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Lunatask is a notes/calendar/habit-tracking app that will straighten out your life

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This notes app does so much more.
See how much you can plan with this discounted notes app.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The right planner can change your life, or at least organize it. When you can keep your to-do list, calendar, notes and productivity helpers all in one place, it starts to feel like there’s nothing you can’t do.

Lunatask is an all-in-one planner that can give you the control and structure you need to get more out of the day. For a limited time, a lifetime subscription to Lunatask Premium is on sale for $49 (regularly $180).

Transform any text into lifelike speech with this app

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Discounted text-to-speech app has hundreds of voice options.
Listen to your work with this text-to-voice app.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

A few years ago, it was shocking when a computer-generated voice didn’t sound like an underwater answering machine. These days, social media like TikTok practically runs on synthesized voices.

Now you can generate your own lifelike voices for books, school and a ton of other functions. The TexTalky AI text-to-speech app is a lifelike speech generator with 128-plus languages. And you might be speechless to learn that you can get a lifetime subscription at the heavily discounted price of $37 (regularly $540).

Fortnite returns to iPhone with clever workaround – here’s how to play!

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Fortnite returns to iPhone with clever workaround – here's how to play!
If you've been missing Fortnite, you can play it now on iPhone or iPad.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Fortnite got kicked out of the App Store as part of a legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, but you can play it on your iPhone today for free. Microsoft added it to Xbox Cloud Gaming so the combat game is playable on iOS and iPadOS devices.

Setting up your iPhone or iPad to play Fortnite from the cloud rather than the App Store is different from what you’re used to. Not hard, just different. I’ll walk you through it.

Mount your iPhone anywhere with Xvida’s magnificent magnetic cases

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Xvida-iPhone
Xvida's case and stand makes your iPhone easily visible at all times.
Photo: Xvida

When you want your iPhone to be visible, but you need your hands to do other things, mount your device almost anywhere with Xvida’s brilliant cases.

Built-in magnets allow it to be securely attached to a whole host of metal surfaces, as well as a bunch of companion Xvida accessories — like wireless chargers, stands, car mounts, and more.

Get yours today for from as little as $19.

AirTag 4-pack hits year’s lowest price just in time for Mother’s Day [Updated]

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AirTag 4-pack
An AirTag 4-pack is just what a mom-on-go needs this Mother's Day.
Photo: Apple

Now is an especially great time to get AirTag item trackers. For one thing, a pack of four is on sale at the biggest discount we’ve seen. Plus, Mother’s Day is coming up fast, and AirTag makes a nice last-minute present.

This Sunday, you can give mom the gift of never misplacing stuff.

Mom will get a real charge out of these high-end Mother’s Day gifts

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Wherever your mom's favorite adventures take her, Bluetti can make sure she never runs out of juice.
Wherever your mom's favorite adventures take her, Bluetti can make sure she never runs out of juice.
Photo: Bluetti

This post on excellent Mother’s Day gifts is brought to you by Bluetti.

A mother gives everything at home and in the office as she endeavors to secure her family’s future. For this upcoming Mother’s Day, flowers are fine and chocolates are never a bad choice. But if you want something a bit more special to show your love and appreciation, then you’re in luck. Bluetti rounded up some Mother’s Day gift ideas that will make her smile from ear to ear.

Apple, Google and Microsoft expand support for passwordless sign‑ins

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Face ID
You could soon be using Face ID to sign into more websites and applications.
Photo: Apple

Apple, Google and Microsoft committed themselves to expand support for a passwordless sign-in standard. The goal is to make it easier for websites and applications to offer consistent, secure and easy passwordless sign-ins.

It’s a move toward greater support for biometric security systems like the ones already included in iPhone, Mac and iPad.

This AI writing app creates killer content automatically

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This discounted app can write blog posts for you.
From blog posts to marketing emails, Autowriterpro can generate the copy you need with just a click.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Even if you love writing, it takes time. Between an empty draft and a finished document come plenty of research, revisions, formatting and other time-consuming tasks.

AI copywriting platform Autowriterpro streamlines the writing process, with automated tools that can free you from much of the drudgery of writing and rewriting documents. And for a limited time, you can get a lifetime subscription for for just $39.99 (regularly $469).

Why $159 isn’t a totally crazy price for Apple’s 3-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable

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Apple’s 3-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable
Apple now offers almost 10-feet of high-speed Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.
Photo: Apple

A 3-meter version of the Apple’s Thunderbolt 4 cable can now be ordered. The extra-long cable connects Macs to peripherals at up to 40Gbps and 100W of power.

