| Cult of Mac

Apple met with AR startups at CES 2019

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ARkit
Apple is rumored to be developing AR glasses.
Photo: Dent Reality

Apple may not have had an official presence at CES 2019, but a new report claims that key personnel were present at the event to meet with leading AR companies.

More than half a dozen company representatives supposedly met with AR waveguide suppliers, including DigiLens, Lumus, Vuzix and WaveOptics. Waveguide is one of the most widely used structures in see-through AR displays, seen in products such as the Microsoft Hololens and Magic Leap One.

Powerful MacBook dock lets you escape ‘dongle hell’

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Linedock
LineDock has ports, power and plenty of storage.
Photo: Linedock

CES 2019 bugLinedock is a device designed to deliver power and salvation from what its creators refer to as “dongle hell.”

It’s a massive messiah at two pounds with nine ports, a 20,000mAH battery with 100 W pass-through charging and an onboard SSD with up to 1 TB of storage.

Concept iPhone case makes true wireless charging a reality

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Ossia
Ossia's iPhone cases will be a total game changer.
Photo: Ossia

CES 2019 bug: Concept iPhone case makes true wireless charging a reality The era of using cables to charge your iPhone may finally be coming to an end.

During CES 2019, Ossia, a company that specializes in creating truly wireless charging solutions, debuted its first case for iPhone that can take radio waves out of the air and convert them into useable electricity.

Popular VLC video player is getting AirPlay support

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VLC AirPlay
VLC will make it easy to stream to Apple TV from anywhere.
Photo: VideoLAN

CES 2019 bugPopular open-source video player VLC is getting AirPlay support “in about a month.” VideoLan, the team behind it, also plans to make it easier for users to switch to VLC from iTunes.

The confirmation comes just as VLC celebrated a staggering 3 billion downloads — around a quarter of which came from mobile devices.

Finally! Apple’s bringing HomeKit to your favorite TVs and gadgets, this week on The CultCast

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CultCast 370 Lisa
You'll soon be able to control your favorite TVs and gadgets right from your iPhone.
Photo: @YSR50

This week on The CultCast: Smart window blinds, smart plugs, smart lights, smart locks and now … the best televisions on the market. Apple just revealed big moves to bring HomeKit to all your favorite gadgets, and Cupertino is just getting started. In 2019, the smart HomeKit devices we’ve always wanted finally arrive. Plus: Tim Cook just let it slip — Apple’s got new services lined up for release this year, but what could they be? We think we might just know.

Our thanks to LinkedIn for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Head to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post.

Welt smart belt is like an Apple Watch for your waist

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Welt2
This belt will monitor your increasingly girth.
Photo: Welt

CES 2019 bug Forget your wrist. The new location for wearable devices is clearly your waist, at least according to Korean wearables company Welt. At CES 2019, the startup unveiled its smart belt, which promises to track physical activity, measure your expanding waistline, and even perform Apple Watch-style fall detection.

The Welt smart belt does this using a bevy of sensors and a Bluetooth connection. The data gathered is sent to a connected mobile device such as an iPhone.

Pioneer transforms your iPhone into an in-dash car display

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Pioneer
Have no in-car display in your vehicle? This will help.
Photo: Pioneer

CES 2019 bug While a growing number of cars come with iPad-style in-dash displays, there are plenty of older or cheaper models that don’t. To allow these customers to take advantage of Pioneer’s in-car infotainment system, it has launched its SPH-10BT Smart Sync in-dash receiver in the U.S.

The device allows you to dock your smartphone in a receiver. This then transforms your handset into a high-resolution, touchscreen LCD display for using Pioneer Smart Sync Driving features while you’re on the road.

Grovemade’s sleek dock charges Apple Watch in style

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Apple Watch
Grovemade has a knack for making beautiful accessories.
Photo: Grovemade

CES 2019 bug Grovemade, makers of some of our favorite wooden accessories for Apple devices, have finally come out with a dock for Apple Watch. And per usual, it’s absolutely gorgeous and subtle at the same time.

Designed to be a dock that doesn’t stick out like an ugly gadget stand, the Grovemade Apple Watch Dock will enhance your desk space with its clean style and seamless functionality.

Take a closer look:

Elgato’s new Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock packs all the ports

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Elgato Thunderbolt Pro Dock
Bring ports back to your MacBook.
Photo: Elgato

CES 2019 bugIf you just upgraded to a new MacBook, you’re probably finding it hard to live without all your favorite ports. But if you pick up Elgato’s new Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock, you won’t have to.

The Pro Dock packs the most popular ports you’ll need — including Gigabit Ethernet, DisplayPort, and two card readers — eliminating the need for a bunch of different dongles.