David Snow - page 11

Labor Day weekend is a great time to kick back, take a rest from work — and be thankful for the paycheck that lets you buy tons of Apple Labor Day sale items. The Cult of Mac Store marks the holiday this year by taking 20% off everything from SwitchEasy.

That’s 100 products to choose from! The company makes a wide variety of cool accessories for Apple Watch, AirPods, AirTag, iPhone, iPad, MacBook and more, like various chargers. So whatever Apple gear you have, check out these Labor Day deals on SwitchEasy Apple accessories.

You might not be thinking much past a barbecue on Monday. But you should be thinking about nabbing incredible Labor Day deals on M3 MacBook Pro. Both Amazon and Best Buy are pulling out the stops for Labor Day. Savings run up to $500 — or even $1,000 (but that’s only for Best Buy members … so you might want to sign up).

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California’s legislature passed a hotly contested AI safety bill Thursday — the groundbreaking Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act (SB 1047).

The controversial bill, which awaits Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature before it can become law, introduces the first major AI regulations in the United States. It could have far-reaching implications for tech companies and users alike.

On Wednesday we drooled shamelessly over an M2 Ultra Mac Pro driving a Pro Display XDR and two Studio Displays, a rig that prices out somewhere around $20,000. So on Friday it’s back to financial reality for us, none too soon. And in today’s MacBook Pro setup from a college student, part of that thrifty reality means deploying a ridiculously affordable SupTek Monitor Mount for the external display. The user recommends it. Why? It just works.

Sports fans can enjoy new features in the free Apple Sports iPhone app, some in time for football season and others coming soon, Apple said Thursday. The app launched earlier this year with an emphasis on simplicity to help fans easily track scores and stats.

Many prominent news outlets and social media platforms have opted out of Apple’s AI training data collection via website scraping, according to a new report Thursday.

Apple does it through a new tool called Applebot-Extended, which the iPhone giant introduced less than three months ago. If major content websites opt out of Apple AI scraping, that could have implications for the continuing development of Apple Intelligence.

The new Vagabond Mobile Gaming Controller transforms iPhone, iPad mini and Android devices into full-fledged gaming consoles, Elo Gaming Limited said Tuesday. It called the device suitable for casual and pro gamers alike.

Looks like now’s a good time to grab yourself a very cool and quite powerful laptop you can take anywhere. That’s because Amazon invites you to select from various models and take $250 off 15-inch M3 MacBook Air. That includes any model with the specs to suit your needs. For example, you might want to go for the recommended 16GB of unified memory to help ensure the laptop keeps handling tough tasks for a while — like all that Apple Intelligence stuff gearing up to change people’s lives.

In a move that could significantly impact Apple’s wireless charging technology in China, the country’s regulators plan to ban many wireless chargers, including Apple 15-watt MagSafe and Qi2 models, because of new radio-frequency rules, a new report said Tuesday. Why? Apparently it’s to “maintain the order of airwaves.”

Market analysts expect Apple to reach a new milestone in 2024, with global revenues exceeding $400 billion for the first time, according to a new report Wednesday. It anticipates growth in Apple’s hardware and services businesses to drive that record-breaking revenue growth.

Looking at computer setups proudly flaunted on social media sometimes leads to cases of crippling envy. You may have some top-notch Apple gear, but you probably don’t possess treasures like those of today’s world-beating user: a new, high-end M2 Ultra Mac Pro, a Mac Studio, a Pro Display XDR and two Studio Displays. Sheesh. An M2 Ultra Mac Pro with Pro Display XDR is way over the top, but this rig adds another killer desktop machine as backup, plus a pair of Studio Displays!

Powered by artificial intelligence, the tiny new Plaud NotePin wearable records, transcribes and summarizes meetings and events to help you manage tasks at work, school or home, Plaud.AI said Wednesday. The company described the pill-shaped device, which you can wear on a necklace, wristband, clip or pin, as a “memory capsule.”

“Plaud NotePin is more than just an AI device,” said Nathan Hsu, CEO and Co-founder at Plaud.AI. “It’s your always-ready business partner, handling mundane, daily tasks so you can concentrate on what truly drives value in your life and career. This small but powerful device is reshaping the professional landscape, allowing users to optimize their day-to-day workflow and focus on what matters most.”

An update to the Wearable Devices Mudra Band for Apple Watch brings enhanced same-hand, touchless gesture control and task management for users even in older models of the device, the company said Monday. The artificial intelligence-powered functionality complements the band’s existing solutions for iPhone, iPad and other Apple products, it added.

“One of our initial goals with the Mudra Band has been to provide our users with same-hand touchless watch operation, and we are pleased to cater to multiple requests by our customers,” said Asher Dahan, CEO of Wearable Devices. “This is a step forward in AI-based wearable technology, pushing the boundaries of what wearable technology can offer.”

