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Apple might grab TSMC’s entire 2nm chip output

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TSMC looks ahead to super-speedy 2nm processors
2nm processors made by TSMC will be faster while using less power than today's 3nm iPhone and Mac chips.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

TSMC is on course to make the first processors made with a cutting-edge 2nm process. And all of the initial supply of these might go into iPhone and Mac, according to a published report.

It wouldn’t be a surprise, considering the same thing happened with the Taiwanese foundry’s 3nm chips.

The first 2nm chip won’t be out before 2025, though.

iPhone becomes China’s top-selling smartphone for first time

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iPhone took the top spot for smartphones sales in China for the first time.
iPhone took the top spot for smartphones sales in China for the first time.
Photo: Apple

Just as Apple overtook Samsung as the worldwide smartphone leader in 2023, iPhone also became China’s favorite smartphone during that timeframe, according to a new report Thursday from International Data Tracker (IDC).

Apple captured 17.3% of China’s smartphone market in 2023, up from 16.8% in 2022 — albeit in a shrinking marketplace where smartphone shipments declined 5% overall, but with signs of recovery showing up late in the year.

Blaze your own trail with a Juuk Vitero Apple Watch band

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That'll get people's attention.
That'll get people's attention. The color is called Crimson II.
Photo: Juuk

Juuk makes Vitero aluminum Apple Watch bands in Hong Kong, providing them to several high-end Swiss watch brands. But you can get one — or more than one — straight from the Cult of Mac Store.

The bands in the Juuk Vitero collection feature a strong sense of style, including several two-tone looks that are not for the timid.

Convert PDFs easier than ever with this software loved by users, $24.97 for life

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Convert PDFs easier than ever with this software loved by users, $29.99 for life.
Transform the way you work with this top-rated PDF converter, less than $30 now.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

PDFs can be some of the trickiest files to work with — and the same goes for Adobe Acrobat software. Having a reliable and easy-to-use PDF converter app is the key to streamlining your workflow and saving valuable time trying to work with difficult documents.

PDF Converter Pro is one of the most highly rated PDF apps on the entire web. It works on both Mac and PC. And though it usually costs $99, right now you can grab a lifetime license to the software for just $24.97 — a savings of more than $65.

Oscar magnet Killers of the Flower Moon returns to theaters for Apple victory lap

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After landing 10 Academy Award nominations, Apple’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” will be re-released in theaters for a limited theatrical run beginning Friday, January 26.
After 10 Academy Award nominations, “Killers of the Flower Moon” returns to theaters beginning Friday, January 26. From left, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese.
Photo: Apple TV+

After Killers of the Flower Moon attracted 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Apple and Paramount Pictures agreed to rerelease the historical crime drama in theaters starting Friday.

The film, directed by Martin Scorsese and written by him and Eric Roth, will see a limited run in 1,000+ locations worldwide, Apple said.

Deal alert: Take hundreds off Apple Watch 8 refurbs

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Apple Watch 8
Get a good deal on an Apple Watch 8 with blood-oxygen sensing.
Photo: Apple

Ready to bag an Apple Watch with a working blood-oxygen sensor/app? While you can often find good deals on Amazon, the company’s bargain site, Woot, often does it one better. A good example would be Woot’s current deal on refurbished Apple Watch Series 8. You can get the GPS-only model for 34% off, at $264.99 — and it even comes with a one-year Apple warranty.

Amazon’s deals on that model fall a little short of Woot’s mark, but the parent site does offer one incredible deal — a GPS and cellular Apple Watch 8 at 46% off.

See how five Amazon and Woot deals on Apple Watch 8 compare below.

User trades 4K display for a second MacBook Pro [Setups]

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Dual MacBook setup
This setup traded a vertical 32-inch display for an M2 Max MacBook Pro, among other changes.
Photo: [email protected]

For the second time in as many weeks we’ve come across someone ditching a nice external display and keeping just one — and this time it’s to add a second powerful MacBook Pro used as both a computer and a secondary display. In fact, now it’s triple-display setup, but two of them are laptops on stands.

Evolution of the Mac: 40 years of innovation

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From left to right: Mac Plus, Mac Classic, iMac G4, iMac G5, Intel iMac.
How has the Mac changed in the last 40 years?
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The 40-year history of Macintosh computers is a roller coaster of ages golden and dark.

Anything that lasts so long in the forefront of technology has to change to stay relevant. This once-plucky computer that began as an antithesis to the IBM PC, which dominated the world in 1984, is now itself a dominating force, ever pushing the needle in the world of technology.

