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Universal Control brings M2 MacBook Air and M1 iPad Air together [Setups]

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No external display? No problem!
No external display? No problem!
Photo: [email protected]

Who says you need an external display in your computer setup? Some people get by just fine without some big, expensive monitor and whatever hub and cables it might require. Instead, they rely on their devices’ built-in screens.

And doing that, the owner of today’s featured setup takes advantage of Universal Control. That helps him work seamlessly across an M2 MacBook Air and an M1 iPad Air mounted on stands.

Trying cranks up the sitcom cliches [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆

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Trying recap: Stop me if you've heard this one before.★★☆☆
Stop me if you've heard this one before.
Photo: Apple TV+

This week on Trying, the Apple TV+ show uses the hackiest sitcom elements imaginable as a backdrop for Jason and Nikki’s emotional problems and Scott and Karen’s awakenings.

Tyler is taken by a miscommunication. Jen is having a crisis of confidence at a crossroads in her life (and Nikki’s about to make it worse). Bev’s got Jason and Nikki in a vice, and Karen may have found her calling.

Does any of this matter when every joke makes your skin crawl? No, not really.

Soundcore’s new Space A40 earbuds zero-out noise and play a long time [Review] ★★★★

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The new Soundcore Space A40 earbuds have stellar ANC and epic battery life. And you'll probably like how they sound, too.★★★★
The new Soundcore Space A40 earbuds have stellar ANC and epic battery life. And you'll probably like how they sound, too.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

The new Soundcore Space A40 True-Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds came out Thursday alongside their sibling Space Q45 over-ear headphones.

Upon release, both products made a lot of noise about strong active noise cancellation (ANC) and massive battery life. And like the headphones, which I already reviewed, the earbuds don’t disappoint.

While their marquee qualities are strong ANC and lengthy play time, the A40 buds also sound good and feature lots of opportunities for audio customization.

Need a no-frills computer that’ll just work? Try a refurb MacBook Air for $250.

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Grab a no-frills refurbished MacBook and get the job done.
When you're on a budget, a refurb MacBook is the way to go.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

You might not need the latest, greatest computer if you just need a laptop to get the job done. So, whether you’re looking for a travel computer that you aren’t afraid to toss in a bag, or need a budget laptop that can get you through the school year, buying refurbished MacBooks is the way to go.

One example is this refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air that’s been marked down to just $250.

See’s biggest problem is a total lack of vision [Apple TV+ recap] ☆☆☆

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☆☆☆
Baba Voss (played by Jason Momoa) is looking for answers in See's final season.
Photo: Apple TV+

Oh, brother, here we go again. See is back for its third and final season with more grim, doomy, portentous, heavily filtered, scowling, medieval dystopian tedium for you.

The Apple TV+ show about a future Earth where most everybody is blind takes one last lap through Joseph Campbell and the big book of heroic cliches.

Jason Momoa’s Baba Voss is on the lam, Kofun’s a father (and hates everything about it), Maghra’s having no fun at all being queen, and Kane is still insane in the membrane. Strap in.

T-Mobile and SpaceX want to connect your iPhone to satellites to end network dead zones

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T-Mobile and SpaceX Coverage Above and Beyond
T-Mobile and SpaceX want to connect your existing phone to satellites.
Photo: T-Mobile

You won’t need an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 for satellite connectivity. SpaceX and T-Mobile have announced their plan to bring cell connectivity everywhere in the US using satellites.

The service won’t require your phone to have satellite connectivity or any special chip. The Un-carrier says it will work with the “vast majority” of phones already on its network.

Turn your iPhone into a document scanner with this versatile app

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Turn your iPhone into a full document scanner with this app.
Grab this versatile iPhone scanner app to digitize documents, measure rooms and solve math equations.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you labeled either side of a Venn diagram with “has access to a full scanner” and “needs a scanner,” how much crossover would there be? Instead of waiting for a scanner to be available, iOS users can put one in their pocket.

Need to scan a page from a textbook? Maybe send a project outline to your new boss? Whatever the situation, having your iPhone double as a document scanner proves incredibly useful, and that’s exactly what you get with iScanner. And this convenient document scanner app is on sale for $39.99 (regularly $199).

