The new comedy Shrinking has become a standout success for Apple TV+, according to two audience-tracking companies. The last new shows on the streaming service to attract so much attention were Black Bird and Severance. Not that the three series have much in common, besides being able to pull in large numbers of viewers.
Shrinking, which stars Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, is about a therapist who throws out the rulebook and tells his clients what he really thinks they should do.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple’s squinty supreme leader Tim Cook sees room to push the high end of the iPhone market, and you know what that means … iPhone Ultra incoming! We know at least one feature this thing will pack — a big, fat titanium price tag.
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.
A premium set of kitchen knives is one secret ingredient to a solid kitchen. Whether you’re a master of the culinary arts or just want to evenly dice an onion, quality cutlery is a worthwhile investment.
If you’re looking to upgrade, you’ve got two options with these Japanese knives from Seido. Both the five and eight-piece sets of these chef’s knives are on sale (for $99.99 and $139.99, respectively). But wait until you see what makes these blades a cut above the rest.
iPhone battery dying faster than you’d like? You can see exactly what’s using up your iPhone battery in the Settings app. It will show you which apps use more power than others, what services run in the background, and what drains your battery most over the course of the week.
If you suspect your phone doesn’t last as long as it used to, or notice that it’s charging very slowly, this will help you diagnose the problem.
Keep reading to find out whether you should quit all your iPhone apps when you’re done using them (you shouldn’t) and how you can keep apps and email from running in the background.
★★★★☆
Sean and Dorothy throw a party this week on Servant, the Apple TV+ show about a nanny who is more than she seems and the family harboring her. Leanne is starting to notice that her adopted family isn’t being quite as familial and loving as she’d like. And she decides something must be done about it.
As the neighborhood gathers in the Turner household, Leanne plots her own pincer maneuver in a brilliantly directed installment of the best series on Apple TV+.
From iPhones and Apple Watches to Mac accessories and AirPods, many of us have plenty to keep powered up on a daily basis. If you’re tired of dealing with low batteries while on the move, or spend too much time using stationary charging options that keep you tied down, consider exploring new solutions.
This three-in-one wireless charging station from WonderCube is a proven product that streamlines your process of powering up, no matter where the day takes you. Typically sold for $69, you can score this nifty device for only $44.99.
★★★★☆
We’ve got a fugitive on our hands on this week’s Truth Be Told, the Apple TV+ series about a true crime podcaster and her little corner of Oakland, California.
Trini is missing and Poppy’s solutions all involve a lot of risk. Markus and Zarina are sweating and at each other’s throats while searching for their daughter. Eva learns something about her lover and runs into an old acquaintance. And Leander tries hard to stay on Poppy’s good side.
The episode, entitled “Never Take Your Eyes Off Her,” serves up another gripping 45 minutes of television from this crew.
Nothing gets the heart pumping like a good racing game. Riptide GP: Renegade+ challenges players to try hydrojet racing at breakneck speeds, alone or in groups of up to eight.
The game from Vector Unit first debuted several years ago, and was named an App Store Best of 2016. Starting Friday, it’s included with the Apple Arcade subscriptions service for iPhone and other Apple devices.
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New Apple TV+ series Dear Edward takes our hero to school this week. The show — about a boy who survives a plane crash and the relatives of people who weren’t so lucky — doubles down on all of its intricate absurdities in the episode, entitled “Chrysalis.”
Dee Dee learns more about her dead husband than she ever wanted to know. Edward receives fan mail. Audrey and Kojo keep getting closer. And multiple funerals loom. It’s another impressively confused episode of the grief-based drama.
Sure, you only need a MacBook Air or Pro to get things done almost anywhere. Or maybe an iPad with a stand and keyboard. But if you want to be more comfortable (and productive), wouldn’t you want a fuller computer setup? Today’s incredibly spare featured setup gets the job done.
The user is a journalist who takes their work on the road, like the fast-food joint in the photo above. They use just an M1 MacBook Air on a stand, a mini mechanical wireless keyboard and mouse, and sometimes a clamp-on light and iPhone mount to handle quality video calls via Continuity Camera.
The big February Sale with massive discounts on Microsoft software is well underway at software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com. You can save big on Windows, Office and more.
Any Cult of Mac reader who wants a great deal on Windows 10 and more can click on the links below. And as a bonus, Windows 10 comes with a free upgrade to Windows 11. To get the most savings, enter promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com. That will chop an extra 30% off the site’s already-low prices on keys for Windows 10 Pro Global, Microsoft Office 2021 Pro and more.
