David Snow

Apple dedicates homepage to Martin Luther King Jr.

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Apple MLK Day homepage takeover
Apple celebrates MLK Jr Day with a "Homepage Takeover" every year.
Photo: Apple

As it has done on every Martin Luther King Jr. Day since 2015, Apple used nearly all of its website homepage to pay homage to the slain Civil Rights Movement leader Monday. The page is filled with quotations from King and links to learn more through a free book by the icon in Apple Books and a feature article about him in Apple News.

MacBook Air rig boasts ‘best’ noise-canceling headphones [Setups]

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Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones on desk
This shot from Sony shows the XM5 cans laying flat on a desk by a MacBook and an Android smartphone.
Photo: Sony

In today’s M2 MacBook Pro setup, the user stores one of the best-reviewed sets of wireless, over-ear headphones of all time on a stand over to the side. The cans are almost easy to miss in the photograph, but well worth noticing. AirPods Max competitor Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, in a Mac setup, make for a relatively rare sight. But they’re often at or near the top of “best of” lists — not just for great sound and a comfortable fit, but especially for their vaunted noise cancellation.

Apple will stream star-studded FireAid benefit concert

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Apple will stream FireAid Benefit Concert
The concert, loaded with star talent, streams January 22 on Apple TV and Apple Music.
Photo: FireAid.org

Apple TV and Apple Music will stream the upcoming FireAid benefit concert to help victims of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, a new report Thursday. The concert lineup so far includes Billie Eilish, John Mayer, Lady Gaga, Sting and many others.

The concert will rock out in two Los Angeles performance venues near each other, but most people will get to see and hear it via streaming services.

M2 MacBook Air takes off like rocket with 3 external displays [Setups]

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Ugreen Revodok connects multiple displays
A Ugreen Revodock is the key to connectivity in this multiple-display M2 MacBook Air setup.
Photo: [email protected]

For about as long as MacBooks have existed, confusion, questions and angst over how many external displays can run with them have plagued users. But at least some of the guesswork can be swept aside with a capable USB-C dock. In today’s M2 MacBook Pro setup, the powerful Ugreen Revodok connects multiple displays — three, to be precise — and other peripherals.

‘It’s been a minute’ since we felt that Severance vertigo [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★★

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Severance season 2 episode 1 recap★★★★★
Reunited, the Macrodata Refinement team meets the Severed floor's new deputy manager, Ms. Huang.
Photo: Apple TV+

After a three-year wait that felt longer than a day working at Lumon Industries, Severance is finally back! The season two premiere, entitled “Hello, Ms. Cobel,” picks up right where we left our favorite corporate drones. In our Severance season 2 episode 1 recap, we look at the fascinating twists and turns that prove the show hasn’t lost its edge. As the season goes on, let’s see if it keeps it.

EarFun OpenJump earbuds: Your budget-friendly fitness pal [Review] ★★★★

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EarFun OpenJump earbuds review★★★★
EarFun OpenJump wireless earbuds hook on comfortably and securely.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Are you into exercise and looking for wireless earbuds that’ll take your workout punishment but not break the bank? Look no further than EarFun OpenJump Open-Ear Wireless Earbuds. They aren’t fancy, but the lightweight, hook-on earbuds deliver comfort, security and solid audio without a premium price tag.

Let’s dive into what makes these earbuds, available now for preorder at a substantial discount, stand out in a crowded market.

Severance season 2 promos try to out-weird the show itself [Updated again]

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Severance season 2 promos
In a "Severance" season two marketing stunt, Lumon Industries employees toil behind glass in New York City's Grand Central Station. The new season debuts Friday.
Photo: @ParkerOrtolani, X.com

Commuters trudging through Grand Central Station in New York City got an eyeful of Apple TV+ series Severance on Tuesday. That’s because employees of the bizarre workplace dramedy’s fictional Lumon Industries appeared to work on Lumon terminals behind glass for all to see in the historic train terminal’s grand halls.

