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News - page 63

Your Mac is mistakenly flagging Docker as malware

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Docker logo
False alarm! The Docker app for Mac is not a malware.
Photo: Docker

Getting a “Malware Blocked” warning on booting your Mac or when starting Docker? You are not alone. Hundreds of Mac users worldwide report seeing a similar message on their machine over the last few days.

The error is due to an issue with Docker, a popular platform designed to build and run apps using containers.

Apple emphasizes Siri’s privacy-first approach after settling lawsuit

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Siri
Apple is highlighting Siri's privacy-first approach to protect its reputation.
Photo: Apple

Apple recently agreed to pay $95 million to settle a Siri class action lawsuit alleging privacy violations. The company is now restating the voice assistant’s commitment to user privacy through an article on its newsroom.

Apple reassures users that it never used Siri data to build marketing profiles or sold it to anyone. Instead, it is always developing new ways to make Siri more privacy-friendly.

Rob McElhenney goes buck naked in gaming workplace comedy Mythic Quest [Apple TV+ trailer]

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Mythic Quest season 4 trailer
Watch the trailer and get ready for "Mythic Quest" season four, debuting January 29 on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Here’s your chance to see comedy star Rob McElhenney buck naked (if you’re into that sort of thing). He appears that way in a frenzied new season 4 trailer for workplace comedy Mythic Quest, below. The quick-cutting trailer should get fans of the comedy, set at a California gaming company, pretty excited. And not just for the nudity. Season 4, which looks like it’s full of laughs, debuts soon — January 29.

And don’t forget: The hit comedy spawned a spinoff, Side Quest, which premieres in late March.

TSMC Arizona foundry now makes 2 Apple chips

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TSMC Arizona
All iPhone and Apple Watch chips aren’t made overseas.
Photo: TSMC/Cult of mac

The chip fabrication plant TSMC opened in Arizona reportedly began producing a second Apple processor, a win for those eager to see more chips produced in the United States.

The fab now reportedly makes Apple Watch processors. It began manufacturing iPhone chips in 2024.

Dell ‘borrows’ Apple’s Pro and Pro Max product names

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Dell Pro Max
There’s something familiar about that name…
Photo: Dell/Cult of Mac

Dell rebranded all its PCs with names that should sound very familiar to Apple users. Going forward, the company’s computers will either be part of the Dell, Dell Pro or Dell Pro Max product lines.

That is, of course, exactly how Apple divides up the various iPhone versions. And the PC-maker immediately faced mockery for its new product names.

Affordable iPad stylus copies one of Apple Pencil Pro’s best features

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Geo Digital Pencil
ESR’s Geo Digital Pencil is inexpensive but still offers a range of useful features.
Photo: ESR

The Geo Digital Pencil from ESR costs a quarter of what Apple Pencil Pro does, but both iPad styli support Find My so they can be easily located. And they cling magnetically to an iPad, and can be used for writing or sketching.

In addition, ESR also unveiled a mouse that magnetically attaches to a MacBook for easy portability.

Nanoleaf wants you to put these LED lights right on your face

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Nanoleaf LED Light Therapy Face Mask
It's an LED face mask for light therapy.
Photo: Nanoleaf

Known for its modular light panels, Nanoleaf pushed boundaries Tuesday at CES 2025 with a new and slightly disturbing LED Light Therapy Face Mask as well as its first smart floor lamp. Those are in addition to other lighting products, like light strips, plus a new software subscription service. If you’re looking to enhance your setup with immersive lighting effects that mirror screen content, check out Nanoleaf’s PC Screen Mirror Lightstrip.

Record terabytes of ProRes video onto tiny ShiftCam Planck SSD

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ShiftCam Planck
This svelte combo is ready to record 2TB of ProRes video.
Photo: ShiftCam

 ShiftCam calls the Planck “the world’s smallest portable SSD,” and it’s certainly very small. That and the unusual placement of its USB-C connector allow the drive to fit neatly on the bottom of an iPhone Pro and hold up to 2 TB of high-resolution ProRes video as it’s being recorded.

The accessory hits the market soon and is being shown off at CES 2025 this week.

