Mobile menu toggle

Pay what you want for this Cyber Monday Mac app bundle

By

PWYW Cyber Monday Mac Bundle Wide
The Pay What You Want Cyber Monday Mac Bundle features 10 utility apps you'll use everyday

What better to celebrate this Cyber Monday than with a present to your trusty Macs? While we might only surf the web, finish some spreadsheets, or watch Netflix, our Macs can do more than just that. The Pay What You Want Cyber Monday Mac Bundle features 10 Mac apps that you will use on an every day basis. Whether you want to quickly find your files or touch-up photos with just one click, this Mac app bundle is perfect for this Cyber Monday.

Grid Autosport puts console-quality racing in your pocket

By

GRID
The game raced into the App Store today!
Photo: GRID Autosport

A new racing title, offering “console-quality” graphics and gaming, sped onto iOS today.

Called GRID Autosport, the AAA racing game offers 100 cars and a whole lot of circuits — all for the one-off price of $9.99, with no additional charges for later content. Check out the spectacular trailer below:

The best Cyber Monday deals of 2017

By

Cyber Monday 2017
Grab a bargain today!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The holiday season is finally upon us and you know what that means? Killer deals on all the tech gadgets you’ve been lusting after all year.

Cyber Monday deals for 2017 are already setting the internet into a tizzy of anticipation with big discounts on 4K TVs, smart speakers, drones, iPads, smartphones and much more. Cult of Mac will be rounding up the best deals right here so you can spend less time Cyber Monday shopping and get on with life.

Here are the best deals worth checking out:

Apple will spend $4.2 billion on original programming by 2022

By

Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
Apple is opening up its wallet!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple will $4.2 billion per year on original video content by 2022, according to a recent report, citing Loup Ventures analyst Gene Munster.

The sum is a massive increase on the rumored $1 billion “war chest” that Apple will spend in 2018, although it will still trail behind Netflix and Amazon when it comes to their respective video budgets.

Retailers rage over cut iPhone X profit margins

By

iPhone X wireless charging
Retailers in India say that Apple has slashed profit margins.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Retailers in India are not happy about the way that Apple is reducing their cut of the new iPhone X handsets, by reducing retail margins on the device by close to 30 percent.

As a result, some retailers in the country — such as Bengaluru-based Sangeetha Mobiles, which owns 400 stores across India — have stopped taking orders for the iPhone X altogether.

Foxconn is shipping half a million iPhone X units a day

By

iphone x
iPhone X availability has been better than expected.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Respected Apple analyst KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo says that customer interest in the iPhone X continues to climb — with manufacturers ramping up their production to meet Apple’s demands.

Kuo claims that Foxconn is currently shipping 440,000 to 550,000 iPhone X units per day, representing an enormous increase on the 50,000 to 100,000 units being shipped each day just a couple months back.

Cult of Mac Magazine: DIY HomePod speaker, Watch Store’s Black Friday Blowout, and more!

By

cover
Check out our homemade 'HomePod'. Get massive savings during Cult of Mac Watch Store's Black Friday Weekend Sale!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Grab massive Black Friday deals in our Watch Store this weekend, and read our roundups for the Best Black Friday Deals elsewhere! Check out artists’ concepts for the Mac mini and iPad X. Find out why the iPhone X needs its notch.

Last week, Apple announced that it’s HomePod smart speaker will be delayed until the new year. “We need a little more time before it’s ready for our customers,” the company said. Last week’s But, Cult of Mac’s own Leander Kahney shrugged it off. That’s because he made his own HomePod smart speaker. It cost him about $60 and sounds absolutely great.

In this week’s issue, you’ll find these stories and more. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

Animal Crossing, Scrivener 3, and other awesome apps of the week

By

Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend everyone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The long-awaited arrival of beloved Nintendo franchise Animal Crossing on iOS is just of one of the picks for this week’s “Awesome Apps of the Week.”

In addition, we’ve got a great writing app for Mac (perfect if you’re writing a book!), a popular ARPG, and a brilliant point-and-click adventure game. Check out our picks below.

The best Bluetooth speakers for iPhone and iPad

By

marshall bluetooth speakers
Bluetooth speakers are the default kind of speaker for today's cable-free iPhones. Here are some of the best.
Photo: Marshall

The speakers in iPhones and iPads get better with each new model, but they’ll never power a party, or even shift enough air to accompany an action movie. Bluetooth speakers are the way to go for most people. You skip the annoyance of wires, and you don’t have to deal with the hassle of AirPlay, which never seems to work right. Also, Bluetooth is universal, so you can also use the speaker with an Android device or PC.

Get a sneak preview to Cult of Mac Deals Cyber Monday exclusives

By

LithiumCard Wallet Battery
Stay charged with this ultra-thin power bank
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Skip out on the usual online rabbit hole that ends up being Cyber Monday shopping — the Internet is vast, and your time is precious. That’s why we’ve already found a roundup of deals floating around on the web — and it’s not all big screen televisions or massagers (don’t worry): we’ve scoured and searched for the everyday carry itmes, software, VPNs and tools to keep you extra productive as you head into the new year.

