Adam Duff explains why Apple’s new Studio Display is the perfect monitor — for some users.

Also on The CultCast:

  • iPhone 14 leak reveals sizing, pricing and more.
  • Who needs a smart water bottle?
  • Apple TV+ has some hits on its hands.

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.

Pick up brand-new AirPods 2 for less than $100

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AirPods 2. AirPods S, more like.
Now is a great time to get those AirPods you’ve been thinking about.
Photo: Apple

If you act fast, you can get one of Apple’s best products ever for less than $100. That’s how low AirPods 2 have dropped — that’s $59 below the usual price for these wildly popular in-ear headphones. Or you can save a nice chunk of change on AirPods Pro.

You might even be able to get the wireless earbuds delivered in time for Mother’s Day.

Workers at Apple supplier Quanta riot over COVID-19 restrictions

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Workers at Apple-supplier Quanta riot over COVID restrictions
Quanta employees clashed with guards on Thursday night.
Photo: RFA

New video out of China shows workers at a MacBook assembly plant in Shanghai fighting with security guards. The Quanta Computer employees have been forced to live at their workplace for weeks amidst COVID-19 lockdowns ordered by the Chinese government.

The workers apparently hoped to leave the facility to go shopping.

M1 MacBook Pro powers ‘cozy productivity corner’ [Setups]

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Don't worry, there's an image with a little more light below.
Don't worry, there's an image with a little more light below.
Photo: [email protected]

We usually prefer to feature sunny or exotic or just-plain-fun computer setups on Fridays, but today a dark and brooding one caught our eye. A 13-inch M1-powered MacBook Pro and a 34-inch LG curved ultra-wide display are at its center.

But the “cozy productivity corner” also features excellent input devices, formidable audio and a rather nice standing desk.

Go on a side-scrolling adventure with online friends in Badlands Party on Apple Arcade

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Go on a side-scrolling adventure with friends in 'Badlands Party' on Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade subscribers can enjoy Badlands Party now on Apple's gaming service.
Photo: HypeHype

The latest addition to the award-winning Badlands series is the first with online multiplayer gaming. Badlands Party is physics-based side-scroller like its predecessors – it’s just more social.

The game launched Friday exclusively on Apple Arcade.

Fortnite returns to iPhone with clever workaround – here’s how to play!

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Fortnite returns to iPhone with clever workaround – here's how to play!
If you've been missing Fortnite, you can play it now on iPhone or iPad.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Fortnite got kicked out of the App Store as part of a legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, but you can play it on your iPhone today for free. Microsoft added it to Xbox Cloud Gaming so the combat game is playable on iOS and iPadOS devices.

Setting up your iPhone or iPad to play Fortnite from the cloud rather than the App Store is different from what you’re used to. Not hard, just different. I’ll walk you through it.

Mount your iPhone anywhere with Xvida’s magnificent magnetic cases

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Xvida-iPhone
Xvida's case and stand makes your iPhone easily visible at all times.
Photo: Xvida

When you want your iPhone to be visible, but you need your hands to do other things, mount your device almost anywhere with Xvida’s brilliant cases.

Built-in magnets allow it to be securely attached to a whole host of metal surfaces, as well as a bunch of companion Xvida accessories — like wireless chargers, stands, car mounts, and more.

Get yours today for from as little as $19.

AirTag 4-pack hits year’s lowest price just in time for Mother’s Day [Updated]

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AirTag 4-pack
An AirTag 4-pack is just what a mom-on-go needs this Mother's Day.
Photo: Apple

Now is an especially great time to get AirTag item trackers. For one thing, a pack of four is on sale at the biggest discount we’ve seen. Plus, Mother’s Day is coming up fast, and AirTag makes a nice last-minute present.

This Sunday, you can give mom the gift of never misplacing stuff.

Apple, Google and Microsoft expand support for passwordless sign‑ins

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Face ID
You could soon be using Face ID to sign into more websites and applications.
Photo: Apple

Apple, Google and Microsoft committed themselves to expand support for a passwordless sign-in standard. The goal is to make it easier for websites and applications to offer consistent, secure and easy passwordless sign-ins.

It’s a move toward greater support for biometric security systems like the ones already included in iPhone, Mac and iPad.

Why $159 isn’t a totally crazy price for Apple’s 3-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable

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Apple’s 3-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable
Apple now offers almost 10-feet of high-speed Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.
Photo: Apple

A 3-meter version of the Apple’s Thunderbolt 4 cable can now be ordered. The extra-long cable connects Macs to peripherals at up to 40Gbps and 100W of power.

It’s $159, or two or three times the cost of a high-quality 2-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable from rival companies. Trouble is, the 3-meter cable doesn’t have any direct competition.

Wait times for Mac Studio stretch into July

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Mac Studio review roundup: Insane power in a small desktop
It could be a while before you can put a Mac Studio in your office.
Photo: Apple

If you need a Mac Studio this autumn, it might be smart to order it now. You could find yourself waiting for up to three months for delivery of some some top-tier configurations.

The macOS desktop appears to be caught by the same assembly delays that are affecting MacBook Pro.

Discreet new Sonos voice assistant will work with Apple Music

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Sonos Voice will give you a new way to talk to your Sonos speakers.
Sonos Voice will give you a new way to talk to your Sonos speakers.
Photo: Sonos

Smart speaker maker Sonos will soon deploy its own voice assistant, similar to Apple’s Siri. It will let you play and control music on the company’s products, according to a new report.

The new voice assistant, “Sonos Voice,” will work with Apple Music and a handful of other services.

These tasteful nylon Apple Watch bands look like knit fabric

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This BluShark Knit Weave Apple Watch Band is in the color
This BluShark Knit Weave Apple Watch Band is in the color "space," which is a dark blue.
Photo: BluShark

In the world of watch bands, nylon is sometimes overlooked in favor of steel, leather or silicone, but it’s an exceptionally good material for the job. That’s true of analog timepieces as well as smart watches like Apple Watch.

Done right, nylon is soft, comfortable and durable. It’s breathable and it dries quickly, too. It often doesn’t even look like nylon, either.

And if you can find a nylon band that looks and feels a lot like a knit weave fabric, all the better. But look no further, because the popular brand BluShark sells a selection of them in the Cult of Mac Store at a good price.

Apple TV+ Greatness Code trailer looks at what drives top athletes

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Season two of
Season two of "Greatness Code" premieres May 13.
Photo: Apple TV+

Ever wonder how champion pro athletes overcome all odds to win? Apple TV+ unveiled its trailer Tuesday for the second season of Emmy Award-winning sports documentary series Greatness Code.

It gives you a glimpse at what drives top athletes to succeed in impossibly competitive scenarios.

The series premieres May 13 on Apple TV+.

Recovering PC gamer converts to Mac and loves it [Setups]

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This M1 Pro MacBook rig runs with an ultra-wide display and a 50-inch TV.
This M1 Pro MacBook rig runs with an ultra-wide display and a 50-inch TV.
Photo: [email protected]

“Conversion” stories are fairly common in computing, with people deciding to switch from one “ecosystem” or another. Given Apple’s recent rash of hugely popular products, a fair number of folks are switching from PC-and-Windows-based setups to Apple-centric ones.

An avid PC gamer — strike that, a former avid PC gamer — owns today’s featured setup. In it, a new M1 Pro MacBook drives a couple of big displays. And an Elgato Stream Deck and killer audio components also enter the mix.