It’s $159, or two or three times the cost of a high-quality 2-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable from rival companies. Trouble is, the 3-meter cable doesn’t have any direct competition.

Wait times for Mac Studio stretch into July

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Mac Studio review roundup: Insane power in a small desktop
It could be a while before you can put a Mac Studio in your office.
Photo: Apple

If you need a Mac Studio this autumn, it might be smart to order it now. You could find yourself waiting for up to three months for delivery of some some top-tier configurations.

The macOS desktop appears to be caught by the same assembly delays that are affecting MacBook Pro.

Become a master of your trade with this software learning bundle

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Learn from the best with this huge training bundle.
You get a lifetime of learning in all types of tech with this unlimited bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Even if you’re motivated, it can be hard to actually start learning the tech skills you need to start a side hustle. If you want to master complex apps or learn to code, Stream Skill Software Training is the way to go.

With this unlimited lifetime membership, you get 110 in-depth courses for a discounted price of $59 (regularly $1,250).

Discreet new Sonos voice assistant will work with Apple Music

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Sonos Voice will give you a new way to talk to your Sonos speakers.
Sonos Voice will give you a new way to talk to your Sonos speakers.
Photo: Sonos

Smart speaker maker Sonos will soon deploy its own voice assistant, similar to Apple’s Siri. It will let you play and control music on the company’s products, according to a new report.

The new voice assistant, “Sonos Voice,” will work with Apple Music and a handful of other services.

These tasteful nylon Apple Watch bands look like knit fabric

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This BluShark Knit Weave Apple Watch Band is in the color
This BluShark Knit Weave Apple Watch Band is in the color "space," which is a dark blue.
Photo: BluShark

In the world of watch bands, nylon is sometimes overlooked in favor of steel, leather or silicone, but it’s an exceptionally good material for the job. That’s true of analog timepieces as well as smart watches like Apple Watch.

Done right, nylon is soft, comfortable and durable. It’s breathable and it dries quickly, too. It often doesn’t even look like nylon, either.

And if you can find a nylon band that looks and feels a lot like a knit weave fabric, all the better. But look no further, because the popular brand BluShark sells a selection of them in the Cult of Mac Store at a good price.

Apple TV+ Greatness Code trailer looks at what drives top athletes

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Season two of
Season two of "Greatness Code" premieres May 13.
Photo: Apple TV+

Ever wonder how champion pro athletes overcome all odds to win? Apple TV+ unveiled its trailer Tuesday for the second season of Emmy Award-winning sports documentary series Greatness Code.

It gives you a glimpse at what drives top athletes to succeed in impossibly competitive scenarios.

The series premieres May 13 on Apple TV+.

Recovering PC gamer converts to Mac and loves it [Setups]

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This M1 Pro MacBook rig runs with an ultra-wide display and a 50-inch TV.
This M1 Pro MacBook rig runs with an ultra-wide display and a 50-inch TV.
Photo: [email protected]

“Conversion” stories are fairly common in computing, with people deciding to switch from one “ecosystem” or another. Given Apple’s recent rash of hugely popular products, a fair number of folks are switching from PC-and-Windows-based setups to Apple-centric ones.

An avid PC gamer — strike that, a former avid PC gamer — owns today’s featured setup. In it, a new M1 Pro MacBook drives a couple of big displays. And an Elgato Stream Deck and killer audio components also enter the mix.

Apple isn’t the only company that thrived during the pandemic

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Aria Benefits team
Robin Bailey (on the left) and his team at Aria Benefits.
Photo: Aria Benefits

Daylite case study During the pandemic, Aria Benefits not only held its own, but business growth more than doubled to almost 20% during the last year. An important ingredient was a customer relationship management and productivity app called Daylite.

“We used to think high single-digit growth was great,” said founder Robin Bailey. “But the pandemic challenged us to doing business differently and Daylite’s been a key part of that.

“Any small business that runs on Macs and other Apple devices should take a good look at Daylite.”

Apple shows off sound artists’ use of Macs for Star Wars Day

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At Skywalker Ranch, Skywalker Sound’s world-class artists create the world’s most recognizable sounds for films like the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.
At Skywalker Ranch, Skywalker Sound’s world-class artists create the world’s most recognizable sounds for films like the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" franchises.
Photo: Apple

Happy Star Wars Day — even if you didn’t know that was a thing. Apple is celebrating the nerdy holiday by showcasing the widespread use of Macs and iOS devices at Skywalker Sound.

