Time to get ripped with SmartGym 7 for Apple Watch. Or at least fit. Photo: SmartGym
The SmartGym app is already well-loved by Apple Watch users, and its recent update adds more than 70 new workouts and loads of convenient new functionality.
And it’s considered so good it’s currently up against two other finalist apps to win the App Store Award for Apple Watch App of the Year.
A refurbished iPad and an accessory bundle featuring Beats Flex headphones makes a perfect gift. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Looking for a Black Friday sale on an iPad? For a limited time, you can score an incredible deal on a near-mint refurbished iPad bundled with all the accessories you could need — including a set of Beats wireless headphones.
Through November 26, this combo goes for only $219.97, with no coupon necessary.
Apple paused advertising on the service formerly known as Twitter amid another controversy touched off by Elon Musk. Photo: X/Apple
In the wake of Elon Musk posting his support for an antisemitic comment on X, Apple reportedly paused advertising on the social-networking service that Musk owns.
Disney, IBM and Lionsgate have also supposedly stopped advertising on the service formerly known as Twitter.
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Miles Dale and his new Helios colleagues are psyched to work on Mars. But that doesn't last long. Photo: Apple TV+
Last week’s season four opener of Apple TV+ alt-history drama series For All Mankind went necessarily big to catch everyone up and start off with a bang. So it’s not surprising episode two establishes a more practical stride, focusing on the realities of life in a working Mars colony.
Turns out life sucks for the working man up there in more ways than just an alarming chance of fatality. Life in Happy Valley, Mars, also tells a deeply unfair tale of haves and have-nots, just like on Earth.
OLED iPad models might come in big and small sizes. Image: Cult of Mac/Apple/Paul Inkles
Add iPad Air and iPad mini to the list of Apple tablets getting OLED screens. At least, that’s what an unconfirmed report coming out of Asia says. And the mini will supposedly get a boost in display size.
The top-of-the-line iPad Pro models will reportedly get the enhanced display type much sooner, though.
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The KYY K3-3 Portable Monitor is 4K and looks much better than you might expect given its price. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The KYY K3-3 Portable Monitor adds a high-quality second screen to your Mac or iPad. Even some iPhones. It’s 15.6 inches and has a 4K resolution, so it’s designed for work and play wherever you go.
I tested the reasonably priced second screen in my home office and when working remotely to see how it stands up to real-world use. I like it more than I expected to.
The user connects a MacBook Pro and Cinema Display via dock, as the Mac mini mainly stays with the TV in the living room. Photo: [email protected]
One thing we love about Apple is the staying power of its beautiful displays. We see the Studio Display maker’s much older Cinema Displays and Thunderbolt Displays used in modern computer setups pretty regularly.
Today’s MacBook Pro setup recently added a docking station to charge the laptop while connecting it to a classic LED Cinema Display.
Build you way through puzzles set in virtual exotic locations Lego Bricktales. Image: Thunderful Games
Lego Bricktales is a fun way to play with these bricks wherever you go. The game challenges players to build their way through puzzles in a variety of colorful environments.
The top two new MacBook Pro models now come in a space black aluminum finish. Photo: Apple
Apple’s M3 Pro MacBook Pros are available with up to $200 off in Amazon’s pre-Black Friday deal. This drops Apple’s latest laptops down to their lowest price within days of launch.
With Amazon’s offer, you can currently get the 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro for $1,849. The 16-inch variant is available with a bigger discount of $200, bringing its price down to $2,299.
Pre-Black Friday deal alert: Enjoy lifetime security with Ivacy VPN, now under $40. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Want a safer, more privacy-focused online experience? You can eliminate web tracking, secure your privacy, and protect your data with Ivacy VPN. It works on iOS, macOS and more, and you can use it on up to five devices with a single dirt-cheap subscription.
With this special pre-Black Friday deal, you can score lifetime access to Ivacy VPN for only $39.99 (regularly $97) — the lowest price on the web!
There's a MagSafe wallet for everyone. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
One of the best ways to use MagSafe on iPhone is to make it carry your wallet. It means you don’t have to remember to pick up multiple items every time you leave the house, and it ensures that you always have access to credit and ID cards that you can’t carry virtually in the Apple Wallet app.
Now that we’ve had MagSafe for a few years, there are lots of great wallets to choose from. Here are six of the best that you can slap onto the back of your iPhone today.
Journey's Alti Ultra wireless charging desk mat is one of the company's fastest chargers. Photo: Journey
Alogic’s Journey brand recently rolled out its fastest-ever chargers — a wireless charging desk mat and 3-in-1 wireless charging station.
The new Ultra series chargers — Alti Ultra Wireless Charging Desk Mat and the Trio Ultra 3-in-1 Fast Wireless Charging Station — carry Made for MagSafe certification, the company’s first to do so.
