You can customize new Pride Collection’s Apple Watch face and wallpapers

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Apple Pride Collection
For the first time, you can customize Apple Pride Collection new watch face and wallpapers.
Photo: Apple

Apple shined a light on LGBTQ+ communities Monday with its new Pride Collection. It includes a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop plus a matching watch face and dynamic iOS and iPadOS wallpapers. In a first, you can customize the watch face and wallpapers by choosing colors.

You can order the new Apple Watch band starting May 22. The watch face and dynamic wallpapers for iOS and iPadOS arrive with an upcoming software update, Apple said.

Let AI write, schedule and post on social for you with this pro marketing tool

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Make social media marketing manageable with this AI tool, only $49.99.
Manage your professional social media with this $49.99 AI tool.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Unum is an AI social media post generator that makes managing social media accounts easier. It makes it easy to publish posts across multiple platforms, using any device, and collaborate with your team members for ultimate success.

This app works like other AI-powered social media tools like Planoly and Later — the key difference is you don’t need to send monthly payments! In fact, you can get Unum Pro for life for only $49.99.

Today in Apple history: iTunes hits 1 million downloads in first week

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iTunespic
iTunes becomes an instant hit.
Photo: Apple

May 5: Today in Apple history: iTunes Music Store hits 1 million downloads in first week May 5, 2003: Just a week after launching the iTunes Music Store, Apple reaches an incredible milestone with more than 1 million songs sold.

Particularly notable is the fact that more than half the songs purchased are albums. This quickly dispels fears that selling tracks individually will kill the record industry’s dominant format. In addition, more than half of the 200,000 songs initially available on iTunes get downloaded at least once.

“In less than one week we’ve broken every record and become the largest online music company in the world,” says Steve Jobs in a statement. “Apple has created the first complete solution for the digital music age — you can purchase your favorite music online at the iTunes Music Store, mix your favorite tracks into playlists with iTunes, and take your entire music collection with you everywhere with the super-slim new iPods.”

It’s a roaring success for Apple’s newest venture!

Digital photo frame with Wi-Fi makes great Mother’s Day gift [Review] ★★★★☆

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GPX Capture 7★★★★☆
A digital photo frame makes a great gift.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The GPX Capture 7″ Wifi Photo Frame is ready to display pictures sent from your whole extended family. It’s so easy to use it makes a great gift for the non-techie mom in your life.

The touchscreen looks great, whether it’s showing images or short videos sent in from a free app.

I put digital photo frame in my home office for hands-on testing. And I love it.

Code more efficiently with Microsoft Visual Studio Pro, on sale for just $40

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This $40 Microsoft Visual Studio Pro license can help you gain solutions for coding issues.
For only $40, Microsoft Visual Studio offers tools for greater coding collaboration.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

In software development, having the right tools can make all the difference between sinking and succeeding. If you’re on the hunt for such tools, Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 stands out as a powerhouse for developers who want to enhance productivity and streamline the coding process. And it’s on sale — today only!

This professional-grade 64-bit integrated development environment is more accessible than ever. It can improve how you and your team approach your programming. Act fast to get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for just $39.97 (regularly $499).

Block ads and filter content on all your online devices with Control D

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Control ads and filter content with this $39.99 5-year subscription.
Block ads and control content with this helpful service that requires no installation.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When. you’re using your Mac, iPhone or iPad, nothing ruins that clean Apple experience quite like runaway ads and obnoxious pop-ups. Luckily, there’s an easy way to block those on all of your Apple devices: Control D, an ad blocker that also shields you from malware and other internet nightmares.

This unique internet service blocks trackers, boosts productivity and gives parents control over their children’s device usage. And you don’t need to download a thing, because Control D connects to any device on your wireless network.

For a limited time, you can get a five-year Control D subscription for the best price on the web — just $34.97 (regularly $120).

We ‘Let Loose’ our Apple event predictions [The CultCast]

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Apple
Whose crystal ball is running on Apple silicon and whose is limping along on Intel chips? We'll find out soon!
Photo: Michael Dziedzic/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: With Apple’s “Let Loose” event just days away, it’s time for one of our favorite endeavors — trying to predict what, exactly, Tim Cook & Co. will trot out. This time, it looks like the event will be all about new iPads (plus iPad accessories like Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard). But whose predictions will prove most accurate?

Erfon, Griffin and I go on the record with our “Let Loose” event predictions (and talk plenty of trash). Plus, for the first time, listeners can download their own scoresheets and play along.

