Apple TV+ unveiled a first look Thursday at The Big Cigar, an upcoming limited drama series starring André Holland as Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton. The show traces his wild escape from the FBI to Cuba.
The Big Cigar debuts on May 17 with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Friday through June 14. “It’s all true,” Apple TV+ said. “Mostly.”
First look at The Big Cigar limited series coming to Apple TV+ May 17
According to Apple’s first look at The Big Cigar, it’s a six-episode drama based in strange-but-true reality. NAACP Image Award winner Janine Sherman Barrois serves as executive producer, along with Jim Hecht and Joshuah Bearman. Multi-award-winning actor, director and producer Don Cheadle directs and executive produces the first two episodes.
So the show “chronicles the story of Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton’s escape to Cuba, and is based on the monumental, eponymous magazine article of the same name.”
And if you’re unfamiliar with Newton, he was theAfrican American political activist who founded the Black Panther Party in 1966 with Bobby Seale in Oakland, California. Newton ran the group and its social programs. It ceased operations in 1982. He was murdered in 1989.
Here’s the streaming service’s description provided with the first look at The Big Cigar:
Based on the magazine article by Joshuah Bearman (Argo), who will also serve as executive producer, The Big Cigar is the incredible true story of Hollywood revolution meeting social revolution: it’s a wild caper of Black Panther founder Newton escaping from the FBI to Cuba with the assistance of famed producer Bert Schneider in an impossibly elaborate plan — involving a fake movie production — that goes wrong every way it possibly can. And somehow, it’s all true. Mostly.
André Holland leads a renowned ensemble cast including Alessandro Nivola, Tiffany Boone, P. J. Byrne, Marc Menchaca, Moses Ingram, Rebecca Dalton, Olli Haaskivi, Jordane Christie and Glynn Turman.
Barrois (Claws, The Kings of Napa) serves as the series’ showrunner. Jim Hecht (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) wrote the first episode. The series comes from Warner Bros. Television, which has a deal with Barrois and her Folding Chair Productions company. In addition to Barrois and Hecht, Bearman, Joshua Davis and Arthur Spector (Little America) of the Epic production company serve as executive producers.
Watch The Big Cigar on Apple TV+
Now that you’ve had a first look at The Big Cigar, take note the new limited series streams starting May 17. Apple TV+ is available by subscription for $9.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
After launching in November 2019, “Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 471 wins and 2,090 award nominations and counting,” the service said.
In addition to award-winning movies and TV shows (including breakout soccer comedy Ted Lasso), Apple TV+ offers a variety of documentaries, dramas, comedies, kids shows and more.
March 14, 1994: Apple introduces the Power Macintosh 7100, a midrange Mac that will become memorable for two reasons.
The first is that it is among the first Macs to use new PowerPC processors. The second is that it results in Apple getting taken to court by astronomer Carl Sagan — not once but twice.
Power Macintosh 7100: A solid Mac
The Power Macintosh 7100 was one of three Macs introduced in March 1994, with the other two being the lower-end Power Macintosh 6100 and the high-end 8100 model.
The Power Mac 7100’s PowerPC processor ran at 66 MHz (a spec that Apple upgraded to 80 MHz in January 1995). The computer’s hard drive ranged between 250MB and 700MB in size. The Mac also sported Apple’s then-standard NuBus card slots and 72-pin paired RAM slots.
The Mac 7100 came in a slightly modified Macintosh IIvx case. (The IIvx was the first Mac to come in a metal case and feature an internal CD-ROM drive.)
Costing between $2,900 and $3,500, the Mac 7100 was a solid piece of hardware that bridged the gap nicely between the low-end consumer 6100 and its higher-end 8100 sibling. It was, for example, perfectly capable of running two monitors. However, it could overheat when performing particularly strenuous tasks such as complex rendering of images or videos.
The Mac 7100 compared with the other Power Macintoshes of its day. Photo: Apple
Carl Sagan sues Apple over Power Mac 7100 code name
As many Apple fans will know, the company’s engineers frequently give code names to projects they’re working on, either to maintain secrecy or just for fun. They gave the Power Mac 7100 the code name “Carl Sagan” as a tribute to the famous astronomer.
