Cult of Mac

The transition to the gig economy has been hard on first-time freelancers for many reasons, but the learning curve is especially steep during tax time. Even in the best-case scenario, taxes are a pain. But when they’re not automatically taken out? You need all the help you can get — and this AI tax app offers plenty!

There’s good news for the self-employed, though. Tax help is possible, no matter what your filing status is, thanks to FlyFin. For a limited time, you can bag a three-year subscription to this AI-powered tax app for just $44.97 (regularly $252).

Tennis love-triangle movie Challengers looks like a contender so far in theaters, but one co-star is getting panned — the iPhone alarm on the sports drama’s soundtrack. Social media shows viewers and listeners saying they find it “triggering,” among other rants.

Maybe that’s not the sort of product placement Apple would prefer, but hey … all press is good press, right?

The first three months of 2024 were probably not good ones for Apple. When the company reveals the financial results from its March quarter on Thursday, analysts predict a 5% annual drop in revenue will be one of the announcements.

But part of the reason for weak sales is customers anticipating AI-powered iPhones and Macs later this year. CEO Tim Cook almost certainly will drop hints about what’s coming in a conference call also scheduled for Thursday.

Jake Gyllenhaal is a lawyer in love in the teaser trailer for thriller series Presumed Innocent — and it looks like he might just be a murderer, too. Apple TV+ dropped the arresting trailer Wednesday.

Gyllenhaal stars in the eight-episode limited series from David E. Kelley and J.J. Abrams, which debuts June 12 on Apple TV+.

How many times have you rushed out the door with a battery pack for your iPhone, only to discover the battery is dead as a doornail? SwitchEasy’s 2-in-1 Portal solves that. This stylish MagSafe battery pack stand includes a portable power pack that is always charged and ready to go.

And we have a massive discount only for Cult of Mac readers. The Portal regularly costs $119.99, but we are dropping the price to $44.99. That’s more than 60% off, and an offer not found anywhere else. Heck, it’s a good deal just for the 5,000mAh rechargeable MagSafe battery.

With its Bang & Olufsen-inspired styling, Portal is great for your desktop or nightstand. And it ensures you always have portable power ready to go.

The affordable and popular Baseus Bowie MA10 wireless noise-canceling earbuds just got a big upgrade with spatial audio, alongside a more compact design and a digital display for battery life on the case, the company said Tuesday. The new ones are called Baseus Bowie MA10s.

Baseus called the previous version its best-selling product on Amazon last year and said the buds “have been recommended by Oscar-class composers to ensure a quality sound experience.” And you can get them for a lot less than buds like AirPods Pro 2 — just $40.

Slip the Ekster Finder Card into your wallet and it can be located with Apple’s Find My network. It’s much like an AirTag, except a lot flatter.

The credit card-size accessory just hit the market.

Apple showcased the family-inspired coding work of three Swift Student Challenge winners Wednesday. The iPhone giant changed up its annual coding competition this year by naming 50 students Distinguished Winners among 350 top coders overall. The 50 get to attend a special event at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC24).

“This year’s winning Swift Student Challenge submissions once again demonstrate the breadth and depth of what is possible when talented young people use coding to make their mark on the world,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations.

“We’re also incredibly proud to welcome more outstanding student developers than ever before to Apple Park to connect with our teams and each other as they continue to build apps that will no doubt transform our future for the better,” she added.

May 1, 2008: The iTunes Store takes a gigantic step toward cinematic relevancy, selling new movies on the day of their DVD releases for the very first time.

“We’re thrilled to bring iTunes Store customers new films for purchase day-and-date with the DVD release,” says Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes, in a press release. “We think movie fans will love being able to buy their favorites from major and independent studios.”

Movies out that week include Cloverfield, Juno, Alvin and the Chipmunks and American Gangster.

You can buy a monitor light bar pretty cheap, even as low as about $20. But will it be a great piece of gear, illuminating your desk from atop your display, with a nice array of features? Probably not. Today’s M3 MacBook Pro and PC setup laid out a little more cash for a keeper — the BenQ Screenbar Monitor Light.

I’ve made no secret of my admiration for Edifier audio products in the past few years, but the streak couldn’t go on forever. But it’s not you, Edifier. It’s me, maybe. I blame my oversized head and clunky glasses for standing in the way of my affection for your sleek new Edifier Comfo Run sports headphones. I just couldn’t get the fit quite right for the best sound.

But I could see all sorts of athletes, and really anyone who prefers to keep earbuds and other objects out of their ear canals, loving these things. They work by air conduction.