Severance stars Adam Scott, Zach Cherry and Britt Lower entered the fake Lumon workspace Tuesday afternoon. And soon enough, Patricia Arquette and Tramell Tillman appeared. Earlier in the day, other people staffed the workstations.

That promotional stunt and a new “Lumon Is Listening” video, which promotes Lumon’s Severance brain surgery as a work-life balance solution, go hand-in-hand with the show’s own creepy weirdness. Check out the images and video below!

2 banks in talks to take over Apple Card management from Goldman Sachs

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Apple Card banking partners
Apple Card launched in 2019. And although Goldman Sachs' management of it is scheduled through 2030, someone like Barclays or Synchrony may take over sooner.
Photo: Apple

Apple is in ongoing talks with two financial companies to take over Apple Card credit services management from Goldman Sachs, according to a new report. The iPhone giant has been discussing the matter with Barclays and Synchrony Financial for a while, apparently.

News of the talks comes just one day after Goldman Sachs’ CEO said on an earnings call the firm’s Apple Card management, scheduled through 2030, might end sooner than that.

Stream the Super Bowl in 4K on any Apple device for free

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stream Super Bowl for free
Are you ready for some championship football? (Not to mention the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show featuring rapper Kendrick Lamar.)
Photo: Fox Sports

Even folks who don’t pay for access to TV channels can watch the Super Bowl for free on any Apple device or on the web. Fox Sports plans to stage a “takeover” of the Tubi streaming app for the event. The free Super Bowl stream will include a pregame run-up and the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show featuring rapper Kendrick Lamar. And it requires no viewer sign-in.

So now what’s your excuse to blow off the year’s biggest sporting event? Oh, you probably hate football, not to mention all the commercialist hoopla that comes with America’s modern-day gladiatorial bloodsport. Oh well. For tens of millions of others, Super Bowl Sunday is like a national holiday.

Escapee from Apple TV+’s Silo shows up at NBA game

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Silo shows up at NBA game
Not the most comfortable b-ball-watching garb, but the suit might protect him from other fans.
Photo: Dallas Mavericks/Apple

The Apple TV+ marketing department sure kept itself busy Tuesday. A space-suited denizen of the streamer’s hit sci-fi series Silo showed up in the stands at an NBA game ahead of the show’s season two finale, which arrives Friday.

Earlier Tuesday, a Severance office popped up in New York City’s Grand Central Station. The pop-up drew stars from the show as well as plenty of curious commuters ahead of the Severance season two premiere, which also arrives Friday on Apple TV+.

Apple TV+ ran a full-court press on the promo stunts this week, a departure from the norm. What else could be in store?

Apple gives users simple way to help LA wildfire victims

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Apple gives users simple ways to help LA wildfire victims
Donating to the American Red Cross through Apple to help wildfire victims takes just a few clicks.
Photo: Apple

To help expedite recovery in response to deadly Los Angeles wildfires, Apple gives users simple ways to help LA wildfire victims by linking donation pages in popular apps directly to the American Red Cross, CEO Tim Cook said in an X.com post Wednesday. This follows the iPhone giant’s own donation of an undisclosed amount as well as considerations extended to wildfire victims regarding their Apple Card payments.

Software engineer shows off parade of powerful MacBooks [Setups]

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MDM testing on MacBooks
This guy has thousands of dollars' worth of MacBooks because of his job.
Photo: [email protected]

Wouldn’t you love to have half a dozen M-series MacBooks in your computer setup? One second thought, maybe that’s too much of a good thing. And it might only come up if you had to use most of them for work, like in today’s featured setup. A mobile device management (MDM) engineer does a lot of MDM testing on MacBooks for his job. If you use a Mac for work, he’s the guy who makes sure it keeps working efficiently and securely.

