Crossy Road+ and many other App Store Greats have recently become part of Apple Arcade. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The selection of App Store Greats available through the Apple Arcade subscription service continues to grow. Friday brings the addition of Galaga Wars+ and Kingdom Rush Frontiers TD+.
They join dozen of other classic games that players used to have to pay to play individually but are now all available with a single Apple Arcade subscription. Plus there are many more original games, too.
The M1 Mac mini is paired with a 32-inch Samsung 4K monitor, a Keychron Q1 mechanical keyboard and a Logitech MX Master 3 mouse. Photo: PJ Flordeliz
Sometimes you see a workstation and you can pretty much tell by the gear what its owner does for a living. Today’s featured setup has an M1 Mac mini, a 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro and an Acer laptop, plus a custom mechanical keyboard, a network switch and a huge external hard drive. That led me to guess the person might be a IT staffer or a software developer. And I was right.
Well, that's a shame. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Samsung has confirmed that it is dropping support for its official DeX app for Mac (and Windows 7) in January.
The move means Galaxy smartphone owners will no longer be able to connect their device to a macOS machine to turn it into an Android-powered desktop. However, the awesome DeX feature itself isn’t going anywhere.
Apple doesn't rush its AirPods upgrades. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
We could be waiting almost another year for Cupertino’s second-generation AirPods Pro refresh. A new report — citing sources in Apple’s supply chain — claims the new buds won’t drop until the third quarter of 2022.
Earlier rumors have indicated the upgrade could bring an even more compact design with a more rounded shape, plus motion sensors for fitness tracking.
It could have sold for even more! Photo: Ken Pillonel
An iPhone X that’s been modded to use a USB-C instead of Lightning connector has sold for a whopping $86,001 on eBay.
Built by robotics engineering student Ken Pillonel, the device — which still functions perfectly normally — was shown off in October before being listed for sale earlier this month. It had received a bid of $99,000, but that was retracted.
Grab the newest update now. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
The latest update to the Apple Store app adds a brand-new “lists” feature that makes it easier to keep track of all the things you want.
You can then share and discuss your lists with in-store Specialists, Apple says — then get a recap of your conversation sent to the app so it’s easy to find later. Lists also make it faster to buy what you want when you’re ready to check out.
The Anker 310 Magnetic Ring turns your regular iPhone 12 or 13 case into a MagSafe-compatible one for $8. Photo: Anker
Is your regular iPhone 12 or 13 case keeping you from enjoying Apple’s MagSafe technology? Anker now offers an inexpensive fix for your case — the Anker 310 Magnetic Ring — so you don’t have to buy a new, MagSafe-compatible one. The ring is $8, whereas a new case would probably cost you well over $20.
You can control the new Zigma Aerio 300 Wi-Fi Air Purifier with the Siri voice assistant. Photo: Zigma
Smart home technology provider Zigma launched its Smart Aerio 300 Wi-Fi Air Purifier. The company said the device can analyze air in a home or office in three minutes and clean air in spaces up to 1,580 square feet in an hour.
CES 2022 Innovation Awards honoree: The Cypress Hero Backpack with Find My Technology from Targus. Photo: Targus
Plenty of backpacks have an AirTag tracker attached by their owners, but Targus is making one with Apple Find My tech built in. This will allow users to locate the backpack with their iPhone if it gets lost.
The Cypress Hero EcoSmart Backpack won’t launch until spring, but has already been named a CES 2022 Innovation Awards Honoree.
It's also coming to iPhone and iPad next year. Image: okayjosh/YouTube
Glorious new gameplay footage captured from Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition has leaked before it makes its official debut on consoles and PC tomorrow, November 12 — and lands on mobile next year.
The rather lengthy clips, taken from GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas, give us a closer look at the games’ improved graphics and significantly faster frame rate. They also show off some user interface enhancements.
Who'd have thought Microsoft Paint could produce art like this? Images: Concha García Zaera
Who needs expensive Photoshop subscriptions and fancy drawing hardware? 91-year-old grandma Concha García Zaera creates and sells beautiful and insanely detailed masterpieces using nothing but a mouse and Microsoft Paint.
Zaera’s artwork, which is all put together using a Windows 7 PC, has attracted more than 300,000 followers on Instagram. It features everything from serene and colorful landscapes to cute and cuddly pet portraits.
Enjoy Home screen widgets and Picture in Picture support. Photo: Google
Google this week rolled out a bunch of rather significant updates for Gmail, Meet, and Sheets on iPhone and iPad that add a number of neat new features and improvements. You can download them from the App Store now.
Gmail now offers a Home screen widget that lets you see your inbox at a glance, while Meet now features Picture in Picture support so you can carry out remote meetings while you continue to do other things on your device.
Setting Legacy Contacts in the current iOS 15.2 beta is simple. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple apparently intends to launch a promised Legacy Contacts feature in the upcoming iOS 15.2 and the iPad equivalent. This will allow friends or family members to access your data after you die.
It will prevent pictures and phone numbers from being permanently locked on an iPhone or iPad if someone passes away without giving out their passcode.
