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Save on airfare and get Dollar Flight Club at its lowest price ever

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Grab a lifetime of travel deals with Dollar Flight Club membership at its lowest price ever in the Deal Days sale.
Save thousands of dollars on vacations for life with the lowest price ever on Dollar Flight Club.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Seeing the world doesn’t have to cost the Earth, especially if you know how to find great travel deals. Dollar Flight Club can alert you whenever it finds cheap airfare deals, so you don’t have to waste time hunting them down yourself. Usually $1,690, a lifetime Premium Plus+ membership is now going for $69.99, the lowest price it’s ever been!

You’ll have to be quick, though. This price is only available during our Deal Days event, which runs through October 12. And as our answer to Prime Day, you can find exclusive deals such as this Premium Plus+ membership and more in our Deal Days collection.

Sorry, looks like original AirPods Pro won’t get Adaptive Transparency mode

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AirPods Pro 2 internal view
The original AirPods Pro don't have the hardware for Adaptive Transparency.
Photo: Apple

The hopes of AirPods Pro users were raised recently when evidence pointed to the original version of these wireless earbuds getting Adaptive Transparency, one of best features of the second-generation model. Turns out it’s probably just a mistake.

If you’re really missing the feature, perhaps the best option is to sell your old AirPods for cash to upgrade.

Will Smith’s Emancipation comes in December

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Will Smith's 'Emancipation' comes in December
Will Smith stars in Emancipation, coming to theaters and Apple TV+ in December.
Screenshot: Apple TV+

Still remember why you’re mad at Will Smith? Apple TV+ hopes you’ve forgotten about the “The Slap” by December because that’s when Emancipation staring Smith will reach theaters and the streaming service.

The historical drama is based on the real-life story of a man named Peter, whose saga of escaping slavery made headlines around the world in 1863. A just-released teaser trailer gives a first look.

Apple crammed larger batteries into AirPods Pro 2

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Apple crammed larger battery into AirPods Pro 2
AirPods Pro 2 aren't larger than their predecessor, but they do have bigger batteries.
Image: Apple

Apple promises that AirPods Pro 2 offer a longer battery life that the original version, and now we know part of the way this is accomplished. The 2022 version uses batteries with 16% more capacity.

But the truly wireless headphones manage to pull off a 33% increase in time between changes.

Protect AirPods Pro 2 with a durable case and strap

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Elago's silicone case and strap help protect AirPods Pro 2 from loss or damage.
Elago's silicone case and strap help protect AirPods Pro 2 from loss or damage.
Photo: Elago

If you bought or plan to buy Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro, now’s the time to protect your fabulous wireless noise-cancelling earbuds. Elago’s got new clear or colorful cases — in clear polyurethane or colorful silicone — plus a handy strap to help you protect your buds against damage or loss.

The strap and four cases, two with a metal clip and two without, are all super-affordable right now in the Cult of Mac Store.

Is this ‘every MacBook Pro user’s standard setup?’ [Setups]

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A new Studio Display completes the setup, joining a MacBook Pro and a raft of excellent audio gear.
A new Studio Display completes the setup, joining a MacBook Pro and a raft of excellent audio gear.
Photo: [email protected]

You, like many people, may build your computer setup around a MacBook Pro. But is yours the “standard setup” for MacBook Pro users?

If you answered “there’s no such thing,” you’re right. That’s why we were surprised to see a reference to such a standard in reaction to a setup with a MacBook Pro, a new Studio Display, an excellent CalDigit dock and a raft of excellent audio gear that not everyone has or even knows about. But maybe they should.

Apple Music hits 100 million song milestone

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Apple Music hits 100 million song milestone
That's a lot of music.
Image: Apple

There are now a whopping 100 million songs available to stream on Apple Music.

That’s “more music than you can listen to in a lifetime, or several lifetimes,” says Rachel Newman, Apple Music’s global head of editorial. “More music than any other platform. Simply the biggest collection of music, in any format, ever.”

iPhone 14 Pro wait times stretch out to November

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iPhone 14 Pro Camera
You'll need patience when ordering an iPhone 14 Pro.
Photo: Apple

The two iPhone 14 Pro models have been on the market for several weeks now but demand still outstrips supply. As a result, anyone shopping for the handsets should expect to wait until November to get one, especially the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The iPhone 14 Plus is set to launch October 7 and already has a short wait time beyond that date. Those shopping for the basic iPhone 14 face no wait.

Enjoy matchmaking and free games with 5% off PlayStation Plus Essential

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Grab three years of PlayStation Plus Essential for less than $170.
Grab three years of free games with PlayStation Plus Essential, on sale today.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Finally got your hands on a PlayStation 5? On its own, the PS5 allows you to enjoy story-rich single-player games and load your favorite media. But if you want to unlock its full potential, you’ll need PlayStation Plus Essential.

