This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The first reviews of the 2023 HomePod make Apple’s updated smart speaker sound pretty formidable. We can’t wait to hear for ourselves. (Unfortunately, if you didn’t already place your HomePod order, you’re probably looking at a substantial hang time.)

Also on The CultCast:

• An iPad with a folding screen might be just around the corner.
• Retina alert: Apple Watch Ultra might get an even bigger, brighter screen next year.
• Former Apple design chief Jony Ive’s latest creation is … a bright red nose!

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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Shrinking is finding a growing audience. The Apple TV+ comedy drew enough viewers during its debut week to become one of the top 10 most popular shows on all streaming platforms.

The ongoing series starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford is about a therapist who throws out the rule book and tells his clients what he really thinks they should do.

If you haven’t dined out in a while, you might be counting the minutes until Valentine’s Day gives you the perfect excuse for a date night. Here’s the problem: You may not have noticed, but that swanky eatery you and your partner love has probably gotten more expensive this year.

Luckily, Cupid is coming to the rescue just in time. As a special Valentine’s Day promo, you can now get $200 worth of electronic gift certificates to Restaurant.com for only $20.

Halloween comes early this week on Servant, the Apple TV+ saga of a family increasingly held prisoner by the mystic nanny who once threatened to save them from themselves.

On the prowl for zealots, Leanne discovers that the violence inside her can be used for more than necessary evil. Julian and Sean are starting to lose the illusion that they have any kind of control over her, and are beginning to agree with Dorothy that it’s time for the nanny to go. It’s another excellently creepy outing for the Turner family.

Apple made almost half the tablets sold in the word during the December quarter, according to market researchers.

The company itself says it took in more revenue from iPad sales in the October-through-December period than in any previous quarter.

If National Puzzle Day didn’t leave you completely wiped out, you can take a shot at turning puzzling fun into big money with this hot deal. How? Try solving the 2 Million Dollar Puzzle.

First, pick up a puzzle for the discounted price of $19.98. Second, solve it. Third, scan it to see if you won $1 million!

Secrets come out left and right on this week’s episode of Truth Be Told, Apple TV+’s drama about a true crime podcaster and her community.

Leander and Poppy have to hash out some family history, and Markus and Zarina have to hash out some very present things or risk losing their future together. Plus, Eva must be honest about who she is and what she wants.

Even though none of them yet know it, the clock is ticking. The episode, entitled “Here She Shall See No Enemy,” stands as a superlative edition of the Oakland-set drama.

Consumer electronics maker LG added Apple TV, Apple Music, AirPlay and HomeKit to its webOS Hub Tuesday, making Apple’s core services available to smart TVs from 200 brands that use the custom software.

The update starts rolling out Friday in more than 100 countries and regions. It could provide quite a boost to Apple globally as new users try the features.

Edifier rolled out a new wireless over-ear set of headphones Tuesday — the WH950NB headset — providing another affordable alternative to high-end cans like Apple’s AirPods Max and products from the likes of Sony and Sennheiser.

Featuring active noise cancellation (ANC) and hi-res audio, Edifier’s premium headphones go for $180, a pretty low price for the feature set.

Have fun with creative destruction in Castle Crumble, which challenges players to knock down fortresses with bombs and spells.

The puzzle game debuted Friday on Apple Arcade, and is playable on iPhone, Mac and other Apple devices.

If you’re young or just young-at-heart, here’s your chance to nab an adorably expressive case and keychain for your AirTag tracking device. The colorful cases, inspired by K-Pop boy band BTS, represent seven fanciful characters from the Universtar BT21 universe. You can read a little bit more about it below.

Don’t miss your chance to get a cool AirTag case from K-Pop culture in the Cult of Mac Store — they’re just $12.99!

Marvelous Apple TV+ children’s show Pinecone & Pony returns for an energetic second season this week. The animated show, based on the popular book by writer and cartoonist Kate Beaton, centers on a hero-in-training in a world based on Viking lore and Lord of the Rings-style fantasy.

The series continues to combine cute animation and vocal performances with good-natured social lessons. It’s a winning and whimsical escape for kids and adults should also have a very nice time indeed.

