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News - page 283

Apple hasn’t given up on making a do-it-all charger for multiple devices

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AirPods on AirPower
AirPower might be dead, but the dream lives on.
Photo: Apple

Apple continues to work on a wireless charger, similar to the abandoned AirPower mat, that will allow users to charge multiple devices simultaneously, according to a new report. The company also hopes to develop truly wireless charging in the future.

Cupertino reportedly is working on “short and long distance” charging solutions that don’t require physical contact. It also wants to give all major Apple devices the ability to charge each other.

The best Cyber Monday deals on Apple’s hottest devices

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Apple Cyber Monday deals
Enjoy the discounts before they disappear.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Black Friday is over for another year, but Cyber Monday has just begun, which means there’s still time to enjoy big discounts on Apple devices.

AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad and more are currently available at tasty discounts from third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. And to make shopping a little easier, we rounded up all the best deals on Apple’s hottest gear.

It’s not too late to get big Black Friday discounts on great Apple accessories

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Cult of Mac Store Black Friday 2021
Save on Mujjo, Carterjett, HEDocks, and more.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The Cult of Mac Store’s biggest sale of the year continues, with fresh new deals offering up to 30% off Apple accessories from Mujjo, Carterjett, HEDocks and more. That’s in addition to the previous savings unveiled earlier this Black Friday weekend.

Shop now to save on great iPhone cases, Apple Watch bands, MacBook sleeves and lots of other great accessories. U.S. customers also will enjoy free shipping on orders over $40. However, this promotion ends soon — so bag a bargain before it’s too late!

Get an extra $20 when you trade in your old Apple gear

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Apple gear buyback: How's a $20 sweetener sound?
How's a $20 sweetener sound?
Photo: Alexander Mils/Unsplash CC

We interrupt your Black Friday weekend shopping spree for this important bulletin: Cult of Mac’s buyback program is offering an extra $20 on every piece of Apple gear you sell to us. That’s on top of the already generous cash-back opportuni ties we offer every day of the year.

Head to our buyback page now and enter code BFCM to get that sweet extra cash — but do it fast. This special offer ends Monday night.

Save up to 50% on Apple accessories you won’t find in the Apple Store

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Cult of Mac Store Black Friday 2021
The sale that keeps on giving.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Save up to 50% on the hottest Apple accessories from Elago, Elkson, Just Mobile and more in the Cult of Mac Store’s big Black Friday sale.

You can pick up great cases for all your Apple devices, brilliant Apple Watch bands, and lots more at bargain prices — and enjoy free shipping when you spend $40 or more. The sale ends soon, so notch some savings while you can. It’s the perfect time to pick up Apple accessories for yourself or for people on your holiday shopping list.

Next year’s iMac Pro sounds like a screamer! [The CultCast]

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An iMac Pro with 2x the processing power of the M1 Max? Is Apple crazy?!?
An iMac Pro with 2x the processing power of the M1 Max? Is Apple crazy?!?
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: If you thought the M1 Max MacBook Pros were powerhouses, wait till you hear about the iMac Pro that might be coming down the pike. Apple reportedly wants to double up the world-beating chip to amp up the performance even more. Prepare to be amazed!

Also on The CultCast:

  • Black Friday deals on Apple gear and The Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition coffee table book.
  • AirPods are not for late-night snacking!
  • And new products we love in “Under Review.”

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.

Apple’s first AR headset could arrive late next year with super-speedy chip

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Apple Glasses
It could pack as much power as an M1 Mac.
Concept: Taeyeon Kim

Apple’s much-anticipated augmented reality headset could finally drop late next year, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The device is expected to pack a surprisingly powerful chip that would put it on par with an M1 Mac in processing performance. A second low-power processor will reportedly handle the headset’s many built-in sensors.

Apple’s brutal holiday ad is a snowman bloodbath shot on iPhone 13 Pro

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Apple snowman ad
The look of a young girl who just witnessed her best friend's murder.
Photo: Apple

If you’re the kind of person who gets pleasure out of destroying other people’s snowmen, you’ll love Apple’s new “Shot on iPhone” ad for the holiday season.

