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News - page 265

Aqara’s new smart lock works with HomeKit and Home Key

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With its support for Apple's HomeKit and Home Key, we hope the new Aqara Smart Door Lock A100 Zigbee comes to the US soon.
With its support for Apple's HomeKit and Home Key, we hope the new Aqara Smart Door Lock A100 Zigbee comes to the US soon.
Photo: Aqara

In the market for a smart door lock that works with Apple’s HomeKit automation system as well as Home Keys you can keep in the Wallet app? Look no further than the new Aqara Smart Door Lock A100 Zigbee.

It features support for leading home automation protocols and advanced authentication tech, the company said Monday. Trouble is, you can only get it in Malaysia and Singapore so far, with other countries coming soon.

But U.S. availability? As yet unknown.

Honor’s new AirPods Pro-like earbuds will take your temperature

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Honor's new Earbuds 3 Pro will sense temperature.
Honor's new Earbuds 3 Pro will sense temperature.
Photo: Honor

Fresh off its rollout of a smartphone that can charge wirelessly at 100W, Honor said at MWC 2022 it will offer new earbuds that monitor temperature. The new buds look like AirPods Pro. And temperature sensing is a function Apple has reportedly tested in AirPods.

The former Huawei subsidiary, based in China, said its new $199 Earbuds 3 Pro combine a temperature sensor with an AI temperature algorithm. It has an 80% chance of coming within plus or minus 0.3 degrees Celsius of an accurate reading, the company said.

Connect 3 displays to your MacBook with Hyper’s new 4K docking station

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Hyper's new 4K docking station lets you easy run three external displays with your MacBook.
Hyper's new 4K docking station lets you easy run three external displays with your MacBook.
Photo: Hyper

Feel the need for more external screens to go with your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? On Tuesday Hyper rolled out its new HyperDrive 4K Multi-Display Docking Station. It’ll help you connect up to three 4K displays with a 60Hz refresh rate.

And what’s more, the dock works with every MacBook made since 2016, Hyper said.

Microsoft OneDrive is now optimized for Apple M1 chips

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Microsoft OneDrive now optimized for Apple M1
Faster, more efficient, and not broken under macOS 12.3.
Image: Microsoft/Cult of Mac

Microsoft on Monday rolled out a major OneDrive update that adds full Apple M1 support for the first time. Version 22.022 now runs natively on Apple silicon chipsets, which should mean improved performance and efficiency.

The update also eliminates a kernel extensions issue, which broke both OneDrive and Dropbox, that macOS 12.3 beta testers recently ran into.

Michael Douglas will portray a sexy Benjamin Franklin in Apple TV+ historical drama

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Michael Douglas will portray a sexy Benjamin Franklin in Apple TV+ historical drama
Ben Franklin is going to look very good in an upcoming g Apple TV+ drama.
Photo: Joseph-Siffred Duplessis/Google Cultural Institute/Apple

A Benjamin Franklin biopic is headed for Apple TV+, with legendary actor Michael Douglas taking on the title role.

Just as importantly, the limited series is being written by Kirk Ellis. He also wrote HBO’s John Adams, which was showered with awards.

Bet you wish your iPhone could charge this fast

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With a 100W of wireless charging, the Honor Magic 4 Pro powers up fast.
With a 100W of wireless charging, the Honor Magic 4 Pro powers up fast.
Photo: Honor

With the right charger, your iPhone 12 or 13 can top up pretty fast. But can it charge to 50% capacity in 15 minutes, wirelessly? Nope. But that’s what former Huawei sub-brand Honor promised Monday at MWC 2022 with its latest flagship handset, the Honor Magic 4 Pro.

Fast charging with iPhone runs about half the speed Honor claims. And though we doubt many folks would ditch their iPhones for the Honor Magic Pro 4, who knows if they’ll be able to get one, anyway. The company hasn’t specified a release date or where the phones will sell.

Can a 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro setup be ‘budget-friendly?’ [Setups]

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Everything here is budget-friendly, or not too far from it. But not the laptop.
Everything here is budget-friendly, or not too far from it. But not the laptop.
Photo: [email protected]

Is it reasonable to call a computer setup “budget-friendly” if it includes a new 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro? Well, is there such a thing as an Lamborghini economy car? How about a thrift-store Faberge egg? Or maybe a bargain-basement super yacht?

OK, we exaggerate slightly. You don’t have to be a billionaire to afford a nice Mac. But it helps.

Today’s featured setup makes a go of getting some “budget-friendly” cred despite its high-powered centerpiece — with mixed results.

Customize your space with Lutron’s updated smart shades for HomeKit

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Some of Lutron's HomeKit-enabled Serena shades can really block a lot of light.
Some of Lutron's HomeKit-enabled Serena shades can really block a lot of light.
Photo: Lutron

Whether you’re looking to redesign your space with a fresh look or you just want to block out more light on a sunny morning, Lutron’s updates to its smart shades and blinds might help do the trick.

Lutron rolled out its HomeKit-enabled Serena Smart Architectural Honeycomb Shades on Monday with more than 40 fabric choices and some new refinements to block more light.

Apple Watch Series 8 could bring ‘major’ activity tracking upgrades

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Do you know how Apple Watch counts your swim strokes?
But no new health sensors.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

This year will be “the biggest in the history of Apple Watch since the original model,” according to a new report. Apple Watch Series 8 is expected to come in three new versions that will bring “major updates to activity tracking.”

Apple could also (finally!) retire Apple Watch Series 3, which has looked painfully outdated for some time now, later this year.

