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Apple extends its product return policy for the holidays

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Apple-Store-gifts
Shop 'til you drop (then return it all by January 8).
Photo: Apple

Apple’s extended holiday return policy is now in effect for all purchases made through the Apple Store online. Goods received between November 1 and December 25, 2021 can be returned through January 8, 2022.

There are some exceptions shoppers should be aware of, however.

iPhone 14 performance upgrade could be held back by chip production woes

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Apple might get cutting-edge 3nm processors in 2022
TSMC might be unable to provide Apple with a 3nm A16 chip for the iPhone 14.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

TSMC is reportedly struggling to get its 3nm chip production process working. And the problems might force TSMC to make the A16 processor for the upcoming iPhone 14 with the current 5nm process. That would mean the chip won’t be as much an improvement over the A15 as it otherwise would be.

The production problems, if real, will also likely affect Mac and iPad processors, as all Apple computers use variations of the same processor core.

LG gives smart TV owners 3 months of free Apple TV+

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LG Apple TV+ promo
Claim your trial before February 13, 2022.
Photo: LG

LG is giving its smart TV customers three months of Apple TV+ free of charge. Those with an eligible 4K or 8K set made in 2016 or later have until February 13, 2022 to take advantage of the promotion, but there is a caveat …

If you’ve had an Apple TV+ free trial in the past, you’re out of luck.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak gets iPhone 13 and ‘can’t tell the difference’

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Steve Wozniak
Steve Wozniak
Photo: The DEMO Conference/Flickr CC

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak “can’t tell the difference” between iPhone 13 and his previous model. It’s not the first time the Apple-1 creator has lamented the rather insignificant differences between modern iPhone generations.

There are, of course, some notable improvements between iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 — particularly when it comes to camera quality. But the overall experience is the same, especially when it comes to software, Woz said.

Apple cuts iPad production to combat iPhone 13 component shortages

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iPhone 13 Pro
Apple is doing its best to ensure a steady supply of iPhone 13 units.
Photo: Apple

Apple has “cut back sharply” on iPad production in an effort to combat component shortages affecting iPhone 13, according to a new report, which suggests chip supply problems are hitting Cupertino harder than expected.

Sources say iPad production over the last two months was down 50% from Apple’s original plans. The company has also cut production of older iPhone models so their components can be used in the latest handsets instead.

Upcoming Apple TV+ movies and shows we can’t wait to watch

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Upcoming Apple TV+ movies and shows we can't wait to watch
There’s a lot to look forward to in the third year of Apple’s streaming video service.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Apple TV+ is two years old and there are plenty of new films and series to look forward to in the third year. The streaming service has us eagerly awaiting two comedies, a tragedy, two murder mysteries and an animated movie, all premiering in just the next four months.

Here are the Apple TV+ additions we’re having the hardest time waiting for.

iPad shipments grow even as pandemic wanes

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There are no iPad or iPhone purchases limits
iPad shipments are up. The same can’t be said about Android tablets, though.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

iPad shipments boomed during the Covid-19 pandemic but there were predictions of steep declines as people returned to offices and classrooms. If that’s going to happen, it didn’t start in the third quarter of 2021 as iPad shipments actually rose year over year.

Shipments of Android tablets did drop during the July-to-September period, however.

As Apple TV+ turns 2, what’s its vision for the future?

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As Apple TV+ hits two years, it's time to take stock of where the streaming service has been -- and where it's headed.
As Apple TV+ hits two years, it's time to take stock of where the streaming service has been -- and where it's headed.
Photo: Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash CC

As Apple TV+ celebrates its second birthday today, it’s time to look back on the highs and lows. It’s been a wild ride filled with some risky but rewarding gambles and a bunch of safe (and ultimately disappointing) bets. We’ve also endured a higher than expected (or recommended) amount of singing.

So, after two years and untold billions of dollars, what has Apple TV+ achieved? What kind of identity does the streaming service have? And where, exactly, is Apple TV+ going?

Eugene Levy will host Apple TV+ travel show The Reluctant Traveler

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You'll be able to travel far and wide with actor Eugene Levy via Apple TV+.
You'll be able to travel far and wide with actor Eugene Levy via Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ said Monday that Emmy Award-winning comedy actor Eugene Levy will host and executive produce a new travel series called The Reluctant Traveler.

