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Foldable iPad with carbon-fiber kickstand could launch in 2024

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AI rendering of a folding iPad.
Are you ready for a foldable iPad?
Render: Midjourney/Lewis Wallace

Apple’s rumored foldable iPad could feature a carbon-fiber kickstand. While expensive, carbon fiber is durable and would help keep the device’s weight in check.

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks the foldable iPad might launch in 2024 with an all-new design.

Save on this wireless Nintendo Switch controller

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Save on this wireless Nintendo Switch controller.
Step up your Nintendo Switch play with a discounted Bluetooth controller.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Remember the days when you’d battle your friends on Nintendo for endless hours? While Nintendo products have progressed significantly and you may have more responsibilities as an adult, there’s no reason you can’t relive those good times you had growing up.

You can indulge your inner child with this Bluetooth controller for Nintendo Switch for only $32.99. It’s time to upgrade the way you game as a grown-up.

The specs check out on new MacBook Pro and Mac mini [The CultCast]

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We're talking the many pros and a couple of cons about the brand-new MacBook Pro Mac mini and HomePod models Apple just released.
We're talking the many pros and a couple of cons about the brand-new MacBook Pro Mac mini and HomePod models Apple just released.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The first reviews and early benchmarks reveal impressive performance boosts from the new MacBook Pro and Mac mini. We’re talking the pros and cons of upgrading — including one very important “buyer beware” scenario.

Also on The CultCast:

  • What’s new in iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3 and macOS Ventura 13.2? We walk through the updates.
  • A great giveaway from Goldenerre, maker of fine Apple Watch bands.
  • Our beloved old-school HomePods just got some upgrades — including one Erfon’s been dreaming of for years.

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.

What to check before you power on an old Macintosh

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An unexpected find in this room was a Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh.
Hold up, you don’t want to ruin a rare Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh — take some precautions first.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

When you pick up a classic Macintosh (or a vintage computer of any kind) that hasn’t been used in a while, you need to check it out before plugging it in and turning it on. Capacitors on old motherboards fail and leak over time; you DO NOT want to run power to a computer if this has happened; you could easily fry the motherboard.

Collecting old computers is a lot of fun. You can use old versions of Mac OS in emulators online, but it’s nothing compared to the experience of setting up a heavy machine on your desk, hearing the fans and disk drives whir to life and watching a fuzzy CRT display fade in from black. If you’re new to this (rather expensive) hobby, you can also check out my earlier piece on how to get started — what to look for, what to watch out for and where to shop.

So, you are the new custodian of a classic computer. What should you do before you power it on for the first time?

Make toys for your kids (or yourself) with this easy 3D printer

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Make toys for your kids (or yourself) with this easy 3D printer.
Take 25% off this 3D printer that's perfect for your inner child.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Has there ever been a better time to be a kid? Superheroes rule the big screens, video games are experiencing a new golden age and even so-called “educational toys” are so advanced they’re like gear out of a mad scientist’s lab. To prove our point, meet the Toybox 3D Printer.

Yes, we know that 3D printers are nothing new. But Toybox takes a completely different angle on this popular creative tool, re-imagining it as the limitless toy factory we all knew it could be.

App Store prices going up in the UK and other countries in February 2023

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App Store
Apple motion for a delay has been denied.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

App Store prices will soon go up in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Colombia, Egypt, and a few other countries. The hike will come into effect starting February 13, 2023.

The changes will apply to both prices of apps and in-app purchases (IAP). Recurring subscriptions are not affected, though.

Leaked Apple documents confirm iPhone 15 Pro to feature Wi-Fi 6E and A17 Bionic

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iPhone 15 already in trial production
The differences between the regular and Pro iPhones will only increase with iPhone 15.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac/Pixabay/Pexels

A leaked internal Apple document confirms the company will adopt Wi-Fi 6E on this year’s iPhones. However, only the iPhone 15 Pro lineup will support the faster Wi-Fi standard.

The internal document shows the antenna architecture of devices codenamed “D8x” (the iPhone 15 Pro) and “D8y” (the regular iPhone 15).

