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Mac Studio drives wild 4-monitor formation with Bat-Signal [Setups]

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The Bat-Signal is displayed on a giant screen atop three other monitors in a Batman-themed computer setup.
Gotta love the Bat-Signal.
Photo: [email protected]

Today’s featured Mac Studio setup found an interesting way to arrange its four displays — three little ones in a row and one huge one broadcasting the Bat-Signal on top.

With Batman undoubtedly on his way (OK, maybe it’s just the logo, not the actual signal), the workstation also boasts a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Apple’s Smart Folio and a remarkably affordable mechanical keyboard for use with the desktop machine.

Design tool for Mac: Lunacy explored

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The Lunacy logo.
Free design app Lunacy offers a variety of high-end features.
Image: Icons8

Design tools are the digital artist’s brush, the web designer’s grid paper, and the UX/UI designer’s blueprint. They transmute raw ideas into visually captivating content that can engage, inspire and influence.

SPONSORED
This post is brought to you by Icons8.
For Mac users, the search for the perfect design tool can be as overwhelming as it is essential. Amid the clamor of options, Lunacy by Icons8 has emerged as a game-changer, bringing a fresh approach to the design landscape. This article takes you on an exploration of Lunacy, a feature-rich design tool built to create, open and edit Sketch files effortlessly, even on Windows!

XuperCable’s 3 retractable connectors quick-charge your gear [Review] ★★★

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It's a funny-looking critter, but it's useful.★★★
It's a funny-looking critter, but it's useful.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

In a world of ever-more-compact-and-potent chargers, Mobfree launched a surprising and innovative entrant Wednesday on Kickstarter. It’s XuperCable, a three-in-one gadget with three retractable connectors to fast-charge a variety of devices at up to a 100 watts

It’s a funny-looking critter with its tentacles (cables), but it’s quite useful. It sticks to surfaces, it rotates and its three cables unspool and retract — what could possibly go wrong? Not much, as it turns out. The company sent me a XuperCable to try out.

Digitize your documents in a snap with iScanner

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Save $20 on lifetime access to iScanner and handle important documents while on the move.
This easy-to-use document scanner works as a phone app and comes at $20 off.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Even in the digital era, papers can pile up and become scattered or lost if you’re not careful. So we’re serving up a solution to keep all those important items accessible.

During our Back-to-School Sale, a lifetime subscription to the iScanner app is marked down to only $39.99 (regularly $59) with no coupon required through Aug. 13. That’s 33% savings on a service that will make digitizing and tracking documents much more manageable for years to come.

Nomad’s new Sport Band for Apple Watch glows in the dark

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You might want to wear a different band to the movie theater. It might distract others.
You might want to wear a different band to the movie theater. It might distract others.
Photo: Nomad

Nomad added a new limited-edition Sport Band for Apple Watch Tuesday, and this one glows in the dark. That’s why it’s called Glow.

By day the waterproof bands appears off-white, but in the dark in glows bright green. It will be tough to misplace it, even at night.

A half-price Sam’s Club membership means big savings on Apple gear and more

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Spend only $24.99 on a 1-year membership to Sam's Club during this Back to School Sale.
Get a 1-year Sam's Club membership for just $24.99 during our Back-to-School Sale.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

A fresh school year is suddenly upon us and there is plenty to stock up on, from classroom necessities to lunch supplies. You can avoid becoming overwhelmed financially with discounted shopping on a variety of essential items.

You can claim a one-year membership to Sam’s Club for only $24.99 (regularly $50) during our Back-to-School Sale, which runs through August 13. Featuring nearly 600 locations nationwide, this popular warehouse store implements a limited-item business model that prioritizes high-quality products rather than loading up on as many brands as possible. And that means unique opportunities for shoppers to find value.

Add 10,000mAh of power to your iPhone with this magnetic stand

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MagSafe 10,000mAh Battery Pack with Foldable Kickstand
Get two full recharges for your iPhone from Ugreen’s MagSafe power bank.
Photo: Ugreen

The name for the Ugreen MagSafe 10,000mAh Battery Pack with Foldable Kickstand is a mouthful, but it’s also a full description of what the new accessory has to offer. Magnetically clip the power bank to the back of an iPhone and it’ll wirelessly recharge the handset. And the kickstand means it also functions as a stand.

The accessory can even recharge two other devices at the same time.

