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Pair this portable touchscreen monitor with your MacBook and see double

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Even your iPhone can connect to this plug n play touchscreen monitor.
This plug-and-play touchscreen monitor can turn your MacBook into a proper workstation.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

MacBooks make great work computers, but their tiny little displays might be holding you back — especially if you zip through video edits and spreadsheets all day long. If you want the complete workstation experience for National Work From Home Day (that’s today, BTW), you may need a bit more screen real estate.

Desklab offers just that with this portable, plug-and-play 4K monitor, which could transform your MacBook into the dual-screen workstation of your dreams. During our 4th of July sale, it’s only $231.99 (regularly $700) with code JULY20.

Apple Card subscribers earn 4% cash back at Petco, Ray-Ban, Yeti and more

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Use Apple Card and Apple Pay to get 4% back at select retailers
Double your Apple Card cash back with select retailers in July.
Photo: Apple

Use an Apple Card at certain online retailers and service providers between now and the end of July to earn 4% cash back. It’s a summertime promotion, and the companies involved offer sunglasses, movie tickets, coolers, hotel rooms, etc.

Apple Pay and the Mac-maker’s credit card regularly offer at least 2% cash back for online purchases but some special deals bring larger percentages. Like this one.

Win a 4-in-1 MagSafe charging stand with built-in nightlight [Cult of Mac giveaways]

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SwitchEasy MagPower 4-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand: It's the perfect addition for your bedside table or desk.
It's the perfect addition for your bedside table or desk.
Photo: Adel Neal/Cult of Mac

This week’s giveaway is a sturdy, MagSafe-compatible, multi-device wireless charger that includes a convenient nightlight. The SwitchEasy MagPower 4-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand has everything you need to charge your iPhone (series 12 and upward), AirPods (wireless charging case), Apple Watch and one USB device simultaneously.

But what makes this charging stand different is the clever addition of a built-in nightlight. With a simple tap of the base, it lights up (with three brightness settings). It gives you enough light to find your devices, but with no glare in your eyes, because the light is directed away from the stand on the chrome arm.

As iPhone turns 15, old prototypes could fetch $500,000 each

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Half a million for an
Half a million for an "old-ass iPhone," as Miani put it? Really?
Photo: Luke Miani

Apple iPhone turns 15 years old today. To mark the occasion, YouTuber Luke Miani showed off a handful of iPhone prototypes. They feature pre-release software and somewhat unfamiliar designs.

To give you an idea of how rare these handsets are, two of them are valued at $500,000 apiece.

Leather rally Apple Watch bands make a racy statement

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If you're wearing that strap, you probably drive a fast car.
If you're wearing that strap, you probably drive a fast car.
Photo: BluShark

Evoking nostalgia for 1960s and 1970s motorsports with their distinctive perforations, leather rally watch bands pair beautifully with rugged chronograph watches and smartwatches alike.

BluShark’s trio of leather rally Apple Watch bands, for example, make quite the racy statement.

Your car may not be all that fast, but if you want to feel like Steve McQueen getting behind the wheel, check out BluShark’s leather rally Apple Watch band collection in the Cult of Mac Store.

Apple is slowly catching up with demand for 2021 MacBook Pro

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Apple pushes February MacBook Pro orders back to June
You won't need a calendar to track your 2021 MacBook Pro order. It might help, though.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Wait times for Apple’s hottest MacBooks are shorter than they were this spring. It’s now possible to get some versions of the 2021 MacBook Pro delivered in less than a month.

And the COVID outbreak in China that caused the delays is apparently over.

New program rewards top Apple Support Community contributors

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The new Apple Community+ program seeks to reward top contributors in the Apple Support Community.
The new Apple Community+ program seeks to reward top contributors in the Apple Support Community.
Photo: Apple

Apple introduced a new global “Apple Community+” program Wednesday that Cupertino said will recognize and reward top contributors in the Apple Support Community.

The new program will provide “access to special perks, white-glove experiences, and more,” the company said.

