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We can all (probably) agree that Apple products are superior, but they do lack in some areas — like their built-in microphones. While they’re usually good enough for a FaceTime chat or voice memo, they don’t deliver professional-level quality.

But the Babbl USB-C plug-and-play microphone does. Yup, no need to download complicated software or mess around with setup. Just plug the microphone into your Mac for seamless, high-quality sound. Right here you can get yours for the best price on the web, only $39.99 (regularly $69.99).

The best Apple TV+ documentaries bring something extra to the nonfiction party. From historical subjects to oddball artistic projects, the streaming service’s finest docs deliver interesting insights in compelling ways (even politically irresponsible).

Here’s a look at the best Apple TV+ documentaries — both series and films — so far.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We always expect Apple silicon to make our smartphones faster, but iPhone 15 could be a speed demon in unsuspected ways. Like, it might deliver 80 times faster data transfers through the port that replaces Lightning. Anyone who moves large files around should be thrilled with the latest iPhone 15 rumor. And that’s not all …

Also on The CultCast:

• iPhone 15 might charge at extreme speeds, too.
• Why is iPhone 14 taking a beating over its battery life?
• Next year’s Apple Watch X could bring the major redesign we’ve all been waiting for.
• Erfon does a surprise live unboxing of a great gift sent in by a CultCast listener.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

August 19, 2004: Google floats its initial public offering on the stock market. Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin turn into instant billionaires as the Google IPO cements the company’s status as a tech giant.

Relations between Google and Apple are good at the time, with Steve Jobs serving as a mentor to the company’s two young founders, and Google’s Eric Schmidt soon to join Apple’s board of directors. However, the peace won’t last long.

Every day, content creators and researchers unearth exciting new ways to use ChatGPT. Whether you’re turbocharging your productivity, coding iPhone apps from scratch or unleashing your inner genius, this AI tool delivers amazing results.

Now there’s SheetGPT, the ultimate fusion of ChatGPT’s brainpower and Google Sheets’ organizational wizardry. It’s like peanut butter meeting jelly, but for data and AI!

If you work on a Mac, these six useful apps can help you get that work done faster. And you don’t need to take time to download them or figure out if they’re worth the price — you already have these apps on your computer.

These come with every Mac, and you can locate them in the Applications and Utilities folders. If you’re in the Finder, just hit Shift-Command-A (⇧⌘A) or Shift-Command-U (⇧⌘U) to find them.

I’ll walk you through a few of the more useful Mac apps hiding there that you probably haven’t heard of.

Experience the thrill of soaring through the skies without breaking the bank with this drone duo for all adventure enthusiasts. Get the Ninja Dragon Phantom Eagle Pro and Ninja Dragon Alpha Z Pro drones, available together at an incredible price of just $189.99.

This heavily discounted drone bundle is the perfect solution for novice and/or budding pilots seeking an unforgettable aerial experience. With this deal, you can bid goodbye to expensive options, and say hello to a new era of affordable, high-flying fun.

Foundation, the epic Apple TV+ sci-fi show about the political machinations and battles being fought for control of a galaxy, finds its players being manipulated in all sorts of scary and surprising ways this week.

Hari looks backward and forward and finds nothing he likes. Cleric and Constant get Trantor’s version of a warm welcome. And finally, Brother Day unveils a new succession plan — that immediately backfires on him. It’s a very fine installment of this most exciting show.

August 18, 2007: A video goes viral on YouTube when 23-year-old internet personality Justine Ezarik, aka iJustine, posts a 300-page iPhone bill mailed to her in a box by AT&T.

The bill — which lists every single action that consumed cellular data on Ezarik’s brand-new iPhone — is quickly viewed by 3 million people and receives extensive media coverage. (You can watch it below.)

Ready to boost your website’s Google game and turn your traffic into treasure? Say hello to Blogify — your trusty sidekick in the quest for SEO supremacy!

Imagine waving goodbye to those endless hours spent crafting content. With Blogify, you’ve got a turbo-charged AI buddy that whips up SEO-friendly content in a heartbeat. That can mean higher Google rankings, increased traffic to your website, and more chances to make money.

Right now, you can save $400 on a lifetime subscription to this AI-powered content machine.

Tired of the endless loop of doom scrolling? Let’s flip the script and embark on an adventure of self-discovery. Instead of squandering your free moments on Twitter (or X or whatever Elon’s calling it today), you can transform them into opportunities for growth. How, you ask? Well, get ready for a deal that will unleash your inner genius.

Introducing your new gateway to enlightenment: Headway Premium. It puts a treasure trove of popular reads right at your fingertips, neatly tucked into an app that’s bursting with knowledge. Right now, a lifetime subscription to Headway Premium is going for the unbelievable price of just $69.99, a savings of almost 80%.

Attach the Pebblebee Clip to your keys, backpack or purse and you won’t need to worry about misplacing your item or leaving it behind. You can locate the missing item with your iPhone, or have the tracker tag play an audible alarm.

