There’s a good chance you’ve got someone who loves music on your holiday shopping list, so here’s a pro tip: Stop trying to figure out what bands they like. Instead, it’s a much safer bet to get them a great set of wireless earbuds, such as the Flux 7 TWS, which are on sale for $19.99 (80% off) during our extended Cyber Monday sale.

Yes, we know that Cyber Monday has come and gone. But we extended our sale by offering price drops on a curated list of tech, apps, gift cards and more, all of which make great gifts for the holidays. These affordable, innovative earbuds are one such deal, but you can only get them at this price until November 30.

Emancipation has a problem: the upcoming Apple TV+ docudrama stars Will Smith who was at the center of one of the year’s biggest Hollywood scandals, “The Slap.”

In an interview on The Daily Show, Smith said he regrets that his action at the 2022 Oscar ceremony is distracting from the work that others put into the film, especially director Antoine Fuqua.

Which AirPods should you buy as gifts for family and friends this holiday season (or just for your greedy self)? It all comes down to which features you want and how much you want to spend.

Earbuds are a tough gift item because how they sound and how they fit is super-subjective. Everybody’s different.

But our guide will help you decide among the four Apple AirPods models on sale in December 2022: AirPods (2nd gen), AirPods (3rd gen), AirPods Pro (2nd gen) and AirPods Max.

SpongeBob discovered a new card game and now he wants to share it with everyone in Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob SolitairePants is played on a three-by-three array of cards, and it’s the latest addition to the Apple Arcade gaming service.

The game is now available for a range of Apple devices.

If you’re looking for affordable cloud storage but missed Cyber Monday’s deals, you’re in luck. We’re extending our Cyber Monday sale to November 30, so you can still score price-drops on a curated list of tech, apps, gift cards and more.

That includes a lifetime Prism Drive plan, which starts at $39.99. That’s the best price on the web, and no coupon is necessary.

Apple crowned 16 apps and games as winners of its 2022 App Store Awards for “making a profound cultural impact.” The App Store’s editorial team honored apps and games on five platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

This time around, the company also selected five “Cultural Impact winners that have made a lasting impact on people’s lives and influenced culture,” Apple said in a press release Tuesday.

Apple’s 2023 iPhone 15 Pro lineup will reportedly use Sony’s new image sensor with some significant improvements. The next-gen sensor can seemingly capture more light and reduce overexposure and underexposure in challenging situations.

Sony is the primary camera sensor supplier for Apple. The change could allow the 2023 iPhones to deliver a massive leap in image quality.

Elon Musk declared war on Apple on Monday afternoon. A Twitter war, anyway. The new owner of Twitter very publicly objects to the 30% fee the iPhone-maker claims from purchases made through the iPhone software store, and also says Apple has threatened to pull the Twitter app from the App Store. He also asked, “Do they [Apple] hate free speech in America?”

An open conflict with Apple is a risky move by Musk, as Twitter needs Apple much more than Apple needs Twitter.

The Apple Watch remains a wish-list favorite this holiday season. But if you’re looking to pick one up for yourself or a loved one, don’t forget to pair it with some great Apple Watch accessories.

One such example is this portable Apple Watch-compatible USB-C charger. And it’s available for $14.99 (regularly $29) during our Cyber Monday sale, running through November 30.

A second round of ‘Rapid Security Response’ bug patches for the iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 betas were seeded to developers and other beta testers on Monday. At this point, Apple is testing the system for distributing these by releasing them for beta versions of the operating systems.

Once testing is over, these will allow Apple to fix security problems without releasing a full OS update.

Considering the current economic climate, who couldn’t use some extra relief with grocery shopping? Many shoppers have turned to Sam’s Club in search of value, and for a limited time, we’re offering a full year of access at a fraction of the cost. During our Cyber Monday sale, one-year membership will remain at $19.99 (regularly $50).

Protests at a Foxconn plant in China where the two iPhone 14 Pro models are assembled will allegedly cut deeply into the supply of these handsets. Millions of units that would have been produced in 2022 without the protests supposedly now will not be.

Workers clashed with police during recent COVID-19 lockdowns at the plant, known as “iPhone City” due to its strategic importance to Apple.

Apple made a splash Monday in the world of scuba diving, noting that divers can now add the Oceanic+ Dive Computer App to their Apple Watch Ultra and use a companion app for iPhone.

