Traci Dauphin is Cultomedia Corp.'s CFO, as well as the office manager and all round organizer at Cult of Mac. Traci keeps the trains running on time. She also interviews app devs, writes product reviews and shoots great galleries of events like Macworld.
Capture every adventure in the most remote places. Photo: Choetech
If you plan on camping this summer, make sure to bring a Portable Solar Panel from Choetech. This solar panel delivers 80 watts via four output ports. It’s the coolest thing that you never knew you needed.
If you want a fully charged iPhone at all times, even in the great outdoors, make sure to enter this week’s giveaway. Enter and you could win one of two Portable Solar Panels.
The Color Pop collection from Casetify comes in vibrant colors. Photo: Casetify
Nothing screams summer more than sweet, sticky popsicles. And Casetify, a purveyor of durable and vibrant cases, just launched a Color Pop line that will make your iPhone look like a popsicle — but without the mess. If you want a pop of color for your iPhone, make sure to enter this week’s giveaway. Enter and you could win one of five Casetify cases.
To sweeten the giveaway even more, Casetify is giving all Cult of Mac readers 15% off cases this week. Just use the code COM15 at checkout.
Combined with a custom watch face, the Quattro Pro case and band gives your Apple Watch a vintage Casio look. Photo: Elkson
You might make your Apple Watch look like a retro Casio with our giveaway this week. Four lucky winners will receive not one but two Quattro Pro Apple Watch bumper cases from Elkson. That’s one to keep and one to give to a friend.
The Quattro Pro bumper case combines a sturdy strap with a protective case to guard your Apple Watch from bumps and scrapes. If you worry about your Apple Watch and want to protect it in style, be sure to enter this giveaway.
The SuperMini is smaller than a credit card. Photo: Zendure
Don’t get caught without juice ever again. This week, Cult of Mac is giving away two SuperMini portable battery chargers from Zendure.
The SuperMini is one of the smallest portable chargers available, yet it packs formidable charging power. Smaller than a credit card (but thicker), the SuperMini fits easily into a pocket or bag, but has enough juice to recharge an iPhone 12 Pro three times over. If you want a portable charger that is adorable and can fit anywhere, make sure to enter this giveaway.
Rilee & Lo's unisex stretch-link Watchband comes in multiple colors and sizes. Photo: Rilee & Lo
This week, we are giving away three stylish stretch-link Apple Watch bands from our friends at Rilee & Lo. Each lucky winner will receive one Rilee & Lo stretch-link Watchband and one coordinating stacking bracelet of their choice.
If you want a unisex Apple Watch band that is super-cool and easily transitions from day wear to evening, be sure to enter this giveaway.
The Huex Fades case for iPhone 12 comes in a variety of iridescent finishes. Photo: Laut
This week, Cult of Mac is giving away a bundle of four cases from Laut for iPhone, iPad, AirPods and AirTag. If you’d like some shiny new holders for your Apple gear, be sure to enter this fun and free giveaway.
Tiny but mighty: The Vava USB-C hub greatly expands your MacBook's capabilities. Photo: Vava
This week, we are giving away two tiny but mighty USB-C hubs from Vava worth $75 each.
The Vava five-port hub turns your MacBook’s two puny USB-C ports into five powerful ports, allowing you to connect two 5K external monitors to your MacBook Pro or Air. You also can hook up external hard drives, printers, memory sticks and more, making you more productive and connected.
If you’d like your shot at winning one, be sure to enter this week’s giveaway below.
The Qrono band for Apple Watch comes in four striking colors. Photo: Juuk
This week, Cult of Mac is giving away two fantastic metal Apple Watch bands from Juuk, a high-end watch strap company. We’re giving away two aluminum Qruno straps in cosmic grey.
If you are looking for a high-quality metal band to match the Apple Watch’s high-grade design, enter this giveaway.
Twelve South's ParcSlope stand elevates your MacBook or iPad to new levels. Photo: Twelve South
This week, Cult of Mac is giving away one ParcSlope stand from Apple accessory powerhouse Twelve South.
