Cult of Mac

Woot is now offering even better prices on brand-new iPhone 11 Pro units. You can bag yours in midnight green or silver with up to 512GB of storage for as little as $769.99.

All devices unlocked and backed by a one-year Apple warranty. Claim yours before they’re all gone!

The European Union has warned Apple that regulators’ investigation into Apple Pay is going ahead. In an interview with Bloomberg News, EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said the Apple Pay case is “quite advanced” and “something that we’re pushing forward.”

Apple fellow Phil Schiller took the stand Monday in the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit and during testimony revealed the cost of the annual Worldwide Developers Conference: $50 million. He’s in charge of both WWDC and App Store so he brings unique insight to the ongoing court battle.

This is one of many details the long-standing Apple executive talked about on the stand.

Strapa is gearing up to refresh its entire Apple Watch band collection, which means the existing lineup of stellar leather straps will soon be discontinued. Bag yours before they disappear and enjoy 20% off the usual price through the Cult of Mac Store.

Made from only the finest Italian leather and available in a variety of styles and color options, Strapa bands are beautifully put together and will easily outlast the Apple Watch you wear them with.

In a brewing Apple vs. Apple battle, the iPhone-maker is reportedly working on Beats Studio Buds — a pair of in-ear wireless headphones with a lot in common with AirPods.

The odd circumstance comes because the company releases headphones under its own brand and also under the Beats brand.

With summer quickly approaching and streaming service subscriptions at an all-time high, there’s probably never been a better time to host your own outdoor cinema. With more exclusive movies premiering online than ever before, you don’t have to go to the theater to see the most cutting-edge releases.

Apple Music fans who are super-excited about the just-announced lossless audio option should be aware that it won’t work with AirPods or HomePod. Not even the $549 AirPods Max.

But Apple’s headphones and smart speaker do support Spatial Audio for songs mixed in Dolby Atmos, another new feature of Apple Music.

It’s only Monday, but Dutch videographer, designer and web production artist Dion Tavenier probably wins this week’s award for setup design. Cool, spare, architectural — get the Museum of Modern Setups on the phone!

If only there was such a museum. Or such an award.

Apple seeded to developers the first release candidates for iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6 on Monday. These are only small updates for these operating systems, and their timing may be controlled by the 2021 iPad Pro, which will reach customers on Friday.

Not to be left out, devs also got access to the initial release candidates for watchOS 7.5 and tvOS 14.6 on Monday.

Update: Shortly thereafter, Apple also seeded macOS Big Sur 11.4 RC to developers.

Apple may push back its first notebooks with beautiful mini-LED displays. Unconfirmed reports previously predicted 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook models with the new type of screen would arrive before the end of 2021, but a leak Monday indicates they won’t come until the following year.

At this point, it’s not clear if this means Apple won’t introduce new Mac notebooks until 2022, or if just the switch to mini-LED screens is on hold. Many are very much anticipating redesigned MacBooks powered with an Apple M2 chip.

Apple has debuted two new colorful, Pride-themed Apple Watch bands and new watch faces to coincide with International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.

Apple has been releasing Pride Edition Apple Watch bands on an annual basis dating back to 2016. The 2021 upgrades include the ultra-colorful Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop ($99) and a new Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop ($49).

Not interested in AirTag? Enjoy up to 20% off Tile trackers instead. The teeny-tiny Tile Mate can be yours for just $19.99 — $10 less than Apple’s tracker — while the wallet-friendly Tile Slim is down to $24.99.

That’s a sweet saving of $5 on both models. Or you can save $8.99 on a Tile Mate four-pack. Bag yours before the discounts disappear.

YouTuber Michaelangelo’s Tech has posted the first unboxing video for Apple’s new white Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro. The new keyboard accessory was unveiled alongside the 2021 iPad Pro, and has now started being delivered to customers.

Unsurprisingly, the Michaelangelo’s Tech channel notes that the white Magic Keyboard feels a whole lot like the previous-ten black Magic Keyboard to use. It certainly looks pretty darn nice, though.

Check out the unboxing video below.

Apple Music is going lossless — at no extra cost to subscribers. Apple revealed the free upgrade Monday, a day ahead of its rumored launch. The company said Apple Music will bring lossless audio to more than 75 million tracks starting in June so listeners can hear songs “the way the artists created them in the studio.”

In addition, Apple Music will add Spatial Audio support for songs mixed in Dolby Atmos. That means customers who own AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max and Beats headphones featuring an H1 or W1 chip — or using the built-in speakers in the newest iPhone, iPad and Mac — will be able to hear certain songs in the immersive format.

