Cult of Mac

Anyone who recently nabbed a fancy new iPhone 14 faces the question: Do I trust the device’s built-in durability, or do I put it in a case? Your iPhone may be tough, but is it tough enough to withstand you dropping it all over the place? Most people still elect to use cases because they can add both style and protection at a low cost.

A great option for stylish handset protection in the Cult of Mac Store is the Laut Shield case, new for the iPhone 14 lineup. Its dual-layer design is highly protective and it comes in six interesting colors.

Apple’s older but still powerful M1 MacBook Air is discounted by a whopping $200 for Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale. The laptop carries an MSRP of $999, but you can save $200 and get it for $799 after the discount.

This is among the lowest prices Apple’s M1 MacBook Air has dropped to in recent months. Despite its age, the machine promises all-day battery life and has enough power for everyday use.

The Kensington SD5780T is a desktop dock that connects to a Mac over Thunderbolt 4 at up to 40 Gbps. And it includes almost a dozen ports of various types to enable to everything from a mouse to a high-speed external drive.

The dock can also fast charge a MacBook.

Apple ups its smartwatch game every year, and the company certainly does a great job at making us feel like we need one. But if you’re not sure if an Apple Watch is right for you, you might want to consider a cheaper alternative before dropping an exorbitant sum.

If you want to dip your toes into wearables on a budget, the ChronoWatch C-Max Call Time offers useful smartwatch features at a fair price. Rated five stars in our store, it costs just $39.99 (regularly $159) through October 12 as part of our Deal Days.

During the sales event — which is our answer to Prime Day — you can visit our promotional collection to find additional discounts on gear, apps and courses, some of which you won’t find on Amazon!

Email doesn’t often get new features. Sending an email still works basically the same as it has since the ’90s. But these days, people want modern features — like scheduling emails or undo send. In iOS 16, Apple brings a bunch of new features to the stock Mail app for the first time.

You can quickly take back an email if you forget to include an attachment, or schedule an important email way in advance. You also can get smart reminders to read email later, or alerts to send a follow-up. If you catch a typo right after sending an email, or if you want to send an invoice on a specific day and time, both features will soon be available.

Read on to see how it all works.

Apple’s modern keyboards are perfectly adequate but pretty unremarkable. They are anything but fun. But thanks to the wide selection of modern USB adapters from TinkerBOY, you can liven up your setup with long-lost keyboards and mice of yore.

You can use the legendary Apple Extended Keyboard II, with its unique key switches that make typing an almost ecstatic experience. You can get an adapter for the original Macintosh Mouse, for clicking and dragging like it’s 1984.

I get a fair share of products for review at Cult of Mac but none had me excitedly checking the mailbox every day like these. Read on for my experience using TinkerBOY’s keyboard and mouse adapters with a modern Mac.

After months of beta testing, Apple could finally release iPadOS 16.1 in the last week of October. The company delayed iPadOS 16’s launch from its usual September release timeline due to bugs and issues with Stage Manager.

This is the first time Apple did not drop a significant iPadOS build alongside a new iOS release. Historically, major updates to both OSes have launched around the same time.

From smart technology to easy meal solutions, we’re creatures of comfort. And there’s no reason not to pursue more of it in your daily life. Help yourself to more great stuff at great prices with a Sam’s Club membership.

For a limited time, you can purchase a full year’s membership to the popular warehouse club for only $24.99 (regularly $55), potentially enabling you to find everything you need to stock up your home in a single location. This major discount is part of our Deal Days sale, which features discounts on popular items such as gadgets, e-learning courses, apps and more.

At first glance, Selena Gomez is a fabulously successful actress and singer. But she has had her share of troubles, including medical and mental health problems.

Upcoming Apple TV+ documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me looks at her struggles to overcome these challenges. And the first trailer, released Monday by Apple, gives us a sense of what to expect.

Apple released iOS 16.0.3 and watchOS 9.0.2 on Monday to remove a range of small bugs. Many of these affect the new iPhone 14 series and Apple Watch models.

Both updates are recommended for those with Apple’s latest handsets and wearables, as well as who’ve already installed iOS 16 and watchOS 9.

The Apple Watch Series 8 is already available with a sweet $50 discount on Amazon. Take advantage of the offer, and you can get Apple’s latest smartwatch for as low as $349.

Apple products are rarely discounted within a month of their release. And this is the first time the Apple Watch Series 8 is seeing a discount after its launch.

Shipments of MacBooks, iMacs and other Macs during the third quarter of 2022 grew 40.2% year-over-year.

Windows PC makers shipments all dropped in the same time period, so Apple’s share of global market for traditional computers increased substantially.

Life presents us with all sorts of colors that dazzle the eye and inspire the imagination. If you’ve got your eye out for one color in particular, matching it can prove quite challenging. But there’s no need to resort to shuffling through paint store color samples. With the Nix Mini 2, you can identify any color you spot in the real world.

