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iOS 17.1 boosts battery life of most older iPhones

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iPhone 13 charging test
iPhone 13 runs longer on iOS 17.1 than other recent versions.
Photo: ChargerLAB

The most-recent iOS update increases the battery life of several older iPhone models, according to tests on a range of devices. And it’s a jump for almost every model tested over the first iOS 17 version.

But there’s still room for improvement.

Here’s the latest on new MacBooks to expect from Scary Fast event

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Certain new MacBook Pro models powered by the M3 chip may appear Monday at Apple's Scary Fast event, while others are still in development.
Certain new MacBook Pro models powered by the M3 chip may appear Monday at Apple's Scary Fast event, while others are still in development.
Photo: Apple

UPDATE: The “Scary Fast” event has come and gone, and it brought the fresh MacBook Pro models and the iMac — all powered with a new M3 processor — that leaks predicted. Check out Cult of Mac‘s full coverage for more details.


As Apple’s Monday-evening Scary Fast event fast approaches, the latest rumors Friday say new M3-powered 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are likely to appear, while a new 13-inch M3 model likely remains in development.

Why choosing the right monitor light bar matters [Setups]

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The user said his $180 monitor light bar is absolutely worth it.
The user said his $180 monitor light bar is absolutely worth it.
Photo: [email protected]

A good external monitor like Apple’s Studio Display is an important part of a computer setup. But what about the monitor light bar that sits on top of it? They’re not all the same and they can hugely impact your workspace.

Today’s MacBook Pro setup boasts a Studio Display, and on top sits a fairly pricey BenQ monitor light. Read on the find out why the user says it’s worth every penny.

Get a one-year Costco Gold Star Membership and a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* for $60

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Here's how to shop get a Costco membership plus a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* for $60.
This limited-time deal gets you a year-long Costco membership plus a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* for $60.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Editor’s note: Apologies, but this deal is not yet live. We accidentally published this post too early. The deal will go live at midnight on October 30th. Again, we’re sorry for the mistake.

Sticking to a household budget is a challenging task, especially if you have to bounce from store to store to get all your errands done. That’s a waste of gas, time and money. With the holidays so close, it might be worth it to start shopping at Costco and turn any savings you find into gifts for your friends and family. Plus, this is your chance to get a One-Year Gold Star Membership and a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* for the price of a normal membership. 

NexDock transforms iPhone 15 into clamshell notebook

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NexDock transforms iPhone 15 into clamshell notebook
Add a 13-inch touchscreen, keyboard and trackpad to your iPhone with NexDock.
Photo: Nex

NexDock and the infiniteX2P app are designed to turn an iPhone 15 into a laptop. Connect Apple’s latest to the touchscreen/keyboard/mouse and run the app to start multitasking on a 13-inch display.

The USB-C port in the iPhone 15 makes this combination possible.

Finding what to watch gets easier in redesigned Apple TV app

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Apple may simplify its TV app for users by the end of the year.
Apple may simplify its TV app for users by the end of the year.
Photo: Apple

Finding what to watch with the Apple TV app is about to get easier. The newly released developer beta for tvOS 17.2 gives a preview of the new navigation users will soon see.

Apple TV+ and other content sources will surface in a sidebar list on the left side of app pages.

Apple already begins testing iOS 17.2 with new Journal app

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Apple Journal App press images creating new entry and list of past entries
Journal can help you create personalized entries, with content from multiple apps, to help you preserve life’s memories.
Screenshots: Apple

Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 17.2 to developers on Thursday. The major new feature seems to be the AI-enhanced Journal app that Apple previously promised. macOS 14.2 beta 1, iPadOS 17.2 beta 1, watchOS 10.2 beta 1 and tvOS 17.2 beta 1 are also available to devs.

These come just a day after the previous versions of all these operating system went out to the public.

