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News - page 250

Last chance to save! Protect your Apple gear with tough SwitchEasy cases

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SwitchEasy's Odyssey lanyard cases for iPhone make it super-easy to keep the handset handy and safe.
SwitchEasy's Odyssey lanyard cases for iPhone make it super-easy to keep the handset handy and safe.
Photo: SwitchEasy

SwitchEasy’s rugged Odyssey line of Apple cases is known for being protective, stylish and convenient. You can safeguard your iPhone 13 or 12 Series handset, your Apple Watch and your AirPods 3. Some clip on for added carrying options.

And best of all, the SwitchEasy flash sale on Odyssey cases goes through 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 30, in the Cult of Mac Store. You can get 20% off — see the deals below.

Evidence of iPad floating app windows shows up in Apple WebKit

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Floating app windows could be coming to iPad. Finally.
The odds of floating app windows appearing with iPadOS 16 just went up.
Illustration: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

There’s a new reason to think iPadOS 16 might include support for resizable floating app windows. A developer found evidence that this hoped-for feature is being added to Apple’s browser engine for iPad and iPhone.

If true, confirmation isn’t far away. Apple is expected to unveil iPadOS 16 at its Worldwide Developers Conference in early June.

Why you’re waiting 10 weeks for a new MacBook Pro or Mac Studio

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MacBook assembly restarts after COVID-19 lockdown: There's a light at the end of tunnel of long MacBook Pro wait times.
You can blame COVID-19 for the lengthy wait for new Macs.
Photo illustration: Cult of Mac

Wait times for some Macs now stretch into August. Apple manufacturer Quanta Computer simply can’t assemble enough units to meet demand, as its workers revolt at lengthy COVID-19 lockdowns.

The delays caused by the lockdowns, enforced by the Chinese government in an attempt to control the spread of the highly transmissible disease, are not just irritating to customers, though. Apple predicts the problem will mean an $8 billion hit to its revenue.

Best Buy’s Memorial Day Sale offers massive discounts on iPad Air, Apple Watch and MacBook Air

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Apple Watch and MacBook
Don't miss these amazing Memorial Day deals on Apple products from Best Buy.
Photo: Naipo.de/Unsplash

Best Buy’s Memorial Day sale is live, and you can save hundreds of dollars on the Apple Watch Series 7, iPad Air 4 and M1 MacBook Air.

The retailer is selling the iPad Air 4 with a whopping $150 discount, MacBook Air with a $100 discount, and up to $70 off on select Apple Watch models.

iPhone 14 Pro’s A16 chip might not beat A15 by much

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iPhone 14 might have to settle for less advanced 4nm chip
The A16 is expected to be the heart of the iPhone 14 Pro models.
Graphic: Apple/Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The A16 processor going in this fall’s iPhone 14 Pro models will be made with a 5nm process, according to a tipster. That’s the same process used for years, not a better one, and it means the upcoming iPhones won’t get as big a speed boost as expected.

Still, the A16 is rumored to get improved processor cores and other enhancements.

Full-on ‘Dark Mode’ brings creativity into focus [Setups]

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The setup proper in
The setup proper in "Dark Mode." Atmospheric, eh? It's a space dedicated to creativity, but it also helps with focus.
Photo: Chris Denbow

Photographer and writer Chris Denbow puts an interesting twist on his computer setup. He credits its “Dark Mode” — which is obvious in the photographs of the desk and the room, but extends to the machines and the software he uses — for boosting his focus and creativity. He said the dark theme gives him a “space dedicated to creativity.”

“Introducing ‘Dark Mode,’ a minimal, monochromatic home office/workspace that helps eliminate distractions, [and] allows focus and productivity,” Denbow told Cult of Mac.

This camera solves a major problem with drone photography

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The Insta360 Sphere camera works with two DJI Mavic drones, keeping them out of the shot.
The Insta360 Sphere camera works with two DJI Mavic drones, keeping them out of the shot.
Photo: Insta360

An issue amateur drone pilots face taking photos or shooting footage is that the drone itself often shows up in the shot. Then, if they want to make that aerial photography perfect, they — or someone they pay — has to edit the drone out afterwards.

