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Have fun with photos: How to copy and paste subjects in iOS 16

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Using iOS 16's Visual Look Up feature, you can instantly copy the subject out of your pictures.
In iOS 16, you can instantly copy the subject out of your pictures.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

One of the more surprising features in iOS 16 is the ability to cut out people from a picture (or a dog, a car, whatever’s in focus) and copy it into another app. You can send it in iMessage, paste it in a photo editing app, or use Universal Clipboard to paste it on a nearby iPad or Mac.

What’s it for? Well, it’s great for making stickers for WhatsApp and Snapchat, plus it’s a hell of a lot of fun. If you’re putting together a YouTube thumbnail or making memes, it can significantly cut down the time you spend precisely cutting out edges, but it’s by no means precise enough to use professionally.

New iPad USB-C hub is tiny but packs 6 useful ports

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New iPad USB-C hub is tiny but packs 6 useful ports
Add ports to your iPad with the the Satechi USB-C Mobile Pro Hub SD.
Photo: Satechi

Satechi’s USB-C Mobile Pro Hub SD sits flush with the side of an iPad and adds a USB-A port, plus there’s one for video, headphones and more.

It is an updated version of one of the very first hubs launched back in 2018 specifically for iPads with USB-C. The new model adds SD and microSD card slots plus an extension cable.

Take a stab at cooking with these high-carbon Japanese knives

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These high-carbon steel knives are some cutting edge stuff with a price that has been slashed.
This set of eight high-carbon forged knives is on sale for a few more hours.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The most fun part of cooking doesn’t have to be eating what you made. You’ll enjoy your time in the kitchen more if you have tools that make prep work fun. So level up your kitchen arsenal with this Seido Japanese Master Chef Knife Set.

Get these superb kitchen blades for just $139.99 (regularly $429) through August 31.

New Belkin Boost Pro GaN chargers top off iPhones fast

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Belkin's compact new GaN chargers feature dual USB-C ports and fast charging.
Belkin's compact new GaN chargers feature dual USB-C ports and fast charging.
Photo: Belkin

Belkin trotted out two new Boost Charge Pro GaN wall chargers Tuesday in 65W and 45W versions. Both adapters feature dual USB-C ports and programmable power supply (PPS).

The compact chargers are designed for fast charging. You can use them to power up an iPhone 13 to half-full in 28 minutes, the company said.

Lug your MacBook in this primo streamlined backpack

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The new Essential Backpack stuffs premium features into a stripped-down bag.
The new Essential Backpack stuffs premium features into a stripped-down bag.
Photo: WaterField Designs

WaterField Designs’ new Essential Backpack can swallow up a 16-inch MacBook Pro. And its stripped-down design pairs ballistic nylon with smart features to create a lightweight backpack that seemingly does it all.

“Dense foam inserts distribute weight evenly and allow the bag to stand on its own,” WaterField said in a press release marking Tuesday’s launch. “The bag’s elegant, arched top contours the user’s shoulders so the bag feels like an extension of the body.”

Make your light switches more useful with Wemo Smart Dimmer [Review] ★★★★★

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Wemo Smart Dimmer with Thread review★★★★★
Your smart home needs smart switches, and Wemo's latest looks good, is highly configurable and works reliably.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Wemo Smart Dimmer with Thread is a new version of Belkin’s HomeKit-compatible wall switch. It can be controlled with the press of a finger or from anywhere – across the room or across the country.

Putting “with Thread” in the name isn’t some odd reference to sewing. The switch uses a new form of mesh networking to provide fast, reliable connections to your home-automation system.

I was able to install the latest Wemo Smart Dimmer in my home because it doesn’t require a neutral wire. Here’s what it’s like to use everyday.

HP debuts first monitor with ‘IPS Black’ contrast and Thunderbolt 4

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HP's new display, coming soon, offers IPS Black contrast and speedy Thunderbolt 4 connections.
HP's new display, coming soon, offers IPS Black contrast and speedy Thunderbolt 4 connections.
Photo: HP

HP rolled out a new 4K monitor at its Amplify Executive Forum Thursday, calling it “the world’s first IPS Black display with Thunderbolt 4 technology.”

The HP Z32k G3 4K USB-C Display, “coming soon” at an unspecified price, should appeal to creators and product developers, the company said.

