In this installment of 3 Reasons to Watch, we’ll tell you why we’re buzzing about High Desert, the new Apple TV+ comedy starring livewire Patricia Arquette as daffy private eye Peggy Newman.
The show, created by Miss Congeniality writer Katie Ford and Grace and Frankie alums Nancy Fichman and Jennifer Hoppe, is a bawdy neo-noir set in a world of lowlifes and fake cowboys.
Here’s why you need to give High Desert the old college try.
Why pay a monthly fee for cellphone data? For a limited time, you can get an eSIM that gives you a lifetime of cellular data, one month at a time, with no recurring subscription costs. Instabridge eSIM’s Lifetime Plan gives you 2GB of data every month for life, and it’s only $139.97 in our Memorial Day Sale.
If you don’t need much data, you can use it as your primary connection. Or, if you’re on a limited data plan, you can use it as a backup for those times when you burn through your monthly allotment. Jump to it, though. This sale ends May 31 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.
Yes, your iPhone is a flashlight. But can it crack open a beer? With this super-bright mini utility flashlight, you never need to be caught in the dark (or with no way to open your beverage of choice).
But that’s just the start of the MaxLight Mini’s big capabilities. This 8-in-1 flashlight is a highly rated tool that’s perfect for your everyday carry. And, for a limited time, you can pick up a two-pack for only $32.97 (regularly $54) with no coupon required. That’s a 40% savings on a handy tool that does far more than provide light.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: iOS 17 might turn your iPhone into a dashboard for your smart home. Plus, Apple’s new journaling app seems like it will arrive soon as well. With WWDC23 just weeks away, we don’t have long to wait.
Also on The CultCast:
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.
Memorial Day, a time to remember and honor the sacrifices of service members, comes up this Monday. To express gratitude to active duty and retired military personnel, power-product provider Bluetti is introducing a Veterans and Military Purchase Program.
And in addition, the company’s Memorial Day Sale offers great discounts on power stations for everyone — in some cases, hundreds of dollars off. (Find deals at the links below.)
An increasingly murky economic outlook (debt ceiling anyone?) makes it more important than ever to maneuver the stock market with some savvy. Fortunately, you no longer need to pay outrageous fees in order to trade like a pro.
For a limited time, a lifetime subscription to the Tykr stock screener’s Pro Plan is available at $20 off the sale price ($119.99) when you use coupon code STOCK. This offer is valid only through May 28.
★★★☆☆
Apple TV+ dystopian sci-fi hit Silo sends Juliette out on her second day as sheriff and into a minefield this week.
The show, about the last few thousand people on earth living inside a massive underground structure, unveils more tentacles of its political conspiracy. When Juliette and her new deputy look into the murder of their predecessors, they find corruption and lies in every corner they search. The episode, entitled “The Janitor’s Boy,” is a thrilling chapter in the Silo saga.
Are you ready to take your golf game up a gear? Modern technology means you don’t need to spend entire days traveling to the golf course to practice your putt. With a cutting-edge golf simulator like the TruGolf Mini, you can boost your skills anytime, anywhere.
You can play a round on virtual versions of famous golf courses or brush up with minigames. All the while, built-in analytical tools let you see what’s going right — and what’s going wrong — with your swing.
Typically $249, you can grab TruGolf Mini for only $199.97 during our Memorial Day Sale. That’s the best price you’ll find anywhere online, but this deal ends May 31 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.
★★★★☆
City on Fire, the new Apple TV+ drama about a web of connections that expands from the attempted murder of an NYU student, nears what looks like a breakthrough this week.
Charlie finds a roll of undeveloped film that’s a missing piece of the puzzle surrounding the near-death of Samantha, the object of his affection. Nicky thinks he has the upper hand, but learns he’ll always be someone’s patsy. Plus, Keith and Regan follow a lead to a dead end, and Amory starts to sweat.
Entitled “Brass Tactics,” it’s an action-packed episode with few of City on Fire’s usual misplaced steps.
