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Newsstand - page 108

Fall haul! Stay classic with Strapa’s luxury Italian leather Primus Apple Watch band

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Rugged, beautiful Italian leather expertly crafted into an exceptional watch band worthy of your Series 4.
Rugged and subtly glossy Italian leather expertly crafted into an exceptional watch band worthy of your Series 4.
Photo: Strapa

We’re back with another Strapa leather Apple Watch band unboxing video! We just can’t keep our hands off Strapa’s luxury bands.

This time around, we’re hands-on with the Primus, available in the Cult of Mac Watch store. True to its name, this strap is seriously a prime example of top-grade artisan craftsmanship and design.

The new iPad Pro might be too pro for you [Review]

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The new 2018 iPad Pro is a lust object you probably don’t need.
The new 2018 iPad Pro is a lust object you probably don’t need.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Every 2018 iPad Pro review I’ve read seems to be written by someone who doesn’t use the iPad like a pro. Most of the reviewers focus on using Apple’s new tablet they way most people do: reading the internet, doing some mail and watching lots of video.

Which is a shame, because there’s a lot to like in this iPad for “power” users, aka folks whose everyday carry is an iPad. People like me. The iPad has been my most-used device for years. I do everything on it. (Everything, ironically, except writing articles — but that’s because my ancient 27-inch iMac still works fine, and I like to use a trackpad for editing text.)

Rather than reviewing the iPad Pro from the point of view of a “normal,” I’m going to talk about this gorgeous new device like someone who uses an iPad for work every day.

These are the best accessories for your 2018 iPad Pro

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The awesome new iPad Pro deserves some awesome accessories.
The awesome new 2018 iPad Pro deserves some awesome accessories.
Photo: Andrea Nepori

You’ve got your new iPad Pro, and it’s all set up. Now, you might want to start tricking it out with accessories. The bad news is that most of your old accessories won’t work. The good news is that some of them will, and the rest can be replaced, or hooked up with dongles. Let’s check out the best accessories for the new 2018 iPad Pro.

How Apple Watch pace alerts will make you run faster

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watchOS 5 pace alerts are like having a running coach strapped to your wrist
Pace alerts in watchOS 5 are like having a running coach strapped to your wrist.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Apple made three big strides for runners in watchOS 5, adding Pace Alert, Rolling Mile pace and Cadence features.

In this post, I’ll focus on Pace Alerts, which let you set a specific pace for your run. This handy new feature is not just designed to keep you moving by warning you if you slow down. Pace alerts are ideal for lactic threshold workouts, which will help make you a faster runner. And you can use them to develop your pace awareness — an essential skill if you want to achieve a personal best this marathon season. Here’s how to get up to speed with pace alerts on Apple Watch.

2018 MacBook Air review roundup: A beautifully big improvement

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MacBook Air 2018
The original ultraportable is back with a bang.
Photo: Apple

The long-awaited MacBook Air update sports an all-new design and more powerful internals, but early reviews indicate there’s still room for improvement.

It’s also the most expensive MacBook Air to date. So, should you spend $1,199 on it when it lands in stores this week? Here’s what the first 2018 MacBook Air reviews have to say.

How to zip and unzip files on iPhone with Shortcuts

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Broken zip shortcut metaphor.
Broken ZIP Shortcut metaphor.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Shortcuts isn’t just about asking Siri to help out when a cop pulls you over, or shutting your home down for the night. Shortcuts can also be little utilities that you use on your files, adding Mac-like functions to your iPad or iPhone. Today’s example shows how to make a shortcut that unzips files, and saves them to your iCloud Drive or Dropbox. Even in iOS 12, there’s no built-in way to unzip stuff. And with this shortcut, you won’t have to buy an app to do it.

Here’s what the 2018 iPad Pro still can’t do [Opinion]

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If you buy the 64GB iPad Pro, you're getting ripped off.
The iPad Pro could be even better than a Mac — with just a few fixes.
Photo: Apple

The new iPad Pro is amazing. It’s lighter, faster, better looking, and all-around cooler than its dorky older brother. While the old 12.9-inch iPad Pro is ironing faux leather patches onto the elbows of its corduroy jacket, the new one is ripping holes into the knees of its vintage jeans.

