The gang of third-string MI5 agents from Slough House has plenty of fans. Photo: Apple TV+
The Apple TV+ espionage-thriller series Slow Horses pulls in big audiences. It gets more viewers than almost anything else on streaming, according to a pair of market analyses.
Apple TV+ actually has two very popular series streaming now. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is also near the top of the rating charts.
This is San Francisco after Godzilla fought two kaiju in the heart of the city. Photo: Apple TV+
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode five focuses on Cate Randa’s backstory from when she survived the battle between Godzilla and two kaiju that destroyed much of San Franciso. Plus, a betrayal!
Read on for monster-size spoilers about the latest episode, plus some speculation about the show’s future.
The best tablets in the world are about to get even better. Image: Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest Apple rumors point to a jumbo iPad Air and even-better (and pricier) iPad Pros landing in early 2024. Plus, Apple’s powerful M3 chip reportedly will come to more Macs.
We run down what it all means. Brace yourself for performance!
Also on The CultCast:
Cool new features coming to next-gen iPhones will make Apple’s world-beating smartphone even better. We’re especially excited about a turbocharged Action button.
Government spying on push notifications is definitely a thing.
Installment number one of our “best of 2023” picks. These fabulous things made us quiver with joy this year.
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.
This high-tech heated jacket makes the ultimate gift for adventurers. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The Gamma graphene jacket will keep you warm and protect you from the elements. It’s a tough tactical jacket — rugged and resistant to water and wind. Plus, it packs a power bank that heats it to your optimal temperature, with plenty of pockets to stash your essential gear.
This high-tech jacket will take you from mountaintops to city streets in comfort and style. And it’s price-dropped to just $179.97 (regularly $575) through December 17.
Check out our guide for gifting Apple products this holiday season. Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
You’re running out of time to buy the Apple gifts your loved ones want for the holidays. If you need to buy an iPhone, iPad or AirPods, you need to make a well-informed decision quickly — but how do you know which model to get?
The head of iPhone's product design is leaving Apple. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Tang Tan, the vice president of product design for Apple’s iPhone and Apple Watch, is leaving in February 2024. He reportedly made “critical decisions about Apple’s most important products.”
Following his departure, Apple will reshuffle and split up the hardware design team to manage Tang’s responsibilities.
★★★☆☆
Danieille handles news of the Goldilocks mission in stride, but soon she's screaming "F-You!" at Ed Baldwin. Twice. Photo: Apple TV_
“Ground control, is that a negative on fatal space accidents in this week’s episode? Roger that. Initiate teardrops protocol.” For All Mankind‘s “Goldilocks” episode, number 5 in season 4, pushes plot lines forward Friday under the power of emotional cataclysms more than space-based action.
But it’s a meaty episode nonetheless. The whole season will turn on the importance of a certain newly discovered space rock named Goldilocks.
You can almost hear Santa landing on the roof. Photo: [email protected]
This time of year folks are getting in the holiday spirit and setting up Christmas trees, Hanukkah menorahs or Kwanzaa kinaras. But don’t forget to light up your Mac, iPad and iPhone screens with festive holiday wallpapers, too.
Today’s featured setup iMac and MacBook Air setup is so festive they could maybe skip all the other decorations!
Maybe you didn't miss the Black Friday boat after all. Use promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com to save on Microsoft software. Photo: CdkeySales.com
Black Friday, once a single day of deals, has grown to become the greatest shopping period of the year. And don’t forget it’s not just for techie holiday gifts. You can score great deals on Microsoft software like Windows and Office. Seek out major bargains on those products and more in CdkeySales.com’s ongoing Black Friday Sale!
SPONSORED
This post is brought to you by CdkeySales.
You can find amazingly low prices at software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com. 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.
This charger is perfect for travelers with multiple Apple gadgets. Photo: mophie
This week’s Cult of Mac giveaway prize is a mophie 3-in-1 MagSafe travel charger that retails for $149.95. The compact charger is perfect for anyone with a busy schedule who’s on the go. You can charge multiple devices simultaneously at maximum speed with this great fold-up Apple accessory.
The 3-in-1 charger can juice up an iPhone, an Apple Watch and AirPods all at once. It comes with a handy travel pouch to keep everything securely together, plus a USB-C cable and a wall adapter. Enter below for your chance to win — we’re giving away three of these excellent travel chargers.
This $4 check signed by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs sold for many thousands of dollars. Photo: RR Auction
Apple is a trillion dollar company today but it started out with very humble origins. There’s no better evidence than company co-founder Steve Jobs hand writing a check to the electronics store RadioShack for $4.01.