You may know Eugene Levy from the recent hit comedy Schitt’s Creek. Or, much earlier in the 74-year-old Canadian’s career, from Second City Television. Or from the American Pie movies.

The point is, the man and his impressively bushy eyebrows have been there and done that. But they’ve never hosted a travel series. Until now.

Swanky Master & Dynamic launches its first gaming headset

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The MG20 gaming headset costs $450.
The MG20 gaming headset costs $450.
Photo: Master & Dynamic

Premium audio brand Master & Dynamic adds gamers to its client list with the release of its first-ever headset for e-sports, the MG20 Wireless Gaming Headphones. Of course, being good for gamers almost certainly makes these cans a solid choice for anyone wanting high-quality noise-cancelling headphones for music and communication, too.

tvOS 15.1.1 squashes bugs in Apple TV

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apple tv and siri remote
There’s a bug fix update for your Apple TV.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple TV users can install the tvOS 15.1.1 update for the media streamer. It was introduced for all to download on Monday.

Virtually nothing is known about it now, however. But it’s almost certainly a simple “bug fix.”

Last chance: Get scary-good deals in the Cult of Mac Store’s Halloween Sale

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Get 10% to 15% off a frightening array of brands through Monday.
Get 10% to 15% off a frightening array of brands through Monday.
Photo: Cult of Mac

UPDATE: This sale ends later today, so now is your last chance to take advantage of the discounts. Plus, use the promo code HALLOWEEN21 at checkout to get free delivery when you spend over $50.

Halloween isn’t for everyone. The candy, the costume parties, the scary stories about dead people tormenting you. But pretty much everyone likes a great deal, right? So head over to the Cult of Mac Store to find a murderer’s row of brands offering 10% to 15% off just for a few days.

In the Halloween Sale, you’ll find a ghoulish array of iPhone cases, Apple Watch bands, chargers and more. See below for some highlights. The sale ends Monday, November 1, at 11:59 p.m. PST.

Secure your AirTag in Elago’s new Nintendo console-style keychain case

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Elago's new AirTag keychain case looks like a classic Nintendo gaming console.
Elago's new AirTag keychain case looks like a classic Nintendo gaming console.
Photo: Elago

Elago is at it again with its nostalgic cases that look like other things — this time the Elago W5 AirTag Keychain Case, which looks like an old-school Super Nintendo home gaming console. You stick your AirTag item tracker in it and attach the case via carabiner clip to whatever you want to keep track of.

Hello, 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook; goodbye, 3 external displays? [Setups]

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Can you have three external monitors with a new M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook?
Can you have three external monitors with a new M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook?
Photo: [email protected]

Let’s say you get one of Apple’s new MacBook Pro laptops — the 14-inch or the 16-inch with either the M1 Pro or the M1 Max chip. Do you still face the external display limitations seen in the M1 MacBooks (just one external monitor), or something similar? This is bound to be a common question leading to folks struggling to figure out what should work using the dreaded “pixel math.”

Beats Fit Pro with active noise cancellation available now for $199.99

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Beats Fit Pro in black
Get yours in one of four color options.
Photo: Beats

Apple’s new Beats Fit Pro wireless headphones, which were last month spilled by Kim Kardashian, are now available to order in four color options. The new buds pack active noise cancellation and the Apple H1 chip for $199.99.

They also support spatial audio with with dynamic head tracking, like AirPods Pro. And like the more affordable Beats Studio Buds that launched back in June, they work just as well with Android as they do with Apple devices.

HomePod mini’s new color options are available to order now

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HomePod mini breaks out in a burst of colors
HomePod mini will soon debut in three new colors: orange, yellow, and blue. That’s in addition to white and space gray.
Photo: Apple

Apple today confirmed that its new color options for HomePod mini are now available to order in a small number of markets, including the U.S., Canada and Mexico. They will roll out in more territories, including the U.K., later this month.

HomePod mini is still priced at $99 in yellow, orange, and blue. The new color options are functionally identical to the earlier white and space gray models, with no internal alterations to the device.

iPhone and Apple Watch could get car crash detection next year

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Apple Watch car crash detection
That would be handy!
Photo: Huggs2 CC/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly plans to bring “crash detection” to iPhone and Apple Watch next year, with the ability for both devices to automatically dial 911.

