Gear-shopping for your favorite outdoors-loving friends and family members can be as daunting as trekking up Mount St. Helens as she’s about to blow. There are so many options — and so much crap! Nobody wants to waste money on a gift that’s not going to get used.
To help you out with your holiday shopping, we waded through the endless lists of camping and hiking gear and gadgets that came out in 2017. The goal? To find the perfect stuff your special someone will love.
The new 4K Apple TV is a pricey but capable streaming box. Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac
Amazon is finally back in the business of selling Apple TVs.
The online retail giant stopped selling Apple’s set-top-boxes back in 2015. But the company is extending an olive branch to both Apple and Google and has created new listings for the Apple TV and Chromecast.
Even bass players can use Tonebridge. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
The iPad has many, many amazing effects apps for making music, and several high-level apps just for emulating guitar amplifiers and effects pedals. But what if you just want to plug in and play a song, and have your guitar sound just like the one on the record? That’s exactly what Tonebridge is for. Under the hood, this simulator app is as powerful as the others, but it’s way, way simpler to use.
Whereas most apps present a range or virtual pedals and amps, Tonebridge is based around songs. You fire it up, plug in your guitar, and search for the song you want to play. The app loads up the sound of the song, and you can play along. The app is impressive, nailing the tomes of pretty much any song you ask for, without any tweaking necessary.
But now, with the latest Tonebridge release, you can also dig in to the settings that used to sit behind the scenes. Let’s take a look.
Selfissimo! is one of Google's new experimental iOS photo apps. Photo: Google
Google launched a clutch of “experimental” photography apps for iOS and Android this week. The ones of interest to us are called Selfissimo! and Scrubbies. They’re both single-purpose apps, and they’re both free. What’s more, the two apps are also a lot of fun.
The iMac Pro is the most secure Apple desktop ever built, and it’s got a special chip to prove it.
Early review units are starting to trickle out to tech experts and according to iOS and Mac developer Cabel Sasser, the iMac Pro packs a new T2 chip that is basically like a secure enclave for the iMac.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Koch Industries CEO Charles Koch are usually on opposite ends of the political spectrum, but the two business titans are coming together to support a common cause: The Dreamers.
In a rare opinion piece authored by Cook and Koch, the two implore Congress to act now so that this holiday season isn’t the last one in the United States for 690,000 of our neighbors.
Firefly boosts your iPhone's cellular signal. Photo: Firefly
If you’re plagued by dropped calls and slow data, say hello to Firefly for iPhone. Thanks to “super antenna technology,” this case can boost cellular, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity while protecting your iPhone from scuffs and bumps.
It’s just one of the awesome ideas in this week’s Crowdfund Roundup. We also have smart screen protectors, levitating home security cameras, and more!
This could change the internet as we know it. Photo: Pexels
In a shocking change to internet protocols in the US, the Federal Communications Commission has voted to repeal net neutrality.
The FCC voted to repeal the landmark rules that protect consumers from being charged special prices for accessing certain parts of the internet. By scraping the neutrality regulations, The FCC just opened the doorway for Internet service providers to block websites or make users pay more to get some content.
Portrait Lighting can make a movie star out of almost anyone. Almost. Photo: Ste Smith/ Cult of Mac
Portrait mode is an iPhone 7 feature that has been supercharged in the iPhones X and 8, with the addition of Portrait Lighting. Both features use depth data from these iPhones’ dual cameras, either to separate the subject of the photo from its background, or to completely re-light the photo to add drama. Here’s how to make the most of them.
Who doesn’t love emoji? People with bad eyesight, that’s who. Everyone else, everyone everywhere, loves the little pictures of medals, flags, headphones, eggplants, and feces. What we don’t like is finding them by swiping around the keyboard section of an iPhone screen. In some ways it’s a metaphor for human existence. We love to manipulate the meaning of symbols through context and juxtaposition, the way a standup comic does, but we’re too lazy to spend the time to do it properly.
Happily for the future of the human race, there are shortcuts to great emoji if you’re using iOS. Let’s take a look.
Face ID is used for a lot more than just unlocking your iPhone X. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple’s is pushing to make Face ID as ubiquitous as Touch ID with its latest video that shows how the iPhone X makes Apple Pay even easier.
Because Apple removed the home button, activating Apple Pay on the iPhone X is a bit different than other iPhones. In the company’s new how-to video, Apple guides iPhone X owners through to process of making payments in stores.
What a beautiful, beautiful, expensive machine. Photo: Apple/Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple’s celebrated iMac Pro is finally available to buy, but it’s gonna cost you! The “basic” model will set you back only $4,999. But if you decide to shell out for the top-of-the-line version, your wallet is going to feel a whole lot lighter.