Festivities include the release of a “Behind the Mac” YouTube video and feature article about the audio artists at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch, along with a special online “Today at Apple” session about creating Star Wars sound effects.

Apple takes title as world’s No. 1 computer-maker

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Apple takes title as world’s No. 1 computer-maker
All of these are computers, and all contributed to Apple’s share of the global computer market.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple shipped more computers in the first three months of 2022 than any of its rivals, according to a market research firm. Increasing Mac sales helped Apple take the top spot away from Lenovo in the global market for laptops, desktops and tablets.

Apple could have done even better but supply constraints cut into the number of iPads it was able to ship.

This portable home theater kit can go on camping trips

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Hit the road in style with this mobile personal theater.
Take movie night on the road with this discounted laser projector and screen.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Every night can be movie night if you have the equipment, even if you’re camping (or glamping). With the right free-standing screen and portable projector, you can functionally carry a home theater experience around in the back of your car.

That’s what you get with this Outdoor Movie Bundle, which pairs a powerful Wemax Go portable projector with a 50-inch portable screen.

The powerful mini projector works indoors or out. And the freestanding screen is designed for travel and cozy campfire movie nights. For a limited time, this movie bundle is on sale for just $549.99 (regularly $798).

You can feel good about these tough and compostable iPhone cases

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Here's Casetify's compostable iPhone case in the color sunflower.
Here's Casetify's compostable iPhone case in the color sunflower.
Photo: Casetify

If you think something that’s “compostable” must be easily “destructible,” well, that may be true of your coffee filters. But it’s not true of everything. Take Casetify’s Ultra Compostable iPhone Cases, for example.

These things are tough as hell. They’ll protect your iPhone as well as many other iPhone cases. And the ultimate beauty of them is, once you move on to another iPhone and discard the case, it won’t hurt the environment.

iPhone owners are pickier about apps than Android users

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iPhone owners are pickier about apps than Android users
iPhone users have higher standards for third-party software than Android users.
Image: Cult of Mac

Third-party iPhone apps scored significantly lower than their Android counterparts, according to an analysis of user reviews of 4,400 top mobile apps.

This does not necessarily mean that Android offers better third-party software, though. iPhone users simply expect more from their apps.

“The data shows iOS users are more critical of mobile apps than Android users are,” said David Kravets, senior content marketing manager for unitQ, the company that did the research, in an interview with Cult of Mac.

And after going through nearly 122 million reviews, unitQ analysts say there’s “lots of room for improvement” in mobile software.

Cupertino recruits veteran Ford exec for Apple car team

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Ford took the Apple Car chief, now Cupertino takes another veteran leader from Ford.
Ford took the Apple car chief, now Cupertino takes another veteran leader from Ford.
Photo: Peter Trones/Unsplash License

Accelerating work on its self-driving electric vehicle project, Apple recruited veteran Ford engineer and executive Desi Ujkashevic to join the team.

The move comes after various stalls and road bumps in Cupertino’s secretive Project Titan in recent years, including Ford luring away Apple car chief Doug Field last year.

Anker’s bulked-up battery pack broadens charging options

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The new Anker 633 Magnetic Battery packs a 10,000 mAh capacity.
The new Anker 633 Magnetic Battery packs a 10,000 mAh capacity.
Photo: Anker

If you’re one to suffer charging anxiety while out and about, Anker has your cure. It unveiled its latest portable, MagSafe-compatible charging bank Monday, the Anker 633 Magnetic Battery.

The beastly little brick packs a 10,000mAh battery capacity, Anker’s first product of this kind to do so. Plus it features speedier wireless charging than some previous packs as well as spritely USB-C charging when you just want to pull out a cable and get it over with.

Add 1TB of storage to 2021 MacBook Pro with this half-size SD card [Review]

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Transcend JetDrive Lite 330 review
The 1TB JetDrive Lite 330 can sit permanently in your MacBook Pro.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Transcend JetDrive Lite 330 is a memory card that sits flush in the SD slot in the 2021 MacBook Pro. Use it to add up to a terabyte storage to the notebook or for backups. It’s ideal for people who otherwise have no use for the SD card slot.

I put the just-released 1TB version of the memory card. Here’s why I love it.