Let the crystal-balling begin!

Also on The CultCast:

  • The European Union is on a technocratic rule-making rampage. Now Brussels is targeting the iPad.
  • We chew on some big changes reportedly coming in iOS 18.
  • And finally, don’t miss our exclusive deal for Cult of Mac readers (and CultCast listeners): Get an exceptional iPhone charger with MagSafe battery pack for just $44.99. This 60% deep discount ends soon!

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.

Take your iPhone to the Dark Side with these Star Wars cases

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Take your iPhone to the Dark Side with these Star Wars cases
Apple and Star Wars come together in these new accessories.
Photo: Casetify

Casetify partnered with Lucasfilm to release an exclusive collection of iPhone cases and other accessories in honor of Star Wars Day. It’s all about the Dark Side of the Force, with a range of styles featuring Darth Vader, the Death Star, stormtroopers and more.

These are limited editions so don’t procrastinate about ordering.

Argylle funny spy flick keeps drawing a big audience

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Henry Cavill and Dua Lipa are among the many stars of Argylle, now streaming on Apple TV+.
Henry Cavill and Dua Lipa in Argylle, now on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

The action-comedy romance film Argylle stayed near the top of streaming popularity charts for a third week. The Apple TV+ spy-vs-spy thriller is chock full of celebrities.

Plus, the dark, gritty series Sugar continues to pull in big audiences on Apple’s streaming service for another week, too. It features Colin Farrell as a private investigator solving a mystery.

Restore corrupted photos, videos and other files with this easy-to-use Mac app

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EaseUS Fixo video repair software running on a Mac.
Fight file corruption with this $49.99 Mac app.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Digital photos may not fade in the sun, but virtually any file can be corrupted. If you’re getting an error message whenever you try to open an old file, all hope isn’t lost. You can use photo and video repair software to make things right.

EaseUS Fixo is an all-in-one file repair toolkit for Mac that can revive corrupted and unopenable photos, documents and more. Normally, a lifetime subscription would cost $119, but you can get it on sale for only $49.99.

Today in Apple history: Apple embraces over-the-air iOS updates

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ios 5
Over-the-air iOS updates took iTunes out of the equation (and leveled the playing field with Android).
Photo: Apple

May 4: Today in Apple history: Apple embraces over-the-air iOS updates May 4, 2011: Reports circulate that Apple is negotiating with carriers to bring over-the-air updates to iOS, beginning with iOS 5.

Such a move would free iPhone owners from using iTunes to get updates for their devices. That means no more plugging an iPhone into a computer via USB to download the latest version of iOS.

The 16 best Mac apps for all kinds of work and play

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All The Best Mac Apps
You’re bound to find some of these handy.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

These are the best Mac apps that’ll help you through all kinds of work — writing, graphic design, video editing — with a few simple (must-have) utilities that everyone can make use of.

Finding good apps can be hard, especially if you’re new to the Mac. Luckily, we’ve put together a list of the very best.

Keep reading or watch our video guide instead.

Turn your TV into a digital gallery stocked with the world’s most famous art

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Dreamscreens art screensavers for TV show fine artworks on your big screen.
Put a gallery of more than 500 famous paintings on your TV.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

TV is fine for when you want to binge and unwind after a hard day at work, but when it comes time for a house party, it can be a distraction or worse. Now there’s an imaginative and classy way to use that wall space with Dreamscreens. This simple USB device comes loaded with art screensavers for TV that will turn your big screen into a frame for some of the world’s most captivating paintings.

And thanks to a special promo, you can get it for $31.99 through May 5.

Plunging iPad shipments show Apple needs new models

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iPad Pro in Apple Store
iPads released years ago are not enough to keep up Apple's tablet shipments.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPad shipments declined 8.5% year-over-year in the first quarter of the 2024, according to a market research firm. The drop can be partially chalked up to the complete lack of new models for the last 18 months.

But it demonstrates Apple’s dominance of the global tablet market that it’s still on top despite a hefty decline during winter quarter.

New Apple ad promises iPhone 15 can find your Mandalorian friends

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Apple Find My Friends ad
He not only carries a thermal detonator, he's got an iPhone 15 with Precision Finding.
Photo: Apple

A new Find Your Friends ad Apple dropped Friday connects the Find My universe with the Star Wars universe, as Boba Fett uses his iPhone 15 in the video to locate fellow Mandalorians in a crowded mall. Or wait, maybe it’s a convention center.

