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Here’s how you gut a whole office and start over [Setups]

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De Jong gave his computer setup -- and his whole office -- a makeover.
De Jong gave his computer setup -- and his whole office -- a makeover.
Photo: Michael De Jong

How refreshing it must be to make over your computer setup and, while you’re at it, gut and refresh your whole home office. That’s what Michael De Jong did recently. And he shared his transition with Cult of Mac.

First, he tinkered with the setup, going with dual displays and adding a soundbar and a slick gaming chair. Later he gutted the whole office and added a whole raft of upgrades. Take a look at his photos and gear, new and old, below.

Moon hucksters head for a meltdown on Hello Tomorrow! [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Billy Crudup plays Jack Billings, who's shown giving a sales presentation for lunar timeshare in a scene from Apple TV+ show ★★★★☆
Who doesn't want their own little piece of heaven on the moon?
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewHello Tomorrow!, the new Apple TV+ show about a depressed Space Age huckster and his team of dreamer lackeys who are selling the moon as fast as they can, heads into stormy weather this week.

Slick salesman Jack must agree to a big little lie to cover up an even bigger lie, while his colleagues Joey and Herb face romantic crises (and Shirley’s at her wit’s end). Disgruntled customer Myrtle and fraud-buster Lester chase a big lead they must follow to achieve satisfaction.

In the episode, entitled “Forms, Appropriately Filled and Filed,” this retro-futuristic wonder is off and running to the moon.

Conquer your taxes with expert financial advice plus a copy of MS Office, all for $54

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Conquer your taxes with expert financial advice plus a copy of MS Office, all for $54.
Prep for tax season with this $54 MS Office bundle, which includes expert financial help.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If it’s been a tough year for you financially, you’re definitely not alone. The last thing you might want to hear is that tax season is right around the corner, but there are two ways you can approach it: Let it blindside you, or go in prepared.

Getting the most out of your filing might be easier than you think, especially when you can now get a copy of Microsoft Office Professional for Windows, bundled with more than 30 hours of online financial advice, on sale for $54 during our Tax Season Prep event.

In The Reluctant Traveler, Eugene Levy comically kvetches his way around the world [Apple TV+ review] ★★★☆☆

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Eugene Levy travels to Finland in a scene from ★★★☆☆
Just how far will Eugene Levy go for a laugh? At least as far as Finland.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review In new Apple TV+ reality series The Reluctant Traveler, Eugene Levy takes a trip around the world to face his anxieties and fears. And we get to tag along and see a little bit of how people who aren’t famous actors live.

The 75-year-old Levy, who starred in Schitt’s Creek after years of work on SCTV, wants to see the international sights before he gets a little too infirm to do so. The occasionally quite charming series, which takes Levy to a new exotic locale each episode, won’t change your life. But it’s fun to watch, and an easy enough way to while away an afternoon while you’re stuck at home.

If Pretzel and the Puppies doesn’t charm you, you’re probably dead [Apple TV+ review] ★★★☆☆

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Puppy Puck (voiced by Max Mitchell) in a scene from season two of ★★★☆☆
Cute pooches and wholesome lessons. What's not to like about Pretzel and the Puppies?
Image: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewPretzel and the Puppies, the adorable Apple TV+ kids’ show about a family of dachshunds and their gentle misadventures in their hometown of Muttgomery, returns for a second season today.

Created by relative newcomer Kim Howitt and veteran Steven Altiere (Scooby-Doo!, Dinotrux), this show serves up low-stakes lessons of acceptance and perseverance —  everything that needs to be reinforced during a child’s formative years. Plus, it’s got cute dogs animated with care. Nobody with a heart can say no to this charming animated series.

App Store, Apple Music and many other services all suffer outage [Updated]

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Apple online services having technical problems
Apple reports that over two dozen Apple services are having an "outage." That includes many of the most-used ones.
Photo: Cult of Mac/Linnaea Mallette/PublicDomainPictures.net

Apple is having a major outage of its online services. No less than 29 of them are reporting major problems, including the App Store, Apple TV+, Apple Music, Podcasts, and some iCloud services.

