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This beefy leather AirTag keychain will sucker you in [Review]

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WaterField Designs Leather AirTag Keychain review: This keychain can handle a clutch of keys.
This AirTag keychain from WaterField Designs can handle a clutch of keys.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

WaterField Designs’ AirTag Leather Keychain looks a little like a squid’s head. The oval-ish leather keychain comes with a heavy-duty matte black key ring at one end. (Your keys would be the squid’s tentacles in this tortured simile.) And a metal grommet at the other end lets you attach an included steel carabiner or cable loop to expand your options.

The San Francisco company constructed this crucial AirTag accessory out of beefy full-grain leather and high-end components. It definitely looks and feels premium. And it seems built to last a lifetime.

The only real downside is size-related: This is one giant squid!

Adonit Neo Duo stylus works wonders on iPhone as well as iPad

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Adonit Neo Duo stylus works wonders on iPhone as well as iPad
Easily switch the Adonit Neo Duo between iPad and iPhone, and write accurately on either.
Photo: Adonit

Whether you’re using an iPad, iPad Pro or iPhone, the just-released Adonit Neo Duo stylus is compatible. Its small writing tip mimics a pen, and the accessory clings magnetically to several iPad models.

It’s part of a new series of styli. The Adonit Neo has many of the same features as the Neo Duo but is intended specifically for iPad. And the inexpensive Adonit Neo Lite works with all touchscreen devices.

Take the show wherever you go with Samsung’s new Freestyle projector

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The Samsung Freestyle projects video or ambient lighting and works as a smart speaker.
The Samsung Freestyle projects images, video or ambient lighting and works as a smart speaker.
Photo: Samsung

At CES 2022, Samsung Electronics showed a new portable screen and entertainment device it’s calling “The Freestyle.” The company also called the device the first of its kind. It’s a small projector and smart speaker that works with iOS and Android devices to stream video or sync audio to ambient lighting.

App Store scam pulls in $13 million with the help of fake reviews

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AmpMe App Store scam rakes in $13 million
That's ... a lot of money.
Image: Appfigures

It seems it’s not that difficult to make millions of dollars on the App Store if you’re willing to charge people for a “free” service and you have money to spend on blatantly fake but seemingly effective reviews.

That’s how one developer, which offers an app that claims to make your music louder, has collected a cool $13 million — and somehow been featured by Apple multiple times in various countries — in under four years.

Suspicion trailer gives us a peek at new Uma Thurman thriller for Apple TV+

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Suspicion for Apple TV+
You can watch it from February 4.
Image: Apple

The first trailer for Suspicion, a new Apple TV+ thriller starring Uma Thurman, sets up the series’ intriguing storyline.

After the son of a prominent American businesswoman, played by Thurman, is kidnapped from a New York hotel, four seemingly ordinary British citizens who just happened to be there that night find themselves caught up in an investigation.

Get 2 awesome quadcopter drones for the price of 1

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This double-drone deal is 56% off.
Don't settle for a single eye in the sky.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The Alpha Z Pro 4K + Flying Fox 4K Wide Angle Dual Camera Drones are advanced quadcopters capable of capturing high-def imagery. In this package deal, you can get them both for less than the price of a single drone. And that price is only $174.99 (regularly $398).

Why settle for one drone when you can get two? Grab this dual-drone bundle and save more than 50% off the usual price.

Beats Pill+ speaker drops out of Apple’s lineup with no replacement

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Beats Pill+
See ya!
Image: Apple

Apple has discontinued the Beats Pill+ wireless speaker — one of the first brand-new products it launched after acquiring Beats in 2014. It was the only speaker available under the Beats brand, and there is no replacement.

You can still buy a Pill+ from third-party retailers while stocks last. However, you won’t find one in the Apple Store.

Apple’s first headset could be 3 years ahead of rivals in computing power

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Apple mixed reality headset
It will need a beefy charger.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple’s first mixed-reality headset will ship with the same 96W power adapter that you get with some 14-inch MacBook Pro models, according to an analyst, who says that’s proof the device will pack plenty of computing power.

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also expects Apple’s “metaverse headset” to be around two to three years ahead of competing products. And he says it could sell as many as 3 million units during its first full year of availability, rising to 20 million units in 2025.

Apple gives up fight against alternative app payment systems in Korea

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App Store will accept alternative payment systems
The App Store will accept alternative payment systems in South Korea.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple has confirmed that it will allow developers to offer third-party payment systems for app purchases in South Korea, according to a new report.

