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Let’s hope the latest iPhone 15 leak is wrong

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Leaked CAD images show iPhone 15 Pro mute button could prove problematic
The iPhone 15 Pro will supposedly have a solid-state volume rocker and mute switch.
Image: chenwen1987

The traditional mute switch on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max supposedly will be replaced with a static, touch-sensitive button. If true, it’s possible this will be too easy to activate so users don’t get the notifications they expect.

Just-leaked CAD images allegedly show how the buttons on the upcoming iPhones will look. And that they look very easy to press accidentally. It also doesn’t look like the new button would offer a visual cue that an iPhone is set to silent mode.

Run Windows apps on Mac seamlessly with this easy-to-use software

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This $50 subscription to CrossOver+ makes Windows software accessible on Mac.
Make Windows software accessible on your Mac with CrossOver, now only $49.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Mac users get plenty out of their computers, but things can get a little complicated when trying to incorporate Windows software. Now, you can eliminate those frustrations and maximize your Mac experience by picking up a subscription that supplies seamless access to your favorite Windows apps.

For those tired of the slowness of running Windows software on their Mac, meet the CrossOver Windows compatibility app. You can get a one-year subscription to it for only $49 (regularly $74). You won’t find a better price than this anywhere on the web.

How fast can you spot the MacBook Pro in this super-clean rig? [Setups]

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It's an exceptionally clean setup. Even
It's an exceptionally clean setup. Even "absurdly" so, as one admirer said.
Photo: [email protected]

If there’s one thing computer-setup fans on social media value above all else, it’s a “clean” workstation. The best ones — neither messy nor cluttered with cables — place everything just so. Today’s featured MacBook Pro setup does a nice job with that.

And it even hides the laptop as well as an iPad. See how fast you can spot them. One commenter noted it took longer than it should have.

Russian officials ordered to get rid of their iPhones

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Russia fines Apple for not storing data in country
Neither iPhone nor Android are secure enough to satisfy the Kremlin.
Photo: Bryan Jones/Flickr CC

Claiming that iPhones can be hacked by Western intelligence agencies, the Kremlin reportedly told government officials involved in the 2024 Russian election to get rid of their iPhones.

A Kremlin spokesperson then told Reuters that government officials shouldn’t use a smartphone at all, Android or iPhone.

Get the best price online for this top-rated productivity app

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Get the best price online for this top-rated productivity app, now only $60.
Easily organize and visualize your next project with xTiles, now on sale at a steep discount.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

In nature, good things happen by accident all the time. But when it comes to business or work, that’s rarely the case. Whether you’re building a house, coding an app or writing the next Great American Novel, you need a definitive plan. And while computers can help, there comes a time in any project when your to-do list can get overwhelming.

That’s where a visual planning app like xTiles can be a lifesaver.

You won’t find a better time to buy Apple Pencil 2

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Apple-Pencil-close-up
Get Apple Pencil 2 at well below the usual price. If you hurry.
Photo: Daniel Korpai/Unsplash

Digital artists, or those who would like to be, can pick up an Apple Pencil 2 for a whopping $40 off the usual price. That’s a 31% discount.

I use this stylus with my iPad all the time, and there’s no better tool for painting on your tablet. It’s also great for taking notes and sketching out ideas.

Future-proof your iPhone gaming with this Lightning and USB-C controller [Review] ★★★★

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RiotPWR RP1950 Cloud Gaming Controller review★★★★
The RiotPWR RP1950 game controller is ready to play top-tier games on an iPhone or iPad.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The RiotPWR RP1950 Cloud Gaming Controller solves a problem for iPhone gamers: the controller plugs into the Lightning port in today’s models, but also into the USB-C port that will be in the iPhone 15. In the mean time, the controller can also be used with the many iPad models that use USB-C.

I field-tested RiotPWR’s latest controller and its removable iPhone mount. I understand why Apple likes it enough to put in the online Apple Store.

Score this smart stock analyzer for just $200 and learn to make solid investments

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Score smart stock analyzer for just $200 and learn to make solid investments.
This $120 stock screener can make the stock market and investing simple.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

To really grow your wealth, you need your money to work for you and not just sit in a savings account losing value. But, getting started with investing can be daunting, and not understanding what you’re doing can result in costly mistakes.

Tykr, a smart stock screener, can be an incredible tool for making investing simple. Your first smart investment? Grabbing Tykr on sale. Now, you can get a lifetime subscription to the Tykr stock screener Pro Plan for only $119.99.

Former Apple engineer explains why Siri still sucks

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Siri desperately needs some ChatGPT-like smarts
There's a lot Siri doesn't understand. And that's a problem.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Siri simply can’t compete with ChatGPT and other chatbots because it was built with the wrong system, according to someone who was once charged with improving Apple’s voice assistant.

