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Keep your old NVMe SSD useful with this rugged enclosure [Review] ★★★★★

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HyperDrive Next USB4 NVMe SSD Enclosure review★★★★★
Quickly repurpose an NVMe SSD into a Mac external drive with this enclosure from Hyper.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Have an M.2 NVMe drive you want to use with your MacBook or iPad? Put it in the HyperDrive Next USB4 NVMe SSD Enclosure and you can access the contents at speeds up to 40Gbps.

I plugged a solid state drive of mine into this very rugged enclosure to put it to the test.

See gorgeous shots from Paris iPhone photo exhibition

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“I Remember You,” a two-day photography exhibition highlighting original work shot on iPhone 15 Pro Max, opens in Paris Friday.
Photo: Apple

An iPhone photography exhibition called “I Remember You” debuts Friday in Paris — but here’s your chance to scope out some of the fantastic iPhone 15 Pro Max photos online.

The two-day exhibition at the Salon Corderie showcases work by five esteemed photographers, Apple said Thursday.

Here’s how Apple is changing the next Swift Student Challenge

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Swift Student Challenge 2024
A new category in Apple’s February 2024 Swift Student Challenge will recognize 50 Distinguished Winners.
Photo: Apple

Not only did Apple announce next year’s Swift Student Challenge early to give coders more time to prepare — it put the word out Wednesday for the February 2024 competition — it also added a new “Distinguished Winners” category and a raft of new coding resources in “Everyone Can Code Projects.”

Last day to get two 4K drones for the price of one

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If you buy by today, you can get two 4K drones for under $160.
Why settle for one drone when you can score a twofer?
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We’re not recommending that you buzz Apple Park or anything, but owning a 4K drone makes capturing exquisite aerial footage simple. Owning a pair of them gives you extended flight time, as well as a wider array of features.

Now through November 9, you can score two drones for the price of one. Get the Ninja Dragon Phantom K Pro and Alpha Z Pro — two 4K drones that are easy to use, even for beginners — for only $159.97 (regularly $369).

They make great gifts, too.

iPhone 15 Pro Max costs Apple 8% more to make

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iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are the first smartphones to include Thread mesh networking. But why?
The iPhone 15 Pro Max's new camera system is 34% more expensive.
Photo: Apple

A bill of materials (BoM) analysis of the iPhone 15 Pro Max provides insight into the prices of the individual components and how they have changed over the previous year.

Apple is charging $100 more for its flagship iPhone this year. And yet, the device only costs the company an additional $37.7 to manufacture over the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Master PDFs with highly rated PDF Expert for Mac

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Take $70 off the PDF editor that makes it simple to work with PDFs on Mac.
Manage, edit and organize PDFs more easily on Mac with PDF Expert, just $69.99 for life.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Working with PDFs on your Mac can really suck. Even just adding your signature to a PDF document can be an ordeal. Luckily, there’s a great Mac app that can simplify the experience of PDF signing, editing, merging, annotating and much more.

And now it’s on sale for a very limited time. Now through November 9, you can grab the popular and award-winning PDF Expert app for only $69.99 (regularly $139).

Backbone One USB-C game controller updated for iPhone 15

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BackBone One USB-C version 2
The BackBone One game controller is ready for your iPhone 15.
Photo: Backbone

Backbone updated the USB-C version of its popular game controller just in time for the iPhone 15 series, Apple’s first handsets with a USB-C port.

Like earlier versions, this wraps around an iOS or Android handset to put a collection of buttons, sticks and triggers on either side of the landscape screen.

Resident Evil 4 bleeds onto iPhone and iPad in December

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Capcom Resident Evil 4 for iPhone and iPad
Resident Evil 4 helped define the horror game genre.
Screenshot: Capcom

The classic horror game Resident Evil 4 will make its iPhone and iPad debut on December 20. It’s a demonstration of the gaming capabilities of Apple’s most powerful mobile devices.

This is one of multiple console titles being ported to Apple handsets and tablets thanks to their highly capable processors.

Ted Lasso star belts out classics in Home for Christmas trailer

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It really looks like a song-and-dance extravaganza, if that's your thing.
It really looks like a song-and-dance extravaganza, if that's your thing.
Photo: Apple TV+

Any fan of old-school song-and-dance numbers has a lot to look forward to this Yuletide season, judging by the trailer Apple TV+ dropped Wednesday for its upcoming special, Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas.

The big, star-studded show debuts November 22, along with a companion album on all music streaming platforms, Apple said.

Taylor Swift named Apple Music’s Artist of the Year

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Taylor Swift named Apple Music’s Artist of the Year
This seems inevitable.
Image: Apple

Apple Music joined the ranks of the Swifties. Taylor Swift was picked to be Apple Music’s Artist of the Year for 2023.

“I am so honored to be Apple Music’s Artist of the Year,” said Swift. “Thank you to every single one of you for making this year the most incredible, joyful, celebratory year ever. From streaming the music nonstop to screaming it together in real life at the shows, dancing chaotically in movie theaters, none of this would have been possible without you. Thank you so much.”

Stunning Mac mini streaming rig took 2 years to perfect [Setups]

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Setups RetroGameCollector-Reddit
Check the links list below to explore all the gear here.
Photo: [email protected]

It might seem unlikely that a computer setup could take 2 years to build and idealize — until you see just how loaded and beautiful it is. Today’s M2 Pro Mac mini went through many iterations in the past couple of years, its user said, and now they’re finally happy with it.

And they should be. The setup rips through gaming and streaming tasks using an awesome lineup of gear. Read more below and check out that gear list.