“Saving Simon” tells the story of a young girl who saves a beloved snowman from a mass stomping, keeps it alive all year long by shutting it inside a freezer, then helplessly watches on as it gets brutally obliterated in a hit and run.

Vintage Apple rig says ‘Hello, 1994’ from Romania [Setups]

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A souped-up Apple SE/30 and a Portrait Display are core to Ciprian's vintage setup.
A souped-up Apple SE/30 and a Portrait Display are core to Ciprian's vintage setup.
Photo: Bacioiu Ciprian

Bacioiu Constantin Ciprian, known online as “Zapa,” was born in Buzau, Romania, in 1991, not long after a revolution toppled communist rule there. He loved technology as a kid, but it was expensive and hard to get. And soon enough he realized how much he loved Apple products — especially those around in his youth.

Now a longtime resident of Bucharest, he designs and develops games to run on vintage equipment. And get a load of that retro setup!

This $8,400 iPhone 13 contains a real piece of Tesla car

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Tesla Electro iPhone 13
It also includes a portrait of Elon Musk.
Photo: Caviar

Caviar is back with another crazy (and wildly expensive) custom iPhone. Its latest model, which is dubbed the Tesla Electro, contains a real piece from a Tesla car and is available in iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max versions.

You can get yours with up to 1TB of storage, but be warned that prices can reach an eye-watering $8,380.

Simple thermal mod makes M1 MacBook Air as fast as a MacBook Pro

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M1 MacBook Air thermal mod
That's a big performance boost!
Image: High on Tech/Apple

Some M1 MacBook Air models pack exactly the same chipset as the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro, but they don’t offer the same level of performance. Why? Because the MacBook Pro has a cooling fan and the MacBook Air doesn’t.

But with a quick and easy thermal mod, you can give the more affordable MacBook Air a rather significant speed boost that makes it very nearly as fast as its sibling. Check out the video below that explains it all.

iPod video launched just in time to save The Office

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iPod video launched just in time to save ‘The Office’
The iPod classic 5th Generation played a large role in the keeping The Office off the rubbish heap.
Photo: Cult of Mac

An accidental collaboration with Apple saved NBC sitcom The Office from cancellation during its second season.

A fifth-generation iPod took a starring role in an episode of the comedy series. Then, the unlikely cameo spurred sales of reruns of the show on iTunes. And the rest is history.

Belkin’s elusive 3-in-1 MagSafe charger is back in stock — and on sale!

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Belkin's elusive 3-in-1 MagSafe charger is back in stock -- and on sale!
This is a great deal on a hard-to-find charging station. Act fast if you want one!
Photo: Belkin

The only thing I don’t like about Belkin’s 3-in-1 MagSafe wireless charger is its name. And, until now, its availability and price.

Those last two problems just disappeared, however briefly, as the hard-to-find 15-watt MagSafe charger is back in stock on Belkin’s website — and with a sweet 25% Black Friday discount to boot! Just be sure to use the promo code when you check out.

$39 mod kit turns an iPhone XR into iPhone 13 with MagSafe support

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iPhone XR to iPhone 13 mod kit
The most affordable iPhone 13 upgrade.
Photo: Combo Fixing

Getting a little bored of your iPhone XR’s aging form factor? Make it look like an iPhone 13 and add MagSafe support with this $39.50 mod kit.

The kit includes a complete chassis and tools, so all you have to do is transfer the screen and internal components from your existing iPhone. The video below walks you through the process — and shows the impressive final result.

Apple mulls MacBook with pop-up keyboard

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Apple mulls MacBook with pop-up keyboard
This concept drawing gives a side view of the mechanism that could be used in a MacBook with a pop-up keyboard.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Suppose the keyboard of your MacBook rose up slightly and pivoted toward you when you opened the lid. That’s the idea described by a patent Apple was just awarded.

The concept has ergonomic benefits but also adds moving parts.

