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How 2020’s 13-inch MacBook Pro benchmarks stack up against Apple’s other laptops

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macBookpro
Looks stunning. But is it worth the upgrade versus last year's model?
Photo: Apple

Want to know how the new 13-inch MacBook Pro stacks up against its predecessor or other MacBooks on the market? A new report by Japanese language Apple blog Macotakara compares the Geekbench CPU scores for various MacBooks.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro, announced earlier this week, has a Geekbench score of 4565 and 1093 for multi and single core scores for its Intel Core i7 variant. Meanwhile, the lower spec Intel Core i5-sporting MacBook Pro model scores 4489 and 1066. That’s only marginally better than 2019 13-inch models.

Although, if pure processing power is what you’re after, you’re better off opting for the 16-inch MacBook Pro Apple debuted last year!

Shaken, but a little stirred: Designer revamps G4 tower into McMartini cocktail cabinet

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A total show piece: The Power Mac G4 cocktail cabinet known as the McMartini.
A G4 tower show piece.
Photo: James Burde

When a Mac runs its course, most of us would sell it, dump it, or bury it in the attic. Not James Burde.

As a designer and architect at Teiki Design Studio in Vermont east of Burlington, Burde spent his spare time transforming an old Power Mac G4 tower into a cocktail cabinet, aptly named the McMartini.

“It was a flash of inspiration,” Burde told Cult of Mac. “I wanted it to be a gift for my brother and hand it over to him and he’s been using it now.”

These are the best Apple Arcade games you can play right now

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This spunky little guy is the star of Spyder, one of the best Apple Arcade games.
This spunky little guy is the star of Spyder, one of the best games on Apple Arcade.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

There’s never been a better time to try Apple Arcade, the subscription gaming service that serves up unlimited access to more than 100 iPhone, iPad and Apple TV titles for only $4.99 a month.

With exclusive games — and a total lack of the annoying ads and in-app purchases that mar many “free” iOS games — it offers some real advantages. But it wouldn’t  be a bargain if there were no fun games. Fortunately, there are plenty. Here are some of the best you’ll find on Apple Arcade.

Apple’s hated butterfly keyboard is officially extinct

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Taking it out on your problematic MacBook butterfly keyboard will only make things worse.
The MacBook butterfly keyboard could be horribly frustrating. But now it’s gone. Mostly.
Photo illustration: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

MacBook buyers, your long nightmare is over. It’s now safe to buy a new Apple laptop without having to worry that someday the butterfly keyboard will jam up, rendering your computer useless without a significant repair. Monday’s release of a redesigned 13-inch MacBook Pro means every new laptop available through the Apple Store includes the more-reliable Magic Keyboard.

Still, Apple held onto the flawed design for too long. Anybody with a MacBook that uses the older design must live in fear of potentially jammed butterfly keys for years to come.

Slap on a Strapa band for the ultimate Apple Watch upgrade

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Strapa-band-Apple-Watch
Apple Watch looks even better with a Strapa band.
Photo: Strapa

There’s no better way to upgrade your Apple Watch than by adding some of the finest leather money can buy. That’s why you should check out these wonderful Strapa straps.

They’re beautifully made from only the finest materials, and come in a range of gorgeous color options. They’re also compatible with all generations of Apple Watch.

COVID-19 could convince Apple to put pulse oximeter in Apple Watch

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Apple Watch Series 5 LTPO screen
An Apple Watch pulse oximeter could potentially warn of COVID-19 infections.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple Watch Series 6 will be able to take blood-oxygen readings, according to an unconfirmed report. Word of this upcoming feature has leaked before — and COVID-19 makes adding it a bit more urgent.

The source for this rumor also claims the 2020 Apple Watch will usher in numerous other new features as well.

Defending Jacob delves into trust issues in stellar 4th episode [Review]

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Defending Jacob
Apple TV+'s Defending Jacob stays strong in its fourth episode.
Photo: Apple TV+

In its fourth episode, stellar Apple TV+ show Defending Jacob shows every member of the Barber family starting to crack as young Jacob moves closer to his murder trial. As the characters head toward revelations and uncomfortable conclusions, they start to stall for time in irresponsible, sometimes dangerous ways.

As the situation unfolds, their relationships with each other start to fray.

Pro tip: Adjust mouse and trackpad scroll speed in iPadOS

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iPad-scroll-speed-hero.gif
Make using a mouse with iPad even better.
GIF: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple’s default mouse and trackpad settings in iPadOS might work great with the company’s own accessories, but they can be less than ideal with third-party peripherals. Scroll speed, in particular, seems very temperamental.