So it’s not just you. Stop rebooting your computer trying to fix it.

Update: Apple was able to quickly fix some of these, so the current total is eight services still having problems.

Update 2: All problems with Apple online services have now been resolved.

Travel in style (and save on gas) with a major discount on this electric Segway KickScooter

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Travel in style and save on gas with a major discount on this electric KickScooter.
Kids and adults alike will enjoy using this KickScooter, and it's now only $399.99.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Gas prices are cause for financial frustrations, and warmer weather is on the way. So why not explore the benefits of an electric kickscooter? This budget-friendly and efficient transportation option is perfect for getting around town or campus, and you can currently pick up a premium product for half the regular price.

Get cruising with a Segway Ninebot Air T15E Electric KickScooter, now only $399.99 (regularly $799). Whether you want one for yourself or think it would be a great gift for someone else, don’t miss this opportunity to save some serious cash.

Affordable new Sony headphones borrow premium cans’ tech

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The new noise-cancelling cans share the same processor with Sony's high-end headphones, but not their price.
The new noise-cancelling cans share the same processor with Sony's high-end headphones, but not their price.
Photo: Sony Electronics

Not into paying what Apple’s top-shelf noise-cancelling AirPods Max headphones cost? You have options. In fact, Sony Electronics rolled out two new mid-tier headphones Tuesday at modest price points — the over-ear WH-CH72ON and the smaller, on-ear WH-CH520.

The higher-end WH-CH72ON set, at $150, costs well under half the price of the brand’s acclaimed WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling cans, but uses the same V1 chip. And the lower-end WH-CH520 headphones, at $60, are just downright affordable.

Choose from a dozen slick iPad cases at 20% off

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SwitchEasy's Origami Protective Case really shines as an iPad stand.
SwitchEasy's Origami Protective Case really shines as an iPad stand.
Photo: SwitchEasy

If you’ve got one of Apple’s wonderful iPads, you need a case to keep it safe. And the cool thing about iPad cases and folios is that they often serve as both protective cases as well as stands. Some even store your Apple Pencil.

And right now you can take 20% off every SwitchEasy iPad case in the Cult of Mac Store. That gives you a choice of 12 different products and a savings of up to $10 each. The sale goes through Thursday, March 2.

This adorably tiny Macintosh is actually a powerful wall charger [Review] ★★★★★

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The Shargeek Retro 67, which looks like a Macintosh SE.★★★★★
This multidevice wall charger looks like a 2.25-inch-tall Macintosh from the '80s.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The earliest Macintosh models used an iconic design — one that many longtime Mac users like me feel nostalgic about. The Shargeek Retro 67 is a salute to those early Macs that’s useful, not just decorative.

It’s a palm-size wall charger that pumps up to 67 watts through a trio of USB-C ports. With it, you can make a Macintosh juice up your iPhone and MacBook.

As someone who still has a Mac from the 1980s, it was a delight to test the Retro 67.

Add your COVID-19 vaccine card to Apple Wallet

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Leave the card at home
Maybe, just maybe, you can use Apple Wallet.
Image: Rwendland/Wikimedia Commons/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Add your COVID-19 vaccine card to Apple Wallet on your iPhone, and you can leave your physical card safe at home. Some places may require proof of vaccination to enter, like international airports, concert venues and cruise ships.

If your health care provider can share data with the Apple Health app, and if digital cards are considered valid proof of vaccination where you’re going, and if the stars are in the right place, too, you just might be able to go all-in on Apple Wallet. Let me show you how.

