'Appy holidays everyone! Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
If you find yourself at a loose end today, perhaps after overindulging on the eggnog and looking to sit down for a few minutes, why not check out our picks for the top apps of the last week?
Whether you own an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or MacBook, we’re confident you’ll find something to enjoy on our list!
No matter how well you take care of an Android phone, the time will come for it to count its last electric sheep. Selling a smartphone, even a functioning one, can be a hassle — and less than rewarding when dealing with the typical Android buyback program or Craigslist buyer.
If you’ve got a Samsung, LG or HTC phone, even one that’s gone completely kaput, Cult of Mac’s buyback program makes it easy to trade it in for the best price.
This powerful and popular sharing and productivity platform is used by some of the biggest names in tech and media. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Working with teammates on their own computers, it sure helps to be able to get whatever’s on your screen onto theirs. CloudApp makes that easy.
It’s an all-inclusive platform for capturing, annotating and sharing everything from screenshots and GIFs to screen video recordings, all via super-quick links and integration with a hundreds of productivity services. It’s used by the likes of Slack, HBO, Facebook, The New York Times, Tumblr, GitHub and many more, and right now you can get a year of CloudApp for your team for a mere $30.
It's been a weird year. And Apple's no exception. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Covering Cupertino is more than just statistics and rumors about upcoming products. There’s plenty of weird Apple news, whether it be a Chinese billionaire buying iPhones for his pet dog or the revelation that, in some alternate universe, Tim Cook could become vice president of the United States.
With that in mind, here are the weirdest Apple news stories of 2016.
Turbo League is the game you've been waiting to play. Photo: Zero Four Games
Rocket League is undoubtedly one of the finest and most enjoyable games to grace the current generation of consoles, but it’s yet to make its way to mobile. Soon we won’t need it, because Turbo League for iOS promises to be just as good.
Playing with rockets is fun on its own, and this space sim adds a playful feel and tons of depth. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Space sims — like flight sims — maintain a niche following. The game genre mixes the fun of flight with the extreme physics involved in sending things to freaking space. Mac (and PC) game Kerbal Space Program manages to scratch the rocket science itch while also being genuinely entertaining and accessible.
This great take on the space simulator is winning praise all over the gaming world and boasts an active community of modders and enthusiasts. Right now you can get a Steam ticket for Kerbal Space Program $13.59.
New iPads could be delayed. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
A new report claims that the next-gen iPad Pro, set to be unveiled early in 2017, could be delayed due to lower-than-expected yield rates on the 10-nanometer A10X chips used in the device.
The MacBook Pro's battery life problems drag the laptop down. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Consumer Reports just unloaded a mighty smackdown on the new MacBook Pro lineup, citing “highly inconsistent” battery life as the reason the latest Apple laptops failed to earn a coveted recommendation.
It’s the first time the well-regarded reviews organization flunked an Apple laptop. And the test results should give serious pause to anybody who is considering buying a new MacBook Pro.
Apple's wireless earphones are easily one of the company's best products of 2016. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple’s EarPods have always been a go-to favorite for me. They’re included with every iPhone, always sound good enough for what I need, and I’ve always found them comfortable. Even going back to the good old iPod days, I’ve always kept a pair close to hand.
But now Apple’s moving on into the “wireless future” with its new AirPods. These completely wireless earphones let you listen to music and podcasts, make phone calls and talk to Siri. But just how do they measure up?
We got a glimpse of Pokémon GO for the Apple Watch during the iPhone 7 event. Photo: Apple
Pokémon GO is finally ready for Apple Watch. The iOS game, one of 2016’s biggest breakout hits, got an update today that includes the long-awaited Apple Watch app.
According to the game’s maker, Pokémon GO is a perfect match for Apple’s wearable.
MacX DVD Ripper Pro might be the best and easiest way to convert DVDs to usable files. Image: Digiarty
This post is brought to you by Digiarty.
Unless you’re a teenager, you’ve probably got some DVDs lying around from back when people still used DVDs. Ripping those old movies and TV shows not only keeps their contents from being lost or damaged, it also means you can print fresh copies from scratched discs (without those annoying FBI warnings or region codes, thanks to built-in DVD decryption), and have digital versions ready to edit for your own projects.
Get caught up on your reading this holiday. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The holidays are a great time to hide away from visiting relatives and enjoy a good book. Fortunately, when it comes to tech-centric books released this year, there’s a great crop to pick from.
Is your iPhone 7 Plus camera acting up yet? Photo: Apple
Apple is reportedly replacing or repairing iPhone 7 Plus units that have developed camera faults.