The move comes after Korean regulators last August ruled that smartphone makers, including, could not force users to make purchases through their own app marketplaces exclusively. But Apple won’t give up its cut of revenues.

Uber puts the brakes on Apple Watch app

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Uber puts the brakes on Apple Watch app
No more calling for an Uber from your Apple Watch.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

If you want to call an Uber, you’ll have to do it from your iPhone — the Apple Watch app was disabled on Monday. Apparently permanently.

Uber gave no reason for the change.

Play ball! Apple TV+ might stream Major League Baseball games

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Get ready to watch some baseball. It's easier than ever to stream MLB playoffs.
Apple TV+ could be singing “Take me out to the ball park” soon.
Photo: Paul Lim/Flickr CC

Apple TV+ might be ready to play in the big leagues. Major League Baseball, to be exact. The company reportedly engaged in “substantial talks” with MLB about acquiring the rights to stream games.

If such a deal comes together, it would be a game-changer for Apple’s streaming service.

Charge 4 Apple devices at once with this combo charging stand/lamp

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Do more with less space thanks to this 5-in-1 charging stand.
This 5-in-1 MagSafe charging stand offers premium flexibility.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you find your desk or nightstand cluttered with cords and chargers, you probably don’t own a charging solution that can keep up with all your devices. This 5-in-1 MagSafe Wireless & Wired Charging Station can charge up to four devices at the same time. And it even doubles as a dimmable lamp, making it the ultimate multi-solution device.

If you’re looking for a way to streamline the number of cords and chargers you need plugged in at any one time, you’ve found the solution in this sleek charging stand.

Apple TV+ renews award-winning The Morning Show for third season

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Apple TV+ renewed the show for a third season.
Apple TV+ renewed the show for a third season.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ renewed the hit series The Morning Show, starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, for a third season, the company said Monday. The streaming service also signed a multiyear deal with WGA Award winner Charlotte Stoudt to be the third season’s showrunner and executive producer, and to produce other scripted series.

In addition to Stoudt (whose credits include Fosse/Verdon, Homeland and House of Cards), Aniston and Witherspoon serve as executive producers on The Morning Show, which has won Emmy, SAG and Critics Choice awards. It is directed by Mimi Leder and produced by the studio Media Res, Hello Sunshine and Echo Films.

iPhone 14 Pro concept shows possibilities of pill-shaped camera hole

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iPhone 14 Pro concept shows possibilities of pill-shaped camera hole
If a recent rumor is on the mark, the device on the right is exactly what the iPhone 14 Pro will look like.
Concept:

Rumor has it the iPhone 14 Pro will dump the screen notch for a pill-shaped camera hole. A concept artist turned the unconfirmed report into a possible design for Apple’s 2022 flagship phone.

He even put the additional screen space to good use.

‘Death Star’ Mac Pro and ‘worst’ MacBook power global IT ops [Setups]

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Another trash can Mac Pro is still doing its thing.
Another trash can Mac Pro is still doing its thing. Here you see it elevated to help with cooling.
Photo: Andrew-UK

Reader and technologist Andrew (last name redacted, so to speak) runs a “boutique AV, IT [and] cyber systems integration company from a home office” in London — though he supports sites worldwide. Clearly, he has a lot to do.

And he does it using a late-2013 Mac Pro he fondly said should be on the Death Star from Star Wars, plus a 2017 MacBook Pro he described to Cult of Mac as “perhaps the worst-constructed laptop I have ever owned.”

Jason Sudeikis wins second Golden Globe in a row for Ted Lasso

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For the second year in a row, Jason Sudeikis won a best actor Golden Globe for his title role in Ted Lasso on Apple TV+.
For the second year in a row, Jason Sudeikis won a best actor Golden Globe for his title role in Ted Lasso on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

In 2021, Jason Sudeikis won the first-ever Golden Globe for Apple TV+. On Sunday night he repeated, again winning the Best Television Actor in a musical or comedy award for his leading role in the streaming service’s comedy hit Ted Lasso.

And just like in 2021, Sudeikis’ win was the only one for Apple TV+, despite a handful of other nominations.