But there are still some things that the 2018 iPad Pro can’t do. And these shortcomings aren’t down to hardware. They’re all down to software, and the limitations still built in to iOS 12. Let’s take a look.

2018 iPad Pro review roundup: The best tablet money can buy

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2018 iPad Pro
More of Apple's surprises spoiled.
Photo: Apple

According to early reviews, you should absolutely rush out to get a new iPad Pro when the tablets go on sale Wednesday.

The iPad Pro was already the best tablet money could buy. And yet, Apple somehow made it even better with an improved design, an edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display, and an A12X Bionic chip that delivers unbeatable performance.

Don’t just take our word for it. See what the reviewers are saying below.

mophie Powerstation XXL keeps your iPhone going all week [Review]

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mophie Powerstation XXL was designed especially for devices with Lighting ports.
mophie Powerstation XXL was designed especially for devices with Lighting ports.
Photo: mophie

Travelers who don’t want to worry about finding electrical sockets for their iPhone or iPad should look no farther than the mophie Powerstation XXL. This external battery is relatively portable but still packs enough power to fully recharge an iPhone XS Max more than four times.

Even better, this accessory gets its power through a Lightning port, and it can charge three devices at once. We put the Powerstation XXL through a complete set of tests and bring you the results.

How to pick the best iPad Pro storage option for you

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If you buy the 64GB iPad Pro, you're getting ripped off.
If you buy the 64GB iPad Pro, you're getting ripped off.
Photo: Apple

I’m a pretty seasoned iPad buyer. I’ve been using them since the very first iPad back in 2010, and I’ve always known exactly how much storage to buy. Back in the early days it was easy — never buy the lowest storage tier, and if in doubt, always buy more than you think you’ll need. But today, the issue is a lot less clear. With cheap iCloud storage, and a pretty-decent entry level of 64GB, how do you decide how much space you need? Let’s see.

Why Apple is smart to stop playing the iPhone numbers game [Opinion]

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Queue in Singapore
The obsession with iPhone sales numbers is now a thing of the past. Probably.
Photo: Apple

Apple shocked Wall Street yesterday when it revealed that it will no longer share information about how many iPhones sell each quarter. Instead, the company will provide the average sale price, which Cupertino claims is a far more useful figure to investors.

It’s a big change in strategy from a company that used to make a point of crowing about its landmark sales figures. But, while this move might disappoint some fans, it’s totally the right call. Here’s why.

What we loved and what we didn’t — catch our ‘More in the Making’ hardware reax on The CultCast

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360 CultCast MacBook Pro
New Macs, new iPads, new specs, new prices. We break it all down.
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: Apple’s “There’s More in the Making” keynote was an action-packed ride stuffed with one hardware update after another! We’ll tell you what we like (and what we don’t) about Apple’s newest product updates. Plus: Apple quietly offers a big “screw you” to 2018 MacBook Pro owners. Prepare for a rant!

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first hosting plan or domain.

Everything you need to know about Apple’s Q4 2018 earnings call

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Apple is worth more than the entire US energy sector combined
Apple is worth more than the entire US energy sector combined
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple just had its best September quarter of all-time and CEO Tim Cook couldn’t have sounded happier when he got on the phone with investors today. The company is heading into the holiday season with its best lineup ever and expects to set more records next quarter.

Investors did not seem to be too impressed with the results though. Apple’s stock price dropped from $222.22 to as low as $206 in after-hours training. Despite Wall Street’s worries about Apple, there was plenty of achievements for Tim Cook and Luca Maestri to boast about on today’s call.

There were the biggest revelations from today’s call:

How to quit the iOS 12 beta program

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Now that iOS 12.1 has officially added bagel emoji, it’s time to exit the beta program.
Now that iOS 12.1 has officially added bagel emoji, it’s time to exit the beta program.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Not everyone who signs up for the iOS beta program is a developer. There are journalists testing new features, and regular folks who just want to try the latest additions (despite the bugs). But what happens when the final version ships? You’re left running the beta, while everyone else is on the regular version.

