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Apple Fitness+ adds SharePlay for motivation and ‘smack talk’

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SharePlay makes Apple Fitness+ workouts more personal by letting you communicate with friends in real time.
SharePlay makes Apple Fitness+ workouts more personal by letting you communicate with friends in real time.
Photo: Apple

Apple Fitness+ added group workouts and meditation sessions Monday, letting users communicate in real time with up to 32 other people. The new capability taps FaceTime’s new SharePlay feature, which works on iOS devices now and comes to macOS Monterey later this fall.

“It’s a really fun way to connect with friends and family, even trade some words of encouragement or friendly smack talk, while also making progress toward closing their rings,” said Jay Blahnik, Apple’s vice president of fitness technologies, in a press release.

macOS Monterey launches without some of its biggest features

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macOS Monterey brings powerful new features to Macs.
macOS Monterey brings powerful new features to Macs.
Photo: Apple

Mac users can now upgrade to macOS Monterey. This new version offers improvements to Safari and FaceTime, and new Focus mode. But two of its biggest features — Universal Control and SharePlay — won’t debut until later.

It’s free to download and install on all compatible computers.

Jazz up your decor with HomeKit-compatible Nanoleaf Lines smart lights

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Nanoleaf Lines smart lights can form various shapes.
Nanoleaf Lines smart lights can form various shapes.
Photo: Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf rolled out the latest in its catalog of modular, HomeKit-compatible LED smart-light panels. Following a parade of shaped-product releases — triangles, squares, hexagons — you can now buy Nanoleaf Lines for $200 and use them to make all sorts of lighted shapes. And you can sync them to action on a screen or to music.

Last chance! SwitchEasy Flash Sale: 30% off select iPhone 13 cases ends Monday

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This SwitchEasy iPhone 13 case features work by the artist Mondrian.
This SwitchEasy iPhone 13 case features work by the artist Mondrian.
Photo: SwitchEasy

Recently we featured a SwitchEasy sale on iPhone 11 cases, giving those who didn’t upgrade to iPhone 13 a reason to live (just kidding). Now a new SwitchEasy Flash Sale in the Cult of Mac Store is in effect — 30% off select iPhone 13 cases. But it ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time Monday, so act fast.

How to view conditions maps in the updated Weather app in iOS 15

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The image at far right shows the Precipitation map. You can see the stacked-squares icon on it at upper right.
The image at far right shows the Precipitation map. You can see the stacked-squares icon on it at upper right.
Photo: Apple

Among the cool updates iOS 15 brought in September is an upgraded Weather app with some interesting and useful features. One of those is a new Precipitation map that’ll show you exactly where it is, and will be, raining (or snowing or sleeting) in your area — or anywhere.

You can also view Temperature and Air Quality maps in the same way. We’ll show you how.

All blues: Sweet iMac finds itself in a cool-toned Satechi situation [Setups]

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A lovely blue iMac depends upon a raft of Satechi accessories.
A lovely blue iMac depends upon a raft of Satechi accessories.
Photo: [email protected]

Jazz great Miles Davis probably never imagined one of his classic song titles, “All Blues,” would end up in a headline about an M1 iMac-based computer setup. And it’s not every day you see a completely color-coordinated workstation that’s not just “Kind of Blue” (to drop another title), but drenched in blue hues.

These are strange times.

2021 MacBook Pro review roundup: Just what we hoped for

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2021 MacBook Pro review roundup: Just what we hoped for
The 2021 MacBook Pro draws praise, and just a bit of criticism, from reviewers.
Photo: Apple

The first reviews of the 2021 MacBook Pro just dropped, and they’re generally quite positive. There’s praise for the mini-LED display, the return of useful ports, and the sheer power of Apple’s new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.

However, some reviewers harbor mixed feelings about the screen notch. Here’s a summary of comments about the features.

This inexpensive Apple TV remote frees you from fiddly voice and touch controls

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Ditch your Siri Remote for this $30 Apple TV remote.
Skip unreliable Siri commands and get this button-tastic Apple TV remote.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Apple TVs are beautiful, and if you like the Siri remote, then they’re perfect. However, if you want a traditional remote that works seamlessly with your Apple TV, you want the Function101 Button Remote for Apple TV, available for just $29.95.

Function101 packed everything you’d expect from a traditional remote into its alternative Apple TV remote. Loaded with buttons, it’s made to smoothly navigate the Apple TV’s unique interface. Easy to use and easier to install, it gives you total control of your Apple TV in seconds — no voice or touch commands required.

