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News - page 254

Wait is over for iOS 15.5, macOS 12.4 and watchOS 8.6

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iOS 15.5, macOS 12.4, iPadOS 15.5, watchOS 8.6 and tvOS 15.5: If you have an Apple computer, no matter the shape or size, there's a good chance it just got a software update.
If you have an Apple computer, no matter the shape or size, there's a good chance it just got a software update.
Photo: Szabo Viktor/Unsplash License

Apple released software upgrades for all its computers Monday. After finishing weeks of beta testing, macOS Monterey 12.4, iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, watchOS 8.6 and tvOS 15.5 are available for anyone to download.

Many of them include an update to the Podcasts application to keep it from taking up too much storage space. And the webcam in the recently released Apple Studio Display will work better after a firmware update.

Would this dual Studio Display rig be your ‘dream setup?’ [Setups]

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This is someone's dream setup. Is it yours?
This is someone's dream setup. Is it yours?
Photo: [email protected]

You look at enough computer setups online and you realize people are never really done with them. There’s always something to add. It could be some gear got held up by shipping delays, or the setup’s owner got a sudden urge to try another type of input device or some other gadget. And people often take ages to tame the cable clutter.

So you rarely see people claiming a setup’s done for good. Or it’s the best it can be. Or it’s the proverbial “dream setup.”

But sometimes they say that. Today’s setup got called a “dream setup” by its proud owner. Would you agree?

Video shows Apple’s Tap to Pay iPhone feature in action

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iPhone Tap to Pay
iPhone's Tap to Pay feature will make accepting payments a breeze
Photo: Apple

Apple has started testing its new “Tap to Pay” iPhone feature in the Apple Park Visitor Center in Cupertino.

Tap to Pay allows small businesses and merchants the ability to accept payments using only their iPhones. The feature makes it possible to receive payments using Apple Pay, credit/debit cards, and other compatible digital wallets.

Apple could go all in on USB-C across its product lineup

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This AirPods charging case has a USB-C connection.
USB-C could finally be the standard charging port across all Apple devices
Photo: Ken Pillonel

Beyond iPhones, Apple is looking to switch to USB-C on all its other products with a Lightning connector like the AirPods, Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and more.

A reputable Apple analyst thinks the Cupertino company will make the transition in the “foreseeable future.”

Feel lucky? Watch the teaser trailer for Apple TV+ animated comedy Luck.

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Do you feel lucky? Watch the teaser trailer for Apple TV+'s animated comedy 'Luck'
All is not going as expected in the Land of Luck.
Photo: Apple TV+

The Apple TV+ teaser trailer for the upcoming animated film Luck explains how luck really works: it’s controlled by magical creatures. The star-studded film by Skydance Animation will be about the unluckiest person in the world visiting the Land of Luck.

Watch the trailer to see more – and learn more about luck.

Apple TV+ trailer lays out summer slate of fun shows for kids and families

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Apple TV+ laid out a summer lineup of kids and family series.
Apple TV+ laid out a summer lineup of kids and family series.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ listed its new lineup of shows and specials for kids and families set to air this summer, including new series like Duck & Goose and Best Foot Forward plus Peanuts specials and new episodes of fan-favorite shows.

The new summer lineup of kids shows will kick off in July with the first series, Duck & Goose.

You can watch a trailer all about the summer’s content and how to watch it below with Jack McBrayer from Hello Jack! The Kindness Show.

Grab the 14-inch MacBook Pro with a sweet $250 discount

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MacBook Pro notch won’t hinder mouse cursor movement
Now is a great time to buy the 14-inch MacBook Pro
Photo: Apple

Amazon has the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip and 1TB storage discounted to just $2,249 — down from its retail price of $2,499.

On the listing page, Amazon is offering a $50 discount, with the additional $200 off being applied checkout. Do note the offer is only available on the silver shade for now.

Here’s more evidence iPhone 15 will switch from Lightning to USB-C

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Apple is testing a USB-C iPhone, finally.
Apple is testing a USB-C iPhone, finally.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple is testing an iPhone with a USB-C ports and planning to launch a USB-C adapter that can be used with devices with Lightning connectors, according to a new report.

The news comes on the heels of an analyst’s prediction on Wednesday that the switch to USB-C in Apple’s handsets will come with iPhone 15 in 2023.

More affordable Apple TV might launch soon

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Apple's new Apple TV 4K with redesigned Siri Remote
A new Apple TV is on the horizon.
Photo: Apple

A new Apple TV streamer will launch in the second half of 2022, according to a trusted analyst. And there’s a hint in the prediction that the device will cost less than its predecessors.

A cheaper version of Apple’s set-top box could help it grab a higher share of the set-top box market. And it could certainly use the boost.

Gear4 charges half of Apple’s price for braided nylon watch bands

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Gear4's braided Apple Watch bands cost half as much as Apple's Solo Loop.
Gear4's braided Apple Watch bands cost half as much as Apple's Solo Loop.
Photo: Gear4

Gear4, an accessories brand owned by Zagg, just added two nylon Apple Watch bands to its lineup. One is a braided nylon band priced at half the cost of Apple’s popular Solo Loop. The other is a two-tone sport band with Velcro. Both are made with recycled materials.

Hard to say if the quality meets Apple’s, but the prices certainly beat Apple’s.

Show off your iPhone 13 with this clear, MagSafe-compatible case

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The clear Limited77 MagSafe-compatible iPhone 13 case features solid drop protection.
The clear Limited77 MagSafe-compatible iPhone 13 case features solid drop protection.
Photo: Limited77

“Drop it, we dare you,” says Limited77 of its Clear Magnetic iPhone Case Series 13. Now that’s confidence. The slim, clear case can protect and showcase your iPhone 13 at the same time.