Some users on Reddit and around the web have complained of black and purple screens and error messages when opening the camera app, supposedly due to a dodgy iSight sensor.
Luminar will help you replace the picture you took with the picture you saw. Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac
Musicians who can’t read sheet music play by ear. What about a photographer who doesn’t fully understand the science behind imaging software?
That’s me and I’d call myself a fiddler. When it comes to toning an image in Adobe Photoshop, I don’t analyze the spikes on a histogram or adjust pixel color values. I fiddle with a picture until it looks right.
Macphun seems to design photo imaging programs with my brain in mind. Its newest app, an all-in-one program called Luminar lets photographers of all levels quickly improve the look of a photograph without even knowing how certain tools work.
Well, that's the Christmas break taken care of! Photo: Atari
Just in time for the holidays, RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic has arrived in the App Store — giving would-be theme park designers the perfect $5.99 early Christmas gift to themselves.
Combining features from the acclaimed RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, this title offers a touch-optimized take on the classic management sims which swallowed up so many, many hours of my teenage years.
These earbuds are more affordable and frankly just cooler looking than a set of Apple AirPods. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
As wireless Bluetooth earbuds become the norm, Apple’s expensive, stormtrooper earing-looking buds look less appealing. Instead of AirPods, consider AirBeans — they’re a high quality, noise-canceling, more affordable, and honestly just cooler looking set of buds. Right now you can get a set of AirBeans for $69.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.
The iPhone belonged to the off-duty policeman who shot the Russian ambassador to Turkey. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple has another iPhone-unlocking conundrum on its hands! This time the request reportedly comes from Russian and Turkish authorities, who want Apple to help bypass the PIN code on an iPhone 4s recovered at the scene of the recent murder of Andrei Karlov, Russia’s ambassador to Turkey.
It's not too late to bag Apple Christmas deals. Photos: Apple
The big day is almost here, but there are still plenty of options if you want to pick up a Christmas gift for the Apple fan in your life. From expedited shipping to in-store pickup, MacBooks to accessories, here are the week’s best Apple deals.
The 2016 holiday shopping season is rapidly winding down, but we’ve saved some of the best for last: instant savings of up to $274 on Apple’s brand new 13-inch MacBook Pros.
Keeping track of your AirPods may be a problem. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Losing an AirPod can be a pricey mistake, but if you’re not afraid of a little body modification, there’s a way to ensure Apple’s new buds stay in your ear forever.
The iPhone 7 Plus made 2016 a memorable year for photography. Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
We roll our eyes when Tim Cook introduces a new iPhone and says, “This is the best iPhone ever” each year. But the iPhone 7 Plus will be different.
Sure, ambitious upgrades remain in the pipeline, but the remarkable camera in the iPhone 7 Plus will make this year’s model memorable. Fifty years from now, photography historians will talk about the iPhone 7 Plus they way they do the first Leica or the first Polaroid.
The store was located in Birmingham, the U.K.'s second biggest city. Photo: Apple
The Apple store in Birmingham, England, was temporarily evacuated today after a package that employees feared might contain an explosive was delivered.
Visitors were removed from the recently opened store and police cordoned off a section of the shopping area in which the retail outlet is located. Trains were also temporarily affected due to their proximity.
This simple tool makes it easy to download and enjoy video or audio from your favorite streaming sites. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Most of the videos we watch these days come to our screens thanks to streaming sites like YouTube and Hulu. Obviously we don’t always have the opportunity to connect to these sites when we want to, which makes saving them to our computers and mobile devices a great option. MovieSherlock Pro makes that easy, a powerful tool for downloading and converting video from a range of sites and for a wide range of devices. And right now you can get MovieSherlock Pro for just $15 at Cult of Mac Deals.
It seems that European courts agree with Apple about government spying. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The European Union’s highest court has ruled that the U.K.’s Investigatory Powers Act, aka the “snooper’s charter,” is illegal.
The EU objects to the government’s “general and indiscriminate” retention of emails and other electronic communications. While the EU acknowledges that this information can be helpful, they argue that it should only be gathered in specific targeted instances to stop terrorism or serious crime.
Save up to 16 percent on the new Apple Watch. Photo: Apple
Apple is now selling refurbished Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 models.
These devices aren’t outdated: They debuted back in September, when they got unveiled alongside the iPhone 7. You can find them cheaper if you buy them second-hand on eBay or Craigslist, but refurbished units from Apple offer a number of advantages.