The item tracker is a rival to Apple’s AirTag, and both use Apple’s Find My network so they can be located almost anywhere on Earth.

I tested Pebblebee’s tracker tag and found a lot to like. It even improves on Apple’s offering, but not in every way.

August 17, 2012: Steve Jobs’ stolen iPad winds up in the hands of a clown called Kenny, who performs kids shows in the San Francisco Bay Area.

It’s a bizarre story all around, and fortunately winds up with the iPad being returned.

Feeling like your dreams of soaring through the skies have been grounded by skyrocketing airfare prices? To help get you back in the skies, Cult of Mac Deals is serving up a deal hotter than airplane coffee: a two-for-one offer on the Dollar Flight Club Premium Plus+ Plan.

For a limited time, you can pick up two lifetime subscriptions to DFC’s Premium Plus+ Plan for only $99.97. Regularly priced at a jaw-dropping $3,380, this deal is basically like finding a unicorn in economy class.

AirPods have no obvious controls on them, so it’s easy to think you just stick them in your ears and start listening. But these wireless earbuds offer features that aren’t immediately obvious.

We recently published six hidden tips and tricks for AirPods. Now here are a few more you might not know.

The latest group covers how to more easily control your AirPods, how to find a lost one, plus a simple way to extend the battery life.

Great graphics and well-written text are essential to any kind of online presentation, but never underestimate the power of the spoken word. If you doubt that people love to listen, consider the rising popularity of podcasts and audiobooks.

Now, thanks to AI, there’s an easy way for any creator to get top-tier voiceover talent at their fingertips with text-to-speech tool TexTalky. It’s available here for the best price on the web, only $37.99 (regularly $162).

August 16, 1993: Apple ships the PowerBook 165, a lower-cost, grayscale version of the PowerBook 165c, which was the company’s first laptop to offer a color display.

The new model lacks the most attention-grabbing feature of the 165c, but it also brings its own claim to fame. The PowerBook 165 is Apple’s most affordable laptop yet.

Social media is a great place to get ideas for gear to include in your computer setup — or to skip in favor of doing things another way. There are usually other ways to do things, as today’s M2 MacBook Pro user found out regarding password entry and any “need” for a keyboard with Touch ID.

And if you’re into video editing, check out the user’s cool gear — a PlusTek AI film scanner and a Loupedeck+ photo and video editing console with massive programmability.

There’s a reason why dogs earned the nickname “man’s best friend.” Their unconditional companionship endures through good times and bad. But whether it’s work, school or general life obligations, we can’t always be nearby, making it essential to find a healthy method for keeping your precious pooch occupied when you’re not around.

DogTV is a truly modern solution to this problem, backed by science and customer reviews. A lifetime subscription to DogTV — which serves up streaming video specially crafted to keep your canine relaxed and entertained — is currently available for only $149.99 (regularly $838). That’s the best price online!

Designed for iPhone photographers, the Pocket Tripod’s one-of-a-kind design allows it to fold up to the size of a credit card so it can fit easily into your wallet, pocket or bag. When you need an iPhone stand for something like a group photo, a long-exposure sunset shot or even to watch a video on a long flight, it folds out in seconds to support your most prized gadget.

It’s the perfect lightweight, sturdy iPhone tripod that you can take anywhere. Even Woz likes it!

Twenty-six years ago, everyone knew personal computers were important, but the machines were too intimidating for non-technical people. Then, 25 years ago today, the original iMac changed that forever.

The first time I encountered an iMac was totally transformative. My core beliefs of what was possible on a computer were deeply shaken. It instilled in me a lifelong love for the Mac.

August 15, 1998: The iMac G3 — Apple’s brightly colored, translucent Macintosh relaunch — goes on sale to a rabid audience.

Steve Jobs’ first major new product since returning to Apple, the internet-ready iMac cements his legacy as a forward-thinking tech visionary. It also introduces the world to the design talents of Jony Ive — and pretty much saves Apple in the process.

Just another day at the office, eh?

Free cloud storage services are a dime a dozen these days, but what a lot of users are just now finding out is that you get what you pay for. If you use your devices for any kind of work, you definitely need your files to be safe. But just as importantly, you need them accessible — from anywhere.

That’s the kind of reliability users get with Degoo, a popular cloud storage service that’s now offering 10TB lifetime plans for just $99.99.

You can split up a big purchase across four smaller payments using Apple Pay Later. Unlike other similar services like Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm, there’s no interest — you pay the exact same amount of money as if you were purchasing at once.

Payments are expected every two weeks, matching the most common paycheck schedule in the United States. It’s easy to use and transparent about what you’ll pay when; it couldn’t be more straightforward.

If you’re going to use Windows and Office, you might as well go pro. And this heavily discounted bundle gives PC users (or Mac users running Parallels emulation software) the latest, greatest Microsoft software for one low price.

For a limited time, Cult of Mac readers can score this package that bundles lifetime access to Windows 11 Pro and Microsoft Office Pro 2021 for Windows for only $49.97 (regularly $418).