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Want an M1 MacBook Air? Sell your old Mac for upgrade cash today

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Your old MacBook Air might be worth a pretty penny.
Your old MacBook Air might be worth a pretty penny.
Photo: Markus Spiske/Unsplash CC

Apple’s newest MacBook Air is its fastest, most impressive to date. And now is a great time to buy one, with some retailers offering the biggest discounts we’ve seen so far. What’s more, we can help make your upgrade even more affordable.

Sell your old Mac to Cult of Mac today and you’ll get a nice stack of cash to put toward a new model. We typically pay more than anyone else, and we’re fast!

Next-gen AirPods unlikely to arrive until much later this year

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AirPods 2021
A glimpse at the new AirPods?
Photo: 52audio

A new report claims that Apple’s next-gen AirPods won’t arrive until the third quarter of 2021. This backs up a recent report from renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who recently said that the AirPods 3 are unlikely to launch until Q3 2021.

Prior to this, AirPods 3 had been heavily rumored as being part of Apple’s next product event — originally rumored for March, but then pushed back to April.

iPhone 13 may boast a stunning matte black color option

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iPhone 13
The new iPhone could ditch the graphite color option for matte black.
Photo: EverythingApplePro

Apple could ditch the gray “graphite” option seen in the iPhone 12 Pro for a new matte black color with the iPhone 13, claims Apple tipster Max Weinbach.

In a video posted to the EverythingApplePro YouTube channel Friday, Weinbach shared mockups of the new premium black finish. This would be similar to the black color option available for the regular iPhone 12, but in a high-end matte finish.

It reportedly also will boast a new anti-fingerprint coating to ensure the handset looks its best at all times.

Apple Watch Explorer Edition could bring new ruggedized design

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Casio G-Shock
New Apple Watch could offer a design reminiscent of Casio's G-Shock watches.
Photo: Alexandru-Bogdan Ghita/Unsplash CC

Apple is considering whether to launch a more ruggedized Apple Watch aimed at athletes and people doing outdoor activities in extreme environments, Bloomberg reported Friday.

This device could potentially be launched as early as this year or 2022. Inside Apple, the project is referred to as the “Explorer Edition” Apple Watch. It would offer the same basic functionality as the regular Apple Watch, but with added rubberized impact-resistance and protection — similar to Casio’s G-Shock line of watches.

Man buys iPhone 7 online, receives table instead

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iPhone table man
And you thought the iPhone 12 Pro Max was big.
Photo: เอาไปแบ่งกันดู/Facebook

We’ve all been there. You eagerly place an order for a new iPhone online, then eagerly wait by the door for its arrival, only to have your fun ruined when it turns out that your new iPhone is, in fact, a table.

OK, so we’ve not all been there. But an unnamed Thai man apparently has, after he bought what he thought was a cheap iPhone 7 that turned out to be a novelty desk.

Apple goes on AI shopping spree to make Siri smarter

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Siri Lights
A slew of AI-related acquisitions might make Siri less of a nimrod. Which is important considering it’s built into so many products, like HomePods.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly bought more companies developing artificial intelligence technology over the past five years than anyone else. A prime goal is to make the Siri voice assistant smarter, according to GlobalData, the market-research firm that compiled a list of AI-related acquisitions by many companies.

Apple and Google may be buddies now, but war over search is inevitable

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As the world shifts from web browsers to apps, tensions may rise between Apple and Google over search.
The future of search isn't browsers.
Photo: Solen Feyissa/Unsplash CC

According to a recent complaint filed with a U.K. antitrust regulator, Apple and Google are working a bit too closely for comfort. The complaint alleges “collusion at a very senior level” of both companies when it comes to search engines.

But make no mistake: While things certainly cooled down since the days when Apple co-founder Steve Jobs threatened to go to “thermonuclear war” against Google, the two companies remain on a collision course. And the conflict will come over the exact same issue they’re currently allegedly colluding on.

