Mobile menu toggle

Get ready to play Scary Fast event bingo

By

See if you can get bingo tonight during Apple's Scary Fast event.
See if you can get bingo tonight during Apple's Scary Fast event.
Photo: Basic Apple Guy

If a big Apple event like Monday evening’s Scary Fast is happening, you can you’ll find a selection of bingo cards to play on social media. It could make the event go by quicker. And it’s fun just to check them out to see if the predictions align with your own and spot if anyone got a good joke or two in there.

The Enfield Poltergeist documentary brings eerie Halloween chills [Apple TV+ review]

By

"The Enfield Poltergeist" is an eerie way to spend a Halloween-ish evening.
Image: Apple

TV+ Review The Apple TV+ documentary The Enfield Poltergeist goes in-depth on “the most famous poltergeist haunting in history.” The events inspired The Conjuring 2 and are creepy Halloween fun, though unlikely to convince anyone that ghosts are real.

I suspended my disbelief for a few hours and enjoyed the show for what it is.

Sometimes the best cable organizer is your desk mat [Setups]

By

We don't feature a ton of iPad-driven setups, but that's not actually the cool thing we're obsessed with in this photo.
We don't feature a ton of iPad-driven setups, but that's not actually the cool thing we're obsessed with in this photo.
Photo: Fernando Silva

We love it when unfamiliar gear in a computer setup cropping up on social media makes us go, “what the hell is that thing?”

It happened with today’s featured setup, which is bit unusual because it centers on an iPad Pro rather than a desktop computer or laptop. But the unfamiliar item turned out to be a desk mat with a cool trick using metal pieces to tame cable clutter.

Aqara Smart Lock U100: Your key to a smarter, safer home

By

You can open the Aqara Smart Lock U100 with your iPhone or Apple Watch.
You can open the Aqara Smart Lock U100 with your iPhone or Apple Watch.
Photo: Aqara

Not very many deadbolt smart locks support Apple HomeKit or home key, the handy feature that lets you unlock the door with your iPhone or Apple Watch. But Aqara’s highly capable Smart Lock U100 does, and it offers many other smart features as well. That makes it a top choice for Apple fans everywhere to keep their homes safe and secure.

If you’d like to never carry a physical key and never get locked out again, read on.

Tiny new earbuds bring mighty sound, decent noise cancellation [Review][Updated] ★★★★☆

By

If you like compact, stemless earbuds with good sound, these are worth a try.★★★★☆
If you like compact, stemless earbuds with good sound, these are worth a try.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Don’t want to spend hundreds on great-sounding earbuds? Affordable earbud and speaker maker EarFun unveiled its updated stemless earbuds Monday, EarFun Free Pro 3. They check a lot of quality boxes at a low regular price of $80, or $60 with current discounts (see below).

Like previous EarFun releases, the new buds nail high-quality sound and offer an array of premium features. But in this case, I found the active noise cancellation (ANC) unimpressive — that is, until EarFun sent out firmware update VO.2.1 in early November, and it improved noticeably. 

Full version of Resident Evil Village launches for iPhone 15 Pro and iPad

By

'Resident Evil Village' on iPhone
You don't need a console to play Resident Evil Village, just an iPhone 15 Pro or a recent high-end or mid-range iPad.
Photo: Capcom

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max owners can start playing the console-quality version of Resident Evil Village. The survival horror game hit the App Store just in time for Halloween.

It can also be played on iPads with high-end processors.

Start the holidays with 1TB of lifetime cloud storage for $119.97

By

Save hundreds on 1TB of cloud storage that's actually private.
Keep your data safe with 1TB of lifetime cloud storage for $120.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Planning to get that special someone (or yourself) a killer app or the newest MMORPG for the holiday season? Just make sure it’s not too much of a good thing. All those digital goodies take up space, but cloud storage is one easy solution. Koofr is standing out in a crowded field of providers thanks to its focus on security and accessibility, and now new users can get on board with a lifetime subscription to 1TB for just $119.97.

All the Macs to expect at Apple’s M3-focused ‘Scary Fast’ October event

By

Apple's events page for the Halloween event contains a massive hint.
The Apple M3 series of processors will be scary fast.
Photo: Apple

UPDATE: The “Scary Fast” event has come and gone, and it brought the fresh MacBook Pro models and the iMac — all powered with a new M3 processor — that leaks predicted. Check out Cult of Mac‘s full coverage for more details.