The feature is said to use existing sensors like the accelerometer and gyroscope, already baked into both devices, to measure sudden spikes in movement or force that will allow them to “detect car accidents as they occur.”

iMac Pro could make a comeback in 2022 with Apple’s newest M1 chips

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Phil Schiller: Nope, Apple still isn’t planning to make a touchscreen Mac
Dead but not buried.
Photo: Apple

The high-end iMac Pro is expected to return next year with Apple’s newest M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets. One tipster also claims the powerful all-in-one will feature a 27-inch mini-LED display — and possibly even Face ID.

The machine won’t be cheap, with prices expected to start “at or over” $2,000. But that would make it considerably more affordable than the last iMac Pro.

Apple quietly ditches the 21.5-inch iMac with Intel chip

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21.5-inch iMac 2020
It was the company's most affordable all-in-one.
Photo: Apple

Apple has quietly discontinued its most affordable iMac model. The 21.5-inch device with Intel chip remained available to order following the introduction of the 24-inch M1 iMac in April, but it has now been removed from the Apple Store.

The lower cost all-in-one, which usually starts $1,099, is still available from third-party retailers while stocks last. And if you act fast, you can get yours at a sizable discount right now.

Direction without directions, Magic Eraser for iPhone and more [Awesome Apps of the Week]

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Awesome Apps of the Week Oct 31
With roughly 2 millions apps available in the App Store, sometimes all you need is something to tell you what’s good.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

From an easier way to meet up with a friend, to betting on a fight night, to cleaning up a photo, this week’s awesome apps are, well, awesome. We have a great app for dabbling in fantasy sports, a clever and simplified alternative to using GPS, and a way to bring the power of the Pixel 6 to the iPhone.

Those MacBook Pro benchmarks blow our minds [The CultCast]

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The CultCast: M1 Pro and M1 Max benchmarks show what nasty beasts the MacBook Pros really are.
M1 Pro and M1 Max chips make the new MacBook Pros truly nasty beasts.
Imace: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The first MacBook Pro benchmarks and reviews reveal just how beefy these astonishing beasts really are. Powered by Apple’s outrageous new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, these laptops blow away their predecessors — and basically blow our minds. Erfon is in awe!

Also on The CultCast:

  • MacBook Pros look very good for gaming, too.
  • Intel chief takes on an impossible mission.
  • Leander gives third-gen AirPods a listen (and he likes what he hears).

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in Apple’s 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.

Colorful Cable Blocks will rid you of troublesome tangles

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Cable management blocks
No more cable clutter.
Photo: Function101

Sick of seeing a sea of tangled cables on your desk or nightstand? Restore order with a four-pack of colorful Cable Blocks.

They’re weighted (not stuck down) so they can be easily repositioned whenever you like, and they’ll hold onto almost any cable to prevent it from mingling with others — or from falling off your table.

Microsoft overtakes Apple to become world’s most valuable company

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Microsoft overtakes Apple world's most valuable
Apple's market cap has fallen to $2.43 trillion.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

After Apple stock tanked following the company’s earnings call on Thursday, arch rival Microsoft overtook it to become the world’s most valuable company with a market cap of $2.46 trillion. But Apple isn’t far behind.

Cupertino’s market cap currently sits at around $2.43 trillion. Apple has warned, however, that ongoing supply issues could lead to weaker-than-expected results for the final quarter — typically Apple’s most lucrative — of the year.

Halloween Sale: $14 genuine lifetime Windows 10 Pro key + free Windows 11 upgrade

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CdkeySales offers free upgrades to Windows 11 with Windows 10 purchases.
CdkeySales offers free upgrades to Windows 11 with Windows 10 purchases.
Image: Cult of Mac

This software activation key sale post is presented by CdkeySales.com.

Some previous CdkeySales.com discounts offered Cult of Mac readers 20% off the company’s already-low-priced software product activation keys. But now, in CdkeySales’ Halloween Sale, you can get a whopping 30% off great products like Genuine Lifetime Windows 10 Pro and many more. See the list below — and don’t forget to use coupon code CULT to lock in your best savings.

Risqué business: Google Photos Locked Folder feature coming to iPhone

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Google Photos Locked Folder
Coming early next year.
Photo: Google

Save others the shock and misery of stumbling across your nudes by keeping them protected inside Google Photos. The service’s handy Locked Folder features is making the leap from Android to iOS “early next year.”

Locked Folder gives you a place to put sensitive photos and videos where are secured by a passcode or biometric security protections.