Grab steep discounts on iPad Pro before they disappear

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These 2021 iPads are
These 2021 iPads are "new" in that they're not used.
Photo: Apple

Amazon deals site Woot! is at it again, offering great prices on Apple gear. This time the steals are big discounts on 2021 iPad Pro — 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, with or without cellular coverage along with Wi-Fi.

They may not be new-new, but they’re not used and they could be new to you. The sale goes through August 14 at 10 p.m. PT.

College students, you don’t need a MacBook Air

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2022 iPad Pro gets speed boost from Apple M2 processor but no new ports
An iPad Pro or iPad Air with a Magic Keyboard is a better choice for most students than a MacBook Air.
Photo: Apple

Dear university students: While it’s tempting to buy the hot new MacBook Air, doing so would mean a huge loss of flexibility. You simply don’t need to pay hundreds of dollars more for a laptop that’s less versatile. An iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard and Pencil fits your needs much better, especially now that it has the very same M2 chip inside.

And beyond the versatility, the whole iPad lineup can do just about everything you can expect a Mac to do every day.

To be clear, there are exceptions to this — some students really do need a Mac. But odds are you’re not one of them.

The Changeling trailer reveals supernatural horror show

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You weren't going to sleep well ever again, anyway.
You weren't going to sleep well ever again, anyway.
Photo: Apple

The new Apple TV+ trailer for the upcoming drama series The Changeling starts off lightly enough — LaKeith Stanfield’s character, Apollo, can’t get a date with Clark Backo’s Emma in New York City because she’s moving to Brazil.

But once she’s there, dark magic soon reveals this Big Apple-based “drama” to be an absolute supernatural horror show. It premieres Friday, September 8.

New quad dock drives extra displays and other gear [Review] ★★★★☆

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This slim dock does a lot. You can run three external displays with your MacBook and hook up several other peripherals.★★★★☆
This slim dock does a lot. You can run three external displays with your MacBook and hook up several other peripherals.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Advanced computer docking stations keep getting better. The new Alogic Quad Display DV4 Universal Docking Station is a fine example, easily connecting up to four screens and several other peripherals to a computer.

That’s important for anyone relying on a laptop with limited ports — like many MacBook Pro and MacBook Air users over the years — who can appreciate a good docking station that broadens limited connectivity options.

College students, you don’t need a MacBook Pro

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M2 MacBook Air comes i 13-inch and 15-inch versions
A MacBook Air with either a 13-inch or 15-inch display is a better choice for most students than a MacBook Pro.
Photo: Apple

Dear university students: While it’s tempting to buy the top-tier MacBook Pro, it would be a huge waste of money. You simply don’t need to pay an extra $1,000 or more for a notebook that powerful. A MacBook Air fits your needs much better, especially now that there’s a 15-inch version.

And beyond the higher price, the increased performance of the MacBook Pro comes with a drawback you’ll notice every day.

To be clear, there are exceptions for this — some students really do need a MacBook Pro. But odds are you’re not one of them.

Let this AI writer crank out your ad copy, blogs and more

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Let this $49.99 AI writer effortlessly handle ad copy, blogs and more.
Save time and convert more customers with a lifetime subscription to this AI writing tool that's focused on marketing and SEO.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you already know that AI platforms like ChatGPT can mimic just about any kind of writing style. In fact, they can even code iPhone apps. It doesn’t take much imagination to realize what kind of a boon that can be for entrepreneurs, and there’s finally a tool that can harness the power of AI specifically for marketing and search engine optimization.

Whether you need SEO-focused ad copy, blog posts or almost other any kind of content, you owe it to yourself to give Linkdelta a try.

Apple’s M3 Max chip spotted with 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU

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Apple M3 processor
Apple could bump the CPU and GPU core count on the M3 Max.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next-generation M3 Max could feature a staggering 16-core CPU and 40 GPU cores. A third-party Mac developer spotted the chip in test logs running inside a high-end MacBook Pro.

This new high-end Apple silicon should find its way inside the 2024 MacBook Pro. It should also power other high-end Macs due to launch in 2024.

Third-party Apple Watch chargers will work faster soon

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This MagSafe charger from Belkin might be the coolest iPhone 12 accessory.
This Belkin stand supports Apple Watch fast charging, but not all do.
Photo: Belkin

Makers of third-party Apple Watch chargers will reportedly no longer be able to build the old, slow Apple Watch charging puck into their products. The only one available will operate 33% faster than the original Apple Watch charger.

This means that, going forward, all new Apple Watch accessories will support Fast Charge.

