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Top stories - page 137

Film and TV pros want Apple to love Final Cut Pro as much as they do

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Many film and TV editors say Final Cut Pro is powerful and fun to use. So why can't it be a professional standard?
Many film and TV editors say Final Cut Pro is powerful and fun to use. So why can't it be a professional standard?
Image: Apple

In an open letter sent to Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday, more than 100 film and TV professionals called on the company to publicly commit to building its video editing software Final Cut Pro into an industry-standard tool.

The group praised FCP as as “the biggest leap forward in editing technology since the move to digital” but complained it’s not living up to its potential.

The group noted, bitterly, that even the crew on CODA — the first streaming service release to win a Best Picture Oscar, and Apple’s own release — would probably not have chosen to edit it with FCP.

They Call Me Magic captures Magic Johnson’s pivot to humanitarian [Apple TV+ review]

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They Call Me Magic review: The Apple TV+ docuseries puts the legendary Earvin
The four-part docuseries puts legendary basketball player Earvin "Magic" Johnson under a microscope.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+’s latest documentary series is They Call Me Magic, a look at the life and legacy of one of the greatest and most flashy basketball players the game ever saw.

Director Rick Famuyiwa gives us a guided tour of Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr.’s game, the illness that took him out of professional sports, and the family members — both professional and blood — who made his life hard but worth living. The documentary’s form is digestible and the story is a necessary window into living memory, to see at once how far we’ve come and how little we’ve changed.

Keep your AirPods clean and charged with this discount accessory bundle

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Keep your AirPods in perfect condition with this cleaning kit and charger, now less than $23.
Get more than half off this useful AirPods cleaning kit and charger.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We love our AirPods. But do we like thinking about all the gross stuff that accumulates inside the little holes which you then put into your ear? Not so much.

The way to fix that is with a reliable AirPods cleaning tool. And right now, you can get this great Wireless Charger + Cleaning Pen Set for AirPods on sale for just $22.99. That’s 54% off the regular price of $49.

Extended! Turn your iPad into an iMac with a Lululook stand and charger [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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Urban Magnetic Stand
The stand's sleek, magnetic design lifts your iPad off your desk.
Photo: Lululook

Our latest giveaway is for iPad owners. We are giving away five Lululook bundles to five lucky winners. Each bundle features one Urban iPad Magnetic Stand and one 33w GaN USB-C charger.

If you own an 11-inch or 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the sleek Urban Magnetic Stand will elevate your iPad and make viewing and working more user-friendly. The 33w GaN USB-C charger is compact and will charge your devices quickly. This $90 bundle will make your desktop flow, so make sure to enter the giveaway below.

Leak shows Sonos is about to roll out a new budget soundbar

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The Sonos
The Sonos "Fury" budget soundbar will probably look similar to the Sonos Beam (pictured), but a bit shorter. It should launch with black and white finishes.
Photo: Sonos

If you’d love to add a Sonos soundbar to your home theater but you find the company’s well-regarded products a tad pricey, just wait. According to a new leak, Sonos will release its least-expensive soundbar ever — just $249 — in early June.

First Macs with M2 processor might take the stage at WWDC22

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Apple M2 chipset
The M2 processor could be a highlight of WWDC22.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

The wait for a redesigned MacBook Air with an M2 processor will be over soon, if a tipster is correct. The notebook will supposedly be announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June. And a version of the Mac mini with the M2 allegedly will be unveiled at the same time.

If true, these will be the first Macs with the improved replacement for Apple’s M1 processor.

This portable AC will cool you off in less than 10 minutes

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This portable AC is discounted during Spring Refresh Sale.
Stay cool this spring and summer with a portable AC unit.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s finally time to turn down the heater and start thinking about how you’re going to keep cool! If you want to beat the heat this summer and cut down on your power bill, a personal air conditioner is the cool way to go.

The EvaChill EV-500 Personal Air Conditioner is a compact, portable air conditioner that’s about the size of a lunchbox, with disproportionately strong cooling power. During our Spring Refresh Sale, you can get an EvaChill EV-500 Personal Air Conditioner in white or gray for just $69.99 (regularly $99) with coupon code SPRING10. Or, if you buy both, you can get them for $139.98 (regularly $159.98) with coupon code SPRING20.

Apple TV+ The Big Conn trailer tracks fraudster’s $550 million scam and run from the law

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"The Big Conn" is a four-part Apple TV+ documentary series and podcast coming May 6.
Photo: Apple TV+

Former eastern Kentucky lawyer Eric C. Conn is notorious for committing the largest-ever Social Security fraud, bilking the U.S. government and taxpayers out of $550 million. Plus, he partied with porn stars and opened a brothel before leading authorities on a major chase.

