Cult of Mac

Apple TV+ thriller The Mosquito Coast picks up its cliffhanger and heads into ever darker territory this week. Allie is caught between a rock and a harder place than usual. Dina takes her anger out on Margot, but Charlie would rather take it out on Richard.

Margot’s stuck between trying to win back her family’s approval and not caring enough to get it back. The Foxes may still be in hot water with the U.S. government after all, which means there’s a clock ticking faster than they imagined.

It all adds up to a white-knuckle episode of the drama about a family of terrorists on the lam in Central America.

After a muti-year argument, Apple and Ericsson agreed to cross license each others patents on cellular standard-essential technologies. And they’ll drop their lawsuits, too.

What’s really happening though is that the two companies have negotiated how much money Apple will pay to license Ericsson patents for use in the iPhone.

It’s a car made of jelly! It’s JellyCar Worlds, which challenges players to drive a squishy vehicle through a variety of convoluted levels.

The game, which hit Apple Arcade on Friday, marks the return of a classic game from the original creator.

Apple TV+ comedy Mythic Quest rings in the holiday season with a very special Christmas episode this week. The Mythic Quest offices are full of misery as David makes everyone stay and work through Christmas Eve. His attempts to cheer them up come to naught. And when Poppy and Ian try to salvage things at their old company, they go too far.

Meanwhile, Poppy and Rachel must learn what Jo’s definition of friendship is, and Rachel has her first brush with success. All in all, “The 12 Hours of Christmas” stands tall as a stellar episode of Apple TV+’s funniest show.

Just in time for the holidays, DJI released a tiny, more affordable version of its DJI Mini 3 Pro drone. Just subtract the world “Pro” from the name.

The new DJI Mini 3 weighs in at a svelte 249 grams (8.78 ounces) or less and shoots detail-rich, 4K HDR video, the company said.

Little America, the easygoing Apple TV+ series about the immigrant experience in America, returns this week for a second season of predictably uplifting storytelling.

This parade of hard-luck stories features happy endings that range from gentle to ecstatic. Just like last season, the show is largely successful — if frequently too well-behaved for its own good.

Some setups are no-nonsense, just the facts, ma’am — strictly utilitarian. Others are fanciful and full of toys. Today’s featured setup leans toward the latter, with its burgeoning population of Transformer figures crowding the shelf above the display and even related wall art.

And there’s plenty of gaming going on there, too, via a custom gaming PC and Nintendo Switch OLED in addition to an M1 MacBook Air and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Oh, and it has one of the coolest speaker systems ever made, too.

“Get your bling on with the Casetify Glitter Apple Watch Band!” says Casetify in its listing for the distinctive band. And at this time of year, the festive bands — available in four fun colors — seem especially merry.

But you can rock the sparkling band any time of year for whatever festivities you’re into. Just head to the Cult of Mac Store.

‘Tis the season to save on crucial Microsoft software. Just shop the Christmas Sale at software activation keys provider CDKeylord.com to save on Word, Office and more. Even better, Cult of Mac readers can click on the links below and get even more savings on Windows 10 and other Microsoft software.

In order to maximize the deals, enter promo code CULT at CDKeylord.com. That will take an extra 30% off the site’s already-low prices on keys for Windows 10 Pro Global, Microsoft Office 2021 Pro and more.

Puppy Place returns to Apple TV+ this week with a second batch of adorable, low-stress hijinks centered on a family that fosters cute pooches.

The Petersons and their four-legged charges once again set out to teach us to love dogs — and ourselves in the process. The puppies are cute and plentiful, the lessons come hard and fast, and no problem is so difficult that it might stress out a child.

The show remains a pretty good afternoon time-waster for kids under 10.

Is there a better gift you can give this holiday season than a career level-up? An app for constructing the perfect  résumé is a great gift idea for doing that. And you can also get lifetime access to Resoume, an AI-based résumé writing assistant, for just $39.99 (regularly $600). ´

Based on a true story about a slave’s quest for freedom during the Civil War, Apple TV+’s oddly positioned Oscar contender Emancipation pairs action with an unflinching look at slavery’s brutality.