New USB-C Apple Pencil is lower in price but not usability [Review] ★★★★

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Apple Pencil (USB-C)★★★★
The first budget Apple Pencil is the iPad stylus students and businesspeople have been looking for.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The just-launched Apple Pencil includes USB-C charging, making it easy to use with the budget iPad. While top quality, the new model doesn’t have all the features of Apple Pencil 2 but costs $50 less.

I tested the stylus with my iPad and found reasons to like it even more than the premium version.

Carterjett nylon Apple Watch bands rise to all occasions with comfort

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For beach combing, a workout, the workday, a hot date -- Carterjett nylon Apple Watch bands fit in everywhere.
For beach combing, a workout, the workday, a hot date -- Carterjett nylon Apple Watch bands fit in everywhere.
Photo: Carterjett

Many people associate leather and stainless steel with watch bands for both analog and smart watches, but nylon seems to be on the rise for a lot of good reasons. Straps like the Carterjett Nylon Apple Watch Band offer lightweight comfort, flexibility and waterproof durability that looks good in a lot of situations.

And you can get the Carterjett Nylon Apple Watch Bands in 11 color choices from just $32.99 in the Cult of Mac Store.

Fresh iOS, watchOS and macOS patches launch to squash bugs

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iOS 17.1.1
iOS 17.1.1 is one of four bug fix patches Apple released on Tuesday.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple just introduced iOS 17.1.1 to patch a nasty glitch with BMW cars. And there’s watchOS 10.1.1, a promised fix for a battery bug affecting many Apple Watch users.

Plus Mac users can now install macOS Sonoma 14.1.1 with its own bug patches. And don’t overlook iPadOS 17.1.1.

Apple gets ready to make much better batteries

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iPhone and other Apple devices may have much better batteries within a couple of years.
iPhone and other Apple devices may have much better batteries within a couple of years.
Photo: PBKreviews

Apple is developing greatly improved batteries for its future devices, according to a new report. It appears the iPhone-maker wants to create a custom process in-house and own it — rather than outsourcing — just like it did with Apple silicon chips.

Cat-based cyberpunk adventure Stray about to pounce onto Mac

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'Stray
Stray is an award-winning game coming soon to Mac.
Image: Annapurna Interactive/BlueTwelve Studio

Mac gamers can soon enjoy Stray. Players become a cat wandering through a cyberpunk city in this very popular and award winning title. It’ll debut for macOS in only a few weeks.

The macOS release is well timed to fit with Apple’s new push for Mac gaming.

How to fix software updates on your brand-new MacBook Pro

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Install macOS Sonoma on M3 MacBook Pro
Fix software updates on your new MacBook Pro.
Photo: Apple

Some lucky first-day owners of the new M3 MacBook Pro unboxed their machines Tuesday to discover a reversal of fortune: Their new Macs arrived with a broken version of macOS that can’t install software updates.

Some MacBook Pros shipped to customers with an unreleased (well, more like unintentionally released) build of macOS Ventura 13.5. This version can’t be updated to macOS Sonoma through the standard Software Update feature in System Preferences.

Here’s how to fix the admittedly rare problem.

Commandos kidnap one of Gary Oldman’s Slow Horses in season 3 trailer

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Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses
Gary Oldman's Jackson Lamb has seen better days. And better spies.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is cranking up the action in espionage-thriller series Slow Horses, if the season 3 trailer it dropped Tuesday is any indication.

Dissipated Cold War-era spy Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) sees his Slough House crew of remedial MI5 agents come under major attack, and one of them is kidnapped by an elite military unit. Is it an inside job? Per previous seasons, the Slow Horses tend to get in trouble with their more-accomplished MI5 colleagues.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: 5x telephoto shootout

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iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: 5x zoom comparison
Just how good is the iPhone's new 5x zoom?
Graphics: Rajesh

The iPhone 15 Pro Max utilizes Apple’s most impressive photographic tech yet, but it’s not the first smartphone with a 5x telephoto camera. In the Android world, you will find several phones with 5x to 10x optical zoom.

Only Samsung’s and Google’s devices deliver image quality capable of competing with Apple’s best. Only Google’s Pixel lineup directly competes with the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x optical shooter. (Samsung is ahead of the competition with its 10x periscope lens.)

So which 5x zoom is the best? See our side-by-side comparison shots to see how the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x tetraprism zoom stacks up against the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Nice-guy dad remembers how to kill in The Family Plan trailer

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The Family Plan trailer
New action comedy “The Family Plan,” with Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan, comes to Apple TV+ December 15.
Photo:

Nice-guy dad. Loving wife. Eye-rolling teens. Cute and happy baby. The trailer Apple TV+ dropped Monday for action-comedy film The Family Plan really has it all — including tons and tons of killing.

Mark Wahlberg stars as assassin-turned-straight-arrow husband and dad whose past rushes back in a hail of bullets, even as he still tries to hide everything from wife Michelle Monaghan and the kids. The movie premieres December 15 on Apple TV+.

Apple makes editing video easier with Final Cut Pro update

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Apple makes editing video easier with Final Cut Pro update
Updates to Final Cut Pro video-editing software for Mac or iPad offer new features that help streamline workflows.
Image: Apple

The upcoming Final Cut Pro version 10.7 brings in improvements to timeline navigation and organization, as well as new changes that Apple says will simplify complex edits.

And Final Cut Pro for iPad 1.3 includes new features intended to enhance using the professional-grade video-editing application on a touchscreen.