Get a Mini 4G dual-SIM phone on sale for just $94.99. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Want a small phone with a price tag to match? This Mini 4G dual-SIM smartphone is fully functional but actually fits in your pocket. This little phone is about the size of a credit card, but comes packed with the features you expect from a smartphone.
It runs on Android 9, however, and can’t be upgraded, so it’s not the greatest from a security perspective. Still, if you just need a quick and tiny backup phone, it’s on sale for just $94.99 (regularly $119).
Maybe an Apple TV+ historical comedy starring Noel Fielding isn’t completely over. Photo: Apple TV+
We might not have seen the last of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. Despite the abrupt — and somewhat baffling — departure of star Noel Fielding, the producers of the Apple TV+ comedy series are reportedly trying to convert what was already filmed for season two into a movie of some sort.
But that still leaves plenty of people wondering what the heck is going on with Fielding.
Sorry “Fancy Dance,” no Oscar nominations for you. Photo: Apple TV+
Nothing produced by Apple Original Films for Apple TV+ can win an Oscar this year. The nominations went out Thursday, and Apple TV+ didn’t score a single one.
Films that seem like Oscar bait — including Fancy Dance and Blitz — got totally snubbed.
A wired version of the customizable Keychron Q3 mechanical keyboard is on sale. Photo: Keychron
Amazon bargain site Woot! currently offers incredible deals where you can get huge discounts on Keychron mechanical keyboards — up to 63% off normal prices. Plus, you can nab an extra $10 off if you’re a new Woot! shopper. While quite a few of the keebs have sold out, you still have six excellent choices, listed with details and direct links below, and a bit more than a week to grab yours. The sale end January 31 at 10 p.m. PT.
Despite a promise from Samsung, the Galaxy S25 series doesn’t have Qi2. Not really. Photo: Cult of Mac
Qi2 wireless charging could have helped the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S25 series better compete with the iPhone. But no — the Korean phone-maker let another opportunity to integrate this useful feature into its products sail by.
Samsung did build a half-assed version of Qi2 in the S25 series, so it might claim it met its promise to adopt the charging standard. But it’s a clunky solution.
iPhone users should care about Samsung’s poor decision because it means accessory-makers are less likely to produce Qi2-compatible products that are also compatible with Apple’s handsets.
Lumon has 127 steps for "maximizing glee and enforcing a productive workplace," but unfortunately, they've been redacted. Photo: Apple TV+
In yet another creative promo for its hit workplace thriller series Severance, Apple TV+ dropped a new video Wednesday that masquerades as a Lumon Industries management training video.
“Lumon Industries is proud to present the Lumon Management Program — otherwise known by its breviloquent moniker of LUMP,” Apple TV+ wrote on X, announcing the video. “Today’s practicum: Integrating New Team Members.”
★★★★☆
Don’t be fooled; Looking Glass Go is like no other digital picture frame. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Your iPhone takes beautiful bokeh images, and these look truly astonishing on Looking Glass Go, a display that turns your pictures into 3D holograms. Children, pets, whatever you send to the screen seems to be floating in the frame. No headset or special glasses are necessary.
As cool as the 6-inch photo frame is — and it’s very cool — my time with the product turned up limitations you should consider before purchase.
A brilliant math postgrad finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy in thriller series Prime Target, debuting January 22 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+
When a brilliant math postgraduate verges on sussing out a certain pattern in prime numbers, he finds himself in between unseen enemies and government forces in a burgeoning conspiracy. That’s according to the new Apple TV+ trailer, below, for series Prime Target. After all, the whiz kid’s discovery could unlock every computer and unravel digital security worldwide, apparently.
“A brilliant mind is a dangerous weapon,” notes the tagline on the new series’ key art. The eight-episode conspiracy thriller debuts January 22 on Apple TV+. Watch the trailer below.
Update:Prime Target started streaming on Apple TV+ Wednesday. While The New York Times calls it a “charming popcorn thriller,” other reviews are less charitable. And “rotten” ratings on Rottentomatoes.com — critical rating of 43% and viewer rating of 56% (60% and up is “fresh”) — don’t appear too promising, either.
Here's your first official look at Samsung's iPhone 17 Air competitor.
Image: Samsung
After unveiling its Galaxy S25 lineup Wednesday during its Galaxy Unpacked event. Samsung pulled a “one more thing” to tease its iPhone 17 Air competitor: the Galaxy S25 Edge.
Although the company didn’t disclose the phone’s exact thickness, it showcased the S25 Edge’s thinness by putting it alongside its Galaxy siblings.
Apple Intelligence will soon be on by default on compatible handsets. Screenshot: Apple
iPhone users who install iOS 18.3 after the upgrade launches next week will find that Apple Intelligence is now on by default for those who use a compatible handset.
Previously, using the suite of AI-powered functions required opting in, but no longer. It’s a seemingly subtle but important change.
Shoppers considering the basic iPhone vs. the Pro went for the cheaper option more often. Photo:
When buying an iPhone 16 series model in the December quarter, a higher percentage went for Apple’s cheapest variant than they in the previous year, according to a market research firm. The basic iPhone 16 even beat out the 16 Pro.
Some of that growth was siphoned from the 16 Pro Max, just not quite enough to keep it from being Apple’s most popular during last quarter. And sales of older models without Apple Intelligence also lost ground.
The new mic makes two-channel recording so easy you don't even need a separate audio interface. Photo: Shure
A potentially big development for Apple-focused content creators is on display at 2025 NAMM Show, as Shure shows off the new MV7i Smart Microphone and Interface it first unveiled earlier this month at CES 2025, calling it a first of its kind.
