★★★★☆
The search for a mayoral hopeful’s killer takes center stage on this week’s Truth Be Told, the Apple TV+ crime series told through the lens of podcaster Poppy.
Eva’s on the hunt for a killer, but is it a smokescreen for her own guilt? Poppy can’t decide. Markus is still acting out, and it’s getting in the way of his parenting. Plus, Poppy has some secrets of her own to spill. And fate has one last curveball to throw this crew before the season’s final inning.
While the cameras on our iPhones and how we take photos are constantly improving, we can always use a hand to clean them up after the fact. For those of us that aren’t professional photographers, or particularly adept at photo editing, user-friendly and innovative photo editing software can make this daunting task a whole lot easier.
Luminar Neo uses the power of artificial intelligence to edit, refine and stylize photos. And now, you can grab a lifetime license to it, bundled with other impressive photo editing add-ons, for only $79 (regularly $400) — but the savings don’t stop there. Cult of Mac readers can save an extra 10% by adding exclusive coupon code TAKE10NOW.
Transforming everyday pictures into truly beautiful photographs can become a reality with this AI-driven software.
★☆☆☆☆
It’s all about splitting and coming back this week on Dear Edward, the Apple TV+ series about the tangled web of grief in the wake of a plane crash.
In the episode, entitled “Paper Covers Rock,” Edward acts out at school and is rewarded with a crisis or two he wasn’t aware were coming his way. Plus, Linda goes into labor, Lacey is clueless, Dee Dee doesn’t want group to end, Adriana and Kojo don’t want their time together to end, and Steve and Amanda don’t want their affair to end.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, your Apple TV+ reviewer is anxious for this dreadful series to end. (The good news is, the end is nigh.)
★★☆☆☆
Shrinking is all about reconciliation this week. The Apple TV+ show about the social circle of a manic pixie dream therapist sees Jimmy Laird trying to mend the rift between his hero, Paul, and his family.
Meanwhile, as Brian prepares for his wedding, he meets with nothing but disappointments and potential catastrophes. Gaby is caught between her rock and a hard place. And Alice makes a fateful mistake.
Everything comes out in the end in “Moving Forward,” this week’s whatever installment of the hit show that could have been an email.
Apple’s small wonder, the M2 Mac mini, is down to its lowest-ever price. After a $99.01 discount, you can get the machine with 512GB of storage for $699.99.
The M2 Mac mini has previously seen a maximum discount of $50. This new deal makes the 2023 Mac mini a stellar deal.
★★★★☆
Hello Tomorrow!, the Apple TV+ show about a salesman running out of ways to talk himself out of damnation, flies into a panic this week. Jack’s celebrity spokesman goes missing, and if he’s found by the wrong people, it could blow his entire operation.
At the same time, Shirley’s starting to wonder about Jack’s lies, and Joey has just stopped believing him entirely. And when Herb gets a brief moment to shine, he blows it immediately. The episode, entitled “Another Day, Another Apocalypse,” delivers another great half-hour of the show with the most verve and wit of anything on the Apple TV+ lineup.
We know what you’re thinking: a “Pro” desk mat? Well, yes, actually. The Function101 Desk Mat Pro is rather capable. Not only does it help protect your desk, it’s a serious tool for often-neglected cable management in and around the computer setup.
And the professional-level desk mat is now available in the Cult of Mac Store for $39.95. Other desk mats just aren’t qualified.
We enjoy a lot of variety in our computer setups coverage, from the ultra-minimalist to the mega-maximalist. Today’s featured rig sports two pumped-up Mac Studios, two old Mac Pro “trash cans,” a gaming PC, dual displays and a tremendous array of audio gear.
It falls in the latter category, obviously (“mega”). The lengthy gear list below doesn’t even cover everything in the powerhouse workstation, but it covers all the key elements.
As March rolls along, the big March Madness Sale at software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com remains in play. This week, you can get slam-dunk deals on Microsoft Windows, Office and more. Don’t miss out on your chance to save big!
The largest version of the iPhone 15 reportedly will come with the smallest screen bezels. Like, record-breaking thin.
An Apple tipster says the black area around the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s display will measure a mere 1.55 millimeters.
★☆☆☆☆
Astonishingly overwritten and mega-ambitious sci-fi parable Extrapolations, which premiered today on Apple TV+, has a cast of thousands and more than a few things on its mind. None of what show creator Scott Z. Burns (who wrote Contagion and The Bourne Ultimatum) is saying in this show about the impact of climate change can be argued with. But the messages aren’t easily swallowed, either.