Apple fans are getting a treat this Halloween: an event that’ll bring the M3 processor and a range of new Macs to run it.

Here’s everything we’re expecting at Monday’s event, including an iMac and MacBooks, with some accessories thrown in.

This plant identifier is only $15 through Halloween

By

Get this iOS-friendly plant identifier for $15 through October only.
Deal ends soon! Plantum AI Plant Identifier is $15 in October only.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The holidays are coming up, and if you’re like the majority of us who put off buying gifts until the last minute, you can easily change that right now. Sometimes, a great deal and an interesting product combine to be worth buying and saving for one of the many people on your list. An example of such a combination is this lifetime subscription to the Plantum AI Plant Identifier Premium Plan, which is only $14.97 (reg. $59) through October 31st.

These 7 spooky Apple Arcade games dish out Halloween treats

By

These 7 spooky Apple Arcade games dish out Halloween treats
Here are the best games with the unquiet dead available on Apple Arcade for your Halloween enjoyment.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Halloween is almost here, making this a great weekend to play some spooky games. Apple Arcade has a nice selection of these to help you enjoy the creepy season.

Here are the best options in Apple’s gaming service to find ghosts, ghouls and goblins.

Save big on airfare this holiday season and beyond with an $80 Dollar Flight Club subscription

By

Find affordable flights with Dollar Flight Club Premium Plus+, now only $80.
Score affordable airfare this holiday season and beyond with Dollar Flight Club, now under $80.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Holiday travel season is nearly upon us, meaning things will become even pricier quickly. Fortunately, for a limited time, there’s a way to save big on airline tickets domestically and internationally in the coming months and long term.

Stream it all for $30 with lifetime access to this VPN

By

Protect all your gear with this versatile VPN for under $30.
Keep up to 6 devices safe for life with this $29 top-rated VPN.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Modern families rarely hit the “off” switch these days. We earn, play and stay in touch online, going from one device to the next. Yet, too many of us only worry about security on the tablet or laptop we use for work. BulletVPN is a virtual private network that casts a wider net, giving users top-tier protection and freedom on a whole range of devices.

Here’s how to get 20TB cloud storage for life for $70

By

This 20TB lifetime cloud storage is a great gift for techies at only $69.97.
For $69.97, you can get a 20TB lifetime cloud storage.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Apple’s iCloud is very convenient for iPhone and Mac users, but the storage plans are skimpy and expensive. iCloud storage tops out at 12TB and costs an eye-watering $59.99 a month.

That’s why you should look at this great deal from Prism Drive Secure Cloud Storage, which is offering a full 20TB for just $69.97 for life. That’s nearly twice iCloud’s maximum storage for just over the price of one month’s rental. And unlike iCloud, it doesn’t go away when you stop paying monthly subscription charges. Note: this sale is only here for a few more days.

iOS 17.1 boosts battery life of most older iPhones

By

iPhone 13 charging test
iPhone 13 runs longer on iOS 17.1 than other recent versions.
Photo: ChargerLAB

The most-recent iOS update increases the battery life of several older iPhone models, according to tests on a range of devices. And it’s a jump for almost every model tested over the first iOS 17 version.

But there’s still room for improvement.

Here’s the latest on new MacBooks to expect from Scary Fast event

By

Certain new MacBook Pro models powered by the M3 chip may appear Monday at Apple's Scary Fast event, while others are still in development.
Certain new MacBook Pro models powered by the M3 chip may appear Monday at Apple's Scary Fast event, while others are still in development.
Photo: Apple

UPDATE: The “Scary Fast” event has come and gone, and it brought the fresh MacBook Pro models and the iMac — all powered with a new M3 processor — that leaks predicted. Check out Cult of Mac‘s full coverage for more details.


As Apple’s Monday-evening Scary Fast event fast approaches, the latest rumors Friday say new M3-powered 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are likely to appear, while a new 13-inch M3 model likely remains in development.

Why choosing the right monitor light bar matters [Setups]

By

The user said his $180 monitor light bar is absolutely worth it.
The user said his $180 monitor light bar is absolutely worth it.
Photo: [email protected]

A good external monitor like Apple’s Studio Display is an important part of a computer setup. But what about the monitor light bar that sits on top of it? They’re not all the same and they can hugely impact your workspace.

Today’s MacBook Pro setup boasts a Studio Display, and on top sits a fairly pricey BenQ monitor light. Read on the find out why the user says it’s worth every penny.