It’s all about the future of search as we know it.

iPhone survives month in frozen Canadian lake

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Don't be a afraid of the water ip68
An iPhone emerged fully functional from the bottom of a Canadian lake.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Canadian Angie Carriere dropped her iPhone into a lake while she was ice fishing. A month later, she retrieved off the bottom of the still-frozen lake. And it works.

Watch a video showing the amazing rescue.

Racial justice play 12 Angry Men… and Women streams free on Apple TV

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Apple Central World 3
This is the first time a play has been staged at the Steve Jobs Theater.
Photo: Apple

For the first time ever, the Steve Jobs Theater is about to become a, well, proper theater through the airing of a play filmed at the Apple Park venue usually used for Apple keynote events.

The play, 12 Angry Men… and Women, is based on the book 12 Angry Men: True Stories of Being a Black Man in America Today. It will be available to watch for free via the Apple TV app from Friday, March 26 through April 22.

Apple says it doesn’t have a monopoly on iOS apps because the web exists

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App Store image
Apple is defending its dominance of the App Store.
Photo: James Yarema/Unsplash CC

One of the big criticisms leveled at Apple over its control of the App Store is that it doesn’t allow ways of side-loading apps. That is to say that, if you want an app on iOS, it’s Apple’s way or the highway.

Apple, however, disagrees. In a response made as part of the Australian consumer watchdog’s probe into the App Store, Apple argues that this is not true at all — because people can create web apps or the internet.

Oprah will interview youngest Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman on Apple TV+

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Oprah Winfrey
Interview will debut Friday.
Photo: Apple

Oprah Winfrey will interview National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman on her show The Oprah Conversation this Friday. The 23-year-old inaugural poet, author, and activist wrote the poem “The Hill We Climb,” delivered at the inauguration of President Biden and VP Kamala Harris.

“Amanda Gorman is a young woman who stepped into a moment in history with enormous grace and dignity,” said Winfrey in a statement. “I was enthralled by her youthful spirit from the first moment we met, and very much looked forward to hearing her unpack all that has happened to her the past few months.”

Apple named in discrimination lawsuit by female engineer

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iPhone with gavel.
Apple has lost an early stage of the discrimination suit.
Photo: Tingey Injury Law Firm/Cult of Mac

Apple has long talked up the strides it’s making when it comes to being an inclusive workplace. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t examples of this not being the case.

As reported by Bloomberg Thursday, Apple has lost the early round of a discrimination lawsuit brought against the company by a female engineer from India. She alleges that her two male managers, one from India and the other from Pakistan, treated her as a subservient.

‘Fumble’ ad shows off the durability of iPhone’s Ceramic Shield

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Fumble
We've all been in this situation.
Photo: Apple

Apple ads consistently find fun, accessible ways of showcasing features without having to resort to technobabble. Case in point: Its new ad showing off the Ceramic Shield for the iPhone 12.

Apple could easily fill a 30-second ad talking about how this specially engineered glass is heat-treated so as to develop nano crystals similar to the ones found in ceramics, which are embedded into the glass matrix of the display. It could talk about the difference between hardness and toughness, and give percentage improvements over last year’s model.

But it doesn’t. Because most people only want to know whether this means they can drop their iPhone without it breaking. That’s where the “Fumble” ad comes in.

Intriguing iPhone SE Plus concept might actually happen

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Don’t miss the iPhone SE Plus concept video too.
The iPhone SE Plus is allegedly coming later this year, and it might look like this.
Screenshot: The Hacker 34

An iPhone SE Plus with an edge-to-edge screen and Touch ID in the power button is supposedly coming in the second half of 2021. A concept designer transformed the leaked specs into a beautiful video exploring features of the proposed iOS handset. Watch it now.

Mac OS X turns 20: Why it’s Apple’s most important software yet

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Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah 20th birthday: OS X changed the game for Apple.
OS X changed the game for Apple.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

OS X, the most important piece of software in Apple history, turns 20 today.