First Apple TV+ unveiled The New Look, a World War II drama depicting French fashion designers heroically carrying on with their vital work in Nazi-occupied Paris. Now the trailer for La Maison, a melodramatic family saga about a fictional French fashion house in crisis, struts down the catwalk. And it’s entirely in French. Hey, it could be great. Or, as the trailer suggests, it could be preposterously self-important.

And check out that tagline: “The fabric of power.” Seriously?

On the plus side, the show is brought to us by some talented folks behind good stuff — The Returned, Lupin and Le Bureau des Légendes. So I’ll leave out the “La Maison du Merde” jokes for now. La Maison debuts on Apple TV+ September 20.

Luca Maestri, Apple’s chief financial officer (CFO) since 2014, will transition to head of Corporate Services on January 1, 2025, the iPhone giant said Monday. Kevan Parekh, Apple’s vice president of Financial Planning and Analysis, will assume the role of CFO.

“Luca has been an extraordinary partner in managing Apple for the long term. He has been instrumental in improving and driving the company’s financial performance, engaging with shareholders, and instilling financial discipline across every part of Apple,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “We’re fortunate that we will continue to benefit from the leadership and insight that have been the hallmark of his tenure at the company.”

Labor Day comes up on Monday, September 2, but some sales on tech gear kick off as much as a week before that. Take Sonos, for example. You can find a range of great deals on headphones, speakers, soundbars and bundles of different products. Most of the bargains are at both Sonos and Amazon. Go to Sonos to see the whole sale on one page and grab the bundles. Follow links to either Amazon or Sonos below for various Labor Day deals on Sonos audio gear.

We’ve seen a trend for some time of people using massive smart TVs as external computer displays because they want something even bigger than most purpose-built monitors. But regular monitors are catching up. We’ve seen a few 49-inch curved gaming displays out there, of course, and today’s MacBook Pro setup uses a giant 43-inch Dell flat panel with 4K resolution.

In a surprising turn of events, fans of a certain beloved Apple TV+ soccer comedy may have reason to “Believe” that Ted Lasso season 4 may actually happen.

On the show, a handwritten sign in the fictional Premiere League soccer team’s locker room urges players to believe they can win. Now actual proof of a probable fourth season comes to light. Fans will do doubt want to believe this is a done deal, but so far it’s just a hopeful sign.

In an interesting turn of events, sources familiar with Apple’s plans reportedly confirmed the iPhone 16 event date as September 10, according to a new report. That date happens to match a recent hoax report that circulated online, adding an unexpected twist to Apple’s biggest product launch of the year, with the iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch 10 and more expected.

Update: On August 26, Apple confirmed that the event will take place on Monday, September 9. The official invite bears the catchprase, “It’s Glowtime.”

In a significant shift in the podcasting landscape, YouTube has emerged as the leading platform for podcast consumption in the United States, surpassing long-time market leader Apple Podcasts and streaming giant Spotify, which is now in second place, according to recent studies. Meanwhile, former leader Apple Podcast loses market share, falling to third place. And that marks a turning point in how Americans access and consume podcast content.

Not everyone keeps an iPad in their computer setup, especially when it’s not their main computer. But today’s M2 Pro MacBook Pro user does. And as commenters on his post noted, he may have found the perfect placement for his iPad Pro stand. He seems to get his laptop and tablet mounts working in perfect unison, within view and also within easy reach.

The new Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 and Pi8 wireless, active noise canceling (ANC) earbuds aim to redefine the premium earbud market with upgraded features, impeccable design and stellar sound quality, the venerable brand said Wednesday. The new buds come from the same team behind the company’s acclaimed Px7 S2e and Px8 headphones.

“I’m thrilled that the Bowers & Wilkins team has once again been able to raise the bar for premium design, performance and quality in the headphone category,” said Giles Pocock, vice president of Brand Marketing at Bowers & Wilkins, founded way back in 1966. “Our new Pi6 and Pi8 earbuds are truly special — I’m certain they will be just as successful as our Px7 S2e and Px8 headphones have been.”

SwitchEasy is offering a great deal in the Cult of Mac Store through Thursday, August 22 — buy any SwitchEasy Apple Watch band at 20% off.

You can pick from an array of cool Apple Watch bands in different styles and made of various materials, from stretchy nylon to stainless steel mesh. See below.

Apple Watch SE and SE2 are great, affordable smart watches. But with the killer deals on grade A refurbished Apple Watches like Series 6,7 and 8 that Amazon bargain site Woot! offers this week, why not go for a wearable with more features than the budget models?

Act fast, though — the deals, which also include Apple Watch SE plus Series 4 and 5 — and and appealing variety of choices of models and colors — end Tuesday, August 27, at 10 p.m. Pacific.

Two brilliant detectives will clash again as acclaimed London-based thriller Criminal Record returns for a second season, Apple TV+ said Thursday. The engrossing series stars Peter Capaldi of Doctor Who and Cush Jumbo of The Good Wife.

So the streamer confirmed what Jumbo said on a talk show back in February. The renewal is great news for fans of the show. If you haven’t tried it, you should stream the first season.