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Use the Biscuit ceramic wireless charger forever? So they say.

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The ceramic Biscuit charger is designed to be upgraded.
The ceramic Biscuit charger is designed to be upgraded.
Photo: Charles Duffy

A Kickstarter campaign promises a new iPhone wireless charger with a zirconia ceramic body and interior mechanics designed for easy repairs and upgrades. That means it bucks the “planned obsolescence” trend and begs longterm — and even permanent — use. The product’s name? Biscuit.

Summertime vibes in the south of Sweden, M1-style [Setups]

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Not summering on the Baltic Sea shoreline in the south of Sweden, are you?
Not summering on the Baltic Sea shoreline in the south of Sweden, are you?
Photo: [email protected]

Redditor N3oPuff drew some attention on the social media platform with a setup photo that flaunts mind-blowing gear not so much as it does natural beauty. It definitely brings to mind the old real estate maxim: “location, location, location.” But an M1 Mac mini always helps.

In fact, it could be the perfect Setup for a summer Friday.

mini-LED display might add luster to next iPad mini. Or might not. [Updated]

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Gorgeous mini-LED display could add luster to next iPad mini
An iPad mini with a mini-LED screen seems appropriate.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The 2021 iPad mini will be Apple’s next tablet with a mini-LED display, according to information leaking from a component supplier. This type of screen looks better than the standard LCD used in many current iPads.

But an display industry expert claims there’s no truth to this report.

Even so, Apple allegedly won’t reserved the display tech for tablet much longer. mini-LED displays will also supposedly be used in upcoming MacBook Pro models.

High-flying Jetpack Joyride+ rockets onto Apple Arcade

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Jetpack Joyride+ debuted on Apple Arcade on Kuly 23
Pretend you got the jetpack you always wanted in Jetpack Joyride+ on Apple Arcade.
Photo: Halfbrick Studios

Jetpack Joyride+ launched on Apple Arcade Friday, allowing subscribers to play the classic game without the hassle of in-app purchases.

Strap on a jetpack and fly through an endless runner. Or ride a mechanical dragon or giant mech while wearing a crazy costume — the game offers all these modes.

This $90 bundle includes a top VPN and premium cloud storage for life

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Get this backup & security bundle for its lowest price
Keep your files and your Apple devices safe forever with this two-for-one subscription.
Photo: Pexels

If you’re like us, your iPhone, Mac and iPad are jammed with precious digital files that took years to collect, but can take just a moment to get hacked. To keep that from happening, you can avail yourself of the Lifetime Backup and Security Subscription Bundle.

It includes everything you need to ensure you always have a backup of all your files — and that your internet connection is safe and secure.

Get charged up for a look inside Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack

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MagSafe Battery Pack teardown: ChargerLAB tore into Apple's new MagSafe Battery Pack. Literally.
ChargerLAB tore into Apple's new MagSafe Battery Pack. Literally.
Photo: ChargerLAB

YouTube channel ChargerLAB got its hands on Apple’s new MagSafe Battery Pack and gave it the teardown treatment to see what secrets it contains.

The video, which you can check out below, shows off the magnetic battery pack’s dual-cell design. It looks like it essentially contains twin iPhone batteries — providing a total power output of 11.13Wh, based on two 3.82 volt batteries (7.62 volts combined).

In season 2, Ted Lasso settles into being the world’s most positive sitcom [Apple TV+ review]

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Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt and Nick Mohammed in Ted Lasso
Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt and Nick Mohammed survey the pitch.
Photo: Apple TV+

The big American heart in the body of the United Kingdom is beating again. Ted Lasso is back for another season of relentless positivity, and fans of the hit Apple TV+ comedy can rest easy. They know exactly what they’re getting.

The title character, played by Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis, returns for more unorthodox soccer coaching with his deep bench of homespun aphorisms intact. In short, if you liked the first season — and who didn’t? — you’ll enjoy this one as well.

Mini-LED MacBook Air likely to arrive in mid-2022

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MacBook Air M1 2020
Expect a fancy screen upgrade for the MacBook Air.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s new MacBook Air with 13.3-inch Mini-LED display will debut in mid-2022, says respected TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a new note to clients, seen by Cult of Mac.

Kuo had previously said that a MacBook Air with Mini-LED screen would arrive sometime next year. However, he had not narrowed this down to a particular time of the year. Kuo is one of the more accurate (although not infallible) Apple analysts/reporters. According to AppleTrack, he has an accuracy rating of 76.6%.

Bag a ‘grade A’ iPhone 12 mini refurb from just $579.99 today only

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iPhone 12 mini held up
By far the best small smartphone money can buy.
Photo: Apple

Treat yourself to one of Apple’s newest iPhone models at its lowest price yet. Woot is now offering “grade A” iPhone 12 mini refurbs from just $579.99 today only. They’re all unlocked and ready to use on any network.

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

AirPods 3 may debut in September at iPhone 13 event

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Apple has big plans for the AirPods lineup.
New AirPods will reportedly borrow the design of the AirPods Pro.
Photo: Omid Armin/Unsplash CC

Apple’s AirPods 3, the third iteration of its standard issue wireless earbuds, could make their debut in September alongside the iPhone, Digitimes reported Friday.

