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Go retro with nostalgic Elago cases for Apple accessories

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The W5 AirTag case looks like an old-school gaming console.
The W5 AirTag case looks like an old-school gaming console.
Photo: Elago

Elago excels at making nostalgic cases for Apple accessories that look like other things. Not long ago the company put out the Elago W5 AirTag Keychain Case, which looks like an old-school Super Nintendo home-gaming console. You can also get an airpod case with airtag slot, as well as AirPods cases that look like original Mac computers and much more.

The Cult of Mac Store has 25 great Apple accessories at great prices in its Elago Retro Collection. We highlight a few examples below.

Hate stuff in your ears? Try Soundcore’s new open-ear wireless buds [Review]

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Soundcore's AeroFit (left) and AeroFit Pro open-ear buds keep the hardware out of your ear.
Soundcore's AeroFit (left) and AeroFit Pro open-ear buds keep the hardware out of your ear.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Some people just hate having anything in their ears, like earplugs or earbuds that insert in the ear canal. Others love having music during workouts, but despise sweating all over their earbuds or headphones. For them, Soundcore rolled out the bold-sounding AeroFit and AeroFit Pro open-ear, true-wireless earbuds Wednesday.

The new buds are good at what they do, but they’re not for everyone. I tried out both sets.

Apple Arcade getting 8 more fun new games in 2023

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Apple Arcade games
There are plenty of upcoming games and recent additions to Apple Arcade.
Image: Apple

Disney Dreamlight Valley Arcade Edition, Football Manager 2024 Touch, Sonic Dream Team and Puzzle & Dragons Story are among the eight games on the way to Apple Arcade in November and December. They’ll join the 200+ already on the service.

In addition, more than 50 of the already available games will get content updates.

Create e-books with ease with this ChatGPT-powered tool, now less than $25

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My AI eBook Creation Pro can help you publish e-books for only $25.
This AI-powered tool makes creating e-books a breeze.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

AI technology is changing the way we approach content creation, and if you can find the right outlet, it can help launch a lucrative online income. Fortunately, there’s now an incredibly user-friendly e-book creation tool that utilizes ChatGPT to make developing e-books far more manageable than you might have imagined.

Build professional tools and learn new languages with $590 savings on this educational bundle

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Save almost $600 on this lifetime learning bundle that includes Rosetta Stone.
Pick up this lifetime learning bundle, complete with Rosetta Stone, for nearly 80% off.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Ready or not, the holiday season is right around the corner, but you still have some time to find the right gifts. Time is limited, however, when it comes to the availability of this comprehensive educational bundle featuring the top-rated Rosetta Stone language-learning app for only a fraction of the price.

Lifetime access to the Unlimited Lifetime Learning Subscription Bundle is discounted to only $159.97 (regularly $749) through Oct. 31 with code ROSETTA, meaning you don’t have long to pounce on nearly 80% savings.

Should you buy the new MacBook Pro or iMac?

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Should you upgrade?
Here’s some buying advice for the new Macs.
Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple introduced the next generation of MacBook Pro and iMac, each powered by the next generation of its in-house silicon: M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max. The Macs run faster than ever before thanks to smaller transistors and additional cores packed into each processor.

The products are already available to order — so is it time for you to upgrade? That all depends on which devices you have, so I’ve put together a buying guide with sharable images and a video to help you decide.

How Apple’s ‘Scary Fast’ event was shot on iPhone [Updated]

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Scary Fast Shot on iPhone video
Apple had a surprise for viewers of its "Scary Fast" event: the camera.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Apple’s “Scary Fast” Mac event focused on the new M3 family of chips, refreshed MacBook Pros and an updated iMac. But Apple uncorked a big surprise at the end by revealing the entire presentation was recorded using an iPhone.

This marks the first time Apple used only one of its handsets to film an entire product-launch event. And the company released a behind-the-scenes video showing exactly how the magic was made.