Shift Happens: Book about keyboard history now 400% funded on Kickstarter

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Shift Happens: A Book About Keyboards
This beautifully designed two-volume book delves deep into keyboard history.
Image: Marcin Wichary/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Shift Happens, a book about keyboards, is now 400% funded on Kickstarter. This makes it the second-most funded non-fiction book ever on the crowdfunding site. The book, by designer/writer Marcin Wichary, “tells the story of keyboards like no book ever before, covering 150 years from the early typewriters to the pixellated keyboards in our pockets,” according to the project website.

Shift Happens is available on Kickstarter until March 9. Donate $150 and you can get the two-volume hardcover set inside a slipcase.

Take your WordPress site to another level with this ChatGPT plugin

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Take your WordPress site to another level with savings on this ChatGPT plugin.
Boost your website with AI by grabbing this discounted ChatGPT plugin for WordPress.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Looking to take your WordPress endeavors to the next level? OpenAI’s increasingly popular product ChatGPT is an effective way to amplify your site, and can open up a whole new world of possibilities, and now you can bring its AI talents to your very own website.
Typically $299, this lifetime license for a ChatGPT plugin is available for only $59. It’s the perfect opportunity to boost your creative content, overall online presence and so much more.

Inside the secret mission to add glucose monitor to Apple Watch

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In a possible groundbreaking new product, Apple Watch could monitor blood glucose with the help of device strapped to the bicep.
Apple's efforts have included a possible new product that lets Apple Watch monitor blood glucose with the help of device strapped to the bicep.
Photo: Apple

Apple Watch is well-known as a health tracker, but a new report said a secret project dating back to Steve Jobs’ era — to use the wearable to monitor glucose without pricking the skin to get blood — has made headway recently. And that has major implications.

The secret effort, known as E5, could involve a device that straps to the bicep and works with the watch. If it comes to market, it could disrupt industries and help millions of diabetics.

Here’s your chance to talk directly to Jon Stewart [Updated]

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Apple TV+ said you can ask this guy questions on Thursday. No, seriously.
Apple TV+ said you can ask this guy questions on Thursday. No, seriously.
Photo: Apple TV+

Jon Stewart, longtime host of The Daily Show and current host of The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV+ — and to many folks a sort of comedic conscience of the nation — will take your calls on Thursday, February 23.

That’s the same day the streaming service said six new episodes of Stewart’s show would air weekly starting Friday, March 3.

Meanwhile, he’s doing a livestream on the The Problem‘s YouTube channel at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. “He’ll be taking your calls,” the show tweeted.

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: [email protected]

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.

New Sonos Era smart speakers take direct aim at HomePod

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The Sonos Era 300 is the larger and better-equipped of the two new smart speakers.
The Sonos Era 300 is the larger and better-equipped of the two new smart speakers.
Photo: Sonos

A new leak indicates Sonos will release its new Sonos Era 100 and 300 smart speakers in March with a slew of features that challenge Apple’s recently relaunched HomePod.

Of the two new Sonos speakers, the pricier Era 300 features a version of spatial audio. Both support Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and USB-C line-in for versatile connectivity. The Era 100 is likely to replace the much-liked Sonos One, launched in 2017.

TSMC’s entire 3nm chip output goes to Apple

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TSMC chip production
The 3nm chips TSMC makes all go to Apple.
Photo: TSMC

TSMC can now make 3nm processors, and Apple is all in. Literally all in — it’s reportedly buying the Taiwanese foundry’s complete output of 3nm chips.

This will be in the form of the upcoming Apple A17 and M3 processors, which are expected to both be made with the new process. It will make them faster and more energy efficient.

This refurbished MacBook Air with an Intel Core i5 processor can do it all

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Need a powerful work device? This refurbished MacBook Air with an Intel Core i5 Processor can do it all.
Score this refurbished MacBook Air with an Intel processor for just $459.99 during the Refurbished Event.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

While Apple’s chips are undeniably impressive, you may need an Intel Mac, especially if you’re working a hybrid or remote schedule and need to use certain software. This refurbished MacBook Air offers all the convenience of a lightweight macOS device, with an Intel chip inside for $459.99 during our Refurbished Event.

