People around the world are receiving their new Apple Watch Series 7, and every single one of them includes a band whether the buyer wants it or not. Over successive versions, many Watch wearers have built a collection of bands and don’t need another. But Apple doesn’t give them a choice when it comes to buying a new Watch.
At a time when Apple says it’s trying to fight waste, it really should offer the Apple Watch without requiring a new band.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Finally! Here come the M1X Macs! We talk our predictions for Monday’s “Unleashed” Apple event!
Also on The CultCast:
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Zagg brought its whole new range of protective screens and cases for new Apple devices to the Pepcom Holiday Spectacular virtual press briefing Thursday. The company rolled out screen protectors for Apple Watch Series 7, iPad mini (6th gen) and the iPhone 13 series, along with a range of cases for the latter.
New details have emerged about the upcoming Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition ahead of its official debut. One leak hints at big visual enhancements for all three games, including “brilliant new lighting and environmental upgrades” — and high-resolution textures.
For those who plan to play the trilogy on PC, the leak also offers an early look at the trilogy’s minimum and recommended system requirements.
We see a lot of impressive computer setups in slick home offices here at Cult of Mac Setups HQ, but few of them are nicer than one we just came across. As usual, we’ll share the gear list, below, as well as some of the tricks you can emulate to improve your own home workspace.
Users setting up brand-new Apple Watch Series 7 units today report a number of strange glitches with third-party apps. In addition to missing app icons, many see problems rendering complications, the tiny widgets that surface info from various apps on the watch face.
It seems the glitches may be related to the App Store. Apple has not yet publicly acknowledged the problem, and there is apparently nothing users can to do set things straight.
Parallels Desktop 17.1 is now available for Mac, bringing improved Windows 11 support for those looking to run Microsoft’s latest operating system on their Mac, whether it’s powered by an Intel or Apple Silicon chip.
The update introduces Virtual Trusted Platform Modules (vTPM) for all future and past Windows 11 virtual machines — complying with Windows 11’s system requirements that call for a vTPM chip.
WhatsApp’s encrypted backups features is now rolling out on iPhone. Users can create a password to prevent unauthorized access to their chat data, while still uploading it to iCloud or Google Drive for their convenience.
The feature ensures that your WhatsApp chats are protected, even if the backup file itself somehow makes it into the wrong hands.
Apple reportedly hired Afrooz Family as its new head of software development for the HomePod. He’s supposedly been tasked with making the smart speaker a stronger rival for Amazon’s and Google’s products.
That would be something of a turnaround for the product.
Suppose you glance around in class and notice the person in front of you is taking way better notes than you are. An iPhone running iOS 15 makes grabbing a copy easy as pie without the hassle of asking permission — thanks to the magic of Live Text.
A video of this happening in the real world that was posted on Twitter is going viral. Watch it now.
Apple promises “big things” at its product event happening October 18. Although that’s the only official hint we have, leaks have revealed details on a couple of extra-large Macs that might fit the bill.
And there could be good news for fans of both MacBook and iMac at the “Unleashed” event.
Many Floridians will soon be able to leave home with just their iPhone… no wallet necessary. Florida is working with Apple to display its residents’ digital driver’s licenses in the Wallet app.
When the feature becomes available, residents of the Sunshine State plus eight other states will be able to store and display digital versions of their driver’s licenses on their iPhone and Apple Watch.
It’s not too late to get ready to give trick-or-treaters a fright on Halloween night. Philips Hue offers 20% discounts on various HomeKit-compatible multicolor lighting packages. Think what you could do with a well-placed Grim Reaper and a motion-activated spotlight, for example. And maybe a blood-red lightstrip along the hedge. Throw in a few fiery jack-o’-lanterns, and you’re good to go.
iPhone is responsible for a whopping three quarters of all profits earned in the global smartphone market, according to a new report. That’s despite Apple seeing fewer sales than Samsung and Xiaomi.
