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Sleek new Satechi 3-in-1 magnetic charger powers up iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch

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The new Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger features a black finish and steel-and-aluminum construction.
The new Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger features a black finish and steel-and-aluminum construction.
Photo: Satechi

Satechi rolled out a new 3-in-1 MagSafe-compatible charger on Thursday to help users power up their iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watches. The sleek black Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger features a hands-free, adjustable, MagSafe-compatible mount for your phone, plus solid steel-and-aluminum construction.

Apple aims to build self-driving car with no steering wheel

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Apple reportedly wants to eliminate the steering wheel and pedals from its autonomous vehicle.
Apple reportedly wants to eliminate the steering wheel and pedals from its autonomous vehicle.
Photo: Samuele Errico Piccarini/Unsplash CC

Apple is reportedly committed to making a car capable of driving completely autonomously. The new head of the project won’t be satisfied with a vehicle with only limited capabilities.

The car might not need a steering wheel or pedals at all. And it could be on the road by 2025.

Warm up the sleigh: Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues debuts on Apple TV+ Dec. 3

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‘Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues’ debuts on Apple TV+ Dec. 3
The singer plans another star-studded musical Christmas special.
Photo: Apple TV+

Mariah Carey’s second Christmas special for Apple TV+ will sing and dance its way onto screens around the world on Friday, December 3. Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues will include the only performance of her new single, “Fall in Love at Christmas.”

The entertainer gave a sneak peek at the fun on Thursday. Watch the trailer now:

Spotify brings Apple Music-like synchronized lyrics to all users

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Spotify lyrics roll out to all
Just like Apple Music's
Photo: Musixmatch

Spotify’s new synchronized song lyrics — much like those we’ve enjoyed inside Apple Music for a while now — are now rolling out globally. The feature is available to both free and paid users across almost all devices.

Lyrics were one of the most requested features among Spotify users, the company said. They first entered testing among a smaller number of customers early this year, and now everyone can enjoy them.

iPhone could ship with Apple’s own 5G modems in 2023

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Tim Cook seems really excited about 5G. Should you be?
Qualcomm will eventually get the boot.
Photo: Apple

Apple is expected to start shipping its own 5G modems for iPhone in 2023. The chips will reduce the company’s reliance on Qualcomm — which is currently a major supplier of cellular chips for Apple devices.

Sources say the modems won’t be integrated into Apple’s primary A-series chipsets for iPhone, but will instead be separate components.

Keep it cool with this super-sweet AirPods 3 case [Review]

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Elago Ice Cream case review: Cover your new AirPods in a sweet-looking Ice Cream case.
Cover your new AirPods in a sweet-looking Ice Cream case.
Photo: Adel Neal/Cult of Mac

Whether you have a sweet tooth or just like to be different, the new Elago Ice Cream AirPods 3 Case definitely stands out. The nicely detailed silicone case looks like a tiny ice cream bar, right down to the colorful 3D sprinkles scattered on it. (A wooden stick at the bottom finishes off the look.)

It comes in two vibrant colors — mint and lavender — and for me, this case only has positives.

Power your peripherals with Accell’s new Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station

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The new Access Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station expands your laptop or desktop's connectivity.
The new Access Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station expands your laptop or desktop's connectivity.
Photo: Accell

Accell launched its newest Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station on Wednesday. The company said the Intel-certified hub provides high speed data transfer, dual 4K or 8K external display capability and 96W of power delivery (PD) to quickly charge multiple peripherals.

T-Mobile denies $100 Apple Watch rebate promised by Apple

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Apple Watch Series 7 T-Mobile rebate
Some customers have redeemed the rebate successfully.
Image: Apple

T-Mobile customers are reportedly being denied a $100 rebate on Apple Watch Series 7 that was promised by Apple at the time of purchase.

As of Thursday morning, Apple’s website still advertises the promotion — which is supposedly available between October 8 and December 31. But some customers who have tried to redeem their cash say they’ve been unsuccessful.

