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Craft 74 new workouts on Apple Watch with SmartGym app [Awesome Apps]

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SmartGym 7 for Apple Watch
Time to get ripped with SmartGym 7 for Apple Watch. Or at least fit.
Photo: SmartGym
Awesome Apps

The SmartGym app is already well-loved by Apple Watch users, and its recent update adds more than 70 new workouts and loads of convenient new functionality.

And it’s considered so good it’s currently up against two other finalist apps to win the App Store Award for Apple Watch App of the Year.

Pre-loved iPad comes bundled with every accessory you need for less than $220

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Score early Black Friday savings on this near-mint iPad with renewed new Beats headphones, now just $220.
A refurbished iPad and an accessory bundle featuring Beats Flex headphones makes a perfect gift.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Looking for a Black Friday sale on an iPad? For a limited time, you can score an incredible deal on a near-mint refurbished iPad bundled with all the accessories you could need — including a set of Beats wireless headphones.

Through November 26, this combo goes for only $219.97, with no coupon necessary.

Apple stops advertising on X after Elon Musk’s antisemitic post

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X and Apple logos
Apple paused advertising on the service formerly known as Twitter amid another controversy touched off by Elon Musk.
Photo: X/Apple

In the wake of Elon Musk posting his support for an antisemitic comment on X, Apple reportedly paused advertising on the social-networking service that Musk owns.

Disney, IBM and Lionsgate have also supposedly stopped advertising on the service formerly known as Twitter.

Get a magnetic iPhone battery pack for less than $35

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This portable iPhone wireless charger is now only $34.97 ahead of Black Friday.
Power up your iPhone quickly while on the go with the Speedy Mag wireless charger, now less than $35.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Keeping your iPhone fully charged can feel like a chore when you’re always on the go. The Speedy Mag charger makes life easier, allowing you to juice up your iPhone battery even when you’re out and about.

Ahead of Black Friday, you can grab this portable wireless iPhone charger for only $34.97 (regularly $119)!

On For All Mankind‘s Mars, the working man’s life sucks (and then he dies, probably) [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Miles Dale (Toby Kebbell) in For All Mankind★★★
Miles Dale and his new Helios colleagues are psyched to work on Mars. But that doesn't last long.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review Last week’s season four opener of Apple TV+ alt-history drama series For All Mankind went necessarily big to catch everyone up and start off with a bang. So it’s not surprising episode two establishes a more practical stride, focusing on the realities of life in a working Mars colony.

Turns out life sucks for the working man up there in more ways than just an alarming chance of fatality. Life in Happy Valley, Mars, also tells a deeply unfair tale of haves and have-nots, just like on Earth.

iPad Air and iPad mini with OLED screens pegged for 2026 release

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OLED iPad mini concept
OLED iPad models might come in big and small sizes.
Image: Cult of Mac/Apple/Paul Inkles

Add iPad Air and iPad mini to the list of Apple tablets getting OLED screens. At least, that’s what an unconfirmed report coming out of Asia says. And the mini will supposedly get a boost in display size.

The top-of-the-line iPad Pro models will reportedly get the enhanced display type much sooner, though.

This 4K portable monitor is beautiful and surprisingly affordable [Review] ★★★★

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KYY K3-3 Portable Monitor -- simulated screen image★★★★
The KYY K3-3 Portable Monitor is 4K and looks much better than you might expect given its price.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The KYY K3-3 Portable Monitor adds a high-quality second screen to your Mac or iPad. Even some iPhones. It’s 15.6 inches and has a 4K resolution, so it’s designed for work and play wherever you go.

I tested the reasonably priced second screen in my home office and when working remotely to see how it stands up to real-world use. I like it more than I expected to.

Crucial dock connects new MacBook Pro to classic Cinema Display [Setups]

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Setup with MacBook Pro and Cinema Display.
The user connects a MacBook Pro and Cinema Display via dock, as the Mac mini mainly stays with the TV in the living room.
Photo: [email protected]

One thing we love about Apple is the staying power of its beautiful displays. We see the Studio Display maker’s much older Cinema Displays and Thunderbolt Displays used in modern computer setups pretty regularly.

