Quickly power up your Apple Watch and iPhone with Belkin's new portable battery. Photo: Belkin
A new power bank from Belkin includes a built-in wireless charger that can juice up the latest Apple Watch models in the minimum amount of time. The battery also can simultaneously replenish an iPhone through its USB-C port.
The BoostCharge Pro Fast Wireless Charger for Apple Watch + Power Bank 10K launched Thursday.
The stud Apple Watch band in taupe is perfect for spring and summer. Photo: Goldenerre
With spring soon turning to summer, isn’t it time you lightened up your look and added a bit of bling? Maybe a studded leather Apple Watch band in taupe and some shiny and colorful Apple Watch cases to go with it are just the thing.
Goldenerre’s popular leather band is now available in a taupe color in the Cult of Mac Store, along with shiny gold and silver Apple Watch cases, with (or without) rhinestones for maximum bling.
A newly published patent filing shows Apple is exploring the possibility of building support for the Find My device locating system into a future version of the Apple Pencil. At the very least, the stylus might be able to play an alert sound to make it more findable.
Other products from the company already have this feature.
Elba looks tense here for a reason. He's got big problems to solve. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ went wheels-up Thursday with a trailer for the upcoming thriller series Hijack. In it, Idris Elba plays a business negotiator who finds himself on a hijacked airliner and sets about handling a desperate situation that is much more complicated than it first appears — with the lives of 200 passengers at stake.
On the plane the clock is very much ticking, and so is ours as we wait for this show to take off. It debuts June 28 on Apple TV+.
The new ChatGPT for iOS app is useful in many ways, not just cheating. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
OpenAI’s ChatGPT for iOS makes the much-hyped chatbot easy to use on an iPhone. It’s powered by the same artificial intelligence as the web version, so it’s useful in many ways for people on the go. Plus, the app has its own voice-recognition system. And the basic version is free.
The ChatGPT AI already stirred up enormous controversy. But here are some suggestions for how to use the new iPhone application in positive ways.
Save big on the slim 2023 Mac mini with M2 chip. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The 2023 Mac mini with the powerful Apple M2 processor is already an amazing deal, and shoppers can now save even more by buying a refurbished unit.
These are primarily desktops that consumers bought then returned so supplies are limited. There are no units with the M2 Pro processor available at this time, for example.
★★★★☆
Part private investigator, part Wild West show entertainer and all hustler, Peggy (played by Patricia Arquette, right) makes High Desert a blast. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ neo-noir comedy High Desert gets mired in criminal business and stolen paintings this week. The show stars Patricia Arquette as Peggy Newman, who’s doing some on-the-ground investigation into a missing woman and the trail of chaos she left in her wake.
Is her husband, a mutilated guru, to blame? Or the woman’s mobbed-up brothers? The episode, entitled “Get Judy off the Bed,” delivers another delirious dose of the streaming service’s newest success.
This $60 color sensor reads and matches colors for your next DIY project. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Imagine possessing the power to match the color of anything. The Nix Mini color sensor does exactly that and sends all the details right to your iPhone. With this handy gadget, you can color-match old wall paint, piece together a palette for your next project and do much more with a simple scan.
And now it’s cheaper than ever. Until May 31, you can get the Nix Mini 2 color sensor for only $59.97 (regularly $99).
Apple's latest video advert uses humor to drive home an important point. Screenshot: Apple
Walking into a doctor’s office to be greeted by a public announcement of the medical condition you’re there to have treated would be a nightmare. A nightmare that plays out in the latest Apple video advert.
But one person in the ad is safe from embarrassment: the one who stores her medical data in the iPhone Health app, which Apple designed to protect user privacy.
★★★☆☆
Will Jamie Tartt (played by Phil Dunster, right) get his head straight this week on Ted Lasso? Photo: Apple TV+
Ted Lasso, Apple TV+’s most popular show, is winding down, with just two episodes left before it closes up shop (likely for good). The fish-out-of-water football coach is trying to keep his struggling soccer team from the bottom of the rankings — and himself from the bottom of his feelings.
To complicate things, Jamie Tartt goes on an existential bender this week as he prepares for a big hometown gig, and Ted and his tough-guy coach Roy Kent need to figure out how to fix their star player. The episode, entitled “Mom City,” is about as good as this show gets.
Apple might borrow an idea from Google and let iPhone as a smart home hub. Photo: Google
The always-on display in recent iPhones will get a new use in iOS 17, according to a tipster. The device will reportedly show upcoming appointments, controls for smart home accessories, and more.
We won’t have long to wait to find out if this is an accurate leak — the official unveiling of iOS 17 at WWDC23 is expected in under two weeks.
Ahoy! The Snoopy Show season 3 is almost here! Photo: Apple TV+
The Snoopy Show season 3 premieres in June on Apple TV+, with Charlie Brown’s dog, his pal Woodstock and the rest of the Peanuts gang setting off for more fun. The trailer for the new season shows the irrepressible pooch becoming an airline pilot, a surfer, a skater, a pirate and much more.
And this is just one of the Peanuts shows coming soon to Apple TV+, including a new series.