According to the report, the new AirPods — which are rumored to receive a redesign in line with the AirPods Pro, minus the active noise cancelling feature — will “remain price-friendly.” The current AirPods launched in March 2019 at $159 with standard charging case or $199 with wireless charging case.

eSign PDF lets you create and manage signatures, initials and documents for free

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Smallpdf's eSign PDF tool helps you sign and save documents.
The eSign PDF tool helps you sign and save documents.
Photo: Smallpdf

This PDF e-signing post is in collaboration with Smallpdf.

When you sign up to use Smallpdf’s eSign PDF tool, you can create signatures and initials, sign documents electronically, and invite other folks to sign them as well. It takes all the pain out of dealing with e-signatures.

It’s a crucial tool for working with PDF files, and it’s just one of many useful tools Smallpdf offers.

Ikea and Sonos turn wall art into a Symfonisk Wi-Fi speaker

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Ikea and Sonos cleverly disguised a Wi-Fi speaker in bland wall art.
Ikea and Sonos cleverly disguised a Wi-Fi speaker in bland wall art.
Photo: Ikea

Ikea and Sonos unveiled their latest collaboration recently — a Symfonisk Wi-Fi speaker embedded in a picture frame that blends into your home’s decor. But sorry, you won’t be slipping your oil painting of Steve Jobs in there. It’s not actually a picture frame.

Snag a brand-new 2020 iPad Pro and save up to $300

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2020-iPad-Pro
There's never a bad time to buy an iPad Pro.
Photo: Apple

Best Buy is now offering up to $300 off almost all 2020 iPad Pro models as it clears leftover inventory. You can bag 11-inch units with 256GB of storage for as little as $699.99, while 12.9-inch units start at $799.99.

Stock is limited and these discounts won’t last long, so enjoy them while you can.

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

PlayStation 5 owners can get 6 months of free Apple TV+

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PS5
Offer is open even if you've already paid for Apple TV+.
Photo: Sony

Sony is offering PlayStation 5 owners a free, six-month trial of Apple TV+. This comes one month after Apple reduced the one-year free Apple TV+ trial for people who buy a new Mac, iPad or iPhone down to three months only. The Sony deal is open even if you’re already paying for Apple TV+ on a monthly basis.

9 of the best multipurpose charging accessories

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These multipurpose chargers will power all your apple devices
Take your pick of these multipurpose chargers for your next trip.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Travelers and commuters alike know the importance of items that multitask. If you’re looking to pack light and get from point A to point B with ease, look no further than these multitasking charging accessories. Not only will you save space in your backpack or carry-on, you’ll probably find yourself doing more with less stuff (a welcome plus when you’re hitting the open road). Who could fault an extra little boost of productivity?

Save $183 on the pocket-size ViewSonic M1 Mini projector today only

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ViewSonic M1 Mini projector
Get yours for just $116.99 before they're all gone.
Photo: ViewSonic

Set up your own personal cinema anywhere with a whopping $183 off the pocket-size ViewSonic M1 Mini projector today only.

The M1 Mini has a built-in battery that runs for up to 2.5 hours as well as JBL speakers for stellar sound. It also has its own stand, so it’s easy to set up in almost any room. Get yours from Woot today for just $116.99.

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

FTC votes unanimously in favor of the right to repair

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iFixit iPhone 8
Apple may have to start making its products easier to repair.
Photo: iFixit

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted unanimously Wednesday to increase right to repair regulation stopping businesses from making it difficult for customers to fix their own products. Apple has repeatedly lobbied against right to repair laws around the world.

Back in May, the FTC published a report for Congress in which they listed some of the ways that companies (including Apple) make products tough to repair. These include gluing components together and restricting software and parts needed for carrying out maintenance. President Biden then recently signed an executive order asking the FTC to create new rules to bar these practices.

This appears to be the start of this ruling become more official.

TikTok Boom tells how video-sharing app blew up the App Store [Q&A]

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TikTok continues to dominate the App Store in 2020.
TikTok has dominated the App Store for over a year.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

TikTok is big. Almost unfathomably enormous, actually. The product of Chinese parent company ByteDance, the social media video-sharing app has remained a fixture at the top of the App Store charts for more than a year now — with no sign of it losing that position any time soon.

Journalist Chris Stokel-Walker is the author of a new book, titled TikTok Boom: China’s Dynamite App and the Superpower Race for Social Media. It launches today in Europe and worldwide, with a US launch coming September 30.

Stokel-Walker spoke with Cult of Mac about what makes TikTok, well, tick, the app’s face-off with Donald Trump, and why it’s no longer exclusively an app for teens to show off their dance moves.

Twitter may have found a way to make itself a bit more savage

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Twitter may have found a way to make itself a bit more savage
Twitter asked some iPhone users to test upvoting and downvoting replies to tweets, instead of just liking some.
Photo: Twitter

Twitter is running an experiment that lets iPhone users downvote a reply to a tweet. It tests allowing users to actively show that they disagree with a response to a post on the social-networking service.

Twitter is often a venue for people to angrily argue politics, sports, entertainment, etc. Giving people the ability to downvote each other isn’t likely to calm the storm.