Stage Manager isn't perfect but it doesn't deserve all the criticism being heaped on it. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The new Stage Manager multitasking system is Apple’s answer to requests for floating app windows on iPad. It’s drawn a lot of criticism, much of which is undeserved.
I use the new system all day every day. Here’s why there’s a lot to like in Stage Manager, although there are undoubtedly some problems, too.
You and a friend can get discount flights for life with these affordable subscriptions. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Inflated gas prices may have put a damper on your holiday road trip, but there’s another affordable way to travel. Dollar Flight Club can turn your car-bound vacation into an affordable flight plan, and all you have to do is check your email. This flight-finding service sends deals on international and domestic flights straight to your inbox. For a limited time, you can get two lifetime Dollar Flight Club Premium Plus+ Plans for just $149.99.
Feel safe in your space with this hidden camera detector. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The holidays are a season for travel and joy, but feeling unsafe in your own hotel or Airbnb might undercut all that wholesomeness. If you’re worried there might be a hidden camera in your hotel or Airbnb, you can identify it by shining an infrared light in their general vicinity. This Anti-Spy Camera Finder is an easy-to-use tool for spotting rogue camera lenses in your lodging, and it’s on sale for $59.95.
Now you can make your Apple Watch Ultra even tougher. Photo: Elkson
If you’re into extreme activities, Apple Watch Ultra in the one-tough-hombre timepiece for you. But you can make it even more rugged — and protect your investment in the pricey wearable — with the new Elkson Quattro Max Bumper Case.
If you want to make sure your Apple Watch survives whatever you throw at it, pick up the case in the Cult of Mac Store.
The 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro has never been this cheap before. Photo: Apple
Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip and 1TB storage is down to $1,999 on Amazon. That’s a massive $499 off its $2,499 retail price.
The Cupertino giant is unlikely to unveil the M2 MacBook Pros until Q1 next year. So, this is the perfect time to grab the 14-inch MacBook Pro at its heavily discounted price ahead of Black Friday.
Nano Smart Blinds work with HomeKit. Photo: SmartWings
If you’re willing to get in on the ground floor of a crowdfunding campaign as an “early bird,” you can now score Thread-enabled smart mini blinds that work with HomeKit for $100 off the retail price.
SmartWings Nano Smart Blinds have surpassed their funding goal on Indiegogo, so they should ship to buyers in January, the company said.
The person who uses this setup used to hate Apple. Photo: [email protected]
Some folks insist people never change, others say they often do. And proof of the latter shows up in today’s featured Mac Studio computer setup featuring Apple’s magnificent 6K Pro Display XDR.
It belongs to a Linux-loving software programmer who used to be strongly anti-Apple, according to her husband.
Bluetti's Indiegogo fundraising campaign was an unqualified success. Photo: Bluetti
Power product provider Bluetti hit a big milestone recently when it raised a staggering $11.6 million on Indiegogo for its new AC500 and B300S Home Backup Power Station, a backup beast that can power a home for days.
The campaign raised the funds — $11,633,332 and counting, to be exact — between September 1, 2022, and October 30. That ensures production and sale of the advanced AC500 inverter and B300S expansion battery, set to go on sale November 25 on Bluetti’s website and Amazon (and available on Indiegogo in the meantime, see below).
Connect to clients, friends and strangers around the world with these translation earbuds. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Gift shopping for a globetrotter? You can give them the ability to understand languages without having to learn them. A wearable translator you can pop in your ear may sound like something out of a sci-fi flick, but it’s very much a reality with the Mymanu CLIK S Translation Earbuds. These wireless earbuds can do live translations of over 37 languages and are on sale for $157 or 28% off.
Your iPhone 14 Pro order might not arrive until after Thanksgiving. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Planning on getting the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max this holiday season? Getting your hands on one might be more difficult than you anticipate.
The latest COVID-19 curbs in China’s Zhengzhou have hampered the production of the latest Pro iPhones. Due to this, Apple now expects customers to wait longer to get their new iPhones.
Grab 18 curated wines for less than $70 with this early Black Friday deal.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Want to find your new favorite wine or simply love a great deal? The experts at Splash Wines have hand-selected 18 of their favorite wines for fall. Though this selection would usually set you back $350, you can purchase them all for just $69.99 — no coupon necessary. That works out to less than $4 a bottle!
Siri could become easier to summon in the future. Photo: Apple
Apple is working on changing the “Hey Siri” hotword to just plain “Siri,” and the change could roll out as early as next year.
Introduced in 2015 with the iPhone 6s, the “Hey Siri” hotword remains unchanged to this day. You also can use the phrase to invoke Apple’s voice assistant on the Mac, iPad, HomePod and Apple Watch.
Earn six figures as a cybersecurity developer with this top-rated course bundle. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you’re an IT professional looking for a resume boost, you may want to consider cybersecurity, especially given the number of high-profile data breaches that occur each year. The Complete 2023 Cyber Security Developer and IT Skills Bundle is a top-rated e-learning IT bootcamp that can prepare you for ethical hacking roles, and it’s on sale for $79 (regularly $7,774). With 26 courses included, that works out to around $3 per course.
