The launch of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 is drawing close, as the many steps of beta testing for these operating systems are almost finished. The same holds true for tvOS 17, and watchOS 10 is nearly as close. Apple likely will release them all in September.

macOS Sonoma, however, isn’t expected to debut until later.

OneOdio unveiled its new OpenRock S Open Air Conduction Earbuds Tuesday, meant for active users who want to listen to music while doing sports activities.

Using air-conduction technology, the buds don’t go in your ear canal. So you can stay better-aware of what’s around you while you run, cycle or work out.

Smart-home systems maker Brilliant unveiled a new “install it anywhere” plug-in version of its Smart Home Control Panel Tuesday.

Any homeowner or renter can use its touchscreen-based control and automation system to manage smart home products integrated with HomeKit and Siri.

Still Up is about the hijinks of a pair of chronic insomniacs who aren’t aware they’re falling in love. Apple TV+ released the trailer Tuesday showing Danny and Lisa’s struggles to sleep and find someone who understands them.

The romantic comedy series will debut on Apple TV+ in a few weeks.

Anker audio brand Soundcore launched its new Space One over-ear headphones Tuesday with an upgraded noise cancelling system. It’s designed to reduce the voices not already in your head.

The new cans also claim long playtime, high-quality audio through the LDAC codec and a “floating” design built for comfort, Soundcore said.

Apple’s iPad Pro lineup is too expensive for regular users. Opting for the Pro model makes little sense if you want a tablet for everyday use.

This is where the iPad Air comes in, which offers almost the same internals as its Pro siblings at a lower price point. And if you take advantage of Amazon’s latest deal, you can save up to $149 on a new M1 iPad Air.

Using older magnetic chargers, lots of folks still charge their iPhones at a pokey rate of 7.5 watts. So it’s good news Spigen just rolled out its first 15W MagSafe device, the ArcField Wireless Charger.

You can use it to quick-charge any MagSafe iPhone 12, 13 or 14 handset, and it’ll juice up an AirPods Pro charging case at 5W.

The movies and shows on a MacBook or iPad can be easily played on a full-size TV, but many computers need an adapter to add the HDMI port. The Plugable USBC-4IN1 has just what’s needed, offering 4K video at 60Hz. Or Plugable’s USB-C dock is well suited for using an HDMI monitor to get work done.

Plus, it stands out from the pack with a USB-C port that supports simultaneous 100W power pass-through charging and 10Gbps data transfers. There’s a couple of high-speed USB ports, too.

I put the surprisingly affordable accessory through a series of test to see if it lived up to its promises. Here’s what I found.

It’s a total drag when your iPhone, iPad or other device runs low on power and you don’t have a way to charge it — or your charger is old and slow but you don’t have much time. That’s when the new Momax 100W 6-Port Charging Station comes in super handy.

The U.S. National Park Service turns 107 on Friday. And, as usual, Apple is running its donation campaign to the National Parks Foundation to celebrate.

Each purchase made with Apple Pay in the Apple Store and on Apple sites through Sunday, August 27, donates $10 to the National Parks Foundation.

Røde, maker of high-quality audio products from Australia, has unveiled what it calls “the most powerful wireless mic ever”. The Røde Wireless Pro is a system of elegant and compact microphones with an audio recorder that “delivers crystal-clear, incredibly stable audio with a range of up to 260m.”

The kit comes with all the accessories needed to connect to any modern smartphone, computer and camera rig. Røde’s GainAssist makes sure you have balanced sound in any circumstance and the Røde Central software for Mac and PC easily syncs it with your video.

The Røde Wireless Pro kit retails for $399 and will be available later this month.

The price of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will jump by at least $100, if an unconfirmed report coming out of Asia is correct. The increase could go as high as $200.

This is the latest in a series of predictions that the cost of the two top-tier iPhones coming this autumn will increase.

Why take chances with your online safety? A three-year subscription to Windscribe VPN Pro gives you a full suite of tools to protect an unlimited number of devices from dangers lurking on the internet. And for a limited time, it’s on sale for just $70.

Refresh your Apple Watch Ultra with this week’s brilliant giveaway from Lululook. We’re giving away one Titanium Link Band for Apple Watch Ultra. Retailing at $79.99, this band looks great with Apple’s biggest, boldest smartwatch.

