The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro with 36GB of unified memory handles powerful software. Photo: [email protected]
What kind of performance boost do you get when you go from an M1 MacBook Air to an M3 Pro MacBook Pro? A pretty big one, if today’s MacBook Pro setup from an investor is any indication. They made sure to purchase a model with plenty of unified memory — 36GB — to ensure no number of open tabs would slow them down too much.
The compact charger is highly portable for your international travels. Photo: Journey
Journey’s new 3-in-1 wall charger and power bank can ease battery anxiety for world travelers. The Axie 10,000mAh Global Charger and Power Bank comes with international plugs that work in 150 countries.
The company pitches the Axie as a boon for international travelers — and “the fix for low battery dramas.”
SAG nominated Lily Gladstone and the ensemble cast of "Killers of the Flower Moon" for awards. Photo: Apple TV+
After the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards showered Apple TV+ with 11 nominations in January — for Apple Original Film Killers of the Flower Moon and hit TV shows The Morning Show, Lessons in Chemistry and Ted Lasso — the streamer managed to net just one win Saturday in Los Angeles. SAG named Lily Gladstone best actress.
To be precise, she took the prize for Outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role for Killers of the Flower Moon. She’s the first indigenous person to do so.
Now that she has a Golden Globe and a SAG award under her belt, her chances of bagging the Best Actress Oscar on March 10 seem even brighter.
Apple Ring, AirPods with advanced health sensors, smart glasses — Apple considered working on such smart wearables. Concept: Victor Soto/BluePoly
Apple’s industrial design team reportedly proposed working on a smart ring a few years ago. The ring would have apparently packed all the health-tracking features of the Apple Watch.
Additionally, Apple engineers recently discussed working on smart glasses like the Meta Ray-Bans. In both cases, though, the devices are just an idea, with the company not actively working on them.
There's no reason to slim down iPad Pro when there are better options. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The OLED display in the upcoming iPad Pro reportedly will allow the tablet to be more than 20% thinner. Which is … fine. But if the OLED panel takes up that much less room, there are plenty of improvements Apple could make to its top-tier iPad that would enhance usability more than slimming down an already svelte computer.
Perhaps Apple’s 2025 iPad Pro could use the extra space for more battery and more ports.
Will Apple really give the iPhone 16 Pro camera module a radical redesign like this? Image: Majin Bu
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest iPhone 16 Pro rumor comes with a mockup that looks like a fidget spinner. Will Apple really do that? On the other hand, the latest iPad rumors sound totally believable.
Also on The CultCast:
There’s an iOS trojan in the wild that steals your face to drain your bank accounts.
Apple is hard at work future-proofing iMessage to keep it safe from quantum computer attacks.
We discuss the new Apple Sports app, including one of its weirdest features: betting odds. (Supporting gambling seems like a strange move for the normally vice-averse Apple.)
Erfon recounts his Vision Pro return experience, with some interesting behind-the-scenes intel.
Also on the Vision Pro return front, Griffin tells us his sob story about parting ways with the expensive headset. (Don’t miss the surprise twist ending!)
And finally, Griffin raves about a new wireless microphone in an Under Review segment.
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
"Masters of the Air" continues to be near the top of the popularity charts. Photo: Apple
The WWII drama Masters of the Air draws in a big audience. It’s stayed near the tops of popularity charts of two different ratings services for weeks now, ever since the premiere in January.
Critics like it too, so the ongoing series that dramatizes the U.S. Army Air Force’s role in helping defeat Germany is another success for Apple TV+.
And the historical crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon continues to be a crowd pleaser as well.
MacPaw's Kyiv office during a blackout. Photo: MacPaw
Two years after the Russian invasion, one of Ukraine’s preeminent Mac software companies isn’t just surviving. In fact, MacPaw is doing pretty well — shiny new bomb shelters notwithstanding.
The company behind CleanMyMac X and Setapp has launched new products — including some designed to take the fight to Russia. MacPaw also opened a satellite office in Boston and donated millions to humanitarian efforts, all while most of the company’s employees have remained behind in the war-torn country.
“Living and working amidst the unjust full-scale Russian invasion poses numerous challenges for our team,” said Nina Bohush, a senior MacPaw PR specialist based in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital city. “Just imagine a morning that starts with loud explosions outside the window because of another Russian attack … Of course, going through these unprecedented circumstances impacts people’s mental health and productivity.”
The Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro can be your virtual cameraman, whether you're making a TikTok video or simply on a video call. Photo: Belkin
The Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro is the first-ever accessory to work with Apple DockKit. Using this tech, it can hold up an iPhone, rotate and tilt to keep the camera focused on the user during video calls.
After being announced CES 2024 in January, the accessory reached the market on Friday.
The Cult of Mac buyback program pays top dollar for used Apple gear. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
Apple Pencil is one piece of Cupertino kit for which there are plenty of cheaper third-party alternatives. But why shop around for those often not-as-good choices when you can get the lowest price on Apple Pencil 2?
Right now you can nab one on Amazon for $79. That’s down from the regular price of $129 — $50 off! And the still-capable Apple Pencil (1st generation) is on sale for even less. See below.