How did this all happen? Let’s walk through 40 years of Macintosh.

Apple still wants control of sideloaded iPhone apps in the EU

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Sideloading means no Apple App Store
Sideloading means no Apple App Store, but Apple isn't giving up all control.
Graphic: Apple/Cult of Mac

Although the European Union requires Apple to allow sideloading of iPhone applications, Cupertino reportedly hopes to review apps before they become available for installation from outside the App Store.

Apple also expects developers to voluntarily send a percentage of all revenue generated through sideloaded iOS applications.

Enjoy lifetime access to 1,000 courses on coding, design and IT

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StackSkills Unlimited offers lifetime access to over 1,000 courses for under $40.
Explore IT, code, and design with StackSkills Unlimited lifetime access, now under $40.
Photo: StackCommerce

Want to learn something new this year? StackSkills Unlimited provides a vast library of top-rated training, and lifetime access is now only $39.97 (regularly $600) via Cult of Mac Deals.

Whether you’re interested in data analysis or dog training, good coaching can make all the difference to your progress. StackSkills is a platform that brings together learning content from over 350 popular instructors on a range of topics, covering both professional and personal interests.

A wild and wooly take on the history of Macintosh computers

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The Macintosh turns 40.
The Mac turns 40 today. Longtime Apple fan Alfred DiBlasi is a bit older.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Back in the early 1980s, Alfred DiBlasi made his bones selling tons of Apple computers on Long Island, New York. A diehard Mac fan and an undeniably colorful character, DiBlasi has decades of wild Apple stories to tell.

Like the time he met the two Steves — Jobs and Wozniak at a meeting in Manhattan. (Spoiler alert: While the prickly Jobs refused a handshake, Woz gave DiBlasi a big hug.)

These days, DiBlasi — one of the few people on the planet who uses a much-maligned “Trashcan” Mac Pro as a daily driver — posts things like incredibly detailed walkthroughs of the Apple Lisa and the NeXTCube on his YouTube channel.

Prior to the Mac’s 40th anniversary, DiBlasi talked with Cult of Mac about everything Apple, from the clunky computers that preceded the Macintosh 128K to how the machine evolved over time.

You can watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel, or read up on the highlights below. (We recommend you watch the video — DiBlasi’s a hoot.)

New website showcases high-quality photos of every Mac released

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Screenshot of Mac40th, a website with pics of every Macintosh, ever
Mac40th showcases every Macintosh, ever.
Screenshot: Mac40th/Cult of Mac

To celebrate the Macintosh’s 40th birthday, the author of a celebrated book about Macs created a website featuring photos of every Mac ever released.

Jonathan Zufi, author of Iconic: A Photographic Tribute To Apple Innovation, just launched Mac40th.com, a new website with more than 1,000 photos of every Mac, ever.

“So many people have come across a Mac at some point in their lives,” Zufi said in an email to Cult of Mac. “Mac40th.com is about giving fans a fun trip down memory lane with the hope that the Macintosh’s 40th anniversary evokes happy memories for anyone who has ever had an experience with an Apple Mac.”

Pick Wall Street winners with lifetime access to this powerful stock screener

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Learn how to invest more wisely with Tykr Stock Screener, now only $100 before Black Friday.
Gain investment intelligence with Tykr, now just $99.97 ahead of Black Friday.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Investing can feel like a crapshoot — even when the stock market’s on a roll. However, with some Wall Street knowledge and a powerful stock screener, you’ll be well on your way to making better investments.

You can enjoy stock analysis, stock investing tips and much more with Tykr. And right now, you can unlock lifetime access to this powerful stock picker educational platform for only $99.97 (regularly $900) with code STOCK. You need to act fast, though, as this sale only lasts until January 28!

Finally, Apple car coming in 2028

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Interior of a Tesla car with text
With the Apple car project facing drastic cutbacks in the ambition department, insiders reported it might be a "Tesla 'me-too product.'"
Photo: Roberto Nickson/Unsplash License/Cult of Mac

Apple still plans to put a car on the road, but the release date for the Apple car is sometime in 2028, according to a new report.