New iPhone 13 cases leak ahead of Apple’s rumored spring event

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iPhone 13 cases leak
Apple usually refreshes its accessory lineup in the spring.
Photo: Majin Bu

Apple looks set to introduce new color options for its official iPhone 13 cases in the coming weeks. A leaked photo reveals an alleged “spring collection” for the Silicone Case with MagSafe, which includes new yellow, pink, and green shades.

The image comes just a week before Apple is expected to host its spring event, which is rumored to bring big refreshes for iPhone SE, iPad and Mac.

Instagram dashes hopes of a native iPad app

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Instagram not coming to iPad
Instagram isn't coming to iPad any time soon.
Image: Instagram/Cult of Mac

More than 12 years after the iPad made its debut, it still doesn’t have a native Instagram app. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to get one any time soon. Instagram head Adam Mosseri believes that not enough people want it.

“It’s still just not a big enough group of people to be a priority,” Mosseri said Sunday in response to a tweet from Marques Brownlee (MKBHD).

MacBook Folio concept smoothly merges laptop and tablet

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MacBook Folio concept smoothly merges laptop and tablet
The MacBook Folio is proposal for the folding Mac Apple is reportedly working on.
Photo: Antonio De Rosa/ADR Studio

If Apple makes a folding Mac, it might look a lot like the MacBook Folio. A concept artist dreamed up this merger of macOS laptop and tablet.

But it’s not a mere daydream — a reliable source says Apple is interested in developing a foldable MacBook with a 20-inch screen.

Brace yourself for Macs and more at Apple’s March event [The CultCast]

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The CultCast: New Macs and Apple's spring 2022 event.
The Apple news drought is about to come to a thunderous end. It's going to be raining Macs!
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: As Apple’s rumored spring event approaches, all signs point toward new Macs. Lots and lots of new Macs. And an iPhone and an iPad. But we can’t stop talking about Macs. It’s like a cult or something around here.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Is Apple fixing AirTag — or ruining it?
  • Most Apple Stores in the United States lift their mask mandates (but they’re handing out freebies).
  • Apple needs to put a ring on our fingers.

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.

Hate Tumblr ads? Now you can pay to make them go away.

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If you hate Tumblr ads, now you can be free of them. For a price.
If you hate Tumblr ads, now you can be free of them. For a price.
Photo: Tumblr

Tumblr founder David Karp has said he never wanted advertisements on his social network and microblogging platform, Tumblr. But they came in after a sale of the company in 2013. A lot of people find them tacky and annoying.

Fortunately for those who hate the ads, Tumblr said Thursday you can now pay to make ads go away.

Go on an ecological adventure in Gibbon: Beyond the Trees on Apple Arcade

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Go on an ecological adventure in ‘Gibbon: Beyond the Trees’ on Apple Arcade
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees aims to be both fun and educational.
Image: Broken Rules

Find out what it’s like to swing through the trees as a gibbon in a game that debuted Friday on Apple Arcade. Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is the story of a family trying to survive amid an encroaching human threat.

The ecological adventure is available to play on a variety of Apple devices.

Guess which brand consumers find most relevant to their lives

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Prophet's annual brand relevancy result is starting to sound like a broken record.
Prophet's annual brand relevancy result is starting to sound like a broken record.
Photo: Prophet

Spoiler alert: For the seventh year in a row, Apple topped consumers’ lists as the most relevant brand to their everyday lives. Seems like the Cupertino tech giant can’t lose in this particular race.

You have to wonder who placed 293rd. That’s how many companies the annual survey evaluated, in 27 categories.

Belkin’s Thunderbolt hub packs a whopping 12 ports

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Belkin’s Thunderbolt hub packs a whopping 12 ports
The Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock can be the center of your home office.
Photo: Belkin

With a dozen ports, the Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock lets users connect a Mac to multiple accessories for data, video, Ethernet and power. All through a single high-speed cable connection.

Belkin also introduced a Thunderbolt 4 cable capable of handling data transfers at 40 Gbps.

Ever see two vertical Cinema Displays towering over an iMac? [Setups]

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This setup reminded people of a control room or a concession stand.
This setup reminded people of a control room or a concession stand.
Photo: [email protected]

Have you ever seen two big ol’ Apple Cinema Displays mounted vertically, in portrait mode, bookending an iMac? We didn’t think so. Or at least, it seems like a rare sight. But today’s featured setup has that nuevo-retro styling going on, big-time, and folks took notice.

After all, secondary displays in portrait mode seems to be all the rage lately, but not so much back in the glory days of Cinema Displays. Or were they?

Apple News expands local coverage to two cities in Canada

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Apple News local coverage
Montreal and Toronto are the first Canadian cities to see support.
Image: Apple

Apple News’ local coverage feature this week expanded its reach to Canada. Users in Montreal and Toronto can now enjoy local news from a number of different sources, including CTV News and Toronto Star.

Local coverage was first added to Apple News in July 2020, but growth has been slow since then. Although it has made its way to additional U.S. cities since it debuted, this is the first time the feature has landed in another country.

First WeCrashed trailer reveals the sheer lunacy of WeWork

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First ‘WeCrashed’ trailer reveals the sheer lunacy of WeWork
The wait for WeCrashed is almost over. It will debut in March.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ released the first full trailer for WeCrashed to get viewers pumped for the limited series that premiers in March. It’ll star Jared Leto as the controversial co-founder of WeWork as he builds a cult of personality that eventually helps take the company down.

Watch the trailer to get ready for the wild ride up… then down.