How much lighter? Checking all the boxes to upgrade the machine to its full potential brings the total iMac Pro price to a massive $13,926.98.
This is Apple's most powerful Mac ever. Photo: Apple
Apple’s eagerly-anticipaed iMac Pro is finally available to buy, six months after Apple first showcased the new computer at WWDC.
The “most powerful Mac ever” can be purchased today in 8-core and 10-core variations, while 14- and 18-core models can be pre-ordered for shipping in 6-8 weeks. Prices start at $4,999.
Fishball is all you need to shoot VR video on iPhone. Photo: Fishball
Now that you can edit 360-degree video in Final Cut Pro, you might get the urge to shoot your very own immersive videos. The iPhone can’t do that all by itself (yet), but it can if you add this tiny gadget.
It’s called Fishball, and it’s the world’s first 360-degree lens for iPhone. All you have to do is clip it on and you’re good to go.
Apple is the perfect company to buy your last-minute gifts from. Tim Cook would probably say. Photo: Apple
If you’re planning on buying any Apple products for Christmas (whether that’s for friends and family or a sneaky Yuletide gift for yourself), Apple’s just announced a bit of good news.
For any in-stock items ordered up until 3pm local time on December 22 in the United States, Apple will guarantee next day delivery free of charge. Perfect for those last minute presents!
Final Cut Pro catches up with its rivals. Photo: Apple
On the day that the long-awaited iMac Pro finally goes on sale, Apple has rolled out a big Final Cut Pro update. Its professional video editing software now supports HDR and 360-degree virtual reality content.
Tim Cook thinks AR is going to be the next big thing in tech. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Expecting Android device makers to rip off Apple’s augmented reality technology any time soon? Not so fast, a new report claims.
Apple’s $390 million payday to TrueDepth sensor maker Finisar this week will reportedly help lock out rival companies like Samsung and Huawei from competing with its augmented reality ambitions, by giving Apple first dibs on the necessary components.
One of the iOS 11 features you may not know about is that Apple now offers indoor mapping support for a growing number of international airports and malls.
While the number of airports and malls covered is still relatively small — with 34 airports, mostly based in the U.S., and a handful of shopping malls — Apple has published a list of where these are located.
Apple wants to help grow the manufacturing sector in the U.S. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund to help U.S. manufacturing isn’t capped at $1 billion, according to chief operating office Jeff Williams.
The $1 billion investment was announced in May this year. At the time, Tim Cook said it was Apple’s “initial” investment, suggesting that there could be more money should things work out well. Clearly Apple has been impressed by the results because in a new interview with CNBC, Jeff Williams said the sum is “absolutely not” Apple’s final threshold.
Ottm's wooden Apple eWatch bands are good-looking and unique. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
In the world of watch straps, we think Ottm, a manufacturer of wooden Apple Watch bands, offers one of the best unboxing experiences.
The box itself is plain and simple, but the package is thoughtfully designed, containing extra links and a pin removal tool that makes it very easy to adjust your new band.
The bands are awesome, too. Made from zebrawood and/or sandalwood, each hand-finished strap is eye-catching, comfortable and unique.
We made a video to show you what to expect. Check it out above.
Hot on the heels of today’s iOS update for the public, Apple has come out with a fresh set of beta updates for developers with the release of iOS 11.2.5 beta 1, along with new betas for Apple Watch and Apple TV too.
The Traveler Slim wraps your iPhone X with leather. Photo: Pad and Quill
Looking to add some vintage vibes to your futuristic iPhone X?
The folks at Pad and Quill have you covered with the world’s first ever handmade leather bumper case for the iPhone X. The design for the case has been in the works for three years and was inspired by old school leather coin purses.
This Safari content blocker only shuts down sites you personally blacklist. Photo: Cult of Mac/ Salavat Khanov
Most ad blockers block everything. You download the app, tell Safari to use it, and then no longer need to worry about sites serving bandwidth-burning scripts that leech your personal information.
But for many people, the blanket approach of nuking everything is too much. You may instead prefer to block some bad actors, but let most sites serve ads — the ads pay the writers who write for the sites, after all. That’s where the bluntly named Punish Website app comes in. The new app comes configured to block nothing, letting you add the sites you hate to your own personal blacklist.
Keep your Mac optimized by deleting junk files with Dr. Cleaner. Photo: Felipe Maass/Pixabay CC
This post is presented by Trend Micro, maker of Dr. Cleaner.
Your Mac is a complex machine. That means there are a lot of ways it can get clogged up. Whether it’s junk files or overused application memory, keeping a clean Mac is a lot like keeping a clean house. A little bit of regular tidying goes a long way.
That’s what Dr. Cleaner is. A little cleaning kit stored away for when you need it.