Today’s MacBook Pro setup recently added a docking station to charge the laptop while connecting it to a classic LED Cinema Display.

Score $200 off M3 Pro MacBook Pro in this Black Friday deal

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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

Apple’s M3 Pro MacBook Pros are available with up to $200 off in Amazon’s pre-Black Friday deal. This drops Apple’s latest laptops down to their lowest price within days of launch.

With Amazon’s offer, you can currently get the 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro for $1,849. The 16-inch variant is available with a bigger discount of $200, bringing its price down to $2,299.

Get a lifetime subscription to a speedy VPN for less than $40

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Get lifetime online security with Ivacy VPN, now only $39.99 before Black Friday.
Pre-Black Friday deal alert: Enjoy lifetime security with Ivacy VPN, now under $40.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Want a safer, more privacy-focused online experience? You can eliminate web tracking, secure your privacy, and protect your data with Ivacy VPN. It works on iOS, macOS and more, and you can use it on up to five devices with a single dirt-cheap subscription.

With this special pre-Black Friday deal, you can score lifetime access to Ivacy VPN for only $39.99 (regularly $97) — the lowest price on the web!

Best MagSafe wallets for iPhone

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These are the best MagSafe wallets you can buy for iPhone.
There's a MagSafe wallet for everyone.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

One of the best ways to use MagSafe on iPhone is to make it carry your wallet. It means you don’t have to remember to pick up multiple items every time you leave the house, and it ensures that you always have access to credit and ID cards that you can’t carry virtually in the Apple Wallet app.

Now that we’ve had MagSafe for a few years, there are lots of great wallets to choose from. Here are six of the best that you can slap onto the back of your iPhone today.

Power up gadgets fast with Journey’s new ‘Ultra’ MagSafe chargers

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Journey Alti Ultra charging desk mat
Journey's Alti Ultra wireless charging desk mat is one of the company's fastest chargers.
Photo: Journey

Alogic’s Journey brand recently rolled out its fastest-ever chargers — a wireless charging desk mat and 3-in-1 wireless charging station.

The new Ultra series chargers — Alti Ultra Wireless Charging Desk Mat and the Trio Ultra 3-in-1 Fast Wireless Charging Station — carry Made for MagSafe certification, the company’s first to do so.

Apple’s in-house 5G iPhone modem delayed once again

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The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads.
Apple will have to stick to Qualcomm's 5G modem for the foreseeable future.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple is falling further behind in creating an in-house modem for iPhones. After multiple delays, the company targeted a 2025 spring timeline to ship its first modem. But that’s not going to happen.

A new report signals that Apple has delayed the modem’s launch until the end of 2025 or early 2026.

Snag a Sam’s Club membership for $20 and save on holiday shopping and beyond

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You can grab a one-year Sam's Club membership with auto-renew for only $20.
Save on Apple gear and other essentials with a heavily discounted Sam's Club membership.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Smart shoppers know that Sam’s Club offers pretty much everything you need for the holidays. You can start with great prices on gifts (including Apple products), but you also can save on appliances, decorations and plenty of delicious food to fuel your holiday feasts.

Better yet, the savings don’t stop after you snap out of your holiday food coma. You will save on essentials all year long at Sam’s Club. Chances are there’s a location near you, and there’s never been a better time to join. Cult of Mac readers can get a one-year membership to Sam’s Club for just $20. This membership typically costs $50, and it can pay for itself in a single visit!

Tame cord spaghetti with Function101’s Cable Blocks [Review]

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Function101 Cable Blocks cord management system
Function101's rubbery magnetic Cable Blocks are my favorite cord management system.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Almost every day, our robot vacuum tangles itself in charging cables, which the kids toss cavalierly across the floor. Snaking from behind the couch, the cords wait like baited fishing lines to ensnare our unsuspecting Roomba. It’s an unmitigated cable management disaster.

Luckily, we just got some Cable Blocks from Function101. Cable Blocks are rubbery little magnetic blocks that sit on your desk or nightstand and hold cables out of the way. It’s a simple and clever design.

Here’s why Cable Blocks are my favorite cable management system.

