Apple’s own battery case, cleverly titled the Smart Battery Case, has been on the market for over two years now. I had never really taken an interest in it;  it was just another battery case, only this one looked like it was pregnant with an iPod.

That was until last week, when I was desperately in need of some form of charger for my iPhone and decided to pick one up. Since then, my thoughts on what was just an ugly, overpriced battery case have totally changed.

Check out the video below to find out why it’s earned a place in my heart — and is now my favorite iPhone case.

Worry no more about an iPhone 8 delay.

According to the latest rumors surrounding Apple’s next-generation smartphone, a launch will go ahead in September as originally planned. Analysts say they see no delays in the company’s supply chain, and still expect the iPhone 8 to enter mass production on time.

Tis the season for a spring clean, which can mean anything from simple tidying up to a major upgrade. Considering all the money and time you’re likely to spend on any significant improvements, it’d be a big help to get a look at what the final result will be ahead of time. Thankfully, technology offers a ready solution that’s also affordable. Live Home 3D Pro is a powerful Mac app that makes it easy to build fully realized buildings in 3D, from basic structures to complex buildings of any size. And right now you can get Live Home 3D Pro for just $24.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Ghouls’n Ghosts may have first landed in video arcades almost 30 years ago in 1988, but it’s finally arrived on iOS — opening it up for both a whole new generation of gamers, and anyone wanting to get a quick nostalgia boost on their commute to work.

New York state records show that Apple has been lobbying hard against the Fair Repair Act, a bill that would force companies to sell replacement parts to customers.

Apple isn’t the only company opposed to the bill. According to New York State’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics, others include Verizon, Toyota, printer company Lexmark, heavy machinery marker Caterpillar, phone insurance company Asurion, medical device company Medtronic, and the Consumer Technology Association are also fighting against it.

This week, on The CultCast: new MacBook Pros at WWDC? Insiders say yes! We’ll tell you all we know. Plus: why future Macs might get much faster CPUs; Apple makes a big move to bring manufacturing back to the US; and we’ll wrap up with 5 weird and whacky facts about the new Apple Park campus.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off any hosting plan.

Apple has blamed a third-party battery for the explosion of a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.

Apple does not specify which batteries should be used with its devices, and the owner, who was wearing the headphones when they blew up on a flight between Australia and China, is “disappointed” with the company’s response.

Rumors that the iPhone 8 may come with a $1,000 price tag are seemingly backed-up by a new report claiming that components for the next-gen handset will be considerably higher than those for its predecessor.

According to China’s Economic Daily News, the 3D Touch module alone for the iPhone 8 will cost 150 percent more than the comparable module for the current LCD iPhone.

Apple is reportedly planning to increase production of the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro ahead of its official debut.

The device is said to have entered mass production back in March or April, with monthly shipments currently at around 500,000 units. However, in July, that figure will rise to 600,000.

The next major breakthrough for Apple Watch is currently being tested by none other than Apple CEO and fitness freak Tim Cook.

A new report claims that Cook has been spotted walking around Apple’s corporate headquarters wearing a special Apple Watch attachment that could be a game-changer for people with diabetes.

The iOS Photos app might just look like a simple grid-like list, but it has a ton of hidden power. For instance,  you can see your photos on a full-screen, 3-D Flyover map. And with one simple swipe on a photograph, you can see where it was taken, see other photos taken nearby, and collections photos that your iPhone figures are related to the one you’re looking at. It’s a fantastic way both to find out more about your pictures, and to browse. After all, why limit yourself to flipping through pictures, one by one, in the order you shot them, like some film-camera using hipster luddite, when you can see your photos on a map in Apple’s glorious 3-D Flyover view?

SwiftKey, one of the most popular third-party keyboards on iOS, now supports a whole bunch of new languages and new themes. Its design has also been overhauled to provide a more pleasurable experience, with an updated emoji panel, settings menu, and icon.

Pioneer today unveiled its latest lineup of NEX aftermarket head units — all of which come with CarPlay as standard.