After a long wait, Final Cut Pro, Apple’s professional video editing software, is now available for M1 or newer iPads. Editors accustomed to Final Cut Pro on their Mac can easily switch to their iPad as a portable editing machine.
However, before starting with Final Cut Pro on your iPad, you need to know how it differs from the Mac build. Both versions enable pro-level video editing, but they are understandably different in key ways.
Memorial Day is, of course, a time to honor and remember those who served. But it’s also an excellent chance to save money in Memorial Day sales like the one the Cult of Mac Store is running through the end of the day on Monday, May 29.
You can take up to 30% off great accessories for Apple products from makers like Elago, Rilee & Lo, SwitchEasy (selected items), Mifa, Laut, Bucardo and Nine Twenty Eight Co. Sample some highlights below and be sure to check out the whole sale featuring deals on hundreds of items!
★★★★☆
This week on Drops of God, the excellent Apple TV+ show about two people competing for the title of greatest sommelier on earth, Camille and Issei consider their places in the world — and in their family lines.
Issei, fuming over a secret long kept, needs to focus for the final challenge. Camille, weighing an impulsive business decision, wonders what the next step for her will be, no matter whether she wins or loses.
Some of the computer setups on social media with the biggest “wow” factor are Mac Pro-based. And some boast not one but multiple Pro Display XDRs, Apple’s unattainably high-priced top monitor. But some “wow” setup have both a Mac Pro and multiple Pro Display XDRs, like today’s featured rig.
And discussion prompted by the setup covers a key issue to consider when you’ve got a big, heavy, gorgeous, super-expensive display. What’s the most solid, safe and wiggle-free mount to use with it?
Updating your Microsoft software might not seem exciting, but it can prove crucial for productivity. What is exciting is knowing the secret to getting legitimate copies of Windows, Microsoft Office and more at just a fraction of the full price.
Your gateway to savings: software activation keys.
The Carsule is a secure, UV-resistant pop-up tent that goes anywhere your car goes.
Just in time for Memorial Day, this “pop-up cabin for your car” is \on sale for only $309.97 (regularly $379). However, this deal lasts only through the end of the month. Act fast if you want to get the best price you’ll find anywhere online.
★★★★★
Season two of Prehistoric Planet will fill the heart of any dinosaur-obsessed child with joy. And adults should watch, too — especially anyone who still thinks dinos are slow-moving, stupid creatures that are just waiting around to go extinct.
These new episodes, which Apple TV+ doled out this week, combine cutting-edge CGI with the latest in paleontology. The result is a series that’s stunningly beautiful, exciting to watch and as scientifically accurate as possible.
Do you dream of exploring exotic destinations and creating memories that last a lifetime? The world is calling, and now is your chance to answer. While experts predict flight prices will remain high this year, you can save big on airfare with a lifetime subscription to Matt’s Flights Premium Plan.
As part of our Memorial Day sale, this service is now only $49.99. No coupon is needed, but the special price will only last until May 31 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.
Whether you’re planning a solo adventure, your family’s summer vacation or the bucket list trip you’ve always dreamed of, consider this your golden ticket to making it happen for less money than you ever thought possible.
Qi2 is a new wireless charging standard expected to go into widespread use later in 2023. And, according to an unconfirmed report, the upcoming iPhone 15 will be one of the handsets that supports it, including 15W charging.
That’s not surprising, considering Qi2 is heavily based on the MagSafe system built into current iPhones.
Moft released its cool, origami-style Snap Float Folio for iPad in 2022, offering a versatile four stand positions for the tablet. Now the company has updated the folio, reinforcing it and adding stronger magnets for a better hold, among other changes.
“In retrospect, yeah, stronger magnets would definitely improve the stand,” said Ed Hardy, Cult of Mac‘s reviewer of the original Snap Float. He loved it then, and it sounds like the new one’s even better.
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.
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.
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+.
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.
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.