It’s common for Apple fans to get a ton of new tech around the holidays. And after about a month of heavy use, we find out exactly how far those iPhones, Apple Watches and AirPods can go on a full charge. That’s when we all wish we’d gotten the same thing: a reliable battery pack for recharging on the go.

The ZeroLemon MagJuice+ wireless battery pack is that, and then some. And just in time for the holidays, it’s on sale for just $45.99 (regularly $59).

Did we mention that it’s small enough to fit into a pocket — or a stocking?!?

Apple seeded the release candidate for iOS 17.2 to developers Tuesday, signaling that beta testing for the upcoming operating system is almost over. The highlight of the update will be the new Journal app that Apple announced last summer.

The release candidates for macOS Sonoma 14.2, iPadOS 17.2, watchOS 10.2 and tvOS 17.2 were also seeded to devs Tuesday. The final versions are all expected to be publicly available to install on December 12.

Believe it or not, a 16-year-old high school student may have been the first to fully reverse-engineer iMessage and turn green Android text bubbles blue on iPhones with the new Beeper Mini app, released Tuesday.

The text messaging world is buzzing over it, wondering how it may avoid security pitfalls like other recent attempts to merge the two texting worlds — and puzzling over whether Apple may put a stop to this incursion into its “walled garden.”

Tired of getting caught in the rain? Startup Rainbow Weather released its hyper-local rain-alert and hurricane-tracking app Rainbow Weather in November, giving you a great way to track weather tied to your precise location at all times via your iPhone.

The number of iPhones running some version of iOS 17 passed a milestone. The total recently topped 60%, according to an analytics firm.

Users were initially slow to make the jump past iOS 16, but a solid majority have now done so.

Twelve South’s new 2-in-1 Butterfly MagSafe Charger folds into a tiny footprint, fast-charges MagSafe iPhones and Apple Watches, and can serve as a kickstand for your handset, as well.

The cool gadget, which you can get directly from Twelve South or Apple, looks like a winner and is priced as such, at a steep $129.95.

Epic sci-fi series Foundation, a wildly successful adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s award-winning stories of a galactic empire in decline, will return for a third season, Apple TV+ said Tuesday.

And that’s causing much rejoicing on our own humble planet.

Looking to gift a new MacBook to your loved one this Christmas? The M1 MacBook Air is the perfect gift, and you can grab one right now at its lowest-ever price of $749.99 after a $250 off.

This includes an additional $50 discount after applying a coupon on Amazon’s listing. You could not get the laptop at this tempting price even during Black Friday.

Attention iPhone 14 owners: Don’t miss the SwitchEasy sale on all iPhone 14 cases and accessories in the Cult of Mac Store. You can save 20% on any of 10 different cases to protect and dress up your fabulous Apple handset.

The cases cover the bases from tough and functional to highly decorative. There are regular cases as well as MagSafe options. Check out some highlights below. And 20% off saves you about $6 on many of the cases.

Apple honored Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus with the Apple Podcasts Award, given each year to honor a show that demonstrates quality and innovation in podcasting.

In the series, the actress and comedian interviews older women about their lives.

We love everything about AirPods Pro except their price. If you, too, balk at spending $249 for Apple’s finest, give the incredibly affordable Flux 7 TWS noise-canceling earbuds a shot.

They’re waterproof and sweatproof, so they’re perfect for the gym. And they even boast a feature AirPods don’t: Their high-capacity charging case doubles as a power bank that can give your iPhone a boost.

They make a perfect stocking stuffer for anybody with an iPhone or Android device, and you can pick up a pair for less than $23 until December 17!

Battersea Power Station, home of London’s latest Apple retail store, is decorated for Christmas with an enormous moving art display projected on the front. Reasonably named “Bigger Christmas Trees,” it was created by artist David Hockney on an iPad.

The art installation will continue each evening until December 25.

Apple’s AirTag item tracker can help anyone who keeps misplacing things, and it’s currently available at a tasty 12% discount.

It’s good timing: With the holiday season apron us, an AirTag makes a nice present.