Insta360 said Tuesday it solved that problem with it’s new Sphere, a 360-degree camera specially designed to keep the drone “invisible.”

Affordable new Xbox streaming device could mean trouble for Apple TV

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Pretty soon Xbox gaming and media streaming may not require a console.
Pretty soon Xbox gaming and media streaming may not require a console.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft confirmed Friday it’s developing a low-cost streaming device that would allow users to play Xbox games and stream media without needing a full console. That could directly compete with Apple TV.

Meanwhile, Apple’s product — sometimes criticized as overpriced — may see a less-expensive iteration later this year, according to analysts.

US government effort to regulate Big Tech stalls

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App Store faces barrage of antitrust charges
Support is lagging for a centerpiece of U.S. government efforts to regulate Big Tech.
Photo: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels CC

A bill aimed at regulating Big Tech is reportedly losing support in the U.S. Senate. The fate of the American Choice and Innovation Online Act is now in question.

It is a Democratic proposal but some Senate Democrats are leery about voting for it in an election year.

Tiny, smiling Macintosh is actually a potent GaN charger

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The cute little GaN charger puts out up to 35W of power.
The cute little GaN charger puts out up to 35W of power.
Photo: Shargeek

Whether you’re nostalgic for early Macintoshes or you simply like the cuter things in life, Shargeek has the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for you. You can join the campaign at a low, early-bird price to get the company’s new Retro 35 GaN Charger. It looks just like a toy version of an original Macintosh, complete with a little smile on its screen.

And with 35W of power, it can readily charge up laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Veteran actor Ray Liotta, star of Black Bird on Apple TV+, dead at 67

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Actor Ray Liotta, set to appear in the upcoming drama series
Actor Ray Liotta, set to appear in the upcoming drama series "Black Bird" on Apple TV+, died Thursday in his sleep.
Photo: Apple TV+

Actor Ray Liotta, famous for his roles in Goodfellas, Field of Dreams, Cop Land and other films and TV shows, died in his sleep Thursday at age 67, his publicist said.

Liotta also stars in the upcoming Apple TV+ drama series Black Bird, set to premiere on July 8.

Caviar for breakfast? How Apple plans to pamper WWDC22 attendees.

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Apple is hosting a limited event at Apple Park for WWDC22.
Apple is hosting a limited event at Apple Park for WWDC22.
Photo: Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons; Image: Apple
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

Lucky attendees who get to visit Apple Park for a special WWDC22 developer day are getting the red carpet treatment, including caviar for breakfast.

The menu for the event includes a smoked salmon and caviar bagel made from “house smoked salmon, mascarpone cream, Tobiko black caviar, Persian cucumber, [and] micro horseradish,” which asks more questions than it answers. What on earth is micro horseradish?

Get the powerful M1 iPad Pro with a massive $450 discount [Update: Sold out!]

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UAG Scout for iPad Pro and Apple Smart Keyboard
The iPad Pro could be your next workhorse
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Update: That “massive $450 discount” proved extremely popular. It sold out incredibly quickly, which sometimes happens. You can still get other deals on iPad Pro at the links below, though.

Apple’s excellent M1 iPad Pro is available on Amazon with massive discounts of up to $450.

With a powerful M1 chip and large display, the iPad Pro could become your ideal workstation when you are on the move.

Former trombone player Tim Cook gives $100,000 to his high school band

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The Robersdale High School Band poses with instruments.
The Robersdale High School Band poses with instruments.
Photo: Baldwin County Public Schools

We’ve all heard the “sad trombone” sound. Well, today all brass is happy — or at least some brass, down south in Alabama — because Apple CEO Tim Cook just gave his alma mater’s band program a donation to the tune of $100,000.

