Keep all your chargers and cables together when you leave the house. Photo: TwelveSouth
Twelve South’s Bookbook Caddysack might sound like the babble of a sugared-up two-year-old, but it is in fact a super-handy gadget bag for travelers, or folks who spend a lot of time not at home or the office. It’s a little case that’s designed to hold all the chargers and other accessories you need for your various Apple devices.
One attachment with three lenses, an LED light, and a selfie mirror. Photo: RevolCam
Lens attachments can extend the reach of an iPhone camera. But now you are carrying extra stuff and compromising the compact convenience of the camera that is always with you.
RevolCam is one attachment, but with three lenses, an LED light and selfie mirror and avoids the bulk each of those accessories could add to your pockets or bag.
Apple removed the App Store wish list in iOS 11. Maybe it'll be back, but if not, there are options. Photo: Cult of Mac
In iOS 11, the App Store Wish List disappeared. Maybe it’ll come back in future updates, and maybe it won’t, but for now there’s no built-in way to save an interesting app to go back to later. You may bookmark an app for several reasons. You might be researching several similar apps. You might want to do some more research on an app later, before buying it. You may want to save an app that someone you know would be interested in. Or maybe you’re just holding off until the price drops, or until you’re on Wi-Fi to download a big app.
Whatever your reasons, there are third-party options. Today we’ll look at a dedicated app for making an app wish list, as well as a Workflow to do the same, and a third option you may not have considered. Best off all, they all have gone big advantage over the old wish list — they can save free apps as well as paid.
Gone and almost forgotten. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
Apple took a lot of heat for ditching the headphone jack with iPhone 7. Many labeled the omission a huge mistake, and some even went as far as to say it would leave sales in the gutter. But just over a year on, other big names are following suit.
Streamline your Google workflow into a clean series of integrated panes. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The machines and apps we use to be productive can sure create some unproductive habits. Many of us spend our time jumping between Google Drive and Gmail, writing on desktop Post-Its, starring emails for later. So if that inefficient pattern sounds familiar, check out Moo.do.
It’s been a long time coming, but the chances of an official Apple store in India may have just gotten a whole lot better.
That’s based on the fact that India has just given Chinese smartphone maker Oppo the necessary permission to open its own single brand retail stores. Oppo is the first smartphone brand to be given this opportunity in the world’s third-largest smartphone market. It bodes well for Apple’s chances!
You can no longer buy Android Wear devices from Google. Photo: Google
Apple Watch could be about to lose one of its biggest rivals.
The future of the Android Wear platform looks bleak today after Google removed all traces of wearable devices from its online store. Its focus on the platform seems to have fizzled out since it became clear that only Apple could sell smartwatches in large numbers.
Steve Jobs passed away on this day in 2011. Photo: Apple
Today marks six years since Steve Jobs passed away at the age of 56. To mark the occasion, current CEO Tim Cook tweeted out a photo of Jobs and the words, “Make something wonderful, and put it out there.”
There's no denying the iPhone 8 is a great phone, but can it shine through the iPhone X's shadow? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Compared to the radical redesign of the iPhone X, the iPhone 8 Plus looks quite familiar. With the exception of a glass back and a few superficial changes, it employs the same form factor that Apple’s been using since the iPhone 6 Plus. However, it packs some serious internal upgrades that make a difference in day-to-day use.
I picked up the 8 Plus on launch day and have been using it for just over a week. How does it rate? Get my take in the video and written reviews below. Also, don’t miss our huge iPhone 8 and 8 Plus case giveaway at the bottom of the post.
Apple's not the only one struggling with low yield rates for its 3D depth-sensing camera tech. Photo: Apple
Producing sufficient quantities of its 3D depth sensing camera has reportedly been a big pain point when it comes to iPhone X production, but possibly not as much of a pain as it’s likely to be for Android makers.
According to a new report, low yield rates during production for Apple’s 3D sensing modules have caused Android-based smartphone brands to delay their own plans for new smartphone models with 3D sensors.
Apple Music has secured an exclusive documentary based on the upcoming Beautiful Trauma album from Pink. It will be available for streaming this month, featuring behind-the-scenes footage that gives fans a sneak peek at what goes into making a Pink album.
Facebook Stories could quickly see a lot more users. Photo: Facebook
Instagram has started giving users the ability to cross-post their Stories to Facebook Stories.