This accurate color scanner is currently just $59 (regularly $99). The Nix Mini 2 is discounted thanks to our Deal Days event, which ends October 12. During this sale, you can visit our Deal Days collection to find more price drops on everything from apps to gadgets — and most don’t even require a coupon!

Learning a new language is one of the greatest things you can do for your relationships, your career and even your cognitive abilities. One great way to explore these languages is with Rosetta Stone’s award-winning software.

Right now, you can get lifetime access to this language learning software, and even more online courses, for just $199.99. You won’t find this deal anywhere else online.

Not only is the mega e-learning bundle on sale during Deal Days — our version of Prime Day — but you can boost your savings further with an extra 20% off when you enter the code LEARN10NOW at checkout. That drives the price down to just $159.20.

People are reportedly getting off roller coasters and discovering that their new iPhone 14 called 911 for them. Turns out the handsets mistook thrilling rides for a car wreck and thought their users needed emergency help. It’s an unintended result of Crash Detection, a feature added to Apple’s latest handsets.

Fortunately, there are a couple of options to use as a workaround until Apple has a better solution.

The iPhone 14 Plus combines two popular phone features: larger screens and lower prices. With a 6.7-inch screen, it offers Apple’s largest display but for a lot less money than any previous model this size.

I replaced my iPhone 13 with the larger Plus. The large screen and lengthy battery life make me happy with the change, and they’re why I recommend others choose a larger iPhone, too.

With these heavy-duty braided USB-C to Lightning cables by Vibrance, you can say goodbye to fraying and fussing. And they’re on sale now, in a variety of colors beyond plain ol’ vanilla white, for just $34.99 (regularly $39).

These Vibrance Connect cables are discounted as part of our Deal Days event. It’s our version of Amazon’s Prime Day, where you can find incredible deals on popular products such as apps, subscriptions and gadgets. You’ll have to move quickly to grab this deal, though. The promotion only runs through October 12.

Part of the value of an iPhone is all the accessories you can tap into, even when you’re miles away from them. The Bosma Aegis, for instance, lets you turn your door lock into a smart lock that you can open with your iPhone.

It’s on sale for $89.99 (regularly $119) during our Deal Days event, running through October 12. During this sale, you’ll find a ton of discounted gadgets, e-learning courses, home goods and more. You can shop them all right now in our Deal Days collection.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Erfon returns from his Florida vacation just in time to rave about the Apple Watch Ultra and share some tips on how to use the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island.

Also on The CultCast:

• Remembering Steve Jobs, who died 11 years ago this week.
• The iPhone’s switch from Lightning to USB-C is coming sooner rather than later.
• Are iPhone cameras really good enough to replace DSLRs?
• Vacation talk, including how Erfon barely avoided a nasty Hurricane Ian surprise.

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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If your laptop or tablet doesn’t have the ports you need, a multi-port USB-C hub can put an end to your connectivity problems. And if you’re looking for one at a reasonable price, this model by Tech Zebra is just $49.99 (regularly $70) during our Deal Days sale.

This limited-time discount is part of our Deal Days event, our answer to Prime Day, and it’s your chance to find incredible bargains on gadgets, apps and subscriptions. You can explore the full collection right here, but you’ll have to hurry. This sale only runs through October 12.

Want to perfect your swing from home, or know a golfer who would love to? The SLX MicroSim is a compact golf simulator that lets you practice anywhere, so you won’t need to make a trip to the fairway. Usually $179, you can purchase this simulator for $129.99, a price you won’t find on Amazon.

You can claim this exclusive, best-of-web price thanks to our Deal Days sale, which is our answer to Prime Day. During this event, you can find the SLX MicroSim and other aggressively discounted gadgets, apps and subscriptions. Check out the rest of these deals in our promotional collection through October 12.

The sky is falling this week on See, Apple TV+’s fantasy epic about a world with no sight. In the penultimate episode of the series, Baba Voss and Maghra have precious few resources left at hand to defend themselves from Sibeth Kane and Tormada’s explosives.

Harlan has one last gift to give Maghra. And Tormada learns what governing next to Sibeth really looks like. Plus, we get flashbacks to Baba and Maghra’s courtship. All in all, it’s a pretty good episode of a very silly show.

Apple TV+ unveiled the first trailer Friday for its upcoming drama Causeway, starring and produced by Oscar-winning actor Jennifer Lawrence. In the film, she portrays a wounded soldier struggling to adjust to life upon returning home to New Orleans.

Causeway premieres in theaters and on Apple TV+ on November 4.

Ultrahuman, which runs an advanced metabolic fitness platform of the same name, introduced its new Ultrahuman Ring Friday. The metabolism-tracking wearable is available via a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.

The company said it “seeks to engage the creator community and innovate with biohackers all around the world.” The campaign runs through October 27.