This is the Apple Pencil 2 deal ahead of Black Friday that you should not miss. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
You can get the incredibly useful Apple Pencil 2 for its lowest price ahead of Black Friday. Amazon is taking $40 off the iPad accessory, dropping its price to $89.
The Apple Pencil 2 works with iPad Air, iPad mini 6, and iPad Pro to make note-taking and drawing a breeze.
Pick up a portable Nintendo Switch docking station for only $18.99 before Black Friday! Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
You may think you’re getting the most out of your Nintendo Switch, but don’t be so certain. There’s an instant upgrade that will bring expanded portability and power to all your Nintendo Switch gaming.
For a limited time, you can pick up a Nintendo Switch-compatible mini docking station for just $18.99 (regularly $24). Take advantage of this deal for a personal gaming upgrade, or pass it along as a present!
Tap to Pay enables businesses to use an iPhone to securely accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets. Photo: Apple
French iPhone users now have access to Tap to Pay, which enables businesses to accept contactless payments from credit cards directly on their iOS handset – no additional hardware required.
The service has been gradually roiling out around the world since it launched in 2022.
The Cypress ultrasonic speaker promises a leap in digital sound quality. Photo: xMEMS
xMEMS Labs is bringing what it calls breakthrough technology to the wireless earbuds market late next year after a CES 2024 debut — the Cypress ultrasonic speaker. It turns ultrasonic waves we normally can’t even hear into full-frequency, hi-res audio with remarkable detail, the California-based semiconductor company said Tuesday.
The solid-state microspeaker, which will find its way into various companies’ earbuds and headphones — hello, AirPods? — generates low-frequency sound pressure for a full bass response, according to xMEMS Labs.
That makes the ultrasonic speaker a true replacement for legacy speaker technology that has only been refined, not replaced, since your great-grandparents rocked the Victrola.
Travel the world for less with a two-pack deal on Dollar Flight Club Premium, now only $59.97. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Don’t wait for Black Friday deals to start planning your next vacation. Pick up a two-pack of Dollar Flight Club Premium for only $59.97 (regularly $1,104) through November 16 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. The service helps you find cheap flights so you can afford to fly where you want, when you want, without maxing out your credit cards.
You could travel for less this holiday and beyond!
Apple TV+ might be the savior for Coyote vs. Acme. Screenshot: Warner Bros.
Apple is reportedly on the list of streaming services with the option to acquire Coyote vs. Acme, a film Warner Bros. made but recently decided to not release.
It’s a story of Wile E. Coyote attempting to catch the Road Runner from the classic cartoons. John Cena stars in the film.
Want a highly functional and symmetrical setup? Get two of most things. Photo: [email protected]
A New York City-based magazine editor showed off a beautiful computer setup that serves up twice the fun because it boasts two of everything. Well, not everything.
But it doubles up on a lot of the main gear — two M3 MacBooks Pro, two Studio Displays, two sets of Philips Hue smart lights, a pair of Yamaha speakers on stands and, believe it or not, two Magic Trackpads and a Magic Mouse.
Read more about the setup’s whys and wherefores below, and check out that gear list of links at the bottom of the article.
Should you save your money and get the M3 MacBook Pro instead of M3 Pro? Photo/Graphics: Apple/Rajesh
The base model in the new 2023 MacBook Pro lineup comes with Apple’s standard M3 chip. This model, which replaces the discontinued 13-inch MacBook Pro, costs $400 less than the next model up, which runs on an M3 Pro chip.
The two laptops look almost identical. The big question is, will the entry-level M3 MacBook Pro suit your needs? Or should you spend the extra $400 and get the one with the M3 Pro chip? Find out in this comparison.
Europeans will soon be able to make an end run around the App Store by sideloading iPhone applications. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
The good news is that iPhone could finally allow users to install applications directly starting in 2024, according to a reliable source. The bad news is that being able to go without the App Store will only be an option in Europe.
To be clear, sideloading is required by EU law so it’s definitely happening. The timing isn’t clear, though.
A 12.9-inch iPad Air could join the 12.9-inch iPad Pro in 2024. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple could overhaul its tablet lineup in 2024, delivering the first 12.9-inch iPad Air and upgrading iPad Pro models to OLED displays and the company’s fast new M3 chip.
The upgrades could help boost iPad shipments to between 52 million and 54 million units in 2024, up from about 50 million in 2023.
Enjoy a comfortable listening experience that some people prefer to traditional earbuds. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you don’t like jamming AirPods or other earbuds into your ears, you should consider bone-conduction headphones. They offer clear audio and a comfortable listening experience that some people prefer to regular earbuds.
Want to find out for yourself? Ahead of Black Friday, we’ve got Open-Ear Conduction Stereo Wireless Headphones on sale for only $24.97 (regularly $79). These alternative headphones could significantly improve your or a loved one’s audio experience.
This week's awesome apps include a retro synthesizer, a solid VPN, a quick test for hard drives and a guide to Italian eateries. Image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac
In this week’s Awesome Apps roundup, we have a synthesizer app that brings back the sound of the ’80s, a solid VPN for safely surfing the Web, an app for testing external drives for recording high-res video, and a guide to the best eateries in Italy.
Not every M3 MacBook Pro is created equal. Image: Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Erfon breaks down the specs/performance of Apple’s recently released MacBook Pro lineup, and he’s convinced there are only two models any sane person would buy. Listen to found out which models make the grade!
Also on The CultCast:
Apple reportedly slammed the breaks on the development of next year’s iPhone and Mac operating systems to concentrate on busting bugs. But was the pause really that big of a deal?
Elgato made a simple, smart change to its USB-C cables — and every manufacturer should follow suit.