Mac mini should shrink down into a keyboard

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Next Mac mini should be just a keyboard
A future Mac mini should look like this.
Photo: Apple

There’s no reason the Mac mini has to take up unnecessary desk space. Apple can and should build the entire computer into the keyboard. The result would minimize clutter, making it an ideal computer for anyone living in tight quarters. And it would be quite portable.

It’s completely possible with tech Apple has now. Here’s how.

Apple and minority business leaders push toward green economy

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Meet Apple's second Impact Accelerator class of minority-owned businesses looking for growth in a greener economy.
Meet Apple's second Impact Accelerator class of minority-owned businesses looking for growth in a greener economy.
Photo: Apple

Apple introduced its second Impact Accelerator class Thursday. It’s made up of leaders from 16 minority-owned businesses that work in environmental services. They’ll be trained and mentored to help grow the businesses, which may end up partnering with Apple.

And at the same time, they’ll advance “a shared goal of creating a greener world,” Apple said.

Set yourself apart from the riffraff with this $15,000 Apple Watch case

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And it comes with an Apple Watch, you say? What a bargain.
And it comes with an Apple Watch, you say? What a bargain.
Photo: Golden Concept

Tired of slumming it with just a regular ol’ expensive Apple Watch? Well, you could dress it up a bit if you fork over $15,000 for an Apple Watch case smothered in more than 400 diamonds.

I mean, you deserve a special treat now and again, don’t you? A company called Golden Concept thinks so.

iPhone 13 dominates US smartphone shipments

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6.1-inch iPhone 13 review
Guess what's the best selling smartphone in America?
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPhones made up more than half of all smartphones shipped in North America during the second quarter of 2022, according to a market research firm. This marks the third quarter in a row that more than 50% of the handsets shipped in the region came from Apple.

Samsung, the next nearest rival, had less than half as many shipments in Canada, Unites States and Mexico.

Affordable new smart Wi-Fi light strip from TP-Link supports HomeKit

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You can get a huge array of colors or bright white light out of these strips.
You can get a huge array of colors or bright white light out of these strips.
Photo: TP-Link

TP-Link just flipped the switch on a new lineup of smart LED light strips and light bulbs, some of which you can use with HomeKit or other home-automation systems.

The main selling point here is budget-friendliness. Prices range from $25 to $50, so you won’t break the bank lighting up your space.

Take $300 off a lifetime subscription to the Babbel language app

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Learn up to 14 languages with Babbel for $199.
Join more than 10 million users and learn a new language (or several) with Babbel.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’re counting down the days until an international trip, you might want to prepare yourself in the meantime. Of course, you need to pack the appropriate clothing and book your stay. But being able to communicate with the locals may be just as important, if not more so.

The Babbel language app can lead you down the right path. And, for a limited time, new users can purchase a lifetime subscription and start learning up to 14 languages for $199 (regularly $499).

Soundcore Q45 headphones crush noise cancellation and battery life [Review] ★★★★

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The new Soundcore Q45 headphones have strong noise cancellation and long battery life.★★★★
The new Soundcore Q45 headphones have strong noise cancellation and long battery life.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

With Thursday’s release of the new Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones and sibling Space A40 earbuds, Soundcore began replacing its Life series of sound products. The company sent me both products to test. This review covers the Q45 cans (my A40 review will appear tomorrow).

I’ve spent a couple weeks with the Q45 over-ear, closed-back headphones. Soundcore pushes two main selling points: strong noise cancellation and long battery life. And with the Q45 headphones, the company has hit it out of the park on both counts.

And they sound good for the price, too.

Apple’s ‘far out’ event invite hints at iPhone 14 features

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Apple's 'far out' invite hints at iPhone 14 features
What does this say to you?
Image: Apple

People love to examine Apple’s event invites looking for hints of what will be unveiled. The starry invitation to the September 7 Far Out event that went out Wednesday might drop a clue to one or more long-rumored features finally coming to the iPhone 14.

And, of course, we’ve seen some deliberately silly suggestions for what the image and theme are hinting at.

Or the Apple logo made out of stars could be simply a cool-looking image. (There are new wallpapers for those who think so.)

