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In the tradition of media personalities helming book clubs — Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon — Apple Books welcomes a new book club with a new host. The Canadian is not exactly a household name in the U.S., but he has a track record with Apple. It’s Apple Music Hits live radio host George “Strombo” Stroumboulopoulos, who said in a tweet on Tuesday he’s going literary.

The new club is called Strombo’s Lit. Bookworms in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia can check it out now on the Apple Books app.

A reference to the unreleased “Apple Classical” service this week appeared in a new Apple Music beta for Android. The discovery suggests that the service is nearing its official debut ahead of an Apple event in March.

Apple last year acquired (then closed down) Primephonic, the streaming platform for classical music. Fans have been waiting for it to be integrated into Apple’s services lineup ever since — and that wait could soon be over.

YouTube TV is finally giving users the ability to use Picture in Picture on iPhone and iPad. The feature, which has long been available inside YouTube TV on Android, will roll out “hopefully in the next few months.”

And that’s not all users can look forward to. YouTube chief product officer Neal Mohan this week also promised expanded surround sound support.

If you’ve been reusing the same old password across multiple websites and accounts, you need to stop what you’re doing and get a password manager immediately. Cybersecurity experts recommend password managers as the best way to protect yourself and your private data.

And right now, you can grab a year’s premium subscription to the top-rated Dashlane — the official password manager of Cult of Mac — while it’s on sale for just $29.99. That’s 50% off the regular price of $59. Or, boost your savings even further by grabbing a one-year subscription to the Dashlane Password Manager Family Plan, which lets you create six premium accounts, on sale for 64% off.

While Apple fights to maintain its strict App Store rules and its 15-30% cut of all purchases and subscriptions, Microsoft is taking the opposite approach. The company on Wednesday announced major changes to the Microsoft Store that will make it fairer, more open, and more transparent.

Its new Open App Store Principles — which include allowing developers to accept alternative payments systems without fear of retribution — are designed to show that Microsoft (unlike Apple) is committed to adapting to new regulation that promotes competition in app markets.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S22 series on Wednesday, and there’s not much for Apple users to be jealous of. The iPhone 13 series from 2021 is as good or better in almost every way.

But there is an exception. The latest Androids from Samsung are almost certainly less likely to break when dropped than iPhone. But the iPhone 14 can — and should — steal a feature from the S22 that will fix that.

Video editors know the value of software that does the work for you. BeeCut video editing software is easy to use and produces results that’ll make the final cut in record time.

Right now, a lifetime subscription to BeeCut is on sale for just $41.99 (regularly $99).

If you’d like a change from plastic or silicone cases for your iPad Pro, you have a new option. Accessories maker Nomad rolled out two new premium leather products Wednesday, the Modern Leather Case and the Modern Leather Folio. Depending on how you feel about leather, you may find they offer a touch of class without much bulk.

Both products feature full-grain leather. Their slim design offers protection mainly because of specs like a raised TPE bumper and a polycarbonate layer.

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Can’t get enough of Wordle? There is a way to keep playing after you’ve completed the daily puzzle if you’re thirsting for more. And there are a bunch of other hidden Wordle hacks that every fan should know about.

Want to turn Wordle into an app on iPhone and iPad? How about enabling its hard mode for a tougher challenge? We’ll show you how to do all this and more.

When you spend loads of time at a desk, it’s natural to wonder how you might remain chained to it but still somehow get exercise. That’s why under-desk treadmills exist, of course. But can you really get things done while walking in place?

Today’s featured M1 MacBook Pro setup answers the question and offers up a couple of other tantalizing tidbits, like a killer iPad stand and affordable bookshelf speakers with isolation pads.

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Apple’s newest macOS 12.3 beta appears to eliminate a frustrating Bluetooth bug that causes excessive battery drain for many MacBook users.

The bug, introduced in macOS 12.2 late last month, continually wakes up a MacBook when it’s supposed to be asleep. That means the battery slowly drains while the computer’s not being used. Only disabling Bluetooth will prevent it for now.

Apple on Tuesday confirmed that its second iOS 15.4 beta fixes a bug that caused some Siri interactions to be recorded even after a user opted out.

