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Apple takes another stab at perfecting iPhone battery icon

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iOS 16.1 Battery Icon
Check out the new hybrid iPhone battery icon in iOS 16.1.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The second iOS 16.1 beta released Tuesday gives users the option to show their iPhone’s remaining battery life in the status bar as a number and as a graphic at the same time.

This is a combination of the two previous options.

M1 MacBook Air is more affordable than ever after massive discount

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MacBook Air M1 2020
M1 MacBook Air for $849.99 is a deal you should not miss.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s old but powerful M1 MacBook Air is discounted by $149.01 on Amazon. Thanks to the deal, you can get the 2020 MacBook Air for $849.99.

The listing page shows a $49.01 discount, with the additional $100 off automatically applied at checkout. You don’t need to use any coupon code to get the reduced pricing.

How to turn off iPhone 14 Pro’s Always-On display

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iPhone 14 Pro includes an always-on display.
Find the iPhone 14 Pro's Always-On display annoying? Time to turn it off!
Photo: Apple

Always-On display is a key new feature of the iPhone 14 Pro series. To ensure the feature does not consume a lot of battery power, Apple even added a dedicated co-processor to the A16 Bionic chip that powers the smartphone.

The Always-On display comes enabled by default on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which many users might find annoying. It apparently looks a bit too bright for some folks. It makes your iPhone battery drain more quickly. And some folks just don’t like the new functionality because it makes them think they’ve got a new notification, even when they don’t.

If you find yourself in the same boat, here’s how you can disable Always-On display on your new iPhone 14 Pro.

Darkboard makes drawing on an iPad more comfortable

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Astropad Darkboard makes drawing on an iPad more comfortable
The iPad's slender bezels won't make drawing a challenge any more with Darkboard.
Photo: Astropad

The Astropad Darkboard is a new lightweight, ergonomic drawing surface for iPad. It gives artists a place to rest their arm while drawing without covering the screen.

There are versions for the three largest Apple tablets.

Can an Apple Watch band make you look rich? This one can.

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Probably best not to wear it to the gym.
Probably best not to wear it to the gym.
Photo: Goldenerre

There are plenty of fancy Apple Watch bands out there, but how about one with more than 800 brilliant crystals on an ornate link band? That would be the Goldenerre Crystal Pavé Apple Watch Band. Its elegance will not be denied, and neither will yours when you wear it.

So go ahead. Get your glam on in the Cult of Mac Store.

What is the best PDF app for students and educators? 

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Quit struggling with PDFs. An easy-to-use PDF editor like PDFelement takes the hassles out of using PDFs.
An easy-to-use PDF editor like PDFelement takes the hassles out of using PDFs.
Photo: Wondershare

This post on PDF apps is brought to you by Wondershare.

The popularity of the PDF file format increases day by day. PDFs make it simple and reliable to share documents. However, despite the file format’s many amazing features and capabilities, many users show remain reluctant to use PDF files.

The reason behind this is the rigidity of PDF files. If you don’t have a dedicated app, it can prove maddeningly difficult to make changes.  Here, we are going to introduce you to what might be the best PDF editor app: Wondershare PDFelement. This app will let you make all desired changes to a PDF file. Let’s get to know more about this app.

Win a Zagg iPhone accessory bundle of your choice [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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Everything you need for your new iPhone 14.
This is your chance to win everything you need for your new iPhone 14.
Photo: Zagg

This week we teamed up with Zagg to offer five lucky winners the chance to take home products from InvisibleShield, Gear4 and mophie. Zagg and its affiliated brands offer top-notch accessories for iPhones and other gear, including new cases and screen protectors designed just for iPhone 14.

The best part of this week’s giveaway: If you win, you get to pick which products you want.

Slick new Apple Sport Loop is only a bargain by Apple pricing standards [Review] ★★★★☆

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Which one is the new Apple Sport Loop?★★★★☆
Which one is the new Apple Sport Loop?
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Whether or not you took the plunge and upgraded to a new Apple Watch Series 8 or SE, you can partake of something more affordable if you own any model of the wearable — Apple’s new lower-end Apple Watch bands. I picked up the new Apple Midnight Sport Loop for my Apple Watch Series 6.

