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This rollable electronic chessboard is on sale for a limited time

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Play online or face-to-face with this e-Chessboard.
This electronic chessboard, which lets you face off against online opponents, also can teach you to play better.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Square Off Pro is an interactive electronic chessboard that lets you play in person or online with the same physical pieces. Dubbed “the world’s first rollable tournament e-chessboard,” the Square Off Pro is on sale now for $225 (regularly $249).

Why Mac Studio looks odd, and what Apple should have done instead

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Here's how Apple should have made Mac Studio’s front ports
This isn’t what the Mac Studio looks like. But it should be.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Mac Studio looks just a bit… off. It’s the three front-facing ports. They aren‘t arranged like they should be. The SD card slot makes a horizontal line, but the two USB-C ports are vertical.

It’s an unusual miss for a company that’s typically obsessed with tiny design details.

Leanne strikes again in another shocking episode of Servant [Apple TV+ recap]

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Servant recap: Leanne is full of surprises.
Leanne is full of surprises.
Photo: Apple TV+

Dorothy is fed up on this week’s Servant, the Apple TV+’s show about a witchy nanny named Leanne who takes over the lives of a rich Philadelphia family.

Dorothy wants Leanne out of the house by any means necessary, heedless of just how crazed her determination makes her look. She’s going to need all the help she can get to best Leanne, who she should know by now is nigh-impossible to outflank.

This week’s typically strong episode comes courtesy of Austrian directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, who take to the world of Servant like fish to water.

Apple ‘Election’ ad promotes the power of the new iPad Air

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In Apple's new ad, student battle for electoral supremacy using the powerful new iPad Air.
In Apple's new ad, student battle for electoral supremacy using the powerful new iPad Air.
Photo: Apple

With Friday being the official launch day for sales of Apple’s new iPad Air (and the 5G iPhone SE), Apple has rolled out a new ad depicting high school students battling to become class president. The powerful new tablet is their primary weapon.

Suspicion sticks the landing in audaciously ambiguous season finale [Apple TV+ recap]

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Kunal Nayyar, Tom Rhys-Harries, Georgina Campbell and Elizabeth Henstridge in Suspicion
A satisfying conclusion? Now that's thrilling.
Photo: Apple TV+

The five kidnapping suspects finally meet their tormentor in the gripping season finale of Apple TV+ thriller series Suspicion. All the information will be revealed about these perfect strangers this week. And they can decide for themselves, along with the rest of the world, whether they’ve been doing the right things for the wrong reasons.

This ecoterrorism lark has proven exciting so far. The first season of Suspicion closes on a satisfying note of audacious ambiguity about what happens next and who gets away.

Clever iPad stylus defends itself against germs [Review]

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Targus Antimicrobial Active Stylus for iPad review
The Targus Antimicrobial Active Stylus for iPad makes a great addition to an iPad, no matter where you take it.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Targus Antimicrobial Active Stylus for iPad resists up to 99.9% of bacterial growth for the life of the product. That’s one less thing to worry about while you’re taking notes or sketching on your tablet.

I tested this stylus with my iPad Pro to be sure it’s up to the job. Here’s why the extra features Targus built in make me quite pleased with it.

Dreams haunt The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey [Apple TV+ recap]

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Last Days of Ptolemy Gray recap: Sensia (played by Cynthia Kaye McWilliams) lives on in Ptolemy's dreams.
Sensia (played by Cynthia Kaye McWilliams) lives on in Ptolemy's dreams.
Photo: Apple TV+

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, the Apple TV+ series based on the book of the same name by Walter Mosley, unwinds more of its central mysteries this week.

Ptolemy (played by the excellent Samuel L. Jackson) learns a little more about the deal he’s made with the doctors to get his memory back — and what it will cost him in the long run. However, he’s got too much to do with the extra capacity the operation gave him to stop now. If he can’t solve the many problems and questions swirling around him before he loses his memory, it will be too late. He’ll die not even realizing how close he came to peace.

Apple Books releases ‘tell-all’ tome about sinister company behind Severance

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Apple Books has a
Apple Books has a "tell-all" about Lumon Industries and the "Severance" procedure.
Photo: Apple TV+

Don’t tell Lumon Industries I’m saying this — and later I may not even remember writing it — but Apple Books may be about to blow the lid off this whole “severance” thing.