Designed by Huish Outdoors in collaboration with Apple, Oceanic+ takes advantage of Apple Watch Ultra’s depth gauge and water temperature sensors to provide divers crucial information on forays up to 130 feet beneath the surface.

Sometimes, whether you’re out and about or sitting at the office, you find you have a device or two in desperate need of a charge. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a charger you could take with you pretty much anywhere?

Enter the Momax Wireless Portable Charger with 10,000mAh battery. The sleek and portable power bank gives you multiple charging options on the go, which can be a lifesaver when your smartphone and other gadgets are tapped out. And Cult of Mac readers can get 15% off the charger’s regular price this week. See details below.

Getting great new gear for your computer setup has more than just the obvious benefit of awesomeness. Sometimes it’s the perfect reason to improve your setup in ways most people put off, like the dreaded cleaning up of cable clutter.

That’s what happened with today’s featured dual-display-and-M1 Max MacBook Pro setup. The user finally got his new Studio Display, and good things followed in the terms of taming the cable monster.

Elon Musk says he’ll release a phone that competes with iPhone and Android if he has to. The owner of Twitter might be forced to make a handset if Apple and Google ban the social network from their software stores.

Such a ban is possible, as both companies have policies that block apps that spread hate speech or calls for violence.

Whether you design for a living or have a DIY project on the horizon, perfect color matching can take a serious amount of guesswork and a lot of trial and error. The Nix Mini Color Sensor V2 can change that, instantly matching any color for any number of creative uses. Usually $99, you can purchase it for just $50 during our Cyber Monday sale — no coupon necessary. You’ll have to be quick, as this epic Cyber Monday price drop will only run from November 28 to 30.

If you want to learn how to invest while minimizing risk, try Tykr, which is rated 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

Black Friday went off with a bang in the Cult of Mac Store, with major discounts on excellent brands selling the best Apple accessories anywhere. Don’t miss out on the exclusive deals — many discounts end Monday!

We’re offering big discounts on awesome accessories for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and more. Enjoy 30% off everything from Rilee & Lo, and 20% off products from Nine Twenty Eight Co and BluShark.

Packing your remote workspace with bulky office equipment is one way to ensure you have all the tools you need, but it’s not exactly practical. Replace that clunky scanner with one that can fit in your pocket. iScanner can create high-quality digital scans of documents, ID cards and books using just your iPhone, but that’s not all it can do.

Airfare prices are rising at an extraordinary rate, making it challenging for many of us to pull the trigger on dream vacations. With holiday travel planning placing more pressure on airlines, now’s the perfect time for some financial relief. That’s what you’ll find, along with increased travel flexibility, with Dollar Flight Club at just $49.99 for two days, ending this Sunday, November 27. Subscriptions will likely run out of stock before then, so get one while you still can!

Black Friday 2022 is now one for the record books, but you can still take advantage of hefty discounts on Apple products.

So, if you have been looking to buy a Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods or other Apple products for a while, take advantage of the best Black Friday deals on Apple gear right now. Just bear in mind that these deals can be slippery as an eel. If you see one you like, jump on it ASAP, because there’s no guarantee it will last.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest iPhone 15 rumors make it sound like we’re getting some major changes on the design front. And, while the switch from Lightning to USB-C sounds like a winner, Apple might pull one of its irritating tricks by making a handy feature exclusive to the iPhone Pro models next year.

Also on The CultCast:

• Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals on your favorite Apple gear.
• COVID-19 chaos in the Chinese factory complex known as “iPhone City” points to further supply-chain disruptions for Cupertino.
• Find My miracles!
• Mondo’s Severance collectibles look like a really cool way to dig deeper into the most creative show on Apple TV+.

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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This is absolutely your last chance to get forgetful Eron’s ridiculous CultCloth deal! These are the only cleaning cloths you need!

The 2 Million Dollar Puzzle isn’t an easy puzzle, but the real appeal here is that you could win a cool million dollars just for completing it. And if that’s not enough incentive, this potentially life-changing puzzle is now on sale starting November 26 for just $19.99 — no coupon necessary. That’s the lowest price it’s ever been, but this Black Friday weekend doorbuster is only available for the next two days.

While some aspects of privacy protection rely on us, others can step in and protect us from threats we may not see otherwise. This Black Friday only, you can get a second layer of protection with three years of Windscribe, available for $55.20 (regularly $207) when using code WINDSCRIBE at checkout. That’s the lowest price it’s been offered all year!