Cult of Mac

An app to make Androids copy the look of iPhone running iOS is widely popular. So many people wish their Android was an iPhone that Launcher iOS 16 has been downloaded over 50 million times from Google Play. And a rival app has just as many.

That sure is a lot of jealous Android users.

Accessories maker Moft offered a new folding wallet Thursday that magnetically sticks to your iPhone 12 or 13, but also acts as a stand whenever you need one.

Carry your license and another card with your handset. Set the stand to take a video call or watch a YouTube video. What’s not to like?

Well, some folks might not like the two-card maximum, but that could work fine for others.

Apple TV+ family comedy Trying hits a snag or two this week, as Jason and Scott both realize they’re running out of road before a fall.

Jason needs money if he wants to pay for the house he’s been renting, which otherwise will be sold out from under him at any minute. Scott needs to make enough money to pay for Karen’s incoming baby, or she’ll continue looking at him as the fatuous loser with his head in the clouds that the show has more than shown us that he is.

On top of that, the adoptees’ grandmother is gunning for custody and she’s willing to fight dirty. Good, I say. This show needs some actual tragedy.

Imagine buying a massive new ultra-wide, curved monitor to display what you do on your Macs in style. But once you get it all set up, the monstrous thing won’t stop wobbling.

Today’s featured M1 MacBook Pro and Mac mini setup suffers just that problem, despite the use of a recommended monitor arm attached to a solid standing desk.

Check out the advice the user got and all the gear in play below.

This post on discount Microsoft software is brought to you by Keysbuff.

As the world heads back to school, the School Season Sale at software activation keys provider Keysbuff.com unlocks bargains on essential Microsoft software. And, as a Cult of Mac reader, you can click on the links below and get an even better deal on Windows 10 — and score big savings on plenty of other Microsoft software, as well.

For the biggest savings, enter promo code COM at Keysbuff.com. That will take an extra 25% off the site’s already-low prices on keys for Windows 10 Pro Global, Microsoft Office 2021 Pro and other software.

Apple bought the popular music-recognition app Shazam, which can name any song you hear, in 2018. Friday marks the app’s 20th birthday. And this week it officially surpassed 70 billion song recognitions, Cupertino said.

That’s a lot of people in bars wondering what the tune is.

Ever wonder what song is the most “Shazamed” of all time? Well, Apple provided that nugget and many other factoids, and referred to a lot of interesting music you may want to check out.

A recent macOS Monterey update deals with a nasty security problem in WebKit. But Apple is aware many users don’t upgrade to the latest operating system versions, so it also released Safari 15.6.1. The web browser update allows anyone using older macOS versions to avoid the vulnerability.

The browser update is free and available now.

The iPad Pro is extremely expensive, so you’d be wise to protect yours from damage. You can safeguard your investment with a protective case like the CoverBuddy.

During our Back to Education promotion, it’s on sale for only $34.99 (regularly $42). Plus, for every CoverBuddy purchased during this event, we’ll donate 50 cents to a school or charity in need.

New Apple TV+ dark comedy Bad Sisters follows a family of Irish women who vow to help each other through thick and thin. Thick comes in the form of a miserable brother-in-law, who’s lying in a coffin and represents loose ends for all of them.

Can they outmaneuver a desperate insurance investigator and keep from turning on each other? This is good TV. Let’s just watch it cook.

See is coming to an end, and it’s not going quietly. A trailer for the final season of the Apple TV+ post-apocalyptic adventure series shows there’s a war brewing. One that Baba Voss (Jason Momoa) must win.

Season 3 is set to kick off on August 26.

Why settle for one lamp when you can grab one that does two things at once? This LED lamp lights up your room in a big way, but also gives you a smaller, more focused lamp for reading, crafting etc.

This vibrant LED floor lamp broad spectrum light and a focused reading lamp, and it’s on sale for $34.99 (regularly $52) for a limited time. Even better, 50 cents of your purchase will help a school or charity as part of our Back to Education event. You’ll receive an email to vote on organizations that provide kids’ school lunches, fill school-funding gaps and more!

Three new colors of Beats Fit Pro wireless earbuds — a collaboration between Beats and celebrity Kim Kardashian — went on sale at Apple online Tuesday and promptly sold out. But now you can get them on Amazon, too.

The three new “neutral” colors are designed to blend in more than most earphones. Following Tuesday’s launch at Apple.com/Kim, they went on sale Wednesday at select Apple Stores and resellers.