Grid is bringing high-performance racing to iOS

By

GRID Autosport racing
The GRID franchise is going mobile!
Photo: Feral Interactive

The Grid racing franchise is going mobile! Feral Interactive today revealed Grid Autosport for iOS, which will put high-performance racing in your pocket this fall.

The game will pack supercars from the likes of McLaren, Audi, Pagani and more. And you won’t have to worry about in-app purchases.

Big Cydia sources shut down as jailbreaking dies out

By

Cydia jailbreak
Cydia is now compatible with iOS 11. Here’s which tweaks you can use.
Photo: Cydia

Two of Cydia’s largest repositories have been shutdown as jailbreaking dies out. ModMy and ZodTTD are no longer available, leaving BigBoss as the only major source still available to those who want apps and tweaks you can’t find in the App Store.

iPhone X now available in a total of 70 countries

By

iPhone X wireless charging
The iPhone X is now on sale in 13 new countries.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone X went on sale in 13 more countries today, bringing the total worldwide availability to more than 70 different markets.

Countries added today include Albania, Bosnia, Cambodia, Kosovo, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Montenegro, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, and Turkey.

Don’t miss out on these Black Friday specials from Cult of Mac Deals

By

This handheld scanner can provide ultra precise color readings for your digital or paint-based needs.
This handheld scanner can provide ultra precise color readings for your digital or paint-based needs.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s that wonderful time of the year, Black Friday! What is a better day than the day after spending time with the family and devouring a huge Thanksgiving meal? Whether you are shopping around for yourself or a family member, it is always nice to score a cool piece of tech at a deal.

Apple’s Black Friday deals offer up to $150 gift cards with purchases

By

Apple
Apple's bringing out the gift cards!
Photo: Apple

As a premium brand, Apple’s not exactly known for its discounts or plethora of special offers. This year’s Black Friday is no different if you’ve been holding out for 50 percent reductions on the cost of a new iMac, or a buy-1-get-1-free deal on new Apple Watches.

That doesn’t mean Apple skipping out on a spending holiday altogether, though. In a “one day” shopping deal, Apple is handing out gift cards to anyone who buys certain products.

Check out the details below.

Crazy realistic Steve Jobs action figure lets you stage your own Stevenotes

By

Jobs figure
Less Silicon Valley, more Uncanny Valley.
Photo: DAM Toys

What better gift for the Apple geek in your life (or, heck, yourself) than a ridiculously realistic Steve Jobs action figure?

The 1/6 scale replica of the iconic Apple co-founder and CEO is coming soon from DAM Toys. In addition to boasting some highly detailed head sculpting, it sports Jobs’ iconic mock turtleneck, glasses, jeans, and a slew of other nifty accessories to create your own tiny One Infinite Loop tableaux in the comfort of your own home.

The best iPad docks and stands for home and away

By

heckler rest action
The ultimate test -- a giant iPad pro in portrait orientation.
Photo: Heckler

If you have an iPad, you will probably need a stand at some point. Unlike the iPhone, which is almost always used in the hand, an iPad is equally good handheld, or on a desk. Thankfully, there are a zillion different kinds of stand and dock to fit almost any need. Today we’ll look at the best non-specialized stands. These are all-purpose docks and supports that don’t pack anything other than clever design, and maybe the odd charging plug.

Apple’s offices in South Korea raided on eve of iPhone X launch

By

iphone x
Raid comes one day before the iPhone X goes on sale in the country.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Authorities in South Korea raided Apple’s offices in Seoul today, one day ahead of the launch of the iPhone X.

The exact reason for the raid isn’t apparent, although it reportedly concerns Apple’s business practices in the country. Nonetheless, it raises questions about whether the South Korean government may be trying to hurt Apple prior to the release of one of its most sought-after products in years.

Foxconn stamps out illegal overtime for iPhone X

By

Foxconn Wisconsin
Foxconn says it took "immediate action" after hearing about illegal overtime for students building the iPhone X.
Photo: Foxconn

Foxconn has wasted little time in responding to reports that high school student interns worked illegal overtime building the iPhone X.

In a statement made to the U.K.’s BBC broadcasting service, a representative for the Foxconn Technology Group said that it has taken, “immediate action to ensure that no interns are carrying out any overtime work.”

Apple will feel effects of U.K. tax avoidance crackdown

By

Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
U.K. Treasury announced its new policy this week.
Photo illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The U.K. Treasury has announced plans to crack down on tech giants which use overseas profit-shifting strategies to cut down on the amount of tax they have to pay.

Chancellor Philip Hammond announced that the country will now charge a 20 percent income tax rate on any British earnings held overseas, starting April 2019.