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mophie Juice Pack battery case keeps iPhone 16 going and going

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mophie Juice Pack battery case keeps iPhone 16 going and going
iPhone 16 users can now get a combination case and power bank from mophie.
Photo: mophie

The new mophie Juice Pack specifically for the iPhone 16 series merges a power bank into a form-fitting protective case. Put Apple’s latest handsets in the case to greatly extend the battery life and add 6 feet of drop protection.

External magnets allow the case to attach to other MagSafe/Qi2 accessories, like car mounts.

M4 Pro and Max benchmarks show M2 Ultra who’s boss

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M4 Pro and Max benchmark results
Benchark results suggest you don't need to spend a fortune to get blazing-fast speeds.
Photo: OpenAI/ChatGPT

Early Geekbench 6 benchmarks show Apple’s new M4 Pro and M4 Max chips deliver major performance improvements for Macs. Most surprisingly, the M4 Pro chip outperforms even the previously top-tier M2 Ultra chip in multi-core performance, despite having fewer CPU cores. And the higher-end M4 Max proves even more impressive, of course.

So if you’re on the fence about upgrading to a Mac with either of these chips, these results should encourage you.

Cool teleprompter boosts MacBook Pro user’s Zoom calls [Setups]

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teleprompter setup
Reading from a teleprompter helps this user maintain eye contact on Zoom calls.
Photo: [email protected]

Many computer setups feature advanced camera and lighting arrangements for tasks like video streaming, but not every day do we see home rigs with teleprompters in them. Today’s MacBook Pro is an exception. The user runs a teleprompter setup with a specialized monitor and key lights. So is the user a remote correspondent on some news show? Nope, he uses the teleprompter outfit just for Zoom meetings, actually.

Apple pours an additional $1.1 billion into satellite messaging

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Globalstar satellites
iPhone satellite messaging requires satellites.
Photo: Globalstar

Apple pays Globalstar to provide the satellites needed for the iPhone’s Messages via satellite service, and an updated agreement between the two companies includes a $1.1 billion payment for the infrastructure.

Clearly, this is an iPhone feature that’ll be available for years to come.

Today in Apple history: Time crowns iPhone ‘invention of the year’

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TIMEcover
The iPhone was immediately recognized as a breakthrough device.
Photo: Time

November 1: Today in Apple history: Time magazine crowns the iPhone 2007's 'invention of the year' November 1, 2007: Six months after Steve Jobs showed it off, the original iPhone becomes Time magazine’s “best invention of the year.”

The iPhone stands out from the rest of 2007’s gadget pack, which includes the Nikon Coolpix S51c digital camera, the Netgear SPH200W Wi-Fi Phone and the Samsung P2 music player. Remember those? (Yeah, we thought not.)

iPhone 17 could use Apple’s new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip

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iPhone 17 leaks, specs and price
We got an early look at the specs for iPhone 17 Slim.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple might switch to in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips starting with next year’s iPhone 17. The company plans to fully transition to its custom Wi-Fi chips within three years after that.

Broadcom currently supplies Apple with more than 300 million Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules yearly for its products.

iOS 18.1 is a smash hit, thanks to Apple Intelligence

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iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1 and Apple Intelligence are almost here
Apple Intelligence ... you know you want it!
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

In an indication that iPhone users are eager to try out Apple Intelligence, the iOS 18.1 install rate is twice as high as iOS 17.1 was a year ago, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The AI features in iOS 18.1 provide a big impetus for people to update their iPhones, Cook said Thursday during a quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts.

Strong iPhone sales return Apple to record revenue [Updated]

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AI image of an apple logo floating on a sea of cash
Apple continues to crank out cash.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

Apple on Thursday announced record total revenue for the September 2024 quarter. The Mac-maker took in $94.9 billion, a 6% increase over the same quarter a year ago. Much of the increase can be pegged to sales of the iPhone, by far Apple’s largest product. Revenue from iOS devices grew 6%.

“Our record business performance during the September quarter drove nearly $27 billion in operating cash flow, allowing us to return over $29 billion to our shareholders,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO, in a statement. Apple’s board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.25 per share of Apple common stock.

Are you wasting time applying for tech industry ‘ghost jobs?’

