At Apple’s “Unleashed” event Monday, the company unveiled a pair of new “pro” Apple Silicon chips: the M1 Pro and M1 Max processors.

The two new chips were described by Apple executives as “breakthrough” and “groundbreaking.” The M1 Max “is by far the most powerful chip we’ve ever built,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, during the “Unleashed” presentation.

At first glance, they appear to be a pair of wicked-fast but battery-sipping beasts that blow Intel out of the water.

The lengthy wait for a major MacBook Pro refresh is over, and boy, was it worth it. Apple’s newest flagship notebook, unveiled Monday during the company’s big “Unleashed” event, features edge-to-edge Liquid Retina displays, insane M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets, and all-new designs that bring back some important ports and features — including MagSafe charging.

The 2021 MacBook Pro lineup also bids farewell to the controversial Touch Bar, replacing it with a slightly revamped Magic Keyboard that goes back to physical keys (now full-size) for the function row. You can order yours today, with prices starting at $1,999.

Apple used part of its “Unleashed” event on Monday to announce a major refresh of it signature earbuds. The new AirPods 3 feature spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and dynamic head tracking and come with a redesign that makes them look more like AirPods Pro (although without the silicone ear tips).

They won’t be Cupertino’s entry-level earbuds, though, as the company said AirPods 2 will remain in the lineup.

Apple Music is now more affordable for those who agree not to use buttons. A new “Voice Plan,” unveiled Monday during Apple’s big “Unleashed” event, lets you access the entire Apple Music catalog using only your voice for just $4.99 a month.

That’s half the price of a regular Apple Music subscription — and it might just be ideal for HomePod users.

If you decided not to upgrade to the latest iPhone, you can still enjoy certain perks in life. When you have an older model, the accessories often drop in price after a new model arrives. Right now the Cult of Mac Store offers a flash sale in which all SwitchEasy iPhone 11 cases are just $8.99.

And it’s not just iPhone 11 cases. For the same low price, you can grab a nifty little wall charger and a sleek glass screen protector (see below).

When you see people online showing off their computer setups with dual displays, you often see side-by-side horizontal monitors (landscape mode). Sometimes you see a horizontal screen and a vertical one (portrait mode). And sometimes you see stacked displays, with one landscape-oriented monitor mounted on top of another.

Sometimes you see the stack because of space issues, where there’s simply no room to either side of the setup. Other times you see a stack when someone wants to run four or five displays. And there are cases where the user couldn’t get one monitor to work in portrait mode, so they had to have both screens in landscape mode.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic spurred people to buy essential items in bulk, savvy shoppers always knew that buying items wholesale is definitely the best way to get the most bang for your buck. This Sam’s Club membership gives you exclusive access to premium groceries and goods for less than $20 for a whole year of access. And for a limited time, when you sign up, you’ll get a free rotisserie chicken and cupcakes (so consider your next meal accounted for).

Apple will finally ditch the MacBook Pro’s controversial Touch Bar and replace it with a row of full-size function keys when it unveils its big refresh later today, according to a new report based on leaked schematics for the new device.

Apple first brought the Touch Bar to MacBook Pro in 2016, and despite it being a neat idea, it never really took off among power users or app developers. It seems most MacBook Pro owners try their best to ignore its existence.

New Apple “M1 Max” and “M1 Pro” chips have appeared for the first time ahead of today’s big “Unleashed” event, which is expected to bring big Mac upgrades. It’s not yet clear if these will be their final names, however.

Recent rumors suggested at least one of Apple’s next-generation chips, expected to debut inside a new MacBook Pro and possibly other machines that Apple will announce later today, will go by the name “M1X.”

Apple’s “Unleashed” event on Monday is likely to bring what Mac fans have been eagerly anticipating for over a year: redesigned MacBook Pro models with upgraded displays and the return of traditional ports. But that’s just the start. We could see the debut of two more models, all powered by a new Apple M-series processor.

Here are the computers that leaks and rumors say are coming. But we could always be surprised. Again.

People around the world are receiving their new Apple Watch Series 7, and every single one of them includes a band whether the buyer wants it or not. Over successive versions, many Watch wearers have built a collection of bands and don’t need another. But Apple doesn’t give them a choice when it comes to buying a new Watch.

At a time when Apple says it’s trying to fight waste, it really should offer the Apple Watch without requiring a new band.

