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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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This post is brought to you by CdkeySales.
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.

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.

Price cut: Apple TV-compatible remote gives you the buttons you crave

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This affordable button remote gives you complete control of Apple TV devices at a discounted cost.
Navigate your Apple TV with ease thanks to this low-priced accessory.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The Apple TV continues to sell like hotcakes, but its remote remains a topic of conversation and leaves some users searching for alternative options. A third-party Apple TV remote like the Function101 Button Remote could give you the classic TV experience you desire.

It’s an affordable solution, and it’s on sale now for just $24.97.

First iOS 17.4 beta brings new emoji plus huge changes for EU

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iOS 17.4 logo
iOS 17.4 will bring changes, but you'll have to live in Europe to get most of them.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 17.4 to developers Thursday, offering a first look at new emoji coming soon to iPhone. For Europeans, the update will be a major one, as it will allow users to sideload apps (among other big changes).

Also on Thursday came the initial betas of iPadOS 17.4 and tvOS 17.4. There’s no sign yet of macOS 14.4 beta 1, however.

Apple will allow alternative browser defaults and engines in EU

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Screenshot of default browser screen in iOS.
EU users are about to get a lot more choice for their default browser and browser engines.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple is further opening up iOS to alternative browsers and browser engines, as part of Cupertino’s plan to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act.

In iOS 17.4 — launched Thursday as a beta — iPhone users in the EU will have a lot more choice over the default browser and browser engines.

The biggest change will be the ability to use alternative browser engines, like Google’s Blink renderer instead of Apple’s WebKit.

Apple is bringing sideloading and alternate app stores to iPhone

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Apple revealed the iPhone app sideloading rules for the EU
Sideloading applications onto iPhone comes with a lot of rules.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple is bringing sideloading and alternate app stores to the iPhone — but with significant restrictions.

Apple gave EU developers guidelines and access to the tools needed for sideloading —  installing applications that don’t go through the App Store. But the new rules require these apps to be approved by Apple before they can be installed by iPhone users. And they need to be in alternative marketplaces, not directly available for download.

In other words, sideloading won’t be the free-for-all some people had hoped.

This is part of sweeping changes to iOS, Safari and the App Store required by the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. And Apple’s announcement of these changes in Thursday is loaded with warning about how sideloading brings risks for users.

Apple opens iPhone tap-to-pay to third parties in EU

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Hold Near Reader payment sheet for third-party NFC tap-to-pay implementation on iPhone in the EU.
Soon, third-party developers can offer tap-to-pay options utilizing the iPhone's NFC chip ... but only in the European Union.
Image: Cult of Mac

To comply with EU mandates, Apple will open the iPhone’s NFC payment chip to third parties, the company said Thursday. Starting in March, users in the European Economic Area will be able to utilize tap to pay on iPhone services other than Apple Pay when making purchases.

The new payment option, part of sweeping changes forced on the iPhone and iOS by the EU’s Digital Markets Act, could cut into Apple’s services revenue. And the company warns that it could put users at risk. Read more about the expansion of iPhone’s Tap to Pay feature across Europe.

iPhone App Store change allows streaming games and mini apps

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App Store
Game streaming and more will be very different in the App Store.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Apple eased up on longstanding App Store limitations on how iOS apps can deliver experiences to iPhone and iPad users, including streaming games and mini-programs, the company indicated Thursday. Developers like gaming companies can now submit a single app with the ability to stream all games in a catalog, rather than one app per game.

Accompanying these options will be new analytics reports for developers starting in March, plus new sign-in options they can include with apps.