Friday only: $300 off 14-inch 2021 MacBook Pro with 32GB RAM

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The 2021 M1 Pro MacBook Pro will last you even longer with 32GB of RAM.
The 2021 M1 Pro MacBook Pro will last you even longer with 32GB of RAM.
Photo: Apple

The 2021 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro with added memory is a popular choice, and Friday you can get a configuration with 32GB of RAM for about $300 less than usual prices at Woot!, owned by Amazon.

The configuration is a winner because folks know you can’t easily add integrated memory later to most Macs, so why settle for the base 16GB for that model?

Beware, though, the sale ends just after midnight in Saturday’s wee hours.

Truth Be Told goes deeper into our crime-fighter’s crusade [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Haneefah Wood, Octavia Spencer and Tracie Thoms in ★★★★☆
This case isn't getting any easier.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewThere’s a funeral this week on true-crime-inflected Apple TV+ show Truth Be Told. Drea is dead, and everyone’s guilty — whether they pulled the trigger or not.

The more Poppy, Eva and Markus pull up rocks looking for clues, the more insects they find running around in the darkness. “Her, Armed With Sorrow Sore” stands out as a strongly performed and nicely paced episode of the show about a podcaster’s crusade to help her city.

World Surf League names Apple Watch ‘official wearable’

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Pro surfers won't have to strain to see and hear on-shore announcements.
Pro surfers won't have to strain to see and hear on-shore announcements.
Photo: Brent Bielmann, WSL

The World Surf League adopted Apple Watch as its official wearable Friday. The move enables pro surfers to use the water-resistant smartwatch with a certain app to track crucial metrics during competitions.

This marks the first time Apple Watch has become official equipment for a pro sport.

Servant shakes things up with a séance [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Leanne (played by Nell Tiger Free) in a seance scene from Apple TV+ chiller ★★★★
Just light the candles and let 'er rip!
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewWe’re having a séance this week on Apple TV+ chiller Servant, the wonderfully cracked show about a magical nanny who uses murder and mayhem to maintain her grip on the Philadelphia family who summoned her.

Leanne hates the two new nurses Dorothy hired to look after her during her recovery, but she’s losing her favor with Sean and Julian by acting so suspicious. Sean desperately wants Dorothy to go back to her old self, and is realizing Leanne might be the problem.

It’s a tense and sharply directed episode of the best show on Apple TV+.

IT engineer’s MacBook Pro and Studio Display quietly get the job done [Setups]

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One in landscape, one in portrait. It's what the cool kids do with displays.
One in landscape, one in portrait. It's what the cool kids do with displays.
Photo: [email protected]

Aspects of Apple silicon chips replacing Intel processors in Macs that you don’t always hear about are how quiet and cool the M1 and M2 machines are by comparison. In today’s featured computer setup, an IT engineer sings his M1 Pro MacBook Pro’s praises in that regard, not to mention its habit of sipping battery power rather than gulping it.

And he’s also got a popular dual-display configuration going. In this case it’s a Studio Display in landscape mode and a Dell 4K display in portrait mode.

Slim new hub adds the ports a MacBook needs

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Slim new hub adds the ports a MacBook needs
Make your MacBook more useful, not bulky.
Photo: Satechi

The Satechi Pro Hub Slim connects plugs directly into the side of a MacBook to greatly expand the range of ports available to the user while adding minimal bulk. It’s slim enough for Apple’s latest notebooks.

There’s nevertheless room for HDMI, two full-size USB-A ports, memory card readers and more.

CdkeySales.com: Fulfill your new year’s resolution to save money on Windows 10 and Office

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Get great deals on Microsoft software by using promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com.
Get great deals on Microsoft software by using promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com.
Photo: CdkeySales.com

Even if you’re already giving up on your New Year’s resolutions to eat better and exercise more, you can still fulfill the one about saving money — with huge discounts on Microsoft software. Just check out the big sale at software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com to save on Windows, Office and more.

SPONSORED
This post is brought to you by CdkeySales.

Any Cult of Mac reader who wants a great deal on Windows 10 (and other Microsoft software) can click on the links below. And as a bonus, Windows 10 comes with a free upgrade to Windows 11. To get the most savings, enter promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com. That will chop an extra 30% off the site’s already-low prices on keys for Windows 10 Pro Global, Microsoft Office 2021 Pro and more.