If you’re an Apple Watch fan on the go, this wireless keychain charger is a must-have for your keyring. It offers a quick, powerful and portable charge for your Apple Watch to keep it going anytime, anywhere.

And for a limited time, you can snag one wireless Apple Watch keychain charger for $19.99. Or you can get them as gifts for friends and family with a two-pack for $38.99 or a four-pack for $76.99.

Many parts of the world are starting to emerge from coronavirus lockdown, with stores opening up and social distancing measures relaxing. But don’t expect to take off your mask to go into an Apple Store — whatever local advice suggests. This seemingly goes for both customers and retail employees.

According to Bloomberg, Apple will keep masks and other safety provisions in place for its stores as the company continues to “evaluate health and safety” measures. This comes shortly after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said vaccinated individuals don’t need to wear a face mask in the majority of public settings.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati seized “tens of thousands of earbuds” that appear to be AirPods knockoffs. Three large shipments of “fake AirPods” from China were discovered, bound for an address in Dayton, Kentucky.

Each case had a declared value of $5,280, and contained 12,000 earbuds. Had they been legit AirPods, the total 36,000 units would have been valued at $7.16 million at retail price.

Apple is teasing a special announcement regarding Apple Music is “coming soon,” possibly referring to a new Apple Music HiFi lossless audio tier. And Apple believes it’s going to send shockwaves through the industry.

The “coming soon” tease can be seen in the Browse section of Apple Music. There is a short animation showing the Apple Music logo spinning around, getting closer and closer to the camera as it does, with multiple copies appearing as it does.

A message accompanying the video notes that users should, “Get ready – music is about to change forever.”

Space: the final frontier. And kinda sorta the theme of this week’s roundup of new and updated apps.

We’ve got an app that brings Star Trek, NASA and Tetris faces to Apple Watch. A free iOS game that will get arcade fans flashing back to Asteroids. And an audio app for women that blends erotica, meditation and ASMR for a trip deep into inner space.

I’m not sure how Godzilla and Kong fit into the space theme, but they crash onto the scene as well. (If only we had SpaceGodzilla.) Three … two … one …

People say smart homes are the future, and it becomes more and more true each year. In 2019, an estimated 27% of the U.S. population owned a smart home device, but that’s only the beginning for this growing trend. According to research, U.S. smart home sales are projected to reach “more than $47 billion by 2024, which would be approximately three times as much as the revenues in 2017.”

Remember Asteroids? Well, PewPew Live is like that arcade classic on steroids. (So… as-steroids?) Zoom through space and blow up everything in fast-paced action.

There hasn’t been a new game added to Apple Arcade in over a month, so if you’re looking for something fresh, take PewPew Live for a spin. And it’s free!

Some people think porting the Mac’s operating system to the iPad makes sense. We don’t. Find out why that would be a horrible nightmare in Cult of Mac Magazine‘s cover story this week.

Also, don’t miss our Q&A with Ian Zelbo, the 17-year-old New Yorker who’s been blasting out eye-catching concept art based on the latest Apple leaks. The high schooler behind RendersbyIan tells what gear he uses and reveals some of his rendering secrets in our Setups post.

Then, of course, you’ll want to check out Zelbo’s colorful MacBook Air renders and the rest of the week’s juiciest Apple news, rumors, how-tos and reviews.

If there are certain spots in your house with spotty Wi-Fi, you’re not just imagining it. Connections sometimes works less efficiently or not at all in certain corners of any dwelling. Don’t let crummy tech ruin a great music streaming session, or an important workday, anymore.

Cable clutter is the worst. It makes it difficult to organize the gadgets you rely on the most. Plus, it can take a while to individually sort out which cord you need for the device that’s low on battery. Not to mention, it doesn’t really help with creating an organized and clean desk space, which can help you stay more productive for longer periods of time.

This 3-in-1 Apple Watch & Lightning Charger Cable is a cord that can do it all. With it, you can simultaneously charge your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch — without struggling to find the right cord for each.

Former president Trump’s plan to create a National Garden of American Heroes has been cancelled by the Biden Administration. It would have created an open-air space with statues of a wide variety of Americans, including Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Trump created the garden by executive order, and President Biden completely cancelled it Friday with another executive order. No reason was given.

Original article from January 18, 2021

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is one of hundreds of people who’ll have a statue in the National Garden of American Heroes that President Trump ordered be created.

The list includes a wide variety of men and women from history, including politicians, generals, explorers, inventors, writers, actors and more.