An intriguing rumor indicates Apple might have a battery breakthrough in the works.
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.
★★★☆☆
Graying XO Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) pilots a craft with a Soviet colleague in "For All Mankind" season 4. Photo: Apple TV+
Alternative-history space-race drama series For All Mankind returned to Apple TV+ Friday with a season 4 opener that handled two tough jobs pretty well — painfully looking back at past tragedies and peering ahead with trepidation to probable new ones. After all, space is dangerous and so are people.
In an episode called “Glasnost,” set 8 years after the end of season 3, For All Mankind sets its sites on asteroid wealth and a joint mission led by the United States and Russia to get it. And it doesn’t take long for people to start dying up there.
Gift an Apple lover the Multi-Device Wireless Charger for only $35. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
An extremely portable power bank that charges iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods all at the same time? We’re interested before you even tell us the price. But tell us that price is just $34.97 for a limited time, and we’re all the way in … ASAP!
This heavily discounted multidevice wireless charger is small enough to slip into your pocket or purse. Plus, it would make a great gift for anybody who uses an iPhone, an Apple Watch or any Qi-compatible device.
Through November 16, you can get one — or a dozen — for a massive 70% off the usual price of $119.99!
Retro-obsessed audio mavens: Don't miss this one. Photo: AudioKit
If you love the synth sounds of the ’80s, we have something for you. AudioKit Pro launched a brand-new hybrid synthesizer app for iPhone and iPad Wednesday for those who love the sounds of the 1980s, ’90s and early 2000s.
And while the developer said the synth app usually costs $19.99, right now you can get it for $3.99. And by the way, it’s currently rated #1 in Music on the App Store.
Why Humane's introductory video for the Ai Pin begins with co-founder Imran Chaudhri shuffling a series of boxes stacked like a snowman I do not understand. And that is just the first five seconds of the dreadful presentation. Photo: Humane
Since co-founder Imran Chaudhri’s TED Talk earlier this year, where we got a vague introduction to the supposed iPhone-killer’s features, there remained a slim chance — one in a hundred — that the then-unnamed device wasn’t a total waste.
Any ounce of doubt has been washed away as this new video doubles down on the Ai Pin’s flaws and walks back its only positives. In fact, the introductory video clearly demonstrates why the device will fail: The AI gave completely wrong answers and provided no way to check their accuracy. It’s absolutely untrustworthy. This highlights the broader concerns surroundingHumane AI and its ability to provide reliable and accurate assistance.
This portable 4K touchscreen monitor costs less than $250 in our pre-Black Friday sale. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Whether you’re combing through spreadsheets or cooking up some code, extending your desktop can really accelerate your workflow and even reduce eye strain. Luckily for Cult of Mac readers, we’re offering a pre-Black Friday discount on a portable touchscreen monitor you can take anywhere.
The new M3 MacBook Pro is almost the same as its predecessor from inside. Photo: Apple
From the outside, the new M3 MacBook Pros look the same as their predecessors — except for that gorgeous new space black finish.
How did Apple create this exotic new finish? And what’s changed inside its new laptops, aside from the powerful new M3 chips? The iFixit team posted a detailed teardown Friday that answers all your questions.
Yes, more RAM is better. But how much better? Photo: Apple
Tests show that the 8GB version of the M3 MacBook Pro is significantly slower than the 16GB version when running Photoshop, Blender and other graphics applications.
And there are performance differences for other types of apps, too. But these are not as dramatic. If you’re trying to decide between different configurations, it’s worth considering which models rank among the best Macs for video editing to ensure you get the best performance for your needs.
At these prices, you might as well try it. Photo: Microsoft
If you take a lot of calls via Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or Zoom — and if you like to save big on gear — new discounts on the Microsoft Audio Dock might be hard to pass up. You can get up to 86% off the normal $250 price.
That's pretty pricey for 'cozy,' but we'll take it. Photo: [email protected]
If you use an M1 Max MacBook Pro bristling with 64GB of unified memory to drive two of Apple’s top Pro Displays XDR as well as off-the-charts audio gear in a Mission Control-looking workstation, can your computer setup accurately be described as “cozy?” That’s what today’s featured setup user said, improbably.
And while the user’s MacBook is still formidable despite Apple moving on to M3 chips, it’s not necessarily the workstation’s star. It almost pales in comparison to the AV components, including two of Apple’s $5,000-plus displays, incredible headphones and mounted KEF speakers that bring massive audio.
Ready to save on Microsoft Office, Word and more? Head to CdkeySales.com using the links below (and don’t forget to enter promo code CULT for extra savings). Photo: CdkeySales.com
Between Halloween and Black Friday, you can still grab great deals on Microsoft crucial productivity software — Windows and Office. Bargains await on those products and more in the 11.11 Sale at CdkeySales.com.
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Software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com offers amazingly low prices. 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, when you buy Windows 10., you get a free upgrade to Windows 11.
Apple Watch Series 9 gets an irresistible $50 discount. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The Apple Watch Series 9 is down to its lowest price ahead of Black Friday. Amazon has knocked $50 off most of the smartwatch’s variants, bringing its price down to a new low of $349.
You can score a similar $50 off the Apple Watch Series 9 with cellular connectivity.
This $35 bundle includes everything you need to keep your iPhone ready for action. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
You don’t need to empty your bank account at the Apple Store to fully accessorize your iPhone. In the run-up to Black Friday, you can grab a useful five-piece iPhone accessory bundle on sale at a special low price of $34.97.
Usually worth $129, you won’t need a coupon code to bag this deal on handy iPhone accessories. But you will need to be quick, as it’ll only be available through November 16.