Unfortunately, the secret in-joke spilled in a 1993 issue of MacWeek that eventually found its way into Sagan’s hands. In a letter to MacWeek, Sagan wrote:
“I have been approached many times over the past two decades by individuals and corporations seeking to use my name and/or likeness for commercial purposes. I have always declined, no matter how lucrative the offer or how important the corporation. My endorsement is not for sale.
For this reason, I was profoundly distressed to see your lead front-page story ‘Trio of Power PC Macs spring toward March release date’ proclaiming Apple’s announcement of a new Mac bearing my name. That this was done without my authorization or knowledge is especially disturbing. Through my attorneys, I have repeatedly requested Apple to make a public clarification that I knew nothing of its intention to capitalize on my reputation in introducing this product, that I derived no benefit, financial or otherwise, from its doing so. Apple has refused. I would appreciate it if you so apprise your readership.”
Forced to change the code name, Apple engineers began calling the project “BHA,” which stood for “Butt-Head Astronomer.”
Sagan then sued Apple over the implication that he was a “butt-head.” The judge overseeing the matter made the following statement:
“There can be no question that the use of the figurative term ‘butt-head’ negates the impression that Defendant was seriously implying an assertion of fact. It strains reason to conclude the Defendant was attempting to criticize Plaintiff’s reputation of competency as an astronomer. One does not seriously attack the expertise of a scientist using the undefined phrase ‘butt-head.’”
Still, Apple’s legal team asked the engineers to change the code name once more. They picked “LAW” — standing for “Lawyers Are Wimps.”
Sagan appealed the judge’s decision. Eventually, in late 1995, the famous astronomer reached a settlement with Apple. From that point on, Cupertino appears to have used only benign code names related to activities like skiing.
Do you remember the Power Macintosh 7100? Leave your comments below.
Privacy-preserving URL protection and beefed-up password protection are coming to Google Safe Browsing for the popular Chrome browser for macOS and iOS, Google said Thursday. And the Chrome security update comes to Macs, iPhones and iPads first. Android devices will see them later in March.
Chrome security update: Google Safe Browsing beefed up for macOS and iOS
Google Safe Browsing in Chrome protects against phishing, malware, unwanted software and more. It shows more than 3 million user warnings daily for potential threats, Google said.
But new Chrome security update might increase that number, according to a pair of blog posts from Google (general news and technical details). And the updates are coming to Chrome for macOS and iOS first and to Android users later in March.
Until now Safe Browsing’s Standard protection mode worked from a list of known threat-sites stored on a user’s device. Now, with the Chrome security update, it will check site’s against Google’s server-side list in real time.
That change should block 25% more phishing attempts, according to Google. And it helps spot brand-new threat sites plus those that exist only briefly. Many threat sites pop up for less than 10 minutes, the company noted.
Encryption and other methods added
This schematic shows the updated threat-site checking process. Photo: Google
Google also noted the update uses privacy-enhancing methods like encryption to make sure no one, including Google, knows what websites you go to.
“While this does require some additional horsepower from the browser, we’ve worked to make sure your experience remains smooth and speedy,” the company said.
And while the Chrome security update relates to Safe Browsing’s Standard protection, you can jack it up by turning on Enhanced Protection. That uses artificial intelligence to protect against malicious Chrome extensions, Google said.
Password Checkup updated, too
Google added that Password Checkup on iOS also recently got updated. In addition to calling your attention to compromised passwords, it can now flag weak and reused passwords.
The user gets an alert when entering a bad password. Or they can check passwords any time in Chrome Settings > Safety Check.
Want a laptop that can easily handle your demanding video editing or data processing workflow? The 16-inch MacBookPro with M3 Max should be your top choice.
Find the laptop’s $3,499 price tag steep? Amazon is knocking $250 off the M3 Max MacBook Pro, making it a little more affordable.
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MacBook Pro with M3 Max has beauty and brains
M3 Max is currently the fastest laptop chip in Apple’s lineup. It features a 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU and ships with 36GB of unified memory. Fabricated on TSMC’s enhanced 3nm node, the SoC delivers a great balance between performance and battery life.