This membership allows you to access multiplayer in paid titles and get free games every month. And right now is the perfect time to stock up — you can get three years of PlayStation Plus Essential on sale for $169.99.

Take high-resolution 48MP photos with your iPhone 14 Pro

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How to take 48MP ProRAW pictures: Learn how to make the most of the 48MP sensor in your iPhone 14 Pro.
Learn how to make the most of the 48MP sensor in your iPhone 14 Pro.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 14 Pro can take incredible 48-megapixel photos that capture eagle-eye details at incredibly high resolution. To take 48MP pictures, you need to shoot in Apple’s ProRAW format, which pairs the lossless RAW format preferred by professional photographers with the iPhone’s computational photography data.

This means that your iPhone 14 Pro is capturing all of the sensor data, and the results can be stunning — better than anything possible with any previous iPhone. (The iPhone 13 Pro captured ProRAW images, but only sported a 12MP camera.)

ProRAW captures images at 8064 × 6048 resolution. That means you can crop in really far on your pictures and keep everything pixel-perfect. You can print your images on a huge 26-inch by 20-inch poster, even at a professional-quality 300 DPI. The high-resolution images also give you more control during the editing process, so you can tweak your most important images to your heart’s content.

There are some caveats, though. Images with ProRAW enabled take up three times the storage space, for one. And shooting pictures like this takes a little longer. (The image capture isn’t as instantaneous as we’re used to.) And for everyday snapshots, ProRAW results might even be less satisfying than simply letting the iPhone perform its computational photography magic.

Read on to see how it all works so you can start taking 48MP photos with your iPhone 14 Pro, then edit them effectively.

Apple declares once hugely popular iPhone 6 to be ‘vintage’

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How much is your smartphone spying on you? Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
It's time for iPhone 6 to ride off into the sunset.
Photo: Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 6 is now a “vintage” product. That doesn’t mean it’s now cool for hipsters to use one – it’s the classification Apple uses for products it stopped selling five years ago, and somewhat limits the repair options.

The iOS handset was hugely successful in its day, and probably still holds the title of the best-selling smartphone ever.

Carry your music from room to room with $49 off this compact Bluetooth speaker

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Listen to music for up to 7 hours with this awesome Bluetooth speaker, less than $30 right now.
Grab this sleek Bluetooth speaker with more than half off today.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you enjoy blasting music throughout your home, headphones simply won’t cut it. You’ll need a portable speaker that can move with you without compromising sound quality, and this sleek Sound Spot by Soundfreaq might fit the bill. Usually $79, you can get one on sale today for just $29.99.

New Soundcore flagship ANC earbuds beat AirPods to monitoring heart rate

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The new Soundcore Liberty 4 wireless ANC earbuds feature heart-rate tracking.
The new Soundcore Liberty 4 wireless ANC earbuds feature heart-rate tracking.
Photo: Soundcore by Anker

Soundcore rolled out its new flagship Liberty 4 wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) on Friday with some upgrades.

And one of those upgrades might get under Apple’s skin a little bit. That would be heart rate monitoring via an in-ear sensor, which has so far failed to materialize in Apple’s AirPods line despite persistent rumors.

Motivosity can make quiet quitting a thing of the past

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How to create a positive work culture.
Stop quiet quitting in its tracks with Motivosity by creating a positive atmosphere in your office.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Quiet quitting is officially in the air. After being featured in a Wall Street Journal story last month, almost everyone is up to speed on what the quiet quitting idea is all about. For those not in the know, it’s when an employee stops taking on extraordinary projects or responsibilities at work and sticks only to what’s in their job description.

In fact, more than 50% of you appear to be quiet quitting right now, according to a Gallup survey. Motivosity gets it — and they want to change all that.

Bad Sisters keeps killing it with icy murder plots and revenge [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Bad Sisters recap: What will the Garvey sisters get up to this week?★★★★☆
What will the Garvey sisters get up to this week? A chilling plan!
Photo: Apple TV+

Bad Sisters, the Apple TV+ black comedy about Irish women who might have killed their terrible brother-in-law to save their whole family from him, takes a cold turn this week.

Becka has a new plan for offing John Paul. Ursula’s lover finds out about the blackmail. Gabriel thinks Eva betrayed him, Roger’s in hell. And John Paul is finally getting some of the revenge he deserves after a life of doling out misery to everyone else.

It’s highs and lows all the way to the grave with this one.

Iffy AirPods Pro 2 fit? Alternative ear tips can make all the difference.

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A poor AirPods Pro 2 fit is troubling, but it's not hard to fix with after-market ear tips.
A poor AirPods Pro 2 fit is troubling, but it's not hard to fix with after-market ear tips.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

No one wants to spend $250 on a set of outstanding wireless noise-cancelling earbuds — let’s say, second-generation AirPods Pro — only to find they don’t fit well, even with a choice of ear tip sizes.