But there’s hope for future improvement, as Apple is reportedly working on a replacement that is being built to be more like ChatGPT.

Crack this puzzle and win some cash with the 2 Million Dollar Puzzle, now only $17.77

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Crack this puzzle and win some cash with the 2 Million Dollar Puzzle, now only $17.77.
Use your puzzle skills to win money with the 2 Million Dollar Puzzle, now only $17.77 this St. Paddy's Day.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

There are some truly amazing puzzles and puzzle-solvers out there, but few can lay claim to becoming a millionaire thanks to their ability to slot pieces together just so. The 2 Million Dollar Puzzle, however, sets you up to win big with your puzzle-solving abilities.

For a limited time, this fun prize puzzle is now only $17.77 (regularly $30). You’ll have to act fast, though, as this deal only lasts until March 20.

A HomePod with special skills + Tim Cook’s VR power play [The CultCast]

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AI-generated image of a HomePod smart speaker with an embedded display.
No, the next-gen HomePod isn't gonna look like this. AI can't do everything! (At least not yet.)
Image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: That old rumor about a HomePod with a built-in display for FaceTime calls and smart-home wizardry resurfaces. But this time, some fresh details make Erfon even more cranked up than usual about Apple’s smart speaker.

Also on The CultCast:

  • It sounds like Tim Cook pulled a power move on Apple’s design team to make sure the company foists an expensive AR/VR headset on the masses sooner rather than later. Who’s excited? Show of hands?!?
  • Apple TV+ racks up another Oscar, and Erfon is almost intrigued enough to resubscribe. (Especially if his “get three months free” trick works again.)
  • The baton’s about to wave on Apple Music Classical. We’re all quivering with excitement!

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

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Apple Lisa 1, factory-sealed iPhone 2007 rake in cash at auction

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Apple Lisa 1
This Apple Lisa 1 sold at top dollar this week.
Photo: RR Auction

An auction that included vintage Apple items that were almost thrown away wrapped up this week with many items bringing in more than their estimates. A Lisa 1 and an original iPhone still in the plastic sold at hefty prices. Some technical notes handwritten by Steve Jobs also brought in more than expected. There were many more.

However, some of the Apple items did not sell, including a fully functional Apple-1, likely because bids didn’t reach their reserve price.

Wrestling doc Monster Factory will body-slam you with truth [Apple TV+ review] ★★★★

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David Goldschmidt (aka Goldy) and Hurley A. Jones Jr. (aka Bobby Buffet) in “Monster Factory,” premiering on Friday, March 17 on Apple TV+.★★★★
David Goldschmidt (aka Goldy) and Hurley A. Jones Jr. (aka Bobby Buffet) are just two of the wrestlers we meet in Monster Factory.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review Monster Factory, a surprisingly inventive docuseries about wannabe pro wrestlers, is Apple TV+’s best sports docuseries yet. Over the course of its six breezy and beautiful episodes, set at a wrestling farm school in New Jersey, we meet a cast of eccentrics who share a common dream: to throw people around for a living.

They want to become stars, to go down in pro wrestling history. And with cantankerous Danny Cage as their coach, these ne’er-do-wells learn everything there is to know about wrestling — and they teach us, too.

Get a lifetime of decentralized private network protection for only $149

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Get a lifetime of decentralized VPN protection for only $149.
Protect your data with this $149 plug-and-play adapter.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When it comes to cyberdefense, it pays to diversify. Hackers don’t rely on just one way to infiltrate their targets, so you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket either. That’s why a lot of people are switching to decentralized private networks (DPNs) over traditional VPNs, since they don’t have a central group of servers to target.

Using a DPN is a novel approach to internet security that offers a lot of benefits, and Deeper Connect Pico is a great way to get started. It boasts incredible tech to secure your online data and activity. Typically $249, you can grab this powerful cybersecurity device for only $149.

Liaison unleashes some carnage this week [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Connor Mills, Nikolai Kinski and Eva Green in ★★★☆☆
Ulterior motives abound on Liaison.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review Apple TV+ international espionage thriller Liaison recovers from a few body blows this week, in an episode appropriately entitled “Carnage.”

Mark Bolton is dead and Alison might be next, but she won’t roll over for anyone, even with boyfriend and mercenary Gabriel trying to get her to see sense. Sabine wants out, Didier’s in the hot seat, Dumas is getting nervous, and London is still in danger. Liaisons pleasures are major even if it does feel deliberately minor in a lot of important ways.