The ParcSlope is a dual-purpose desktop easel that functions as a typing stand for MacBook and as a sketching wedge for iPad. It elevates your MacBook or iPad Pro for a better working angle and an ergonomic viewing height.
If you win, you can use the ParcSlope stand for all of your tasks. And if you don’t, Twelve South is sweetening the giveaway with a $10 promo code to purchase the ParcSlope for everyone who enters.
These adventure-ready Bluetooth speakers come in fun colors. Photo: Ultimate Ears
This week, Cult of Mac is giving away one Ultimate Ears’ fantastic Wonderboom 2 portable speakers. You have a chance to win this small-but-mighty outdoor speaker that costs $99 and is available in four colors.
If you win, you can take the Wonderboom 2 on all your outdoor adventures this summer. The road-worthy Bluetooth speaker is the size of a softball but pumps out sound the size of a giant beach ball. With 13 hours of battery life, you can rock on well into the evening. If you want the party to never end, be sure to enter this giveaway.
These burnt orange Apple Watch bands will fire up our winners' wrists. Photo: Monowear
This week, Cult of Mac is giving away three classy Apple Watch bands from Monowear. You have a chance to win the brand-new burnt orange Perforated Leather Band in your choice of two sizes.
Monowear’s Perforated Leather Band is made with the highest-quality leather. Finished with classy, motor-sport-inspired perforations, it will keep your wrist cool. And it makes you look cool to boot.
Previously available in black, brown and burgundy, Monowear’s perforated band looks great in the new burnt orange color. Known to promote motivation, orange is a color that radiates happiness and warmth. If your Apple Watch is in need of a vibrant pop of color, be sure to enter this giveaway.
A European delight: Scandinavian leather outside, German felted wool inside. Photo: Woolnut
This week, Cult of Mac is giving away four beautiful, protective MacBook folios from our friends at Woolnut. Retailing at $196, Woolnut’s Folio is constructed from high-quality Scandinavian leather and German natural wool felt. The luxurious case is tailor-made to fit the MacBook like a glove.
If you want to protect your pricey MacBook, be sure to enter this giveaway.
These are some of the finest leather cases to ever cradle an iPhone. Photo: Mujjo
This week, Cult of Mac is giving away two snazzy iPhone 12 cases from our friends at Mujjo. You get a chance to win either a leather wallet case or a slim profile case in your choice of color.
Mujjo’s leather cases are among the best iPhone cases we’ve reviewed here at Cult of Mac.
If your iPhone needs a spring makeover, be sure to enter this giveaway.
This is your chance to win a gorgeous Apple Watch band and a coordinating stacking band.
Photo: Goldenerre
Cult of Mac is giving away a stunning Apple Watch band from our friends at Goldenerre. The crystal pavé link band is the newest piece in Goldenerre’s collection, and it comes in shiny gold, rose gold or silver.
With more than 820 brilliant crystals, the sparkle factor is off the charts with this band! And to sweeten the deal, Goldenerre is including one stacking bracelet of your choice for every winner.
Lads, if you want to win points with the lady in your life, you need to enter this giveaway!
All of Arrow & Board's products are handmade in a tiny workshop in Austin. Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac
Best List: Triple Tour Split Strap by Arrow & Board
With the deluge of Apple Watch bands on the market, I wanted to wrap my wrist in leather for a reasonable price.
Unwilling to drop $500 on the luxe Hermès Double Tour, I was delighted to discover the wares of Arrow & Board, a tiny company from Austin, Texas, that produces made-to-order, handcrafted leather accessories at modest prices.
Robert Macauley shows off LifePrint, his printer and app for bringing your pictures to life. Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac
SAN FRANCISCO — The idea for Robert Macauley’s “photographs for the new millennium” sprang from a camera that is totally 20th century.
“What if you could create a Polaroid experience for your phone?” Macauley said as he showed off a prototype of LifePrint, his pint-size printer that works with an augmented-reality app. LifePrint lets you print out Polaroid-size images that, when viewed through the app, can come to life on your smartphone screen.
CES's booth babes have been replaced by toned fitness models. Photo: Traci Dauphin / Cult of Mac
LAS VEGAS — Booth babes have returned to CES — in the guise of fitness models.