There are multiple new features in the PC version of the iCloud app. Photo: Apple
Apple threw a bone to iPhone owners who are also PC users on Wednesday. iCloud for Windows version 13 adds support for Apple ProRes videos and Apple ProRaw photos.
And there are other new features in the free app too, like greater control over iCloud Drive and the ability to generate strong passwords.
The new Keychron M1 Mouse is billed as slim, lightweight and customizable. Photo: Keychron
Over the past several years, Keychron has gained justifiable fame for its affordable mechanical keyboards, which appeal to a variety of users. Now it plans to release its first mouse, the M1 (not to be confused with Apple’s world-beating Silicon chipset).
Keychron said its M1 mouse comes with the “strongest, most competitive grade” sensor chip available — as well as a raft of RGB light effects.
Connect RiotPWR’s Rotor Riot iPhone game controller to your iPhone for quick and easy fun. Photo: Apple/RiotPWR
RiotPwr is out with a new version of its iPhone game controller with a Lightning connector. This mimics the design of Microsoft’s Xbox controller, and new version adds a pair of buttons needed to play many games.
Apple likes this accessory so much it just began offering it in the Apple Store, both online and brick-and-mortar locations.
The Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat now works with HomeKit and Siri. Photo: Residio
After a couple of years of promises, one of the first consumer smart thermostats to support remote temperature and humidity sensors, the Honeywell Home T9, finally features support for Apple HomeKit and Siri voice control.
BEFORE: A fine Dell Inspiron laptop perched atop a mess. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Not long ago I sold, gave away or trashed most of my possessions and moved across the U.S. Soon after arrival, I found my computer unresponsive. The ol’ HP Pavilion laptop stopped powering on reliably. So I borrowed a perfectly good Dell laptop from my brother and kept on writing, mainly for Cult of Mac. I just happened to be “between Macs” at the time. But now I have a brand new 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook.
Thanks to the swanky new Apple laptop plus a few other bits and pieces I quickly acquired, as of today I no longer wallow in a PC laptop pigsty (yeah, the photo above is genuine, though I swear it wasn’t always quite that messy). I’ve got a proper Mac computer setup for the first time in a while.
The new Apple Business Essentials service brings device management, support and storage into one subscription for small businesses. Photo: Apple
Apple launched a new service aimed at small businesses Wednesday. Now in beta, Apple Business Essentials bundles device management, Apple support and iCloud storage into flexible subscription plans for companies with up to 500 employees.
Cupertino also unveiled an app for the service that enables employees to install apps for work and request support.
Apple’s entrance into comprehensive small business tech services by subscription could spell trouble for companies already in the space, such as Jamf and Hexnode.
Plug the Satechi Pro Hub Mini into a 2021 MacBook Pro to add USB-A and other useful ports. Photo: Satechi
While the 2021 MacBook Pro brings back some classic ports, those who want USB-A need to turn to an adapter like the Satechi Pro Hub Mini. The accessory clips to the side of the notebook and adds a pair of USB-A ports and Ethernet.
Preorders began Wednesday with a 25% discount until the launch.
"Engineering hours are much more expensive than laptops." Photo: Apple
The new MacBook Pro lineup is an exceptional upgrade over its predecessors, with new M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets that offer more mobile computing power than ever before. And big companies are scrambling to reap the benefits.
The likes of Reddit, Twitter and others are rolling out 2021 MacBook Pro units to employees so that they can take advantage of the massive performance gains. “Engineering hours are much more expensive than laptops,” one said.
Included with your Netflix subscription. Image: Netflix
Netflix Games is now available on iPhone and iPad, just over one week after making its debut on Android. Users can access all titles through the main Netflix app, but — as expected — they must be downloaded individually.
The service offers five games to begin with, including the two Stranger Things titles that were already available on iOS, and is available at no extra cost to those who already have a Netflix subscription.
Apple doesn't want AirTags and other devices to be used to track others. Photo: Apple
Apple’s new iOS 15.2 beta gives iPhone and iPad users the option to scan for nearby AirTags and Find My devices that may be tracking their movements.
The beta adds a new “Items That Can Track Me” button to the Find My app. Tapping it will display a list of “Unknown Items” — if there are any nearby. The app then provide users with instructions on how to disable anything that shows up.
Apple motion for a delay has been denied. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Apple to add third-party payment options to the App Store by December 9, after denying the company’s motion for a stay in Fortnite developer Epic Games’ case against Cupertino.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said the motion, which argued that Apple needed time to implement the changes, was based on “a selective reading of the Court’s findings” and “ignores everything” in favor of an injunction.
These smart bands come in a variety of fabrics and colors. Photo: BluShark
Our latest giveaway is from BluShark, maker of high-quality watch straps. Three lucky winners will each win a $100 BluShark gift card to buy Apple Watch bands.
BluShark bands comes in a variety of materials, including leather, canvas, silicone, knit weave and Cordura. If you win, you can keep the gift card all for yourself and/or buy something for a friend. Whatever you do, make sure you enter this giveaway for your shot at winning.