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Never mind the MacBook Pro, you’re going to want this glowing duck [Setups]

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Just try to stay in the warm glow of that duck.
Just try to stay in the warm glow of that duck and you might get some work done.
Photo: [email protected]

You can amass an array of the world’s most formidable tech gear and photograph it, but if you get a cute animal in the frame — living or inanimate — that’s where all eyes will go.

Today’s clean MacBook Pro setup boasts a 34-inch curved ultra-wide display, a custom mechanical keyboard and other cool stuff.

But it also has a duck that glows.

Keep your Apple Watch ready with this keychain charger

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Always have a powered-up Apple Watch with this keychain charging tool.
Always have a powered-up Apple Watch with this keychain charging tool.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Apple Watches seem to get better every year; their only limit appears to be their batteries. If you’re not willing to shell out $799 to get the new Apple Watch Ultra, which boasts up to 60 hours of battery life, you can still get enough juice for multi-day excursions with this Apple Watch-compatible wireless keychain.

This very portable Apple Watch charger is on sale now for just $19.99 (regularly $49).

Apple will produce fewer iPhone 14 units due to low demand

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iPhone 14
Weak demand means Apple won't produce as many iPhone 14 units as initially forecasted.
Photo: Apple

Apple has reportedly gone back on its plans to boost iPhone 14 production for the year. The company seemingly nixed the original plan after demand for the “standard” iPhone 14 did not surge after its release.

The situation is very different for the iPhone 14 Pro.

iOS 16.1 beta 3: All the new features and changes

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iOS 16.1 beta begins testing new iPhone features
The first iOS 16.1 betas packed several new features and changes, and now beta 3 includes even more.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple continues its testing of iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16 with a new beta release. The new builds come a week after the latest beta.

The third iOS 16.1 beta and fourth iPadOS 16.1 beta bring some major changes, including opening up Stage Manager to 2018 and 2020 iPad Pros. Below is a look at everything new and changed in iOS 16.1 beta 3 and iPadOS 16.1 beta 4.

Learn to find, sell and ship anything with these Amazon drop-shipping courses

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Launch your own Amazon business with this dropshipping bundle.
Build your online store with this Amazon dropshipping course bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Amazon is often the first or second stop for the latest and most interesting products, and much of that rests on its Fulfillment by Amazon wing. The 2023 All-in-One Amazon Dropshipping and Private Label Bundle can show you how to launch your own business on the back of Amazon’s infrastructure.

Apple relents on Stage Manager, adds new multitasking system to older iPads

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iPadOS 16 Stage Manager
Some non-M1 iPads will support Stage Manager too.
Image: Apple

Apple listened to a chorus of user complaints by bringing support for Stage Manager to some older iPad models that don’t have the M1 processor. That gives more tablets access to the system that puts iPadOS applications in resizable, floating windows.

But the news isn’t all good. The company also decided to delay full support for external displays until later. The feature won’t be part of iPadOS 16.1 when it launches.

Korean mermaids are coming to Apple TV+

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A commemoration of the haenyeo stands on Jeju Island.
A commemoration of the haenyeo stands on Jeju Island.
Photo: Pixabay

“Korea’s mermaids,” also affectionally known as “rowdy grandmas,” are elderly free divers who for generations have caught seafood off South Korea’s Jeju Island to feed their community.

They’re known in Korean as the haenyeo. Apple TV+ said Tuesday an upcoming documentary film will tell their story, including how younger generations are filling their ranks to keep the time-honored — and environmentally sustainable — tradition from dying out.

M2 MacBook Air drops to lowest-ever price after massive $149 discount

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2022 MacBook Air with M2 processor
The M2 MacBook Air has never been this cheap before.
Photo: Apple

You can save a staggering $149 on the M2 MacBook Air right now. Amazon just discounted certain variants of the very capable laptop to their lowest-ever prices.

The entry-level MacBook Air powered by Apple’s M2 chip typically starts at $1,199. Thanks to this deal, you can get it for $1,099.

