★★★★☆
Victrola Music Edition 1 is ready to go into a backpack to liven up a study session or even a small get together. Or just use it in your home for better quality music or podcasts than an iPhone alone can provide. And it’s ready to be used indoors or out.
I tested the portable Bluetooth speaker in my house and at a gathering of friends. Here’s why I like it.
The giveaway this week is slightly different, as we teamed up with Zagg to give five lucky winners the opportunity to choose their own prize from the extensive lineup of mophie products.
If you’re one of the randomly selected winners, you’ll get to select whatever you like from mophie’s many popular products, including wireless chargers, power banks and more. Read on to see some highlights from the mophie catalog — and to get your name in the hat for this roll-your-own giveaway.
What’s better than plugging in one device at a time for charging with a wall adapter? Why, charging two devices at the same time without having to plug them in at all, of course. You can do that with the handsome Momax 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand.
And right now, Cult of Mac readers can get a big discount of 20% off the stand, on top of another 15% off coupon, greatly reducing the regular price. That’s a great deal on a holiday gift or a present for yourself. See details below.
In a brief new trailer Apple TV+ dropped Thursday for an upcoming documentary, moist-eyed tennis legend Boris Becker more or less admits to the camera that his life might be as good as over. His sentencing took place just days later. He went to prison for hiding assets to avoid paying debts.
“It’s Wednesday afternoon,” Becker said in the interview. “Friday I will know the rest of my life.”
The interview footage, which you can watch at the link below, comes from an as-yet untitled, two-part film about Becker’s life made by two Oscar-winners — director Alex Gibney and producer John Battsek.
Travel is stressful enough without worrying about where you’re staying. It doesn’t happen often, but people find hidden cameras in hotels and Airbnbs often enough that it’s a valid concern.
If you’re worried about being watched, take a Scout Hidden Camera Detector on your next trip. This handy gadget can help you hunt down hidden cameras. And you can get one or two Scouts for an extra 20% off until December 15 if you use coupon code WINTER20.
Plus, the coupon applies to any deal in our Winter Savings collection!
A 15.5-inch MacBook Air is on Apple’s agenda for the first half of 2023, according to a reliable source.
This would be the first time the traditionally thin and light line of notebooks has expanded past the current 13.3-inch screen.
WhatsApp is finally catching up to FaceTime and adding support for video calls with up to 32 participants. You can also mute or message an individual on a group call.
Up until now, you could use WhatsApp for group voice calls with 32 people. Video calls were limited to 8 people.
And support for Picture-in-Picture is in testing.
Want to learn to code in 2023? On average, roles that require coding can pay $22,000 more than jobs that don’t, so learning a language or two can set you apart from the crowd. Plus, expert-led online learning courses that you can tackle at your own pace make studying convenient, especially if you have a busy schedule. And we’re offering a 14-part bundle with 244 hours of coding training for just $24.99.
Apple already began beta tests for the next versions of iOS, macOS, iPadOS and watchOS. These were seeded to developers on Wednesday, just a day after the public release of their predecessors.
Even with the holidays coming up, Apple continues working on its operating systems.
Apple’s M2-powered 2022 MacBook Air is down to its lowest-ever price of $999. That’s a massive discount of $200 from its retail price.
If you place your order today, you can get the MacBook Air before Christmas.
If you’re the proud owner of a car, you’re already dealing with maintenance, parking and other hassles. But you’ve got one less thing to worry about if you take advantage of the Cult of Mac Store’s SwitchEasy Flash Sale and pick up one of its handy car mounts for iPhone at 20% off the regular price.
They make it easy to see, access and charge your iPhone while you’re behind the wheel. And through December 21 you can get about $6 off your choice of the three of them with different mounting mechanisms. See below.
A computer setup run by a doctoral degree candidate had better be damned smart, and today’s featured setup doesn’t disappoint. It’s got a powerful M1 MacBook Pro, a recent (but not the latest) iPad Air, a very slick 4K display and a trio of whipsmart input devices boasting plenty of customization options.
And it’s got all that and pretty clever cable management, too. But does the future Ph.D.’s rig smoke a pipe and pretentiously hold forth on esoteric topics? No, it’s actually somewhat modest (down to the nice but not top-shelf headphones).
