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Swagger takes on bad cops, COVID-19 and other horrors [Apple TV+ recap]

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Swagger recap Apple TV+: Team Swagger faces new challenges this week.
Team Swagger faces new challenges this week.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ teen basketball drama Swagger faces its first COVID-19-era game — and its second brush with police brutality — in a tense and shocking episode this week. Crystal finally confesses, while team Swagger faces a couple of real and metaphorical foes. A key figure in this turmoil is coach Warrick Swagger, whose influence on the team continues to shape the unfolding drama.

This week’s episode of the stellar new show, which was created by NBA star Kevin Durant and director Reggie Rock Bythewood, is the crowning achievement of the season. It must be seen.

Apple’s brutal holiday ad is a snowman bloodbath shot on iPhone 13 Pro

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Apple snowman ad
The look of a young girl who just witnessed her best friend's murder.
Photo: Apple

If you’re the kind of person who gets pleasure out of destroying other people’s snowmen, you’ll love Apple’s new “Shot on iPhone” ad for the holiday season.

“Saving Simon” tells the story of a young girl who saves a beloved snowman from a mass stomping, keeps it alive all year long by shutting it inside a freezer, then helplessly watches on as it gets brutally obliterated in a hit and run.

Vintage Apple rig says ‘Hello, 1994’ from Romania [Setups]

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A souped-up Apple SE/30 and a Portrait Display are core to Ciprian's vintage setup.
A souped-up Apple SE/30 and a Portrait Display are core to Ciprian's vintage setup.
Photo: Bacioiu Ciprian

Bacioiu Constantin Ciprian, known online as “Zapa,” was born in Buzau, Romania, in 1991, not long after a revolution toppled communist rule there. He loved technology as a kid, but it was expensive and hard to get. And soon enough he realized how much he loved Apple products — especially those around in his youth.

Now a longtime resident of Bucharest, he designs and develops games to run on vintage equipment. And get a load of that retro setup!

Dickinson gets crazy-good when it heads to the loony bin [Apple TV+ recap]

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Dickinson recap: Emily Dickinson (played by Hailee Steinfeld) endures a trip to the asylum this week.
Emily Dickinson (played by Hailee Steinfeld) endures a mad trip to the asylum this week.
Photo: Apple TV+

This week on Dickinson, the girls are off to the lunatic asylum and Henry needs to find his inner housewife to help his recruits pass an inspection.

This week’s episode of the Apple TV+ feminist alt-history fable is one of the strongest yet — and it makes the looming finale all the more bittersweet. Just when the creative team seems to be hitting its stride and enjoying themselves, the end must come.

This $8,400 iPhone 13 contains a real piece of Tesla car

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Tesla Electro iPhone 13
It also includes a portrait of Elon Musk.
Photo: Caviar

Caviar is back with another crazy (and wildly expensive) custom iPhone. Its latest model, which is dubbed the Tesla Electro, contains a real piece from a Tesla car and is available in iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max versions.

You can get yours with up to 1TB of storage, but be warned that prices can reach an eye-watering $8,380.

Simple thermal mod makes M1 MacBook Air as fast as a MacBook Pro

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M1 MacBook Air thermal mod
That's a big performance boost!
Image: High on Tech/Apple

Some M1 MacBook Air models pack exactly the same chipset as the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro, but they don’t offer the same level of performance. Why? Because the MacBook Pro has a cooling fan and the MacBook Air doesn’t.

But with a quick and easy thermal mod, you can give the more affordable MacBook Air a rather significant speed boost that makes it very nearly as fast as its sibling. Check out the video below that explains it all.

Get a great Black Friday deal on Journey’s premium leather iPhone 13 case

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Journey's iPhone 13 Leather Case is a great Black Friday gift idea.
Gorgeous leather. Great protection. MagSafe compatibility. These iPhone 13 cases have it all!
Photo: Journey

This post on leather iPhone 13 cases is brought to you by Journey.

With the holidays looming, great gift ideas are in high demand. Luckily, we have one. You probably have someone in your life who could use a premium leather iPhone 13 case that’s also MagSafe-compatible. Or maybe you could use one yourself. Either way, look no further than Journey’s iPhone Leather Case, offered at 30% off for Black Friday with the code BLACK30.

Become an Adobe guru with this pre-Black Friday bundle

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Get an awesome Design education for Black Friday prices.
Master the Adobe Creative Suite for one low price, on your own time schedule.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

For many lines of work, Adobe Creative Suite is the industry standard software. And if you plan to make your mark in a creative industry, you will likely be expected to have some degree of mastery of programs like Adobe’s Photoshop, After Effects and Illustrator, among others.