Shocker: Apple commits to RCS for better texting with Android users

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iMessage bullying
But we don't yet know if blue and green bubbles will remain.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

 In what is apparently an enormous change of direction, Apple reportedly plans to add support for Rich Communication Services to the iPhone Messages app in 2024. This will enable iPhones and Androids to communicate more effectively, with more of the bells and whistles associated with Apple’s proprietary iMessage platform.

It also could be the end of the green bubble versus blue bubble controversy, though not necessarily. If you’re wondering how to get RCS on iPhone, Apple’s latest update will bring end-to-end encryption to RCS messaging. Find out more here.

Note Apple’s holiday shipping deadlines so your gifts get there on time

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Ted Lasso animation
Sure, this is mustache-less Ted Lasso from a 2022 holiday animated short, but the coach looks pretty worried his gifts won't get to Kansas by Christmas.
Photo: Apple

If you’re planning on giving the gift of Apple gear to someone this holiday season, you better follow holiday shipping guidelines Apple posted on Thursday.

That way you can make sure your presents get to where they’re going by December 24, just in time for Christmas.

iPhone 15 handily beats iPhone 14 in 5G download speed tests

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The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads.
The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

iPhone 15 Series handsets released in September smoke iPhone 14 handsets by up to 54% in 5G download speeds, new tests released Wednesday showed.

Given the modem chipset upgrade in the newer models, the results aren’t surprising. But it’s always reassuring when the new gear performs as advertised.

Block all YouTube ads with the best Safari extension ever [Awesome Apps]

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Vinegar running on iOS
No ads. Picture-in-picture. Background play. All in one extension. Perfect, no notes.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Awesome Apps

If you love YouTube but hate YouTube ads, Vinegar is the best Safari extension you can download. It blocks all ads on YouTube and restores many iOS-native features like playing videos in the background, picture-in-picture, and more on iPhone, iPad and Mac alike.

YouTube ads are freaking insufferable. But if you don’t want to put down the dough for YouTube Premium (currently $13.99 per month), you can pay a one-time fee of just $1.99 to buy Vinegar for all your Apple devices.

If you ever watch YouTube, Vinegar is life-changing. Get it now on the App Store for iOS, iPadOS and macOS.

How to get the latest USB-C Apple Pencil firmware update

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Apple Pencil (USB-C) firmware update
Yes, you might need to think about updating the software on your Apple Pencil.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Just about everything electronic requires firmware — Apple’s iPad stylus is no exception. With software comes updates, and there’s new one for the recently released version of the Apple Pencil with a USB-C port.

Here’s how to check what firmware version your Apple Pencil is currently running, and a suggestion on how to get the new update.

Wireless record player makes vinyl fun again

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Enjoy analog music anywhere with the RokBlok 2.0, now under $80.
Give a vinyl fan analog listening anywhere with the RokBlok 2.0, on sale ahead of Black Friday for less than $80.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Anyone who loves vinyl records will tell you that the physicality of the medium is half the fun. Still, those precious platters aren’t exactly the most portable way to bring music to the party, to say nothing of the equipment you need to play them — until now.

The RokBlok 2.0 is a compact, self-contained record player that spins around while the record stays still, and it’s on sale now with early Black Friday pricing. Now through December 3, you can grab it for yourself or a loved one for only $79.97 (regularly $99).

Apple Music Classical expands to iPad

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Apple Music Classical for iPad
The Apple Music Classical application now supports large tablet screens.
Photo: Apple

The Apple Music Classical app that launched for iPhone earlier this year has been updated with support for the larger screens on iPads.

The app offers access to the world’s largest classical music catalog, with more than 5 million tracks. It’s free for Apple Music subscribers. If you’re interested in Mac music, you can find more insights in Apple Music Classical listening guides. This is just one of many apple digital services expanding across devices—learn more about it on Apple Music Classical on the web.

PlayStation 5 owners get 6 months of free Apple Music subscription

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Apple Music noted its most popular song and artists of 2022.
Offer is only applicable for new and returning users though.
Photo: Apple Music

Apple and Sony have teamed up to offer six months of Apple Music free to PlayStation 5 owners. The offer is only valid for new or qualified returning users, not existing subscribers.

Apple’s music streaming now comes with a relatively short one-month trial period. So, this promotion could be a boon for users on the fence about trying Apple Music.