If you’re willing to get in on the ground floor of a crowdfunding campaign as an “early bird,” you can now score Thread-enabled smart mini blinds that work with HomeKit for $100 off the retail price.
SmartWings Nano Smart Blinds have surpassed their funding goal on Indiegogo, so they should ship to buyers in January, the company said.
Some folks insist people never change, others say they often do. And proof of the latter shows up in today’s featured Mac Studio computer setup featuring Apple’s magnificent 6K Pro Display XDR.
It belongs to a Linux-loving software programmer who used to be strongly anti-Apple, according to her husband.
Power product provider Bluetti hit a big milestone recently when it raised a staggering $11.6 million on Indiegogo for its new AC500 and B300S Home Backup Power Station, a backup beast that can power a home for days.
The campaign raised the funds — $11,633,332 and counting, to be exact — between September 1, 2022, and October 30. That ensures production and sale of the advanced AC500 inverter and B300S expansion battery, set to go on sale November 25 on Bluetti’s website and Amazon (and available on Indiegogo in the meantime, see below).
There’s no better way to protect your iPhone 14 than with a tough case. And, short of going without any case at all, there’s no better way to show off your iPhone 14 than with a crystal-clear case, like the Laut Huex Crystal 14 Series iPhone Case.
And right now you can pick up the tough but absolutely clear case for just $20 in the Cult of Mac Store.
In a bid to capture the streaming content creator market, Elgato just launched what it called “the world’s first 4K60 webcam” — Facecam Pro. It shoot video in 4K resolution at a smooth 60 frames per second (fps), which previously required a DSLR or other advanced camera setup.
The pricey new camera joins the original Facecam in Elgato’s growing lineup.
People who show off their computer setups often go for a clean, spare look without much, if any, clutter — from cables or anything else. But few have as clean and spacious a look as today’s featured MacBook Pro setup with two Studio Displays. To learn more about this setup, check out the details here.
There are many ways of making a setup minimalistic without simply leaving out the crucial gear. In this case, it has a lot to do with a very cool desk with some interesting features.
The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) showcased companies and products using the newly available Matter home-automation standard at a launch event in Amsterdam Thursday.
The group, which includes Apple, Google and many other companies, emphasized the standard’s building momentum and drew a rough road map of what’s to come.
Did you know that desk lamps are now smart? A new line of LED-powered desk lamps from Momax offer a host of smart features, including wireless Qi charging bases, voice control via Amazon Alexa, an iPhone app for advanced control, automatic eye health adjustments, the ability to set color temperature, color modes and brightness, an extra USB port to charge another device, and more.
Perhaps best of all, you can get 10% off the price of each lamp by using code CULTOFMAC10 at checkout.
We had to check the calendar to see if it was April 1 when T-Mobile’s press release showed up. “Introducing the Un-carrier On from T-Mobile – the Smartest, Flyest Carry-On Ever,” it said, pushing a new carry-on bag the cellular carrier said is the only one on the market with wireless charging.
The suitcase, produced in partnership with Samsara Luggage, is awkwardly named the “Un-carrier On” and comes in one color: magenta. A big part of T-Mobile’s brand, that color is also the name of one of its membership plans.
At the end of the day, it seems like there are only so many types of Apple Watch bands. Leather. Stainless steel. Nylon. But what about something cool and cosmopolitan you don’t see everywhere? We think we found just the thing.
Goldenerre is known for some pretty glamorous accessories, and its Leather Link Apple Watch Band is an interesting option. It hand-wrapped leather links alternate with gleaming metallic ones for an exciting look. Check it out below and in the Cult of Mac Store.
We love it when a computer setup we’ve looked at before gets a facelift, or some sort of significant update. Today’s featured MacBook Pro setup stuck with the laptop, an interesting usage of a portable display and a highly unusual mechanical keyboard. But it added a beautiful gaming monitor, a rarely seen vertical mouse and some other details.
And of course it kept its beloved Lego Wall-E. And it even found a practical use for extra Lego bricks.
Retail juggernaut Amazon.com keeps running lists of its most-wished-for products that folks want to buy or get as gifts. Consistently at or near the top of the tablet case list, you’ll find Zugu’s popular cases for the 10.2-inch iPad and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
What makes those cases so coveted? There are plenty of reasons. Read on.
Elago is known for its fun and interesting stands and cases, often in a retro vein. If you’re in need of Apple accessories along those lines — or along any lines, really — you should check out the big Halloween Sale in the Cult of Mac Store. It ends today (Tuesday, November 1).
