Qi2 is MagSafe for iPhone and Android. Photo: WPC/Cult of Mac
The Wireless Power Consortium promised Wednesday that the first chargers using the emerging Qi2 standard will be on the market in time for the holiday season.
Qi2 unifies wireless charging for iPhone and Android, bringing the advantages of Apple’s MagSafe to rival handsets.
Belkin put a lot of thought into the look of its new iPhone charging stand. Photo: Belkin
Belkin designed its new BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock for iPhone and Apple Watch to blend into its environment. The dual-device charging stand is intended top be both useful and esthetically pleasing.
Apple likes it enough to sell it in its online store.
This M2 MacBook Air and Studio Display setup is well-equipped for such a clean and simple-looking rig. Photo: [email protected]
Some computer setups look “clean” and “minimal” because they’re, well, empty. Under-equipped. Not all there. But today’s featured M2 MacBook Air setup with Studio Display actually brings enough gear, it just does so in a beautifully clean way that has the rest of us slobs drooling with envy.
Hell, our setup is practically a waste dump half the time, compared to this thing.
iPhone 15 models have tough screens, but you can never be too careful. Photo: Belkin
Belkin’s new ScreenForce UltraGlass 2 Treated Screen Protectors for iPhone 15 models are made of its strongest and most durable glass yet, the company said Thursday.
You can pick up the protectors at either Belkin.com or Apple.com. And when they arrive by the end of the month in Apple Store locations, you can take advantage of a free precision fitting service.
You won't believe how little the user paid for those monitors. Photo: [email protected]
The No. 1 complaint about Apple displays? They’re too expensive. People love them, but not everyone will pony up the cash to grab a $1,600 Studio Display or, heaven help us, a $5,000 Studio Display XDR.
Today’s featured MacBook Pro setup provides a much-cheaper alternative that might work for some people. It uses a pair of old-but-beautiful Cinema Displays that cost a grand total of $74.
The BoostCharge Convertible Qi2 Wireless Pad to Stand works equally well for iPhone and Android. Photo: Belkin
Qi2 is the future of wireless chargers and Belkin is already on board. On Thursday, it took the wraps off a pair of accessories that use the emerging standard.
Qi2 was created to bring the advantages of iPhone’s MagSafe to Android. Wireless chargers from Belkin and other companies that support the standard will work equally well for Apple and Samsung, etc. handsets, as long as they support Qi2.
A big Samsung smart TV dominates this Mac Studio rig. Photo: [email protected]
We look at a lot of computer setups on social media, but sometimes what drives conversation among commenters surprises us. With today’s Mac Studio rig with an odd couple of mismatched displays, the main debate concerned … keyboards for iPad.
Specifically, when an iPad is so wonderfully light, what keyboard case doesn’t weight it down too much?
At your bedside or in a hotel, Belkin's new MagSafe charger does the trick. Photo: Belkin
Belkin unveiled its new BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad with MagSafe Wednesday, offering a compact way to charge iPhone and AirPods on the road.
★★★★☆
Belkin’s affordable USB-C hub offers four high-speed ports and can charge your devices, too. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Belkin Connect 4-Port USB-C Hub seems like a simple product, but it’s something we’ve had to wait years to finally get. It’s a simple, inexpensive hub that turns one USB-C port into four that can provide high-speed data transfers while also powering a MacBook or iPad.
I put the device to the test in my home office. I lives up to just about all my expectations. Here’s why.
With a good iPad stand and a DAC/amp added for audio, this setup is finally done. For now. Photo: [email protected]
Part of the fun of covering computer setups for Cult of Mac is seeing how a setup is never “done.” Blood, sweat, tears and time may go into it, but it will always need something — whether that’s missing functionality, better decoration or the next generation of a key device.
Today’s featured M2 MacBook Air setup is a good example. Since we featured an earlier version of it just weeks ago, the user made important changes. He added two components to maximize crucial iPad functionality and pump up audio.
Quickly power up your Apple Watch and iPhone with Belkin's new portable battery. Photo: Belkin
A new power bank from Belkin includes a built-in wireless charger that can juice up the latest Apple Watch models in the minimum amount of time. The battery also can simultaneously replenish an iPhone through its USB-C port.
The BoostCharge Pro Fast Wireless Charger for Apple Watch + Power Bank 10K launched Thursday.
Gabriel's computer setup looks relatively tidy, but it packs a large array of gear. Photo: Gabriel B.
Gabriel B., a 13-year-old student and photographer in Baton Rouge, La., sent pics and commentary showcasing and describing his well-equipped MacBook Air-and-dual-display setup to Cult of Mac this week.
He noted his Intel MacBook powers an “army of peripherals,” but it’s not quite up to the work he asks of it. And how has he already filled 3TB of digital storage space, anyway? Well, that’s what heavy photo and video editing will do.
At a glance, you might not think this setup has 18 items in it not including the furniture. Photo: [email protected]
We’ve seen more M2 MacBook Pro laptops lately in Setups than M2 MacBook Air machines, but today’s featured setup bucks the trend. Its M2 MacBook Air drives a 34-inch LG 4K IPS display.
But it’s the setup’s audio gear that may grab your attention. AirPods Pro (2nd gen) make the cut, as do two other sets of premium earphones, outstanding speakers and one of Sony’s super-high-end Walkman MP3 players.