The M3 Max packs more than enough horsepower to handle heavy data processing or editing. And it can deliver this performance without draining your MacBook’s battery in no time.
It’s not just the chip. Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro is packed with the best hardware available. You get a 120Hz ProMotion display with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. The display’s notch houses a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, complemented by the six-speaker setup and three-mic array. Oh! And it comes in a stealthy Space Black finish.
As for ports, the laptop packs an SD card slot, 3 USB-C ports, a 3.5mm jack, an HDMI port and MagSafe for fast charging.
Save a sweet $250 on the M3 Max MacBook Pro
With so much power, it’s not surprising that the M3 Max MacBook Pro is expensive. Apple wants $3,499 for the entry-level configuration packing 1TB storage and 36GB memory. But you can get the same variant from Amazon for $250 off, bringing its price down to $3,249.
If your workload is memory intensive, spring for the 48GB unified memory configuration. While the machine’s MSRP is $4,000, Amazon’s deal has knocked it down to $3,749. This is a modest saving, but you can use the money saved to buy some essential accessories for your new MacBook Pro.
M3 Max MacBook Pro configurations are rarely discounted, so you should not miss this deal.
The new Apple Sports app for iPhone got an update for basketball and baseball fans. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
The new Apple Sports iPhone application just recieved its first big update. It’s now ready for basketball’s March Madness and baseball’s Opening Day.
The free app that debuted in February gives fans access to real-time scores, stats and more for their favorite teams across a wide range of sports leagues.
Apple Sports 1.1 update focuses on basketball and baseball
“We created Apple Sports to give sports fans what they want — an app that delivers incredibly fast access to scores and stats,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP of services, in a statement.
An update released Thursday morning by Apple promises:
Ready for March Madness? Follow the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournaments for real-time updates.
Starting with Opening Day, go deep this MLB season with play-by-play updates, betting odds, box scores, and more for all of your favorite teams.
Final scores are now sorted by league.
More about the app
Users of the recently released Apple Sports application can follow their favorite teams, tournaments and leagues. Fans also can get play-by-play information, team stats, lineup details and live betting odds.
Currently, fans can follow teams and leagues that are now in season. Others, including the NFL, will be added as their seasons get closer.
The updated software is available now in the App Store. It’s free to install and use.
A Benjamin Franklin docudrama coming soon to Apple TV+ will have the founding father taking on the dangerous task of convincing the king of France to financially support the American Revolution.
Legendary actor Michael Douglas has the title role of Franklin, a limited series premiering in April.
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Apple TV+ Franklin docudrama will be thick with political intrigue
In 1776, Benjamin Franklin is sent to France to convince the monarch to underwrite America’s experiment in democracy. Against the odds he succeeds and [Spoiler alert] the fledgling United States wins the Revolutionary War.
As Apple TV+ says:
“At age 70, without any diplomatic training, Franklin convinced an absolute monarchy to underwrite America’s experiment in democracy. By virtue of his fame, charisma and ingenuity, Franklin outmaneuvered British spies, French informers and hostile colleagues to engineer the Franco-American Alliance of 1778 and the peace treaty with Great Britain in 1783.”
It is easy to picture Franklin’s mission to Paris as a bunch of men standing around discussing diplomacy, but the trailer for the Apple TV+ series emphasizes the intrigue and danger … because of course it does.
So much talent
Michael Douglas has over 50 years of acting experience. Among his many accolades are two Academy Awards and five Golden Globes.
The drama also stars Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place) as Temple Franklin, Thibault de Montalembert (Call My Agent!) as comte de Vergennes, Daniel Mays (Line of Duty) as Edward Bancroft, Ludivine Sagnier (Lupin) as Madame Brillon, Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan) as John Adams and Théodore Pellerin (There’s Someone Inside Your House) as Marquis de Lafayette.
The series was directed by Tim Van Patten (The Pacific, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire).
Coming to Apple TV+ in April
Franklin will premiere globally on Apple TV+ with the first three episodes on Friday, April 12. These will be followed by one new episode every Friday through mid May.
Watching comes with a subscription to Apple TV+. The service is $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle.
And Apple’s streaming video service also includes much more than historical dramas, of course. There are comedies, science fiction, children’s shows, nature documentaries, etc.