Apple Card earned top marks in the annual J.D. Power U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study. Apple/Goldman Sachs beat out their rivals in the Midsize Credit Card Issuer segment, with users liking the benefits, rewards and more.

2022 is the second year in a row Apple Card took home this honor.

If you’re thinking of starting a podcast — better hurry up, every single person on earth has one, it seems — you need a good USB microphone.

And now you can get a good deal on a popular one, as Amazon has knocked 30% off the regular price of a Blue Yeti Nano USB Microphone.

That’s a savings of $30 on what was already a pretty affordable mic for podcasters and streamers.

 This week’s giveaway sponsor Bucardo specializes in unique Apple Watch accessories that give you even more options. And the bundle we’ve put together pairs two pieces of unique Apple Watch gear: a pocket watch and a sports band. Learn more about this stunning collection and upgrade your Apple Watch with a touch of vintage sophistication.

Two lucky winners will receive one Bucardo Apple Pocket Watch and one Bucardo Sports Band. Together, the items in this unique bundle retail for $189. Enter below for your shot at taking home the big prize.

Das Keyboard’s MacTigr is specifically for Mac users looking to get serious work done. It uses top-quality mechanical switches in a 105-key layout, and adds on Mac-specific keys as well as other bonus features.

I tested the low-profile keyboard in my home office. Here’s why I’m so impressed.

Apple TV+ offered a first look at upcoming drama series Shantaram this week in the form of a photo of star Charlie Hunnam (Son of Anarchy) in character, plus a rundown of the cast and plot of the adventure-romance, set to premiere October 14.

And speaking of drama and adventure, the production ran into big trouble on the way to becoming a reality.

Australia’s national swim team uses Apple Watch, iPad and a combination of apps to improve performance, helping the team in the most-successful period in its history, Apple said Wednesday.

As if you needed another thing to make you feel bad about skipping the lap swim at the Y this morning.

This post on power stations is brought to you by Bluetti.

Electricity, one of the most widely used forms of energy in the world, is one of modern life’s necessities. As summer burns on with record heat throughout much of the world, even a brief power outage can have catastrophic consequences.

To ease your worries about maintaining electrical power this summer, Bluetti plans a Power Week from August 18 to 28, with major savings on the company’s products. Power Week will feature Bluetti’s B230 and B300 batteries, versatile power sources that can save the day when the lights go out.

Apple’s plan to unveil the iPhone 14 earlier than usual is to get the handset on the market before customers get nervous about buying big-ticket items in a poor economy.

According to a recent unconfirmed report, the 2022 flagship iPhone models will be unveiled in less than three weeks.

August 18, 2014: A Christmas-themed iPhone ad lands Apple an Emmy for “Most Outstanding Commercial of the Year.”

The prize-winning spot is Apple’s “Misunderstood” iPhone 5s ad. It depicts a silent teenager who won’t spend time with his family at Christmas because he’s too busy with his iPhone. At the end of the ad, he reveals that he’s not actually being a misanthrope. He used his iPhone and iMovie to shoot and edit a heartwarming family montage!

The ninth entrant in Keychron’s custom mechanical keyboard line came out Wednesday, making it abundantly clear the company wants to cover every corner of the market. The new Q9 is for folks who want a tiny keyboard they can customize — maybe one that’s smaller than anything they’ve ever used.

As a 40% layout mini keyboard with just four rows of keys, the all-aluminum Q9 makes even a compact 60% keyboard look big.

The end of summer is the perfect season to reinvest learn a new skill or get better at an old one. So, if you’ve decided it’s time to focus on golf, consider a home golf simulator like the SwingLogic SLX MicroSim.

Regular practice with the affordable system can shave points off your golf score and add consistency to your game. During our Back to Education sale, you can equip yourself to learn golf like never before by picking up this package for only $189 (regularly $249).

If modern life has taught us anything, it’s that the more backups you have, the better off you are, especially if you’re going to school or learning new skills. The iScanner app for iOS makes it easy to back up anything on paper as a digital file, making it easy to edit and share.

Chickie Donohue had a great idea: He wanted to bring some beer to his friends fighting in the Vietnam War. Surprisingly, it didn’t go well.

What is truly amazing is that Chickie’s story is based on real events. And it’s being turned into a coming-of-age tale called The Greatest Beer Run Ever, starring Zac Efron, which will debut September 30 on Apple TV+.

A trailer previewing Chickie’s crazy experiences premiered Wednesday.