Apple TV+ covers the whole sordid affair like a blanket, judging by the new trailer for upcoming documentary series and podcast, The Big Conn.

Protect your Apple Watch in style with Elago’s Duo Case

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You can give your wearable different looks with different Duo cases.
You can give your wearable different looks with different Duo cases.
Photo: Elago

Accessories maven Elago has a cool new way for you to protect your pricey Apple Watch while also dressing it up. The Elago Duo Case for Apple Watch completely wraps around your wearable’s housing. And the case’s accent pieces in different colors can be swapped out to freshen up your look.

You could have a different-looking case for every day of the week. People might even ask why you have so many Apple Watches!

Music streamer Tidal adds Siri support (but not for HomePods)

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Tidal finally added Siri support, but not for your HomePod or HomePod mini.
Tidal finally added Siri support, but not for your HomePod or HomePod mini.
Photo: Tidal

Music streaming service Tidal rolled out its long-awaited Siri integration Wednesday. Subscribers can ask Apple’s voice assistant to play songs, playlists, albums and more on the platform.

That’s great if you play music on an iPhone, iPad or Mac. But the Siri integration with Tidal doesn’t extend to HomePod or HomePod mini, unfortunately.

Save thousands on airplane tickets with a discount Dollar Flight Club sub

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Get alerts on the cheap flights with Dollar Flight Club.
Travel the world cheaper with this Dollar Flight Club premium subscription.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Exploring the world doesn’t have to be as expensive as you might think. The secret is to have a direct line to insider’s low fares with travel deals app Dollar Flight Club Premium Plus+.

Even better, right now you can grab a lifetime subscription for just $89 (regular price $1,690) during our Spring Refresh Sale. Just enter the code SPRING10 at checkout.

This mini color sensor works on almost any surface

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Scan all the colors of the rainbow with this little color sensor.
This portable color sensor can scan almost anything.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Sometimes you need to paint away a ding on your wall or identify which shade of red the flowers outside your window are. Home improvement, art or plain curiosity — there are a ton of reasons it’s great to have something around that can definitively tell you what color you’re looking at.

The Nix Mini 2 color sensor scans and identifies colors and gives you paint suggestions and the codes to find your color digitally. During our Spring Refresh promo, you can get a Nix Mini 2 for $73.95 (regularly $99) with coupon code SPRING10.

Apple beefs up fraud prevention for Apple Pay and Wallet app

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Cupertino makes moves to better prevent fraud.
Cupertino makes moves to better prevent fraud.
Photo: Apple

Apple is in the process of upgrading Apple Pay fraud prevention features for cards stored in the Wallet app on iPhone and Apple Watch, starting with Visa cards.

Some users have already started noticing a new “Enhanced Fraud Prevention” alert badge.

Seriously, how big is too big for desktop speakers? [Setups]

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Side by side images show the computer setup's front and back sides.
Side by side images show the computer setup's front and back sides. Can you spot the speakers? Squint if you must.
Photo: [email protected]

We love serious audio here at Setups Central. But is it possible for the audio gear in your computer setup to be too serious? For example, can your desktop speakers be too comically oversized, as if you’re making some sort of visual joke about your life being all about the music?

In today’s featured setup, a magnificent 32-inch Pro Display XDR actually manages to look puny in between two monstrously huge Yamaha powered studio monitors. And yet, believe it or not, they may not actually be too big.

Get Microsoft Office for Mac or PC — just $49 for life

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MS Office for Mac and PC are on sale!
Get Microsoft Office for your Mac or PC with this sale.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether it’s for personal, professional or academic use, every computer needs software that lets you write, organize and share information. A pair of Microsoft Office suites currently on sale at a drastic discount get all that done for different types of users.

For Mac fans, there’s the Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021. And for Windows users, there’s Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows. Lifetime licenses to each of these Microsoft Office suites are on sale now for just $49.99 (regularly $349).

Final hours: Take 20% off all Bucardo Apple Watch accessories

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Sweet deal: Take 20% off everything Bucardo.
Sweet deal: Take 20% off everything Bucardo, like sport bands for Apple Watch.
Photo: Bucardo

If you’re on the hunt for interesting Apple Watch accessories, there is no better time or place than now in the Cult of Mac Store to snag great deals on Bucardo gear.