RadWagon 4 is an electric utility bike with space for your groceries, cargo and kids [Under Review]

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Rag Wagon 4 hero image
RadWagon 4 has room for all your kids and parcels.
Photo: Erfon Elijah/Cult of Mac

Under Review on The CultCast: Rad Wagon 4 electric utility bike

After a year on the road and almost 600 miles, I’ve gotten to know the RadWagon 4. And no joke, this electric cargo bike played a part in my family deciding to sell our second vehicle.

For the power, price, versatility and build quality, I don’t think there’s a bike on the road that beats the RadWagon. This is the bike I recommend to everyone who wants a way to scoot around without a car, with enough space to carry cargo, one or two kids, packages, groceries or anything in between.

Trailer gives sneak peek at final season of Jason Momoa’s See, coming soon to Apple TV+

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Trailer gives a sneak peek at the final season of Jason Momoa's 'See'
Jason Momoa in the third season of “See,” premiering globally Friday, August 26 on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

See is coming to an end. The epic, post-apocalyptic adventure series starring Jason Momoa will wrap up with season 3, which premieres on Apple TV+ in late August.

A just-released teaser trailer for the upcoming season reveals a new threat for Baba Voss and his family.

Mac Pro and 3-Pro-Display-XDR workstation is an AV wonderland [Setups]

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A 2019 Mac Pro is the core of this computer setup, along with a 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook (not pictured).
A 2019 Mac Pro is the core of this computer setup, along with a 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook (not pictured).
Photo: Liam Hudson

We can count the number of times we’ve come across a three-Pro Display XDR workstation in our Setups travels on less than one hand — maybe two or three times. And if you throw in a late-model Mac Pro and a pile of great audio-visual gear for professional-level videoconferencing, well, that’s even more rare.

Liam Hudson, CEO of a qualitative electronic trading company, sent his “ultimate computer setup” for at-home work to Cult of Mac. And it’s really something.

Why you won’t want to use iPad as a Home Hub with iOS 16

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You'll still be able to use iPad as a Home Hub when iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 come along, but will you want to?
You'll still be able to use iPad as a Home Hub when iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 come along, but will you want to?
Photo: Apple

The recent news that iPads won’t function as Home Hubs with iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 stands corrected. Apple now says they’ll work. But they won’t benefit from any new features in the revamped HomeKit and Home app.

And that’s likely to be a pretty big drawback.

Apple TV+ films and series rank higher than any rival streaming service

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Apple TV+ offers higher-rated films and series than any rival streaming service
Apple TV+ content gets top marks.
Graphic: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ content enjoys the highest average IMDb score of any streaming service, according to a new study. It comes in tops in a variety of areas, including dramas and child-friendly shows.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise: Apple’s streaming video service regularly wins awards, including a Best Picture Oscar in 2022.

Apple’s all-in-one gift card finally arrives in Europe

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Buy hardware or software with the new Apple gift card.
The "gift card for everything Apple" is now available in Europe.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s all-in-one gift card is now available in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and several other European countries. The gift card’s expansion comes nearly two years after its US launch.

Until now, Apple sold separate gift cards to customers in Europe: one for App Store and another for Apple Store.

Charge your iPhone up to seven times with this 20,000mAh backup battery

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Charge your iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and Apple Watch with this massive portable Apple charger.
Get one backup battery to charge your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Think of the last time your iPhone died in the middle of the day. Whether you were working or simply going about your day, those low battery notifications probably led to some minor inconveniences. You can remedy those concerns with a high-capacity power bank such as this Extreme Boost from Aduro.

Sporting 20,000mAh of capacity, this portable charger lets you fully recharge multiple Apple gadgets at the same time. And you can purchase one for just $32.99 (regularly $89) for a limited time.

Forget blur: How to cover faces and add emoji to photos

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The emoji in this picture are accurate representations of every picture of me until I was about 8. I didn't know how to smile for pictures and I did not care to learn.
The emoji in this picture are accurate representations of every picture of me until I was about 8. I didn't know how to smile for pictures and I did not care to learn.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

There are lots of times when you might want to cover up faces before posting pictures: Teachers often want to censor the faces of their students. Boudoir photographers (Google it) can censor explicit portions of their photography for social media. Foster parents who are legally prohibited from posting identifying pictures of children in their home can quickly cover them up. Forget trying to blur faces — there’s an app that makes covering up faces dead easy: MaskerAid.