Designers had to slam the brakes on hopes for full self-driving capabilities. The electric vehicle allegedly will offer some driver-assistance capabilities but these will fall far short of full autonomy. Still, with the downgraded feature set, the product has a better chance of hitting its deadline than before.

watchOS 10.3 update is safe; doesn’t delete Apple Watch Blood Oxygen app

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Apple Watch Series 7 running watchOS 10.3 has a fully functional Blood Oxygen app.
Seeing is believing: This Apple Watch Series 7 running watchOS 10.3 has a fully functional Blood Oxygen app.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Some Apple Watch owners might be hesitant about installing the just-released watchOS 10.3 update over concerns that it’ll remove the controversial Blood Oxygen application. But there’s no reason for concern — it does not.

We tested multiple devices to be extra sure.

Grab big discounts on M2 Mac mini while they last

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Mac-mini-isometric-1536x1152-2
Get good deals on M2 Mac mini desktop machines at Amazon.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Right now you can get great deals on small-but-fierce M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini desktop computers at Amazon, thanks to a combination of price reductions and product-page coupons.

That means you can get between $80 and $123 off different versions of the machine, offering you a range of affordable prices and capabilities to choose from.

Why iPhone 15 Pro Max is better than Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

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iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra
The iPhone 15 Pro Max beats the Galaxy S24 Ultra in several key aspects.
Image: Apple/Samsung

Samsung’s 2024 flagship, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, is here to take on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. On paper, Samsung’s newest Galaxy packs superior hardware to the iPhone. But in a true smartphone smackdown — iPhone 15 Pro Max versus Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — which one would win?

It turns out that a phone is more than just its specs sheet. Below are five reasons why the iPhone 15 Pro Max is better than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Magnetic cable management system clears clutter for less than $14

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Elago cable management system
Keep chargers under control.
Photo: Elago

When you have too many cables cluttering up your desk or bedside table, you need a good cable-management system. Elago’s uses cleverly placed magnets to keep things tidy, and it costs just $13.99.

A single device holds up to three cables, which can be easily removed and reattached should you ever need to move them. Order yours today in black or white from the Cult of Mac Store.

Adding Spatial Audio earns musicians more money

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Apple Spatial Audio technology
Spatial Audio puts users in the middle of their music.
Image: Apple

Apple Music reportedly will pay artists 10% more for tracks that use Spatial Audio, which offers a surround sound-like experience without requiring additional speakers.

Theoretically, more music that offers Spatial Audio should persuade more consumers to buy Apple products that support the feature.

Matrix Ultimate charges your gadgets at home and on the go [Review] ★★★★

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Alogic Matrix Ultimate★★★★
Matrix Ultimate fast-charges MagSafe iPhones and Apple Watch while also juicing up AirPods
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

If you only want one charger for your smaller gadgets, Alogic’s new Matrix Ultimate is nearly ideal. You can use the 3-in-1 charger for iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at home or easily take it with you on trips.

That’s because the solidly built folding portable charger has a removable power bank and Apple Watch charging puck, plus a very nice felt carrying case. And it comes with a power adapter and USB-C cable. It’s not cheap, but it’s quite useful.

Protect up to 6 devices for life with this $33 VPN deal

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Save $130 on this VPN service that can be applied to six devices.
Stay safe, and avoid regional streaming restrictions, with $130 savings on this versatile VPN.
Photo: StackCommerce

You can’t be too safe online, and a trustworthy VPN can help make sure your private information isn’t exploitable.

Rather than go through each day as a vulnerable internet user, lock down online protection with lifetime access to BulletVPN. Normally sold for $162, this plan (which works for up to six devices) is available for only $32.97 through January 28.

Get Windows 11 Pro for less than $25

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Microsoft's top-rated OS, Windows 11 Pro, is now under $25.
Put Windows 11 Pro on three PCs for less than $25 total.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The latest, greatest version of Microsoft Windows is a powerful, productivity-boosting operating system for PC users. And now through January 28, you can get Windows 11 Pro on sale for just $24.97 (regularly $199).

For that low price, you can get yourself (or a loved one) a plethora of advanced features from Microsoft, available to use on up to three PCs!

Constellation trailer explodes with horror from space

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Contellation on Apple TV+
The psychological space-thriller premieres on Apple TV+ February 21.
Photo: Apple TV+

After a disastrous mission, an astronaut returns to Earth to find parts of her life missing, and it appears a horrifying conspiracy may be to blame, according to the trailer Apple TV+ dropped Monday for the upcoming eight-part space-thriller series Constellation.

The streamer describes the series, which stars Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks, as an “action-packed space adventure,” but the trailer feels more like horror. Good thing Apple also calls it a “conspiracy-based psychological thriller.” It premieres February 21.