The innovative $350 mic brings professional-grade two-channel recording capabilities to Apple’s ecosystem, eliminating the need for a separate audio interface. You can plug an XLR mic or instrument right into Shure’s new mic. And you can connect it to Apple devices via USB-C to work with tracks using Shure’s MOTIV audio and video apps.
The new Vietnam War documentary series debuts on Apple TV+ January 31. Photo: Apple TV+
Upcoming documentary series Vietnam: The War That Changed America tells the story of the conflict through those who survived it on both sides, according to the trailer Apple TV+ dropped for it Wednesday. Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke narrates the six-part series. Featuring rare archival footage and moving reunions of service members, it’s set to premiere January 31. As one of the most anticipated new movies Apple TV has to offer, this documentary provides a compelling look at the war’s lasting impact.
This is typical of Silo season 2. Screenshot: Apple TV+
Good news, Silo fans: You’ll be able to see season three of the hit sci-fi series. Not only has Apple TV+ committed to making it, but the showrunner promises it will be better lit than Silo season two.
That should please those who complained about having trouble making out what was going on in parts of the more recent episodes.
This M4 Mac mini setup shares a converted shed with an epic home theater. Photo: [email protected]
I’ve seen a few amazing man caves and she shacks while covering cool computer setups for Cult of Mac, but not many can compete with the home of today’s M4 Mac mini setup. The user converted a backyard shed nestled in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. So now the man shed M4 Mac mini setup doubles as a home theater sporting a gargantuan screen. You can find all the gear in the links list below for both the computer and home theater setups.
Your YouTube Premium experience is about to get better. Photo: YouTube
YouTube is improving the experience for its Premium subscribers by adding more perks for them. Going forward, YouTube Premium users can enjoy faster playback speeds on mobile and stream high-quality audio.
On iPhone, you can now play YouTube Shorts in picture-in-picture. Smart Downloads is also expanding to include support for Shorts.
Meta could launch high-end smart glasses this year with a built-in display. Photo: Meta/Ray-Ban
Meta is reportedly exploring the development of AI-powered smartwatches and earbuds with built-in cameras. The social media giant is also working on AR glasses that could launch around 2027.
Before that, Meta will launch high-end smart glasses with a built-in display as soon as this year.
Netflix keeps getting more expensive. Photo: Brad Gibson / Cult of Mac
Netflix is getting more expensive in the US and several neighboring countries again. The streaming service will hike its prices despite a healthy addition of 18.9 million new subscribers in Q4 2024.
The streaming service last hiked its prices in October 2023. However, since the pandemic, Netflix has increased its subscription prices several times.
iOS 18.3 is likely only a week away. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple seeded the release candidates for iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3 and macOS Sequoia 15.3 to developers Tuesday. In addition, the watchOS 11.3 RC, tvOS 18.3 RC and visionOS 2.3 RC went to developers at the same time. These bring only minor modifications to the various devices, though.
Release candidates are generally the final phase before the operating system upgrades go to users.
A U.K. plan means an iPhone can soon hold a digital driver’s license. Photo: UK.GOV
The U.K. government committed to a GOV.UK Wallet app that will let users leave their physical driver’s license at home. An iPhone or Android will be all that’s needed.
The same digital ID can be used as proof of age when buying alcohol.
The quickest way to hide those pesky notifications. Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Is a group chat blowing up at an inopportune time and distracting the hell out of you? There’s an easy fix. You can hide alerts on your iPhone from a particularly noisy group chat in Messages. It’s like switching on Do Not Disturb — but for a single person or conversation. You can hide alerts permanently or temporarily.
With the Hide Alerts feature, you can silence alerts from a specific app in a similar manner, silencing it while letting all other notifications through. Better yet, you can hide alerts directly from your iPhone’s Lock Screen, which makes it easy to switch them on and off at a moment’s notice.
Apparently the first season of "Severance" brought in $200 million. Photo: Apple TV+
The psychological workplace thriller series Severance proved to be a major success story for Apple TV+, generating over $200 million in revenue from its first season alone, new analytics data shows. And it’s not the only Apple TV+ show bringing in big bucks for the iPhone giant, according to a new report. So how much money do Apple TV+ shows make? See below.
A whole slew of products could launch at a possible Apple winter 2025 event. Photo: Gemini/Cult of Mac
Apple appears ready to start 2025 strong by launching a new low-price iPhone, a faster MacBook Air and a pair of revamped iPad models. These could come at a possible Apple winter event as early as February, though the wait might be longer.
An Apple winter event isn’t a given. The company could simply issue a series of press releases introducing the new products. No matter what, you don’t need to wait until the official announcements to know what’s in store. Here are the rumors available on all four upcoming devices.
★★★☆☆
These lightweight clip-on earbuds have a comfortable and secure fit. But that includes a big downside for me. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Perfection is hard to find in life, and so it is with the world’s many and varied earbuds. In my hands-on Edifier Comfo C earbuds review, I look at how the supremely comfortable and secure the clip-on wireless earbuds fit, making them a solid choice for many active users. And yet for me, that same fit keeps the sound quality from being all it could be, which makes me less likely to wear the buds.
This bundle of tech courses can help you launch a lucrative and fulfilling new career. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Ready to take your understanding of coding and artificial intelligence to the next level? This programming bundle for ChatGPT and Python shows you how to pull off coding projects big and small, from “beginner to winner.” And you can get all 14 courses, with a total of 86 hours of courses, for only $39.99 (regularly $154).
You get lifetime access to the lesssons, which are a great way to establish a fundamental understanding of impactful technology.