That’s because it will offer strong color accuracy and high contrast in addition to the speed and versatility of Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.

4 hot Labor Day deals for remote workers

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Level up your remote work software with these 4 Labor Day Deals.
Bundle two or more deals together and you can save even more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Practical benefits — and fun rewards — could flow from these four deals on lifetime web hosting platforms, Microsoft Office 365 master courses and a subscription that could give you incredible discounts on flights worldwide.

Massive Truecaller for iPhone update promises significantly better spam call detection

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Truecaller for iPhone
Truecaller for iPhone can now identify spam callers up to 10x more reliably.
Photo: Truecaller

Truecaller is rolling out a new update for its iPhone app that has been completely reworked from the ground up. The company now promises 10x better identification of spam calls.

Truecaller has never worked as reliably on iPhones as it does on Android. The company aims to finally solve this issue for good with its latest app update.

iPhone 14 Pro ultra-wide camera might surprise with its low-light performance

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Why the iPhone 14 looks like the iPhone 12
iPhone 14 Pro could be a beast in the camera department.
Concept render: souta

Apple could use a bigger ultra-wide camera on the iPhone 14 Pro models. Apart from a significant jump in component cost, the bigger sensor should help improve low-light image quality.

The company is already rumored to use a larger 48MP primary camera on the Pro iPhones this year.

T-Mobile adds free Apple TV+ to its unlimited 5G plan

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T-Mobile Magenta Max is all the 5G you can eat.
Magenta Max offers unlimited 5G, and Apple TV+ too.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

T-Mobile is including Apple TV+ for free in its Magenta Max unlimited wireless data plan. Subscribers will have access to Apple’s streaming service along with the carrier’s 5G network without data caps.

Magenta Max already includes other streaming services, including Netflix.

Maximize your marketing messaging this AI-powered text-to-speech tool for only $30

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Convert written content into spoken words in various languages and dialects with this discounted app.
Create increasingly effective marketing videos with unlimited text-to-speech options.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you aim to establish and expand upon a brand or business, solid concepts or ideas can only carry you so far. Marketing tools can help create a clear and professional vision that maximizes your message. And a text-to-speech tool like Speechnow could serve as a valuable resource to empower those efforts.

This service allows you to create voice recordings or audio versions of content for YouTube, Facebook and other popular platforms in a few simple steps. For a limited time, you can get a lifetime subscription to the Speechnow Professional Plan for only $29.99 (regularly $3,299).

Apple TV+ plans 4 new kids series this fall plus more Peanuts classics

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New animated series
New animated series Sago Mini Friends debuts September 16 on Apple TV+.
Image: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ listed its fall slate of kids and family fare Monday. It includes new animated series Sago Mini Friends, Slumberkins and Interrupting Chicken, plus live-action series Circuit Breakers.

And in addition to those, kids and their families can enjoy returning favorites plus a new lineup of classic Peanuts specials.

iPhone 13 might offer emergency satellite communication, too

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iPhone 13 might offer emergency satellite communication, too
It won't be just the iPhone 14 communicating with satellites.
Photo: Cult of Mac

It might not be necessary to trade in an iPhone 13 for the iPhone 14 to get the upcoming model’s satellite communication capabilities. Apple’s 2021 handset reportedly already has this feature – it’s just not activated.

It’s possible Apple will announce at a September 7 event that both the iPhone 13 and 14 will be able to send emergency texts via satellite.

Mountain biker paralyzed in crash said Apple Watch saved his life

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Paralyzed in the crash, Ryan McConnaughey said he'd be dead if not for the Apple Watch.
Paralyzed in the crash, Ryan McConnaughey said he'd be dead if not for the Apple Watch.
Photo: KGTV News San Diego

Mountain biker Ryan McConnaughey took his usual daily ride near San Diego only to find himself going over the handlebars in a steep section. He slammed into the ground, head-first, helmet on.

Sprawled on his back, he soon found he couldn’t move from the neck down. “I knew for sure that I needed to get medical attention as quickly as possible. My brain kind of kicked into survival mode,” he said.

With his iPhone in his backpack, he began talking to his Apple Watch.

iPhone stuck on the Apple logo? Fix it with Dr.Fone.

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Is you iPhone stuck in a boot-loop? Dr. Fone can help.
Is your iPhone stuck in a boot loop? Dr.Fone can help.
Photo: Wondershare

This iOS system repair post is presented by Wondershare, maker of Dr.Fone.