Not only does the case feature solid drop protection, its coating eliminates bacteria. We all know how dirty handsets can be because we touch them constantly. And in addition to those features, the case is MagSafe compatible, so it won’t interfere with charging your iPhone 13 wirelessly.

But even counting all those features, the best thing about the case might be its price right now. You can get 20% off the regular price in the Cult of Mac Store, a savings of $7.

Wildly expansive USB-C hub jacks up new Mac Studio [Setups]

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With the dock it sits on, that Mac Studio is even more formidable.
With the dock it sits on, that Mac Studio is even more formidable.
Photo: [email protected]

A cool aspect of both Mac minis and the newer Mac Studio are the platform-like USB-C hubs festooned with ports and added storage capacity that third parties have designed for them to sit on. Satechi was quick out of the gate with one for the mini, but there are other such cleverly designed, space-saving hubs on the market. And many of them also fit the Studio.

Today’s featured setup boasts a powerful new Mac Studio perched on a Qwiizlab hub as it drives an LG UltraWide display, among other gear.

Elon Musk puts Twitter acquisition on hold

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The world's richest person will soon have total control of Twitter.
He is still comitted to the deal, though
Photo: Elon Musk/Twitter/Cult of Mac

Elon Musk has put his Twitter acquisition on hold, he said early Friday in a tweet. Musk said he awaits further details and calculations confirming Twitter’s claims that spam accounts on the platform account for less than 5% of active users.

The move comes less than a month after Twitter accepted Elon Musk’s $44 billion acquisition offer.

iOS 15.5 and macOS 12.4 take a big step toward release

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iOS 15.5 and macOS 12.4 take a big step toward release
There are new release candidates for the operating systems that run all these Apple devices.
Photo: Apple

Apple gave both developers and the public access to the release candidates of macOS Monterey 12.4 and iOS 15.5 on Thursday. The iPadOS 15.5 Release Candidate also went out, as did the watchOS 8.6 RC and tvOS 15.5 RC. That’s the final step before introducing them to the public.

Aside from long-overdue improvements to the Studio Display webcam in macOS, all these are really just minor tweaks. But that’s not surprising considering Apple is expected to unveil the next major upgrades for the OSs at WWDC22 in early June.

Sony makes its flagship over-ear headphones even better

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The new Sony flagship cans improve on their predecessors and cost about $50 more.
The new Sony flagship cans improve on their predecessors and cost about $50 more.
Photo: Sony

Few would dispute that Sony’s flagship wireless WH-1000XM4 active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones have been among the best on the market since they came out in August 2020. But Sony has improved upon them, offering its fifth-generation WH-1000XM5 headphones on Thursday.

The redesigned cans flaunt several impressive improvements over the previous model, making the XM5s an even worthier competitor to AirPods Max and other premium headphones.

Try BluShark’s smooth and supple nylon Apple Watch bands

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This is the BluShark AlphaPremier nylon Apple Watch band in
This is the BluShark AlphaPremier nylon Apple Watch band in "Bond" (that's as in James Bond, a classic black and gray stripe combo).
Photo: BluShark

Just like your watch face says something about your personality, so does your watch strap. The color, texture and pattern all mean something to you and those who catch a glance of your wrist. That’s where BluShark’s top nylon watch straps, the AlphaPremier collection, comes in.

And they’re not just for classic analog watches. BluShark has a whole lineup of smooth, comfortable AlphaPremier Apple Watch bands in stock in the Cult of Mac Store.

Apple dethroned as world’s most valuable company

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Bullish Apple analysts aren’t panicking about coronavirus…yet
Wall Street has not been kind to Apple in 2022.
Photo: Brad Gibson/Cult of Mac

Apple is no longer the world’s most valuable company. That honor now goes to the Saudi Aramco oil giant. The Mac-maker had (mostly) held onto the title since 2020, but has now lost it.

So far in 2022, the value of AAPL shares is down 20%, while the share value of the Saudi oil company has surged 25%.

Google mocks iPhone’s lack of headphone jack then drops it from Pixel 6A

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Google mocks iPhone's lack of headphone jack then drops it from Pixel 6A
The Google Pixel 6A is made with the finest hypocrisy.
Photo: Google

In 2021, Google made a funny video making fun of iPhone for not having a headphone jack. Fast forward a few months, and Google launched the Pixel 6A without a headphone jack. That sure looks like hypocrisy.

And there’s little excuse for it, as Samsung got busted years ago for doing the same thing – mocking iPhone for not including a headphone jack then dropping the feature from its handsets.

Google Pixel Watch is coming for Apple Watch’s crown

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After lots of rumors and leaks, it turns out the Pixel Watch is only months away from release.
After lots of rumors and leaks, it turns out the Pixel Watch is only months away from release.
Photo: Google

After ongoing rumors and leaks, Google finally confirmed Wednesday at its I/O 2022 developer conference that the Pixel Watch exists. And the round-cased smart watch will be released in fall 2022 alongside the Pixel 7 smartphone.

The Pixel Watch will duke it out with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch, which it resembles. But it will also look to knock market leader Apple Watch off its pedestal.

You can no longer buy the iPod touch from Apple in the US

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Apple's discontinued iPod touch is getting harder to find for sale.
Bye bye, iPod touch
Photo: Apple

Earlier this week, Apple announced that it is discontinuing the iPod touch for good. Now, you can no longer get your hands on one, at least not directly from the company, as it has completely exhausted its iPod touch inventory for its online store.

However, some retailers still have limited quantities in stock.