Cupertino’s handset business actually accounted for just 13% of all smartphone shipments during the second quarter of 2021. But thanks to the large profit margins it enjoys on almost all of its products, it is by far the biggest earner.
It looks like Apple Music is on its way to compete with Spotify on PlayStation 5, with some users seeing an option to download the app when setting up a new user account on Sony’s latest home console.
Apple and Sony recently partnered to give PlayStation 5 owners six months of Apple TV+ free of charge, so an Apple Music app wouldn’t be totally out of the blue. However, it seems it’s not quite ready to roll out just yet.
Apple’s repair program for AirPods Pro, which addresses hardware issues that can cause crackling and static sounds, has been quietly extended.
The program originally covered faulty buds for two years after their initial purchase. It has now been extended to three years, with affected customers getting free replacements if they pass an Apple inspection.
![Win an iPhone 13 case bundle from Smartish [Cult of Mac giveaway]](https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Smartish-iPhone-13-bundle-giveaway-1.jpg "Win an iPhone 13 case bundle from Smartish [Cult of Mac giveaway]")
If you just got an iPhone 13, this week’s giveaway is for you. Popular case-maker Smartish is giving one lucky winner a bundle that will keep their new iPhone protected, organized and charged.
Smartish makes inexpensive iPhone cases that people like, and the company racked up more than 30,000 five-star reviews to prove it. This bundle includes three popular iPhone 13 cases and two must-have accessories.
Apple released the tenth and possibly final beta of macOS Monterey on Wednesday and it still doesn’t allow testers to try out Universal Control. Apple will either have to delay the introduction of one of the highlights of macOS 12 or release it without it having gone through the usual beta testing program.
Apple normally announces when the debut of a major feature has been delayed. But it has not done so with Universal Control.
Alto, which specializes in leather accessories for Apple products, offers a 10% launch discount and extra rewards points for purchases of its new iPhone 13 cases through the end of the month.
The Taiwan-based company launched four leather phone case series for Apple’s latest handsets. Each series offers products fitting iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Soundcore Frames look like typical glasses, but they come with a stealth capability: They let you listen to music.
The new “audio eyewear” product packs tiny drivers into the glasses’ temples, so wearers can listen to audio streaming from a Bluetooth device. Plus, a smart design choice that rips a page from the Apple Watch playbook makes them fashionable. But don’t expect augmented reality or other “smart” features.
Cult of Mac got an early look (and listen) during an advance demo of Soundcore Frames.
Luna Display 5.0 allows Windows PC users to make their iPad into a second screen. A hardware/software combination from Astropad lets the two disparate computers communicate via a wireless adapter for USB-C or HDMI.
The app could already turn an iPad into a Mac display with a dongle.
Apple TV+ released the first trailer for its adaptation of the children’s classic Harriet the Spy. The animated series about the irrepressible Harriet M. Welsch is set to debut on the streaming service on November 19.
Plenty of talent is involved. It’ll star Golden Globe and SAG Award nominee Beanie Feldstein, and include Emmy winner Jane Lynch. The series will be produced by The Jim Henson Company.
Folks often endure work-from-home situations where space is at a premium. Maybe they have a big house full of kids and pets. Maybe they live a tiny studio apartment in a big, expensive city. In either case, sometimes the whole computer setup sits where they eat, and it has to go away at dinnertime. Today’s setup solved the problem by turning a dining table into an easy-stash U.K. office.
Apple will finally introduce its third-generation AirPods refresh during next week’s “Unleashed” event, according to one reliable leaker. We’ve been waiting for them to appear for over a year now, and an upgrade is long overdue.
AirPods 3 are expected to look a lot like AirPods Pro, with shorter stems that result in a slightly more compact design. However, they will skip “Pro” features — like active noise cancellation — to remain more affordable.
Apple appears to be looking into new ways to expand its health-related features. This time it focuses on its popular AirPods, according to a new report. In the future, in addition to filling your head with tunes and podcasts, the earbuds may take your temperature, monitor your posture and help improve your hearing.