★☆☆☆☆
Apple TV+ comedy Acapulco, about an old millionaire reminiscing about his early life as a wage slave at a popular resort in the ’80s, takes two trips down memory lane this week. Diane relives her glory days before Las Colinas, while Maximo remembers a moral dilemma that cost him and rewarded him in equal measure.
There’s a party at the resort, and all the ghosts of Diane’s past are invited in an unfortunately middling episode.
Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro is getting a massive $499 discount on Amazon ahead of Black Friday. The attractive discount drops the entry-level 16-inch MacBook Pro price to $1,999.99—$499 cheaper than its MSRP.
You can also grab the 1TB storage configuration for $400 off.
A new external display for your computer setup is usually a joy to behold. It is, after all, what you look at most. And you probably just replaced your old one with a bigger, brighter and more beautiful new one. But sometimes buyer’s remorse creeps in. Is it actually the best screen for your needs that you can afford?
Today’s featured setup comes from a software coder who has started to have doubts about a substantial recent monitor purchase. Will he succumb to them? He’s keeping his eye on the return deadline and asking for advice.
Black Friday sales have become synonymous with savings on holiday shopping. And this extends to Microsoft software when you visit the Black Friday Sale at software activation keys provider CdkeySales.com.
As a Cult of Mac reader, you can click on the links below and get a great deal on Windows 10 that gets you a free upgrade to Windows 11. And you can dig up big savings on plenty of other Microsoft software, too.
To get the most savings, enter promo code CULT at CdkeySales.com. That will take an extra 35% off the site’s already-low prices on keys for Windows 10 Pro Global, Microsoft Office 2021 Pro and more.
★★★★☆
Interrupting Chicken, the new Apple TV+ children’s show about a family of chickens who get lost in the power of books and storytelling, is a winning combination of beautiful animation, good voice acting, and charming and warm-hearted stories.
Based on the Caldecott Medal-winning book series of the same name, written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein, it’s another solid entry in Apple’s growing catalog of kids shows.
☆☆☆☆☆
Spirited, the Apple TV+ musical comedy remake of A Christmas Carol, is a depressingly literal, overly sarcastic and nightmarishly unfunny look at the lives of the people who work from beyond the grave to make Christmas cheer.
In the film, which hits the streaming service today, Will Ferrell plays a spirit who’s lost his mojo when he meets a man who’s more persuasive than he is. The laughs never start and the songs never stop in this gaudy waste of money and talent.
Around 1.4 billion people use Microsoft Office daily to create and share documents, crunch numbers and more. Mac owners don’t need to miss out on the Office party — or even pay a lot for the popular software suite.
For a limited time, you can pick up a pair of lifetime licenses to Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021 for only $59.99 (regularly $698).
Accessories maker Laut just released a dozen new iPhone 14 cases, screen protectors and camera lens shields in the Cult of Mac Store. They cover a range of styles and applications. We highlight some below.
And Laut is just part of the picture. You can see the company’s new entries and other new iPhone 14 cases in the rapidly growing field of choices.
The famed Mayo Clinic showed us a new way artificial intelligence (AI) and Apple Watch can help save patients’ lives, according to a new study.
Instead of relying only on expensive tests conducted in clinical settings, doctors may be able to turn to AI and Apple Watch electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings to help determine which patients have previously undetected heart pump problems that could lead to heart failure.
You’ve heard the outcry before — the robots are coming to take our jobs! But as it turns out, the joke is mainly on the robots. Most of us would be more than happy to give up some, or even all, of our responsibilities and let a dedicated computer brain pick up the slack for a while instead.
Fortunately for humanity, that’s become increasingly common, with robots doing those jobs amazingly well. For example, Narwal Robotics has been on the cutting edge of robot mop and vacuum technology for a while following the release of its well-received vacuum bot from last year, the Narwal T10. Now, the company has unveiled the next step in its bot-cleaning revolution with the brand-new Narwal Freo.
These days, many people find themselves completely immersed in online video, which often proves more engaging and easier to digest than other forms of media.
But that also brings unexpected problems. Sometimes a video recorded on iPhone won’t upload to a desktop video editor. Or YouTube won’t let you upload your favorite family vlogs. Or you can’t watch videos you downloaded online on your TV.
Luckily, Digiarty Software’s VideoProc Converter can solve all those problems and more, on either Mac or PC.
