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iPhone can’t compete in ‘new paradigm’ of high-end phone design, analyst says

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Folding iPhone Prototype
Does Apple really need a folding iPhone to be successful in 2024?
Photo: KJMX

iPhone’s lack of two key features — generative AI and a foldable design — could cause a significant decline in shipments in 2024. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says without these advances, the iPhone will fall behind amid a “new paradigm in high-end mobile phone design.”

Kuo cites supply chain sources to back up his predictions. However, there are numerous reasons to doubt his opinion.

Turn iPad or iPhone into full-featured laptop with NexDock [Review] ★★★★

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NexDock review: Turn iPad or iPhone into full-featured laptop★★★★
No, NexDock isn't a laptop that runs iPadOS. It's better.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

NexDock lets you easily add a 13-inch external screen, keyboard and trackpad to your iPad or iPhone 15 and make them even more useful. Plus, there are bonus features: The all-in-one accessory recharges the Apple device, and includes a microSD card reader and an additional USB-C port.

I tested the Nex’s NexDock for this review, and found it a great fit for iPad — and a somewhat problematic one for iPhone 15, though a third-party app helps. Here’s why.

Through Wednesday only: Up to 83% off Apple accessories

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Apple MagSafe Duo wireless charger
You can get a MagSafe Duo wireless charger for iPhone and Apple Watch for 38% off.
Photo: Apple

Amazon bargain site Woot! is offering deep discounts, anywhere from 13% to 83% off, on dozens of Apple accessories and a few choice items like Apple Watch Ultra and AirPods Pro — but only until Wednesday at 9:59 p.m. PT.

As of Tuesday morning, one item had sold out and 52 remained, including accessories for iPhone, Apple Watch, AirTag, AirPods and more. See some highlights below.

Vision Pro review roundup: ‘Magic’ and ‘a revolution,’ but definitely unfinished

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Apple Vision Pro in Use -- Front View
Vision Pro is a revolutionary product. But will the revolution succeed?
Screenshot: Apple

The first reviews of Apple’s Vision Pro gush compliments on the augmented-reality headset, with one reviewer calling it “mind-blowing” and another “stunning.”

However, there’s also plenty of criticism for the high price, weight and slim collection of software available when the product launches later this week.

Last chance: Win a portable magnetic 3-in-1 wireless charger [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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Kuxiu X55 3-in-1 Foldable Magnetic Wireless Charger and Stand
The X55 charger and stand keeps your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch going.
Photo: Kuxiu

Need a portable charger to juice up your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch pretty much anywhere? Enter our new giveaway! Through January 31, Cult of Mac and Kuxiu offer users worldwide the chance to win a sleek Kuxiu X55 3-in-1 Foldable Magnetic Wireless Charger and Stand.

The little three-way charging stand, which folds up small enough to slip into a pocket, normally retails for $79.99. It and other products are on sale now for Valentine’s Day, but wouldn’t you rather just win one? Enter the giveaway below. X55 stands will go to three lucky winners worldwide.

Simplify tax season with H&R Block tax software for Mac or PC

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Breeze through tax season with this H&R Block bundle for only $29.99.
Take on tax season with this H&R Block bundle, which costs just $29.99.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Tax season is almost here, but don’t let the stress get to you. If you’re worried about your state or federal filing, why not simplify the whole process with a tool from a reliable tax-prep organization? With this H&R Block tax software, you get tools to streamline your state and federal filing from start to finish.

Normally $49, it’s priced at only $29.99 for a limited time. Act now to ease your way into your big tax return (so you can spend it on a Vision Pro headset).

Grab one of Laut’s stunning iPhone 15 cases while you can

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Laut Crystal Matter cases for iPhone 15
Laut's Crystal Matter cases come in three colors and fit any of the four iPhone 15 handsets.
Photo: Laut

If you don’t want to go “nearly nude” with your iPhone 15, check out Laut’s supremely stylish and highly protective cases for the handsets.

You can shop all 14 products in the Laut collection, including 11 cases, two screen protectors and one lens protector for iPhone 15, in the Cult of Mac Store. See some highlights below.

Killers of the Flower Moon earns spot as most popular film on streaming

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Killers of the Flower Moon Poster
"Killers of the Flower Moon" draws a larger audience than any film on any streaming service.
Image: Apple TV+

Martin Scorsese’s historical crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon has been the most popular movie since it hit the Apple TV+ streaming service in mid January, according to a market analysis.