$750 million Astroworld lawsuit seeks damages from Apple

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Apple's Astroworld statement
This statement replaced Apple's promotions for Astroworld on social media.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Apple has been named alongside Travis Scott, Drake and concert promoter Live Nation in a new $750 million lawsuit over this month’s catastrophic Astroworld Festival. Houston attorney Tony Buzbee filed on behalf of 125 concert attendees, including the family of 21-year-old victim Axel Acosta.

“No amount of money will ever make these plaintiffs whole,” Buzbee said. The damages sought are intended “to punish and make an example of all involved” in the event — and to encourage better safety measures in the future.

Get the fantastic Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition book at more than 70% off

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The Cult of Mac 2E
This deluxe chronicle of Apple fandom is beautifully designed.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

If you’re looking for a holiday gift for an Apple fan, consider The Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition. This great-looking coffee table book about the Apple community is on sale right now for just $9.99 — a whopping 71% off.

Co-written by David Pierini and yours truly, the gorgeously designed, full-color book details many aspects of the Apple fan universe.

This minimalist LED lamp will light up your room (and your imagination)

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A light for every occasion with this pre-black friday deal.
No matter your mood, this sleek lamp is in your corner.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s no secret that lighting can affect your mood. With this sleek floor lamp, you can easily add customizable mood lighting for every occasion — even if that occasion is just watching TV.

And all these mood-enhancing lighting options won’t cost you a fortune. With this Pre-Black Friday Doorbusters deal, the Lamp Depot Minimalist LED Corner Floor Lamp costs only $70.97 (regularly $149).

Tiny keychain cable charges gadgets and opens bottles, too [Review]

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The High Six features USB-C, USB-A and Lightning connectors.
The High Six features USB-C, USB-A and Lightning connectors.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

If you want to be a helpful elf after the holidays — always ready to help charge up people’s devices and open their bottled beverages — you can be. Just carry the nifty little Vonmählen High Six 6-in-1 keychain charging cable in your pocket, with or without keys.

The review sample I received didn’t look flawless or work exactly as advertised, but the company said it will address some issues before it commences shipping the High Six in January 2022, as described below.

iOS 15.1.1 fixes dropped calls on recent iPhones

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iOS 15.1.1 fixes dropped calls on recent iPhones
iOS 15.1.1 is a bug fix update for recent iPhone models.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Users of recent iPhone models can now install iOS 15.1.1. Apple released the update Wednesday to take care of problems with dropped calls on these handsets.

It’s only for iPhone 13 and iPhone 12. And there is not an iPadOS equivalent.

Murder-mystery comedy The Afterparty premieres on Apple TV+ on Jan. 28

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Apple’s murder-mystery comedy ‘The Afterparty’ premieres on Jan. 28
Tiffany Haddish leads an ensemble cast in The Afterparty, coming to Apple TV+ in January.
Photo: Chris Miller

A premiere date for a hotly anticipated Apple TV+ series has finally been revealed. The Afterparty starring Tiffany Haddish and a collection of other comedians will make its debut on Apple’s streaming service on Friday, January 28.

The very unusual murder mystery was created by film virtuosos Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

iOS 15.2 lets you search inside Apple Music playlists

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Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio are coming to Apple Music subscribers beginning June 2021.
Rolling out to everyone soon.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s latest iOS 15.2 beta lets users search inside Apple Music playlists for the first time. The update makes it easier to quickly locate tracks, which should make it a little quicker to keep your favorite playlists in order.

This was one of the most requested features for Apple Music playlists. As users have noted, however, the service still has a long way to go before it catches up with rivals on playlist features.