Apple will send threat alerts to users targeted by Pegasus spyware

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Apple threat alert for Pegasus spyware
You'll see the alert by text message, email, and on the Apple ID website.
Image: Apple

Apple says it will send threat alerts to customers who potentially targeted by the NSO Group’s controversial Pegasus spyware.

Cupertino on Tuesday announced that it is suing NSO Group over the tools the Israeli company develops and sells to governments to spy on iPhone owners. Apple’s alerts to affected iPhone users are another effort to prevent software like Pegasus from going unnoticed.

Apple chipmaker will start building iPhone’s custom 5G modems in 2023

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Apple 5G modem chip
Qualcomm is slowly but surely getting the boot.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Apple’s primary chip production partner, will start manufacturing custom 5G modem chips for iPhone in 2023, according to a new report, which cites four different sources familiar with the plan.

TSMC reportedly will build the chips using a 4-nanometer manufacturing process. The proprietary modems would allow Apple to reduce its reliability on rival chipmaker Qualcomm.

Apple delays iOS 15 feature letting you add a driver’s license to Wallet

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Apple said the iOS 15 feature allowing you to add a driver's license or state ID to Wallet is delayed until early 2022.
Apple said the iOS 15 feature allowing you to add a driver's license or state ID to Wallet is delayed until early 2022.
Photo: Apple

Apple noted on its website that a planned iOS 15 and watchOS 8 feature letting users add a driver’s license or state ID to an iPhone and Apple Watch in participating U.S. states is delayed until early 2022. Previously, the Cupertino tech giant pegged late 2021 for the launch.

Seiko WristMac, aka the ‘first Apple Watch,’ will look weird as hell on your wrist

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Here's your chance to have your very own Seiko WristMac, a piece of wearable tech history.
Here's your chance to have your very own Seiko WristMac, a piece of wearable tech history.
Photo: ComicConnect

An exceedingly rare wearable from 1988 called a “WristMac” is currently on auction at ComicConnect. Seiko and partner company Ex Machina made this ancestor of the smart watch, not Apple, but it could connect to a Macintosh and perform certain functions — and a version of it even did so on a Space Shuttle mission. It’s expected to fetch anywhere between $25,000 and $100,000.

We’ll have to see it if goes that high. Bidding started on Monday at $1. It stood Tuesday at $950 with 30 bids in. The auction runs through December 18.

Apple sues maker of infamous Pegasus spyware that targets iPhones

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Pegasus spyware FAQ
Apple is going to court to block further development of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware.
Photo: NSO Group/Cult of Mac

Apple filed a lawsuit Tuesday against NSO Group, the company that makes Pegasus spyware used by some countries to hack into iPhones. Apple says the goal is to hold NSO Group “accountable for the surveillance and targeting of Apple users.”

NSO Group claims Pegasus is only used by governments to fight crime, but there are accusations that it’s being used it to hack the smartphones of activists, politicians, journalists and other individuals.

New Aqara G3 HomeKit smart cam doubles as Zigbee controller

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The new Aqara G3 is a 2K smart security camera and Zigbee controller.
The new Aqara G3 is a 2K smart security camera and Zigbee controller.
Photo: Aqara

Smart home equipment provider Aqara rolled out a new security camera that works as a Zigbee 3.0 home-automation hub while supporting HomeKit and HomeKit Secure Video. The new G3 camera features 2K resolution, the ability to pan and tilt, and facial and gesture recognition.

The new camera serves as an upgrade to Aquara Camera Hub G2H, adding 2K video recording and more.

Windows could come to M1 Macs with Qualcomm exclusivity ending ‘soon’

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Apple MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon running Windows
Apple would likely be open to the idea.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

A version of Windows built to run on Arm processors could eventually come to M1 Mac models, with Qualcomm’s current exclusivity deal with Microsoft “set to expire soon,” according to a new report.

The deal, which wasn’t public knowledge until this week, could explain why there are only a limited number of Windows devices powered by Arm chips — all made by Qualcomm — on the market today. But that’s set to change.