‘Definitive’ new John Lennon murder doc on Apple TV+ reveals ‘shocking’ details

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Mark David Chapman confessed to murdering John Lennon.
Mark David Chapman confessed to murdering John Lennon.
Photo: New York State Department of Corrections

A new documentary claiming to be the “definitive” look at the murder of John Lennon — the former Beatle and enduring cultural icon — is coming to Apple TV+. Unfortunately, though, the streaming service hasn’t yet said when the exhaustively researched, three-part series will arrive.

But we do know the narrator of John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial. It’s Emmy Award-winning actor Kiefer Sutherland, the streaming service said.

Adding one feature would make AirTag way more useful

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AirTag
We want to be warned if our AirTag starts to move away on its own.
Photo: Mark Chan/Unsplash

Apple sells millions of AirTags because people want to track the location of their stuff. But the tracker does only part of the job — it only warns the user when their iPhone moves too far away from the tag. Making it also set off an alarm when the tag moves away while the user is sitting still would be a welcome improvement.

This could be done with a changes to the Find My application. No new hardware is required.

watchOS 10.1 update brings new double-tap gesture for hands-free use

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Double tap lets users select the primary action in a variety of watchOS apps and notifications.
Double tap lets users select the primary action in a variety of watchOS apps and notifications.
Photo: Apple

One of the more exciting updates to Apple Watch lately is the new double-tap gesture now available in the watchOS 10.1 update. It allows Series 9 and Ultra 2 users to tap their finger and thumb together twice to launch a function without touching the wearable.

After appearing in the watchOS 10.1 beta — but in nonfunctional form — now it’s out for real with the public release.

Your iPhone needs this luxurious leather wallet case [Review] ★★★★

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Mujjo Full Leather Wallet Case with MagSafe★★★★
You don't need a separate wallet with this handsome leather iPhone case from Mujjo.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple dropped its leather iPhone cases, but the Mujjo Full Leather Wallet Case with MagSafe is a brilliant alternative. It protects your valuable handset while also providing an easy way to carry credit cards and drivers license. Plus, it looks gorgeous while doing so.

I carried my iPhone 15 Plus this case on holiday, to restaurants … everywhere I went for weeks. Here’s why I love this case for my iPhone 15 Plus, despite a notable drawback.

Only a few days left to get this awesome USB-C mic for $30

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This $30 USB-C mic is only on sale through Halloween .
Get it loud and clear: this USB-C mic is only $30 for a few more days.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The voice you hear when you speak might not be the voice that your computer hears. If you don’t have a high-quality mic, your voice could come through harsh and full of static, not great if you’re giving a formal presentation, participating in a meeting, or just chatting with a friend online.

Make PDF management a breeze with this subscription, now only $69.97

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This PDF manager is just $69.97, and could be a good gift idea for students and professionals.
Gift alert: This PDF manager is now under $70, perfect for students and professionals.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Make PDF management seamless

PDFs can be great for business and everyday content sharing. But, they can also be absolute pains if you need to make a quick edit, annotation or virtually any other change.

If you know someone who deals heavily in PDFs, then this might be an excellent opportunity to get them a holiday gift at an affordable rate. This lifetime subscription for a Document 365 Lite Individual Plan is on sale for only $69.97 (reg. $299) through October 31st.

What can a user do with this subscription?

Most importantly, Document 365 allows members to update and fix PDFs across different devices, boosting any user’s productivity. Among its most common applications, users can annotate their PDFs with text boxes, highlights, their own handwriting, notes, graphics and a range of other elements.

Document 365 is designed to make it easy to sign documents when needed, and it streamlines the processes of filling out forms, splitting files, combining PDFs and even attaching voice notes from your mobile devices. You can even bring such work on the go through the PDF Reader mobile app!

Document 365 also supports a wide range of document conversion and scanning services. It allows you to convert any file to or from PDF, and it empowers you to send faxes online, as well as sync and access files from your desktop and other devices. Of course, these services are accessible anywhere you have a stable internet connection.