This setup replaced big ol' Yamaha speakers with smaller new ones the user said sound just as good. Photo: [email protected]
For those who get by with audio from a laptop or display speakers in their computer setup — as good as that can be these days — an upgrade to desktop speakers offer a real treat for the ears. Today’s MacBook Pro setup from a Florida-based rapper just got a nice set of brand new Yamaha speakers and jacked them in to a huge subwoofer under the desk.
Use promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com to score major savings on Microsoft software. Photo: CdkeySales.com
Late February may be the dead of winter, but the hot deals on Microsoft products are very much alive in CdkeySales.com’s End of February sale. Bargains galore await on Microsoft productivity software like Windows and Office, including a great Windows 10 Pro deal.
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This post is brought to you by CdkeySales.
You can find surprisingly low prices at software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com now and throughout the year. To get the most savings, enter promo code CULT. That cuts an additional 30% off the site’s low prices on software keys. And what’s more, you get a free upgrade to Windows 11 when you buy Windows 10.
With iBrave, you can easily launch your own website in seconds. And you pay just $89.97 for life for unlimited sites! Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
You don’t need us to tell you that the future of everything, both business and personal, is online. So, whether you want to host your professional portfolio, or launch stores, blogs or countless other exciting projects, having a website is essential. To do that without breaking the bank, you’re going to need cheap web hosting — which traditionally can cost anywhere from a hundred dollars a year to hundreds of dollars per month.
It doesn’t have to, thanks to this special deal. For a limited time, you can get your hands on unlimited web hosting for life with the top-rated iBrave lifetime subscription for just $89.97 (regular price $899.10).
The deceptive iOS trojan GoldPickaxe steals facial-recognition and more to get at your money. Photo: Pexels-Kamal-Hayit
For the first time, an iOS trojan has been spotted in the wild. Adapted from a well-known Android trojan, GoldDigger, the new malware is called GoldPickaxe, according to a new report. And it steals an iPhone user’s facial recognition data to go after money in banking and other financial apps. We’ll show you how below.
OWC's Thunderbolt Go Dock is a mobile powerhouse. Photo: OWC
Known for docks, hubs and other Mac-friendly accessories, OWC has put together a big sale on Amazon. You can get up to $100 off Thunderbolt docks!
We’re focusing on Thunderbolt docks that can help you broaden your computer setup’s connectivity. But you can also find external hard drives, memory kits, keyboards, cables and more in the sale.
It's all about the whole body health with this $33 smart scale. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Weight isn’t the only way to measure your health, but if you use a dumb scale, that’s the only insight it gives you. If you want a more holistic look at your wellness, try the Roomie Sophie Smart Body Scale. It’s a smart scale that can measure body fat and more.
In fact, it measures 11 key health and nutrition metrics and comes with a free health app. And for a limited time, it’s on sale for just $27.99 (regularly $79).
"Help Me Write" uses AI to improve your writing online. Image: Google
Google Chrome uses artificial intelligence in a new experimental tool that makes it easier to start writing or improve something already written online. “Help me write” can punch up the content of any text field in the browser.
It’s coming to Mac and Windows, and is just the latest AI addition to Chrome.
★★★★☆
Juice up your devices even when there's no power socket in sight with Belkin's wall charger and power bank. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A wall charger is useless when there’s no power socket handy. That’s why Belkin recently launched one that has a built-in battery so it’s ready to charge up your iPhone even when you’re off the grid.
Belkin BoostCharge Hybrid Wall Charger 25W + Power Bank 5K has a pair of USB ports and flip-out power prongs for maximum adaptability.
I put it through a series of tests with my iPhone 15 Plus, and it came through quite well.
SwapSolar is perfect for camping trips and other outdoor activities. Photo: Bluetti
The SwapSolar, Bluetti’s very first “ecosystem,” pairs a power station with a portable fridge. The combo is designed to power up all your outdoor activities and keep your food and drinks chilled. But the Bluetti SwapSolar is currently heating up Indiegogo.
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This post is brought to you by Bluetti.
The crowd-funding campaign for SwapSolar — which combines the new MultiCooler (the world’s first portable refrigerator powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries) and the AC180T hot-swappable battery power station — launched Tuesday on Indiegogo and quickly eclipsed Bluetti’s $50,000 goal. There’s still plenty of time for you to get in on the deal, though, with multiple perks and discounts available for early backers.
The Earthsounds docuseries premieres February 23 on Apple TV+. Image: Apple
Now hear this: Apple TV+ dropped a trailer Tuesday for its upcoming documentary series Earthsounds, narrated by Golden Globe winner and Emmy Award nominee Tom Hiddleston.
The streamer said you’ll “hear our planet like never before in the new 12-part immersive natural history series.” All episodes become available February 23.
One of the best email apps for the Mac is getting even better. Photo: Readdle
Spark, a renowned email client for iPhone and Mac, is getting a new AI-driven My Writing Style feature. While the email app already offers AI-powered writing assistance, the new feature aims to mirror your writing style. This will enable you to use AI to draft emails in your voice and style, giving them a personal touch.
There’s no time like the present to jump on a great deal on a very cool laptop computer — $200 off an M2 MacBook Air. You can get that price on a midnight- or spay gray-colored model at B&H Photo.
Right now you can get the highly rated laptop — 4.9 out of 5 stars at B&H — for just $1,149, down from $1,349. That’s a great deal on a bantamweight machine that packs a powerful punch, thanks to Apple silicon.