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How to watch Apple’s big ‘Peek Performance’ event

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Watch Apple's Peek Performance event
Don't miss Apple's newest announcements.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

We’re just a day away from Apple’s big “Peek Performance” event, which is expected to bring upgraded iPhone, iPad and Mac models. Cupertino could also have other sweet surprises up its sleeve — like a new desktop display.

Whatever the case may be, you won’t want to miss it if you’re an Apple fan. And you don’t have to! Here’s how to stream the enter March 8 event live.

Espresso Display V2 gives you the touchscreen Mac you’ve been craving [Review]

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Espresso Display V2 review
The Espresso Display V2 is a gorgeous external display that’s also a touchscreen.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Although Apple refuses to make a touchscreen Mac, the Espresso Display V2 is ready to fill in the gap. There are 15.6-inch and 13.3-inch versions of the very slim external display, and both support touch and an optional stylus.

I tested the screen with a MacBook and iPad to see how well it performs in ordinary use. And I also tried out the stylus as well as the stand for desktop use and the case for taking the display on the go.

This dual-display trick is not for everyone [Setups]

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You get a tall and narrow display when your portrait-mode (vertical) monitor is an ultra-wide.
You get a tall and narrow display when your portrait-mode (vertical) monitor is an ultra-wide.
Photo: [email protected]

As we know from looking at lots of computer setups, having at least two monitors is popular, and so is having at least one of those in portrait mode (vertical). But what if you have dual displays and both are ultra-wide screens? Turned on end, isn’t the one in portrait mode going to be awfully tall?

Today’s featured setup provides an answer to those questions. Here the MacBook Pro-centered setup features two 34-inch displays in different orientations.

This OCR scanning pen copies text straight to your Mac and iPhone

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Scan notes and save them to your device with Scanmarker Air.
Scan text in an instant, and translate it into 70 languages, with this smart scanning pen.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When you need to scan a line of text, or even whole paragraphs, the pen-shaped Scanmarker Air gets the job done quickly and efficiently. Its optical character recognition quickly and accurately digitizes text. Then, the portable scanner sends the captured data to your iPhone, Mac or other device via Bluetooth.

Nintendo revamps Switch Online app to make it a little more useful

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Switch Online app update 2.0.0
You can now see which of your friends are online.
Image: Nintendo

Nintendo on Sunday rolled out a somewhat significant update to its Switch Online app that makes it a lot less rubbish than it was before. The version 2.0.0 release brings a refreshed design and the ability to see which friends are online.

Switch Online, which is required if you want to use voice chat inside some Nintendo Switch games, is still nowhere near as useful as its counterparts for PlayStation and Xbox. But it is at least better than it was.

Apple could keep us waiting until 2023 for new Mac Pro and iMac Pro

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Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR orders start Tuesday
Apple's high-end desktops won't come this year, one analyst says.
Image: Apple

Apple has a whole bunch of exciting Mac upgrades planned for 2022, according to recent rumors. But if it’s a new Mac Pro or iMac Pro powered by Apple silicon you’re after, you could be waiting until next year.

One analyst, who has proven reliable in the past, doesn’t expect to see refreshes to Apple’s high-end desktops until 2023. But he does believe a more powerful Mac mini and a new 27-inch Apple display are coming this year.

A sneak peek at Apple’s ‘Peek Performance’ event [The CultCast]

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Apple Peek Performance event predictions March 8: Here comes the first new Apple gear of 2022.
Here comes the first new Apple gear of 2022.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We can’t stop speculating about what new Apple gear we’ll see at Tuesday’s big “Peek Performance” event. Best bets are iPhone SE, iPad Air and … some kind of Mac?

Also on The CultCast:

  • Will this really be a big year for Apple Watch?
  • Apple punishes Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
  • Social media gets gory during wartime.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

Ukrainian devs work in bathtubs as Russian bombs and missiles fly

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MacPaw's Julia Petryk works in her bathtub, the safest place in her Kyiv apartment as Russian bombs and missiles fall.
MacPaw's Julia Petryk works in her bathtub, the safest place in her Kyiv apartment during the Russian bombardment of Ukraine.
Photo: Julia Petryk/MacPaw

Between air raids and missile strikes, Julia Petryk works in her bathtub in Ukraine. It’s the safest place in her Kyiv apartment.