Here’s a sign Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds are coming soon

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Powerbeats Pro 2 filings
New regulatory filings suggest we can expect redesigned Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds soon.
Photo: 91Mobiles.com

After teasing the upcoming release of fitness-oriented Powerbeats Pro 2 wireless earbuds in September 2024, Apple and subsidiary Beats just made new filings with regulatory agencies that all but confirm the new buds will come out soon, according to a Wednesday report. The new earbuds likely will go on sale within weeks (or a couple of months at the latest).

CarPlay 2 could feature iPhone-style widgets

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CarPlay 2 widgets
A selection of widgets might give CarPlay 2 an interface already familiar to iOS, iPadOS and macOS users.
Photo: [email protected]

While Apple CarPlay 2’s expected 2024 release still hasn’t happened, newly leaked images Tuesday show a familiar widget-based interface that mirrors experiences across iOS, iPadOS and macOS devices.

The leaker is considered reliable. If the images prove genuine, they suggest a sensible drive by the iPhone giant to provide a seamless experience across the Apple ecosystem, even on the road.

Cool new case helps make M4 Mac mini portable

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WaterField Designs Shield Case for Mac mini
Shield Case looks like a stylish and practical way to tote M4 Mac mini, along with cables and an AirTag.
Photo: WaterField Designs

The ruggedly handsome new Shield Case brings true portability to the small-but-mighty M4 Mac mini and its accessories, WaterField Designs said Tuesday. It’s the latest in the company’s long line of cool cases for Apple gear.

“We designed the Shield Case for professionals who take advantage of the portability of Apple’s most compact desktop computer yet,” said Gary Waterfield, the San Francisco-based company’s owner. “The M4 Mac mini’s reduced size makes it an ideal candidate for mobile use, but its unique dimensions require thoughtful protection.”

Why the latest location data leak won’t hit iPhone users as hard

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location data breach
Simple settings can help protection iPhone and iPad users when it comes to app tracking.
Screenshot: Apple

A massive breach revealed last week exposed location data from apps on millions of iPhones and Android phones. But at least iPhone users have better protection against exposure through a simple action they can take against app tracking, a new report noted Monday.

Gravy Analytics, one of the world’s largest location data brokers, disclosed the big data breach last week. Leaked data points came from smartphone apps ranging from popular mobile games like Candy Crush to dating apps and pregnancy-tracking applications. While investigations into the breach continue, experts point out that iPhones and iPads have a pretty simple way of avoiding exposure in the first place.

How to stop spam and scam calls with Surfshark’s Alternative Number

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alternative phone number - Surfshark VPN Alternative ID
Use an Alternative Number from Surfshark to shield your primary phone number from spammers and scammers.
Image: Surfshark

In an online world filled with identity thieves, robocallers, “smishers” (SMS phishing scammers) and all sorts of marketers hassling you for your personal information whenever you sign up for anything, wouldn’t it be great if you could protect your personal information by becoming someone else with a different phone number? With Surfshark’s Alternative ID service, you can now access a new Alternative Number feature that does just that.

Alternative Number is incredibly easy to use — and highly effective at keeping your real phone number safe from spammers and scammers. All you need to do is sign up for a Surfshark bundle that includes Alternative Number. You can pay monthly, but Surfshark also offers 24-month plans that give you four extra months of service for free.

Math unlocks conspiratorial mayhem in Prime Target [Apple TV+ trailer]

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Prime Target trailer
A brilliant math postgrad finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy in thriller series Prime Target, debuting January 22 on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

When a brilliant math postgraduate verges on sussing out a certain pattern in prime numbers, he finds himself in between unseen enemies and government forces in a burgeoning conspiracy. That’s according to the new trailer Apple TV+ dropped Monday for upcoming series Prime Target. After all, the whiz kid’s discovery could unlock every computer and unravel digital security worldwide, apparently.

“A brilliant mind is a dangerous weapon,” notes the tagline on the new series’ key art. The eight-episode conspiracy thriller debuts January 22 on Apple TV+. Watch the trailer below.