Boost your SEO with LongTailPro’s advanced keyword research

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Get 10K, 100K or 1 million keyword lookup credits with LongTailPro.
Find competitive keywords with this simple keyword research app.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s not easy getting noticed on the internet. With so much competition on most search engines, ranking high enough to make it to the first page takes a ton of work and research. However, it’s easier if you use the right SEO tools.

LongTailPro is an intelligent keyword research tool that can improve your site’s SEO ranking. And you can purchase 10,000, 100,000 or 1 million keyword lookup credits on sale.

Get $15 off SwitchBot and turn your dumb lock into a smart one

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The SwitchBot Lock fits over your existing
The SwitchBot Lock fits over your existing "dumb" lock.
Photo: SwitchBot

Users who aren’t ready to to take the plunge into full home-automation system like HomeKit and related accessories have another option to make a dumb lock smarter.

SwitchBot recently launched a new version of SwitchBot Lock. The company said it’s the best way to make a door lock smart without refitting, so users can lock or unlock their door via devices like iPhone or Apple Watch.

Better yet, right now you can get 15% off on Amazon, or about $15 off the $100 price.

How to see the AR Easter egg hidden in Apple’s September event invite

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How to see the AR Easter egg hidden in Apple’s spring event invite
Have some augmented-reality fun with the invitation to the Apple fall event.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Concealed in Wednesday’s invite to the Apple early fall event is an augmented reality Easter egg. It’s not just cool – it might be a hint of what to expect.

The graphic for the September 7 “Far Out” event shows the Apple logo made of stars. The AR version is a 3D orb filled with stars floating in space.

Get ready to sing along with Central Park season 3 in September

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Get ready to sing along with 'Central Park' season 3 in September
Central Park season 3 premieres on Apple TV+ in only a few weeks.
Photo: Apple TV+

Central Park is coming back with more musical adventures. Season three of the highly rated animated comedy will return to Apple TV+ in early September, and a trailer offering a glimpse at the upcoming fun premiered Wednesday.

The second season of Central Park scored an amazing 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Kooky interactive site lets you design your own Franken-iPhone

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Finally, a new iPhone worth $1,150, if not more.
Finally, a new iPhone worth $1,150, if not more.
Photo: Neal.Fun Design the Next iPhone

A new interactive website called Design the Next iPhone lets you have a laugh by making whatever monstrosity you want out of Apple’s market-leading handset, due for a major refresh with the iPhone 14 series on September 7.

And each time you make a new design, Apple CEO Tim Cook pops up with some encouraging marketing-speak.

Far out: Apple’s Sept. 7 iPhone event is on and in person

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Far out: Apple’s Sept. 7 iPhone event is on and in person
The date's no surprise, but we weren't so sure about the "in person" part.
Image: Apple

Apple sent out invitations Wednesday to a “far out” event scheduled for September 7. There’s nothing in the invite to indicate what’s on the agenda, but this will almost certainly be the debut of the iPhone 14 lineup and Apple Watch Series 8.

Unlike such events for the past couple of years, members of the tech press are being invited to attend in person.

For details of what’s likely on the agenda, check out our rundown of everything Apple is expected to announce at the “Far Out” event.

Some leather Apple Watch bands look more prestigious than others

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That's a classy Apple Watch band from Laut.
That's a classy Apple Watch band from Laut.
Photo: Laut

Everybody knows a leather Apple Watch band is a timeless and elegant accessory, just as it has been for watches in general for decades. But not all leather bands are equal.

Laut, for example, offers its Prestige Leather Apple Watch Band made from premium Saffiano leather. It finishes your look in style.

And you can get it right now in the Cult of Mac Store for just $49.99.

‘Tower of power’ spurs cable-clutter debate over otherwise-clean rig [Setups]

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Plenty to see here, but the
Plenty to see here, but the "tower for power" in the corner drew most of the attention.
Photo: [email protected]

Some people care deeply about cable management, with nary a cord to be seen in their computer setups. Others couldn’t care less about it, leaving wire-spaghetti all over the place. And folks in the middle want to do it right, but meh, maybe next week, and maybe only somewhat.

Today’s featured MacBook Pro and iPad Pro setup stakes out much of the ground described above. Cable management is in play, but it’s done in a way that drove some neatniks crazy while others applauded the controlled mayhem.