Photos purporting to show an Apple MagSafe Battery Pack prototype surfaced Wednesday, revealing an earlier design with a glossy finish and a repositioned charging LED. The device also features internal identification markings.

The device looks genuine, but it’s very different from Apple’s final product, which went on sale last July at $99.

If Apple takes something away, people tend to want it more. We see this in the persistent coveting of space gray peripherals — Magic Trackpad, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 — that the Cupertino tech giant stopped selling separately last year after the iMac Pro’s discontinuation.

Following the space gray iMac Pro’s launch in 2018 with matching peripherals exclusive to it, owners found they could sell the dark-hued input devices for mad money. So Apple jumped on that market, charging a slight premium over the silver versions, though not forever. But space gray gear still carries a certain cache.

Belkin unveiled the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell that uses Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video. It’s built around a 4MP, wide-angle lens.

Also at CES 2022, Belkin announced redesigned smart plugs and lighting solutions with support for Matter over Thread, which means they’ll also support HomeKit.

Plus, the wraps came off Belkin SoundForm Immerse noise cancelling earbuds with support for Apple’s Find My system.

The best New Year’s resolutions are the ones you can actually act on, and there are few better than just committing to learning a new skill. Cult of Mac rounded up some of the best deals on e-learning and skill-building courses — and they’re all on sale for $20, no coupon code needed, during our New Year, New You Sale!

Take a look and find something you can learn that will actually mean something to you.

Gyms are notoriously crowded once the new year hits and people with fresh resolutions start pouring in. Skip the wait and meet your wellness goals with this BetterMe Home Workout & Diet subscription.

The highly rated app delivers customized workouts you can do from home, paired with nutrition plans to keep your progress going. It’s basically like having your own personal trainer — on your own time, and on call 24/7.

Eve Systems had two HomeKit-related news items at CES 2022 in Las Vegas on Monday, rolling out an all-new Eve Outdoor Cam for an early April launch and saying its Thread-connected smart blinds — MotionBlinds — are now widely available.

T-Mobile and Verizon have discontinued the iPad rebate program which offered customers up to $200 back when they activated a cellular device. The move comes after growing complaints about the program’s reliability.

Many users who tried taking advantage of the promotion were met with frustrating responses and poor customer service from both carriers, which reportedly denied the rebate program ever existed on a number of occasions.

Apple will launch a second generation of AirPods Pro in the fall, according to an analyst who’s also a reliable tipster. The upgraded earbuds allegedly will offer better sound than the current version, via support for lossless audio. And there reportedly will be other changes, too, including a new design.

Long before the launch, AirPods of all kinds are shipping like crazy, thanks to Apple’s lowering the cost, according to the same analyst.

There’s never a better time to start the project you’ve always wanted to work on than the start of the new year. So, whether you want to finally build the app you’ve always wanted to, or start an exciting new career as an app developer, e-learning with the Complete Mobile & App Development Bundle will open the doors to do so.

And even better, this top-rated course is on sale for a limited time. Usually $1,791, not only is this training on sale now, but you can take a further 20% off the sale price today when you enter the code CYBER20 as part of our Cyber Week II sale. That drives the price all the way down to $35.99. With nine different courses included in this bundle, that works out to less than $4 per course.

You should ring in the New Year with the first new Peanuts special since 2011. In Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne, Lucy is having a party but everything is going wrong. It’s her fault but she blames everyone else. So the gang has to come together to save the day.

As a Peanuts fan going back decades, I watched the new holiday special with a skeptical eye. I found a lot to like, whether this is your introduction to Charlie Brown and his friends, or you’re a long-time watcher like me.