News - page 131

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple’s invite for the September 12 “Wonderlust” event offers potential clues about what to expect. Mostly it makes us wonder: Will Apple ever release an iPhone in a truly bold, lust-worthy color?

The main thing we can agree on is that it looks like the iPhone 15 colors might be more boring than usual.

Also on The CultCast:

• We’ll miss Apple’s leather cases if the company really does pull the plug.
• 3D printing with metal could be a game-changer for the manufacturing process. If anyone can do it, Apple can.
• AirPods might receive the USB-C upgrade they deserve next month.

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.

The Major League Soccer playoffs kick off in October, and fans can watch all the action with an MLS Season Pass that’s now available at less than a third of the cost it was earlier.

Cheer on your favorite team, or see if Lionel Messi can take Inter Miami CF all the way, without breaking the bank.

Shake to the rhythm of the beat in the revival of Sega’s Samba de Amigo: Party-to-Go. The game debuted in arcades and on consoles more than 20 years ago, and is now available for an Apple TV, Mac and more.

It’s this week’s addition to the Apple Arcade gaming service.

Designer Basic Apple Guy has appeared on Cult of Mac a lot lately, but with new wallpaper coming out that makes it looks like Apple CEO Tim Cook and other execs are in a new version of classic game Grand Theft Auto, how can we slam on the brakes now?

Released Friday, “Grand Theft Auto Cupertino” wallpapers are available for free download!

Just ahead of iPhone 15’s release, a squad of Anker charging accessories featuring Qi2 wireless charging — like MagSafe, but for everyone — rolled out at IFA Berlin, the company said Thursday.

New and updated products include MagGo magnetic chargers, power stations and banks with Qi2, plus updated USB-C Nano chargers and more.

The new Qi2 spec is said to work with upcoming iPhone 15 series handsets at 15W of fast-charging power without MagSafe certification.

Not interested in waiting for the Apple Watch Series 9? Now is the time to buy the Apple Watch Series 8 then, with discounts of up to $90.

Amazon has currently discounted the 41mm Apple Watch to as low as $309, with the 45mm model available for $359.

A well-lit and well-equipped computer setup can evoke peace and productivity at the same time. Today’s Mac Studio rig exudes a zen-like calm despite being a total powerhouse.

It features a well-mounted Studio Display, a slick mechanical keyboard with wrist rest, a sleek external drive as well as tidy pegboard storage for AirPods Max.

Apple gave a more complete explanation of why it cancelled a plan to scan iCloud Photos libraries for child sexual abuse material. It’s the same reason it gave back in 2022, but with more detail.

It all comes down to user privacy, and the potential for the system to be abused by hackers and repressive governments.

Two of the MacBook Pros that launched back in 2017 just got a bit harder to get repaired. That’s because they’ve been added to Apple’s official list of vintage devices. This includes the 15-inch model introduced in 2017 and one of the two 13-inch MacBook Pros.

But it’ll be years before they’re listed as obsolete.

Qi2 is the future of wireless chargers and Belkin is already on board. On Thursday, it took the wraps off a pair of accessories that use the emerging standard.

Qi2 was created to bring the advantages of iPhone’s MagSafe to Android. Wireless chargers from Belkin and other companies that support the standard will work equally well for Apple and Samsung, etc. handsets, as long as they support Qi2.

Eve Play, an audio streaming interface that lets you stream via AirPlay 2 from an iPhone or iPad to an amplifier, active speaker or soundbar, will come out soon, Eve Systems said Thursday.

The little black box — Eve’s first audio device — also integrates with other AirPlay 2 devices like HomePods. But the new device doesn’t ship until November 14, so you’ll have to wait a bit.

The upcoming documentary The Pigeon Tunnel is the final interview with John le Carré, who wrote many best-selling novels about spies and was an MI6 agent himself.

A just-released trailer for the biopic shows the British spy-turned-author discussing his very usual life. The film will premiere on Apple TV+ this fall.

