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Get a full iPad setup for just $299.99

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Man using a refurbished iPad 9.
Get a refurbished iPad, Beats Flex earbuds and some great accessories for less than $300.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Want a soup-to-nuts iPad setup that won’t obliterate your bank account? This refurbished iPad 9 and Beats Flex earbuds bundle hits the mark, offering a smart mix of performance, style and value at just $299.99.

In addition to the tablet and the wireless earbuds, you get all the accessories you need to protect and make the most of your new-to-you iPad.

iPhone 16 could ship with A18 chip and 8GB RAM

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iPhone 16 case made by Temdan
Cases allegedly showing the iPhone 16 started showing up on Amazon.
Photo: Temdan

Apple could use A18 and A18 Pro chips on its upcoming iPhone 16 lineup. TSMC will fabricate both SOCs for the Cupertino company on its latest 3nm (N3B) node, delivering better efficiency and performance.

Since the launch of the iPhone 14, Apple has used a year-old A-series chip on its non-Pro iPhones. However, due to Apple Intelligence, the company will seemingly tweak its strategy this year.

Google Photos gets smarter, more powerful AI-powered search

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Gemini-powered search in Google Photos
Gemini-powered search comes to Google Photos.
Photo/Graphics: Google/Rajesh Pandey

Google is rolling out AI-powered contextual search in Google Photos, its cloud-based photo backup solution. The feature aims to supercharge the search experience in Google Photos using AI.

Google’s Gemini AI models power the new ‘Ask Photos’ search in Google Photos.

How to clean your gross, waxy AirPods

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A photo of tools needed to clean earbuds, along with a pair of AirPods.
Cleaning your AirPods is easy, and you probably have the tools to do it already.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Today we’re going to see how to clean AirPods, AirPods Pro or any other earbuds, using tools you probably already have. It’s essential to keep your AirPods clean to keep them working properly. Plus, it’s easy for them to get gross.

For instance, the other day on the metro, I pulled out my AirPods and dropped one on the floor. The earbud bounced over dried and dirty beer stains, and who knows what other filth and bacteria that had been traipsed in on a million passengers’ shoes (and the odd hippie’s bare feet). I gave up on listening to anything on the trip home, and slipped the rescued AirPod back into its case.

It’s not only hippie toe jam that we have to worry about, either. Because we constantly push AirPods deep into moist holes in our heads, they crust up with earwax and whatever bacteria live in our earholes. Happily, cleaning and disinfecting AirPods is not only easy. It’s just about as satisfying as digging a deep-seated booger out of your nose, or picking an almost-healed scab.

Lockly introduces 4 new smart locks to Home app and Home Key

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Lockly Zeno smart locks
Lockly Visage smart lock and 3 others are the company's first to work with Apple's Home app and Home Key.
Photo: Lockly

The new unveiled Lockly Zeno smart locks are its first ones to work with Apple Home and Home Key for use with iPhone and Apple Watch, the company said Thursday. Lockly Visage, with advanced facial recognition access technology, and Lockly Vision, with an integrated 2K video doorbell with intercom, are the two flagships.

“As technology progresses, so do customer expectations. We’ve made it our mission to always go above and beyond the cutting edge to set a new standard for the smart home industry,” said Frank Polidoro, Lockly CRO. “We are extremely excited to partner up with The Home Depot to bring our latest innovation to homeowners and the professional market.”

Soundcore’s top new headphones fold down to half their normal size

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Soundcore Space One Pro headphones
Traveling? These premium cans fold down to 50% of their normal size when in use.
Photo: Soundcore

The new Soundcore Space One Pro headphones are the Anker subsidiary’s most advanced noise cancelling headphones yet, featuring a unique foldable design that reduces their size by half, Soundcore said Thursday. It released the new cans and several other audio products at IFA Berlin, including AeroFit 2 open earbuds and Bluetooth speakers.

At $149 off, these excellent Sony headphones are a steal

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Man wearing the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, now available at a great sale price.
Get these Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless noise-canceling headphones for only $199.99.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

There’s something uniquely satisfying about slipping on a pair of noise-canceling headphones and instantly tuning out the world around you. The low sale price of these Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones means you can create a personal audio bubble that helps you focus, relax or simply enjoy your music without distractions without going into debt.