AirPods can work surprisingly well as hearing aids. Thanks to Transparency mode, AirPods Pro will boost the sound of your environment around you. They can give you freaky Spiderman super-hearing if you boost input volume to the max. And Conversation Boost on the latest AirPods Pro 2 can intelligently raise the volume of people talking to you (while lowering the volume of your music or podcasts).
My prescription hearing aids were out of action recently due to a battery problem, so for a few weeks, I used my AirPods Pro as hearing aids.
For the most part, they’ve been pretty good. They work best when set up properly, which is a bit of a chore, but here’s how to do it.
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How to use AirPods as hearing aids
If you experience mild to moderate hearing loss, you can use AirPods Pro as great part-time hearing aids, boosting sound in noisy environments. They also work well as a substitute when you forget your regular hearing aids (or their batteries run out of charge).
Apple’s noise-canceling earbuds also can serve as a great starter device. Most prescription hearing aids cost between $3,000 and $10,000, and require professional hearing tests, fitting and adjustment. Before diving in, you might want to experiment with boosting your hearing with a pair of AirPods Pro.
There’s also no social stigma against wearing AirPods as there is with wearing hearing aids. No one will know you’re using them to augment your hearing — although you might appear rude at first keeping them in while you talk.
They can give you superhuman hearing capable of picking up whispered conversations across the room, too. Just boost the input volume to the maximum. Note: Be very careful listening to anything at high volumes; even just a few minutes at a loud volume can damage your ears even further.
The latest model AirPods Pro 2 are among the best wireless earbuds you can buy for your iPhone and other Apple gear. They offer excellent sound quality, battery life and active noise cancellation, among other advanced features.
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03/13/2024 02:09 pm GMT
Researchers say AirPods are already as good as hearing aids
Professional hearing aids are super-expensive, but researchers found that AirPods already work nearly as well as most hearing aids. In 2020, scientists pitted a pair of AirPods 2 and first-gen AirPods Pro against a basic hearing aid and a premium pair. In almost all the tests, they found the AirPods Pro were as good as the basic hearing aid and only slightly less effective than the premium pair. Even the AirPods 2 “helped participants hear more clearly compared with wearing no hearing aids,” the study found.
Apple doesn’t yet have approval from the Food and Drug Administration to sell AirPods as OTC hearing aids and hasn’t made any announcements about this possibility, but it’s rumored to come soon. The company has been adding a lot of features to AirPods Pro that make them suitable — including Conversation Boost, muting background sounds, and particularly Transparency Mode, which makes all this possible.
AirPods Pro work great as part-time or starter hearing aids, but they’re not a full-time replacement yet.
Apple’s earbuds still don’t work as well as my Oticon More hearing aids: The battery life is much shorter (AirPods Pro get about five to six hours versus 18 to 24 hours for the Oticons), and they aren’t as good at boosting voices.
I’ve been using Apple’s latest AirPods Pro (second generation), which Apple launched in September 2022, as substitute hearing aids.
I was in this boat myself. I had trouble hearing people speak in loud environments, but I had no idea of the extent of my deafness until I got fitted with hearing aids. When I first tried them on, I was astounded and almost choked up. Suddenly, I could hear the leaves rustling in the trees and sand crunching underfoot as people passed by: sounds I was oblivious to beforehand. It’s been an amazing experience getting my hearing back.
If you own AirPods Pro, perhaps you should try setting them up as hearing aids to see if they make any difference. If so, you can then explore getting prescription hearing devices.
Start with an audiogram
This is my audiogram after taking a professional hearing test. It shows moderate hearing loss in higher frequencies. The test tones had to be played louder in order for me to hear them. (Ignore the coffee stains!)
Before setting up AirPods as hearing aids, I highly recommend getting an audiogram, a chart that shows the results of a hearing test. It shows how loud sounds need to be for you to hear them at different frequencies — low-pitched through high-pitched. As you can see in the audiogram above, I have moderate hearing loss in higher frequencies: The test tones had to be played at much higher decibels in order for me to hear them.
If you import an audiogram, your AirPods will create an individualized sound profile for you, boosting the frequencies you have trouble hearing. It makes a huge difference.