It stars Will Smith, whose bizarre post-Slap apology tour makes for strange bedfellows with Emancipation’s stark subject matter and the film’s action-oriented director, Antoine Fuqua. But this cautiously made movie is probably the best possible film this team could have produced. And indeed, it’s quite a bit better than an Oscar-ready slavery drama made in today’s Hollywood has any right to be.

New episodes of Carpool Karaoke: The Series just popped up on Apple TV+, with zero fanfare or build-up or warning, because, well, who’s going to stop them? You? I didn’t think so.

Still, the showrunners did the one thing possible to entice me to review this new batch: They snagged some interesting guest stars. And you know what? A few actually charming moments emerge, despite the cringe-inducing artifice and sheer laziness of Carpool Karaoke’s premise and production.

Not sure what to get the person who has everything this Christmas? Forget useless gifts they’ll never unbox and give them something they’ll appreciate. This mega-bundle of piano and guitar lessons from top instructors has earned rave user reviews and doesn’t require any shipping time, making it a fantastic last-minute gift.

During our Last Chance Sale, you can purchase the collection for just $29.99 (regularly $1,600).

The docudrama Emancipation hits Apple TV+ tomorrow, and to make sure Will Smith fans can watch it, Apple is offering a free two-month trial of its streaming video service.

That’s much longer than the usual 7-day trial.

Google tweaked the desktop version of Chrome so that background tabs take up less memory. The widely used browser will also use less power when a laptop’s battery is getting low.

The changes are coming soon to the macOS version as well as other desktop OSs.

Are your Apple accessories and cables becoming a messy hassle, especially when you travel? Mujjo, known for its vegan leather products, unveiled a new collection of eco-friendly nylon tech organizers Thursday.

The Mujjo Tech Kit and Tech Case help keep your growing gaggle of tech accessories tidy and untangled, the company said.

Satechi’s latest power bank wirelessly juices up an iPhone while also serving as an adjustable mobile stand. The Duo Wireless Charger Power Stand can power the handset while its showing a film or just displaying incoming messages.

Plus, the 10,000 mAh battery wirelessly charges AirPods, too.

‘Tis the season for outstanding and affordable accessories for your Apple products, and Momax is playing Santa Claus. The company offers 10 great products for travelers, work-from-home toilers and Apple power users alike.

And rest assured, in addition to discounts available on Amazon for the devices, you can take another 15% off with the special coupon code CULTXMAS2022. Happy holidays!

Apple TV+ offered a first look at season 3 of its award-winning drama Truth Be Told Thursday, introducing a new cast member in the process.

Actress Gabrielle Union joins Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer on the NAACP Image Award-winning show. Season 3 kicks off on January 20.

Your iMac, MacBook and iPad can easily share the Zagg Pro Mouse. With the press of a button, the rugged Bluetooth mouse switches between multiple computers. As a bonus, the accessory supports wireless charging.

I tested it in my multicomputer office for a couple of weeks. Here’s what it’s like to use every day.

Apple and its employees have raised more than $880 million in charitable giving for nearly 44,000 groups all over the world since the Employee Giving program started 11 years ago, the company said Thursday.

As part of that, more than 76,000 Apple workers have put in over 2.1 million volunteer hours. Apple matches employee giving and volunteer hours with donations, too, in addition to its corporate grants to organizations.

The European Parliament picked December 28, 2024 as date after which iPhone and all other handsets sold in the EU must have a USB-C port. That means the iPhone 17 in 2025 will definitely not include a Lightning port.

But unconfirmed reports say Apple will make the change earlier than that.

Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, being able to understand the local language can make your trips more enjoyable. And you don’t necessarily have to learn it, either.

You can carry a bit of fluency in your pocket with an award-winning pair of Mymanu Clik S smart translation earbuds. They can help you communicate in up to 37 languages. Order for $99 (regularly $220) by December 8 to ensure your earbuds arrive in time for the holidays.

Apple completely abandoned its previously announced plan to scan iCloud Photos libraries for child sexual abuse material. The company will not go through users’ pictures on its cloud-storage servers looking for CSAM images.

Instead, Apple is going the opposite direction by enabling users to encrypt pictures stored in iCloud Photos.