Each features an improved touchscreen up to 7 inches in size, and Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calls and media streaming. They can access Spotify on your iPhone without using CarPlay, in addition to videos stored on a USB stick.

Photographer, videographer and online instructor Cielo de la Paz uses the iPhone and other Apple products for a lot of her work. She never envisioned she’d find value in the new Apple AirPods.

But she recently discovered how the AirPods’ Bluetooth microphone, combined with the iOS app MoviePro, solves a big problem when she shoots some of her tutorials.

Apple has risked upsetting customers in China by revealing plans to take a percentage of donations that are sent to content creators on social media, via the “tip” function of local apps like WeChat.

Apple previously told developers to disable the feature, but it has since reconsidered and decided that this represents an opportunity to make some money. Since they are considered in-app purchases, Apple wants to take its usual 30 percent cut of payments.

As part of some big improvements coming to Windows 10, Microsoft is stealing the iOS Control Center to give users a quick and easy way of changing display brightness and toggling settings from the desktop.

Unlike Apple’s Control Center, however, Microsoft’s will be customizable.

In the modern office, Excel spreadsheets are a part of daily life. Whether tracking invoices and expenses, organizing projects, doing advanced math or just keeping track of phone numbers, these days a mastery of Excel is one of the most portable and useful skills you can have. But let’s face it, for all the benefits of doing so, learning Excel isn’t something most of us have made time for. But with this pair of lessons in Microsoft’s mighty spreadsheet software, you can up your skills and get certified to prove it whether you’re just a beginner or already a pro. And right now, you can get the whole shebang for just $15 at Cult of Mac Deals.

The number of AI assistants by 2021 will outnumber the current world population, according to market research group Ovum’s new Digital Assistant and Voice AI–Capable Device Forecast.

The report highlights the growing popularity of Siri-style smart assistants, and also offers some intriguing predictions as to which AI assistants will become big, and which will be also-rans.

The Trump administration won’t be expanding its ban on the use of laptops, tablets and other large electronic devices to flights entering the United States from European airports, after all.

U.S. and EU officials reportedly decided against a ban on laptops and tablets in cabin baggage on flights from Europe, although “other measures” designed to keep passengers safe are still being weighed up.

A cup of coffee with Tim Cook can cost thousands of dollars, but to mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day Apple’s CEO has made an exception.

To promote Apple’s stance on Accessibility, Apple invited three YouTubers with disabilities to its campus for a cup of joe and a casual chat with Tim Cook. In their brief interviews, they discuss everything from the challenge of getting Apple Watch algorithms to recognize wheelchair movement to Apple’s history as a company with values.

Check them out below.

Even the biggest of iPhone fans would admit that the device has become somewhat boring in recent years, but that hasn’t had any impact on loyalty to the Apple brand.

According to a new study, a whopping 92 percent of iPhone owners who plan to upgrade within the next 12 months will choose another Apple smartphone. That’s the highest retention rate among any smartphone maker, and it suggests iPhone 8 will be huge.

Instagram just added Face Filters, letting you add things like spectacles, bunny ears, and princess’ tiaras to your video selfies. Right now, you can only share these clips to your Instagram Stories, or send them directly to other users. But there’s a workaround that lets you post them like regular Instagram videos, putting them in your feed for all your followers to “enjoy.” Let’s find out how.

Jimmy Iovine wants people to pay for music again and he’s got a plan that just might work: make free music streaming suck.

The Apple exec and music industry legend sat down for a new wide-ranging interview, during which Iovine lamanted that artists aren’t getting paid enough for their music anymore. And it’s mostly Spotify and YouTube’s fault.

Google Assistant may have just made its way to iPhone, but it’s not even close to the most exciting thing to come out of Google I/O today.

That would be all of the incredible new features coming to Google Photos, including new sharing options, stunning Photo Books you can build in just a few taps, intelligent photo editing, and Google Lens integration.

Google Assistant is ready to do battle with Siri on its home turf.

iPhone users can now get their hands on the dedicated Google Assistant app for iOS, but don’t expect it to offer everything you get on Android.