In Stray, you play as a cat wandering through a cyberpunk version of the Kowloon Walled City, the most densely populated city in the world (and a fascinating footnote of history). In this future, though, the city teems with robots who dream of visiting the outside world.

It’s been out for PC, Xbox and PlayStation for a while, but the Mac version is out now on the Mac App Store.

Stray is a gripping game in an exquisitely designed and immersive world that proves gaming on the Mac is on the rise once again.

Two of the best shows on Apple TV+ have been canceled. Animated musical comedy Central Park and basketball drama Swagger have not been renewed for new seasons.

The creators of the shows confirmed the cancellations on social media over the weekend.

A software engineer drives a Studio Display with an M2 Pro MacBook Pro in their enviable computer setup. And while some folks questioned the use of Apple’s pricey 5K display because of its relatively low refresh rate, the setup’s user praised the monitor highly.

Check out the advice the engineer got about setup improvements and see all their gear in the list below.

Martin Scorsese’s epic film Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone, will become available for purchase or rental on video-on-demand services including Apple TV in more than 100 countries Tuesday.

So as of Tuesday, you can buy or rent it on Apple TV and other VOD services, but Apple TV+ subscribers can’t watch it for free yet (date pending).

From the “better late than never” category, a version of the Zoom video conferencing app has launched for Apple TV. This means it’s now easier to make Zoom calls using a TV’s large display.

Turns out the long wait was actually Apple’s fault.

There’s no shortage of iPhone accessories if you want to fill out a stocking. But before you think about AirPods or Bluetooth speakers, remember that all that tech isn’t worth much if you can’t use it comfortably. And that’s where touchscreen gloves come in.

If you or a loved one need to stay connected without suffering from frostbitten fingers this winter and beyond, these thermal touchscreen gloves are a lifesaver. And now they’re a steal at only $11.99 (regularly $29)!

With an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, you can record high-resolution video directly to an external SSD. And the latest version of the iPhone app LumaFusion lets you edit with the video still on the external drive, too. Don’t try that with any other video editor for iOS.

That’s on top of the many other features of the iPhone and iPad application, which offers multitrack video editing with a focus on controlling everything with touch.

Interested in computer programming and artificial intelligence? We’ve got a big discount on a package of courses that will teach you all about the hottest tech fields: The 2023 Ultimate AI, ChatGPT and Python Programming Bundle

Through December 3, you can get the bundle for only $29.97 (regularly $154). This timely discount makes it an ideal opportunity to make a proactive move and get up to speed on the latest tech innovations.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: It sounds like Apple’s partnership with Goldman Sachs is on the rocks. What does that mean for the future of Apple Card?

Also on The CultCast:

• The latest iOS 17.2 beta reveals some interesting new features.
• Apple’s deal with Arm is pretty sweet … and pretty annoying for Arm!
• Those panicky headlines about NameDrop you’ve been seeing that paint the iOS 17 feature as danger to children? Ignore them.
• Apple seems pretty committed to Vision Pro: Multiple lower-priced versions of the headset are reportedly 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.

The fourth episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is out, and anyone who’s been dissatisfied about the amount of screen time kaijus got before will have nothing to complain about.

Read on if you’re ready for Godzilla-size spoilers about the latest episode, plus some speculation about the show’s future.

Not much happens Friday on alt-history space soap opera For All Mankind season 4’s fourth episode, “House Divided.” Let’s see. Two Russians have a shoving match on Mars, almost killing one and nearly causing the return of the Cold War. The former head of NASA goes to work for the Soviets and immediately impresses her frighteningly KGB-connected boss. And longtime space heroes Danielle Poole and Ed Baldwin suffer a major falling out that could threaten peace in Happy Valley, Mars.

And by the way, geriatric Ed — the show wants us to believe Joel Kinnaman’s characters is now in his 70s — finally does get the tender smooch from a young cosmonaut threatened in episode 3. Alas, poor Miles Dale, despite sparks flying on Mars, doesn’t quite get to make out with his burgeoning love interest.

Apple began selling refurbished AirPods Pro 2 wireless earbuds Friday. Those willing to buy a previously purchased unit save $40 off the regular cost.

These are Apple’s premium earbuds, and this is the first time the company has put refurb units up for sale.