Apple VR headset won’t create a full metaverse

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Don’t expect the Apple VR headset to be the first step in re-creating Ready Player One by delivering a full metaverse.
Don’t expect the Apple VR headset to be the first step in re-creating Ready Player One.
Photo: Warner Bros. Entertainment

While Apple is creating a VR headset, it’s reportedly not developing a complete virtual world for users. It plans on virtual reality games, video and other experiences. But these supposedly won‘t be connected into a single VR metaverse.

That sets it apart from Meta (formerly Facebook), which does hope to create a virtual world it controls.

Learn new languages with this premium language app (but don’t stop there)

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This premium language app is under $200.
Learn a valuable new skill, and master new languages, with this premium app bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Looking for a valuable new skill to learn in the new year that will boost your problem-solving skills and open new career doors? Consider a subscription to The Unlimited Lifetime Learning Subscription Bundle featuring Rosetta Stone.

Yes, you get well-known premium language-learning app Rosetta Stone. But you also gain access to StackSkills, a learning library with more than 1,000 courses spanning topics from coding and design to marketing and tech. With this bundle, your learning potential is unlimited!

Google: Apple shouldn’t ‘benefit from bullying’ over iMessage bubbles

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iMessage bullying
Apple could fix the iMessage problem. It just won't.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Google is once again calling on Apple to adopt a more open text messaging standard after accusing Cupertino of benefitting from bullying.

It comes after a report highlighted the struggle some teens face when using an Android device, which results in broken group chats and green bubbles — as opposed to blue ones — when texting peers who own an iPhone.

A former iMessage manager explained the reasoning behind the differences in Apple’s defense. But some might (rightly) say the arguments hold no value today, with text messaging in a better place than it was when iMessage landed.

European carriers team up to block iCloud Private Relay on iPhone and iPad

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iCloud Private Relay
The feature undermines "European digital sovereignty," they say.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

European are joining forces in a bid to block iCloud Private Relay — a feature Apple introduced in iOS and iPadOS 15 to bolster its privacy protections. It seems some have already begun disabling it on cellular plans.

A group, which include Vodafone and T-Mobile, has signed an open letter that says Private Relay prevents them from obtaining “vital network data,” and will impact their ability to “efficiently manage telecommunication networks.”

These puzzles give you a chance to win $1 million dollars

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This puzzle gives you a chance to win a million dollars.
Put this puzzle together and you could win big!
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Probably one of the only ways to make puzzles better is to have a chance to win a million dollars once you solve one. That’s exactly what you get from The One Million Dollar Puzzle by Mschf.

Just solve the puzzle, scan the code, and you’ll be entered to win cash prizes. For a limited time, you can get one, two, three, six or 10 Million Dollar Puzzles on sale!

Secretly record audio and video with 10% off these stealthy spy pens

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iSpyPen Pro: Grab 10% off this two-pack of camera pens and live out your super-spy dreams.
Grab 10% off this two-pack of camera pens and live out your super-spy dreams.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s OK to admit it: Our love of the latest tech is essentially spurred by our desire to have a cabinet full of James Bond-worthy spy gadgets. But did you know that those awesome super-spy inventions aren’t just the stuff of fiction?

You can grab a two-pack of these iSpyPen Pros — which look like a normal writing implement but give you 007-style capabilities on sale for just $114.99. That’s a 10% discount off the regular price of $129.

It’s your last chance to win a Lambo from MrBeast

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January 10th is the deadline to win a lambo.
Say hello to a chance at a new Lamborghini.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

In regular daily life, there aren’t that many opportunities to spend $35 and have a $250,000 Lamborghini delivered to you. But the MrBeast + Mschf Everyone Gets a Car promotion gives you the chance to do exactly that. And it would only cost $35 for one chance, $99 for three, $158 for five or $289.99 for 10 chances at the big prize. This promotion ends January 10, so act fast or miss your chance.

Apple’s hardware plans for 2022 sound positively intoxicating [The CultCast]

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Apple's hardware plans for 2022 sound intoxicating [The CultCast]
This year's looking good!
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Even more details surface about Apple’s hardware plans for 2022. If last year was “modest” (LOL), this year looks jam-packed with major updates. We’re talking redesigned AirPods Pro, a new Apple monitor, even-more-impressive MacBook Airs and … an iPhone? You gotta be kidding us.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Apple hits $3 trillion market cap, albeit briefly.
  • A giveaway that features a great-looking charger from Journey.
  • The most interesting products out of this year’s big CES trade show in Las Vegas.

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.