Top stories - page 36

An anonymous tipster has bad news for the Mac Pro: Apple apparently has no plans to keep working on the scrapped chip that would have doubled the machine’s power. Development on Apple silicon is reportedly set all the way through the M5 generation.

There’s a beacon of hope, though. Multi-die packaging — technology being developed that could see the light of day around the M8 chip — eventually might give the Mac Pro the power it deserves. However, at Apple’s current pace, that’s at least six years away.

Do you love animals, and the more exotic they are the better? Apple TV+ said Tuesday its two new documentary series “featuring the never-before-seen lives of the rarest animals on Earth” will come out soon.

The two series — Born to be Wild and Endangered Planet — consist of six parts apiece. But we’ll have to wait and see when they’ll air. We can probably expect trailers before too long.

Hey there, fellow adventurers! With summer sizzling and fall on the way, you’re definitely spending more time in the great outdoors. So, why not take things up a notch? Introducing Carsule, the ultimate fold-out living space that reimagines camping for the modern age!

It’s a cinch to set up, and Cult of Mac Deals has it on sale now at the best price anywhere online.

We’ve got an exciting giveaway this week in partnership with Harber London! One lucky winner will have the chance to score a sleek leather laptop folio that’s perfect for a MacBook (or other laptop between 11 inches and 16 inches). How cool is that?

You’ll be spoiled for choice with four classic colors to choose from: tan, black, navy and deep brown. And trust us, this genuine full-grain leather folio ages beautifully over time, giving it a stylish and unique look no matter which color you go for. Plus, starting at just $132 and with free tracked delivery, it’s a steal. But it’s even better if you win!

A reliable virtual private network is a must these days. You can find VPNs at just about every price point, and for the most part, you get what you pay for. VPN Unlimited always stood out in terms of its infrastructure and commitment to data privacy.

Now that it’s available for $20 off the previous sale price, it’s almost a must for anyone concerned about anonymity on the web.

ESR just launched a Kickstarter campaign for an unprecedented, Apple-certified 100-watt 6-in-1 charging station with GaN technology to juice up all your devices.

The company called the device — which can charge iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch and AirPods simultaneously — the “world’s first” of its kind. You can preorder it now at a 20% discount. And it may serve all your charging needs.

A new leak outlines how the 2024 iPhone Pro Max might improve upon the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro Max’s camera. While this year’s model reportedly will introduce a new periscope lens, the iPhone 16 Pro Max could come with an ultra-long telephoto periscope lens capable of 12× optical zoom.

To clarify, today we’re still on the iPhone 14, which features a 3× optical zoom — and the model releasing this fall is rumored to retain the same 3× zoom level, using periscope technology to reduce the camera’s thickness.

The source of Tuesday’s iPhone 16 rumor, Digital Chat Station, previously leaked the iPhone 12 mini display.

When you don’t want to lug around a computer bag or case, or you need something slim to protect your MacBook inside your luggage, a sleeve can suit the situation perfectly. Laut makes a great selection of sleek and protective sleeves, including colorful ones.

Check out three different sleeves for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air in different sizes in the Laut MacBook Sleeves collection.

After its launch in 2012, Apple Maps performed so badly that Apple CEO Tim Cook actually apologized for the service and fired the company’s head of software (for the disastrous launch and other reasons). But now, many people actually choose Apple Maps over Google Maps and other services, according to a new report.

Whether you’re Team Mac or Team Windows, the highly rated Microsoft Office productivity suite can benefit you. Lifetime access to programs such as Excel, PowerPoint and Word typically set you back a few hundred dollars. However, we’ve got one last chance for a sensational discount.

Until midnight tonight, you can purchase Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021 or Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows for only $29.97 (regularly $219) apiece.

Ever find yourself perplexed by the intended meaning of an emoji in a message? A recent survey suggests you’re not alone. Even on World Emoji Day (July 17), a lot of the little graphics have people scratching their heads and even offending each other.

Ukraine-based language-learning platform Preply sought to understand which emoji cause the most confusion and misuse — unintentionally or intentionally — among Americans. You can see the main findings below, including insights on the least used emoji that rarely make an appearance in conversations.

If you’re among the many folks who balk at the high price of Apple’s excellent Studio Display, intriguing new alternatives just arrived. Alogic recently unveiled its new 27-inch Clarity Pro and Clarity Pro Touch 4K displays, building up the line after releasing the original Clarity display last year.

I gave the Clarity Pro Touch a go and found it beautiful to look at and highly functional, as well. Priced at hundreds less than Apple’s Studio Display, either of the new Clarity displays should make a tempting alternative.

We love it when computer setup users show their work as they trudge toward home-office nirvana. Today’s featured MacBook Pro and iPad Pro setup does it in a subtle way, providing “before” and “after” photos showing incremental changes that improved the workstation.