Today we’ll see how to exit the iOS beta program and switch back to regular updates.

How to make Group FaceTime calls on iPhone, iPad or Mac

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Group FaceTime is super easy to use.
Group FaceTime is super easy to use.
Photo: Apple

With the new Group FaceTime feature in iOS 12.1 and macOS Mojave 10.14.1, you can call up to 32 people and chat with them all at the same time.

Apple took some extra time getting this feature working perfectly. Now that’s it’s here, let’s see how to use Group FaceTime on iOS devices and Mac to get in on those massive group chats.

2018 iPad Pro runs faster than some MacBook Pros

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One of these computers is faster than the other. Which it is will surprise you.
One of these computers is faster than the other. Which it is will surprise you.
Photo: Apple

Benchmark scores for the 2018 iPad Pro announced this week show that this tablet is faster than the 13-inch MacBook Pro released this summer.

Unfortunately, these same benchmark tests don’t clear up the some other mysteries about the new iPads.

With a 14-hour battery, these new sports earbuds go the distance [Review]

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Tarah Pro sports earbuds are up to almost any adventure.
Tarah Pro sports earbuds are up to almost any adventure.
Photo: Jaybird

Tarah Pro earbuds, the latest wireless sports headphones from Jaybird, take adventure audio to new extremes. With smart new features and an astonishing 14 hours of battery life, these sweat-proof earbuds can go the distance — even if you’re a marathoner.

If you’re a fitness fanatic who constantly crushes your Activity goals during epic outdoor adventures, these might be the perfect Bluetooth earbuds for you.

All the ways the 2018 iPad Pro blows away its predecessors

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Apple compared the size of last year's 12.9-inch iPad Pro to the new, smaller model.
During its October press event, Apple compared the size of last year's 12.9-inch iPad Pro to the new, more portable model.
Photo: Apple

Since the first iPad was unveiled back in 2010, each successive model has looked nearly that same as all its predecessors, with most changes coming from faster processors and more storage.

Not any more. The iPad Pro just revealed includes several dramatic improvements, any one of which would be a game changer.

Don’t miss our comprehensive comparison of this tablet with the 2017 version.

MacBook smackdown: Which laptop is right for you?

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MacBook Air 2018
If you need a new laptop, you won't want to miss this deal.
Photo: Apple

Apple finally dusted off the MacBook Air. The 2018 model sports a brand new design, a gorgeous Retina display, and powerful upgraded internals. All of sudden, Apple’s most affordable notebook is up there with its best.

In fact, the new ultraportable is so good, you would be crazy to buy a 12-inch MacBook right now. So, how does the new MacBook Air stack up against the rest of Apple’s laptop lineup? Which model best suits your needs, and which delivers the best bang for the buck?

Find out right here in our comprehensive MacBook comparison.

5 things we didn’t get at Apple’s ‘More in the Making’ event

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The new iPads and Macs that have been in so many rumors will apparently be unveiled in less than two weeks.
While the Apple's October press event wasn't disappointing, not everything people had hoped for showed up.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s press event this morning was jam packed with new devices, including redesigned iPad Pros, an updated MacBook Air, and a faster Mac mini. But we still didn’t get everything we were expecting.

There were some notable absences from the ‘More in the Making’ event, and at least one glaring omission.

New MacBook Pros with updated graphics are coming next month

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macbook pro
The new graphics will be a big boost the video editors.
Photo: Apple

Apple didn’t totally leave out the MacBook Pro from receiving some new features today, even though the company didn’t give its most powerful notebook any stage time at today’s event.

While the MacBook Air, Mac mini and iPad Pro were the stars of today’s keynote in New York, Apple quietly revealed on its website that the MacBook Pro is getting a spec bump too.

What’s new in iOS 12.1

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iOS 12.1 brings live depth control preview to the camera app.
iOS 12.1 brings live depth control preview to the camera app.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

iOS 12.1 is now available to download, and it brings a surprising number of neat new features to iPhones and iPads.

We get to enjoy Group FaceTime, live Depth Control when we’re taking photos — and the essential bagel emoji.