If you’ve taken a professional hearing test, you’ll likely have been given an audiogram — usually, it’s just a printout. Simply take a picture of your audiogram with your iPhone and it’ll be ready to import.
Luckily, you don’t have to take a professional hearing test: Some free apps will create very accurate audiograms for you. (Jump to the section below detailing how to get a free audiogram using an app.)
However, you don’t need an audiogram to use AirPods as hearing aids. There’s a built-in hearing test during the setup process that gets pretty close.
AirPods as hearing aids: Step-by-step setup instructions
Here are the steps to transform AirPods into assistive hearing devices.
7. After taking the test, choose Custom Settings.
8. If you have an audiogram already saved, choose it when customizing Headphone audio.
Here’s what the whole process looks like with screenshots:
1. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad, then Accessibility, then AirPods
Start in the Settings app, then tap Accessibility. Screenshot: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
First, connect your AirPods to your iPhone. (This works the same way on an iPad.) Then open the Settings app on your iPhone, then tap Accessibility. Scroll down to AirPods and tap that to select the AirPods you want to customize.
2. Scroll down to Audio Accessibility Settings
Choose the AirPods you want to set up. Make sure they are connected, or you might get an error. Screenshot: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Make sure you are wearing your AirPods, then tap on them if your device says they are Connected. On the next screen, scroll down to Audio Accessibility Settings.
3. Tap Headphone Accommodations, then Custom Audio Setup
Under Headphone Accommodations, you will find the Custom Audio Setup section. Screenshot: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
At the top of the screen, tap Headphone Accommodations, then tap Custom Audio Setup. The next screen asks you to add your audiogram.
4. Import your audiogram
To add an audiogram, just take a picture of it. The camera automatically reads the numbers in the chart. Screenshot: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
If you have an audiogram printout, hit Continue in the setup wizard. If doing this for the first time, you’ll first be asked to add your audiogram. Choose Add Audiogram, then import the chart using the iPhone’s Camera, Photos or Files app. I used my iPhone’s camera to take a picture of the audiogram I got from a professional hearing test, and the camera imported the results automatically.
After importing, if there’s any data missing, you’ll be asked to fill in any missing numbers.
5. Customize your AirPods Pro’s Transparency Mode
If any of the audiogram data turns up missing during import, you’ll be asked to fill it in. Screenshot: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
After hitting Save, you can adjust amplification (basically the volume level of the AirPods you’ll be using as hearing aids), left and right balance, and tone. You can turn on Ambient Noise Reduction and Conversation Boost, both of which should make it easier to hear people in face-to-face conversations. I recommend turning on both of these, and went with the default amplification. (I crank it up for Spiderman-like super-hearing as needed.)
Hit Done.
6. If you don’t have an audiogram, take the built-in hearing test (or use a free app)
Apple’s hearing test asks you to rate samples of speech and music. It’s basic, but good for a start. Screenshot: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
If you don’t have an audiogram, you can take Apple’s built-in hearing test to generate one. First, make sure you’re in a quiet environment. The test asks you to compare samples of music and voices, asking which sounds better — version 1 or version 2. If they sound about the same, choose the first one. The test takes just a couple of minutes.
Alternatively, you can use one of the free apps mentioned below to generate an audiogram.
7. After taking the hearing test, make sure to choose Custom Settings
Choose Custom Settings. Screenshot: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
At the end of the built-in hearing test, make sure to choose Custom Settings.
8. If you have an audiogram already saved, choose it when customizing Headphone audio
If you already have an audiogram saved in the Health app, it’ll appear here. Screenshot: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
You may already have an audiogram saved in the Health app. If so, it’ll appear on the first screen after hitting Custom Audio setup in step 3 above.
Choose the latest audiogram, and hit Use Audiogram. You’ll then be able to customize settings, as in Step 6 above.
How to get an audiogram using a free app
The free Mimi hearing test app can create an audiogram to be imported into the Health app. Screenshot: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
If you don’t have an audiogram, you can use the Mimi Hearing Test or SonicCloud Personalized Sound apps. After taking the free hearing test, simply import the results into the Health app.