“How many external displays can I easily run with my Mac and how” is a common question, and some Macs make it much easier to run more than one external monitor than others.

In today’s featured computer setup, a software developer went out and bought a new M2 Mac mini specifically for its generosity in that regard. It really helped his highly portable setup, which features a Studio Display and an LG 4K screen.

You know what’s sweeter than candy hearts or chocolates on Valentine’s Day? Saving money. To get huge discounts on Microsoft software, just check out the latest big sale at software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com. You can save on Windows, Office and more.

Apple was hit with a sharp decline in iPhone shipments in the December quarter, but the news isn’t all bad — it’s once again the world’s largest maker of smartphones by a wider margin than ever before, according to market analysts.

Even better, Apple is pulling in almost half the revenue of the entire global market, and a very large share of the profit.

Shrinking, the new Apple TV+ comedy starring Jason Segel as therapist James Laird, starts dealing with the consequences of its lead character’s new ideas about mental health this week. In fact, it looks like maybe James needs a little time on the couch himself.

With one patient supposedly living in Canada with her sister to avoid an abusive husband, one revising his dating game, and one living in James’ poolhouse, his track record doesn’t exactly look successful. Plus, Gabrielle needs a little help, James and Alice find a new outlet for their sadness, and Paul needs his eyes checked.

Unfortunately, this week’s episode of Shrinking proves every bit as frustrating as the first two.

Instead of hopping from store to store to find everything you need, try shopping at a warehouse club that provides its members with perks and affordable products. With a Costco Gold Star Membership, you can purchase groceries, outdoor furniture, electronics and more.

And for a limited time, you can get a one-year Costco Gold Star Membership for $60 — and it comes with a complimentary $30 Digital Costco Shop Card*.

New Apple TV+ series Dear Edward is a sprawling ensemble piece about the aftermath of a plane crash. This baffling bit of overwrought drama cannot decide for longer than a few scenes what it’s actually about — or why it needs a season (or more) of TV to tell stories we’ve already heard in the most overwrought terms possible.

The series, which premieres today, misfires on just about every front. This show about grief seems to itself be in the throes of a panic attack.

Two weeks after its announcement, the HomePod 2 is officially on sale and hitting retail stores in the US, Canada, Australia, and other markets. Customers around the world are also receiving their HomePod 2 pre-orders.

Apple started accepting HomePod 2 pre-orders soon after its announcement. If you placed your order early, your unit should also show up today.

The next AiPods Max refresh, low-cost AirPods, and the HomePod mini 2 could enter into mass production in H2 2024. These products could go on sale between the end of 2024 and the first half of 2025.

Apple is unlikely to announce new audio products for the remainder of 2023 or H1 2024.

We teamed up with SwitchEasy for this week’s giveaway, which will see three lucky winners receiving an Orbit Universal Magnetic Stand.

The multifunctional stand works with any MagSafe-compatible iPhone. And it lets you mount that iPhone practically anywhere, from your desk to your car’s dash (thanks to the 3M sticker on the back).

Enter to win below!

Although Apple’s December 2022 quarter was something of a disappointment, thanks to declines in revenue and profits, company executives accentuated the positives whenever possible during an earnings call with investors on Thursday.

Here are some upbeat developments coming out of Apple’s Q1 2023 financial results, including a significant milestone in active users and a big jump in iPad revenue.

Apple’s installed base now exceeds 2 billion active devices, CEO Tim Cook said during Thursday’s earnings call. Although revenue in Apple’s first quarter fell $6.7 billion short of last year’s, the continued growth helped the company achieve what Cook called “a truly incredible milestone.”

Nearly a quarter of what we throw away is food waste, much of which goes to landfills. While there are many ways to make use of waste, the Reencle Prime composter can cut down your carbon footprint by turning your kitchen scraps into plant food.

Apple’s financial results from the December 2022 quarter include revenue and earnings per share that declined compared to the same period of the previous year. The figures did not live up to analysts’ expectations, which is dropping the share price.

Still, CEO Tim Cook stayed positive: “As we all continue to navigate a challenging environment, we are proud to have our best lineup of products and services ever, and as always, we remain focused on the long term and are leading with our values in everything we do.”