Apple devices like iPhones have great reputations for reliability, but nothing’s perfect. And if you find your iPhone stuck on the Apple logo while booting up — often called a “boot loop” — what to do about it can be a real head-scratcher.

Fortunately, there is software designed to help fix that and other problems. One such option is Dr.Fone from Wondershare.

Netflix advert-supported plan could cost just $7

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Commercials are coming to Netflix
You'll soon be able to get Netflix at a lower cost by watching commercials.
Photo: Netflix/Cult of Mac

The price of Netflix is going way down … if you’re willing to watch commercials. When the streaming service revealed that it’s prepping an advertising-supported option for subscribers, it didn’t reveal how much it will cost. The price has now leaked out, and it might be 30% to 55% below the current cost.

The new option could debut before the end of 2022.

This sick rig sports 9 Macs and 3 Apple displays [Setups]

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Can you picture needing 9 Macs, including 3 top-shelf machines?
Can you picture needing 9 Macs, including 3 top-shelf machines?
Photo: [email protected]

Occasionally a computer setup displayed on social media makes you swoon. Usually it’s a combination of amazing gear, artful arrangement and exceptional photography, like something staged by a pro. But sometimes it’s just a sick amount of awesome Apple computers and displays.

Today’s featured setup, run by a consultant who “works for several companies,” relies on four high-spec Macs, five very-nice-but-not-exceptional Macs and three Apple Displays, including a Pro Display XDR — which goes for $5,000 or more by itself.

Does your wallet hurt yet? We just took ours to the ER.

Violent extortion threat pauses Apple TV+ series with Natalie Portman in Baltimore

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The shooting threat halted filming in downtown Baltimore.
The shooting threat halted filming in downtown Baltimore.
Photo: Pexels/Abdullah Almutairi

Shooting on the set of Apple TV+ series Lady in the Lake paused Friday afternoon in downtown Baltimore to consider another type of shooting. According to reports, locals threatened that if production didn’t stop, they’d return with guns blazing. Unless producers paid them $50,000.

Taping on the limited crime drama series starring Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram shut down. But producers refused to pay. They opted to move locations instead.

Trademarks might reveal name of Apple VR/AR headset

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Apple mixed reality headset
The first Apple VR/AR headset might be dubbed "Reality One."
Photo: Vu Hoang/Flickr CC

Companies working with Apple have reportedly filed for trademarks in multiple countries that might relate to Apple’s upcoming virtual reality and augmented reality headset. They are variations on “Reality,” and it’s possible the filings reveal the name for the device.

The Apple VR/AR headset could be unveiled as easily as the Mac-maker’s September 7 product lunch event.

Every book is a page-turner when you’re a speed reader, and this Mac app could make you one

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Become a speed reader with this training app.
Race to the finish line with this speed reader training app.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Between long emails, intensely meticulous meeting notes, research materials and everything else that requires your eyes on a page, how much time do you spend reading every day? There’s no convenient summary of your co-worker’s memo online, so you can’t exactly skip the reading you’re required to do — but you might be able to make it pass faster.

With ZapReader, you can train to become a speed reader and learn to race through text using helpful software and instruction from experts. Right now, you can snatch up a lifetime subscription to ZapReader on sale for $39.99 (regularly $499).

Apple Watch could talk to satellites in the future

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Apple Watch and MacBook
After iPhone, Apple reportedly wants the Apple Watch to connect to satellites.
Photo: Naipo.de/Unsplash

Rumors of Apple working on adding satellite connectivity to the iPhone have been circulating since last year. The company has reportedly also discussed bringing such a feature to a future version of the Apple Watch.

Apple wants to use satellite connectivity to allow iPhone users to send SOS messages when they are in a no-network zone.

Awesome Apps for every kind of moment in life

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iPhone and AirPods Pro on desk with “Awesome Apps of the Week”
Your iPhone goes nearly everywhere you go, so why not let it help you with life’s biggest moments?
Photo: Ian Fuchs, Vista Wei

Life is all about what you make of it. Or at least that’s how the saying goes, I guess. This week, we have an app that helps you make the most of your time, an app to help document it, and an app for the times in between. As usual, if you have something you want us to check out for a future Awesome Apps post, be sure to email your suggestion or tweet them over!