Mobile menu toggle

first look

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on first look:

Bodies rain from the sky in Slow Horses season 5 [Now streaming!]

By

Slow Horses season 5
Watch the exciting trailer for Slow Horses season 5.
Photo: Apple TV+

A big hit for Apple TV+, the darkly comedic spy thriller Slow Horses returned Wednesday with the first episode of its fifth season. Once again it’s off to a fast start, making London look like a bloody shooting gallery. And it appears the season will echo contemporary themes of nationalistic fervor and immigration backlash.

How will Slough House section chief Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) and his beleaguered team of B-team spies react, especially when one of their number may be compromised? 

Jason Momoa races to unite Hawaii against invaders in Chief of War [Now streaming!]

By

Chief of War season 1
Jason Momoa co-created, wrote, executive produces and stars in Chief of War.
Photo: Apple TV+

In the historical drama series Chief of War — streaming Friday on Apple TV+ — Jason Momoa plays warrior Ka‘iana. He’s desperate to united warring Hawaiian islands against encroaching Western colonization, according to the recent full-length trailer Apple TV+ dropped. At just over 3 minutes in length and loaded with battle scenes as well as scenes of native life, the trailer’s unusually in-depth. But now you can finally watch the first two episodes of the series.

The nine-episode drama follows all the action from an indigenous perspective. It comes from native Hawaiians Thomas Pa’a Sibbett and Momoa, who serve as executive producers. Momoa also wrote it and stars in it.

Update: Momoa’s Chief of War started streaming on Apple TV+ Friday, August 1. It’s off to fast start on Rottentomatoes.com with an 86% Fresh rating (though that’s based on just a handful of reviews so far). USA Today calls the show “triumphant” and The Guardian notes that Momoa’s character wrestles sharks and leads tons of battle scenes, but adds that a lot of backstory makes the show “dense stuff.”

New Apple TV+ drama explores life of world’s first celebrity chef (and French spy)

By

Apple TV+ drama Careme
Historical drama Carême debuts on Apple TV+ on April 30.
Photo: Apple TV+

These days celebrity chefs have their own TV shows. They shill their product lines and cookbooks all over the place. But if you go back far enough, you can find the very first superstar cook who started it all, and in a very different time. That’s what Apple TV+ did with Carême, it’s upcoming French-language drama series. Like the book it’s based on, it chronicles the fascinating life of Antonin Carême, “the world’s first celebrity chef who secretly served as a spy in Napoleon’s Europe,” as the streamer put it.

The series, premiering April 30, stars César Award winner Benjamin Voisin as Carême. Apple TV+ offered several appetizing photographs Wednesday as a first look at the show.

Finally, Silo season 2 details arrive — in a couple of weeks

By

Silo season 2 details
"Silo " star Sarah Ferguson peers at you mysteriously in this season 2 teaser image.
Photo: Apple TV+

Release dates for new seasons of hit Apple TV+ shows like Severance and Slow Horses are in the news, and now we can add Silo to that list — maybe. The show’s stars and producers will discuss season 2 details at San Diego Comic-Con July 27, Apple TV+ said Friday. And a release date — and maybe more, like a trailer — will probably come out of that panel discussion.

Get a glimpse of scary ‘adult fairytale’ The Changeling coming to Apple TV+

By

Anyone up for a horrifying
Anyone up for a horrifying "adult fairytale" about parenthood in New York City?
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ dropped a “first look” at a new drama/horror series and “parenthood fable” The Changeling, coming to the streaming service September 8. See the photographs below.

The eight-episode show stars LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta, Sorry to Bother You) and comes from the critically acclaimed and bestselling book of the same name by Victor LaValle.

Hands-on: First impressions of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus

By

The new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are bigger, faster and thinner than ever. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web
The new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are bigger, faster and thinner than ever. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus take everyone’s favorite smartphone to the next level. They are bigger, faster and thinner than their predecessors, with better battery life to boot.

In the videos below, you’ll get Cult of Mac leader Leander Kahney’s first hands-on impressions, straight and unfiltered from the demo room after Apple’s big press event in Cupertino, California.

First Impressions: I’ve Fallen Hard For The iPhone 5s

By

iphone-5s-1

I’ve been playing with the 5s for about the last two hours, and I can’t remember the last time I was so stubbornly wrong about, gee, anything really — as much as I was wrong about the iPhone 5s. And not just the 5s, but also iOS 7, which I hated when I first launched it on my iPad last night; but man, is it ever beyond perfect on the 5s.

I know, my iPhone 5s and I have just begun our honeymoon phase, but here’s the first-impression verdict in a nutshell: The iOS 7 / iPhone 5s pairing is phenomenal. I’m so in love.

Tweetbot For Mac Alpha Brings The Tapbots Charm With Plenty Of Potential [First Look]

By

Screen Shot 2012-07-11 at 1.44.31 PM

The guys at Tapbots released the highly anticipated Tweetbot for Mac today with a catch. The app is available for free, but it’s in alpha form. This means that the developers are still working furiously to iron out the kinks and create the complete, public version. But for now, those who feel so inclined can download Tweetbot for Mac 0.6 and give it a go.

I’ve been playing around with the app, and for an alpha release, Tweetbot for Mac is very good. The app has already become my default Twitter client on the Mac for a few reasons.

Pogoplug’s New Series 4: Going for iCloud’s Throat? [Launch, First Look]

By

pogoplug-preview-6

 

Pogoplug has been busy. For a company that focuses really intently on a single concept — namely, putting your stuff in the cloud — it has released a prolific number of products since the original Pogoplug first debuted in early 2009. Today brings their latest offering: The Pogoplug Series 4 ($100).

Cloud Engines, the outfit that makes the Pogoplug, sent us an Series 4 to check out, and we got a little hands-on time with it before the launch today.

First Look: Lion’s New Mail Client Is So Good [Video]

By

post-83707-image-9c840805d5cc72ca6ae0b75965aea9e1-jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX928KC8jiA

Here’s a quick video tour of the new Mail client in OS X Lion. It’s got a three-pane view, nicely threaded “Conversations,” and a goes full screen. It’s very good. Mail alone is a good reason to upgrade to Lion.