Yeah, it’s a guy in homemade Mandalorian battle gear going off to find like-minded nerds at a raucous Star Wars convention. It’s pretty funny.

Killer dock keeps MacBook Pro and PC in play [Setups]

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Orico Thunderbolt 3 dock setup
A 15-in-one Thunderbolt 3 dock handles a MacBook Pro, a PC laptop and a bunch of peripherals.
Photo: MiRealEscape@Reddit.com

Another Mac and PC computer setup stands in the spotlight today — this time a MacBook Pro and PC laptop driving a 4K display and an array of peripherals through an Orico Thunderbolt 3 dock bristling with 15 ports.

The setup emphasizes gaming, too, with a PlayStation 5 mounted under the desk. We’ll take a look at that, too.

CdkeySales May Sale: Get Windows 10 Pro for $17 and 11 Pro for $23

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CdkeySales Windows 11 logo
Head to CdkeySales.com to score major savings on Microsoft software (and use code CULT to save an additional 30%).
Photo: CdkeySales.com

The big May Sale at CdkeySales is underway, offering excellent deals on Microsoft software. Amazingly low prices await on productivity software like Windows and Microsoft Office. That includes a Windows 10 Pro deal for just $17.05. And a free upgrade comes with it!

SPONSORED
This post is brought to you by CdkeySales.

You can find surprisingly low prices at software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com now and throughout the year. To get the most savings, enter promo code CULT. That cuts an additional 30% off the site’s low prices on software keys. And when you buy Windows 10, you get a free upgrade to Windows 11!

Get 500GB of cloud storage for life, only $120

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Pay $119.99 once and get 500GB cloud storage for life.
Why pay monthly fees for cloud storage?
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The trade-off to having such a powerful camera on your iPhone is that the photo files can get pretty big. If you’re running into low-storage warnings on your iPhone, it might be time to throw a few things in storage. Like, for instance, with this great deal on 500GB of Amaryllo Cloud storage.

Amaryllo’s one-time-payment model means you can get 500GB for life and fill it with practically anything from your iPhone, iPad and MacBook. For a limited time, it’s on sale for only $119.99 (regularly $249).

Apple believes in ‘transformative power and promise of AI’

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An iPhone with the words
Tim Cook is betting big on AI.
Photo: Andrea De Santis/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

CEO Tim Cook is very enthusiastic about the artificial intelligence features coming to iPhone, Mac and iPad. On Thursday, he spoke glowingly about Apple’s unique advantages in this area, and talked about the “transformative power and promise of AI.”

iOS 18, macOS 15 and iPadOS 18 are all expected to include new AI features when they launch this autumn.

From slump to pump: How Apple will get back to winning

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An Apple Store with the phrase
The future looks bright if you're wearing Tim Cook's shades.
Photo: Keming Tan/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

Apple saw its revenue drop 4% year over year in the first quarter, the company reported Thursday. But revenue and earnings dropped less than analysts had expected, setting off a surge in the share price.

In a conference call with investors and analysts after the financial results had been announced, CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri talked about this being the quarter of the “challenging compare,” were upbeat about iPhone sales in China, bragged about the M3 MacBook Air, and fended off questions about the company’s AI plans.

This AI-powered tool lets you blast out 150 job applications a day

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This CES-featured AI-powered job app tool can help you apply to jobs in a pinch, and is only $67.
Try this AI assistant if you want to turbocharge your job search.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

On average, it can take up to 80 job applications before you land an interview. Even if those are the easiest types of applications, which let you simply upload your resume without manually inserting additional info, that still represents plenty of wasted time getting your info out to potential employers. An AI job application writer can help.

Make this grueling process a thing of the past with AI-powered job-application extension LazyApply. It uses artificial intelligence to streamline your job search. Even better, you can get a lifetime license to LazyApply for only $59.97 through March 5. That’s a 59% discount off the regular price of $149.

Apple exempts freeware from controversial Core Technology Fee

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iPhone 15 with Euros
Freeware won't be destroyed by Apple's Core Technology Fee.
Image: Cult of Mac/Carlos Pernalete Tua

Apple responded to protests about the Core Technology Fee it charges European developers every time one of their applications is installed. It removed the requirement for apps that generate “no revenue whatsoever.”

Currently, the CTF is only charged in the EU, but it has the potential to expand globally so prudent developers should pay attention to any changes no matter where they live.