But unfortunately, it can happen. It happened to me, actually. But once I explored after-market ear tips (the part that goes into your ear canal), I quickly solved the problem at minimal expense.

See ups the ante with cannibals and an evil power couple [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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See recap: You can't keep a crazy ex-queen down!★★★☆☆
You can't keep a crazy ex-queen down!
Photo: Apple TV+

It’s wedding bells for lovely new couple Sibeth Kane and Tormada on this week’s episode of See, the Apple TV+ show set in the not-too-distant future in a world full of blind people. The deposed queen has consolidated her power and is ready for her next move.

Elsewhere in this dystopian world, Lord Harlan recommends a fateful shortcut, Maghra’s done playing Mr. Nice Guy, Lucien’s luck runs out, and Baba Voss kills lots and lots and lots of people.

It’s an above-average outing for the Nietzschean, not-quite-samurai epic.

What if Apple made Jon Stewart work at the Genius Bar?

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What if Apple made Jon Stewart work at the Genius Bar?
Jon Stewart is no Apple Genius, but he plays one on TV.
Screenshot: Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Ever wondered what the + in Apple TV+ stands for? According to Jon Stewart, it means you can go into an Apple Store and find him and other Apple TV+ stars working at the Genius Bar.

Watch this clip to see the former host of The Daily Show utterly failing to provide tech support.

iPhone 14 series is a bigger hit than iPhone 13

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The new iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max come in four colors -- two of them new (space black and dark purple).
While Apple is producing fewer iPhone 14 units, it's making a lot more iPhone 14 Pro Max ones.
Photo: Apple

Reports that Apple is making fewer iPhone 14 units than its predecessor are true… but that’s not the whole story. Apple is producing many more units in the entire iPhone 14 series than it did the earlier models, according to an analyst.

And the change will be a benefit for Apple’s bottom line.

Autumn Sale: Buy Windows 10 Pro for just $16 and get free upgrade to Windows 11

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Jump right into fall savings on Microsoft software by using promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com.
Jump right into fall savings on Microsoft software by using promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com.
Photo: CdkeySales.com

This post on discount Microsoft software is presented by CdkeySales.com.

Software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com offers fantastic deals on must-have Microsoft software in its Autumn Sale. And as a Cult of Mac reader, you can click on the links below and get an even better deal on Windows 10 — with a totally free upgrade to Windows 11. (You can score big savings on plenty of other Microsoft software, too.)

To get the most savings, enter promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com. That will take an extra 30% off the site’s already-low prices on keys for Windows 10 Pro Global, Microsoft Office 2021 Pro and more.

Access 14 courses on Python programming for only $40

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Develop your computer programming skills anytime with a discounted lifetime subscription to this 14-course Python bundle.
Explore more than 900 lessons on Python programming training and get certified by taking advantage of major savings on this educational package.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The tech industry has exploded since the ’90s, and with that comes numerous opportunities for programmers. Fortunately, coding doesn’t require traditional schooling. However, to find success in the field, you absolutely need to show employers that you know your stuff.

If you’re looking to make your move into tech, or simply refresh your existing skills, this 14-part Python training bundle could be for you. It offers lifetime access to nearly 1,000 lessons. And it’s a steal at just $40 (regularly $2,798) for a limited time.

The Greatest Beer Run Ever is about as palatable as a warm PBR [Apple TV+ review] ☆☆☆

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The Greatest Beer Run Ever review Apple TV+:Zac Efron plays John “Chickie” Donohue, a good old boy on a mission in The Greatest Beer Run Ever, a film based on a true story.☆☆☆
Zac Efron plays John “Chickie” Donohue, a good old boy on a mission in The Greatest Beer Run Ever, a flat film based on a true story.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review With new movie The Greatest Beer Run Ever, Apple TV+ seems anxious to pick up some easy awards from industry insiders who prefer heartwarming tales of friendship and broad gestures over strong ideas and nuance.

Zac Efron leads an ensemble cast as John “Chickie” Donohue, a guy going nowhere in life during the Vietnam War who decides he’s going to finally do something with himself. Chickie’s crazy bid for respectability — via a wild trip to the war zone, toting beer for the demoralized troops — provides hope for his whole neighborhood back home.

Director Peter Farrelly, who won the Best Picture Oscar in 2019 for the risible Green Book, returns to the well of  hopelessly condescending middlebrow emptiness with The Greatest Beer Run Ever.

Original AirPods Pro could gain Adaptive Transparency mode from newer model

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AirPods Pro settings
Original AirPods Pro could get one of the best features of the new second-generation version.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

The new Adaptive Transparency feature found in second-generation AirPods Pro earbuds could make its way to the original model. The feature blocks loud noises above the 85 dB threshold to protect the wearer’s hearing.

iPhone users running iOS 16.1 beta 3 and the latest AirPods Pro beta firmware spotted the Adaptive Transparency toggle for the wireless earbuds in the Settings app.