Apple product reviews and recommendations | Cult of Mac

Peggy and Guru Bob find themselves in a tight spot on High Desert [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Rupert Friend and Patricia Arquette in ★★★★☆
Turns out selling bogus art to criminals isn't the smartest move.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review Apple TV+’s farcical neo-noir High Desert gets tied up this week as Peggy accidentally finds herself at the business end of some dangerous people’s guns. Guru Bob is kidnapped and tormented for his role in selling art forgeries to bad people, while Peggy’s quest to find Bob’s wife lands her in hot water with the Gatchi family.

The episode, entitled “A Nod Is Not a Hello,” is a raucous and funny time, even as the stakes climb higher by the minute

Things get awkward this week on Platonic [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Luke Macfarlane in ★★★★☆
Charlie (played by Luke Macfarlane) has a little trouble coming to terms with his "wife's boyfriend."
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ comedy Platonic finds Will and Charlie stepping outside of their comfort zones this week, at a greater cost than either imagined.

The show, about two adult friends who try to reclaim their nonsexual friendship at the start of their middle age, finds them Charlie’s wife Sylvia all keeping secrets from each other — a sure sign that everything’s going according to plan, right?

Entitled “My Wife’s Boyfriend,” it’s a surprisingly effective episode, despite all the comic games that come out of left field.

Hands on with iOS 17 Autocorrect and intelligent input improvements

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iOS 17 Keyboard settings
Entering text gets a bit easier, with fewer typos, in iOS 17.
Graphic: Apple
WWDC23

Apple is souping up the systems for entering text into iPhone with iOS 17. Autocorrect is getting enhanced with AI for fewer typos, as part of multiple improvements to what Apple calls “intelligent input.” And Dictation is getting a boost that promises more-accurate voice recognition, too.

I tested the changes in the first iOS 17 beta. Here’s how well they work … so far.

3 Reasons to Watch: Servant on Apple TV+

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Nell Tiger Free in “Servant,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
Nell Tiger Free plays creepy nanny Leanne in Apple TV+ thriller Servant.
Photo: Apple TV+

In this installment of 3 Reasons to Watch, we look at M. Night Shyamalan’s wonderfully dark television series Servant. The show, about a supernatural nanny with designs on an upper-class Philadelphia power couple and their missing baby, attracted an amazing array of directorial talent and some amazing on-screen presences.

Here’s why you should watch all four seasons of this runaway freight train of a show.

This clever multiport hub is also an accessory case [Review] ★★★★☆

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JSAUX Omnicase 2 Pro review★★★★☆
The JSAUX Omnicase 2 Pro includes just about all the ports a traveler needs.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The JSAUX Omnicase 2 Pro is an 11-in-1 USB-C travel hub that offers USB and video ports plus SD card readers. And it sets itself apart from rival hubs with a built-in case for storing a cable, various adapters and SD cards. It’s ready to connect a Mac or iPad to USB accessories, monitors, Ethernet, memory cards and more. And it includes adapters if you run into connection problems.

I tested the multiport hub out to see how well it works. Here’s what I found.

City on Fire has a wet hot Hamptons summer [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Wyatt Oleff in ★★★☆☆
Charlie (played by Wyatt Oleff) gets a rude awakening this week.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ thriller series City on Fire runs down its best leads this week. William has escaped an attempted murder, and flees to the one place he knows he might be safe. Nicky and Sol have one more trick up their sleeve to get even. And Charlie finds some disheartening things that put him even further in jeopardy than he was a few minutes ago.

Entitled “Annus Horriblis,” it’s a fine episode, even though it gives in to some of the very silliest tendencies prestige TV has to offer.

Silo ramps up the intrigue with a relic [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Rebecca Ferguson and Chinaza Uche in ★★★★☆
Sheriff Juliette (played by Rebecca Ferguson, left) and her deputy Billings (Chinaza Uche) try to get to the bottom of the silo's secrets.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewSilo, the dystopian Apple TV+ series about the last survivors of civilization living in a cavernous underground structure, finds new sheriff Juliette treading on shaky ground this week. With a reluctant Paul Billings in tow, she starts intensifying her search for clues. Meanwhile, the silo’s Judicial authorities start to get mighty suspicious of her motives.

The episode, entitled “The Relic,” is a creepy and involving installment of an increasingly interesting show.

Drops of God pours out an exquisite season finale [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Tomohisa Yamashita and Fleur Geffrier in ★★★★
Season one of Drops of God served up perfectly decanted drama.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewAs stellar Apple TV+ series Drops of God brings its first season to a close, Camille and Issei complete their last challenge in the contest to inherit their father’s estate. However, the real challenges remain ahead of them.

A final contest will test their allegiances and their strengths, but nothing will prepare them for their final trial. The Drops of God season one finale, entitled “All or Nothing,” serves as a wonderful conclusion to a surprise delight.

High Desert digs into Guru Bob’s weird past [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Matt Dillon and Patricia Arquette in ★★★★☆
Peggy's on the case. Sorta.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewOff-kilter Apple TV+ comedy High Desert, which stars Patricia Arquette as con artist-turned-private-investigator Peggy Newman, takes a detour into Guru Bob’s past this week.

In the episode, entitled “Soul Retrieval,” Peggy and her ex-husband get reacquainted with the good times and the bad times that so characterized their marriage. Plus, Peggy lands her first case — if she can remember to get around to it.

The wildly entertaining comedy procedural takes a beat from the main action this week and still proves fast on its feet.

Ted Lasso finale will make a believer out of you [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Brett Goldstein, Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt in ★★★
It's finally time for Ted Lasso's last game with AFC Richmond.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewTed Lasso, the perpetually upbeat Apple TV+ show that blindsided a pandemic-stricken world with a cocktail of optimism and inspiration, comes to a fitting close this week after a remarkable three-season run.

The Ted Lasso finale, entitled “So Long, Farewell,” finds Ted’s team AFC Richmond up against its most fierce nemesis, Rupert Mannion’s West Ham United.

With West Ham’s old coach Nate back at Richmond after an awkward breakup, will the Greyhounds have what it takes to beat the Hammers? Just how optimistic can this show be?