The twilight of games as physical media is truly upon us. Apologies to those who like the smooth feel of those fragile little discs, but this is a good thing. You may be paying a little more for your console’s subscription plan, but in return, you get access to perks that include a virtual warehouse worth of games.
With a two-month subscription to Xbox’s Game Pass Ultimate, you can access hundreds of games (including some true classics) for just $8.99.
The Samsung T7 Shield rugged SSD launched in 2022 with a maximum of 2TB of capacity and is now available with twice that.
T7 Shield is a a credit-card size external SSD intended for outdoor content creators or travelers. It works with Mac and iPad plus a wide variety of devices.
★★★★☆
Adonit Star is the stylus for iPad users who love antiques; it’s designed to look like a fountain pen, not the usual plastic pencil. Despite the traditional design, it’s a fully functional stylus that’s ready for handwritten notes or sketching out ideas.
I used it with my iPad Pro, and it works as good as it looks. Even better, it is surprisingly affordable.
Creative’s new Sound Blaster X5, a USB sound card, digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and headphone amplifier, promises to jack up your Mac’s audio quality.
It’s not cheap at $280. But the device launched Tuesday might make big difference in the sound flowing from speakers and headphones alike.
iPhone 16 Pro buyers reportedly won’t get the “periscope” camera previous rumors suggested. A camera with the new type of high-end lens will be restricted to only the iPhone 16 Pro Max, according to a reliable source of Apple info.
The new hardware actually will arrive with the iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2023. But it supposedly won’t come to the regular-size iPhone Pro in 2024, despite what earlier reports indicated.
The pop-up lens should bring a noticeable jump in image quality while also shrinking the thickness of the iPhone’s notoriously large camera hump.
Looking to buy Apple’s 32-inch Pro Display XDR? Amazon is taking a whopping $300 off the stunning display, reducing the hole the purchase would otherwise make in your wallet.
With an MRP of $4,999, the Pro Display XDR is an expensive piece of tech. But you can take advantage of the deal on Amazon to get the display for $4,699.99.
You’re probably familiar with SIM cards, the little microchip cards that you can slide into your cellular device via a tiny tray on the side. But do you know that virtual SIM card technology — eSIM — has evolved to replace the clumsy SIM card? eSIM makes changing up your data plan for travel and other needs easier than ever before.
The first reviews of the updated HomePod say the new smart speaker sounds excellent but doesn’t break much new ground.
Compared to Apple’s original smart speaker, the second-generation HomePod is more of an asset in a smart home than before. However, the device’s limitations on playing music from third-party sources mean that the home in question better be an Apple household.
The Plugable USB-C Stand Dock goes beyond just holding up an iPad so the display can be seen — it’s also an 8-port hub with HDMI, two USB-A ports and many more.
The design reduces clutter on the user’s desk. And the stand/hub is also portable.
If you’ve had a wake-up call at the dentist lately, you’ve got two options. You can either keep brushing the same way and wait for those cavity pains, or start brushing like a grown-up. One great way to upgrade is with an electric toothbrush, but there are so many brands out there that it can make first-time users slow to commit.
If that’s the case with you, let’s start with the most compelling reason to go with the AquaSonic Black series electric toothbrush: It’s currently on sale for just $29.99.
1Password is among the best password managers for iOS, and it is about to get even better. Putting a pause on adding new features, 1Password developers have announced several improvements to the app’s fundamentals.
Last year, AgibleBits released 1Password 8 with a new home screen and additional customization options. Based on user feedback, the company is further improving some of these features.
T.S. Eliot had it right: April really is the cruelest month, especially if you’re a freelancer, small business owner or independent contractor. That April 15 tax deadline means you’re either scraping together proof for all your deductions, or paying an accountant to shave a few extra dollars off what you owe.
Being your own boss certainly has its benefits, but the time you spend jumping through IRS hoops is not one of them. Luckily, it was only a matter of time before app developers brought the power of AI to ease the problem of taxes — and FlyFin is a compelling solution that’s tailor-made for the self-employed.
It’s that time of year again. Apple Music made Replay 2023 most-streamed playlists available Monday to anyone who’s listened to enough music in January to have one.