Remove vocals from songs and more with this AI music-production tool

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Take out vocals and more with this AI music production tool.
Dissect songs your way with this music producer's dream tool.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Some might argue that music producers work a lot harder than the stars who perform the hits they help make. And while there’s a lot of art to what producers do, they can’t do it without the right gear. Luckily for home DJs and performers alike, EasySplitter is poised to break down that particular barrier for professional music production.

This AI-powered tool can remove vocals from recorded tracks in an instant, so you can use the background music for whatever you like. And right now, you can get a lifetime EasySplitter subscription for less than $30.

New comedy Shrinking can’t kick the ‘straight talk’ [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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Jason Segel in a still from new Apple TV+ comedy ★★☆☆☆
Jason Segel plays James, a therapist who's got his own problems to deal with.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewNew Apple TV+ series Shrinking centers on a man who loses everything and finally decides to start doing something about it. The comedy stars Jason Segel and Harrison Ford (in his first major TV role). And, with the creative team behind Ted Lasso and the star of How I Met Your Mother, Apple TV+ execs are clearly hoping for success on a par with the streamer’s biggest moneymakers.

They might have it. However, Shrinking will need to overcome its major flaws to become something truly worth watching.

Get 130 hours of up-to-date Python training with this e-learning bundle

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Get 130 hours of up-to-date Python training with this e-learning bundle.
Kick off your coding career with this $34.99 Python bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’re gunning for a job at Apple (or anywhere in the tech sector, for that matter) you’ve got nothing to lose by learning Python — and a lot to gain. This computer language consistently ranks among the top platforms that programmers use in a variety of fields, from data analytics to cutting-edge AR.

If you’re on the outside looking in, you might think that this kind of versatility means Python is a tool only experts can wield. But one of the best things about this computer language is how easy it is to learn, especially when you’re learning with this Python certification bundle.

Apple gives up on in-house Wi-Fi chips

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home Wi-Fi
Apple will have to keep outsourcing Wi-Fi chips.
Photo: Alan Levine/Flickr

Apple’s drive to make all its own processors hit a bump in the road. It’s reportedly stopped development on chips to add Wi-Fi to its devices, and will instead keep outsourcing these.

The reason is simple: Apple doesn’t have enough talented engineers to design all the chips it wants. It’s putting most of its available resources into Mac and iPhone processors.

New noise-canceling EarFun Air Pro earbuds: High on features, low on cost [Review] ★★★

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EarFun Air Pro 3 ANC wireless earbuds are another great-value product from the company.★★★
EarFun Air Pro 3 ANC wireless earbuds are another great-value product from the company.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Calling them “the world’s 1st LE-Audio ANC true wireless earbuds,” EarFun plans to launch its new flagship Air Pro 3 active noise-canceling (ANC) wireless earbuds Thursday, February 2. The company recently sent me a pair to try out.

True to form, EarFun brings good value for the price with these buds, as it has with others. They’re not perfect, but for discounted pre-launch and launch prices at or below $60, you can’t really go wrong. See below for more details about the buds, including LE Audio.

Get a lifetime Microsoft Office license for just $29.99

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Get a lifetime license to MS Office for your PC for less than $30.
Get the full Microsoft Office Professional suite for just $29.99 -- and use it for life!
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether you do any kind of work on a Mac or PC, chances are you need at least one of the tools in the Microsoft Office suite. This suite has everything a professional needs, and boasts several features that can make you more productive in every stage of development, whether that’s creating documents or compiling data.

If you’ve been holding off on buying these essential apps, the time to buy them is now. Cult of Mac readers can get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Pro 2021 for just $29.99.

No, Apple isn’t spying on the files in your Mac

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MacBook Pro with cryptographic nonsense on the display
Is Apple spying on your private files? Betteridge’s Law prevails once again.
Photo: mikemacmarketing/Wikimedia Commons

Claims that Apple is phoning home to analyze every image on your Mac have been proven false. Jeffrey Paul, security researcher and consultant, claimed early last week that his Mac was sending small bits of data to Apple every time he clicked on an image on his computer.

After Paul’s claims caused a bit of a stir, researchers got to the bottom of what was actually happening. Not only did they conclude the network activity was innocent — it was caused by a bug that’s already been patched in the latest macOS update.