All those incomplete app downloads and files you never open aren’t doing your Mac’s local storage any favors. Declutter your digital space with CleanMyMac X, a Mac optimization tool that works like a digital detailing service.
We’re releasing early Black Friday price drops on popular gadgets and apps all month, and CleanMyMac X is high on the list. You can get a one-year CleanMyMac X subscription for just $24.99 — the best price on the web.
In the 40-odd years that the Mac has been on the market, very few people have actually used all of Apple’s keyboards. I haven’t either, but I’ve come close. Here is my review of every Apple keyboard I’ve got my hands on — ranked from worst to best.
Apple will bundle gift cards of up to $250 with the purchase of certain products during its special shopping event for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The deals on eligible Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and AirPods will stay live for four days, starting on Friday, November 25.
2023 iPhone 15 Pro models could feature faster data-transfer speeds over a wired connection. Rumors indicate Apple will transition to USB Type-C connectors across its entire iPhone lineup next year. But the faster data-transfer speeds could be limited to the Pro models.
Current iPhone models only support USB 2.0 transfer speeds over Lightning.
Working from home may statistically make you more productive, but cobbling together a home office can take up a lot of space. If you want to improve your online conference lighting, keep your mobile devices charged and position your phone so it can serve as a second screen, consider the Edge Full Kit.
This modular work-from-home setup is available for just $64.99 (regularly $74).
Røde’s new NT-USB+ microphone brings exciting new features to the company’s well-reviewed NT-USB from 2014.
Like its predecessor, the NT-USB+ is an all-in-one microphone for streaming, capturing vocals, playing instruments and recording podcasts. The refreshed version adds higher bit depth, a built-in low noise/high gain preamp and a high-powered headphone jack to the classic model. Plus, it connects over USB-C at both ends.
Case-Mate introduced a bit of a blast from the past Wednesday with its new 30-watt Fuel Brites USB-C Wall Chargers. The compact, potent GaN adapters are see-through and come in four cheery colors that bring to mind the iMac G3.
Apple TV+ and the top pro soccer league in the United States, Major League Soccer (MLS), said Wednesday the MLS Season Pass subscription service showing all matches with no blackouts launches February 1, 2023.
The launch, which includes features on multiple Apple services, kicks off a 10-year partnership between Apple and MLS.
Looking to buy an Apple Watch Series 8 for your loved one this holiday season? Amazon has discounted the smartwatch by $50, bringing its price down to as low as $349.
The $50 off is available on the watch’s GPS and cellular variants. And if you place your order now, Amazon will deliver the wearable a week before Thanksgiving.
Emancipation starring Will Smith portrays one man’s fight through unthinkable terrors to reunite with his family. It is based on the real-life story of Peter, whose saga of escaping slavery made headlines around the world in 1863.
A trailer for the upcoming Apple TV+ film premiered Wednesday revealing top-quality acting and cinematography.
If you want to be an artist, you need to know how to get your work in front of the right audience. For many artists, that starts with a .art web domain, offering instant identity and credibility to any creative individual looking to showcase their work.
Accessories maker Meross now allows you to order one of the first smart plugs designed for the new Matter smart home wireless networking standard.
And not only that. The plug, which the company said will ship on December 31, appears to be one of the first smart gadgets to sport the Matter logo.
And right now you can get it for 30% off in a launch discount.
Powerful MacBook Pro — check. Extremely capable USB dock — check. Dazzling displays properly mounted in different orientations — check. Two of the best input devices you can buy — check.
Today’s featured computer setup seems to have it all without going overboard, and it all rests easily on a solid standing desk from New Zealand.
And the user even recommends deals on truly stellar noise-canceling headphones. Read on for more and don’t miss the gear list at the bottom of the page.
★★★★☆
There’s something especially convenient about having a multi-device charging station on your nightstand. Or you could place at the edge of your desk or on a table by the front door. It’s a place you can charge your iPhone, AirPods charging case and Apple Watch all at once if need be.
Ugreen sent me its version to test out, the 3-in-1 MagSafe Wireless Charging Station. It’s a good charger for most people — especially because it’s MFi-certified for MagSafe. That means you get a full 15 watts for MagSafe iPhones and 5W apiece for an AirPods charging case and Apple Watch.
But the device isn’t without minor drawbacks.