Both these apps mimic a professional hearing test. You listen to a range of tones at various frequencies and volumes, and the app creates an audiogram based on your responses.
I tried both apps and got basically the same results as the professional audiogram, which makes me confident they are both pretty accurate. However, the numbers from both apps were slightly off. (That could indicate my hearing deteriorated since my last professional hearing test.)
Obviously, if you want the greatest accuracy, head to your doctor or hearing specialist.
After taking the hearing test in either app, you’ll be asked to connect to Apple Health. Since this is private health information, you must permit the third-party apps to connect with the Health app. Hit Give Permission.
Your audiogram will be imported and will show up in the custom audio process.
Which AirPods offer Transparency Mode?
Using AirPods as hearing aids relies on Transparency Mode, which lets in outside sounds so you can hear what’s happening around you. Transparency Mode is often used when listening to music, but if you use your AirPods in Transparency Mode without any media playing, they act as hearing aids.
Transparency Mode is available on the following AirPods and Beats earbuds:
The latest model AirPods Pro 2 are among the best wireless earbuds you can buy for your iPhone and other Apple gear. They offer excellent sound quality, battery life and active noise cancellation, among other advanced features.
Baseus rolled out its new Blade 2 Ultra-Thin 65W Laptop Power Bank on Monday. The thin portable power bank keeps MacBooks and other devices going.
The 65-watt, 12000mAh power bank includes a charge information display, intelligent app control and can charge up to two devices at once.
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Baseus Blade 2 Ultra-Thin 65W Laptop Power Bank
The new Baseus Blade 2 smart power bank is super-slim for portability, so you can bring it with you and keep your MacBook going. It comes with intelligent features like a charging status screen and a control app. And it can power up two devices at once.
Baseus described the bank, showcased at CES 2024, this way:
The Blade2 Ultra-Thin Laptop Power Bank stands out with its impressively flat design, weighing approximately 11 ounces. Its sleek dimensions of approximately 0.4 inch thickness, and just 0.3 inch at its thinnest point, make it effortlessly portable, easily slipping into computer bags without occupying much space. This convenient new portable power bank from Baseus provides recharging capabilities anywhere, without the hassle.
Despite the thin portable power bank’s compact profile, its 12000mAh Polymer Lithium battery packs a lot of power. It uses EV-grade Silicon Carbon Anode battery technology. It boasts 20,000 recharging cycles for long-lasting performance, according to Baseus.
Custom digital display and Intelligent Control App
A display tells you the bank’s charging status and an app helps you control the device. Photo: Baseus
The device features 65W fast charging output for laptops and other devices. And its PD60W self-charging input shows up on a custom digital display interface powered by BDIP digital power technology.
Baseus Intelligent Control App enables real-time monitoring, personalized settings and charging insights on the go, Baseus said.
“For maximum convenience and versatility, users can take advantage of superior charging for all their devices with the dual C-port setup that allows them to charge two devices at the same time,” the company said. “Using BPS2.0 intelligent power distribution technology, the 45W and 20W Type-C ports provides complete peace of mind knowing that all their devices can be fully charged and ready to go at a moment’s notice.”
Universally compatible, the thin portable power bank works with more than 1,000 devices and supports PD, SCP, QC, FCP, AFC, and many other fast-charging protocols for a variety of devices.
The power bank comes equipped with up to eight different safety protocols in place. They include short circuit, over-discharge, temperature, over-charge, over-power, restore, over-current and over-voltage protection, Baseus said.
You can buy the Baseus Blad e2 Ultra-Thin 65W Laptop Power Bank at Baseus or Amazon for $99.9. But a promotion running until March 25 discounts it to $69.99. Just check the box on Amazon to use code 30OFFBLADE.
This ultra-slim 65-watt power bank offers fast charging with app control with LED charging status display. The 12000mAh portable charger works with MacBooks, iPhone 15/14 Series, Samsung, iPad, Switch, Steam Deck and more.
Owen Wilson tees up in an upcoming Apple TV+ comedy series about golfers. Photo: Markus Spiske/Pixels
The list of comedies on Apple TV+ is expanding with one starring Owen Wilson as a washed up golf pro stepping up to coach a teen in the sport.