“The last interview I gave for media was in the bathtub,” she told Cult of Mac in an email. It’s “the safest place in the apartment during bombardment.”

March is packed with star-studded new Apple TV+ shows

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March is packed with star-studded new Apple TV+ shows
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jared Leto, Anne Hathaway and Samuel L. Jackson all appear in new series on Apple TV+ in March.
Photo: Apple TV+/Cult of Mac

Apple TV+ subscribers have a lot to look forward to in March. A series starring the great Samuel L. Jackson will premiere this month, plus Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway have their own series.

In addition, Snoopy is back on Apple TV+, while Dear… includes a roster of celebes, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jane Fonda, Viola Davis and more.

This Bluetooth keyboard for iPhone or iPad is every mobile worker’s type

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It's a keyboard for every screen, and it's $50.
This multiplatform keyboard turns your phone or tablet into a DIY laptop.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

You aren’t stuck with a small keyboard just because you’re working on a small screen. This Multi-Platform Wireless Keyboard can connect to your iPhone, iPad or other Bluetooth-enabled device to give you a legit typing experience.

It’s got a groove that holds a smartphone or tablet in place during use. And the Bluetooth keyboard is on sale now for just $50.

Donate a drone to help protect Ukrainian civilians [Updated]

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Want to help protect Ukrainian civilians during the Russian invasion? Donate a surveillance drone.
Want to help protect Ukrainian civilians during the Russian invasion? Donate a surveillance drone.
Photo: Skylum

Among the various calls for help on behalf of Ukraine during the Russian invasion, software company Skylum offered a way for you to donate a surveillance drone that could help safeguard Ukrainian civilians from the ravages of war.

“You can help Ukrainians to protect themselves as your drone will provide real-time pictures of the situation on the ground,” Skylum said in a blog post Thursday.

Reached for comment via email from Western Ukraine, Skylum Marketing Manager Sabina Iliasova told Cult of Mac how drone deployment will work and why it’s so crucial. She is the contact who will handle donations.

4 takeaways from Apple’s 2022 shareholders meeting

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4 takeaways from Apple’s 2022 shareholders meeting
If you’re an Apple shareholder, you should have received one of these in the mail.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple CEO Tim Cook had a meeting today with his many bosses: Apple shareholders. He answered questions about dividends, COVID-19 and more.

And a vote at the Apple 2022 shareholders meeting requires the Board of Directors to carry out an audit of the company’s civil rights policies. But several other proposals were voted down.

Razer’s tiny new keyboard could be a must for gamers

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Razer's new Huntsman Mini has analog optical switches you can customize like crazy.
Razer's new Huntsman Mini has analog optical switches you can customize like crazy.
Photo: Razer

Gaming giant Razer rolled out a tiny new mechanical keyboard Friday that could be a boon for gamers. It’s a new-and-improved version of the first 60% keyboard released by a major brand. And it’s the first one to use Razer’s proprietary, super-sensitive “analog optical switches” that can be customized in multiple ways just by the force used to press the key.

It’s the updated Razer Huntsman Mini Analog. And if you’re a competitive gamer, you might want to get it before your opponents do.

On this week’s Servant, Leanne shows everyone who’s really in charge [Apple TV+ recap]

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Servant recap,
Don't mess with Leanne.
Photo: Apple TV+

Dorothy is getting fed up with Leanne and her followers on this week’s installment of Apple TV+ thriller Servant. The cultish mischief is ramped up as Leanne starts to exercise more overt and dark power over the goings on in the Turner household. And Dorothy realizes she’s no longer the one in control in a chaotic climactic vignette.

The endgame now looks like it’s going to be Dorothy and Leanne fighting for the soul of baby Jericho.

Squeeze the most out of your day with this time-tracker app

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Rize and shine with Rize intelligent time tracker for $99.
Hack your productivity with data using Rize time tracker.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Rize helps you improve your productivity by identifying distractions, improving focus, and keeping you moving at a healthy pace. If you could use a boost in those areas, don’t hesitate to score a deal on this productivity app for Mac and Windows.