Many air conditioners lack smart features like mobile access and integration with virtual assistants. If you want a little more control over yours, connect it to a Klima smart thermostat for mini splits, window AC units, ceiling cassettes, portable air conditioners and heat pumps.

The Klima is compatible with any air conditioner or heat pump that uses a remote control with a display. According to Boldr, the smart thermostat’s manufacturer, that means you can use Klima with more than 10,000 different air conditioner models.

Once you connect the smart thermostat to your AC unit, you can use an iPhone or Android app to set a temperature window, allow guest access and more. For a limited time, you can get the Klima smart thermostat for only $134.99 (regularly $145).

The first installment of the animated adventure trilogy WondLa will premiere on Apple TV+ in June. It’s the most ambitious children’s show the streamer has launched.

The series is adapted from a New York Times bestselling book series by Skydance Animation, and has a star-studded voice cast.

You can change the name of your Apple devices, whether you have an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, AirPods or Apple TV. By default, it’s just “[your name]’s iPhone.” But you can give your iPhone its own unique name, like Kit-Kat or Magic Rectangle.

Also by default, when you set up a new iPhone, the name is transferred. This can get confusing if you keep old phones around because you’ll see “John’s iPhone,” “John’s iPhone (2),” maybe even “John’s iPhone (3)” and more. The same is true for Apple Watch, Mac, iPad and AirPods.

The name of your device shows up among a bunch of Apple features like AirDrop, Find My, Personal Hotspot, AirPlay and more. If you use these features often, giving it a unique name will make it easier to identify.

Here’s how to fix this mess on all your Apple devices. Keep reading or watch our video.

A new feature in iOS 17.5 will allow you to submit your iPhone for repair without turning off Find My and Activation Lock. Apple added a new Repair State mode in iOS 17.5 beta 4 for this.

Currently, you must turn off the security feature on your iPhone before submitting it for repair. Failure to do so could prevent Apple technicians from repairing your device.

We’ve got a great deal on a comprehensive Microsoft productivity bundle for PC users. This all-in-one Microsoft bundle gives users lifetime access to Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2019 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro for only $49.97 (regularly $428).

It’s great for anyone who uses a Windows machine and wants to avoid annoying subscription fees. (We know plenty of you run setups with both Macs and PCs.)

The long wait for the port of Assassin’s Creed Mirage playable on iPhone 15 Pro models and top-tier iPads ends in early June.

This is the latest example of AAA, console-quality games being brought to Apple devices to demonstrate their gaming capabilities.

Amazon launched a bunch of deals Tuesday on Apple gear that includes what looks like a lowest-ever price by a touch on Apple Pencil 2. And it matches low prices on AirPods Pro 2 and Studio Display, and offers nice prices on Apple Watch and AirTag packs.

No, you didn’t deactivate the wake-up alarm in your sleep this morning. Apple is aware of a problem that sometimes causes the iPhone’s Clock app to fail to set off alarms.

A fix is on the way.

On your next road trip, you can get fast charging for your MagSafe iPhone in a sleek design with the new Pitaka MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 Qi2, the company said Tuesday.

The upgraded charging mount is certified to deliver 15W fast charging and NFC functionality for iPhone and Android handsets. And at 10%, it costs an affordable $54.

April 30, 2010: Almost a month after the first-gen iPad went on sale, the first Wi-Fi + 3G iPads arrive in the hands of U.S. customers.

The devices ship in boxes identical to the Wi-Fi-only models, but with an additional sticker noting their 3G capabilities. The tablets come preloaded with micro-SIM cards branded AT&T, the only carrier that initially supports iPad.

Apple’s Beats lineup is expanding with two new products: Beats Solo Buds and Beats Solo 4. They offer long battery lives and attractive price points.

Both offerings won’t rival Apple’s AirPods in any way but price, but if you frequently switch between Android and iPhone, you might like Beats’ new options.

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck are teaming up again for The Instigators. It’s a buddy action comedy with the two playing thieves stealing from a corrupt politician.

The Apple TV+ film premieres in August.

The Big Mac Utility Bundle is a collection of 16 Mac productivity apps you can use for everything from generating QR codes or troubleshooting your Wi-Fi connection to revealing the files your Mac automatically hides.

Skip the hunt for Mac apps that enhance how you use your Mac. Get the Big Mac Utility Bundle while it’s on sale for only $39.99 (regularly $221.83).

Ukraine’s Air Force needs to launch modern U.S.-made missiles from Soviet-era fighter jets in combat. The surprise solution to the disconnect? iPad.

Apple tablets reportedly give the vintage aircraft the ability to control a variety of weapons systems supplied by Western countries after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.