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Pachinko’s captivating finale sets us up for season 2 [Apple TV+ recap]

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Pachinko season one finale recap: It's an epic ending to an epic season.
It's an epic ending to an epic season.
Photo: Apple TV+

In the season one finale of Pachinko, we see the beginnings of some life journeys and the end of others. Birth, rebirth, death, imprisonment and hope all mingle freely in Friday’s very captivating episode of this incredible show about four generations of Korean immigrants.

Series creator Soo Hugh and her creative team spin one last yarn worthy of this excellent first season. Apple TV+ just renewed Pachinko for a second season, so we’ll see what happens to these characters. But even if we didn’t, we’d have a very, very excellent saga to look back upon.

If you own an Apple Pencil, you should try these 4 accessories

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Elago's Home Stand gives your Apple Pencil a nice little house.
Elago's Home Stand gives your Apple Pencil a nice little house.
Photo: Elago

The Apple Pencil is a great tool that helps you make full use of an iPad, whether you want to take notes or draw. And Elago offers some wonderful accessories that can help you get the most out of your Apple Pencil.

The company’s Apple Pencil accessories collection includes inventive stands, helpful grips and a case. See the descriptions and direct links below!

Surfing docuseries Make or Break should focus on the waves [Apple TV+ review]

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Make or Break review Apple TV+ docuseries takes you inside the world of pro surfing.
The new docuseries takes you inside the world of pro surfing.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+’s new surfing docuseries Make or Break charts the fortunes of nearly 50 competitors as they vie for the title at the World Championship of Surfing.

You get to know the underdogs and the favorites alike in this no-holds-barred look at the dangers and excitement of a sport that doesn’t always receive the prestige treatment. This snappily edited, seven-episode docuseries will show you the ins and outs of pro surfing as the competitors hunger for the title.

It’s hardly must-see TV, but it’s diverting enough.

Studio Display setup dresses to the nines in silver and black [Setups]

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The Studio Display now has silver-and-black peripherals and a MacBook Pro rather than a Mac mini.
Silver-and-black peripherals have joined the Studio Display and MacBook Pro in this setup.
Photo: [email protected]

There are two types of people in the world. There’s the person who happily tosses a bunch of mismatched gear on a desk and calls it a setup. Then there’s the person with properly placed objects, minimal-to-no cable clutter and careful color choices — down to the charging-pad-and-braided-cable level.

Today’s featured setup clearly belongs to the second type of person.

Wristcam adds new video calling feature to Apple Watch

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Wristcam adds FaceTime-like video calling to Apple Watch.
Wristcam adds FaceTime-like video calling to Apple Watch.
Photo: Wristcam

Wristcam, the camera-equipped Apple Watch band, now features FaceTime-like video calling, the company said Thursday.

The accessory initially launched in December 2020 with an 8-megapixel camera and a 2MP selfie camera. It was the first watch-band camera to receive the “Made for Apple Watch” designation.

First Peanuts Mother’s Day special will celebrate all kinds of moms

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First Peanuts Mother’s Day special will celebrate all kinds of moms
Peppermint Patty takes center stage in the first Peanuts Mother’s Day special.
Photo: Apple TV+

The Peanuts gang is about to star in their first Mother’s Day special. To Mom (and Dad), With Love will focus on Peppermint Patty, who doesn’t have a mom. Or does she?

A trailer dropped on Friday so you can get a glimpse of the troubles Charlie Brown and his friends will have celebrating this special day.

Easy way to screen mirror iPhone or Android device to computer

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If you want to see your smartphone screen on something bigger, MirrorTo is an easy option.
If you want to see your smartphone screen on something bigger, MirrorTo is an easy option.
Photo: iMyFone

This post on phone screen mirroring is brought to you by iMyFone.

It’s a common question: “How do I screen mirror my phone to Mac or Windows wirelessly?”

Apple’s proprietary AirPlay technology works well for streaming from iPhone to certain devices, including some Macs, Apple TV boxes and smart TVs. But what if you don’t have the proper hardware? You’re not out of luck. Here’s one of the best tools to get the task done quickly and easily — and you can try it for free.

If you’re into any of these things, Apple thinks you’re a ‘hipster’

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Are you a hipster? Better check the list.
Are you a hipster? Better check the list.
Photo: iiii [email protected]

You might ride around on an electric scooter in your shades and flannel shirt while sporting copious amounts of sculpted facial hair, but are you a hipster?