Archeologists’ new tool for excavating Pompeii: iPad Pro

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Archeologists’ new tool for excavating Pompeii: the iPad Pro
Dr. Jordan Rogers uses iPad Pro to conduct a 3D scan of the pit his team is excavating in an ancient Roman kitchen in Pompeii.
Photo: Apple

The iPad has joined the traditional tools of archeology. Along with shovels, brushes and buckets, the team excavating Pompeii uses Apple’s tablet to record what they find.

“iPad is the perfect archaeology machine,” says Allison Emmerson, who is leading the dig at the long-buried Roman city.

4 small changes would bring big improvements to iPad Pro

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These 4 changes would dramatically improve the 2022 iPad Pro
More USB-C ports would make the 2022 iPad Pro far more capable.
Concept: Apple/Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The 2022 iPad Pro that almost certainly will launch in October raises hopes among tablet fans for significant hardware improvements. The basic iPad design is great, but there are nevertheless a few changes that need to be made.

Here’s a handful of suggestions that would make the iPad Pro easier to use without mucking up the best tablet on the market.

Rugged enclosure easily converts SSDs into external Mac drives [Review] ★★★★★

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Satechi USB-C Aluminum Tool-Free Enclosure review: For M.2 NVMe or SATA SSD★★★★★
Easily turn an M.2 NVMe or SATA SSD into a drive for your Mac or iPad with this enclosure from Satechi.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Satechi USB-C Aluminum Tool-Free Enclosure allows M.2 PCIe NVMe and SATA solid state drives to be easily added to a Mac or iPad. The rugged enclosure includes a USB-C port for wide compatibility.

I installed an SSD into Satechi’s enclosure and tested it in my home office. It was as simple as one could hope.

Elevate your photos and videos with this $150 dual-camera drone bundle

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Save 62 percent off these dual-camera quadcopters by Ninja Dragon.
Give your photos and videos a real lift for $150 with these Ninja Dragon drones.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Another year, another iPhone. And another camera upgrade. But no matter how much Apple upgrades its cameras, its phones will never shoot aerial footage.

That’s where camera drones come in handy. They can give you sweeping sky views that you can control from an iPhone app. And this dual-drone bundle by Ninja Dragon is on sale for $149.99 (regularly $398). Yup, that’s two dual-camera drones for $150.

How to use iPhone’s Lockdown Mode in iOS 16

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Lockdown Mode is extremely useful for the select few who actually need it.
Lockdown Mode is extremely useful for the select few who actually need it and frivolous for ordinary people like me.
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Lockdown Mode is a new option in iOS 16 that limits system features for maximum security. Apple designed it to protect its products from sophisticated spyware, like NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, which has been used to target journalists, politicians, dissidents and activists around the world.

Spyware like Pegasus may seem like an unlikely threat. But for some, Lockdown Mode could be life or death. U.S. citizens need not worry at the moment, but it doesn’t take a wild imagination to picture how such spyware might be embraced by slightly more fascist administrations.

Right now, Lockdown Mode is meant for high-profile activists and journalists. And I mean real journalists — the kind who expose state secrets — not bloggers like me. Read on to find out how to enable Lockdown Mode and how it affects your device’s functionality.

Launch your rap career with a year of expert-mastered beats for $99

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Become the next Kanye with a year of unlimited beats for less than $100 today.
Make money from your music with a year of unlimited beats for less than $100.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether you sing or rap, you need a background track to accompany your music. With Beatopia, you get exclusive access to high-quality beats to pair with your vocals. For a limited time, you can purchase a one-year subscription for $99 (regularly $135), the best price you’ll find on the web.

Apple’s online store in India offers festive season discount on purchases

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Apple.logo.paris.store
Apple is running a festive season offer on its online store in India.
Photo: Josh Davidson/Cult of Mac

With the festive season starting in India, Apple is running a new offer on its online store in the country. You can enjoy a discount of up to Rs. 7,000 ($93) on your purchases through the store.

The offer is eligible on all orders worth at least Rs 41,900. Additionally, the company is offering No Cost EMI on cards from most banks.