Unfortunately, Apple decided it would be a good idea to hide away those scroll speed settings, so a lot of users have no idea they can be adjusted. Here’s where you can find them on iPad.

The Magic Keyboard changes the iPad all over again [Review]

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The 12.9
The Magic Keyboard finally makes the iPad Pro a full-on laptop.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

It should come as no surprise that the iPad is one of our favorite devices here at Cult of Mac. Ever since the introduction of the 2018 iPad Pro models and iPadOS 13, Apple’s tablet has made huge strides in being more capable and powerful for tons of things I do. So, needless to say, when I saw the Magic Keyboard, I had high hopes.

One critical factor for the iPad to be a useful tool for me has been a good keyboard experience. Even more important is the ability to shift from typing on the keyboard to interacting with the touchscreen when I want to go mobile around the house or office. 

Now, with the Magic Keyboard, Apple offers a new option for the iPad Pro. The new case lets you effortlessly jump between keyboard and tablet mode whenever you want. Or you can forget about the touchscreen entirely, turning the iPad into more of a laptop than ever before.

New Apple TV+ sitcom Trying is mostly failing [Review]

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Rafe Spall and Esther Smith are not trying hard enough in Apple TV+'s new series Trying.
Rafe Spall and Esther Smith are not trying hard enough in new series Trying.
Photo: Apple TV+

Even during quarantine, you’d really need to not value your time to look beyond the failures of imagination at the heart of Trying. The new Apple TV+ sitcom, created by Andy Wolton and starring Rafe Spall and Esther Smith as a couple who discover they can’t conceive, is sitcom 101.

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with the premise, but neither is there much to recommend it. Wolton and company seem content to do the bare minimum.

5 reasons Apple still looks totally unstoppable

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Apple Q2 2020 earnings call: Apple still looks unstoppable.
Can nothing stop the Cupertino juggernaut?
Image: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

While COVID-19 certainly overshadowed Apple’s most recent financial quarter, the company actually saw an annual increase in revenue, with the growth primarily coming from services and wearables.

Looking ahead, the company predicts that Mac and iPad sales will be strong. And CEO Tim Cook remains confidant about Apple’s future.

The 2008 MacBook is better than your modern MacBook in many, many ways [Review]

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macbook review ports
Look and weep, modern MacBook owners.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

This is Apple’s 2008 aluminum unibody MacBook, model A1278. It replaced the white polycarbonate MacBook, but was itself replaced by, or rather rebranded as, the MacBook Pro, which was more or less the same computer1.

Apple introduced this magnificent MacBook on October 14, 2008, and produced them until June 8, 2009. And it was one of Apple’s best notebooks ever. It had a fantastic keyboard, and many comfy extras that today’s skinny MacBook owners can only dream about, from a battery indicator light to an almost hot-swappable hard drive (or SSD).

It’s so good that it’s still viable today as a daily driver, with the added bonus that its weight will help keep you fit during lockdown. How do I know? Because I have one right here, and I use it for music recording and production. I’m also using it to write this article. I thought, as my last post for Cult of Mac, that I’d review the 2008 unibody MacBook as if it were new. Let’s go.

Fancade is a massive iOS game collection app that lets you create your own

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New iOS app Fancade lets you play existing games or make your own.
New iOS app Fancade lets you play existing games or make your own.
Image: Fancade

What could be better than a mobile app that lets you play masses of games, like an old-school arcade squeezed onto your iPhone? A mobile app that lets you play masses of games and make your own new ones.

That’s what Swedish developer Martin Magni created with Fancade, a new iOS app launching Thursday. It offers a huge collection of mini-games, all created using the app itself, along with a drag-and-drop game-maker that lets you create your own.

Group FaceTime gets a lot less chaotic in latest iOS beta

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group-facetime-grid.1
Sick of those taking on Group FaceTime growing in size? iOS 13.5 beta let's you disable it.
Photo: Apple

A Group FaceTime feature some people find irritating can be disabled in the upcoming iOS version. Currently, the tile showing the face of the person speaking gets larger, pushing everyone else aside. The iOS 13.5 beta introduced Wednesday gives users the option to turn this off.

How to find a COVID-19 testing station with Apple Maps

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Map
See all the local testing locations on a map.
Photo: Capturing the human heart/Unsplash

As of yesterday, Apple Maps can now show you local COVID-19 testing stations, so you can find the nearest one and get yourself checked out. It’s really easy to do, but it does require a search to activate the new map layer.

Here’s how to find a COVID-19 test near you. Note: This currently only works in the United States.