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You can stream Mr. Corman now. Don’t. [Apple TV+ review]

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Mr. Corman review on Apple TV+: Debra Winger deserves better than what Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers.
Debra Winger deserves better than what Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers.
Photo: Apple TV+

With new Apple TV+ series Mr. Corman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt returns to our screens after a brief hiatus and well … I can’t say I was ready to have him back. A few more years in the deep freeze might have taught him no one’s interested in the foibles of a white man trying to navigate sexual politics in 2021.

iPhone Messages app will warn kids if they’re receiving a nude photo

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iPhone Messages app will warn parents if kids send, receive nude photos
Children and parents will be alerted by the Messages app of sexually explicit photos.
Photo: Apple

Apple will soon offer a new tool to protect children from sexual predators. The Messages application will be able to detect if an iPhone or iPad user gets or sends sexually explicit photos.

The process will use on-device machine learning so that Apple does not have access to the images.

Apple plans to scan iPhones and iCloud for child abuse imagery [Updated]

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Learn the financial lingo to get the most out of earnings call chatter.
Learn the financial lingo to get the most out of earnings call chatter.
Photo: Kevin Dooley/Flickr CC

Apple plans to scan photos stored on peoples’ iPhones and in their iCloud accounts for imagery suggesting child abuse, according to news reports Thursday. The effort might aid in law-enforcement investigations, but also could invite controversial access to user data by government agencies.

Apple’s update to its web page “Expanded Protections for Children” — see under the “CSAM Detection” subheading — appears to make the scanning plan official. CSAM stands for “child sexual abuse material.”

Prepare for an epic adventure in Baldo, coming soon to Apple Arcade

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Prepare for an epic adventure in ‘Baldo’ coming soon to Apple Arcade
Baldo: The Guardian Owls is an adventure game with a lot of influence from Studio Ghibli movies like Spirited Away.
Photo: NAPS team

Baldo: The Guardian Owls is a Zelda-like puzzle adventure that’ll soon be on Apple Arcade. Players explore an open world meeting quirky characters but also fighting ferocious foes.

And this is just one of nine games launching on Apple’s gaming service in the near future, like Super Leap Day.

AirPower makes a comeback in new video showing off working prototype

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AirPower appears in first video
The first time we've seen a working AirPower.
Photo: Giulio Zompetti

Remember AirPower? How could any of us forget it? Apple’s all-in-one charging solution may be long dead and buried, but the dream is alive. And we can’t help be fascinated by the product that was announced and never delivered.

If you share similar feelings, you might want to take a look at this short video that shows off a working AirPower prototype for the first time.

C2G’s new docking kits help turn a laptop into a desktop

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C2G's new docking station kits strive to simplify your work-from-home networking.
C2G's new docking station kits strive to simplify your work-from-home networking.
Photo: C2G

Many folks are working from home a lot, but setting up a proper computer workstation frustrates them. C2G wants to help make it easy with a bunch of new docking kits ready-made to solve connectivity woes, especially if you want your laptop to be more like a desktop computer.

Devs unhappy with App Store promos for scam slime apps costing $676 a year

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App Store scam slime apps
Don't be fooled by these pricey slime simulators.
Photo: App Store

App Store users and developers are unhappy with Apple’s decision to promote a number of scam ASMR apps this week.

Some, which are clearly designed to try to fool unwitting children into handing over their parents’ cash, come with incredibly expensive weekly subscriptions that end up costing as much as AU$676 a year.

Bag ‘grade A’ iPhone 12 mini, 12 Pro refurbs from just $574.99

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iPhone 12 Pro series include cameras tat support ProRAW
Bag yours before the sale ends!
Photo: Apple

Save up to $124 on an iPhone 12 mini or 12 Pro refurb for a limited time only. Woot is offering “grade A,” factory unlocked units from as little as $574.99. Various color options are available with up to 128GB of storage.

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

Apple rolls out new AirPods Pro beta with Conversation Boost

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AirPods get easier to find, make face-to face conversation better
Conversation Boost in iOS 15 lets AirPods enhance the audio in face-to-face communication.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple this week rolled out its second AirPods Pro beta, adding Conversation Boost for the first time. The new feature, designed for those with hearing impairments, can be used to amplify the voice of a person you’re talking to.

How to get a warning if you forget your Mac, iPad, etc.

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How to get a separation alert warning if you forget your iPhone, Mac, iPad, etc.
Here’s how to get a separation alert if you leave behind your Mac, iPhone or other Apple gear.
Image: Cult of Mac

With iOS 15, your iPhone can warn you if you’ve left your Mac at the office. Or in a hotel room, restaurant, plane… wherever. Separation alerts are one of the better features of Apple’s operating system upgrade.

It’s easy to set up these up. Here’s how.

Give your TV the wow factor with these smart LED backlights, now less than $10 

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This Smart TV LED backlight features 16 million colors & 8 custom scenes.
Give your TV a makeover with these smart voice-controlled backlights.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Sometimes a little goes a long way — and that goes for game-changing gadgets, too. One example? LED backlighting for your TV. It may look like something from a billionaire rapper’s episode of MTV Cribs, but you’d be surprised at how affordable the wow-factor effect actually is.

Tim Cook netted a cool $265 million from Apple in 2020

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Tim Cook earnings apple
Tim Cook is in 8th place on Bloomberg‘s list of highest paid CEOs and executives.
Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple CEO Tim Cook is one of the best paid U.S. executives according to a new report. He pulled in a whopping $265 million in 2020 from his salary, bonus, and stock awards.

But that’s chump change compared to what Elon Musk made.

Come from Away Broadway musical flies onto Apple TV+ on Sept. 10

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‘Come from Away’ Broadway musical flies onto Apple TV+ on Sept. 10
The Apple TV+ version of Come from Away includes an cast with members of the original and current Broadway productions.

The filmed version of the Tony-winning hit musical Come from Away will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on September 10. It will star a cast led by members of the Broadway show, and be directed by Christopher Ashley, who directed the original Broadway production.

Klipsch launches wireless ANC earphones with artificial intelligence

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Klipsch T5 II True Wireless ANC McLaren Edition are some racy earphones.
Klipsch T5 II True Wireless ANC McLaren Edition are some racy earphones.
Photo: Klipsch

Founded in 1946 and known for quality speakers, Klipsch celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Part of that blowout features the launch of two new sets of earphones offering not only active noise cancellation (ANC) but artificial intelligence (AI)-based gestures and a new sound-enhancement system.

Not every setup has 69 pieces of gear in it [Setups]

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Thad K's setup features 69 different pieces of gear.
Thad K's setup features 69 different pieces of gear.
Photo: Thad K

Thad K, a 63-year-old project lead and analyst for a U.S. Department of Energy contractor for the past 37 years, recently won an Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 Bluetooth speaker from Cult of Mac. The little speaker had no idea what a legion of tech equipment it was about to join — 69 pieces of gear in Stockton, California.