These excellent Sony headphones earned a 4.7 out of 5 rating from Best Buy shoppers and a 4.6 out of 5 on Amazon. And while both those fine retailers currently offer discounts on the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, the price on this open-box deal is even better.

This tiny 3-way charger is the star of Anker’s new MagGo lineup

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Anker-MagGo-3-in-1-Wireless-Charging-Station
Anker's new three-way MagGo charger folds up into an incredibly small package.
Photo: Anker

Anker’s new MagGo lineup includes five accessories designed for iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods owners. The star of the lineup, which the company unveiled Thursday ahead of IFA Berlin, is the MagGo 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station. It’s a cleverly designed three-way travel charger that an Anker representative referred to as “The Button” during a briefing ahead of the German electronics show.

Another standout — the strangely named MagGo Power Bank (10K, Apple Watch) — is a portable battery pack that includes a flip-out Apple Watch charging puck. Those two new additions show Anker striving to design new types of charging products. And, while the other three accessories look fairly typical, they do come with attractive features … and at attractive price points.

Here’s everything in Anker’s new MagGo lineup.

Save 91% on this elite, AI-powered cheap airfare finder

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Photo of a hand holding an iPhone, with the OneAir tool for finding cheap flights.
Let AI find cheap flights, motels and rental cars to make your next vacation affordable in addition to fun.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Traveling isn’t cheap, but you can make it a little easier on the wallet if you use an AI-powered flight finder. With OneAir, all you need to do is pick the airports you want to leave from and watch your inbox for cheap flights to prime getaway spots.

Whether you pick a specific destination or just want to see your options, this price-busting bot will hunt down great deals for you. Get a lifetime subscription to the OneAir Premium Plan for $39.97 or the OneAir Elite Plan for $69.98 and start packing.

6 secret features in Apple Mail to help you achieve Inbox Zero

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Get a grip on your email
Take better care of your email inbox with these hidden features.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Some people achieve and maintain zero unread emails; some let that red badge climb into the thousands. It’s never too late — you can become one of those clean inbox people like me. What can help you along the way to Inbox Zero are these six tips in Apple’s own Mail app for iPhone and Mac that you might not have known about.

Well, beyond the obvious Tip Number 0: You should always hit the Unsubscribe button at the bottom of every unsolicited promotional email as soon as you get the first one. After you kill all those unwanted subscriptions, these six lesser-known features of the Apple Mail app will make you a true pro at managing your email.

Beats pitches upcoming Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds

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Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 coming in 2025
MLB star Shohei Ohtani wears the upcoming Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds during batting practice. You can wear them starting sometime next year.
Photo: Beats

The sleek, stylish Beats Powerbeats Pro earbuds, which loop over the ear and dangle via earhook, have appealed to fitness enthusiasts since their release way back in 2019. Beats finally dropped a teaser video for the next model Wednesday. But it shows precious little information beyond a glimpse of the buds on a popular MLB pitcher. And a reference saying we should see Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 coming in 2025. As Apple enhances cross-device compatibility, it’s also exploring innovative features such as earbuds that translate to improve user experience across languages and regions.

Bluetooth 6.0 aims to make Find My more accurate

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Bluetooth 6.0
Bluetooth 6.0 puts a focus on tracker tags.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group laid out details on Bluetooth 6.0 on Tuesday. The standout feature in the upcoming short-range wireless standard is dubbed “true distance awareness,” which should make tracker tags like Apple AirTag easier to find.

However, there’s no mention in the specifications of the change many are hoping for: faster connections.

This trick makes Xbox play nice with Studio Display [Setups]

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using Xbox with Studio Display
This MacBook Air user found an easy way to use Xbox with Studio Display.
Photo: [email protected]

Macs have gained ground in the gaming world with the rise of Apple silicon chips, as those M-series chips massively boost performance. But sometimes you just want to play on a console rather than your computer. Today’s MacBook Air user switches to Xbox One for gaming. And he gave simple advice, below, to curious commenters who wanted to know how he gets the system to work with his Studio Display. He describes his method below.

iPhone 16 rumors: Design changes, release date and more

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Graphic to illustrate iPhone 16 rumors.
Get a sneak peek at Apple's upcoming flagship smartphones.
Photo: Don Kaveen/Unsplash License

With the iPhone 16 release date almost certainly mere days away at Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” September 9 event, rumors have already revealed quite a few details about the design, colors and more. There have been leaks about all four handsets in the iPhone 16 series, to the point where we already know most of what’s coming in the 2024 lineup.