Security researchers can boost their iPhone research, work with security teams and help protect users — all while earning bug bounties for finding credible threats — if they apply to the 2024 iPhone Security Research Device Program, Apple said Wednesday.

File an application by October 31 to get your special iPhone for security research.

Apple is testing a 3D-printer-based manufacturing process for some of its upcoming Apple Watches that could radically change how it manufactures products generally, a new report said Wednesday.

In testing, the company is using 3D printers for the stainless steel chassis of some wearables. It may prove more eco-friendly and economical, cutting down on materials needed.

Apple reportedly will produce the iPhone 15 in an array of mostly muted colors. New images of mockup units show the upcoming handset in five generally pastel shades.

The iPhone 15 Pro series supposedly will be available with a different, smaller range of colors.

August 30, 1990: A 112-page confidential Apple memo lays out what the company must do to make the Macintosh division a marketplace contender.

The internal memo comes from Dan Eilers, Apple’s vice president of strategy and corporate development. He boldly says Apple must consider four strategies: licensing Mac OS, licensing both the Mac’s operating system and hardware, creating a spinoff brand for the Macintosh, or starting a totally new company to combat the growing threat of Microsoft’s Windows.

Apple and the companies assembling the iPhone 15 reportedly worked through all the significant production problems they faced making the next iOS handsets. They supposedly faced issues with the cameras, LCDs, batteries and titanium frame in upcoming models

After clearing those hurdles, the four models in the iPhone 15 series are now set for the launch that’s almost certainly happening in September.

Version:
Some computer setups are bare-bones but functional, others are swanky as all-get-out. Leaning toward the latter, today’s setup rocks a powerful M2 Ultra Mac Studio desktop computer driving a new, 49-inch Samsung G9 super-ultra-wide display. If you’re looking for a mac mini monitor, check out this impressive Samsung ultra-wide monitor setup.

But that’s not all the finery the solid standing desk supports. Festooned with key lights, it’s also a great videoconferencing station, with a premium webcam, a mounted USB microphone and killer speakers.

Apple set up its third Impact Accelerator class to help 12 minority-owned green-technology and clean-energy companies develop their businesses, the company said Wednesday.

The training program, in this case for a dozen Black-, Hispanic/Latinx- and Indigenous-owned companies, is part of Cupertino’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.

Martin Scorsese’s historical drama Killers of the Flower Moon will debut in theaters in late October. The real-life tale of a serial killer will appear on the Apple TV+ streaming service sometime after that.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro, and Apple is clearly hoping it will earn an Oscar or two.

WhatsApp just got a native Mac app that delivers a vastly superior experience than the current Electron-based app. It also supports up to eight people on video calls and 32 on audio calls.

Released Tuesday, WhatsApp’s new native Mac app makes it a better FaceTime alternative, as you can access almost the same set of features across your PC and phone.

AirPods that use USB-C to charge in place of Lightning are reportedly right around the corner. They supposedly will be unveiled at Apple’s “Wonderlust” event on September 12.

The modified version of Apple’s wireless earbuds are part of a general move away from Lightning.

Designer and Apple fan Basic Apple Guy is nothing if not lightning quick with his new wallpapers. His Wonderlust Apple Event Wallpapers came out almost immediately Tuesday after Apple issued its September event invite.

Apple’s “Wonderlust” event invite features the Apple logo in a windswept, sandy visage. How could the artwork relate to the expected announcements of the iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9 coming during the Apple event on September 12?

Here is some off-the-wall speculation — the reasonable and the ridiculous.

You’ll always know how much current is flowing to your devices with the just-launched Plugable USB Type-C Extension Cable with Power Meter. A small display shows how many watts are being transferred by the affordable cable.

Plugable also introduced on Tuesday a tiny 30W USB-C GaN charger plus a 32W wall charger that includes USB-C, USB-A and AC power ports.