In certain neighborhoods of New York City or San Francisco, it may be a foregone conclusion. It’s practically mandatory. But others might wonder if they qualify.

Thankfully, a special list of “hipster words” has surfaced. And it comes from Apple, of all places.

Shining Girls might be too mysterious for its own good [Apple TV+ recap]

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Shining Girls recap: Elisabeth Moss plays a woman with a very complicated past in the new Apple TV+ thriller.
Elisabeth Moss plays a woman with a very complicated past in this new thriller series.
Photo: Apple TV+

Shining Girls, the new Apple TV+ thriller based on the 2013 novel by Lauren Beukes, brings Apple TV+ into competition with a number of other streamers’ giant successes.

Elisabeth Moss stars in this story of disintegrating realities and identities, which mixes a dash of The Handmaid’s Tale, a bit of True Detective, a hair of The Killing and just a little Sharp Objects.

Will this particular tale of depressive survivors catch on? It might be a touch too mysterious to sustain its hallucinatory story.

iPhone shipments grow while Android tanks

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iPhone shipments grow while Android tanks
iPhone shipments increased in Q1 2022. Android did not.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The global market for Android phones shrank considerably in the first quarter of 2022, even as iPhone shipments rose.

Shipments from every major Android maker declined, from Samsung on down. Their combined drops were enough to reduce world smartphone shipments in Q1 by around 10%.

Travel smart (and cheap) with this Rosetta Stone bundle

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This travel bundle will have you hitting the road right.
Become a better world traveler with this awesome bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Before you start packing, every world traveler has a few things they need to figure out. Where are you going to go, how are you going to get there, and how are you going to make sure your good time is a safe time?

The World Traveler Bundle answers those questions with flight deals, language lessons and a cybersecurity course that can’t be beat.

It features a lifetime subscription to the award-winning Rosetta Stone language app. And, during the Spring Refresh Sale, you can bag this globetrotting bundle for just $169.15 (regularly $1,784). Just enter code TRAVEL20 at checkout.

Leaked iPhone 14 front panels offer best size comparison yet

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Every iPhone 14 model will have a ProMotion display and 6GB of RAM
This is not the new iPhone 14 picture. Keep scrolling.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

An image supposedly showing the front screen panels of all four iPhone 14 models has leaked out. It gives a side-by-side comparison of some of the most significant changes coming this fall to Apple’s 2022 handsets.

The new “hole and pill” design for the Pro models is clearly on display, as is the first iPhone Max that isn’t part of the Pro series.

Lightning strikes for Apple again, but storm clouds are on the horizon

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Apple warns that supply chain constraints will take a heavy toll in coming months.
Apple warns that supply chain constraints will take a heavy toll in coming months.
Photo: Raychel Sanner/Unsplash License/Cult of Mac

The first three months of 2022 were good to Apple, with revenue setting a quarterly record. But the company warned on Thursday that problems getting components and assembling products will take a nasty chunk out of revenue for the current quarter. The hit will to be between $4 billion and $8 billion.

But there’s also plenty of good news in from the conference call CEO Tim Cook had with investors after Apple’s March quarter results were announced.

Show potential employers you’ve got the IT skills they need

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Get certified as an IT pro with this bundle.
Become an IT master with these awesome courses.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Getting a career skill certification is kind of like waving a big flag at employers that says, “I’m competent.”

Having verifiable, credible proof that you know what you’re supposed to know is invaluable in any profession. But in a competitive field like information technology, it’s essential. The 2022 CompTIA & AWS, Cisco Certification Paths Bundle gives you 13 certification paths for in-demand skills. And for a limited time, you can get lifetime access for just $34.99 (regularly $449).

Win an Aer Fit Pack 3 backpack and go from work to gym in style [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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Fit Pack 3
The Fit Pack 3 is the perfect gym/work backpack.
Photo: Aer

This week’s Cult of Mac giveaway is for the Fit Pack 3 backpack from Aer. The Fit Pack 3 is more than just a backpack, though. It’s a hybrid duffle/backpack that will carry you from work to the gym without hassle because it has special compartments for everything.

The Fit Pack 3 is minimalistic but still manages to hold an amazing amount of stuff. If you are looking for a sturdy, multipurpose backpack, you should definitely enter this giveaway. We’ll pick three lucky winners at random.