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Ghost jobs
Boo! Try not to apply for a job that doesn't exist.
Photo: OpenAI/ChatGPT

“Ghost jobs,” or job postings for positions that aren’t actually open, have become a widespread concern in today’s job market, particularly for recently laid-off workers in industries like technology, according to a scary new report (that just happens to fall on Halloween, bwah ha ha). And, no joke, it likens the phenomenon of ghost listings to “psychological warfare.”

4 reasons why another 27-inch iMac is unlikely

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Another 27-inch iMac is unlikely
Apple isn’t likely to make another 27-inch iMac. Sorry.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Monday’s launch of a 24-inch iMac renewed calls for a 27-inch version. While this is a product Apple made before, there are multiple reasons why it hasn’t come back and almost certainly isn’t going to.

I’m not arguing that an extra-large all-in-one desktop is a bad device, but it does have at least one serious drawback. And it’s also apparently weak in a critical area. Plus there’s one more reason that’s hard to argue with.

Hacks and jokes ‘fix’ M4 Mac mini’s odd power-button placement

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A photo of the back of an M4 Mac mini, with the words,
The weird placement of the M4 Mac mini's power button is fueling "Buttongate."
Image: Cult of Mac

Right after Apple unveiled the redesigned M4 Mac mini on Tuesday, people noticed the power button’s odd placement — on the bottom of the tiny but potent machine! The design provides precious little room for a fleshy finger to reach without tipping the whole computer to get at it. Since then, a variety of “fixes” have poked fun at this perceived error, which is most likely a very intentional Apple design choice.

Check out some of the best “Buttongate” fixes below.

Wall Street thinks Apple is doing great

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Apple Financial Results predictions
Analysts predict Apple had another quarter of solid revenue growth.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Wall Street analysts think the financial results Apple will announce Thursday will include record revenue for the quarter. They also expect year-over-year growth in iPhone revenue.

Their optimism helps explain the AAPL share price, which is high enough to make the Mac-maker the world’s most valuable publicly traded company.

Today in Apple history: iTunes video takes world by storm

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Kanye West
Artists like Kanye West helped drive music video downloads past 1 million in less than 20 days.
Photo: Rodrigo Ferrari/Flickr CC

October 31: Today in Apple history: iTunes video takes world by storm October 31, 2005: Less than three weeks after launching video downloads with iTunes 6, Apple reveals that it has already sold more than 1 million music videos.

Apple’s dive into the online digital video market — with 2,000 music videos, Pixar short films and a selection of hit TV shows for $1.99 — looks like the logical next step after selling individual songs on iTunes. Passing the 1 million download benchmark so quickly suggests the plan is a roaring success.

Host your WordPress site for life with one low payment

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Man running the HostVerge affordable WordPress hosting app on his computer.
Get a lifetime subscription to Hostverge WPHoster on sale for just $39.99.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Running a WordPress site comes with a lot to manage — security, performance and subscription fees that can pile up fast. An affordable WordPress hosting deal like this lifetime Hostverge WPHoster package means you make a single payment, freeing you from the constant cycle of monthly fees.

It’s a setup designed for people who want their site to run smoothly without all the extra hassle. Plus, it’s on sale for just $39.99 (regularly $99).

Apple Vision Pro to launch in South Korea and UAE this November

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Image of a white man in a black button-down shirt and a tall plume of hair wearing a Vision Pro with the ANNAPRO Comfort Strap
Vision Pro availability will soon expand to a dozen countries.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple is expanding Vision Pro’s availability to more countries. The company announced on Thursday that its spatial computing headset will launch in South Korea and the United Arab Emirates on November 15.

Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of marketing, said in a post on X, “Apple Vision Pro is coming to South Korea and the United Arab Emirates on November 15! We’re excited that customers in a dozen countries and regions will get to immerse themselves in the world of spatial computing!”

Clever videos personify powerful new M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini

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M4 promotional videos
The video suggest the new M4 chips will wow us in many ways.
Photo: Apple

With the release this week of new M4 Mac mini and M4 MacBook Pro computers comes a return to form for Apple advertising, with delightful M4 promotional videos that give the new hardware relatable human characteristics. They’re fun to watch, and you can do so below.

Tuesday’s animated video turns Mac mini into an affable yet capable and hyper-productive guy you might want to get a beer with. Wednesday’s MacBook Pro video depicts a power lifter-turned-showman flaunting effortless feats of strength, not to mention acrobatic prowess and grace.