If you’ve ever wanted to hide a face before posting a picture, MaskerAid (a pun on “masquerade”) will quickly censor faces with emoji. Unlike apps like Snapchat, MaskerAid will preserve the full quality and resolution of your pictures.

MaskerAid is the latest app by independent podcaster and developer Casey Liss. You can download MaskerAid here on the App Store for iPhone (there is no Android version). The app is free to try out with your own pictures, but to use the full set of emoji, you must pay a one-time purchase of $2.99.

Brazil wants Apple to make USB-C iPhones

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iPhone X with USB-C port
Everyone wants a USB-C iPhone.
Photo: Ken Pillonel

Brazil is considering forcing smartphone manufacturers to adopt a standard charging port on all their devices. The move comes in the wake of the European Union ruling mandating the use of USB-C for charging phones, tablets, headphones, and other accessories.

US Senators are also urging a common charging standard on smartphones to reduce e-waste.

Belkin revamps 3-in-1 charging stand with faster Apple Watch charges

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This MagSafe charger from Belkin might be the coolest iPhone 12 accessory.
Belkin's iPhone/Apple Watch/AirPods charging stand just got better.
Photo: Belkin

An improved version of the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand supports fast charging Apple Watch Series 7 – up to 33% faster than Series 6.

And the stand still charges MagSafe iPhones at up to 15 watts. And it provides 5 watts to AirPods wireless charging cases.

Your partner will love this snore-stopping gadget that connects to your iPhone

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Stop snoring and track your sleep with this iPhone app and gadget combo.
This $99 gadget can stop your snoring and turns your iPhone into a sleep tracker.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Snoring doesn’t slow down time, but anyone sharing a room with a snorer will feel like the night crawled by. It’s downright annoying! Luckily, we might have a way to stop snoring.

The Snore Circle YA4200 is an electronic muscle stimulator that can reduce or completely eliminate your snoring. And for a limited time, it’s on sale for $99.99 (regularly $119).

Park the preschoolers in front of this Apple TV+ Duck & Goose trailer

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Duck and Goose are good friends who know it's OK for friends to be different.
Duck and Goose are good friends who know it's OK for friends to be different.
Photo: Apple TV+

Rejoice, parents. A wholesome new animated series is on the way, and you can feel OK about parking your preschoolers in front of it. Or at least it looks that way from the new Apple TV+ trailer for Duck & Goose, out Tuesday.

The new show for preschool-age kids premieres Friday, July 8.

Judge rules against Apple in ECG suit calling for Apple Watch import ban

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A judge ruled Apple infringed on AliveCor's ECG-related patents.
A judge ruled Apple infringed on AliveCor's ECG-related patents.
Photo: Apple

Personal electrocardiogram (ECG) technology maker AliveCor sued Apple last year, claiming the tech giant infringed on patents when developing the heart-health functionality for Apple Watch. AliveCor called for a ban on U.S. imports of the wearable, as well.

Now a judge from the International Trade Commission has supported the claims in an initial ruling.

Sleek Elago MagSafe stands keep your charging iPhone functional

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The Elago MS4 charging stand, shown in silver, is compatible with MagSafe and helps unclutter your cables.
The Elago MS4 charging stand, shown in silver, is compatible with MagSafe and helps unclutter your cables.
Photo: Elago

Elago’s sleek, MagSafe-compatible iPhone charging stands make it easy to keep using your favorite gadget while it rapidly charges, sitting upright on the aluminum stand, easily at hand. Or easily hands-free, as the case may be.

You just quickly install a MagSafe charging puck into the Elago stand. Then it’s perfect for charging your phone while on FaceTime calls or while you’re using it in other ways.

Apple efforts to make iPhone 5G modems are bombing

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An Apple 5G modem might look like this
We apparently won't see an Apple 5G modem for years to come.
Artists concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly unable to produce the 5G modem for the 2023 iPhone, as it had hoped. It will instead have the buy the critical component from Qualcomm, a company that Cupertino has quarreled with in the past.

Cupertino already sank more than a billion dollars into this so-far-unsuccessful effort.