Take an external display with you when you travel. Here are some of the best. Photo: espresso Displays
External screens for MacBook or iPad aren’t just convenient in the office — they’re also great to use on the go. There are a range of portable external displays on the market, including some with touchscreens.
Here are my recommendations for the best screens ready to go with you to a coffee shop or Paris.
In Tetris, Nikita Efremov (left) plays the long, straight block while Taron Egerton stars as the square block. (Kidding!) Photo: Apple TV+
The new Apple TV+ film about sneaking Tetris out of Communist Russia is pulling in plenty of viewers. It was actually more popular than Ted Lasso last week, according to one TV ratings company — though that Apple comedy is very popular, too.
And Shinking continues its long run in the top 10 most popular streaming shows, possibly because it’s now possible to binge the entire first season.
These 4-in-1 flash drives have connectors for USB-C, Lightning and more for less than $29. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Whether you’re moving important work files or pictures of your cat, transferring files from one device to another can be a bit tedious. There are plenty of ways to get the job done, but many file-transfer methods require an internet connection, which isn’t always an option.
Instead, you could try a more direct method and get a flash drive that works with almost anything. The 4-in-1 Smart Flash Drive has four ways to connect and is compatible with most smart devices. Even better, there are two storage options for this accessory. 64G of storage is on sale for only $18.99 (regularly $29), while the 128GB version is going for just $28.99 (regularly $39).
You’ll have to act fast, though, since these price drops only last until April 11.
Apple is hard at work on the iPhone 15. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac/Pixabay/Pexels
New detailed renders detail the more extensive changes Apple is planning for the iPhone 15 Pro series. Leaked CADs have already revealed the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro design.
This includes a bigger camera hump, slightly more compact dimensions, curved edges for the titanium chassis and more.
Setting up a VPN for your business is surprisingly simple with UTunnel. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
It doesn’t matter how well-equipped your team is if the data the business runs on is compromised. You could set up your salespeople with the best iPhones and iPads, your developers with top-of-the-line CPUs, and so on. But taking steps to address the rampant cybercrime out there can make the difference between survival and major struggle.
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When you begin looking at protective services, you will discover the benefits of operating on a virtual private network. However, entrusting your company’s data with just a consumer-grade VPN service can be dangerous. While more secure, it might appear that setting up an on-premise or dedicated cloud VPN might be too difficult or expensive. But before writing it off, be sure to check out UTunnel.
Apple crams a whole lot of computing power into the Mac mini. Image: Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The M2 Pro-powered Mac mini is a dream machine for creative types, according to our reviewer D. Griffin Jones. He joins us to sing the praises of this pint-size powerhouse. (It’s quite an upgrade from the 2015 MacBook Pro he used before.)
Also on The CultCast:
It’s just two months until we’ll see Apple’s mixed-reality headset. We can’t help thinking this pricey “star product” is gonna flop hard, even as it points the way toward the future.
A free book coming next week will reveal Steve Jobs “in his own words.”
Will the next version of watchOS really bring big changes?
Erfon knows where you can find a steady supply of genuine Apple accessories at cut-rate prices.
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.
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Play "JellyCar Worlds" to truly understand squishy physics. Screenshot: Walaber/Apple TV+
Is the car made of jelly? Or is the world? It’s both! It’s JellyCar Worlds. The game is a triumph of squishy physics, and a lot of fun to play.
If you enjoy driving games and puzzlers, you really owe it to yourself to try this. I have seven good reasons why it needs to be on your weekend agenda.
Get lifetime VPN protection on up to five devices for only $18.99 with this deal. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Considering how much time you spend online, are you doing enough to ensure complete privacy and safety? Cybersecurity threats continue to increase and evolve, leaving millions of internet users vulnerable. But, a strong VPN can provide protection.
For a limited time, you can pick up a lifetime subscription to Ivacy VPN for only $18.99 by using coupon code IVACY5 at checkout. This sub works with up to five devices. And it offers compatibility with macOS, iOS, Windows, Android, Linux, Roku, PS4, Xbox and more.
Build worlds within games by exploring this $35 Blender art design bundle. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Plenty of people dedicate serious time to gaming, but do you have what it takes to design a game yourself? If you’re curious about the process, or want to take a serious professional plunge, pick up this low-priced package of courses on game art development.
The 2023 Complete Blender Bundle is currently available for only $34.99 (regularly $655), with no coupon necessary. You’ll score enormous savings on instant access to five comprehensive courses on game art creation that total nearly 50 hours.
The Thirteenth Doctor and her companions must solve a mystery. Photo: Tilting Point/Apple Arcade
Doctor Who: An Unlikely Heist challenges players to solve mysteries by finding clues. The story-driven hidden-objects game debuted on Apple Arcade on Friday.
It’s the latest addition to Apple’s gaming service, which adds a new title almost every week.
★★☆☆☆
Memories make powerful motivators this week on Extrapolations. Photo: Apple TV+
Extrapolations, the too-ambitious-in-all-the-wrong-ways Apple TV+ science fiction show “about” global climate change, revisits an old friend this week for a look at the courier job from hell.
The show’s focus this time around is not on the environment but rather on the personal toll of living in a future you can’t control or understand. The episode, entitled “2066: Lola,” is a laborious and overfamiliar story that is, for no good reason, longer than almost every other episode of Extrapolations.
iOS 16.4.1 is ready for your iPhone. And there are macOS and iPadOS updates, too. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
iPhone, Mac and iPad users got fresh operating system updates on Friday. iOS 16.4.1, macOS 13.3.1 and iPadOS 16.4.1 fix a smattering of bugs on the devices — including some security vulnerabilities that Apple admits may have been exploited — but there are no new features.