You can see the before photograph below and the after shot above.

Are you using your PC to its full potential? If you’re not using the latest Microsoft software, you’re missing out on some serious functionality. Whether you’re running an older OS or using dated apps, now’s the time to upgrade.

In this bundle, you can get Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2021 for Windows, plus Windows 11 Pro, on sale for just $49.99.
The regular price for this package is $418. And you won’t find this special price drop anywhere else on the internet. However, it ends tonight!

The next generation of Apple silicon is right around the corner, and the upcoming M3 processor is supposedly going into multiple new Macs before the end of 2023.

Here is what we know about the iMac and the two MacBooks we have to look forward to this autumn.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest iPhone 15 rumors paint a somewhat troubling picture. This year’s models might look a lot like last year’s models, which already seemed pretty darn familiar. Plus, is that camera hump really going to get even bigger? And will we once again revert to non-parity between Pro models, so you have to go ridiculously large to get the best features? Oh dear …

Also on The CultCast:

• The iOS 17 public betas arrive, but should you really install them on your daily driver? Our lousy experiences with the buggy software make that a pretty hard no unless you’ve got extreme tolerance for iPhone malfunctions.
• Craving that bigger iMac we heard about recently? Better put on your waiting pants.
• Jony Ive returns to hardware design with a very pricey product. Meanwhile, his precious $300 book Designed by Apple in California would have made a very smart investment.

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 it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Why lug around a bag jammed with wires, hubs and other gear when you can attach a tiny gadget to your keychain that has all the functionality you need? With Lightning, USB-C and micro USB connectors, WonderCube Pro can get just about anything done.

This eight-in-one device can lets you connect to a charger, yes, but it also functions as a phone stand, an LED light, a flash memory reader and more. You can even use it with a 9-volt battery for an emergency charge!

Information overload is a real thing, and it’s all too easy to spend your downtime doomscrolling when you could be doing … well, literally anything else. If you’re looking for a way to feed your brain information that isn’t just empty calories, try Headway Premium.

During our Deal Days sale, you can get a lifetime subscription to this app — which turns bestsellers into snackable 15-minute reads or audio clips — for the lowest price anywhere on the web.

Superlative Apple TV basketball drama Swagger puts Jace in the hot seat this week, as allegations prove too tough to beat. Jace does something crazy in the name of helping his community but it makes things even more fraught.

Meanwhile, Ike and Emory are at loggerheads about how to handle their star player. And Crystal must decide how she feels about her life once more becoming the subject of public debate. Entitled “Through the Fire,” it’s a typically excellent installment of this fiery show.

Mac maven Basic Apple Guy seemingly never stops creating gorgeous wallpapers you can download and put on your Apple screens — Mac, iPad and iPhone. Just in the past couple of weeks he’s made three beauties for you to try out.

Check out the images and see descriptions and links below.

While Apple is finally putting out an M2 Mac Pro even as its powerful Mac Studio machines conquer most hardcore computing tasks, the truth is most users can more than get by with an M1 or M2 Mac mini. That goes for Bill Penhale, who sent us his setup from Shorewood, Illinois, near Chicago.

“I am pretty techy for 70, ha!,” the retired sales director told Cult of Mac. And judging by his M1 Mac mini-powered setup, with a fine 4K external display, solid audio and loads of external storage, that’s certainly true.

We all have a great novel or screenplay idea just waiting to come out. The key to making that idea a reality lies in your writing process and the tools you use. Turns out, professional writers have a secret weapon: the award-winning Scrivener 3 writing app.

Thankfully, it’s on sale right now with an impressive 50% discount, making it just $29.99 — the best price you’ll find anywhere on the web.

Epic sci-fi series Foundation, based on the work of Isaac Asimov, returns to Apple TV+ for a second season this week and blows expectations clean into the next galaxy.

The expensive, expansive show overcome opening night jitters in season one to become one of the more watchable and exciting things on Apple TV+, thanks in no small part to a game cast, tense set pieces, fleet drama and exquisite effects.

Apple TV+ needed its own Battlestar Galactica or Mandalorian, and Foundation more than met the challenge. Will it be able to repeat the successes of its first season?

Wireless charging is one of the iPhone’s best conveniences, and it’s even better with the right charger. Now through July 14, you can get the Speedy Mag wireless power bank during Deal Days, our answer to Amazon’s Prime Day.

Attention iPad owners: This is your last day to slash 30% off a fantastic variety of iPad cases in the Cult of Mac Store.

SwitchEasy’s sleek and protective cases cover any iPad you might own. See key highlights below and check out the SwitchEasy Flash Sale, which ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on July 13.