The three Elago items below, for example, are all offered at 15% off regular prices.
Most people at least consider protecting their iPhone with a case, but not everyone thinks to protect their Apple Watch that way — even though the wearable is arguably the more-fragile device. Good thing Elkson offers the rugged Quattro Bumper Case for Apple Watch.
And aș part of the Halloween Sale in the Cult of Mac Store — ending on Tuesday (November 1) — you can get the case for various series of Apple Watch for just $10.79, or 10% off.
California peripherals specialist Cooler Master just updated its popular 65%-format mechanical keyboard (CK721) to create the company’s first fully customizable board, the wired CK720. You can swap out its switches without a soldering iron to easily get the typing feel and sound you like best.
“We’re huge fans of custom-built mechanical keyboards ourselves, so we wanted to make sure the CK720 is a great steppingstone into the hobby,” said Dennis Liu, Cooler Master’s peripheral general manager, in a press release. “Whether you like smooth linear switches with maximum thock, or a sharp tactile typing feel with a marbly sound, the CK720 has the ability to achieve it.”
The Halloween Sale in the Cult of Mac Store has something for everyone. Even within specific accessory types by one brand, you find choice. Take Mifa’s Apple Watch bands, for example. Today’s your last day to get 10% off in the week-long sale.
You can glam up your Apple Watch considerably with the Sparkle Bracelet, which looks like a million bucks. Or you can go with the ultimate classic strap with a Classic Leather band.
If you were a kid, wouldn’t you like to use a remote control to just “turn off” your parents for a while? But what if you couldn’t figure out how to turn them back on?
That’s one of many scenarios that flash past in the trailer for Circuit Breakers Apple TV+ released Monday. It’s a science-fiction series about middle-schoolers set in the near future. It premieres November 11.
In the world of computer setups, sometimes it seems like some sort of display arms race is going on. Even five or six screens isn’t uncommon anymore, with a few external displays added to the devices with built-in screens, and all in play in the workstation.
But how about no external displays? Does that work for you? It does for today’s featured MacBook Pro and iPad Air setup. See why below. And don’t overlook that unassuming but very special desk lamp, either.
★★★★☆
If you’re looking for quality audio at an affordable price, you can certainly do much worse than Edifier products. The Chinese company consistently comes across with great value, and that’s the case with the Edifier MS50A powered wireless smart speaker.
The company sent me one of the handsome, wood-paneled speakers to test out. Though it’s not the smartest smart speaker on the block, it looks and sounds great for the price. I’ll get into more detail below.
The Australian company Rode is well-known for its array of microphones and other gear for content creators in media and at home. But now the company has launched a new sub-brand called Rode X with wares aimed straight at streamers and gamers.
So far you can get two new USB mics and software to go with them.
When you look at the gear in today’s setup you might say, what is this, an ad for Elgato? The workstation is rife with Elgato devices widely used by streamers for video-production workflows, like its popular Facecam, Wave:3 microphone and Stream Deck.
But the MacBook Pro setup isn’t used for streaming at all.
The software engineer who occupies the well-appointed workstation finds perfectly productive things to do with all that Elgato gear, other than streaming.
Ugreen expanded its product range Thursday with the launch of its new 13-in-1 USB-C Docking Station, designed for M1 MacBooks and other laptop computers.
Taking advantage of the dock’s whopping baker’s dozen of ports, you can use it to connect a wide range of external devices to your laptop.
Mobile charging specialist Excitrus introduced its 105W Power Bank Ultimate Thursday, a small but potent charger with an 18,000mAh battery for on-the-go device charging.
The company called the iPhone-sized device “one of the smallest [on] the market with around 100W power output.”
If you’ve built up a big collection of Mac apps, especially if they’re from various sources, it’s a chore keeping them up to date for optimal functionality and security. That’s unless you have a stellar utility like MacUpdater.
Now available in version 2.3, MacUpdater makes keeping your software updated effortlessly. And better yet, Cult of Mac readers can get 15% off the software’s price with a special coupon. See below.
The Cupertino tech giant expanded its free Apple Learning Coach program Wednesday to invite more tech instructors of various stripes across the U.S. to join. Once certified, they can show school teachers how to get the most out of Apple products to help their students.
Folks like tech coaches and digital learning specialists who want into the program can apply by November 16, Apple said.