The fact that the film earned ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, surely helps.

You’ll flip for this magnetic digital timer

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Set your time with this magnetic productivity timer that's flippable, now $24.99.
No matter your task, this combo kitchen timer/productivity timer/fitness timer lets you keep tabs on your precious time.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether you’re boiling an egg, holding a plank or taking a break from working on your screen, a reliable timer comes in handy. But don’t settle for a boring old kitchen timer. With this digital timer, you can give your cooking, fitness and other time-intensive activities a boost.

It’s called the Digital Magnetic Flip Productivity Timer, and you set it just by flipping it. And, for a limited time, it’s on sale for only $24.99 (regularly $29). Don’t dilly-dally … time’s a-wastin’!

15-inch MacBook Air returns to record low price

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15-inch MacBook Air deals
You can take $300 off a few different configurations of the slim and lightweight machine.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s popular 15-inch M2 MacBook Air once again hit its lowest-ever price, sliding down to $999 at Best Buy on Monday for the base model.

And while that’s for the entry-level configuration with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD, a few different configurations are $300 off, so you can add unified memory and/or storage space and still save a bundle.

Severance season 2 on Apple TV+ just got a little closer

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Adam Scott in Severance on Apple TV+
Adam Scott plays Mark S. in Severance on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

One of the most popular, critically acclaimed and flat-out weird shows on Apple TV+ — the darkly comedic workplace thriller Severance — has resumed production on season two after pausing for the recent writers strike.

Apple posted on X (formerly Twitter) about it Monday. Take a look below.

More Messi: 2024 MLS Season Pass opens to new subscriptions

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MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
MLS Season Pass gives fans access to every MLS game, in-depth analysis and exclusive content.
Photo: Apple

Major League Soccer’s 29th season kicks off February 21 on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, but fans can subscribe to the service starting Monday, Apple said.

International superstar Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami CF late last season, so 2024 will see his first full season with the club, and fans can also check out a variety of exclusive content.

How gamer avoids neck pain looking up at stacked Studio Displays [Setups]

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Mac Studio setup with dual Studio Displays
You don't see two Studio Displays stacked on a desk shelf every day. But the user says neck pain isn't an issue.
Photo: [email protected]

With all the computer setups out there with two, three and even five displays, sometimes you’ll see them stacked. But a dual-Studio Display setup that stacks one on top of the other is a rarity.

Today’s Mac Studio user, who is also an avid PlayStation 5 and Ninendo Switch gamer, said the stacked displays work well and don’t cause any neck pain from looking up all the time.

How video games can help you pick a career path

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Game controllers
You favorite video game could offer a career opportunity.
Photo: JESHOOTS.com@Pexels

Believe it or not, a video game you know and love could turn into a fulfilling, lifelong career. And we’re not just talking about esports, where pro gamers compete for cash and prestige. For instance, driving simulator Gran Turismo could set you up for success on a real racetrack. Or factory simulator Satisfactory could prepare you for a role in project management.

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Let’s explore how your preference for a particular video game genre can highlight potential career opportunities, from esports gaming to earning an online masters degree in project management.

Get a solid iPad stylus at half the price of Apple Pencil

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With palm sensitivity, you can rest your palm while drawing or writing.
With palm sensitivity, you can rest your palm while drawing or writing.
Photo: SwitchEasy

If you’re the proud owner of an iPad, you should get yourself a stylus that will help you write and draw well on the tablet. But an Apple Pencil 2 will set you back $129 (if you don’t find a good sale). So how about something just about as good for less than half the price? Enter SwitchEasy’s EasyPencil Pro.

Check out the SwitchEasy Sale in the Cult of Mac Store to get 20% off two versions of the stylus, plus extra tips for writing and drawing.

20-year veteran Apple VP of Engineering departs

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DJ Novotney, former Apple VP of Engineering, is headed off to EV-maker Rivian.
DJ Novotney, former Apple VP of Engineering, is headed off to EV-maker Rivian.
Photo: LinkedIn

DJ Novotney first started at Apple in June 1999, and now he’s been lured away by electric-car-maker Rivian.

Over his two decades  with the company, he helped design many iconic Apple products, including iPod, iPhone, iPad and more.