Piece together this puzzle for an opportunity at life-changing money.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Many of us want to make our money stretch further, but that can be challenging, especially around the holidays. Luckily, an unexpected financial boost may await in this 500-piece jigsaw puzzle. With The 2 Million Dollar Puzzle, you might win life-changing money, and we’re dropping the price to just $24.99 (regularly $30) with this early Black Friday deal. No coupon is necessary, but supplies won’t last long!
Five of best Jennifer Lawrence films are now on Apple TV+. Screenshot: Apple TV+
To celebrate the launch of Causeway on Apple TV+, the streaming service is now offering five other movies starring Jennifer Lawrence. That includes all four Hunger Games films.
It’s part of a recent move by Apple to temporarily add already-released movies to its catalogue.
Get an early Black Friday price drop on JBL noise-canceling earbuds. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you’re shopping for wireless earbuds, normally, you’d have to drop a pretty penny on a pair that pulls the trifecta of great sound, long battery life and a comfortable fit. Instead, you could grab a pair that’s on sale for its Black Friday price long before other sales go live. This pair of JBL Live Free NC+ Wireless Earbuds are on sale for $49.99.
Ditch Twitter, follow the news. Image: Mori aka ICE/Wikimedia Commons, D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
We all have our favorite news sites, independent blogs or webcomics. A lot of people keep up with new posts on Twitter — it’s where a lot of Cult of Mac traffic comes from. With a mass exodus of Twitter users after you-know-what happened, there’s a way you can still keep up with your favorite sites. It’s a technology that has powered the web for over twenty years called RSS; let me show you can follow the news without Twitter.
★★★☆☆
Everybody's trying to connect in Acapulco. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ ’80s comedy Acapulco has romance on the brain this week. Maximo and Julia have to talk, Hector and Don Pablo are feeling unloved by Diane, Memo’s love is over and blooming at once, and Sara is heartbroken but she ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
A strong episode of the tacky comedy reveals some important things about the limits of a show like this, how formula and reality don’t always match, and how much you can get away with in a comedy. It’s a fascinating, frustrating study in the state of the sitcom.
Bundle up to four Apple Watch charger key chains for 60% during this deal. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Out of all the smartwatches on the market, the Apple Watch is difficult to top, and its accessories will likely be in high demand this holiday season. But you don’t need to wait for Black Friday to find a sweet deal on Apple Watch accessories. This November, we’re running Black Friday deals every Friday. That means you’ll find early discounts to help you get a head start on holiday shopping. For example, this portable Apple Watch-compatible charger lets you power up while on the go, and it’s on sale this Friday for just $18.99 (Reg. $49).
★★★★☆
Allie Fox (played by Justin Theroux) comes clean to the kids -- mostly -- in the season two premiere. Photo: Apple TV_
Apple TV+ show Mosquito Coast returns Friday with more under-the-radar thrills. Based on the book by Paul Theroux and starring his nephew Justin as wanted criminal and escape artist Allie Fox, Mosquito Coast is about the many little compromises we make on our way to what we hope is a better life.
In the season two opener, Allie and his wife Margot reminisce about their past lives for their children Dina and Charlie, finally explaining why they’ve been living their lives on the run this whole time. And one telling lie means they’re still not really ready to be honest. It’s a solid return to form after last year’s stellar season finale.
If you're in the right city, and the weather is notable enough, and you're on the 16.2 beta, and all the stars are aligned, you just might see the News section of the Weather app. Image: Dmitry Makeev, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons and D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Apple’s Weather app for iPhone, iPad and Mac soon will incorporate local news sourced from the Apple News service.
In the latest beta of iOS 16.2, certain cities have an additional section for weather news, slotted between the 10-day forecast and the air quality meter. On iPadOS and macOS Ventura, this section occupies an even larger widget in the corner.
Babbel is the modern way to learn new languages. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
For those ready to start on a new life adventure that sharpens their cognitive abilities, improves thinking skills, and opens up their minds to new cultures and ways of thought, it’s time to consider the Babbel Language Learning App. It’s so easy to add the platform to your new iPad 10 or MacBook Pro, and hit the world running.
★★★☆☆
Charlie Hunnam's effortless vibe gives Shantaram a definite boost. Photo: Apple TV+
This week on Apple TV+ drama/thriller Shantaram, it’s all about escapes. Lin knows a story about his medical work will bring his flight from justice to the attention of the authorities, so it’s time to leave Bombay.
Meanwhile, Prabhu and Parvati want to marry in secret before her parents can prevent it. Lisa discovers Modena is still up to his old tricks, and now she wants out of their new arrangement. And just when Lin is in line for a fake passport, a whole new situation arises that threatens his freedom. It’s a suitably tense time.
Let them see your iPhone 14's vibrant color through a clear case. Photo: Laut
There’s no better way to protect your iPhone 14 than with a tough case. And, short of going without any case at all, there’s no better way to show off your iPhone 14 than with a crystal-clear case, like the Laut Huex Crystal 14 Series iPhone Case.
And right now you can pick up the tough but absolutely clear case for just $20 in the Cult of Mac Store.
Attention, streamers: Elgato's new Facecam Pro offers 4K streaming at 60fps. Photo: Elgato
In a bid to capture the streaming content creator market, Elgato just launched what it called “the world’s first 4K60 webcam” — Facecam Pro. It shoot video in 4K resolution at a smooth 60 frames per second (fps), which previously required a DSLR or other advanced camera setup.
The pricey new camera joins the original Facecam in Elgato’s growing lineup.