It may be something you associate with the end of a year — Spotify Wrapped comes out only in December, for example. But Apple Music opens up access early with updates on Sundays so you can track your hit list and more continuously, plus a year-end recap.
Order the recently unveiled HomePod 2 from the online Apple store today and it might not arrive until March. Preorders for the revived version of Apple’s full-size smart speaker have surpassed the launch-day supply.
There seems to be some pent up demand for the product.
Apple’s excellent M1 iPad Air is down to its lowest price of $499.99 on Amazon after a $99 discount. This is the same price the tablet was available for during last year’s Black Friday.
You can get a similar $99 off on the 256GB and cellular variants of the M1 iPad Air.
Apple Music trotted out various ways Monday for fans to get into Rihanna ahead of her Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show in Glendale, Arizona, February 12.
These include a halftime-show press conference on February 9, her catalog in Spatial Audio on Apple Music, Apple Music Sing karaoke and Apple Music Radio commentary, the service said.
To the age-old question “Is a computer setup ever really done?” the answer is obviously “no.” There’s always something to add or something to fix, and once you do that it’s time to update something else (even if you don’t technically “need” the latest thing).
Today’s well-laid MacBook Pro setup has a nice curved monitor, but its user “craves” a Studio Display like he sees in other setups. And for that matter, how about a quieter mechanical keyboard and some plants that won’t die immediately, too.
Emergency SOS via satellite on an iPhone 14 took the “search” out of “search and rescue” for two fortunate Canadian women. They got stuck in snow on a logging road in British Columbia, Canada.
Rescuers said they thought it was the feature’s first use in BC. And the way it pinpointed the women’s location may have saved the women’s lives without the need for a time-consuming search.
The joys of flying are something many of us recall from childhood, and likely came about when we first looked down from an airplane and saw sprawling clouds, cities and oceans below. Now, even as an adult, you can relive that sense of awe from the comfort of land by exploring the skies with this diverse array of drones.
You can double the adventure with a discounted deal on the Alpha Z Pro drone bundle, which is now on sale for just $129.99.
Apple’s rumored foldable iPad could feature a carbon-fiber kickstand. While expensive, carbon fiber is durable and would help keep the device’s weight in check.
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks the foldable iPad might launch in 2024 with an all-new design.
Remember the days when you’d battle your friends on Nintendo for endless hours? While Nintendo products have progressed significantly and you may have more responsibilities as an adult, there’s no reason you can’t relive those good times you had growing up.
You can indulge your inner child with this Bluetooth controller for Nintendo Switch for only $32.99. It’s time to upgrade the way you game as a grown-up.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The first reviews and early benchmarks reveal impressive performance boosts from the new MacBook Pro and Mac mini. We’re talking the pros and cons of upgrading — including one very important “buyer beware” scenario.
Also on The CultCast:
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.
When you pick up a classic Macintosh (or a vintage computer of any kind) that hasn’t been used in a while, you need to check it out before plugging it in and turning it on. Capacitors on old motherboards fail and leak over time; you DO NOT want to run power to a computer if this has happened; you could easily fry the motherboard.
Collecting old computers is a lot of fun. You can use old versions of Mac OS in emulators online, but it’s nothing compared to the experience of setting up a heavy machine on your desk, hearing the fans and disk drives whir to life and watching a fuzzy CRT display fade in from black. If you’re new to this (rather expensive) hobby, you can also check out my earlier piece on how to get started — what to look for, what to watch out for and where to shop.
So, you are the new custodian of a classic computer. What should you do before you power it on for the first time?
Has there ever been a better time to be a kid? Superheroes rule the big screens, video games are experiencing a new golden age and even so-called “educational toys” are so advanced they’re like gear out of a mad scientist’s lab. To prove our point, meet the Toybox 3D Printer.
Yes, we know that 3D printers are nothing new. But Toybox takes a completely different angle on this popular creative tool, re-imagining it as the limitless toy factory we all knew it could be.
App Store prices will soon go up in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Colombia, Egypt, and a few other countries. The hike will come into effect starting February 13, 2023.
The changes will apply to both prices of apps and in-app purchases (IAP). Recurring subscriptions are not affected, though.