Apple Watch threatened with sales ban in December

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A light-based pulse oximeter measure blood oxygen.
A light-based pulse oximeter measure blood oxygen.
Photo: Graham Bower

Bans on Apple Watch imports and sales could take effect the day after Christmas unless President Joe Biden steps in, after the International Trade Commission ruled Thursday that Apple infringed on medical technology patents held by Masimo Corp. and its sibling company, Cercacor Laboratories.

So unless the president vetoes the bans or Apple somehow strikes a deal in a fight that has dragged on for years — neither seems likely — most Apple Watches could go off the market because some of their components violate patents.

M1 vs. M3 24-inch iMac comparison: What’s changed?

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M1 vs M3 iMac Comparison
How is the 2023 iMac better than its 2021 predecessor?
Photo: Rajesh

Apple unveiled the 24-inch iMac with M1 chip way back in April 2021, and while the rest of the company’s Mac lineup got an M2 upgrade since then, the all-on-one desktop missed the boat. To make up for it, Apple announced the M3-powered iMac at its ‘Scary Fast’ event.

How does the 2023 iMac compare to its predecessor? Does it pack any other improvement besides the faster chip? Read this comparison to find out.

Know an aspiring coder? This Python Boot Camp Bundle is available for $67 off with early holiday pricing

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Pick up a comprehensive course bundle for Python computer coding at only $16.97.
Save $67 on this Python boot camp bundle for aspiring coders.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The coding industry has become increasingly competitive, making it crucial for job candidates to separate themselves from the crowd. If you know an aspiring coder who is attempting to turn their passion into a profession, consider taking advantage of an early holiday discount on a comprehensive collection of helpful courses.

Good riddance: 13-inch MacBook Pro discontinued

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Apple has finally discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
You can no longer buy a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar.
Photo/Graphics: Apple/Rajesh

Following Monday’s launch of the M3-powered MacBook Pros, Apple discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro. It was the last MacBook in the company’s lineup with a Touch Bar, a thin, customizable OLED strip at the top of the keyboard that replaced the usual row of function keys.

A cheaper 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 chip replaces the older Touch Bar model.

3 new M3 MacBook Pro models promise blazing speed

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The top two new MacBook Pro models now come in a space black aluminum finish.
The top two new MacBook Pro models now come in a space black aluminum finish.
Photo: Apple

In a first, Apple rolled out three new chips at once — the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max — during its Halloween-themed Scary Fast event Monday. The new Apple processors power updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

The company also utilized a cool-looking space black aluminum finish for the first time on M3 Pro and M3 Max models. The laptops promise to hit speedy new benchmarks.

“Tonight we’re doing something we haven’t done before, as we bring our latest technologies to a broader set of users more rapidly than ever,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies. “We’re launching the next generation of Apple silicon for the Mac by releasing three great new chips at the same time.”

Apple rolls out updated iMac with M3

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The new iMac with M3 in all seven colors
The new iMac with M3 gets faster internals but the same seven colors.
Photo: Apple

At Monday’s “Scary Fast” event, Apple rolled out a simple update to the iMac, the perennial all-in-one desktop computer, with the new M3 chip. This comes alongside the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

“The world’s best all-in-one gets even more powerful and even more capable,” said CEO Tim Cook. “We’re giving the iMac a giant leap in performance while keeping the same, impossibly thin design,” said SVP of hardware engineering John Ternus.

iMac starts at the same price of $1,299. You can order it today and it will be available next week.

Apple M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max boost Mac performance up to 50%

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Apple M3 chip family
Apple unveiled the M3 and didn't make Mac users wait for the M3 Pro and M3 Max.
Image: Apple

Apple broke with tradition and unveiled the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max processors all at once on Monday, rather than stringing the releases out. The performance cores in the new chips are up to 30% faster than M1, and the efficiency cores are up to 50% faster.

“Apple silicon has completely redefined the Mac experience. Every aspect of its architecture is designed for performance and power efficiency,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s SVP of Hardware Technologies. “With 3-nanometer technology, a next-generation GPU architecture, a higher-performance CPU, faster Neural Engine, and support for even more unified memory, M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max are the most advanced chips ever built for a personal computer.”