Take Espresso’s compact 4K touchscreen monitor to go

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espresso 15 Pro
A 4K 15-inch portable touchscreen monitor is coming from espresso Displays
Photo: espresso Displays

The espresso 15 Pro checks all the boxes for Apple users looking for a high-end portable monitor. 4K? Check. Touchscreen? Check. USB-C? Check.

The 15-inch screen — a smaller version of the espresso 17 Pro — is on display at CES 2025. It even scored espresso Displays a CES Innovation Award.

Do summer right with Anker’s solar beach umbrella and power-packed cooler

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Anker solar beach umbrella
The new solar umbrella and cooler can work together and charge up other gear.
Photo: Anker

Anker Solix unveiled two cool outdoor products Monday at CES 2025 in Las Vegas: Its first solar-powered beach umbrella, and an upgraded, high-performance electric cooler in three sizes, designed for extended outdoor use.

They can work together, and both charge other gadgets, so you can be tech king of your beach trip or barbecue come summertime.

First Thunderbolt 5 display with 6K res ideal for M4 Pro/Max users

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LG UltraFine 6K Monitor
We'll have to wait for full specs and price on the sleek new Thunderbolt 5 monitor with 6K resolution.
Photo: LG

In a move that’s sure to catch the attention of Mac users — particularly those with the latest M4 Pro machines — LG just unveiled its new UltraFine 6K Display at CES 2025. It calls the monitor, model 32U990A (no firm release date yet), the world’s first 6K display to feature Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.

So not only does it share Pro Display XDR’s amazing resolution, it packs the bleeding-edge connectivity speeds of TB5. That makes it an ideal companion for the recently launched M4 Pro Mac mini and M4 Pro and Max MacBook Pro models.

Powerful new charger boasts display and ‘vertical hanging ports’

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new Anker chargers
What's cool about the charger? Its display window and its downward-facing ports.
Photo: Anker

A powerful new Anker Charger (140W) featuring a window display plus “vertical hanging ports” (aka downward-facing ports) to help keep USB-C and USB-A cables secure debuted Monday evening at CES in Las Vegas, the company said.

And along with the 140-watt charger, the accessories giant added a potent new 25,000mAh power bank (165-watt) that features retractable cables and TSA certification for air travel. Both devices are available now, see below.

Chrome vs. Safari on Mac: Why Google’s browser wins for me

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Chrome vs Safari on Mac
Safari is great, but Chrome is my browser of choice on a Mac.
Graphics: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Safari on the Mac feels a lot faster to use than Google Chrome. It is also more battery efficient and takes fewer resources. Yet, I prefer using Google Chrome on my MacBook.

Despite its faults, Google Chrome trumps Safari in many key aspects. There’s a reason why Google’s browser is the most popular choice worldwide.

First-ever detachable 3-in-1 robot vacuum rules over your mess

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eufy Robot Vacuum 3-in-1 E20
It's three different vacuum cleaners in one.
Photo: eufy/Anker

Home cleaning technology saw an advancement at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Monday in Las Vegas when eufy unveiled its new eufy Robot Vacuum 3-in-1 E20. Billed as the first successful integration of robot vacuum, stick vacuum and handheld vacuum in a single, transformable unit with a number of advanced features, it won a CES Best of Innovation award.

New SanDisk SSD clings to iPhone to store terabytes of high-res video recordings

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SanDisk Creator Phone SSD
Add terabytes of ProRes video storage to your iPhone with SanDisk Creator Phone SSD.
Photo: SanDisk

The SanDisk Creator Phone SSD sets itself apart from rival portable drives with MagSafe. This means the drive magnetically clings to an iPhone where it’s available to hold up to 2 TB of ProRes video as it’s recorded.

SanDisk unveiled the SSD at CES 2025, along with other new storage options.

MagSafe goes cross-platform as Samsung finally commits to Qi2

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Samsung Qi2
The Qi2 charger in iPhone just got a boost from Apple’s biggest rival.
Photo: Samsung/Wireless Power Consortium

Samsung committed itself on Monday to integrating Qi2 wireless charging into its Galaxy line of Android-based smartphones. It’s been dragging its feet for years, while the last four generations of iPhone models all support the standard.