HyperDrive USB-C dock packs HDMI and DisplayPort into pocket-size hub

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HyperDrive USB-C dock packs HDMI and DisplayPort into pocket-size hub
Plenty of USB-C hubs have HDMI ports, but far fewer include DisplayPort. The HyperDrive USB4 Mobile Dock offers both. And more.
Photo: Hyper

The HyperDrive USB4 Mobile Dock offers ports for both HDMI and DisplayPort, giving users additional options for an external monitor. And the just-launched USB-C hub also includes dual USB-A ports, Ethernet and more.

And all this fits into a package not much larger than a Magic Mouse.

US and 60 partner countries sign ‘Declaration for the Future of the Internet’

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The U.S. capitol building in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. capitol building in Washington, D.C.
Photo: WhiteHouse.gov

The White House said Thursday that the U.S. and 60 partner countries have signed a new pledge to try to ensure the global internet is affordable, maintains a “free flow of information,” and safeguards privacy and human rights.

The document, called the Declaration for the Future of the Internet, requires no specific actions, however. But it does obligate signatories to adhere to certain principles.

Save $40 on the just-launched 2022 iPad Air 5

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iPad Air 5 goes super fast with M1 processor
No matter the color, you can find a discount on the iPad AIr 5 today.
Screenshot: Apple

The iPad Air 5 has only been out a month and you can already buy it at a nice discount. The 10.9-inch mid-range tablet is available at $40 below the usual cost.

And this deal is on the base model, so you don’t have to pay more to save more. Though you can also get discounts of up to $70 on versions with 5G or more storage.

Prices as low as $14: Windows and Office lifetime licenses discounted up to 90%

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Keysbuff offers great deals on Microsoft software activation keys.
Keysbuff offers great deals on Microsoft software activation keys.
Photo: Keysbuff.com

This post on discount Microsoft software is presented by Keysbuff.

As April draws to a close and spring revs up in the month of May, major savings on software are in bloom. Cult of Mac readers can get great discounts from software activation keys provider Keysbuff. You can save up to 90% off the full price on Windows 10 and find great savings on lots of other Microsoft software.

To get the great deals, just use promo code COM at Keysbuff.com. That will save you an extra 25% off the site’s already-low prices on keys for Windows 10 Pro Global, Microsoft Office 2021 Pro and others in the list below. You can purchase many products with lifetime licenses.

Wall Street watches to see how Apple handles global challenges

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Apple MacBook cash dollars money
We'll discover on Thursday how Apple did during Q1 2022. Analysts are moderatly optimistic.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Wall Street analysts harbor modest hopes for Apple’s most-recent financial quarter. They predict the company saw its revenue rise by 5% versus the same quarter of 2021.

The iPhone-maker will announce the results of the January-through-March period ahead of Thursday’s quarterly earnings call. Investors will be looking closely to see how the company is managing the ongoing chip shortage, COVID-19 lockdowns at assembly plants, inflation and other challenges.

EU may soon force Apple to open iPhone NFC to other payment services

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Apple Pay Tap-to-Pay
iPhone users might soon be able to use tap-to-pay with non-Apple payment systems. In the EU, anyway.
Photo: Apple

The European Union reportedly plans to accuse Apple of violating the law by limiting access to the iPhone’s NFC capabilities to the company’s own payment system. The goal is to give rival systems like PayPal access to the iPhone’s convenient tap-to-pay function.

Apple claims the limitation is there to protect users’ financial information. The EU calls it anticompetitive.

Learn graphic design for just $40 and earn a living with your art

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Learn the tools of professional graphic designers for $40.
Turn your art into a side hustle with this graphic design bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Graphic design is an awesome field with a steep learning curve. You might be able to draw, but there’s also software to learn, terminology to master and portfolios to make. And that’s just the beginning.

The 2022 School of Graphic Design Bundle can teach you how to put your art to work and become a graphic designer. And for a limited time, it’s on sale for $40 (a massive discount off the usual price of $1,600).

Clever DIY project hacks old iMac into a Studio Display

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Clever DIY projects hacks old iMac into a Studio Display
Here's a 2014 iMac made into an external display almost a beautiful as a Studio Display.
Photo: Luke Miani

An intrepid Apple expert set out to convert an iMac on its last legs into a useful external monitor with the same general design and functionality as a new Studio Display. The inspiration comes from Apple’s recently released monitor using a 27-inch 5K LCD, as do all the iMacs made for many years.

Watch a video of this DYI project to see if this is something you’d like to do with that old iMac you have gathering dust.