Following complaints the last few years, the giant electronics show here in Vegas had been moving away from scantily clad sirens employed to draw inquisitive eyes to exhibitor booths.
But they’ve been replaced by a new type of eye candy: super-fit women showing off the latest health products or demonstrating fitness gear.
vSculpt really is an intimate device. Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac
Navigating the many health devices on the CES show floor, I came across the vSculpt booth and stopped dead in my tracks. Mainly because it looked like a sex toy and they were giving away red panties (best swag ever).
But what I assumed was just a basic vibrator is actually a medical device used for vaginal rejuvenation therapy.
When your standard smoke or carbon monoxide detector starts shrieking, the Leeo Smart Alert leaps into action. Photo:Traci Dauphin
If you’ve ever lived through a house fire, you know how devastating it can be. The fear of fire leaves many homeowners anxious, especially when they are away from home. The Leeo Smart Alert is here to save the day.
Wake up and smell the ... whatever. Photo: Sensorwake
LAS VEGAS — There was a whole lot of sniffing going on at the Sensorwake booth here at CES Unveiled. The first olfactory alarm clock promises a kinder, gentler start to mornings, using scents instead of noise to wake up sleepyheads.
The quirky gadget couldn’t be any simpler: Set the alarm and wake up to one of six dry-air infused cartridges. Sensorwake is similar to a Glade Plugin but with cooler scents. It’s made by a French company, so it pumps out crazy European aromas.
The Prizm smart music player thinks it knows what you want to hear, no matter what you're doing. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Music can set the mood for everything and the Prizm, a new music player described as “the music brain,” is hoping to reinvent the way we listen to music.
It listens to sounds in the room you’re in and identifies who’s in the room, then selects the perfect track for the situation. Lots of people making noise late at night? Prizm thinks it’s party time and plays techno music. Nothing but heavy breathing or kissing sounds? It’s time for some Barry White.
Moshi's wallet case can turn chaos into magic. Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac
Best List: Overture wallet case by Moshi
I love wallet cases. I love the convenience of carrying everything together in one place. For over a year, I’ve exclusively used Overture folio-style wallet cases by Moshi — first a Sahara Beige model, now a Steel Black one.
I love the new one even more, because black goes with everything.
The Quitbit smart lighter can help you quit smoking by tracking your habits. Photo: Quitbit
LAS VEGAS — Ata Ghofrani cut down on smoking and finally quit during the holidays. The only glitch was a New Year’s Eve party, which triggered a “huge spike” in his otherwise fairly smooth reduction schedule.
Ghofrani used his own invention — Quitbit, the world’s first “smart” lighter — to monitor his smoking and set a daily “budget” of cancer sticks that decreased every day.
“The key for me was to know how many cigarettes I budgeted to smoke a day and how many I had left,” he wrote in a blog post detailing his progress.
The Quitbit uses the same psychology as fitness trackers. If you can monitor it, you can manage it.
Plastc is a simple device that organizes credit and debit cards. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac Photo:
LAS VEGAS — Apple Pay is cool, but what if you don’t have the latest iPhone 6? The Plastc Card might be for you.
Plastc is a chameleon-like electronic card that stores up to 20 cards — debit, credit, gift and even security cards.
It’s the same size and shape as a regular card, but has a sharp and striking e-ink display. You simply swipe through the e-ink screen to choose the card you want, and swipe the mag stripe through the reader.
Instead of carrying 20 cards in your wallet, you carry just one.
Keith Nothacker fought long and hard to bring his BACtrack breathalyzers to boozers everywhere. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac Photo:
LAS VEGAS — Keith Nothacker is living proof that persistence pays off.
Nothacker is here at the giant International CES gadget show to introduce a key-size version of his pocket breathalyzer — the first personal, police-grade breathalyzer approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Connected by bluetooth to your iPhone, a quick puff into the $49 BACtrack Vio will tell you instantly if you’re too juiced to drive — or take part in any other activity best done sober.
But 13 years ago, Nothacker was fighting the FDA to bring the device to market.