Samsung’s just-announced adoption of Qi2 should benefit iPhone users, who until now have been the only ones able to take advantage of the new standard. More handsets using the magnetically enhanced wireless charging capability should lead to more accessories that employ it. More cross-platform accessories are a win for everyone.

EarFun’s top new earbuds feature real-time AI language translation

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EarFun language translation earbuds
EarFun Air Pro 4+ will translate languages in real time, the company said.
Photo: EarFun

The new flagship EarFun Air Pro 4+ noise-canceling earbuds feature AI-powered language translation. EarFun also will roll out other new products this week at CES, the big consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. The lineup includes clip-on earbuds and hook-on open-ear earbuds for workouts, affordable noise-canceling over-ear headphones, and an Auracast USB-C dongle that can enable lossless audio for devices. If you’re looking for a comparison with AirPods Mac, check out how they stack up against these new releases.

Upgrade your M4 Mac mini with clever multiport hub/stand

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Satechi Mac mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure
Max out your Mac mini with this hub.
Photo: Satechi

The Satechi Mac mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure expands the capabilities of Apple’s tiny new desktop with additional front-facing ports and more storage. It even makes pressing the computer’s hidden power button easier.

Satechi gave a sneak peek of the product in November, but on Monday revealed the full specifications, including a price and release date.

Talk to different AI personas with new HumanPods wireless earbuds

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Natura Umana Humanpods
Tap to talk with a variety of "AI people," depending on your needs.
Photo: Natura Umana

New open-ear wireless earbuds called HumanPods unveiled at CES 2025 offer voice access to different artificial intelligence personas with a tap, according to startup Natura Umana.

The new earphones, which also play music, of course, promise to deliver what the company calls “the closest experience to a telepathic connection with your technology” by offering direct access to AI assistance through simple touch controls. The company’s CEO provides a little video demo below (complete with a few bugs).

Apple goes on a bug hunt with iOS 18.2.1

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iOS 18.2.1
Your iPhone needs iOS 18.2.1. And there’s an iPadOS version, too.
Photo: Cult of Mac

iOS 18.2.1 went out Monday with the intent of removing bugs that snuck into the earlier version of the iPhone operating system. Apple also released an iPadOS equivalent.

Apple recommends both to anyone who installed the previous versions.

New bot vacuum’s robo-arm makes it a sock-picker-upper

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Roborock robot vacuum
The Roborock Saros Z70 is the first robot vacuum with an articulating arm to pick up objects, like your smelly socks.
Photo: Roborock

The new Roborock Saros Z70 robot vacuum adds a first-of-its-kind robotic arm that can pick up obstacles in its path, like socks and sandals, the company said as it demonstrated the bot at CES 2025. This marks a shift from traditional obstacle avoidance to active obstacle removal in robotic vacuums.

But the bot vac with robo-arm might come at a steep cost, as other new Roborock models with many of the same features — but without the robo-arm — will go for $1,600, the company said.

OWC Thunderbolt 5 hub offers 120Gbps transfers [Updated]

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OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub in use
The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub could be the center of a professional setup.
Photo: OWC

The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub includes three ports that move data up to twice as fast as Thunderbolt 4 and USB4. That’s professional-level connectivity, opening the possibility of portable SSDs running at 6000MBps or up to three 8K displays at 60Hz .

After an announcement in autumn 2024, the hub is now ready to buy.

Storage gets smarter with Ugreen’s high-capacity, AI-powered NAS devices

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Ugreen AI NAS storage
Ugreen's CES showcase includes AI-powered NAS storage, a brawny 500-watt charger and a cutting-edge Thunderbolt 5 dock.
Photo: Ugreen

Ugreen hopes to make waves at CES 2025 with a lineup of cutting-edge products incorporating artificial intelligence and advanced connectivity — especially AI-powered NAS storage devices, the company said Sunday. But it also unveiled a shockingly powerful, 500-watt fast GaN charger and a Thunderbolt 5 dock.

Moving from a product lineup dominated by small chargers to a broader selection of tech wares, Ugreen unveils its latest products under the theme “Activate the Possibility of AI.”