You get hybrid ANC and multipoint Bluetooth connectivity for $120. Photo: Belkin
Belkin is getting set to release new active noise-canceling (ANC) earbuds, and this time they pack in some premium features at a surprisingly affordable price point.
Belkin SoundForm Pulse earbuds will cost $119.99 and feature not only ANC, but multipoint Bluetooth connectivity and relatively long battery life. Available for preorder, they start shipping at the end of May.
★★★★★
The pictures in this article aren’t very good because I couldn’t use the iPhone 12 Pro (pictured) to take the picture. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe for Mac Desktops and Displays, despite what its lengthy product name may imply, is a simple and straightforward product that does one thing remarkably well. It mounts your iPhone to a desktop display with MagSafe.
It’s straightforward to set up; it’s easy to plop your phone on and pull it off; it’s well made and feels nice in the hand. It’s great for Continuity Camera. The Belkin iPhone Mount with… no, I’m not writing all that out again. The Belkin iPhone display thing is an easy recommendation.
You won't be hurting for USB-C ports with this hub. And it's made of recycled plastic. Photo: Belkin
The Belkin Connect 4-Port USB-C Hub expands the number of accessories that can be plugged into a Mac or iPad without flattening your wallet. And its connections are fast: 10Gbps. That’s 2X the speed of other USB-C hubs.
As a bonus, the product is made with 72% post-consumer recycled plastics. It’s part of a commitment the company has made to using PCR plastic.
The nearly maxed-out M1 MacBook Pro is on a shelf out of frame. Photo: [email protected]
We often see big upgrades to setups we’ve covered here in the past. But they’re not usually comprehensive, where everything from the daily-driver Mac to the input devices to the audio gear gets made over (and in some cases greatly expanded).
Let’s just say today’s featured MacBook Pro setup looked a lot different 2 years ago. It’s more evidence that a setup is never, ever “done.”
Wemo products like this dimmer switch work with HomeKit over Thread, but forget about Matter certification for now. Photo: Belkin/Wemo
Belkin’s smart-home accessories brand, Wemo, is “backing away from Matter and dimming our dreams of a smart home utopia.” That’s according to a report published Wednesday.
At a time when companies are rushing to ready products for the new smart-home networking standard, which is meant to let different brands work together, Wemo’s hesitation is a surprise.
Its products work only with HomeKit. Now it looks like that won’t change anytime soon.
The little Bose speaker on the stand to the left of the display is, apparently, a keeper. But it's hard to come by. Photo: [email protected]
The main gear in a computer setup might be perfectly impressive, like the Mac Studio desktop machine in today’s featured setup. But that’s not what everyone looking at the workstation notices and talks about on social media.
Instead, the coveted items in this particular setup are a Bose speaker system folks are having a hard time finding, plus a Belkin Continuity Camera mount that helps you use an iPhone as a webcam.
One of these chargers is made from post-consumer recycled plastics and one isn't. Can you tell the difference? Photo: Belkin
Belkin is switching to make its top-selling mobile power products out of 73% to 75% post-consumer recycled plastics. The change will make no difference to the appearance or price of the accessories, but will significantly reduce the company’s carbon emissions.
PCR versions of the poplar chargers will launch throughout 2023.
Mac desktops can easily take advantage of Continuity Camera thanks to a new Belkin iPhone mount. Photo: Belkin/Apple
Continuity Camera in macOS Ventura upgrades video calls by bringing the iPhone’s high-res camera to the Mac. It’s necessary to mount the iPhone on the computer though, but Belkin has just what’s needed for desktop Macs.
The accessory-maker released a very similar iPhone mount designed for MacBooks this fall.
Get that yucky earwax out of your AirPods with this cleaning kit. Photo: Belkin
Your old AirPods aren’t what they used to be. The speakers can get gummed up, degrading the audio performance. But the Belkin Cleaning Kit for AirPods can take care of the problem.
This might save you the cost of buying a new pair of Apple earbuds.
This MFi-certified charger clips to a dashboard vent and delivers 15W of power to a MagSafe iPhone. Photo: Apple
Apple has started selling the first 15W MagSafe car charger, made by Belkin. Up until now magnetic car chargers haven’t used Apple-certified MagSafe technology. They’re Qi-certified chargers with magnets that offer half the power of a 15W MagSafe charger.
But that changes now with Belkin’s Boost Charger Pro Wireless Car Charger with MagSafe.
The Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe is here now that macOS Ventura and Continuity Camera are nearing launch. Photo: Apple
Continuity Camera in macOS Ventura upgrades video calls by bringing the iPhone’s high-res camera to the Mac. But a way to attach the handset to the laptop is necessary. That’s where Belkin’s iPhone Mount with MagSafe comes in.
With macOS launching soon, it’s time for the accessory to debut, too.
This is how you take a picture of a setup if you want people to think it's an ad. Photo: [email protected]
When you look at a lot of computer setups showcased on social media, it’s not difficult to see that many of them are staged. They’re so well put together and photographed, you just can’t see normal slobs owning them.
But sometimes the internet tricks you with a surprisingly slick photograph of a real person’s setup. That seems to be the case in today’s featured dual-display MacBook Pro setup, photographs in a cool-gray wash.
“This looks like a render advertising the mouse or something,” one commenter said. “Tron vibes,” added another, referring to the 1982 sci-fi film known for its then-cutting-edge computer animation.