The series — which does not yet have a name — seems to have a lot on common with Ted Lasso, another sports-themed comedy that was an enormous success for Apple TV+.
Owen Wilson is the latest star given an Apple TV+ series
Ted Lasso followed a haplessly optimistic American football coach (played by Jason Sudeikis) who is recruited to lead an English soccer team. In his upcoming series, Owen Wilson plays a hapless golfer taking a try at coaching. The similarities are hard to miss.
“The comedy follows Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After he gets fired from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store and his wife walks out on him, Pryce hedges his bets entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom.”
What makes the series interesting is, of course, its star. Owen Wilson is fresh off the successful run of Loki on Disney+. Before that, he was in Wedding Crashers and The Royal Tenenbaums.
The as-yet unnamed Apple TV+ show was created and written by Jason Keller (Ford v Ferrari). It will be directed by the team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Fleishman is in Trouble, Little Miss Sunshine, Battle of the Sexes).
Given that Apple TV+ just recently greenlit the series, Owen Wilson’s big premiere on Apple’s streaming service is many months away. Only time will tell if it can match the huge success of Ted Lasso.
Is bigger always better? Nope. And the debate rages on over how big OLED smart TV display suits a computer setup. Would you go large at over 50 inches, or stick to, say, 42 inches or smaller?
Today’s MacBook Pro setup raised the issue again, surfacing some sensible advice. And the smart TV in question is on sale!
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MacBook Pro drives big 42-inch LG OLED smart TV display
Redditor Katert (“Kat”) showcased the setup in a post entitled, “My endgame setup.” They run a 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro open on the desk as a secondary display, though they said they might go to clamshell (closed) mode. The laptop drives a huge 42-inch LG C2 Series OLED smart TV.
“Really curious these days about how large to go with a screen,” said a commenter. “Getting closer to large project 3D modeling, and working at 1:20 scale, a 50-inch at the back of an 80 cm depth would be so cool. How does this (what – 30 inches) feel? Would you go larger — Mebbe a 4K screen at larger?”
“I have an 80 cm deep desk and thought it would be on the short side, but it’s very doable,” Kat replied. “I have a keyboard tray I can take out to extend it a bit more, but so far I didn’t feel the need to. Came from a 32-inch screen, and this is so much more immersive, it’s crazy. For reference; its an LG C2 OLED in 42 inch.”
Any ‘burn in?’
Another commenter considering a 42-inch OLED TV for a display mentioned one concern. “Only concern is burn-in cause I basically keep Chrome windows open all day long. But love the size and design,” they said, referring to images burning in and becoming permanent on the screen.
“I had the same concern as well, but I’ve kept ABL on (while a lot of others turn it off using a service remote),” Kat replied. “It automatically dims the screen when it’s being static. Also, I’ve read experiences where people did turn it off and used it for 100s of hours and there’s still no burn in.”
OLED smart TV display
We’ve come across quite a few big smart TVs used as displays in setups. The posts showcasing them sometimes turn into debates over how big a display is too big, and are they unhealthy for both necks and eyes.
A commenter on Kat’s post concluded that 42 inches is a good size, while larger may be too big (and they should know).
“I have a 55-inch monitor, it’s nice for certain tasks, but not all tasks,” they said. “If you need to look at something in the upper corners it’s a bit of a strain. Next time I change monitors I’m going down to a 42 inch.”
Kat’s LG OLED 8 million self-lit OLED pixels that achieve 100% color fidelity and high contrast. The TV’s α9 Gen 5 AI Processor 4K adapts to the content on screen, adjusting picture and sound settings automatically.
And Filmmaker Mode aims to make movies as their makers intended, enhancing the viewing experience with Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos.
What’s more, LG Game Optimizer mode with Nvidia G-SYNC, FreeSync Premium and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) enables fluid on-screen motion. And Game Optimizer manages game settings.
And while the C2 came out in 2022 (normally $1,400, now $880), the C3 is available now, too (normally about $1,200, but on sale now for $997).
Shop these items now:
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If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected]. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.
March 14, 1994: Apple introduces the Power Macintosh 7100, a midrange Mac that will become memorable for two reasons.