Pairing tiny M4 Pro Mac mini with giant curved display [Setups]

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curved ultra-wide display
Today's M4 Pro Mac mini setup user loves this Dell ultra-wide display -- but with one downside.
Photo: Dell

No matter how delightfully small and incredibly powerful the new M4 Pro Mac mini may be, it’s helpless without an external display of some sort. Today’s Mac mini setup pairs the tiny beast with a gigantic pal — a curved ultra-wide display from Dell spanning 40 inches. And the mini shares the monitor and Logitech input devices with a Windows laptop.

Sonos CEO steps down after app-redesign debacle

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Sonos CEO steps down - Sonos app
Rumors suggested Sonos rushed the app redesign, and its deficiencies appear to have brought down the CEO.
Photo: Sonos

In a big shake-up at smart speaker maker Sonos — whose high-end audio products are popular with Apple users — CEO Patrick Spence resigned effective immediately and a board member will step in as interim CEO, the company said Monday. Spence’s departure comes after a turbulent 2024 that saw the company struggle with a controversial app redesign, disappointing product launches and declining customer satisfaction.

First-time Mac owner KVM-switches between M4 Pro mini and Windows laptop [Setups]

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Mac Windows KVM switch
The first-time Mac users loves their new M4 Pro Mac mini and used a KVM switch to use the same peripherals with a Windows laptop. And that bit sticking up in front of the display is a mounted MagSafe charger, by the way.
Photo: [email protected]

From time to time in computer setups coverage I come across a first-time Mac user, and their delight at having switched from Windows to Mac is often obvious. And that’s true of today’s M4 Pro Mac mini user, but they still need to work on a Windows laptop regularly. So they installed a Mac-Windows KVM switch in their setup to easily use the same peripherals with either machine with just the click of a button, as described and shown below.

Powerful new AI party speaker becomes colorful karaoke machine

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karaoke speaker
The 200-watt powerhouse Rave 3S can strip vocals from any track and comes with microphones for karaoke.
Photo: Soundcore

Soundcore brought the party to CES 2025 this year with two powerful new Bluetooth speakers planned for spring release. The Rave 3S is a big, powerful party speaker that brings AI-powered karaoke capabilities to any music source. The Boom 2 Pro is a rugged boombox designed for outdoor use.

Both new Soundcore speakers put on light shows, among other things HomePods can’t do.

AirTag competitor works with Find My and goes for just $12

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Tag Me Bluetooth Tracker from Spigen
Spigen's Tag Me Bluetooth Tracker costs just $12 apiece right now.
Photo: Spigen

For Apple users looking for tracking solutions even more affordable than AirTag, Spigen recently launched its new Tag Me tracker, which works with the Find My network. You can get a discounted Tag Me Bluetooth Tracker pack of four at a price that comes out to just $12 apiece (AirTags usually go for over $20 apiece).

Satechi’s first full-size mechanical keyboard might tempt Mac users

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Satechi SM3 mechanical keyboard
Satechi's new SM3 is low-profile but full-sized, larger than the popular SM1.
Photo: Satechi

The new full-size Satechi SM3 Slim Mechanical Backlit Bluetooth Keyboard builds upon the success of its compact predecessor, the SM1. But it offers Mac and Windows users enhanced functionality through a complete 108-key layout including a numeric keypad, Satechi said upon unveiling the new keeb at CES 2025.

Apple pledges funds to aid recovery from devastating LA wildfires

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Apple will donate to LA wildfire recovery
California wildfires have worsened in recent years.
Photo: Soly [email protected]

Apple will donate funds to support victims and bolster recovery efforts in response to the devastating wildfires Los Angeles faces, Apple CEO Tim Cook said. He posted it in a thank-you message to first responders on X.com late Wednesday.

If you would like to join Apple and donate to organizations responding to the fires, follow the link at the bottom of this article.