Ready to master the tools of the creative trades? You can get going with The Epic 2022 Adobe Creative Cloud Training Bundle. This extensive educational bundle normally costs $1,393, but you can grab it for just $19.97 during our Pre-Black Friday Doorbusters — no coupon needed.

iPod video launched just in time to save The Office

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iPod video launched just in time to save ‘The Office’
The iPod classic 5th Generation played a large role in the keeping The Office off the rubbish heap.
Photo: Cult of Mac

An accidental collaboration with Apple saved NBC sitcom The Office from cancellation during its second season.

A fifth-generation iPod took a starring role in an episode of the comedy series. Then, the unlikely cameo spurred sales of reruns of the show on iTunes. And the rest is history.

Belkin’s elusive 3-in-1 MagSafe charger is back in stock — and on sale!

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Belkin's elusive 3-in-1 MagSafe charger is back in stock -- and on sale!
This is a great deal on a hard-to-find charging station. Act fast if you want one!
Photo: Belkin

The only thing I don’t like about Belkin’s 3-in-1 MagSafe wireless charger is its name. And, until now, its availability and price.

Those last two problems just disappeared, however briefly, as the hard-to-find 15-watt MagSafe charger is back in stock on Belkin’s website — and with a sweet 25% Black Friday discount to boot! Just be sure to use the promo code when you check out.

$39 mod kit turns an iPhone XR into iPhone 13 with MagSafe support

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iPhone XR to iPhone 13 mod kit
The most affordable iPhone 13 upgrade.
Photo: Combo Fixing

Getting a little bored of your iPhone XR’s aging form factor? Make it look like an iPhone 13 and add MagSafe support with this $39.50 mod kit.

The kit includes a complete chassis and tools, so all you have to do is transfer the screen and internal components from your existing iPhone. The video below walks you through the process — and shows the impressive final result.

Apple mulls MacBook with pop-up keyboard

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Apple mulls MacBook with pop-up keyboard
This concept drawing gives a side view of the mechanism that could be used in a MacBook with a pop-up keyboard.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Suppose the keyboard of your MacBook rose up slightly and pivoted toward you when you opened the lid. That’s the idea described by a patent Apple was just awarded.

The concept has ergonomic benefits but also adds moving parts.

Apple will send threat alerts to users targeted by Pegasus spyware

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Apple threat alert for Pegasus spyware
You'll see the alert by text message, email, and on the Apple ID website.
Image: Apple

Apple says it will send threat alerts to customers who potentially targeted by the NSO Group’s controversial Pegasus spyware.

Cupertino on Tuesday announced that it is suing NSO Group over the tools the Israeli company develops and sells to governments to spy on iPhone owners. Apple’s alerts to affected iPhone users are another effort to prevent software like Pegasus from going unnoticed.

Wirelessly charge 3 Apple devices at once with this top-rated charger

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Grab this 3-in-1 wireless charger for less than $45 with this early Black Friday deal.
Declutter your space with this top-rated 3-in-1 wireless charger, now less than $45 for Black Friday.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Take a look around your desk right now. Or your nightstand. Or in your work bag. Doe you see a mess of wires? If so, this is your sign to treat yourself to a clear space — and a clear mind — with the stylish MagStack Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station with Floating Stand.

It looks a lot like Apple’s MagSafe Duo charger, only it does more and costs less. And now you can grab one (or more!) in an early Black Friday deal for just $44.99 each. That’s a 35% discount off the regular price of $69.

Apple chipmaker will start building iPhone’s custom 5G modems in 2023

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Apple 5G modem chip
Qualcomm is slowly but surely getting the boot.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Apple’s primary chip production partner, will start manufacturing custom 5G modem chips for iPhone in 2023, according to a new report, which cites four different sources familiar with the plan.

TSMC reportedly will build the chips using a 4-nanometer manufacturing process. The proprietary modems would allow Apple to reduce its reliability on rival chipmaker Qualcomm.

Apple delays iOS 15 feature letting you add a driver’s license to Wallet

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Apple said the iOS 15 feature allowing you to add a driver's license or state ID to Wallet is delayed until early 2022.
Apple said the iOS 15 feature allowing you to add a driver's license or state ID to Wallet is delayed until early 2022.
Photo: Apple

Apple noted on its website that a planned iOS 15 and watchOS 8 feature letting users add a driver’s license or state ID to an iPhone and Apple Watch in participating U.S. states is delayed until early 2022. Previously, the Cupertino tech giant pegged late 2021 for the launch.

This illustration software costs just $20 during our Pre-Black Friday Doorbusters sale 

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Grab this 5-star rated illustrator software for just $20.30 in the Pre-Black Friday Doorbusters sale.
Create complex illustrations easily with this highly rated design software, just $20.30 in our Pre-Black Friday Doorbusters sale.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Great design software can be pricey. But we found an incredible pre-Black Friday deal on a lifetime subscription to VectorStyler Professional Illustration Software. The highly rated illustration software allows you to create vector art and designs on both Mac and Windows.