Apple Watch Series 8 health sensors might include blood glucose monitoring

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The Blood Oxygen sensor employs LEDs, along with photodiodes on the back crystal of Apple Watch Series 6.
Blood glucose monitoring could be a major change in Apple Watch Series 8.
Photo: Apple

Rumors that Apple Watch 7 would include be able to sense the wearer’s blood glucose didn’t pan out. But Apple is reportedly collaborating with a pair of Asian companies to add non-invasive blood sugar monitoring to the 2022 model.

This would add to the already lengthy list of health-monitoring features available in Apple’s current wearable.

Drool-worthy M2 MacBook Air concept shows off super-slim design

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Drool-worthy M2 MacBook Air concept shows off super slim design
The 2022 MacBook Air could be the crazy slim macOS notebook many people have been hoping for.
Photo: Front Page Tech /Renders by Ian

A new series of renders based on rumors about the 2022 MacBook Air show just how slim it might be. And how it might borrow many of the features of the recently announced MacBook Pro.

The upcoming model reportedly will include an M2 processor, a MagSafe connector and a mini-LED display with a screen notch. But not the wedge design of previous MacBook Airs.

Get ready to turn hand drawings into vector graphics with Illustrator for iPad

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Get ready to turn hand drawings into vector graphics with Illustrator for iPad
Sketch a picture and turn it into a vector graphic with Vectorize, coming soon to Illustrator for iPad.
Screenshot: Adobe/Cult of Mac

Adobe shared a sneak peek of the new Vectorize feature coming to Illustrator on the iPad. It will let users turn any hand drawn sketch into a vector graphic.

The developer shared a video demonstrating the capabilities of the upcoming featuere. Watch it now.

This cable charges all your Apple devices at once — and it’s nearly half price

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This 4-in-1 Multi-Port & Apple Watch Charger is now 48% off.
This 4-in-1 cable is perfect for Apple fans.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you own more devices than you can count, this charging cable will change your life. Retail stores can charge anywhere from $15 to $50 for a single charging cord. If you’re tired picking and choosing which devices to charge first, grab a 4-in-1 Multi-Port and Apple Watch Charging Cable.

It’s 48% off, and it will simplify your charging life. For only $17.99, you can charge any phone, any Apple Watch, headphones, electronic reading devices and much more. Not individually, but all at once. All of your devices can finally get up to 100% charged before your day begins.

Share your memories, think creatively, and enjoy photography again [Awesome Apps of the Week]

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Awesome Apps of the week text in front of face down iPhone 12
With roughly 2 millions apps available in the App Store, sometimes all you need is something to tell you what’s good.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Whether you like great time-wasting games, want to experience the beautiful photography that was once popular on Instagram, or want to preserve your favorite memories in video, this week we have some awesome apps to check out.

Host unlimited websites for life for less than $100

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Host websites forever for less than $100.
Never pay for web hosting again with this complete service.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

No matter what business you’re in, in today’s world, you need a website. In fact, research shows that 75% of people judge the credibility of any business through its website. So how do you set up a successful one?

One of the best packages on the market right now is the iBrave Cloud Web Hosting Lifetime Subscription. And today, you can grab it for just $99.99 with $20 back in Cult of Mac Deals store credit. That’s a 96% discount off the regular price of $2,997.

The Touch Bar was doomed from the start. There was no escape.

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Was the Touch Bar out of touch with pro users needs?
Was the Touch Bar out of touch with pro users’ needs?
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

The MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar was a technological marvel in its day. It brought the magic of multi-touch to macOS and, with its stand-alone T1 chipset, it put ARM-based Apple Silicon inside the MacBook when the M1 chip was still just a twinkle in Cupertino’s eye.

There’s no doubt it was a clever piece of engineering, but it proved unpopular with pro users. Many missed the tactile feedback of the traditional Escape key and function keys.

Apple rejigged things last year, shrinking the Touch Bar to make room for a physical escape key, but it was too little too late. Many will be glad to see the Touch Bar go, but I’m gonna miss that little sliver of multi-touch magic at the top of my keyboard.