For a limited time, a three-year subscription to Rize intelligent time tracker software is on sale for $99 (regularly $539).

Ukraine war causes devs to pull software from Russian App Store

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Readdle stands among developers pulling apps from the Russian App Store and calling for help for Ukraine.
Readdle stands among developers pulling apps from the Russian App Store and calling for help for Ukraine.
Photo: Readdle

As the Russian armed incursion into Ukraine continues, several developers have pulled their apps from the Russian App Store. Companies that have done so to date include Ukraine-based Readdle, MacPaw and Ajax Systems, as well as Grammarly and Epam, sources have told Cult of Mac.

The app makers add their voices to numerous other companies taking their business away from Russia amid the conflict.

Severance drills down into darker matters [Apple TV+ recap]

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Severance recap: Lumon Industries' Harmony Cobel (played by Patricia Arquette) is up to no good.
Lumon Industries' Harmony Cobel (played by Patricia Arquette) is up to no good.
Photo: Apple TV+

Severance throws a couple of funerals this week, but only one might be final. Apple TV+’s satirical psychological thriller about the hazards of compartmentalizing runs into a grim cul-de-sac in the episode, with some people giving up and others giving in.

The show’s purposefully lifeless world of corporate culture and suburban malaise find darker territory than ever this week as it becomes clear that each character, in their own way, will stop at nothing to do the job they deem most important.

Apple preps midrange ‘Mac Studio’ desktop to bridge gap between mini and Pro

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Amazing Mac Pro concept shrinks the casing but keeps the cheese grater
A concept for a Mac Pro mini might be what the rumored Mac Studio looks like.
Concept: Róbert Hallon.svetapple.sk

Apple is reportedly working on a new class of desktop computers. The Mac Studio supposedly will slot in between the Mac mini and Mac Pro.

In addition, an Apple Studio Display is also allegedly in development. It’s an upgrade to the Pro Display XDR.

Step into spring with colorful Apple Watch bands from Nyloon

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Nyloon-Apple-Watch-4
Stylish and comfortable — perfect for spring.
Photo: Nyloon

Spring is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about switching up your wardrobe. Don’t leave your Apple Watch behind; give it a colorful refresh with a brilliant band from Nyloon.

They’re all made from nylon so they’re incredibly durable and ideal for outdoor activities. They’re also comfortable even on the warmest days — and nicely priced at just $40 or less.

Shareholders approve civil rights audit of Apple policies

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Shareholders approve civil rights audit of Apple policies
The proposal for the civil rights audit pointed out that Apple’s executive team is mostly white men.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple shareholders voted Friday to require an audit looking into whether the company’s policies have a negative impact on the civil rights of its employees and customers.

Apple’s Board of Directors opposed the idea, claiming the company is already committed to respecting civil rights.

Get serious about sound with Sennheiser’s new wired earbuds

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Sennheiser's new IE 600 wired earbuds are aimed at audiophiles.
Sennheiser's new IE 600 wired earbuds are aimed at audiophiles.
Photo: Sennheiser

Ready to call yourself an audiophile? Sound maven Sennheiser debuts its new IE 600 “audiophile earbuds” on Tuesday. These things are truly wired for sound. As in, they’re literally wired, not wireless. And while they cost less than Sennheiser’s flagship IE 900 earbuds, they’re not cheap.

But at launch you can only get the IE 600s in Europe. The U.S. launch comes in summer 2022.

The Afterparty peters out in lame season finale [Apple TV+ recap]

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The Afterparty season finale recap: It's Maggie's turn to talk in the season finale.
It's Maggie's turn to talk in the season one finale.
Photo: Apple TV+

The first season of Apple TV+ “comedy” The Afterparty draws to a merciful close with its final piece of evidence this week. The show, about the half-dozen witness statements relevant to solving the mysterious death of a pop star, has one more story to tell. This time, the last suspect is no suspect at all, but rather a little girl who happened to see the whole thing.

The Afterparty consistently dragged its feet on the way to this magnificently inessential and perfunctory wrap-up of season one. (Yes, shockingly, Apple TV+ recently renewed this “global hit” for a second season.)

The series’ first season never generated any interest or momentum over the course of eight episodes, so why change now? Let’s put this body in the ground.