Going on sale in its full, public version on March 24, 2001, Mac OS X 10.0 — code-named Cheetah, the first of many cat-themed names — transformed Apple’s operating system forever. It brought user interface enhancements that persist to this day, as well as technological advances that form the backbone of Apple’s current operating systems. In fact, OS X paved the way for today’s post-PC devices, from the iPhone and Apple Watch to HomePod and Apple TV. If you’d like to know more about Apple’s operating system evolution, check out this deep dive into its history.

While Apple eventually ditched the “OS X” branding for “macOS,” and switched from naming Mac software after big cats to California locations in 2013, Cheetah’s impact continues to be felt two decades after its introduction.

Apple TV+ keeps Trying with season 3 of witty British comedy

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‘Trying’ returns to Apple TV+ on May 14, 2021.
Esther Smith and Rafe Spall return for Trying season 2, premiering globally on Apple TV+ on May 14.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ on Wednesday promised a third season of the comedy series Trying. And it announced the second season of the show about a couple undergoing the herculean trials of adopting a child will debut worldwide in mid-May.

Paired-HomePod-mini fan gets earful about cable management [Setups]

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Paired HomePod mini setup draws cable-management flak
A setup with a nice desk and paired HomePod mini speakers drew some cable-management flak.
Photo: Aaron Bielert

On social media, crowing about the beautiful computer setup you finally finished putting together can be a risky gambit. Because, you know, people. They might just gleefully and repeatedly point out small flaws in your masterpiece as if they’re the main thing. Picky, picky, picky.

Tom Hiddleston is latest A-lister to sign up for an Apple TV+ show

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Tom Hiddleston
Another Marvel alumni joining Apple TV+.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikipedia CC

Tom Hiddleston has signed on to star with actor Claire Danes in The Essex Serpent for Apple TV+. The drama series is based on a book about Victorian repression, science and faith, and fear of the unknown, which sold upward of 200,000 copies.

The Essex Serpent was originally due to star Keira Knightley in the lead. However, she dropped out of the project as the result of COVID-related scheduling issues. Knightley was replaced by Danes.

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run brings brand-new adventure to mobile

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Crash Bandicoot: On the Run
Download it now from the App Store.
Photo: King

Fans of Crash Bandicoot can now get their fix on the go with Crash Bandicoot: On the Run, a brand-new game from Activision and King.

The free-to-play runner features stacks of original Crash content — including new characters and an awesome soundtrack — as well as material you’ll recognize from previous entries in the series.

There are 50 bosses to take on across 12 different lands, and a bunch of skins to collect. Get the game on iPhone and iPad today.

Apple betas offer clues about new hardware coming soon

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iMac 2021
Is this the face of the new iMacs?
Photo: Jon Prosser/FrontPageTech

Apple’s new betas are, by definition, a glimpse at the future when it comes to Apple’s upcoming releases — and the latest crop is no different. From new iMacs to a possible controller redesign for Apple TV, here are some of the hardware breadcrumbs they drop about future Apple plans.

iWork 11 gives you maximum control of how your docs look

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iWork 11 is out for iPad, iPhone and Mac
iWork 11 adds new tools that make precisely arranging objects a breeze.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple took Pages, Numbers and Keynote to 11 on Tuesday. Version 11 of all three iWork productivity applications debuted for macOS, iPad and iPhone.

The highlight of the iOS/iPadOS versions are precise controls for sizing and arranging objects. The macOS version got an updated media browser. Both received a range of other enhancements as well.

You’ll never get this ninja-level PopSockets PopGrip through airport security

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The PopGrip SOG Multi-Tool attaches a handy 5-in-1 multitool and grip to your iPhone.
Never be without a bottle opener thanks to the PopGrip SOG Multi-Tool. And it’s an iPhone grip and stand, too.
Screenshot: SOG

PopGrips add a handle to the back of your iPhone, and now there’s a version that’s even more useful thanks to a built-in multitool. Slip out this stainless steel accessory to use the bottle opener, screwdriver and other functions.

PopSockets teamed with multitool-maker SOG on the design.