You’ll have to act fast, though, as this promotion ends on February 23.

Get 10TB of Prism Drive secure cloud storage, just $89 for life

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Looking to switch to secure cloud storage? Get 10TB of Prism Drive for only $89.
With 10TB of cloud storage from Prism Drive, you won't need another storage solution.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Cloud storage is not just for big companies anymore. We all need our data to be accessible and secure. Prism Drive fulfills all the requirements you need from a cloud storage solution. And right now, you can get a lifetime of 10TB storage on sale for just $89.

Linux is now officially supported on Apple silicon [Correction: No it’s not]

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The Year of Linux on the Mac
Everyone’s third-favorite desktop operating system comes to the Mac.
Image: PantheraLeo/Wikimedia Commons/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Correction: This story was based on a misunderstanding of the facts. We published a correction to set the matter straight. Read that instead of the story below.

Linux has officially added support for Apple silicon in its latest release. Ubuntu and Fedora, two of the most popular distributions of Linux, will soon be integrating this feature.

While it’s still early for Apple silicon support, and not all computers with M-series chips will work, this is a significant milestone for Linux users. Computer scientists, programmers and hobbyists have not yet been able to fully take advantage of Apple’s powerful new hardware.

New HiRise Pro adjustable MacBook stand also charges iPhone

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You can adjust the stand's height to bring your MacBook's screen to eye level and align it with your main external monitor.
You can adjust the stand's height to bring your MacBook's screen to eye level and align it with your main external monitor.
Photo: Twelve South

Accessories maker Twelve South introduced a successor to its original HiRise stand for MacBook released about a decade ago — the new HiRise Pro for MacBook. You can watch the video below.

You can adjust its height for almost any use, it matches Apple’s Pro accessories in color and finish, and it features a spot in the base where you can insert a MagSafe charger to juice up your iPhone and other gadgets.

Researchers explore ‘frontiers of heart health’ with Apple Watch

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Apple Watch is already helping researchers study heart health in various ways.
Apple Watch is already helping researchers study heart health in various ways.
Photo: Apple

Apple highlighted Apple Watch’s potential as a heart-health monitor on Tuesday, referring to its increasing usefulness to health researchers and medical personnel.

In addition to the ResearchKit and CareKit programs rolled out in 2015, Apple said it launched its Investigator Support Program. In it, health researchers get Apple Watches to study the heart.

This Sam’s Club membership costs just $24.99 — and it comes with a bonus perk

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A Sam's Club membership is just $24.99, but it comes with an extra perk too.
New members can join Sam's Club for less than $25, and get a $20 travel and entertainment promo code to boot.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This may be the year that an omelet became a luxury item, but there are still ways to save when you’re shopping against inflation. Buying in bulk can help you save on everything from groceries to everyday home essentials, and Sam’s Club is the place to do it.

It’s even better if you get a sweet deal on your club membership. And right now, new members can grab this auto-renewing Sam’s Club membership for only $24.99. Plus, you’ll get a $20 travel and entertainment promo code as an added bonus.

Get a ChatGPT training bundle for just $19.99 with this Presidents’ Day deal

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Get this ChatGPT training bundle for just $19.99 with this Presidents' Day deal.
Hone your ChatGPT skills with this AI training bundle, now under $20 for Presidents' Day.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

There’s been a lot of talk about the AI chatbot ChatGPT, and with every passing week, we find out a new use for it. While tech giants like Microsoft put it to work overhauling their flagship tools, let’s try to remember that this powerful technology is still free and available to anyone who can sign up for an OpenAI account.

So, if you’re behind the curve on this revolutionary AI, there’s never been a better time to catch up. This ChatGPT AI training bundle includes four courses that will demystify the subject. And it’s on sale for only $19.99 in honor of Presidents’ Day, but you’ll have to act fast since this deal ends tonight.