| Cult of Mac

Affordable new smart Wi-Fi light strip from TP-Link supports HomeKit

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You can get a huge array of colors or bright white light out of these strips.
You can get a huge array of colors or bright white light out of these strips.
Photo: TP-Link

TP-Link just flipped the switch on a new lineup of smart LED light strips and light bulbs, some of which you can use with HomeKit or other home-automation systems.

The main selling point here is budget-friendliness. Prices range from $25 to $50, so you won’t break the bank lighting up your space.

HomeKit shakes things up at CES 2022

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HomeKit was a stand-out star at CES 2022
CES 2022 brought daily announcements of new devices with Apple’s HomeKit home-automation system.
Photo: Cult of Mac

There is a lot to get HomeKit fans excited at this year’s CES tech showcase in Las Vegas. Quite a few companies announced products that will support Apple’s home-automation system, including lights, door cameras and more.

Glitzy projects like concept cars get more attention, but HomeKit accessories are more likely to make people’s lives better.

TP-Link’s extensive new Tapo lineup of smart plugs, lights and sensors support Apple HomeKit

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TP-Link’s extensive new Tapo lineup of smart plugs, lights and sensors support Apple HomeKit
The Tapo S500D Smart Dimmer Switch and Tapo L535 Multicolor Smart WiFi Light Bulb are two of the HomeKit-compatible accessories TP-Link just unveiled.
Photo: TP-Link

TP-Link unveiled a collection of HomeKit-compatible smart home accessories at CES 2022. It includes smart plugs, switches smart lighting and more.

With nine new products coming out this year, it’s a big push into supporting Apple’s HomeKit home automation system.

Upgrade your home Wi-Fi network with $40 off the TP-Link mesh system

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TP-Link-Deco-M5
Get connectivity you can rely on.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Wi-Fi weak spots can be incredibly frustrating — especially when you’re trying to work from home. But did you know that they can be easily eliminated with a decent mesh system? Pick up this one from TP-Link today and save $40.

The package includes three Deco M5 units that offer up to 5,500 square feet of coverage, and it’s really easy to set up. It’s also highly rated by Amazon customers, 80% of which give it a full five stars.

Retired DJ and TV writer rocks head-spinning gear list [Setups]

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Three setups in one makes for hot fun in the Arizona sun.
Three setups in one makes for hot fun in the Arizona sun.
Photo: Tyler Botha

Arizona-based Tyler Botha, aka theallseeingeye on Reddit, is a TV-focused copywriter for a San Francisco startup and a retired pro DJ. The setup and epic gear list he sent to our attention does triple duty with a capable “WFH Desk,” a powerful “Gaming Corner” and a remarkably complete “DJ Desk.”

Talk about “complete.” Botha’s gear list, represented in the links below, is probably the longest one ever published in a Cult of Mac Setups article. You don’t have to be a DJ to appreciate it, but it helps.

Two ‘trash can’ Macs form core of nerdy workstation built to last [Setups]

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Those two
Those two "trash cans" at upper left prove core to this setup.
Photo: XTJ7@Reddit

Redditor XTJ7, a programmer and photographer based in Germany, knows how to make a setup last and do just what he needs it to do. As his recent post declared, his setup’s core is two “trash can” Mac Pro towers from 2013 plus a racy gaming PC.

Yeah, you heard right: That’s two computers running from 2013 to now. Eight years might as well be a few decades as far as computer performance goes. But he has his reasons to wait on the upgrade.

16-inch MacBook Pro leaks! We talk about them, on The CultCast

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CultCast #411
A new leak shows the 16-inch MacBook Pro isn't quite what we expected...
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: The new 16-inch MacBook Pro just leaked, but its “new design” leaves a lot of people disappointed. Plus, we’ll tell you why 2020 could deliver Apple’s most impressive hardware in years. And stick around for our favorite new router, mouse, keyboard and iPhone 11 case in an all-new Under Review!

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