A charging cable with multiple connectors is one of the most useful things you’ll ever own. So, your future self will thank you for grabbing this 3-in-1 Apple Watch, AirPods and iPhone charging cable, which is on sale today for just $24.99, a 28% discount off its regular price of $34.

Plus, if you’re not married to basic white, you can save even more. The charging cable is available in a range of colorful designs for just $14.99.

Writing is hard, but there are some great writing tools out there to make it easier. Rytr is an AI writing tool that can help you write quality copy using artificial intelligence that can be programmed for any tone or format — and right now it’s on sale for $75.

I’ve always had an iPad mini around the house, ever since the first generation. And I’ve always treated it very differently than any other iPad.

With the all-new sixth-gen iPad mini, Apple modernized and pushed the tiny tablet forward in a number of ways. But even in following the design trend of the iPad Pro and iPad Air before it, that doesn’t make it any less niche. And that’s part of what makes it so great.

Apple TV+’s big, shiny space show hits its first set-piece battle this week, but more exciting things are happening in solitude. Foundation hits its stride — and the direction its drama takes proves confident and exciting.

Can the sci-fi show based on Isaac Asimov’s classic continue its upward trajectory toward greatness?

In 2021, Amazon drop-shipping is one of the most popular ways to make money with nothing more than an internet connection. Successful drop shippers reportedly make anywhere between $1,000 and $50,000 a month using the business strategy.

Want in on the action? You can learn how to get started — and become successful — with the 2021 Complete Amazon Dropshipping and Private Label Master Class Bundle, which is on sale this week for just $20. With 11 top-rated courses included, that works out to less than $2 a course.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Finally! Here come the M1X Macs! We talk our predictions for Monday’s “Unleashed” Apple event!

Also on The CultCast:

• A rumor says Apple is prepping a Nintendo Switch-like gaming console.
• We reveal our favorite new(ish) shows on an all-new What We’re Into!
• And in our weekly giveaway, we’ve got a five-piece iPhone 13 bundle from Smartish.

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.

Puppy Place, the latest kids show to land on Apple TV+, is a parade of adorable dogs and teachable moments, designed to deliver lessons about personal responsibility and social issues.

Will it become a hit with either kids or the parents looking over their shoulders? In case Instagram goes down again and you need dogs in a hurry, here’s your show.

In The Velvet Underground, the coolest band of the ’60s finally gets the biodoc treatment from a director who engaged with the group’s legacy throughout his career. Todd Haynes and Apple TV+ finally bring you the story of The Velvet Underground, the band that created punk rock and broke rock ‘n’ roll.

Zagg brought its whole new range of protective screens and cases for new Apple devices to the Pepcom Holiday Spectacular virtual press briefing Thursday. The company rolled out screen protectors for Apple Watch Series 7, iPad mini (6th gen) and the iPhone 13 series, along with a range of cases for the latter.

New details have emerged about the upcoming Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition ahead of its official debut. One leak hints at big visual enhancements for all three games, including “brilliant new lighting and environmental upgrades” — and high-resolution textures.

For those who plan to play the trilogy on PC, the leak also offers an early look at the trilogy’s minimum and recommended system requirements.

We see a lot of impressive computer setups in slick home offices here at Cult of Mac Setups HQ, but few of them are nicer than one we just came across. As usual, we’ll share the gear list, below, as well as some of the tricks you can emulate to improve your own home workspace.

This week on The Morning Show, Maggie Brener’s book is about to come out. Alex is having a panic attack. Chip is having a crisis of confidence. Cory’s on the attack. And Bradley’s having the time of her life.

Apple TV+’s showbiz show juggles tones and sympathies — and drops several of the balls along the way. Things gets good, and then bad, and then good again. It’s time for The Morning Show writers to make some hard choices about which direction to head. Well … it was time weeks ago, but now will do just fine.

Users setting up brand-new Apple Watch Series 7 units today report a number of strange glitches with third-party apps. In addition to missing app icons, many see problems rendering complications, the tiny widgets that surface info from various apps on the watch face.

It seems the glitches may be related to the App Store. Apple has not yet publicly acknowledged the problem, and there is apparently nothing users can to do set things straight.

We all spend a lot of time typing these days, whether that’s on a phone, tablet or laptop. But there’s something special about taking notes by hand that merely tapping out text can’t capture. This SyncPen 2nd Generation Smart Pen with Notebook takes your doodles, scribbles and formulas and turns them into editable digital text that you can easily access later — it’s the best of both worlds.