Rather than leave room for viewers to draw their own conclusions, Extrapolations sits you down and yells at you for 10 hours of dreary cli-fi drama. It’s certainly distinctive — but that’s not always a good thing.
Are you tired of constantly untangling and organizing charging cables on your desk? Do you find yourself searching for lost cables, right when you need to charge your devices?
It can be frustrating to deal with messy charging cables, especially when you’re in a rush. This top-rated, three-in-one wireless charger is the way to tidy up your desk and enjoy a blissfully clutter-free charging experience. Even better, it’s now on sale in a two-pack for only $92.99 (regularly $144). Double up so you can have one at both home and office, or gift the extra one to a friend.
★★★★☆
Servant, the stellar Apple TV+ show about a supernatural nanny and the Philadelphia family that plays unwitting and unwilling host to her journey, comes to its fiery finale this week.
Leanne must decide who she’s going to serve, and Dorothy decides what her family and life will be from now on. The episode, entitled “Fallen,” serves up a mostly perfect ending to a mostly perfect show.
Thanks to new cloud computing platforms, our options for tapping into games have never been more diverse. This Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1-Month Subscription puts a huge range of games on your Apple gear — with no dual-boot required.
Two lucky winners have a chance to win a not-so-ordinary selfie stick from SwitchEasy in this week’s giveaway.
This clever selfie stick can take a good selfie, extending 4x from the original length. But it also can be transformed into a tripod for video meetings or elaborate shots. Taking a beautiful scenery photo at a distance is no problem, either, as the gadget works as a Bluetooth camera remote, too.
The multifunctional EasySelfie Stick retails for $44.99, but is currently on sale in the Cult of Mac Store for just $35.99. (Update: Our sale has ended.)
The Apple TV app for macOS is reportedly about to get a redesign that includes a left sidebar. That will apparently make it nearly identical to the iPad version.
The update might debut in macOS Ventura 13.3, which is currently in beta.
Belkin’s smart-home accessories brand, Wemo, is “backing away from Matter and dimming our dreams of a smart home utopia.” That’s according to a report published Wednesday.
At a time when companies are rushing to ready products for the new smart-home networking standard, which is meant to let different brands work together, Wemo’s hesitation is a surprise.
Its products work only with HomeKit. Now it looks like that won’t change anytime soon.
The 41mm Apple Watch Series 8 is down to its lowest price of $329 after a massive $70 discount. You can get a similar deal on Amazon on the Apple Watch Series 8 with cellular connectivity.
This is the lowest price the Apple Watch Series 8 has been available for in the last 30 days.
If you know anything about the dangers of hacking and identity theft lurking online, you may already know an app to manage all of your passwords can be a lifesaver. Passbolt is a good one. It uses a “secret key” for all of its authentication and encryption operations, keeping your information safe.
Although Ted Lasso is amazing and wildly popular, it’s not the only hit show on Apple TV+. A search engine focused on movies and TV released a top 10 list of everything on Apple’s streaming service, revealing which other series also draw plenty of viewers.
Subscribers to the streaming service might use it to find additional shows worth watching.
It’s surprising when you hear there is a “smart” version of a seemingly effective everyday tool like Q-tips. However, the truth is, the common cotton swab is limited in terms of what it can show you (and how well it can clear out your ear canals).
To step up your self-care game, you can take advantage of this deal on a Smart Ear Visual Cleaner (with a nice storage box) for just $34.95.
Apple products are known for delivering high performance and carrying a premium price tag. If you are on a tight budget, should you consider buying a refurbished Apple product instead?
Apple’s Certified Refurbished store offers a great way to get a like-new product while letting you save hundreds of dollars on your purchase. Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s refurbished gear.
The PowerA Moga Play & Charge Gaming Clip for Xbox Wireless Controllers is more than a way to attach an iPhone to a Microsoft game controller. It also includes a battery to keep the handset charged up during lengthy gaming sessions.
Not leaving PlayStation fans out, PowerA will also soon release the Moga Mobile Gaming Clip for DualSense and DualShock 4 Wireless Controllers.
Foxconn will soon start making AirPods for Apple. For this, the Taiwanese company will spend upwards of $200 million to build a factory in India.
Foxconn has never assembled AirPods for Apple despite being its biggest contract manufacturer. This will change once its new factory in India is ready.
Amazon bargain website Woot! is back with an another Apple sale. You can get up to a stunning 86% off many of the company’s popular accessories.
You can bag bargains on Apple iPhone cases and sleeves, AirTag leather loops and keychains, a MagSafe charger, adapters, cables and more — 25 items in all.