I like the new band. But I found it interesting to compare it to third-party versions of similar quality that go for a lot less money.

Slim and elegant folio iPhone 14 cases hold your crucial cards securely

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Lupa Legacy offers slim, elegant and protective folio cases for the iPhone 14 series.
Lupa Legacy offers slim, elegant and protective folio cases for the iPhone 14 series.
Photo: Lupa Legacy

Lupa Legacy released the slimmest folio case available on the market for the new iPhone 14 series, the company said Thursday.

The brand’s Original Wallet Collection features animal- and cruelty-free faux leather folios with sleek designs.

And the Apogee Series includes a patent-pending case design that delivers secure card storage combined with heavy duty, drop-proof phone protection, Lupa said.

Let AI generate your voiceovers with a $59 Micmonster lifetime plan

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Micmonster gives your project voice with AI voiceover.
Give anything a voiceover with this $59 AI-powered voiceover tool.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Shooting or animating videos is easier than ever, and adding polished voiceovers can help bring your YouTube videos and marketing materials to life. However, hiring talented voice actors can get quite pricey.

With an AI-based voiceover generator like Micmonster, you can narrate your own scripts in various styles and languages. For a limited time, you can purchase a lifetime subscription at the best price available on the web: just $59 (regularly $119).

iPhone 14 Pro provides up to 38% faster 5G speeds

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The iPhone 14 Pro is in the wild on launch day. Just be sure you update to iOS 16.01 before activating with your cellular carrier to avoid problems.
You will get faster 5G data speeds on the iPhone 14 Pro.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Apple is using a faster and more power-efficient Snapdragon X65 modem on the iPhone 14 Pro series. This allows the new iPhones to pull faster download speeds on 5G networks.

The new modem also reduces the latency time. Combined, these improvements will provide a better network connectivity experience on the iPhone 14 Pro.

Apple will jack up App Store prices in Europe and other countries

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App Store
You will have to pay more for apps and games on the App Store from October.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple has announced that it will increase the prices of apps and in-app purchases on the App Store in Europe and some other countries. The changes come into effect starting October 5, 2022.

The weakening Euro has forced the Cupertino giant to make this move.

Save $100 on the biggest and best iPad Pro

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iPad needs to be redesigned to be landscape-first
Save some cash on the iPad Pro right now.
Photo: Roberto Nickson/Pexels CC

You can now save a bundle on the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro. This tablet is powerful enough to be a notebook alternative, and now it’s available for $100 below the usual cost.

There are also a nice deal on the 11-inch iPad Pro, iPad Air and other Apple tablets.

Crank out a fantastic thesis in a flash with this top-rated Mac app

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This top-rated app makes writing your thesis a breeze - and it’s less than $20 right now.
This thesis writing app is a must-have for students and costs less than $20.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Enjoyable thesis writing: For many students, it may sound like an oxymoron. But using a great app that eliminates the fuss around writing and editing papers can be key to making the whole process quick and painless.

MonsterWriter is one of the best-reviewed Mac writing apps out there. And right now, you can purchase a lifetime license on sale for just $19.99 (regularly $34).

iPhone 14 Pro camera shakes and makes weird noises in TikTok, other apps [Updated]

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iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will come in four understated colors.
There's a whole lot of shaking going on.
Photo: Apple

Users report that the camera in the iPhone 14 Pro starts shaking uncontrollably in some third-party applications. The weird glitch occurs in popular apps including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.

The shaking only occurs when using the built-in camera of these apps. Strange mechanical noises from inside the phone accompany the shaking.

Update: This problem is fixed in iOS 16.0.2, available now.

iPhone 14 is ‘the most repairable iPhone in years’

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iPhone 14 is easier to repair than any of its predecessors in years.
Apple designed the iPhone 14 to make it easier to repair.
Photo: iFixit

Turns out the iPhone 14 isn’t a cookie-cutter copy of its predecessor like everyone thought, but the big changes are all on the inside. A teardown of Apple’s new “basic” handset finds that it’s easier to repair than earlier versions.

iFixit, which did the teardown, calls it “the most significant design change to the iPhone in a long time.”