Bucardo brand Apple Watch accessories, like a variety of sport bands as well as charm necklaces and pocket watch cases for Apple Watch, are all on sale now at 20% off until 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 19.

Invest like a pro with this stock screener app

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Save on this stock screener — a great tool for new investors.
This app makes investing simpler, and you can get a lifetime sub for less than $90.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Investing doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need is a great stocks application. Usually $900, the Tykr stock screening app is one of the very best out there. And right now, not only can you grab a lifetime subscription on sale for just $99, but you can maximize your savings during our Spring Refresh sale.

All you need to do is enter the coupon code SPRING10 at checkout to get $10 off your purchase of $75 or more. That drives the price for Tykr all the way down to $89.

Ends tonight! Hunt down major savings on dozens of Apple accessories.

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Laut's iPad folio is one of many Apple accessories offered at 20% off for Easter.
Laut's iPad folio is one of many Apple accessories offered at 20% off for Easter.
Photo: Laut

Sellers in the Cult of Mac Store have been as happy as kids on as Easter egg hunt, offering wonderful deals on Apple accessories around the holiday. Few of the sales are as big as the German brand Laut’s, however.

In the Laut Easter Sale, which ends at 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 19, you will find nearly 80 products covering your needs for Apple accessories. They range from iPad folios to iPhone 13 cases to AirTag mounts to AirPods cases — and beyond. We cover some highlights below.

Last chance to save big on metal Apple Watch bands

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Get Riley & Lo metal Apple Watch bands and stacking bracelets at 25% off.
Get Rilee & Lo metal Apple Watch bands and stacking bracelets at 25% off.
Photo: Cult of Mac Store

When it comes to Apple Watch bands, some folks love their leather. Others go for braided nylon loops. Still others prefer silicone or carbon fiber. But for many, it’s always going to be metal. Stainless steel. It’s durable, cool to the touch, non-corrosive, comfortable and more affordable than gold, platinum or silver. In a word, it’s classic.

And right now you can get 25% off all Rilee & Lo metal Apple Watch bands and stacking bracelets in the Cult of Mac Store. The deal last through 11: 59 p.m. PDT on April 19.

Study shows consumers love Apple third-best among brands

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Apple placed third behind Disney and Tesla. The top 10 included three tech companies.
Apple placed third behind Disney and Tesla. The top 10 included three tech companies.
Photo: MBLM

Apple stood as the third-highest rated brand among consumers in MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2022 Study results released Tuesday. The Cupertino tech giant placed just behind Disney and Tesla in the rankings, which seek to show how consumers bond with the brands they use and love.

And this year, MBLM counted three technology brands among the top 10, up from two last year.

Nomad’s potent new GaN charger is no bigger than an AirPods case

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The new Nomad 65W Power Adapter is compact, potent and sports two USB-C ports.
The new Nomad 65W Power Adapter is compact, potent and sports two USB-C ports.
Photo: Nomad

Apple made news recently with its apparent plans for a 35W charger with an amazing two USB-C ports (not a new thing, mind you, just new for Cupertino). Now that unfolding scenario seems even later to the party when you consider Nomad’s release Tuesday of its most powerful gallium nitride (GaN) charger to date, at 65W. And of course the potent little thing features dual USB-C ports.

Notably, the new Nomad 65W Power Adapter is also a real product you can buy now, not something on the drawing board. And it’s only about the size of an AirPods case.

Add Ethernet and 6 more ports to MacBook with this clip-on USB-C hub [Review]

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HyperDrive Duo Pro 7-in-2 USB-C Hub review
The HyperDrive Duo Pro clips to a MacBook and adds HDMI, USB-A, Ethernet and more.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The HyperDrive Duo Pro 7-in-2 USB-C Hub plugs into the side of a MacBook to add a variety of useful ports. The standout is Ethernet, but there’s also USB-A, HDMI and microSD.

I did real-world testing of the 2022 version of this clip-on hub, and found that it lives up to the hype.

Apple TV+ trailer for bilingual thriller Now & Then shows perfect lives upended

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Bilingual thriller
Bilingual thriller "Now and Then" premieres on Apple TV+ May 20.
Photo: Apple TV+

There are youthful indiscretions, and then there are youthful indiscretions. When a celebration among college besties ends up with someone dead, and everyone figures they can escape blame, well, that’s something that might come back 20 years later to haunt … everyone.

Along those lines, Apple TV+ shared a roughly 2-minute peek Tuesday at its new bilingual thriller Now & Then. The eight-episode series is scheduled to debut on the streaming service May 20.