Only a “small portion” of iPhone units were affected by the bug, which was first introduced in iOS 15, Cupertino said. After installing iOS 15.4, users will again be asked whether they want to help improve Siri by having their interactions saved.

Building amazing, responsive websites is one of the most valuable skills you can have today. But did you know it’s possible to develop them without any coding?

The secret lies in next-level smart software like the Complete Blocs Website Builder Bundle. And today, you can grab it on sale for just $49.99. That’s a 70% discount off the regular price of $169.

Another reference to Apple’s unreleased “realityOS” operating system leaked Wednesday in new open source code. It suggests the company’s highly anticipated mixed-reality headset is inching closer to its public debut.

The headset could appear this year — perhaps at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference — as many reports previously suggested. However, thanks to technical difficulties Apple recently encountered, we might have to wait until 2023.

Nothing, the audio brand from OnePlus founder Carl Pei, just updated its Ear 1 true wireless earbuds to include Siri voice support. That makes the inexpensive earbuds a little more competitive with competitors like AirPods and AirPods Pro. After all, the Ear 1 buds already have a lot of premium features.

CalDigit said Tuesday its newly released Thunderbolt Station 4 dock for MacBook Pro sports 18 ports — the most ever on a Thunderbolt 4 dock. The company said it’s also the only TB4 dock with 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet as well as 98W of charging power.

The nominations are out for the 94th Academy Awards, and Apple TV+ films are up for six Oscars. Two movies from Apple’s streaming service attracted the attention of the Academy: CODA and The Tragedy of Macbeth.

Both films have already garnered a bevy of awards and nomimations.

Apple will give iPhone the ability to accept contactless payments without additional hardware later this year, the company confirmed Tuesday.

The feature, which Apple calls “Tap to Pay,” initially will be available to merchants in the United States who use a “partner-enabled iOS app.” The company says Tap to Pay will “empower millions” to use their iPhones to seamlessly accept payments.

To start developing apps for the iPhone and iPad, all you need to know is how to code with Swift. Want to get off to a fast start? We’ve got a hot deal on a that will get you developing iOS apps in no time.

Swift 5 Fundamentals: The Language of iOS Development covers the basics as well as advanced aspects of this fundamental Apple coding language. Plus, it shows you how to put those skills to use. And right now it’s only $19.99 (regularly $200).

LG Display is reportedly making changes to its production plans so it can double its OLED screen output in preparation for a new iPad, according to a new report.

Sources say the South Korean company is shifting equipment to its Paju plant to ensure more efficient production of high-resolution panels that meet Apple’s strict quality standards for iPad.

Apple’s next MacBook Pro upgrade could be right around the corner. Supply chain sources claim a new model with a next-generation M2 chip will be unveiled during Cupertino’s spring event next month.

Aside from the silicon upgrade, the new MacBook Pro is expected to employ the same internals as existing models. Apple suppliers reportedly kept production going during the Lunar New Year to prepare for the machine’s arrival.

Nvidia on Monday backed out of a deal to acquire mobile chip designer Arm for $66 billion, according to reports. It would have been the largest ever sale in the semiconductor industry, but regulators including the FTC weren’t keen on it.

SoftBank, the Japanese company that currently owns Arm, still expects to sell it by the end of the year through an initial public offering.

Dell said it has started shipping two new monitors that are the first on the market using LG’s new IPS Black Technology, rolled out at CES in January. IPS Black promises 35% deeper blacks than typical 4K displays, which tend to have poor contrast in favor of other benefits (mainly brighter colors). That’s effectively doubles the usual contrast ratio to 2000:1.

If you depend on your display for the best possible image — say, like a designer does — the new monitors could offer the great color IPS displays are known for, but with solid contrast, too.

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It’s amazing how much more you can get out of the Microsoft Office programs you use every day. The 2022 Premium Microsoft Office Training Certification Bundle teaches you how to use programs like Excel and Publisher to their fullest.

And right now, it’s on sale for $29.99 — a 98% discount of its regular price of $2,200.

Apple TV+ set a premiere date of April 29 and put out an initial trailer for the Apple Original horror-thriller series Shining Girls on Friday. And it’s seriously spooky. What with all the blurred reality and scary-shapeshifting-killer vibes, the trailer makes the show look both disturbing and disorienting.

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