Apple’s online store goes down ahead of ‘Scary Fast’ event

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Apple store is down just before the start of the Scary Fast event.
The online Apple store is down just before the start of the Scary Fast event.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Apple’s online store has gone down ahead of its ‘Scary Fast’ event this evening. It is typical of Apple to take down its online store before major product launches, but this usually happens hours before. This time it was mere minutes.

This will likely be the company’s last product launch event for 2023.

Get ready to play Scary Fast event bingo

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See if you can get bingo tonight during Apple's Scary Fast event.
See if you can get bingo tonight during Apple's Scary Fast event.
Photo: Basic Apple Guy

If a big Apple event like Monday evening’s Scary Fast is happening, you can you’ll find a selection of bingo cards to play on social media. It could make the event go by quicker. And it’s fun just to check them out to see if the predictions align with your own and spot if anyone got a good joke or two in there.

The Enfield Poltergeist documentary brings eerie Halloween chills [Apple TV+ review]

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"The Enfield Poltergeist" is an eerie way to spend a Halloween-ish evening.
Image: Apple

TV+ Review The Apple TV+ documentary The Enfield Poltergeist goes in-depth on “the most famous poltergeist haunting in history.” The events inspired The Conjuring 2 and are creepy Halloween fun, though unlikely to convince anyone that ghosts are real.

I suspended my disbelief for a few hours and enjoyed the show for what it is.

Sometimes the best cable organizer is your desk mat [Setups]

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We don't feature a ton of iPad-driven setups, but that's not actually the cool thing we're obsessed with in this photo.
We don't feature a ton of iPad-driven setups, but that's not actually the cool thing we're obsessed with in this photo.
Photo: Fernando Silva

We love it when unfamiliar gear in a computer setup cropping up on social media makes us go, “what the hell is that thing?”

It happened with today’s featured setup, which is bit unusual because it centers on an iPad Pro rather than a desktop computer or laptop. But the unfamiliar item turned out to be a desk mat with a cool trick using metal pieces to tame cable clutter.

Aqara Smart Lock U100: Your key to a smarter, safer home

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You can open the Aqara Smart Lock U100 with your iPhone or Apple Watch.
You can open the Aqara Smart Lock U100 with your iPhone or Apple Watch.
Photo: Aqara

Not very many deadbolt smart locks support Apple HomeKit or home key, the handy feature that lets you unlock the door with your iPhone or Apple Watch. But Aqara’s highly capable Smart Lock U100 does, and it offers many other smart features as well. That makes it a top choice for Apple fans everywhere to keep their homes safe and secure.

If you’d like to never carry a physical key and never get locked out again, read on.

Tiny new earbuds bring mighty sound, decent noise cancellation [Review][Updated] ★★★★☆

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If you like compact, stemless earbuds with good sound, these are worth a try.★★★★☆
If you like compact, stemless earbuds with good sound, these are worth a try.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Don’t want to spend hundreds on great-sounding earbuds? Affordable earbud and speaker maker EarFun unveiled its updated stemless earbuds Monday, EarFun Free Pro 3. They check a lot of quality boxes at a low regular price of $80, or $60 with current discounts (see below).

Like previous EarFun releases, the new buds nail high-quality sound and offer an array of premium features. But in this case, I found the active noise cancellation (ANC) unimpressive — that is, until EarFun sent out firmware update VO.2.1 in early November, and it improved noticeably. 

Full version of Resident Evil Village launches for iPhone 15 Pro and iPad

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'Resident Evil Village' on iPhone
You don't need a console to play Resident Evil Village, just an iPhone 15 Pro or a recent high-end or mid-range iPad.
Photo: Capcom

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max owners can start playing the console-quality version of Resident Evil Village. The survival horror game hit the App Store just in time for Halloween.

It can also be played on iPads with high-end processors.