Wahlberg takes The Family Plan to Europe in action-comedy sequel

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The Family Plan sequel
Looks like the Morgans are heading to Europe for the holidays.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple Original Films revealed Wednesday it plans a sequel to streaming hit action-comedy The Family Plan with the principal cast returning, including Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan. This time the Morgan family goes across the pond for a “holiday-themed European adventure,” no doubt with plenty of festive, old-world gunfire.

Apple said the Apple Original’s first outing dominated viewing charts on Apple TV+. It didn’t rate highly with critics, however.

Shocker! Apple doubles RAM in M2 and M3 MacBook Air

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MacBook Air Price
Twice as much RAM, same price.
Image: Apple

Apple on Wednesday increased the RAM in the base model M2 and M3 MacBook Air from 8GB to 16GB. And the enhancement comes without a price increase.

Seems like Apple’s days of being stingy with RAM are over. The Apple store no longer sells a Mac with only 8GB.

M4 MacBook Pros deliver big performance and battery life gains

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The new MacBook Pro is transformed with Apple Intelligence, the blazing performance of the M4 family, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, an all-new nano-texture display option, and more.
Aside from powerful M4-series chips, the new MacBook Pros feature a 12MP Center Stage camera, a nano-texture display option and other upgrades.
Photo: Apple

Apple took the wraps off M4-powered MacBook Pros on Wednesday. While the new laptops sport the same design as their predecessors, they deliver faster performance and a staggering 24 hours of battery life, the company said in a press release announcing the M4 MacBook Pro launch.

“MacBook Pro is an incredibly powerful tool that millions of people use to do their life’s best work, and today we’re making it even better,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering.

M4 Pro and Max chips supercharge new MacBook Pro models

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M4 Pro and M4 Max chips
Apple's supercharged M4 Pro and M4 Max chips will power new MacBook Pro laptops and more.
Image: Apple

The new M4 Pro and M4 Max chips Apple unveiled Wednesday for new, higher-end MacBook Pro models will bring more than enough power to handle Apple Intelligence and plenty of other complex computing tasks, Apple said. M4 Pro actually made its debut Tuesday with the redesigned M4 Pro Mac mini. The new chips may find their way into other machines, like Mac Studio, next year.

“Apple silicon has taken the Mac to unprecedented heights, and the rapid pace of innovation continues with M4 Pro and M4 Max,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. “With the world’s fastest CPU core, immensely more powerful GPUs, and the fastest Neural Engine ever, the power-efficient performance and capabilities of the M4 family extend its lead as the most advanced lineup of chips in the industry.”

Mac mini smackdown: M4 vs. M2 vs. M1

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M4 Mac mini vs. M2 vs M1 comparison
How does the M4 Mac mini compare to its M2 and M1 predecessor?
Photo/Graphics: Apple/Rajesh Pandey

Apple gave the Mac mini a long-overdue redesign Tuesday, making the pint-size desktop computer smaller than ever. The M4 chip and the new M4 Pro processor also bring a massive bump in performance. And perhaps surprisingly, the new Mac mini packs almost all the ports you can ask for.

Given these improvements, should you upgrade to the M4 Mac mini from the M2 or even the M1 Mac mini? Find out in this comparison.

Stuffed penguin rocks to Edifier powered speakers [Setups]

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Edifier powered speakers
That penguin doesn't just use an Edifier speaker as a chair, according to this MacBook Air user.
Photo: [email protected]

As we’ve pointed out in product news coverage and reviews, Edifier is one of those smaller companies that always seem to come across with great value. Its audio gear is solid and sounds great, but it’s on the inexpensive side of things. And that’s the case for the Edifier powered speakers in today’s MacBook Air setup. The workstation features a penguin plush toy that doesn’t just use an Edifier box as a chair, according to the user. The stuffed animal apparently rocks out, too.

Today in Apple history: iPhone goes on sale in China for first time

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iPhone 3GS
The iPhone 3GS arrives in China, without Wi-Fi.
Photo: Apple

October 30: Today in Apple history: iPhone goes on sale in China for first time October 30, 2009: Two years after launching in the United States, the iPhone finally goes on sale in China, giving Apple a chance to reach the world’s largest market.

A number of regulatory hurdles previously blocked Apple’s access to China, including restrictions on Wi-Fi functionality. With those problems solved, Apple offers the iPhone 3GS to the country’s 1.3 billion people, most of whom do not yet own smartphones.