Here’s what to expect: larger screens, better cameras, additional buttons and more.

Slow Horses season 4 ratchets up the heart-pounding action [Updated: Now streaming]

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Slow Horses season 4 trailer
Slow Horses season four just started streaming. It's an action-packed comedy spy thriller.
Image: Apple TV+

London is under threat from shopping-mall car bombers and espionage masterminds, and somehow Gary Oldman’s MI5 screwups once again end up in the middle of the action. That’s according to the new Slow Horses season four trailer for the black-comedy spy-thriller series.

The Emmy-nominated and BAFTA-winning series stars Oldman as MI5’s irascible Slough House section chief Jackson Lamb. The six-episode season premieres September 4 on Apple TV+.

UPDATE: Season 4 of Slow Horses gets underway Wednesday with the first episode, entitled “Identity Theft,” on Apple TV+. “A London bombing triggers and explosive hidden past,” notes the streamer’s tagline. A season review in The Guardian calls the show “faultlessly directed,” notes the cast is even better than before and says “Gary Oldman roars like a bear dipped in chip fat.”

Price drop: Take this rugged, waterproof speaker to the beach or your campsite for only $51.99

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Product shot of Treblab HD77 Bluetooth speaker underwater. This waterproof and shock-resistant outdoor wireless speaker has a 20-hour battery.
Bring music almost anywhere with this waterproof, shockproof speaker.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When you’re heading outdoors, you don’t need to leave all the comforts of home behind. Whether you want an intense movie night while camping or pulse-pounding music by the beach, you can make it happen when you pack a Treblab HD77 Bluetooth speaker built for the outdoors.

This rugged wireless speaker is IPX6 waterproof, shock-resistant and boasts a super-long battery life. Get one while they’re on sale for $51.99 (regularly $99.97).

Official iPhone 16 cases might feature ‘integrated’ design for the Capture button

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iPhone 16 rumors
Apple's own iPhone 16 cases might handle the Capture button in a surprising way.
Photo: Sonny Dickson/Cult of Mac

A leaked photo supposedly shows Apple’s silicone cases for the iPhone 16 lineup without a cutout for the rumored capacitive Capture button. Instead, they sport an “integrated design,” which seemingly will not affect the new capacitive button’s functionality.

Microsoft: Apple’s greed makes Xbox Cloud Gaming on iPhone ‘impossible’

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Apple iPhone web apps: Microsoft Xbox Cloud Gaming and Amazon Luna
Microsoft wants Apple to relax more App Store rules for Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple relaxed the App Store rules earlier this year, paving the way for cloud gaming apps on the iPhone. However, Microsoft and Nvidia have not yet listed their cloud gaming services on the App Store. The former argues that Apple’s rules are still too restrictive for this.

Microsoft’s main issue revolves around the 30% commission that Apple wants for IAPs. It says the fee is “neither economically sustainable nor justifiable.”

iPhone SE 4 might finally make jump to OLED

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iPhone SE 4 rumors
Apple could close the door on LCD iPhones with the SE 4.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Fresh evidence points to iPhone SE 4 including an OLED display. If true, this would make it the first in Apple’s line of budget handsets to use this improved type of screen, while every other iPhone gave up traditional LCDs years ago.

The next iPhone SE model is supposedly on the docket for 2025.

Apple Watch rumors: Series 10, SE 3, Ultra 3 are on the way

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Apple Watch Series 10 rumors
A slimmer Apple Watch Series 10 could be one of the wearables revealed September 9.
Image: concept_central/Cult of Mac

Both Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch SE 3 could be among the many products on the agenda for Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event on September 9. The situation with Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a bit more murky, however.

And speaking of murky, we don’t know whether any of these will offer blood oxygen monitoring in units sold in the United States.

More affordable iPad Magic Keyboard is in development

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Apple Magic Keyboard for M4 iPad Pro
The budget iPad might get a version of the brilliant iPad Magic Keyboard.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPad users can look forward to a less expensive version of Apple’s Magic Keyboard, according to information leaking out of Apple. The goal is apparently a variant more appealing to buyers of entry-level tablets.

Expect a launch in 2025.