Get a grippy silicone iPhone 14 case with or without MagSafe

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Elago's new silicone cases, with or without MagSafe, are easy to get a grip on.
Elago's new silicone cases, with or without MagSafe, are easy to get a grip on.
Photo: Elago

It’s time to get a grip — on a silicone case for your new iPhone 14, that is. Elago has two super-grippy silicone cases — one with MagSafe and one without — that are easy to hold, protective and colorful.

The two cases, which come in a variety of colors, are priced right in the Cult of Mac Store — just $20.99 for the MagSafe version and $14.99 for the regular one.

RGB hues bathe Beatles-themed retro Apple rig in otherworldly light [Setups]

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Three types of RGB lighting create this effect.
Three types of RGB lighting create this effect.
Photo: [email protected]

Sometimes you just can’t help taking a wholistic approach to a computer setup, taking in the whole room. That’s what happens when the user makes their home office a veritable museum like that which surrounds today’s featured MacBook Pro setup.

Three themes set it apart: The Beatles, the variety of RGB lighting and the concrete blocks holding up the Ikea countertop and the retro Thunderbolt Displays sitting on it.

iPhone 14 Pro wait times reach 4 to 6 weeks

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iPhone 14 Pro has the processing power for great gaming.
If you waited to order an iPhone 14 Pro until now, you'll have to be patient for weeks before receiving it.
Photo: Apple

If a coworker came in today with a new iPhone 14 Pro, you may have decided you just have to have one. Bad news: the wait is a month or more before it can be delivered.

There’s much better news for anyone interested in the more basic iPhone 14.

Maintain your privacy everywhere with best-of-web pricing on Windscribe VPN

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Keep your Macs safe with Windscribe VPN Pro.
Safeguard the data on your iPhone and other devices with Windscribe VPN Pro.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Putting a case on your iPhone or MacBook is a no-brainer for protection against scratches and scuffs. However, web-based threats can be far more damaging — and not just to your device. Getting hacked can empty your wallet and ruin your reputation.

A virtual private network like Windscribe can help you stay safe online, and Pro Plans are currently on sale starting at $39 (regularly $69).

All iPhone 15 models will include Dynamic Island

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iPhone 14 Pro wait times already stretch into October
The two "standard" iPhone 15 models will supposedly get the Dynamic Island, too.
Photo: Apple

The highlight of the iPhone 14 Pro models is the Dynamic Island – the interactive replacement for the screen notch. It’s currently only in the most expensive iOS handsets, but those who prefer Apple’s two “standard” models reportedly won’t have to wait too long for a chance at the screen cutout.

The same apparently isn’t true for ProMotion displays.

How to follow your favorite sports teams with My Sports in Apple News

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Follow the team in Apple News
Follow teams to get scores, schedules and news, all in Apple News.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

New in iOS 16 is the ability to follow your favorite sporting pastime with My Sports. It allows you to get the latest scores, read coverage from newspapers and magazines, see scheduled games and watch highlights.

It works across multiple apps, including Apple News, Apple TV and others. You can follow teams from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NWSL, WNBA and MLS. It also includes college football and basketball. Here’s how to set it up.

Make non-Bluetooth audio devices wireless with this discount dual-mode adapter

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Expand your Bluetooth audio capabilities with this affordable boost.
Listen to music from anywhere in your home with this multi-use Bluetooth device.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

In recent years, Bluetooth has significantly changed how we communicate, work and enjoy entertainment. If you’re looking to expand your range in that department — or support older audio equipment — there are tools that can help. For example, this Two-in-One Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter and Receiver supplies Bluetooth functionality for devices that don’t offer it.

Get this dual-mode Bluetooth adapter and modernize your hi-fi devices for just $25.99 (regularly $35).

iPhone Pro needs a radical color revolution

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The new
The new "deep purple" iPhone 14 Pro looks about as edgy as an eggplant.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Apple desperately needs to shake up its iPhone Pro colors. The brand-new iPhone 14 Pro — in the exotic-sounding “deep purple” color — actually looks like a dull gray in real life.

When Apple marketing chief Greg “Joz” Joswiak revealed the new deep purple color at last month’s Far Out product launch, I immediately thought of “Smoke on the Water.” I envisioned a bold hue that would actually look trippy and unique. And I thought maybe Cupertino’s brightest minds finally broke free from the iPhone Pro’s typically mundane color palette.

What was I smoking?