Foundation hurtles toward galactic war [Apple TV+ review]

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Foundation Apple TV+ review: Lee Pace and Laura Birn face a new challenge this week.
Lee Pace (right) and Laura Birn face a new challenge this week.
Photo: Apple TV+

This week on Foundation, Apple TV+’s space opera is on a collision course with destruction and death. And even if Salvor Hardin can stop the Anachreons, it might be too late to save Terminus.

The sci-fi series speeds toward its endgame this week, with all of its plot threads in free fall and war inevitable.

New MacBook Pros sound absolutely mind-boggling [The CultCast]

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The CultCast 515: We can't stop gushing about the new M1 Max MacBook Pros.
Apple's new chips sound truly astonishing.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple Unleashed event bug This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Erfon can’t stop gushing about the new MacBook Pros! (What a shocker.) Plus, he reveals what it felt like to get Sherlocked during Apple’s “Unleashed” event this week. (Spoiler alert: CultCloth sales shot through the roof!) And none of us can stop raving about the astonishing power of Apple’s new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Awesome new third-gen AirPods.
  • Underwhelming new HomePod mini colors.
  • And a surprising Siri-only Apple Music Voice Plan.

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.

Halloween-worthy Razer Zephyr face masks sell out in minutes at $99 each

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Peace, and may nontoxic respiration be with you.
Peace, and may nontoxic respiration be with you.
Photo: Razer

If you decided to walk down to the neighborhood supermarket wearing your new Razer Zephyr “wearable air purifier” and a lab coat, you might cause a major panic. Unless you did it on Halloween, maybe. That’s how “airborne toxic event” these badass things look.

They’d be a little scary even without the lab coat. “Breathe in the future with the Razer Zephyr,” says the company’s website, with seemingly unintentional menace.

The Morning Show serves up a fresh scandal [Apple TV+ review]

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The Morning Show review: Karen Pittman finally gets a chance to shine.
Karen Pittman finally gets a chance to shine.
Photo: Apple TV+

This week on The Morning Show, Cory throws everyone a curveball in his attempt to salvage Hannah’s reputation. Bradley, Daniel, Chip, Mia, Yanko, Stella and Laura all go into a panic.

And so, the Apple TV+ show about a morning news show enters crisis mode again. Is it too late to stop the train wreck? Or will Cory’s strategy work?

M1 Mac mini and gaming PC share massive screen real estate [Setups]

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Who says a Mac mini and a gaming PC can't get along just fine?
Who says a Mac mini and a gaming PC can't get along just fine?
Photo: [email protected]

Who says an M1 Mac mini and a revved-up gaming PC can’t get along? Macs aren’t known to excel at gaming, so it’s natural for many folks to keep a Mac alongside a tricked-out gaming rig. These days, it’s easy to switch back and forth, as we’ll see in today computer setup featuring a massive TV screen and a slightly more modest monitor.

Satechi adapter cleverly combines SSD storage compartment and USB-C hub

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Satechi USB-C Hybrid Multiport Adapter cleverly combines SSD storage compartment and USB-C hub
The Satechi USB-C Hybrid Multiport Adapter lets you add additional storage and peripherals to your Mac or iPad.
Photo: Satechi

Because you can never have too much storage or too many ports, the just-launched Satechi USB-C Hybrid Multiport Adapter includes an SSD storage compartment as well as four additional ports.

The multiuse Mac or iPad accessory launched Friday.

Get up to 75% off Windows 10 Pro genuine permanent activation — just $14

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Get a free upgrade to Windows 11 at CDKeylord.com.
Get the latest version of Windows for next to nothing!
Photo: Keysbuff

This software activation key sale post is presented by Keysbuff.

Software activation keys provider Keysbuff offers Cult of Mac readers great deals. You can get up to 75% off full prices in Keysbuff’s latest sale on Windows 10 and a long list other Microsoft software. Just use promo code COM at Keysbuff.com to get an extra 28% off already-low prices on keys for Windows 10 Pro Global, Microsoft Office 2019 Pro and others in the list below. You can purchase many products with lifetime licenses.

Truth Be Told season finale mostly satisfies [Apple TV+ review]

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Truth Be Told review: We finally get to the bottom of this season's crimes.
We finally get to the bottom of this season's crimes.
Photo: Apple TV+

The second season of Apple TV+’s first crime series ends with a series of reveals, reversals, betrayals and murders. Truth Be Told fully hit its stride this time out, and it’s been a pleasure spending time with podcaster Poppy Parnell’s family, real and adopted.

The season finale mostly satisfies — and leaves me hoping for more.