Cook played trombone in the Robertsdale High School band in Robertdale, Alabama, near Mobile. He graduated in 1978, on his way to an engineering degree from Auburn University and later an MBA from Duke University.

Apple TV+ could get new NFL Plus streaming alongside Sunday Ticket

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It seems the new NFL Plus streaming service could go to the bidder who wins NFL Sunday Ticket.
It seems the new NFL Plus streaming service could go to the bidder who wins NFL Sunday Ticket.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Some sources suggest Apple TV+ has already signed a deal for the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. Now a new report say the football league’s planned NFL Plus streaming service could sweeten the deal for Apple — or another winning bidder, as the case may turn out to be.

The two services together on Apple TV+ could offer fans a great selection of viewing options.

Apple raises pay for retail and corporate employees

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Apple store
Good news, Apple retail employees!
Photo: Apple

Apple employees can to look forward to raises. The company sent an email to its workers informing them it’ll spend more on employee compensation this year. And starting pay for retail workers is going up 10%.

This is happening as Apple faces increasing competition for employees in a tight labor market, and its retail workers are starting to unionize.

iPhone 14 Max could be hard to get your hands on at launch

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iPhone 14 Pro concept in white
You could have to wait longer to get your on the iPhone 14 Max
Concept: Jon Prosser/Ian Zelbo

Haitong International Securities analyst Jeffy Pu has provided more insight into the iPhone 14’s production delay and revealed that the production of the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max has been the worse affected by the lockdown in China.

A supply chain report from earlier in the week claimed that iPhone 14’s production was running behind schedule.

Your Apple TV needs the tvOS 15.5.1 update

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Apple's new Apple TV 4K with redesigned Siri Remote
There's a software patch for Apple TV.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV users should install a system software patch released Wednesday. tvOS 15.5.1 apparently fixes a small bug in the latest big update, which Apple released last week.

The patch comes out in unison with a small update to HomePod software.

New renders show iPhone 14 Pro in all its purported purple glory

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New renders show iPhone 14 in all its purported purple glory
Here's the iPhone 14 Pro based on the best information available.
Concept: Jon Prosser/Ian Zelbo

You don’t have to wait months for Apple to finally show off the iPhone 14: A collection of renders based on the most reliable leaks gives the best look yet at the upcoming device. That includes the replacement for the screen notch, the expected changes to the camera hump and more.

As a bonus, the renders show the upcoming handset in purple, which supposedly will be an option.

Mobile gaming rakes in far more money than PC and console

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PUBG Mobile
Revenue from iPhone and Android games like 'PUBG Mobile' dwarfs traditional gaming.
Photo: PUBG

Games played on iPhone and Android represents 61% of the overall gaming market, according to two market analysis firms. And mobile’s lead over PC and console gaming is growing.

The total gaming market is set to hit $222 billion in 2022. For comparison, global film revenue for 2019 (the last pre-pandemic year) was $42.5 billion.

Ikea’s new smart-home hub and app support Matter standard

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Ikea will launch a new smart home hub and Home app with support for the new Matter standard.
Ikea will launch a new smart home hub and Home app with support for the new Matter standard.
Photo: Ikea

Ikea, known for a growing array of smart home products in recent years, said Wednesday it will soon replace it’s HomeKit-compatible Tradfri gateway with a new hub and Home app that support the upcoming Matter standard.

Matter is a smart-home technology standard Apple, Amazon, Google, the Connectivity Standards Alliance and others are working on to make smart home-automation products work together — even when they come from different brands.

MacBook Air centers wide-ranging workstation in Germany [Setups]

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It looks like a comfy chair, but you can only get it in Germany.
It looks like a comfy chair, but you can only get it in Germany.
Photo: [email protected]

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.

Tap to Pay rolls out at Apple Stores across US

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Apple's Tap to Pay functionality is fast becoming the easy way to pay.
Apple's Tap to Pay functionality is fast becoming the easy way to pay.
Photo: Apple

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.