Find out more about this devastatingly handsome band, and enter our giveaway, below.

Apple Podcasts Connect has been upgraded with subscription analytics, a new feature intended to allow podcast creators to see how listeners engage with premium subscriptions.

In addition, Apple Podcasts has additional Delegated Delivery partners. And Linkfire for Podcasts is coming in the autumn.

Want to create an immersive cinematic experience almost anywhere? Now you can with the GV31 Portable Projector BenQ released earlier this month.

With built-in Netflix and Android TV among other streaming options, the 1080p projector can stream on walls or ceilings via AirPlay from your Mac, iPad or iPhone, or from Android devices via ChromeCast.

Not happy with your iPhone’s battery life and don’t want to carry a power bank with you? Apple’s excellent MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhone is the accessory you need.

Apple’s accessory is expensive at $99, though. But thanks to Amazon and Best Buy’s latest deal, you can get it for $84 — saving a sweet $15 on your purchase.

It’s not every day you see a teeny, tiny little display under an ultra-wide one. But today’s M2 MacBook Air setup sports its dual screens that way by putting an iPad mini at the center under the big external monitor, flanked by paired HomePod minis.

The setup’s interesting highlights include a gaming handheld and a full-sized mechanical keyboard we rarely see.

iPhones traditionally come with white USB cables, but an unconfirmed report says they are about to become a lot more colorful. They’ll supposedly be matched to the hue of the handset.

And the quality of the cables will allegedly be improved, too.

Power banks prove convenient for workers on the go, but they can also be a literal lifesaver during extended power outages or natural disasters. Now Apple users can get a next-gen charger that can effectively charge everything from AirPods to MacBook Pros for just $229.99 — the Flash Pro Plus.

In addition to those two Apple products, it also works with iPad, iPhone (including wireless charging) and Apple Watch. In fact, this 25,000mAh monster — which can charge up to six devices at once — might be the ultimate power bank for Apple fans.

Interface designer Bas Ording is one of those little-known Apple employees who has had a huge influence on our digital lives. Ording is the brains behind the “rubber band” effect — the iconic touchscreen animation that convinced Steve Jobs to build the iPhone. During a 15-year career at Apple, Ording was responsible for a big chunk of Apple’s computing interfaces — from macOS to iOS.

You can read about his career in Unsung Apple Hero, a Cult of Mac e-book detailing his career at Apple. Just sign up for Cult of Mac Today, our free daily newsletter, or Weekender, our weekly email, and we’ll email you a copy.

August 20, 2012: Apple passes a financial milestone as it becomes the most valuable publicly traded stock ever.

The company it bests to attain this record? Longtime rival Microsoft, which peaked on December 30, 1999. Apple’s surge to the top spot serves as a reminder of just how radically the fortunes of both companies changed over the years.

We can all (probably) agree that Apple products are superior, but they do lack in some areas — like their built-in microphones. While they’re usually good enough for a FaceTime chat or voice memo, they don’t deliver professional-level quality.

But the Babbl USB-C plug-and-play microphone does. Yup, no need to download complicated software or mess around with setup. Just plug the microphone into your Mac for seamless, high-quality sound. Right here you can get yours for the best price on the web, only $39.99 (regularly $69.99).

The best Apple TV+ documentaries bring something extra to the nonfiction party. From historical subjects to oddball artistic projects, the streaming service’s finest docs deliver interesting insights in compelling ways (even politically irresponsible).

Here’s a look at the best Apple TV+ documentaries — both series and films — so far.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We always expect Apple silicon to make our smartphones faster, but iPhone 15 could be a speed demon in unsuspected ways. Like, it might deliver 80 times faster data transfers through the port that replaces Lightning. Anyone who moves large files around should be thrilled with the latest iPhone 15 rumor. And that’s not all …

Also on The CultCast:

• iPhone 15 might charge at extreme speeds, too.
• Why is iPhone 14 taking a beating over its battery life?
• Next year’s Apple Watch X could bring the major redesign we’ve all been waiting for.
• Erfon does a surprise live unboxing of a great gift sent in by a CultCast listener.

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.