| Cult of Mac

High praise for hard-to-find Bose speakers [Setups]

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The little Bose speaker on the stand to the left of the display is, apparently, a keeper. But it's hard to come by.
The little Bose speaker on the stand to the left of the display is, apparently, a keeper. But it's hard to come by.
Photo: Federico_Rosellini@Reddit.com

The main gear in a computer setup might be perfectly impressive, like the Mac Studio desktop machine in today’s featured setup. But that’s not what everyone looking at the workstation notices and talks about on social media.

Instead, the coveted items in this particular setup are a Bose speaker system folks are having a hard time finding, plus a Belkin Continuity Camera mount that helps you use an iPhone as a webcam.

Developer makes mobile apps with blazing-fast M1 MacBook Pro [Setups]

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All those smartphones are for testing apps using different OS versions and screen sizes.
All those smartphones are for testing apps using different OS versions and screen sizes.
Photo: iSapozhnik@Reddit.com

It’s always nice to hear from professionals relying on Apple gear and finding it meets or even exceeds their expectations. That’s a good indicator that Cupertino is going in the right direction.

Today’s featured computer setup shows that enthusiasm. A mobile app developer offers high praise for his M1 MacBook Pro. And his stacked displays and raft of AV gear aren’t bad, either. Let’s take a look.

Apple-hating programmer now swears by Mac Studio, Pro Display XDR [Setups]

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The person who uses this setup used to hate Apple.
The person who uses this setup used to hate Apple.
Photo: MutedStudy1881@Reddit.com

Some folks insist people never change, others say they often do. And proof of the latter shows up in today’s featured Mac Studio computer setup featuring Apple’s magnificent 6K Pro Display XDR.

It belongs to a Linux-loving software programmer who used to be strongly anti-Apple, according to her husband.

Bose busts out compact, affordable new soundbar with AirPlay 2

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The new Bose Smart Soundbar 600 is only about 2 inches high.
The new Bose Smart Soundbar 600 is only about 2 inches high.
Photo: Bose

Bose took a further step into the compact, affordable soundbar market Monday with release of its new Smart Soundbar 600. It looks set to compete in a growing pool of home-theater audio products that don’t break the bank.

Featuring Dolby Atmos, Bose “TrueSpace” and AirPlay 2 technology, the slender speaker goes for $499, Bose said.

RGB hues bathe Beatles-themed retro Apple rig in otherworldly light [Setups]

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Three types of RGB lighting create this effect.
Three types of RGB lighting create this effect.
Photo: Real-Apartment-1130@Reddit.com

Sometimes you just can’t help taking a wholistic approach to a computer setup, taking in the whole room. That’s what happens when the user makes their home office a veritable museum like that which surrounds today’s featured MacBook Pro setup.

Three themes set it apart: The Beatles, the variety of RGB lighting and the concrete blocks holding up the Ikea countertop and the retro Thunderbolt Displays sitting on it.

M1 Max MacBook pairs nicely with 40-inch ultra-wide display [Setups]

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No scaling issues seen here.
No scaling issues seen here.
Photo: AeGertjan@Reddit.com

Curved ultra-wide displays are all the rage lately, and it’s no wonder why. What a fantastic amount of real estate. But it can be worrisome buying one if you’re not sure how it will look with your Mac’s resolution and scaling options.

Today’s featured computer setup pairs a beast of a 16-inch M1 Max MacBook with a brilliant 40-inch LG 5K UltraWide curved display. Let’s look at how well it’s working and what some of the issues can be.

MacBook Air centers wide-ranging workstation in Germany [Setups]

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It looks like a comfy chair, but you can only get it in Germany.
It looks like a comfy chair, but you can only get it in Germany.
Photo: pixel205@Reddit.com

We don’t run across huge numbers of computer setups online driven by M1 MacBook Air laptops. When a laptop is the main computer, it’s more often a MacBook Pro.

But a MacBook Air powered by an M1 chip is a formidable machine, whether you’re tossing it in your knapsack for work on the go or leaving it on a stand on your desk, jacked into a USB-C hub and external display.

An M1 MacBook Air drives today’s featured setup — located in Germany — which also features some interesting bits and pieces we haven’t seen elsewhere. Those are a nifty Marshall wireless speaker and a foot hammock.

Leak of Sony’s next flagship headphones shows sleek design, longer battery life

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Sony's next top headphones may have a sleek new design.
Sony's next top headphones may have a sleek new design.
Photo: Nils Ahrensmeier/TechnikNews

Sony’s WH-1000XM4 over-ear noise-cancelling wireless headphones are considered one of the best sets of cans in the business. Now a new leak shows what may be in store for the audio giant’s next version, the WH-1000XM5, in terms of a sleek new design and key specs.

Next Macs and iPhones: Whose bump will be bigger? [The CultCast]

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CultCast 541: M2 Macs and iPhone 14: Which gets a bigger bump? The CultCast episode 541
Looks like 2022 is gonna be bumpin'!
Image: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: It sounds like Apple is planning nearly a dozen new Macs with a next-gen M2 processor. The question is, just how big of a speed bump will that new chip bring? And then there’s iPhone 14, which sounds like it might come with a very big bump indeed — and not the kind you might be hoping for.

Also on The CultCast:

  • The original HomePod never ceases to surprise.
  • iPhone 14 could be the ultimate smartphone for narcissists.
  • Apple might be prepping an ingenious hybrid device to take over your living room.
  • When you’re tired of wearing earbuds, you’ve got options. Very strange options.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like what you hear.) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

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Simple Mac mini workstation packs more than meets the eye [Setups]

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This computer setup simply has more in it than there appears.
This computer setup simply has more in it than there appears.
Photo: curious_being512@reddit.com

At a glance, today’s featured computer setup appears simpler than it really is. It showcases a Mac mini, a pair of mounted monitors and some typical-looking input devices. A row of water bottles stands to the right because the owner, who lives in India, is big on hydration as summer hits the subcontinent.

But there’s more to the setup than meets the eye. And some of it escapes the camera’s lens.