Part 2: From PC pigsty to prim M1 Pro MacBook workstation [Setups]

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In round 2, I experiment with an open laptop stand, a mechanical keyboard with a wrist rest, a Magic Trackpad 2, an ergonomic mouse with a trackball and a monitor light bar.
In round 2, I experiment with an open laptop stand, a mechanical keyboard with a wrist rest, a Magic Trackpad 2, an ergonomic mouse with a trackball and a monitor light bar.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

I wrote recently about the shameful squalor of my previous “setup” — basically a borrowed PC laptop perched on a pile of junk — and my effort to build something worthwhile around a gleaming new 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook. Well, like a lot of people in the throes of building a computer setup, I found that second-guessing haunted me into buying a whole lot of alternative gear.

You know, for testing purposes. Trial and error. Not because of my apparent shopping addiction. Or not much, anyway.

iOS 15.2 paves the way for DIY display replacements on iPhone 13

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iPhone 13 display repair
That's the end of that.
Photo: iFixit

Apple’s newest iOS 15.2 beta paves the way for DIY screen replacements on iPhone 13. Earlier versions of the firmware inexplicably disabled Face ID when a display was replaced by anyone other than Apple. But that’s no longer the case.

The change came just a day before Apple revealed its new Self Service Program, which will offer customers the parts and tools they need to carry out hardware fixes themselves — if they feel competent enough to do so.

Apple will sell parts and tools so customers can repair their own devices

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Apple Self Service Program for customer repairs
It's a major change to the company's repair policy.
Photo: Apple

Apple today revealed its new Self Service Program, which will provide customers with the parts and tools they need to repair their own devices. It marks a major shift in the company’s approach to hardware fixes.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups are the first to be supported, but will be soon followed by Mac computers powered by M1 chips, Apple said. The Self Service Program launches next year in the U.S., and will expand in 2022.

Apple’s simple Shortcuts change greatly improves cross-device support

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Like Shortcuts? macOS Monterey's got 'em.
You no longer have to update storage locations for each Shortcut.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s newest betas for iOS, iPadOS and macOS make a simple Shortcuts change that greatly improves the user experience across different devices.

Shortcuts now know which storage folders to use automatically — depending on your device — negating the need to manually update them individually for different hardware.

Say goodbye to snoring with this custom-molded mouthpiece

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Rest easy free of snoring with this black friday deal.
Would you pay $60 for a solid night's sleep without snoring?
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Your snoring doesn’t need to wake you, your partner or your roommates anymore. A custom-fit VitalSleep Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece can give you a snoreless slumber.

And during our Pre-Black Friday Sale, it’s on sale for just $59.97 (regularly $99). That’s a fraction of what CPAP machines and other anti-snoring devices cost.

Level up your iPhone gaming with Rotor Riot Lightning controller [Review]

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RiotPwr Rotor Riot iOS Controller RR1852 PWR Plus review
iPhone gaming is better with a hardware game controller like the RiotPwr Rotor Riot RR1852.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Playing serious games on an iPhone touchscreen can be crazy frustrating. Don’t throw your iPhone across the room — get a game controller like RiotPwr’s Rotor Riot RR1852. This mimics the design of Microsoft’s Xbox controller but with a Lightning cable and an iPhone mount.

I fully tested this updated version of the Rotor Riot Lightning-enabled game controller. And I like it a lot. And apparently so does Apple because you can find it in the Apple Store, both online and brick-and-mortar locations.

Apple Home Services chief leaves after less than 3 years on the job

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Apple Home Services chief Sam Jadallah left his post after less than three years.
Apple Home Services chief Sam Jadallah left his post after less than three years.
Photo: Apple

Apple hired Sam Jadallah in February 2019 to lead its smart home initiatives as head of the Home Services department. Last week, he posted word of his departure on LinkedIn.

Neither Jadallah nor Apple has given a reason for the departure. After two years and nine months on the job, Jadallah wrote:

That’s a wrap with Apple. I’m so grateful for the friendships that will endure and the opportunity to shape and create new capabilities for people and homes around the world. As a corporate exec, investor and entrepreneur, it was a treat to be an entrepreneur within Apple and to create products at scale.