After testing the feature in Portugal last month, the company is now migrating it to U.S. users. Facebook says it should be available to everyone soon, if not already.
Apple has stopped signing iOS 10.3.3. Photo: Cult of Mac
Downloaded iOS 11 but found that you don’t like it for whatever reason? Well, too bad — because Apple has officially done away with the ability to let you downgrade back to iOS 10.
As it usually does following the release of refreshed versions of iOS, Apple’s stopped signing iOS 10.3.3, last year’s final version of Apple’s iPad and iPhone operating system. While Apple always gives a brief window to let you downgrade to the previous version should you want, that window has now closed for iOS 10.
ResearchKit is as useful for monitoring mental health as physical health. Photo: Apple
Apple’s ResearchKit platform isn’t just about physical wellbeing, it’s also being used to help track mental health.
With that in mind, Duke Institute for Health Innovation has launched a new HomeKit-compatible app designed to help cancer patients, survivors, and their caregivers manage the stress accompanying a cancer diagnosis. The app is profiled on Apple’s official ResearchKit blog.
Prepare for new Pixels right after iPhone X Plus. Photo: Google
Google’s new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL might be a little disappointing to some Android fans, but they’re still stellar smartphones. Both sport attractive designs that pack the best hardware available, including excellent cameras, and the speedy Snapdragon 835 chipset.
But can they convince iPhone fans to jump ship? Here’s how the new Pixel lineup compares to iPhone 8 and the upcoming iPhone X.
Touch it, and all kinds of things happen. Photo: Logitech
Logitech’s Craft keyboard comes with one very neat extra — a knob hanging off the corner of its slim body. Called the Crown, this knob can control all kinds of things in different apps. Plus, it works as a handy brightness or volume knob in regular use.
Google's now in the camera business. Photo: Google
Are you the type of person who wants to log every single moment of life, but hate taking your camera out every few minutes just to take photos and videos? Well, Google has got the perfect new product for you.
It’s called Clips. The tiny little device is a camera. Only instead of packing a display and forcing you to click the shutter button, Clips does all the work of capturing moments for you thanks to the power of AI.
Delicious, juicy stickers. Mmmm. Photo: Cult of Mac
iMessage apps aren’t all about stickers. They’re also a neat and handy way to share information from your favorite regular apps. And in iOS 11, they’ve become a lot easier to use. In iOS 10, iMessage apps required several taps just to get to a list to choose what you wanted. In iOS 11, there’s a brand-new dock at the bottom of the app which lets you quickly swipe and tap to the exact app you want, even if you have a lot of them active.
Pixel Buds bring Google's AI smarts to your ears. Photo: Google
The most impressive feature of Google’s new Pixel Buds might not be their audio quality. As demonstrated during the Pixel 2 event today, they work as a real-time translation tool when combined with one of Google’s new phones.
“With Pixel Buds, I can use real-time Google Translate to have a natural conversation in 40 languages,” Google hardware product manager Juston Payne said during the event. “We’re letting you connect with the world around you in a more natural way, by rethinking how a headphone should work, connecting it to cloud-based machine learning and giving you access with the touch of a finger.”
Pixel 2 has the best camera, according to DxoMark. Photo: Google
Google’s newest smartphone lineup just got its official unveiling. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are a decent upgrade over their predecessors, with improved designs and better internals.
But they certainly don’t give Apple or the iPhone anything to worry about.
Google’s Chrome OS platform is finally exciting, thanks to the new Pixelbook.
It sports a premium design that’s incredible thin and light, and powerful hardware that you won’t find in another Chromebook. It’s also compatible with the new Pixelbook Pen, which makes light work of annotating documents, finding information, and more.
Google Home Mini launches this month. Photo: Google
Getting acquainted with the powerful Google Assistant is now more affordable than ever before, thanks to the new Home Mini speaker.
It has all the power of the regular Google Home, but it’s smaller and much more affordable to take on devices like the Echo Dot. You can pre-order yours today ahead of its official launch on October 17.
Sonos speakers connect to over 80 streaming services. Photo: Sonos
Sonos’ new voice-activated Sonos One smart speaker will work with Amazon’s Alexa assistant when it ships later this month, and will add support for Apple’s new AirPlay 2 streaming protocol next year.
The new smart speaker, which will ship Oct. 24, places an emphasis on high-end audio. With its $199 price point and promised compatibility with multiple platforms, it should put pressure on Apple’s upcoming HomePod, which costs nearly twice as much.