On Friday it plans to release a “tell-all” book about the sinister company at the center of the chilling drama series Severance on Apple TV+.

Let’s take our workstation outside today [Setups]

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Working al fresco can be refreshing. Except for the downpours. And the lizards.
Working al fresco can be refreshing. Except for the downpours. And the lizards.
Photo: [email protected]

There’s nothing like taking your work outside on a nice day, especially if it’s a Friday — if you live somewhere that allows it, weather-wise. The sounds of the birds. The feel of the breeze. The smell of exhaust fumes from nearby traffic.

But sometimes it’s not about half-playing hooky while working on your tan and pretending to work. Today’s featured setup, looking quite complete and perfectly productive, was driven out of the house by renovations.

Apple plans ‘lock adapter’ to stop Mac Studio thieves

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Apple plans lock adapter for Mac Studio
Mac Studio's small design makes it too easy to steal.
Photo: Apple

Apple plans to sell a “lock adapter” for Mac Studio that will prevent would-be thieves from swiping the machine from users’ desks, according to one report.

Mac Studio already has a small hole on its base where a lock can be fitted, but it seems there’s not enough room for a standard Kensington option. Apple looks to be working with a third-party on a better solution that will come soon.

Score Windows 10 Pro lifetime license for $15 in March Big Sale with up to 91% off!

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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 is presented by Keysbuff.

“March Madness” usually means college basketball, but it can also mean big savings on software. Cult of Mac readers can get great discounts this month from software activation keys provider Keysbuff. You can save up to 91% off the full price on Windows 10 and get great savings on many other Microsoft software titles.

Just use promo code COM at Keysbuff.com to get 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.

iPhone SE 3 cuts carriers out of the buying process in the US

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The new iPhone SE is available is available in the same colors as before, but it's much-improved on the inside.
It's now a lot easier to buy Apple's most affordable iPhone.
Photo: Apple

The new iPhone SE is Apple’s first smartphone that can be purchased without carrier credit checks in the United States. Customers can obtain the device without having to provide their phone number or Social Security information.

This applies only to AT&T and T-Mobile customers for now, who will be able to take advantage of a new feature called “on-device authentication” during iPhone SE’s setup process. It is also expected to be available on iPhone 14.

WeCrashed, a show about wasted money, arrives to waste your time [Apple TV+ recap]

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WeCrashed recap Apple TV+: What was the point of this show again?
What was the point of this show again?
Photo: Apple TV+

For some reason, Apple TV+ paid actual money for WeCrashed, the deeply inessential story of WeWork founder Adam Neumann and his wife Rebekah.

The tale’s already been told as a documentary, a podcast and a series of investigative pieces for various publications. But as we all know, the idea isn’t totally wrung dry until a couple of Oscar winners have their say.

So here’s Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway as the Neumanns in a terrible Apple TV+ mini-series directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Maybe now we can tell another story.

Put your Apple Watch to work with this smart, discounted desk elliptical

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Work out at work with this under-desk elliptical on sale.
This Bluetooth mini elliptical can burn 150 calories an hour.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Wouldn’t it be nice to work out without needing the “out” part? Well, thanks to modern technology, now you can.

Check out this app-enabled elliptical that can fit under your desk and burn calories without changing your routine. Right now, the Cubii Smart Sit Bundle is on sale for $299.99 (regularly $447).

How to get the new gender-neutral Siri voice in iOS 15.4

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Apple’s AI-driven voice-controlled digital assistant Siri
Siri doesn’t have to sound female.
Image: Apple

One of the new features in iOS 15.4, released earlier this week, is a new, gender-neutral voice for Siri.

Apple developed the gender-neutral voice in response to criticism for using female voices as the default for the virtual assistant. If you want Siri to use a voice that is not explicitly female or male — maybe if you don’t identify that way yourself, or if you just want a nongendered voice assistant — now you have the option.

Here’s how to switch to the new voice on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Studio Display is powered by the same version of iOS 15 as iPhone and iPad

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Apple Studio Display runs iOS 15
Yes, exactly the same version.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new Studio Display is incredibly impressive in more ways than one. And while some early reviews note that other excellent monitors are available for less, there are some things that make Studio Display completely unique.