How to block iPhone apps from using push notification tracking to spy on you

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Apple Privacy: How To
Apps are spying on you with push notification tracking. But you can block them today.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Any time a company sends a push notification to an iPhone, its application can gather information about the user, including their location, according to security researchers. Meta and TikTok reportedly use push notification tracking, and many other companies do it, too.

Fortunately, there’s a simple solution for users to protect their privacy and keep apps from spying on them.

We survived Vision Pro preorder chaos! [The CultCast]

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Vision Pro headset, The CultCast episode 631
Did you get yours or did the bots beat you to it?
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Vision Pro preorders didn’t exactly go smoothly last week. In our post-mortem, we discuss what went right, what went wrong, and why we can’t wait to finally get our hands on Apple’s headset.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Apple plans to radically change the App Store … for Europeans.
  • An update on new iPads and new Macs that seem poised to pop out of Tim Cook’s magic pipeline.
  • The Apple car is still on the road to release. However, it might arrive a little later (and a lot less amazing) than we were led to believe.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Devs call Apple’s new iPhone sideloading rules ‘malicious compliance’ and ‘ludicrously punitive’

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Devs call Apple’s new iPhone sideloading rules 'malicious compliance' and 'ludicrously punitive'
Apple's new App Store rules for the European Union enrage some developers.
Image: danilo.alvesd/Unsplash License/Cult of Mac

A noted Apple critic used the terms “malicious compliance” and “hot garbage” to describe the elaborate rules the company laid down Thursday for allowing European iPhone users to sideload applications.

Those blasts came from Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, a company that’s locked in a legal battle with Apple over App Store rules. But other devs also cast aspersions on Apple’s framework for setting up App Store rivals. They pointed out that the new system comes with a huge financial obligation, and that it will make free apps almost impossible.

To be clear, though, not all developers are unhappy. Apple’s new rules also drew some compliments.

Now Shazam can name songs even when you wear headphones

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Shazam app
Now Apple's Shazam functionality can identify songs even when you wear headphones.
Photo: Apple

Shazam, Apple’s popular app that can name any song in seconds, added a cool new feature Thursday in version 17.3 — it now works even when you wear headphones.

And that’s true for music playing around you or within apps like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, Apple said.

Day or night, you can’t go wrong with stereo HomePods [Setups]

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Dual HomePod MacBook Pro setup
The daytime photograph shows the treasured HomePods clearly.
Photo: [email protected]

Paired for stereo sound, two full-size HomePod smart speakers — the original or second generation — are a thing of auditory beauty. And they don’t just sound great, they look good, too. Yet we don’t see paired HomePods much in computer setups (HomePod minis yes, the big ones, no).

Today’s MacBook Pro setup takes full advantage of Apple audio, however, and the user couldn’t be happier. Well, except with Siri, that is. Check out their setup’s cheerful day version (above) and moody night version (below).

Get Windows 10 for just $17, Microsoft Office 2016 for $28 in CdkeySales January Sale

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CdkeySales.com Windows logo
Use promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com to score major savings on Microsoft software.
Photo: CdkeySales.com

Now that we’re well into 2024, isn’t it time you refreshed critical Microsoft productivity software like Windows and Office? In the new year you can score big deals on those products and more in CdkeySales.com’s ongoing New Year Sale!

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You can find fantastically low prices at software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com now and throughout the year. To get the most savings in the New Year Sale, enter promo code CULT. That cuts an additional 30% off the site’s low prices on software keys. And what’s more, you get a free upgrade to Windows 11 when you buy Windows 10.

iPadOS 17.4 beta hints next iPad Pro will have horizontal camera

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2022 iPad Pro in Magic Keyboard
Making FaceTime calls on an iPad Pro could soon get better.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The updated iPad Pro expected in spring 2024 could make a change tablet users have wanted for years: move the front-facing camera for better horizontal use.

Modified wording in the just-released iPadOS 17.4 beta suggests the camera move is on the way.

Grab a pair of clip-on mics to capture high-quality audio with your iPhone

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These $24 clip-on microphones are great for building your social channels.
Build your social channels in 2024 with these $24 clip-on microphones.
Photo: StackCommerce

Ever wonder why some TikTok videos sound so much better than yours? The answer might be as simple as the fact that the video creator used a quality microphone rather than relying on the iPhone’s hardware. If you need mics for iPhone or iPad, you don’t have to spend a fortune.

These wireless clip-on microphones deliver great results. And for a limited time, you can grab a pair for less than $24.