Apple will have to stick to Qualcomm's 5G modem for the foreseeable future. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple is falling further behind in creating an in-house modem for iPhones. After multiple delays, the company targeted a 2025 spring timeline to ship its first modem. But that’s not going to happen.
A new report signals that Apple has delayed the modem’s launch until the end of 2025 or early 2026.
Save on Apple gear and other essentials with a heavily discounted Sam's Club membership. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Smart shoppers know that Sam’s Club offers pretty much everything you need for the holidays. You can start with great prices on gifts (including Apple products), but you also can save on appliances, decorations and plenty of delicious food to fuel your holiday feasts.
Better yet, the savings don’t stop after you snap out of your holiday food coma. You will save on essentials all year long at Sam’s Club. Chances are there’s a location near you, and there’s never been a better time to join. Cult of Mac readers can get a one-year membership to Sam’s Club for just $20. This membership typically costs $50, and it can pay for itself in a single visit!
Function101's rubbery magnetic Cable Blocks are my favorite cord management system. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Almost every day, our robot vacuum tangles itself in charging cables, which the kids toss cavalierly across the floor. Snaking from behind the couch, the cords wait like baited fishing lines to ensnare our unsuspecting Roomba. It’s an unmitigated cable management disaster.
Luckily, we just got some Cable Blocks from Function101. Cable Blocks are rubbery little magnetic blocks that sit on your desk or nightstand and hold cables out of the way. It’s a simple and clever design.
Here’s why Cable Blocks are my favorite cable management system.
But we don't yet know if blue and green bubbles will remain. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
In what is apparently an enormous change of direction, Apple reportedly plans to add support for Rich Communication Services to the iPhone Messages app in 2024. This will enable iPhones and Androids to communicate more effectively, with more of the bells and whistles associated with Apple’s proprietary iMessage platform.
It also could be the end of the green bubble versus blue bubble controversy, though not necessarily. If you’re wondering how to get RCS on iPhone, Apple’s latest update will bring end-to-end encryption to RCS messaging. Find out more here.
Sure, this is mustache-less Ted Lasso from a 2022 holiday animated short, but the coach looks pretty worried his gifts won't get to Kansas by Christmas. Photo: Apple
If you’re planning on giving the gift of Apple gear to someone this holiday season, you better follow holiday shipping guidelines Apple posted on Thursday.
That way you can make sure your presents get to where they’re going by December 24, just in time for Christmas.
The iPhone 15 Series modem chip upgrade resulted in appropriately faster 5G downloads. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
iPhone 15 Series handsets released in September smoke iPhone 14 handsets by up to 54% in 5G download speeds, new tests released Wednesday showed.
Given the modem chipset upgrade in the newer models, the results aren’t surprising. But it’s always reassuring when the new gear performs as advertised.
No ads. Picture-in-picture. Background play. All in one extension. Perfect, no notes. Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
If you love YouTube but hate YouTube ads, Vinegar is the best Safari extension you can download. It blocks all ads on YouTube and restores many iOS-native features like playing videos in the background, picture-in-picture, and more on iPhone, iPad and Mac alike.
YouTube ads are freaking insufferable. But if you don’t want to put down the dough for YouTube Premium (currently $13.99 per month), you can pay a one-time fee of just $1.99 to buy Vinegar for all your Apple devices.
Yes, you might need to think about updating the software on your Apple Pencil. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Just about everything electronic requires firmware — Apple’s iPad stylus is no exception. With software comes updates, and there’s new one for the recently released version of the Apple Pencil with a USB-C port.
Here’s how to check what firmware version your Apple Pencil is currently running, and a suggestion on how to get the new update.
Give a vinyl fan analog listening anywhere with the RokBlok 2.0, on sale ahead of Black Friday for less than $80. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Anyone who loves vinyl records will tell you that the physicality of the medium is half the fun. Still, those precious platters aren’t exactly the most portable way to bring music to the party, to say nothing of the equipment you need to play them — until now.
The RokBlok 2.0 is a compact, self-contained record player that spins around while the record stays still, and it’s on sale now with early Black Friday pricing. Now through December 3, you can grab it for yourself or a loved one for only $79.97 (regularly $99).
The Apple Music Classical application now supports large tablet screens. Photo: Apple
The Apple Music Classical app that launched for iPhone earlier this year has been updated with support for the larger screens on iPads.
The app offers access to the world’s largest classical music catalog, with more than 5 million tracks. It’s free for Apple Music subscribers. If you’re interested in Mac music, you can find more insights in Apple Music Classical listening guides. This is just one of many apple digital services expanding across devices—learn more about it on Apple Music Classical on the web.
Offer is only applicable for new and returning users though. Photo: Apple Music
Apple and Sony have teamed up to offer six months of Apple Music free to PlayStation 5 owners. The offer is only valid for new or qualified returning users, not existing subscribers.
Apple’s music streaming now comes with a relatively short one-month trial period. So, this promotion could be a boon for users on the fence about trying Apple Music.