Not only is it powered by an A13 Bionic chip, for instance, but Studio Display runs iOS 15.4. No, not a watered-down version of it, but exactly the same iOS 15.4 build that you have installed on your iPhone and iPad. You just can’t use it.

Mac Studio, Studio Display and iPad Air reach customers around the world

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Mac Studio and Studio Display launch
Are you getting new Apple devices today?
Photos: Joe Dawson and Pawan

Apple’s new Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPad Air and iPhone SE officially go on sale today. That means customers who preordered early (before shipping dates slipped) are beginning to receive the first deliveries around the world.

If you, like me, are disappointed not to be reveling in the same delight as they are, here are a whole bunch of photos that highlight what we’re missing out on.

Kids learn to make life an adventure with Pinecone & Pony on Apple TV+ in April

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Kids learn to make life an adventure with ‘Pinecone & Pony’ on Apple TV+ in April
Pinecone & Pony set off for adventure April 8 on Apple TV+.
Photo: DreamWorks Animation/Apple TV+

DreamWorks Animation created Pinecone & Pony, the animated adventure of a girl learning that there’s more than one way to be a warrior. The series for kids and families premieres on Apple TV+ on April 8.

A trailer for the upcoming series gives a taste of the fun to come.

Save on awesome accessories for all Apple devices this St. Patrick’s Day

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Cult of Mac Store St. Patrick's Day sale
Use the code PATRICK at checkout.
Image: Elago/Cult of Mac

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by saving 20% on outstanding accessories for all your Apple devices in the Cult of Mac Store.

We’ve got cases, premium Apple Watch bands, do-it-all charging stands, sturdy in-car mounts, MacBook risers, and lots, lots more. Use the promo code PATRICK at checkout to take advantage of the discount today only.

Turn your laptop into a desktop with new StarTech Thunderbolt 4 dock

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StarTech.com's capable new Thunderbolt 4 docking station can broaden your laptop's horizons.
StarTech.com's capable new Thunderbolt 4 docking station can broaden your laptop's horizons.
Photo: StarTech.com

With Thunderbolt 4 connectivity becoming more and more common in new laptop computers, including various Macs, you may be in the market for a worthy docking station. After all, small, lightweight laptops don’t always have all the ports you need. So it’s a good thing StarTech.com recently released its TB4CDock for Mac and Windows. If you also need an apple sd card reader along with a docking station, consider checking out this 6-port hub from Zagg.

The Thunderbolt 4 station bristles with the ports you need to turn your laptop into a desktop, or close to it.

Apple vows to fix Studio Display’s disappointing webcam

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Apple Studio Display
A software update is on the way.
Photo: Apple

Apple has promised that it will address webcam quality issues on its new Studio Display with a software update.

The monitor’s rather disappointing camera performance is one of the biggest frustrations among reviewers. One likened it to an “old BlackBerry,” while another said it is “awful in good light and downright miserable in low light.”

Carry your new Mac Studio in style with this protective case

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If you need to bring your Mac Studio desktop computer somewhere, this is a good way to do it.
If you need to bring your Mac Studio desktop computer somewhere, this is a good way to do it.
Photo: WaterField Designs

If you buy a powerful new Mac Studio desktop computer and you need to take it somewhere, what are you going to do? Re-pack it? Here’s a better idea. Get a stylish and protective new carrying case like the one WaterField Designs just released.

The San Francisco-based luxury bag maker for tech gear adds the new Mac Studio Shield Case to its list of quality goods, including sturdy leather AirTag accessories and a cool AirPods Max case that Apple should’ve made.

Launch of much-anticipated home-automation standard Matter delayed again

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Matter is a new interoperable homer automation standard back by Apple, Amazon, Google and m ore.
Matter is going to… matter to fans of home automation.
Photo: Connectivity Standards Alliance

The release date for the Matter standard has been pushed back to fall of 2022. Previously, Apple and the rest of the Connectivity Standards Alliance had hoped to launch the cross-platform home-automation standard much earlier in the year.

A primary goal is interoperability, allowing accessories to connect to HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home, etc. Matter might finally make smart homes more common… even mainstream.