If you were really standing behind her, you wouldn't be able to see any of those tabs. Photo: Sightful
With Apple apparently on the verge of releasing its first AR/VR headset at WWDC23, an Israeli startup called Sightful has unveiled Spacetop, which it calls “the world’s first augmented-reality laptop.”
Spacetop has no dedicated display. The user dons AR glasses to view tabs across a curved, 100-inch virtual space that no one else can see. You have to wonder if this practical step into AR is the right move at the right time — or too practical for its own good.
A MacBook Pro and a Lenovo PC laptop rely on a 27-inch Alogic Clarity 4K external monitor. Photo: [email protected]
Apple’s 5K Studio Display in on the pricey side for many folks, so many less-expensive 4K monitors like the one in today’s featured MacBook Pro and Lenovo laptop setup tend to stand in for it.
But not every big-selling 4K display is designed to look like it belongs in an Apple setup. This one is.
The 100W adapter is especially good for charging up two MacBooks at once. Photo: Momax
Every globetrotter who visits multiple countries on one trip knows keeping gadgets charged can be a hassle. You might need a different plug for each country. That’s where universal travel adapters like Momax’s come in super-handy.
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Momax just released compact 35W and powerful 100W versions of its Momax 65W GaN Universal Travel Adapter to make a full lineup for your travel needs. Each is a little powerhouse you can easily pack, with sockets that work in more than 150 countries. And Cult of Mac readers can jet off with a hot 20% off deal right now.
★★★★☆Platonic asks, "Why can't we be friends ... again?" Photo: Apple TV+
In new Apple TV+ comedy Platonic, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne play old pals who, after taking a hiatus from their intense friendship, learn that rekindling such a thing is a fraught proposition this far into their lives.
Created by Francesca Delblanco and Nicholas Stoller, Platonic is a lovely, lazy-day kind of a comedy that charms even when it seems like it could stand to straighten up and fly right.
Get a quality VPN for privacy and streaming on your Mac. Image: Intego
What’s the best VPN to use on a Mac, and how do you use a VPN for data privacy? With Intego Privacy Protection, you can instantly connect to servers all around the world, including ones specially optimized for streaming. This advanced VPN comes with plenty of options for keeping your data secure and private.
You can set it to automatically open when you start your Mac, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting to launch it. Intego’s international servers, which are optimized for streaming services, worked perfectly in my testing. I’ll show you how to get started with one of the best VPNs for Mac.
Netflix's crackdown on password sharing arrives in the US. Photo: Netflix
Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing has arrived in the US. Going forward, your friends or family members will have to pay extra to stream content from Netflix if they were leeching from your account.
Netflix’s new account-sharing rules require all members to reside in the same household.
Make new friends in 50 languages with these translating earbuds. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Yes, the internet has done wonders when it comes to increasing our understanding of the world. But for all that hard data, there’s nothing like actually going out and experiencing other cultures for yourself. It’s certainly more fun, and with a little preparation, it can be easier than you think.
For instance, world travelers can now bridge the language barrier in more than 50 languages, thanks to Peiko’s second-generation translation earbuds. Just in time for your summer vacation or other travels, these wireless earbuds are on sale now only $89.99 (regularly $125).
Govee's popular smart-lighting products now include an LED strip that works with the new Matter standard and, therefore, with HomeKit. Photo: Govee
With the release of Govee’s first Matter-compatible smart light — the LED Strip Light M1 — users can connect lighting across smart home automation platforms like HomeKit and others, the company said Monday.
Final Cut Pro for iPad gives users the ultimate mobile studio for all their video and editing needs — no matter where they are. Photo: Apple
Responding to years of requests for iPad versions of professional-grade software, Apple released Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPadOS on Tuesday.
These are not “lite” versions of Apple’s video editing and music creation software. They are equivalent to the macOS ones, but adapted for iPad. And that includes additional features.
The device sports three power outlets, USB-C and USB-A ports, and a retractable USB-C cable. Photo: Baseus
On Monday Baseus released its new PowerCombo 6-in-1 Charging Station, a desktop power-strip tower featuring a retractable USB-C cable.
In addition to the cable, the device includes three electrical outlets for computers, monitors and other electronics, plus a 65-watt USB-C port and a 60W USB-A port for charging devices like iPads, iPhones and AirPods.
Apple struck a multibillion-dollar deal with Broadcom for 5G components made in the US. Photo: Brad Gibson/Cult of Mac
Apple said Tuesday it struck a “new multiyear, multibillion-dollar agreement” with technology manufacturer Broadcom to develop 5G radio frequency components in the United States.
“We’re thrilled to make commitments that harness the ingenuity, creativity and innovative spirit of American manufacturing,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook.
“All of Apple’s products depend on technology engineered and built here in the United States, and we’ll continue to deepen our investments in the U.S. economy because we have an unshakable belief in America’s future,” he added.
Always reset your Mac before selling or passing it along to a friend. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Selling your old Mac or passing it to a friend or family member? It is always a good idea to reset your Mac to factory settings before doing so.
This ensures the machine wipes clean all your data, so you won’t have to worry about any privacy problems. The best part is that Apple makes it very easy to reset a MacBook, iMac or Mac mini to its factory state.