A highly secure and rated PDF manager 

Plus, Document 365 offers security features, like the ability to protect the app, scans and PDF documents with password protection or watermarks. No wonder this PDF manager boasts a 4.7-star rating, with one verified buyer writing, ” PDF of Documents 365 Life is a helpful, good, and perfect software to be used for many functions. It’s very easy to change files and save them in many groups.”

Grab a lifetime subscription for a Document 365 Lite Individual Plan for just $69.97. No coupon is required, but this deal ends October 31st at 11:59pm Pacific!

Prices subject to change. 

Basketball fans can now jump into the action in NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition

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NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition is for serious fans.
NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition is a serious game for serious fans.
Screenshot: 2K Games/Apple Arcade

NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition, the latest addition to the long-running esports games franchise, launched a bit earlier than expected. The feature-packed basketball game is now on Apple Arcade for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV.

This is the definitive basketball game for Apple devices, and each new version adds even more features.

Find live music with Shazam’s new Concerts feature

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Shazam app
Now you can see live-music recommendations right in Apple's Shazam app.
Photo: Apple

Apple-owned music-identification app Shazam now lets users find live music through a new feature called Concerts, the company said Wednesday.

It surfaces shows in the iOS app’s My Music section based on a user’s Shazam history.

iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 are here with useful new features

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iOS 17.1 release notes
iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1 are here with several big and small changes.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iOS 17.1, the first major point release of iOS 17, is here. It drops just over a month after iOS 17 arrived.

Alongside iOS 17.1, Apple is also releasing iPadOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 to the public today. Below is a look at some of the top new features in the OSes.

Monday’s ‘Scary Fast’ Macs could sport M3 chips after all

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Here are the M3-powered Macs expected in fall 2023
The Apple M3 is almost here, and it’s reportedly going into multiple Macs.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

After Apple invited the world to its Scary Fast product event Monday, speculation turned more seriously to the idea that newly announced Macs might sport faster new M3 chips rather than versions of the current M2 series chips.

One prominent analyst who had said the upgrade wouldn’t happen yet even changed his tune on the matter.

Cheap LED strip lights give coder’s MacBook rig a moody vibe [Setups]

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Two cheap LED lights strips create that whole effect, and with many light strips the colors can change endlessly.
Two cheap LED lights strips create that whole effect, and with many light strips the colors can change endlessly.
Photo: [email protected]

Deliberate lighting choices, especially those featuring vibrant colors, can do a lot for a computer setup. They can improve mood and vision, and they can even give humdrum gear in a boring room a dazzling look and feel.

Today’s featured MacBook Pro setup belongs to a coder in Panama who used some basic, cheap LED strip lights to transform his workstation into a light show — to the delight of viewers on social media.

Get better Bluetooth controls with AirBuddy [Awesome Apps]

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AirBuddy for macOS
Wrangling Bluetooth should work this way out of the box, but luckily, there’s AirBuddy to help.
Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Awesome Apps

AirBuddy is a handy Mac app that lets you monitor all your nearby Bluetooth devices and AirPods. You can check battery life, switch them back and forth between multiple Macs on your desk, and best of all — get the same beautiful AirPods animations that you see on your iPhone.

It offers granular Bluetooth controls that Apple should build right into macOS.

Win a super-versatile, folding origami iPad case from SwitchEasy [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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SwitchEasy Origami Protective Case
SwitchEasy's Origami case easily folds into four configurations for different uses.
Photo: SwitchEasy

This week, Cult of Mac is giving away four Origami Protective Cases for iPad from SwitchEasy. This versatile iPad case folds in four different ways to make it easy to type, read or browse your iPad.

If you want a protective case that is also useful for relaxation or work, be sure to enter this giveaway.

Apple announces nationwide support for ‘right to repair’ bill

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Self repair components and tools for iPhone with the necessary tools from Apple.
Apple wants to make it easier to repair your broken iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Photo: Apple

During Tuesday’s right-to-repair event in the White House, Apple announced the expansion of its Self-Service Repair and Independent Repair Provider programs nationwide.

This move will help independent repair shops by providing them with the necessary tools and documentation for repairing Apple devices.