Get a one-year Costco Gold Star Membership and a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* for $60

By

Here's how to shop get a Costco membership plus a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* for $60.
This limited-time deal gets you a year-long Costco membership plus a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* for $60.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Editor’s note: Apologies, but this deal is not yet live. We accidentally published this post too early. The deal will go live at midnight on October 30th. Again, we’re sorry for the mistake.

Sticking to a household budget is a challenging task, especially if you have to bounce from store to store to get all your errands done. That’s a waste of gas, time and money. With the holidays so close, it might be worth it to start shopping at Costco and turn any savings you find into gifts for your friends and family. Plus, this is your chance to get a One-Year Gold Star Membership and a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card* for the price of a normal membership. 

NexDock transforms iPhone 15 into clamshell notebook

By

NexDock transforms iPhone 15 into clamshell notebook
Add a 13-inch touchscreen, keyboard and trackpad to your iPhone with NexDock.
Photo: Nex

NexDock and the infiniteX2P app are designed to turn an iPhone 15 into a laptop. Connect Apple’s latest to the touchscreen/keyboard/mouse and run the app to start multitasking on a 13-inch display.

The USB-C port in the iPhone 15 makes this combination possible.

Finding what to watch gets easier in redesigned Apple TV app

By

Apple may simplify its TV app for users by the end of the year.
Apple may simplify its TV app for users by the end of the year.
Photo: Apple

Finding what to watch with the Apple TV app is about to get easier. The newly released developer beta for tvOS 17.2 gives a preview of the new navigation users will soon see.

Apple TV+ and other content sources will surface in a sidebar list on the left side of app pages.

Apple already begins testing iOS 17.2 with new Journal app

By

Apple Journal App press images creating new entry and list of past entries
Journal can help you create personalized entries, with content from multiple apps, to help you preserve life’s memories.
Screenshots: Apple

Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 17.2 to developers on Thursday. The major new feature seems to be the AI-enhanced Journal app that Apple previously promised. macOS 14.2 beta 1, iPadOS 17.2 beta 1, watchOS 10.2 beta 1 and tvOS 17.2 beta 1 are also available to devs.

These come just a day after the previous versions of all these operating system went out to the public.

‘Definitive’ new John Lennon murder doc on Apple TV+ reveals ‘shocking’ details

By

Mark David Chapman confessed to murdering John Lennon.
Mark David Chapman confessed to murdering John Lennon.
Photo: New York State Department of Corrections

A new documentary claiming to be the “definitive” look at the murder of John Lennon — the former Beatle and enduring cultural icon — is coming to Apple TV+. Unfortunately, though, the streaming service hasn’t yet said when the exhaustively researched, three-part series will arrive.

But we do know the narrator of John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial. It’s Emmy Award-winning actor Kiefer Sutherland, the streaming service said.

Adding one feature would make AirTag way more useful

By

AirTag
We want to be warned if our AirTag starts to move away on its own.
Photo: Mark Chan/Unsplash

Apple sells millions of AirTags because people want to track the location of their stuff. But the tracker does only part of the job — it only warns the user when their iPhone moves too far away from the tag. Making it also set off an alarm when the tag moves away while the user is sitting still would be a welcome improvement.

This could be done with a changes to the Find My application. No new hardware is required.

watchOS 10.1 update brings new double-tap gesture for hands-free use

By

Double tap lets users select the primary action in a variety of watchOS apps and notifications.
Double tap lets users select the primary action in a variety of watchOS apps and notifications.
Photo: Apple

One of the more exciting updates to Apple Watch lately is the new double-tap gesture now available in the watchOS 10.1 update. It allows Series 9 and Ultra 2 users to tap their finger and thumb together twice to launch a function without touching the wearable.

After appearing in the watchOS 10.1 beta — but in nonfunctional form — now it’s out for real with the public release.

Your iPhone needs this luxurious leather wallet case [Review] ★★★★

By

Mujjo Full Leather Wallet Case with MagSafe★★★★
You don't need a separate wallet with this handsome leather iPhone case from Mujjo.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple dropped its leather iPhone cases, but the Mujjo Full Leather Wallet Case with MagSafe is a brilliant alternative. It protects your valuable handset while also providing an easy way to carry credit cards and drivers license. Plus, it looks gorgeous while doing so.

I carried my iPhone 15 Plus this case on holiday, to restaurants … everywhere I went for weeks. Here’s why I love this case for my iPhone 15 Plus, despite a notable drawback.