Retailing for $95, it’s on sale for just $29 now. And you can take an extra 30% off that low price when you enter Pre-Black Friday Doorbusters code APPS30 at checkout. That drives the price down to $20.30. You’ll have to be quick though, as this deal is only available for a few days.

These earbuds check all the boxes for less than $100 [Review]

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EarFun's Free Pro 2 wireless ANC earbuds offer a comfortable fit and good sound at an affordable price point.
EarFun's Free Pro 2 wireless ANC earbuds offer a comfortable fit and good sound at an affordable price point.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

In my recent review of Earfun’s Air Pro 2 wireless active noise cancellation (ANC) earbuds, I said they packed good enough features — sound quality, active noise cancellation, comfortable fit —  to be worth their affordable price tag. With the new EarFun Free Pro 2 wireless ANC earbuds, that’s even more the case. Especially because the same high quality comes in an even smaller package.

Seiko WristMac, aka the ‘first Apple Watch,’ will look weird as hell on your wrist

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Here's your chance to have your very own Seiko WristMac, a piece of wearable tech history.
Here's your chance to have your very own Seiko WristMac, a piece of wearable tech history.
Photo: ComicConnect

An exceedingly rare wearable from 1988 called a “WristMac” is currently on auction at ComicConnect. Seiko and partner company Ex Machina made this ancestor of the smart watch, not Apple, but it could connect to a Macintosh and perform certain functions — and a version of it even did so on a Space Shuttle mission. It’s expected to fetch anywhere between $25,000 and $100,000.

We’ll have to see it if goes that high. Bidding started on Monday at $1. It stood Tuesday at $950 with 30 bids in. The auction runs through December 18.

Alogic’s new Thunderbolt 4 docks deliver max speed and connections

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Unlock the potential of your MacBook Pro with a blazing-fast Thunderbolt 4 dock.
Unlock the potential of your MacBook Pro with a blazing-fast Thunderbolt 4 dock.
Image: Alogic

This post on USB-C docks is brought to you by Alogic.

Not all USB-C hubs and docks are created equal. While all Type-C ports look virtually identical, the fact is that some are faster and more capable than others. If you want the best possible throughput, you need to seek out ones that support the latest standards — Thunderbolt 4/USB 4.

Buying the right USB-C dock or hub will let you get the most out of living the “one cable for everything” dream. And it will future-proof your setup (at least as much as is possible in the fast-paced computing world).

Apple sues maker of infamous Pegasus spyware that targets iPhones

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Pegasus spyware FAQ
Apple is going to court to block further development of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware.
Photo: NSO Group/Cult of Mac

Apple filed a lawsuit Tuesday against NSO Group, the company that makes Pegasus spyware used by some countries to hack into iPhones. Apple says the goal is to hold NSO Group “accountable for the surveillance and targeting of Apple users.”

NSO Group claims Pegasus is only used by governments to fight crime, but there are accusations that it’s being used it to hack the smartphones of activists, politicians, journalists and other individuals.

New Aqara G3 HomeKit smart cam doubles as Zigbee controller

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The new Aqara G3 is a 2K smart security camera and Zigbee controller.
The new Aqara G3 is a 2K smart security camera and Zigbee controller.
Photo: Aqara

Smart home equipment provider Aqara rolled out a new security camera that works as a Zigbee 3.0 home-automation hub while supporting HomeKit and HomeKit Secure Video. The new G3 camera features 2K resolution, the ability to pan and tilt, and facial and gesture recognition.

The new camera serves as an upgrade to Aquara Camera Hub G2H, adding 2K video recording and more.

Windows could come to M1 Macs with Qualcomm exclusivity ending ‘soon’

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Apple MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon running Windows
Apple would likely be open to the idea.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

A version of Windows built to run on Arm processors could eventually come to M1 Mac models, with Qualcomm’s current exclusivity deal with Microsoft “set to expire soon,” according to a new report.

The deal, which wasn’t public knowledge until this week, could explain why there are only a limited number of Windows devices powered by Arm chips — all made by Qualcomm — on the market today. But that’s set to change.

Get Black Friday pricing on a lifetime of elite web hosting

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Make your site your own with this black Friday deal.
Host, manage and customize your website(s) with iBrave.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’re creating a space online, then you need to figure out how you’re hosting it. Some web-hosting services will give you the bare minimum, which is setting yourself up for a lot of frustration and lost traffic.

Not so with iBrave Hosting. With a lifetime subscription to this all-inclusive web-hosting service, you can easily manage your website. And, during our Pre-Black Friday Doorbusters, hosting for one, 10 or unlimited sites costs just $17.49 (regularly $597), $34.99 (regularly $1,797) or $69.99 (regularly $2,997) respectively with coupon code APPS30.