Truth Be Told whipsaws through another killer episode [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Mychala Lee, Merle Dandridge and Mekhi Phifer in ★★★★☆
Truth Be Told positively brims with strong performances this week.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewThe search for a mayoral hopeful’s killer takes center stage on this week’s Truth Be Told, the Apple TV+ crime series told through the lens of podcaster Poppy.

Eva’s on the hunt for a killer, but is it a smokescreen for her own guilt? Poppy can’t decide. Markus is still acting out, and it’s getting in the way of his parenting. Plus, Poppy has some secrets of her own to spill. And fate has one last curveball to throw this crew before the season’s final inning.

Make AI your photo editor with a lifetime subscription to Luminar Neo [Exclusive discount]

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Make AI your photo editor with a lifetime subscription to Luminar Neo.
Use Luminar Neo's AI superpowers to make your iPhone photos look amazing.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

While the cameras on our iPhones and how we take photos are constantly improving, we can always use a hand to clean them up after the fact. For those of us that aren’t professional photographers, or particularly adept at photo editing, user-friendly and innovative photo editing software can make this daunting task a whole lot easier.

Luminar Neo uses the power of artificial intelligence to edit, refine and stylize photos. And now, you can grab a lifetime license to it, bundled with other impressive photo editing add-ons, for only $79 (regularly $400) — but the savings don’t stop there. Cult of Mac readers can save an extra 10% by adding exclusive coupon code TAKE10NOW.

Transforming everyday pictures into truly beautiful photographs can become a reality with this AI-driven software.

Dear Edward drowns in guilt and funky fan mail [Apple TV+ recap] ★☆☆☆☆

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Colin O’Brien in ★☆☆☆☆
So. Many. Unbelievable. Letters.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewIt’s all about splitting and coming back this week on Dear Edward, the Apple TV+ series about the tangled web of grief in the wake of a plane crash.

In the episode, entitled “Paper Covers Rock,” Edward acts out at school and is rewarded with a crisis or two he wasn’t aware were coming his way. Plus, Linda goes into labor, Lacey is clueless, Dee Dee doesn’t want group to end, Adriana and Kojo don’t want their time together to end, and Steve and Amanda don’t want their affair to end.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, your Apple TV+ reviewer is anxious for this dreadful series to end. (The good news is, the end is nigh.)

Shrinking doesn’t really want to do ‘the work’ this week [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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Jason Segel in ★★☆☆☆
You probably don't want a shrink like Jimmy (played by Jason Segel).
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewShrinking is all about reconciliation this week. The Apple TV+ show about the social circle of a manic pixie dream therapist sees Jimmy Laird trying to mend the rift between his hero, Paul, and his family.

Meanwhile, as Brian prepares for his wedding, he meets with nothing but disappointments and potential catastrophes. Gaby is caught between her rock and a hard place. And Alice makes a fateful mistake.

Everything comes out in the end in “Moving Forward,” this week’s whatever installment of the hit show that could have been an email.

Don’t miss this deep discount on the M2 Mac mini

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Mac mini in hand
It's hard to beat the value the M2 Mac mini provides at its discounted price.
Photo: Teddy GR/Unsplash

Apple’s small wonder, the M2 Mac mini, is down to its lowest-ever price. After a $99.01 discount, you can get the machine with 512GB of storage for $699.99.

The M2 Mac mini has previously seen a maximum discount of $50. This new deal makes the 2023 Mac mini a stellar deal.

Everyone’s pushing the panic button on Hello Tomorrow! [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Haneefah Wood in ★★★★☆
Shirley (played by Haneefah Wood) isn't the only one demanding answers this week on Hello Tomorrow!
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewHello Tomorrow!, the Apple TV+ show about a salesman running out of ways to talk himself out of damnation, flies into a panic this week. Jack’s celebrity spokesman goes missing, and if he’s found by the wrong people, it could blow his entire operation.

At the same time, Shirley’s starting to wonder about Jack’s lies, and Joey has just stopped believing him entirely. And when Herb gets a brief moment to shine, he blows it immediately. The episode, entitled “Another Day, Another Apocalypse,” delivers another great half-hour of the show with the most verve and wit of anything on the Apple TV+ lineup.

Easily manage Apple accessories with Desk Mat Pro

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Other desk mats simply aren't as qualified as this one for certain jobs.
Other desk mats simply aren't as qualified as this one for certain jobs.
Photo: Function101

We know what you’re thinking: a “Pro” desk mat? Well, yes, actually. The Function101 Desk Mat Pro is rather capable. Not only does it help protect your desk, it’s a serious tool for often-neglected cable management in and around the computer setup.

And the professional-level desk mat is now available in the Cult of Mac Store for $39.95. Other desk mats just aren’t qualified.