This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The early reviews are in — let’s talk about the best and worst parts of iPhone 13, 13 Pro and the iPad mini. Plus: Apple is prepping yet another great feature coming soon to your HomePod — it ain’t dead yet, baby!
Accessories brand Moment has launched three new case styles in its iPhone 13 collection. They’re all MagSafe compatible to go with the magnetic technology in your new handset.
Accessories maker Mujjo greets the arrival of iPhone 13 series handsets with some classy new offerings, now available in the Cult of Mac Store. Behold the Mujjo Full Leather Case and the Mujjo Full Leather Wallet Case for iPhone 13 Series.
When you travel the online highways and byways in search of cool computer setups, you start to notice certain patterns. One is that lots of people seem to love Apple’s Magic Trackpad. Another is that plenty of folks hate the Magic Mouse. And a third seems to see a growing number of people absolutely love using a Magic Trackpad + mouse combo — which some onlookers find mystifying.
Three new offerings now join Satechi’s formidable charger lineup for iPhone 12 and 13 series handsets and other portable devices: a MagSafe-compatible car mount charger, a high-output car charger and a USB-C PD wall charger.
Those hoping that iPhone 13 mini might ship with faster MagSafe charging will be disappointed to learn that it’s no quicker than its predecessor. Top-ups are restricted to a maximum of 12W when using a 20W charging adapter.
iPhone 13 and 13 Pro models, like last year’s larger iPhone models, can charge at up to 15W.
Apple warned owners of iPhone 13 and its newest iPad models on Friday that restoring their device from an earlier backup can cause problems in Apple Music. A bug prevents some users from accessing the Apple Music catalog and settings, and from using Sync Library on their new device.
The problem affects only iPhone 13, the 2021 iPad mini and the new ninth-generation iPad. Installing a software update fixes the problem.
Apple Watch Series 7 comes with a brand-new “communications transmitter” for wireless data transfer, regulatory documents reveal. The 60.5GHz module works with a “Wireless Serial Dock” that could enable faster transfer speeds.
It seems, however, that the new connectivity option is likely going to be reserved for internal use.
The newest addition to Apple Arcade really puts the “war” in Star Wars. Look for a mix of one-on-one real-time combat and tower defense with classic characters in Lego Star Wars Battles.
The game debuted Friday, and is playable on a wide variety of Apple devices.
iPhone 13, the 2021 iPad mini and the ninth-generation iPad hit the Apple Store on Friday morning. Cupertino showed off photos of customers getting their hands on its newest devices in Beijing to celebrate the occasion.
Those who preordered online last week also started receiving their new devices today. Twitter and other online platforms have become flooded with images from excited Apple customers with new products to unpack.
You won’t have to wait until Friday for the much-anticipated debut of Foundation on Apple TV+. The first episode of this adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s sci-fi classic will premiere2 on Apple’s streaming service three hours early, so Americans can watch it Thursday night.
The same goes for everything debuting on Apple TV+, including the latest episode of Ted Lasso.
iPhone models that can’t install iOS 14 or iOS 15 can still get protection from the infamous Pegasus spyware thanks to iOS 12.5.5. Apple released this update Thursday for devices as old as the iPhone 5s to close a security hole in active use by hackers.
The same update can also be installed on older iPad and iPod touch models.
Brydge has unveiled what looks to be a formidable, 12-port Thunderbolt 4 hub to expand your laptop’s connectivity. It’s the Stone Pro TB4 docking station. The only catch is you can’t get it just yet.
You may know Brydge more for its iPad keyboards than its docking stations. Recently Cult of Mac‘s Ed Hardy said the Brydge 12.9+ iPad Pro keyboard beats out Apple Magic Keyboard. But the new Stone Pro TB4 is one of several docks the company makes.
Do you find your Apple Watch is uncomfortable on your wrist during intense workouts? Wear it on your arm where it’s out of your way with the superb ActionSleeve 2 from Twelve South — now available from the Cult of Mac Store.
Made from a soft and lightweight fabric, ActionSleeve 2 feels good even when you’re hot and sweaty. It doesn’t prevent Apple Watch from tracking your heart rate and other statistics, and it’s machine washable so you can keep it clean.
Apple accessories provider Casely is known for its kooky and colorful designs. That remains true with its new iPhone 13 cases. The new Casely iPhone 13 case collections for Apple’s new handsets are full of zany patterns, prints and textures worthy of an Instagram influencer.
While late-model iPhones have impressive battery life, if you stream a lot of videos or use your handset as a hotspot for hours on end, you’ve probably seen dwindling power. But now you can extend the runtime of your MagSafe-capable iPhone 12 or 13 for up to 48 hours with a new battery pack called myCharge MagLock Superhero.
The European Commission put forward legislation Thursday that would make USB-C the standard port for all smartphones and tablets. The move seems aimed directly at Apple and the Lightning port used in iPhone and the budget iPad. But it also would affect super-cheap Android handsets that still use micro-USB.
The proposal also would unbundle the sale of chargers from the sale of electronic devices.
The new Plugable TBT4-HUB3C hub turns a single Thunderbolt 4 port into three of them, expanding the number of high-speed accessories that can be connected to a Mac or iPad Pro. That includes big displays and large-capacity drives.
And Plugable also launched new 1-meter and 2-meter Thunderbolt cables Thursday.
Apple TV+ is shooting for the stars with two new sci-fi series and a film this autumn. The trailers for Foundation, Invasion and Finch all look amazing. And dark. The descriptions for all of them include either “dystopian” or “apocalypse” or both.
Could we get some science fiction that’s a little more upbeat from Apple’s streaming service?
Survivor has deployed its new MagSafe-compatible iPhone 13 cases featuring (literally) military-grade protection for your new Apple handset.
If you like to use products made from recycled materials, Casetify has you covered when it comes to iPhone 13 covers. Its collection features several styles of MagSafe-compatible cases, both recycled and upcycled, with solid drop protection and options for personalization.
The first phase of the legal war between Apple and Epic Games is over, and a Federal court agreed with the game developer in some of the major points in their lawsuit. But Apple refuses to reinstate Fortnite and other Epic titles to its App Store during the appeals process.
The iPhone maker says this is the result of “Epic’s duplicitous conduct” leading to the lawsuit.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is fed up with employees who leak details of upcoming devices to the press. He sent out a company-wide memo that said, “people who leak confidential information do not belong here.”
The memo was quickly leaked to the press.
While the iPhone 13 has drawn some criticism for being a minor update, improvements to the cameras mean that none of the new handsets are compatible with tight-fitting cases designed for earlier models.
This is not unusual. But Apple’s 2021 models look so much like their iPhone 12 equivalents that it might be easy to think the exteriors are identical when they are not.
Spigen has rolled out its first MagSafe power bank, available for preorder now. The ArcHybrid Mag arrives with a 5,000mAh capacity alongside 7.5W charging speeds and a stronger magnetic force than other models on the market, the company said. All that and a launch discount, too (see below).