Limited-edition iPhone case takes you back to 1969 moon landing [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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Taking a step back to 1969 when history was made
This very special giveaway will take two winners back to a very important date in the history of space exploration.
Photo: Pitaka

We joined forces with Pitaka this week for an exciting giveaway that will take you over the moon. Two lucky winners will score big with the ultra-cool Moon Wondering MagEZ Case for iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max. This limited-edition iPhone case is totally sold out, so this is your last chance to get one.

This Moon Wondering Kit is worth $89.99 and it comes with a bunch of goodies — a MagEZ Moon Wondering iPhone Case, a MagEZ Grip and a special Moon Wondering coin. Talk about a package deal!

See when your team’s on Friday Night Baseball in September

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With the regular season ending October 1, MLB action heats up in September.
With the regular season ending October 1 ahead of the playoffs, MLB action heats up in September.
Photo: Apple

On Monday, Apple and Major League Baseball called out the September Friday Night Baseball schedule for Apple TV+ subscribers.

As the season’s final stretch unfolds — the regular season ends October 1 ahead of the playoffs — don’t miss out when your team’s at bat.

Is Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad too heavy? [Setups]

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A big Samsung smart TV dominates this Mac Studio rig.
A big Samsung smart TV dominates this Mac Studio rig.
Photo: [email protected]

We look at a lot of computer setups on social media, but sometimes what drives conversation among commenters surprises us. With today’s Mac Studio rig with an odd couple of mismatched displays, the main debate concerned … keyboards for iPad.

Specifically, when an iPad is so wonderfully light, what keyboard case doesn’t weight it down too much?

Latest HyperDrive USB-C portable docking station adds dual 4K plus 8 high-speed ports

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HyperDrive Next 10 Port Business Class USB-C Dock
The HyperDrive Next 10 Port Business Class USB-C Dock is designed to be used in the office or on the go.
Photo: Hyper

The just-launched HyperDrive Next 10 Port Business Class USB-C Dock can handle dual 4K monitors, and it offers multiple 10Gbps USB ports and a detachable USB-C cable.

It’s part of the new HyperDrive Next collection, which also includes a range of USB-C hubs plus an NVMe SSD enclosure with data transfer speeds up to 40Gbps.

This is the super-fast, super-reliable, hugely practical NAS you need [Review] ★★★★☆

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Synology's 1522+ is small but mighty, and perfect for storage junkies or video editors.★★★★☆
Synology's 1522+ is small but mighty, and perfect for storage junkies or video editors.
Photo: Erfon Elijah/Cult of Mac

Few pieces of technology I’ve used in my escapades as Gadget Hunter have been as transformative as a network-attached storage device. My previous favorite NAS was Synology’s DiskStation 1520+, but the company’s 1522+ is even more essential now, thanks to the addition of one key feature.

Get an advanced AI photo editor for half price

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Pick up a 1-year membership to advanced photo editing tools for only half the price.
Create professional-looking images with a one-year membership to Picsart Plus.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

First impressions can go a long way, especially on social media. If you’d like to boost the impact of your photography, from selfies to scenic shots, we’re serving up a limited-time discount on an advanced photo editing app.

You can currently get a one-year membership to Picsart for only $29.99 (regularly $60) with no coupon necessary. Instantly gain the full range of Picsart perks, and make your pictures appear professionally done, for half the price.

Indie dev Casey Liss on how he came to love SwiftUI [Planet of the Apps]

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Casey Liss and Callsheet
Casey Liss, developer of a new app, Callsheet, that makes looking up movie and show trivia trivially easy.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Pro tip bug Planet of the Apps is a series of interviews with app developers about making, marketing and maintaining apps in the App Store.

Indie developer and podcaster Casey Liss used to hate SwiftUI, Apple’s controversial UI toolkit for crafting apps. A lot of developers have a deep and abiding animus for SwiftUI, including Liss himself. But after using SwiftUI to create his latest app Callsheet, a movie and TV database app, he’s now a huge fan.

“So much of SwiftUI, I love,” he said in a wide-ranging and surprisingly-interesting interview. “I went from nothing to a fully functional app … in the span of a couple of weeks… It was stunningly fast.”

Here are all the M3 Macs in development

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Here are the M3-powered Macs expected in fall 2023
A new M3 Mac with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU has been spotted in developer logs.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple is working on a slew of M3-powered Macs for late 2023 and 2024, and the latest mystery machine spotted on developers’ logs appears to be a new Mac mini.

The M3 chip, the next-gen Apple silicon that will power these Macs, should be based on the 3nm node, offering superior performance and efficiency.