A new documentary series is coming to Apple TV+ January 13 — Super League: The War for Football. Its trailer, dropped Wednesday, makes it look like a spy thriller filled with betrayals is currently unfolding in the world of international soccer.
And it’s good timing on the streaming service’s part, promoting it during the world’s most-popular sport’s biggest event, the World Cup.
Job hunting may not be fun, but neither is living paycheck to paycheck. With prices on everything from gas to groceries higher than a year ago, it might be time to look for a better-paying job. And you can make your job search easier with LazyApply.
This time-saving app could help you apply to up to 150 jobs every day. Take advantage of this deal, and a bunch of other Winter Savings, by using coupon code WINTER20 until 11:59 p.m. PST on December 15.
Alongside iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1, Apple also dropped watchOS 9.2 for all compatible Apple Watch models. Besides packing several new features, the update improves the Apple Watch Ultra’s battery life.
Interestingly, Apple does not mention this improvement in the watchOS 9.2’s release notes.
The best Apple accessories are the ones you didn’t know you needed but that can make life 10 times easier. The perfect example is this 4-in-1 Smart Flash Drive, which provides valuable external memory for your iPad, iPhone or even Android and Windows devices.
Right now, you can pick up one of these four-headed flash drives — which packs Lightning, USB-C, USB-A and micro USB connections — for $22.99 or 23% off.
Apple has launched a major project to allow alternative app stores on iPhones and iPads by 2024. The effort is meant to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which comes fully into force then, and other possible national or regional laws that will make Apple allow sideloading of apps, according to new report Tuesday.
The end result should see Apple allowing people to download third-party software to iPhones and iPads from somewhere other than the App Store for the first time.
macOS Ventura 13.1 launched Tuesday, giving Mac users access to Freeform, a collaborative brainstorming application that’s also for iPhone and iPad.
In addition, the new macOS version ushers in important new iCloud encryption options, including the ability to encrypt images on Apple’s cloud-storage service.
iPadOS 16.2 just launched, and for many users of top-tier iPads, the standout feature is full external display support. This makes Apple tablets far better at multitasking than ever before.
There are other improvements in iPadOS 16.2 as well, including the Freeform collaboration app.
iOS 16.2, which Apple released Tuesday, brings many new features that make it a must-have update for all iPhone owners. From security advancements and productivity boosters to cosmetic tweaks and other fun stuff, it’s positively loaded with upgrades.
Here are the top new iOS 16.2 features you should try right now. (Note: Many of these features also appear in iPadOS 16.2, which Apple also released today.)
★★★☆☆
Daily practicality is often at odd ends with whimsy. A Nissan Pao will not carry your lumber back from Home Depot. A big, wacky phone case will not fit in your pocket or purse. No matter how much I desperately want one, I know that a plastic trumpet will sound terrible (even if it’s in gorgeous white). But you can have both practicality and whimsy with Nyloon’s Stark Apple Watch band.
Each one of these ballistic-grade nylon bands comes with a unique black-and-white pattern (with seemingly random splashes of red). And they feel soft enough for comfort, but rugged enough to take some abuse.
Need ideas for practical stocking stuffers that friends and family will actually use? The SwitchEasy Flash Sale in the Cult of Mac Store is on through 11:59 p.m. PST on December 13.
You can pick any of three compact wall chargers with USB-C and USB-A ports. There’s a potent 30W version, another 30W with cable storage and a tiny 20W version. Check them out.
It’s no longer possible to order a new top-tier iPhone from Apple and have it delivered this year. The iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max are both backordered until early January 2023.
The delay is the result of strong demand for these handsets coupled with production problems in China.
Don’t spend more money than you need to on a charging essential for an Apple Watch. For a limited time, you can pick up a wireless charger keychain compatible with all Apple Watches for less than $20.
These make great stocking stuffers for any Apple Watch owner — and you can pick up two-packs and four-packs to save even more!
Apple is expanding iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature to more countries. The feature is now available to iPhone 14 owners in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Ireland starting today.
Emergency SOS was only available in the United States and Canada so far. Apple previously confirmed the feature would expand to more countries in December.