At this time, there are no equivalent updates for Apple Watch or Apple TV.
Elkson's case will keep your AirPods Pro safe and comes with a handy keychain ring. Photo: Elkson
No matter which AirPods you have, the Cult of Mac Easter Sale has something for you. Check out the selection of cool cases and stands in the Easter Savings collection.
See some highlights below, where the links go straight to the products. And if you think this sale is probably only for AirPods Pro, AirPods 3 and AirPods Max, guess again. Here’s six cases for AirPods 1 and 2, for example — all 25% off.
★★★★☆
Nobody's really going to the moon ... are they? Photo: Apple TV+
The first season of Hello Tomorrow!, the Apple TV+ show about men selling lunar dreams and lies, comes to a close this week in high style.
Jack needs to tie up some loose ends, and he has no plan for what happens when his clients finally get to the moon. His son Joey must figure out who to honor, his mother or his father. Eddie has butterfingers and Shirley has to pay for it. And someone is, at long last, awake.
The season finale, entitled “What Could Be Better?,” is a great conclusion to a great season.
We often see computer setups festooned with several big external monitors, Mission Control style. But some great setups get by with zero external displays, like today’s featured iMac setup.
The iMac provides the main screen, of course. And then “black magic” makes the iPad Pro levitate as a second screen. Or something like that. See below.
In Silo, if the lies don't kill you, the truth will. Photo: Apple TV+
Silo premieres in May, and Apple TV+ just released the full trailer for the upcoming drama series based on a bestselling trilogy of dystopian novels.
In the series, a few thousand people are left on earth hiding in a mile-deep silo. But what if everything they’ve ever been told about the outside world is a lie?
Save big-time on Microsoft software by using promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com. Image: CdkeySales.com
There’s nothing like an Easter egg hunt. And you can find fresh springtime deals on Microsoft software during the big Easter Sale at software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com. This week, you can take advantage of great prices on Microsoft Windows, Office and more. Don’t miss this chance for great bargains.
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There’s no need to shell out the full price for Windows 10 and other crucial software. You can click on the links below to secure low prices on loads of Microsoft software. Plus, Windows 10 comes with a free upgrade to Windows 11. To get the absolute best savings possible, enter promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com. That will slash an additional 30% off the site’s super-low prices on keys for Windows 10 Pro Global, Microsoft Office 2021 Pro and more.
Generate and save secure passwords on all your devices with this $24 password manager. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
TL;DR: If you’re tired of forgetting passwords, a lifetime subscription to Sticky Password Premium can help. And it now costs only $23.97 until April 11.
★★☆☆☆
Nothing could stop Boris Becker's rocket ride to the top of tennis. Photo: Apple TV+
New Apple TV+ docuseries Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker centers on a famous tennis player embroiled in a scandal. Directed by prolific but utterly predictable documentarian Alex Gibney, the two-part series charts the rise and fall of the youngest Wimbledon champion in history.
Debuting today on Apple TV+, the straight-ahead documentary goes from Boris Becker’s historic wins to his similarly historic losses on the world stage thanks to dicey financial decisions. And it does so in the most formulaic fashion possible. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but it’s no ace, either.
Thieves didn't get through these doors. They went in another way. Photo: Apple
Thieves were apparently stymied by the security on an Apple store in Washington so they broke into an adjacent store and cut a hole in the wall. That reportedly enabled them to make off with $500 thousand in Apple gear.
Get 400+ hours of expert IT training for under $50. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The cybersecurity industry is enormous, and it’s only getting bigger. By 2029, the cybersecurity market is estimated to be worth just shy of $400 billion. Still, that doesn’t mean that those jobs will be easy grabs. Get ahead of competing job applicants with a comprehensive overview of the field and essential skills with this cybersecurity developer and IT skills bundle.
This comprehensive bundle of courses gives you more than 400 hours of training from iCollege professionals. And it’s on sale for $47.99 (regularly $7,774) if you use code SECURITY40.
USB-C is finally coming to the iPhone, but there are rumors and speculation that only Apple-approved cables will be able to charge the device. Realistically, though, there’s no way Apple would be allowed to get away with that.
The European Union is forcing Apple to drop the Lightning port, and would surely squash attempts to make USB-C into anything but a universal standard. That’s if Apple is even trying to do that, which is questionable.
The Laut Prestige Folio is not just an iPhone case. It's also a stand. Photo: Laut
The Easter Sale in the Cult of Mac Store features an array of iPhone cases and accessories at great discounts — up to 40% off!
You can find a huge selection of Laut cases to fit any taste and almost any recent iPhone (not just iPhone 14 series). And if you want a screen or lens protector, the sale has you covered with various options.
Check out the Easter Savings collection! And see below for some sale highlights for iPhone. The links below go directly to products.
★★★★★
Here’s your classic product shot with everything sitting directly on a floor without anything plugged in. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The new Mac mini is the best value in the entire computer industry, point blank. It’s a $700 computer that won’t break a sweat editing high-resolution video, exhaustively long podcasts or giant graphic design projects — all at the same time. The M2 Pro model takes it even further.
Because of my job here at Cult of Mac, I wear a lot of hats. In a typical week, I edit videos, record a podcast, dabble in graphic design, compile open-source projects in Xcode and research topics for my writing. I’m basically all the creative professional stereotypes Apple loves to put in their promotional videos rolled into one.
After living with the new Mac mini for over a month, I can confidently say this is a fantastically powerful machine within the reach of independent creators, small businesses and schools.