And now that check recently up for auction, and bought in 11,500 times its original value. How ‘s that for appreciation?
iPad 11 reportedly won’t be one of the tablets Apple unveils in March 2024. Instead, the next generation of the most affordable iPad won’t be out until the second half of the year.
And part of the development will supposedly happen in Vietnam.
Combine style and comfort with the Fara space heater for only $74. Makes a hot gift! Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Feeling the winter chill? Combine tech and comfort with the Fara electric space heater.
This sleek, Pinterest-worthy space heater makes home heating more flexible. And you can get it for only $73.97 (regularly $99). Just be sure to order on or before December 14 if you want to give one as a Christmas gift.
Apple builds on NameDrop in iOS 17.2 to deliver an even better way to share passes. Photo: Apple
iOS 17.2 will introduce a new way for sharing boarding passes, tickets and other passes stored in the Wallet app.
Like NameDrop, the iOS feature that lets owners easily share contact info, the new way to share passes will require bringing your iPhone close to the top of another iPhone with the Wallet app open.
Learn to read or say "Happy holidays!" in more than 100 languages with this translating scanner pen. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The Newyes Scan Reader Pen 4 is a translator pen instantly translates written or spoken words, making it quick and easy to understand foreign languages — anytime, anyplace and in practically any situation. The tiny translating gadget also packs special features for people with dyslexia, as well as for language learners you and old.
It can translate text on pages, digital screens, textiles, boxes and much more. And it can allow you to carry on a conversation using a language you don’t know.
Just in time for the holidays, it’s on sale for only $159.99 (regularly $187). It’s the ideal gift for avid readers, language learners and world travelers. Grab one (or several) today to ensure on-time Christmas delivery!
Apple offers end-to-end encryption in Advanced Data Protection for iCloud. Photo: Apple
Data breaches have compromised 2.6 billion personal consumer records in the past two years, with a rapid rise since last year, according to an independent study Apple published Thursday.
Increasing threats to consumer data stored in the cloud underscore a need for end-to-end data encryption like Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, launched in 2022, Apple said.
“Bad actors continue to pour enormous amounts of time and resources into finding more creative and effective ways to steal consumer data, and we won’t rest in our efforts to stop them,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “As threats to consumer data grow, we’ll keep finding ways to fight back on behalf of our users by adding even more powerful protections.”
Satechi just launched a trio of USB C adapters that increase users' display and connectivity options. Photo: Satechi
You can connect the USB-C port on your MacBook directly to a high-resolution monitor without a hub using Satechi’s new HDMI adapter. And there’s also a version with a built-in 2-meter cable for easier connections.
In addition, the accessory-maker also just launched a USB-C Ethernet Adapter that offers up to 2.5 Gigabit data transfers.
Whatever Jo (Noomi Pace) is looking at here, it's ain't good. Photo: Apple TV+
After a disaster in space, an astronaut returns to Earth to find pieces of her life missing in the upcoming Apple TV+ sci-fi series Constellation. Apple released a “first look” at the action-packed psychological thriller Thursday.
The “conspiracy-based space adventure,” which stars Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks, sets down on Apple TV+ on February 21.
Any sealed surface will take Xvida's mounting pad to magnetically hold your iPad. Photo: Xvida
iPads are light and easy to handle, but sometimes you need your hands for other tasks — like glancing at a recipe while cooking. That’s where Xvida’s Magnetic Wall Mount for tablets comes in super, well, handy.
And it’s available now in the Cult of Mac Store for just $25.
There's now one less way for Facebook to spy on you. Photo: Meta/Cult of Mac
Facebook tightened security on its popular Messenger platform by adding end-to-end encryption for all users. This means Meta can not eavesdrop on conversations.
Reports that this feature was “coming soon” have been circulating since at least 2016.
Light up any workspace with the Koda PowerStation. (It also charges iPhones!) Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you’re shopping for the perfect gift for a DIY enthusiast, crafty carpenter or grease-stained garage guru, take a peek at this versatile power station. Right on time for the holidays, the Koda PowerStation — a powerful work light with multiple outlets (and wireless charging for an iPhone or AirPods) — is on sale for only $59.99 (regularly $85).
It’s more than just a gadget — it’s perfect for anyone who wields power tools, toils on a workbench or tinkers in a garage. Just be sure to order it today if you want it to arrive by December 25!
Unidentified countries request push notification records from Apple and Google to gain info about smartphone users. Photo illustration: Bagus Hernawan/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac
Some governments are spying on push notifications sent to iPhone users, Apple confirmed Wednesday. By examining logs of push notifications sent by various apps, authorities can piece together surprisingly detailed information about smartphone users and their activities.
The previously undisclosed data gathering, which also affects Android devices, became public after Sen. Roy Wyden published an open letter to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Wednesday requesting disclosure of the surveillance method.