Best of all worlds? A powerful Mac and PC combo crushes work, gaming and podcasting. Photo: Liquidsama@Reddit
Redditor Liquidsama’s setup is popular on the social media app not just for the adorable Pac-Man Ghost Light in the corner (see photos), but for its awesome computing power for work and play.
The LED ghost light phases through nine colors and reacts to music, by the way — which is neat — but the real draw here is a bulked-up Mac Pro for IT work and a heavily modded PC for gaming. Not to mention a great audio rig for podcasting.
Apple funded 17 Green Bond projects last year, which will ultimately help avoid an average of 921,000 metric tons of carbon emissions being pumped into the environment each year. That’s the equivalent of removing nearly 200,000 cars from the road, Apple says.
In an update on its planned $4.7 billion Green Bond spend, Apple notes that its new projects will generate a massive 1.2 gigawatts of renewable energy globally.
OK, so that’s overstating things a little bit, but Justin Long — the actor still instantly recognizable for playing a Mac in a long-running series of Apple commercials — is now advertising Intel. And taking shots at Apple.
Time marches on. So do March events. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple’s next product launch will take place in April, not March, a soon-to-be-eyebrowless Jon Prosser claimed Wednesday. Prodigious leaker Prosser had been so sure of his predicted date of March 23 for Apple’s next event that he wagered the integrity of his own facial hair on it. Now he’s admitting defeat.
“The event is in April,” Prosser tweeted. In a follow-up, he suggested that Apple had not previous hosted an April event, so “I get it if you’re skeptical. But here we are.”
4Sync Premium is the perfect haven for all your important files. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Our devices are fragile things considering all the precious files they contain. All it takes is one solid drop of your phone or one spilled glass of water next to your laptop for you to lose any number of significant work files, irreplaceable photos, hard-to-find music files and more. Thankfully, this 4Sync Premium Cloud Storage can help. The cloud-based storage solution is the perfect place for you to stow your documents, music, photos and more — and you can get a one-year subscription for $49.99.
Counterfeit AirPods Pro seem particularly in-demand online. Photo: Apple
Apple employs a “dedicated team of experts” who work with law enforcement, social media companies and e-commerce sites to remove counterfeit products from sale, the company says.
“The safety of our customers is our first priority, and the risks associated with counterfeit products can be very serious,” an Apple spokesperson told Bloomberg. “… In the last year we have sought the removal of over 1 million listings for counterfeit and fake Apple products from online marketplaces, including Facebook and Instagram.”
Law could mean mandatory filters in Utah. Photo: PornHub
Conservative lawmakers in Utah want to put a legally mandated default block on pornography on all phones and tablets sold in the state.
They have previously referred to porn as a “public health crisis.” However, the main focus of the would-be legislation would supposedly be to stop kids from accessing adult material online. Adults would be able to turn off the filter should they so wish.
Take your own trip into Apple TV+’s Servant with the free Escape the Attic game. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Survive the Attic is a new web-based game that takes players into the bizarre home that’s the setting of Servant on Apple TV+. There are 10 puzzles for fans of the show to solve, and easter eggs to discover.
The mastermind of last summer’s Twitter hack will be incarcerated for years. Photo: Suzy Hazelwood/Pexels CC
A Tampa teenager who hacked the Twitter accounts of Apple and many other companies and celebrities agreed to a plea agreement that puts him in a juvenile facility for three years.
A quick search in Apple Maps displays nearby COVID-19 vaccine sites on a map. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
An update to Apple Maps adds COVID-19 vaccination locations. Users can find nearby businesses and organizations providing the life-saving injections from the Search bar in Apple Maps by selecting COVID-19 Vaccines in the Find Nearby menu.
Microsoft Excel is one of the most common tools in any industry. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
These days, most companies are drowning in massive amounts of data — and they’re looking for people who know how to demystify and manipulate it to drive deep business insights. In this environment, knowing how to use Microsoft Excel is essential. In fact, it’s required for 82% of “middle skill” positions.
But if you want to truly stand out for promotions and senior roles, you need to master the more-advanced Excel functions, like VLOOKUP, macros, PivotTables and more. And you can get the skills you need on the cheap with this All-in-One Microsoft Excel Certification Training Bundle.
Apple integrates information from Wikipedia into macOS, iOS, Siri… you name it. Graphic: Cult of Mac
Wikipedia reportedly asked the tech companies that use its free encyclopedia to start chipping in on the cost. That includes Apple, who built Wikipedia into macOS and iOS.