Don’t get us wrong, apps are great. But no matter how much they push the envelope of your iPhone’s technology, there’s only so much they can do for you on a camping trip. That’s when we gadget lovers have to go a little more analog with tools like this nifty 8-in-1 utility flashlight from WonderCube.
While this light is incredibly small, you’ll be surprised how many uses you can find for it, on the trail and off.
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Shrinking, the hit Apple TV+ show about a therapist unraveling, sees James starting to suffer the consequences of his crazy new practices this week.
Paul is still mad at him for his radical ideas and the way they’re putting James’ daughter Alice in danger. But Paul’s own daughter Meg is in town, so he’s got bigger fish to fry. Meanwhile, Liz finds herself in the crosshairs of James’ ire — and only Gabrielle’s intervention saves them from hurting each other.
It’s another episode of a surprisingly popular show, in which no one’s problems are ever as big a deal as they seem.
Apple has started selling refurbished iPad mini 6 and M1 iPad Pro models through its Certified Refurbished store in the US. Both these tablets launched in 2021.
Depending on the iPad you want, you can save up to $320 by buying a refurbished unit.
The best-selling PC game of the 20th century has been reborn as Myst Mobile. Anyone who wants to relive the classic, or play an amazing game for the first time, can install it on iPhone and iPad and start playing for free.
This isn’t a knockoff. Cyan, the developer of the original, calls its new version “the definitive mobile port.”
Whether you’re new to the stock market or a seasoned investor, managing your investments is a lot of work. There’s research and analysis involved if you want to build wealth and gain passive income. You could try doing it manually yourself, or you could make the process easier with this stock screener and educational platform from Tykr.
Tykr analyzes stocks so you can see which investments are low or high-risk, then choose where to safely put your money. A lifetime subscription for Tykr is now only $119.99.
A teardown video from iFixit shows that getting into the recently launched HomePod 2 is dramatically easier than opening up its predecessor. That’s going to make repairing the new smart speaker far simpler.
The video is an interesting deep dive for anyone who just wants a glimpse inside the latest HomePod.
The Cult of Mac Store opened up a new sale Thursday, offering a discount of 20% off purchases of any two SwitchEasy accessories. With 98 products to choose from, that covers a wide variety of needs any Apple user might have.
Check out the SwitchEasy collection as a whole, and read more about some product highlights for iPad, iPhone and more below. The sale goes through Thursday, February 16.
A skilled concept artist created a video with a wish list of new features for iOS 17, including displaying two applications at once and directly installing applications outside of the App Store. Plus quite a few more additions.
It’s a demonstration that, as good as iPhone is, there’s plenty room for improvement.
★★★☆☆
SwitchEasy’s MagEasy MagLink Magnetic iPhone Mount for MacBooks provides a handy way to stick your iPhone on your MacBook to use the handset, via Continuity Camera, as a webcam. Recent iPhones have superior optics and solid microphones. Not only that, but the mount can serve as an iPhone stand or a grip for other uses, too.
While the clever little mount’s stability worried me at times, it works and it won’t break the bank at $29.99.
Users have complained about the limitations of the Siri “intelligent” assistant for years, but now that OpenAI’s ChatGPT is showing the world that artificial intelligence can do amazing things, it’s never been more obvious that Apple’s version is as dumb as a bag of hammers.
Not only does this make Apple look bad, it makes HomePod less useful. Really, it makes all the company’s products less useful than they could be.
Apple needs to step up its AI game or it risks being left out of an important new wave of computing.
Apple’s M2 MacBook Air with 512GB storage is down to $1,349 on Amazon after a $150 discount. If you have been eyeing the slimmest MacBook in Apple’s lineup, this is a deal you should not miss.
With 512GB storage, the M2 MacBook Air will easily last you for the next few years.
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, lovebirds are racking their brains to find more creative gifts than traditional flowers or chocolate to express themselves.
See the goods and examples of sale pricing below.
Benchmarks for the Galaxy S23 Ultra show that Samsung’s new flagship handset offers substantially slower performance than the top-of-the-line iPhone 14 Pro.
This continues a long string of high-end Androids that can not match the performance of the latest iPhone.
Traveling abroad is exciting, but sticking to the touristy parts might not get you the full authentic experience. If you want to connect with people around the world — and truly experience everything a new place has to offer — you could start by becoming conversationally fluent in the 30-plus languages used by the bulk of the world’s population.
If you don’t have time for that, you can get a pair of earbuds that do it for you. The Mymanu Clik S were featured at CES 2023 and can almost instantly translate 37 languages. And, they’re now on sale for $119.99.