What you should know about Apple Support scam calls

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What You Should Know About Apple Support Scam Calls: Don't fall prey to increasingly tricky scammers.
Don't fall prey to increasingly tricky scammers.
Photo: Khusen Rustamov/Pixabay License

Once technical hurdles start ruining one’s day, most people would do anything it takes to resolve them as soon as possible and get on with their merry lives. This is especially true if resolving the problem is needed to progress with the task at hand, service a client, or anything along these lines.

When there is a looming sense of urgency, you are much more likely to fall victim to a scam or buy into a false pretense that someone can help you out. What a perfect atmosphere for scammers to prosper — and they’re getting increasingly more sophisticated in their ways. Falling in line with the rest of their repertoire of methods they use to defraud you, there is the infamous Apple Support scam, the latest addition to bad actors’ bag of tricks.

Killer Mac Studio station sees (and hears) major AV upgrades [Setups]

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This setup has been massively upgraded for better video calls and overall sound quality.
This setup has been massively upgraded for better video calls and overall sound quality.
Photo: Santego

Cybersecurity expert Santego shared his computer setup with Cult of Mac recently, unveiling major audio-visual upgrades in the Mac Studio and ultra-wide display rig. He wanted to improve the quality of his overall sound and his video calls.

And those additions came on top of a beautifully put together setup with great connectivity, power management and backup, as well as specialized lighting and terrific input devices.

A follower of our Setups coverage, he said “You encouraged me to upgrade the space I spend 10 hours a day in working from home.”

iPhone 15 Ultra leak points to dual front cameras, more storage

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iPhone 15 Ultra leaks points to dual front cameras, more storage
The iPhone 15 Ultra might have double the number of front cameras.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Details on Apple’s 2023 top-tier handset are starting leak out. It will supposedly be dubbed iPhone 15 Ultra and include a pair of front-facing cameras and USB-C. Plus, the base model will have more storage capacity.

Although the iPhone 14 series is still brand new, it’s never too soon to start looking ahead.

AirPods Pro 2: A must-have for Apple users and a solid choice for anyone [Review] ★★★★

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At a glance, they could be AirPods Pro, but they're AirPods Pro 2, with many internal upgrades.★★★★
At a glance, they could be AirPods Pro, but they're AirPods Pro 2, with many internal upgrades.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro look almost exactly like the original model released in 2019. But they’re upgraded in every way that matters most, thanks mainly to the new H2 processor. In this in-depth AirPods Pro 2 review, I’ll run through all the ways Cupertino gave its flagship noise-canceling earbuds a boost.

Apple may not have gone as far as it could have in some ways. But still, the second-gen AirPods Pro are among the best earbuds on the market and a worthy upgrade for almost anyone. They’re particularly great for those who use lots of Apple gear and love how seamlessly their devices can work together.

Let’s take a look at, and a listen to, the second-gen AirPods Pro, aka AirPods Pro 2.

Apple Watch Ultra lives up to durability claims in hammer test

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Apple Watch Ultra review roundup: For extremophiles
The Apple Watch Ultra is truly ultra-durable.
Photo: Apple

A YouTuber has put the Apple Watch Ultra through an intense test to determine its durability. The wearable was dropped multiple times, repeatedly hit with a hammer, and even put in a jar of nails.

The watch emerged unscathed from the ordeal. While not an ideal replica of real-world use, the test gives a good idea of the Apple Watch Ultra’s durability.

Apple starts making iPhone 14 in India

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iPhone 14
Apple is now manufacturing the iPhone 14 in India.
Photo: Apple

Apple has started manufacturing the iPhone 14 in India. The move comes just a couple of weeks after the latest iPhones went on sale in over 30+ markets globally.

The Cupertino giant has already been assembling the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 in India. Foxconn and Wistron manufacture the phones in their Indian facilities.

What we’re expecting from 2022 MacBook Pro with M2 Pro or M2 Max

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What we're expecting from 2022 MacBook Pro with M2 Pro or M2 Max
Late 2022 MacBook Pro buyers can look forward to faster macOS notebooks.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

There’s overwhelming evidence that Apple is about to reveal the M2 Pro and M2 Max, a fresh generation of high-performance processors for notebooks. These are expected to go into the next generation of 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

Here’s what to expect in new macOS laptops before the end of 2022.