They don’t sell well — at least not well enough to keep Apple interested, apparently — and it’s not fair to consumers who shell out big bucks, then get stuck with a product that vanishes after just one generation.
Yes, Apple says it will continue to support the full-size HomePod with software updates, even as it refocuses on the $99 HomePod mini. But the old-school HomePod is a dead-end product.
You can read the HomePod debacle as an admission of failure regarding Apple’s framing of the device as a smart speaker rather than high-end audio gear. But it’s more than that. It’s an illustration of Apple’s faltering strategy of creating premium products for niche corners of the market.
iPhone loyalty is strong. The same can‘t be said for users of Samsung handsets. Graphic: Cult of Mac
Apple users are more likely than ever to buy a new iPhone, according to survey results released Tuesday. Nearly 92% of current iOS users intend to stick with the platform.
But the situation isn’t so rosy for archrival Samsung, as 26% of Galaxy smartphone users plan to switch to another platform. And most of these switchers have their eye on an iPhone.
Bucardo’s brilliant Pocket Watch accessory for Apple Watch could be coming to the latest models — with your help. The company just kicked off a new Kickstarter campaign that will support the development and production of the Pocket Watch for Apple Watch Series 4 and later.
Pledge your support today to help get the project off the ground.
Group FaceTime is great. Until it really isn't. Photo: Apple
Multiple FaceTime users have reported being overwhelmed with spam or prank group FaceTime calls, in which individuals are called by large numbers of spammers. When a person hangs up, a different number immediately calls them back.
Some users report this behavior being repeated over and over.
Its ultra-compact design with foldable plug means you can take it anywhere, while its 20W of power delivery will have your favorite devices topped up in no time. Get yours on Amazon today for under $8.
Signal app offers strong encryption. Photo: Signal
End-to-end-encrypted messaging app Signal is secure. So secure, in fact, that it’s the European Union’s encrypted messaging app of choice.
Unfortunately, it’s also secure enough that it’s gotten on the wrong side of the Chinese government. China has reportedly banned the app in mainland China as of March 16, TechCrunch reports. This is one day after its website was blocked in the country.
Apple is making it tougher for apps to track users. Graphic: Apple
China’s state-backed China Advertising Association is already looking for ways to get around Apple’s upcoming App Tracking Transparency feature, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.
The organization’s approach reportedly involves something called a “CAID.” This can supposedly act as an alternative means of tracking users to the iPhone’s ad identifier, or IDFA. TikTok parent company ByteDance issued a guide for app developers that describes how marketers “can use CAID as a substitute if the user’s IDFA is unavailable.”
With the Kensington StudioDock, an iPad tablet becomes an outstanding desktop with multiple ports and wireless chargers. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Imagine an iMac with an iPad for its screen and you’ve got the Kensington StudioDock. Slip your tablet into the docking station and it’s elevated to eye level, plus you have access to an extensive collection of built-in ports. The stand can even wirelessly charge your other Apple devices.
Read on to explore all the reasons why this is the best iPad desktop stand ever made.
Apple devices sold in Russia will come preinstalled with Russian-made software approved by the government starting next month, a report published Tuesday suggests.
This is in response to a law, coming into force April 1, designed to promote the domestic tech sector. It affects all smartphone manufacturers, not just Apple.
It seems Apple plans to release stand-alone iOS/iPadOS security updates. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple is apparently preparing to release iPhone security updates separately from iOS updates with feature changes. The just-released fourth beta of iOS 14.5 gives users a new, separate toggle to choose whether to automatically install security updates.
However, at this point this feature doesn’t work quite as many might expect.
Wax nostalgic for the 1984 Macintosh with a set of iOS icons and wallpapers inspired by Steve Jobs’ pet project. Photo: Ben Vessey
Take your iPhone back to Apple’s roots with a set of replacement iOS icons inspired by early Macintosh computers. Keep the links to your 2021 applications on your iPhone, but sub in icons that have the look of the first Mac’s 72 dpi screen thanks to the iOS (Old School) collection from designer Ben Vessey.
Get ready to make music like a pro. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you have an ear for music, and want to start writing and producing your own songs, you need to learn the appropriate techniques and tools to get started. The Complete Ableton Live 11 Music Production Essentials Bundle will fast-track your understanding of music production.
It offers 11 of hours of training that will get you up and running on popular music-production software Ableton Live. It also includes instruction on fundamentals like music theory, songwriting and more.
Snag yours before they sell out! Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Woot’s crazy deal on AirPods Pro is back, offering $59.01 off brand-new AirPods Pro. Bag yours for just $189.99 — one of the lowest prices we’ve seen on new units — before the sale ends later today.