With summer still blazing, Apple offered a useful Today at Apple Creative Projects video on Friday. It teaches you how to capture “Dramatic Summer Light” with your iPhone camera.
In the video, Apple Creative Pros Jahmyra and David bring in professional photographer Eddy Chen to explore great tips about snapping better shots and editing them to make the most of light.
★★★☆☆
For All Mankind holds a few cliffhangers up its sleeve in season 3’s penultimate episode, but first it must deal with its soapy dilemmas.
Ellen and Larry are in the hot seat, Kelly Baldwin’s baby is coming along ahead of schedule, Aleida Rosales is all out of heroes, Karen and Dev might switch jobs — and Danny Stevens’ goose might be cooked!
A decent episode of the Apple TV+ alt-history sci-fi hit focuses on plot nitty-gritty and emotional turmoil, until it gives way to a typically frustrating final reveal.
★★☆☆☆
Apple TV+’s second season of Physical draws to a merciful close this week. Though she’s finally gotten John Breem out of her bedroom, Sheila still has to deal with him. He’s still making Danny crazy — and he’s still the only man in town with power enough to satisfy Sheila’s needs.
Wouldn’t it be funny if she had to wind up trapped with him in a business agreement? Well, no, it wouldn’t, and it isn’t, but that’s where we’re headed.
Anybody can walk around with one fine Italian leather Apple Watch band. But what about two? Now you can, with petite double Italian leather Apple Watch bands. They stylishly cut one band into two thinner straps on the same watch.
And it’s not like you have to pay a fortune or one, either. They’re just $75 in the Cult of Mac Store.
If you’re heading back to school/college, or even constantly on the go for meetings, the backpack in this week’s giveaway is perfect for you. We teamed up with Laut to give Cult of Mac readers a chance to win a roomy City Daypack 12ltr Backpack, retailing at $69.99.
Enter below for your shot at becoming one of three lucky winners who will take home one of these convenient backpacks.
Apple Watch Series 8, at least in the standard 41mm and 45mm models, will see the same design as Apple Watch 7 rather than adding new elements like flat edges or bigger screens, a new report indicated Friday.
And the source added there may be no new sensors and fewer color choices with Apple Watch 8 than with the 7 series.
★★☆☆☆
Trying, the Apple TV+ comedy about middle-class ghouls making the once-a-generation decision to start families, plans a birthday party for special little boy Tyler this week.
Tyler’s party is too overwhelming at first, but with a little help from a lot of people it becomes fun. Elsewhere, Karen is pregnant and nervous, Nikki resents her fertility, Scott has to quit a burgeoning career, and Jason is still on the hook for a dream house.
Anyone who uses an Apple Card can get Apple TV+ free for three months. And the deal isn’t limited to new subscribers – current ones also qualify.
It’s a promo for the new Apple TV+ movie Luck, and has the tagline, “It’s your lucky day. For three whole months.”
Some older iMacs are being shown the door, giving way to newer Macs paired with Studio Displays. That’s the case with today’s featured computer setup. In it, an iMac gave way recently to a plenty-powerful M1 MacBook Pro paired with a brilliant Studio Display.
And the attractively spare setup, well placed in a beautiful coastal setting, is nearly all Apple — down to the input devices and audio gear.
This post on discount Microsoft software is brought to you by Keysbuff.
In its big Back to School Sale, software activation keys provider Keysbuff.com lets you nab great deals on Microsoft products. As a Cult of Mac reader, you can click on the links below and save big on Windows 10 — and find major savings on lots of other Microsoft software, too.
Just be sure to use promo code COM at Keysbuff.com. That will save you 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 TV+ murder mystery Black Bird draws to a pulse-pounding close as jailhouse informer Jimmy Keene’s last-ditch efforts to stay alive are being threatened at every turn.
Serial killer Larry Hall is inches from confessing, Jimmy’s about to get shanked — and nobody’s coming to help either of them. Plus, Jimmy’s dad Big Jim is dying in a hurry outside prison walls.
The limited series saves its best mechanics for last as the clock runs out on all of our heroes. Black Bird concludes on a high note indeed.
Foxconn will begin shipping the iPhone 14 from its assembly plant in India almost as soon as its Chinese plant starts shipping Apple’s next smartphone, according to an industry analyst. This is apparently a sign that Apple is decreasing its dependence on China.
And Foxconn is reportedly building up its assembly capacity in India.
We might still be a ways off from actual floating hoverboards, but that doesn’t mean you can’t zip around at ground level with a bit more style. Whether you’re coasting through campus or taking your dog for a rolling stroll, a self-balancing scooter like the Hover-1 Ranger is a fun way to go for a ride.
Especially when it only costs $129.99 (regularly $229).
★★☆☆☆
Apple TV+’s newest film is the streamer’s big flagship collaboration with Skydance Animation under the new leadership of disgraced former Pixar chief John Lasseter.
Can the film’s relative charms tip the scales in favor of a new endeavor, instead of back toward the hasty assembly of a company around a man who never really answered for his allegations? Unfortunately, Luck, which premieres Friday on Apple TV+, would have had to have a lot more going for it to get people talking about the movie on pure merit.
A firmware update released Thursday fixes an audio problem that has afflicted the Apple Studio Display. Users of the pricey monitors have been complaining of choppy playback, audio that cuts out unexpectedly and playback speed issues.
Previously, Apple’s only solution to the problem was a variation on “turn it off and then back on again.”
The Mophie Powerstation Pro boasts 20,000mAh of power, and dual USB-C ports to quickly deliver it to a MacBook or other computer at up to 45W. Apple likes the new power bank enough to launch it Thursday on its online store.
For a deeper look at its performance and features, check out our Mophie Powerstation Pro review.
The same is true of the Mophie Speedport 120, a 4-port charger that can provide up to 120W of power.
In addition, a collection of car chargers from Mophie also just debuted on the Apple store.
Email marketing delivers some of the highest returns on investment, but it’s also hard to get right. If you’re trying to get more eyes on something you have to offer, you could spend a few years mastering email outreach. Or, if you want to save time and still get great results, you could try EmailWritr, a marketing tool designed for email outreach.
If the convenience isn’t enough, maybe this deal will sell you. For a limited time, you can get a lifetime subscription to EmailWritr’s premium plan for just $59 (regularly $3,480).
Apple will add support for wirelessly charging accessories to the iPhone 14, according to a tipster. iPhones already have limited support for reverse wireless charging, but the capability is supposedly being expanded.
This would make a range of third-party MagSafe accessories more useful.
Grid Studio disassembles well-loved gadgets and presents their rearranged innards as framed wall art. And its nostalgic collection for Apple fans just got two new entries.
The collection now includes a fourth-generation iPod Classic and a first-generation iPad mini for your aesthetic consideration.
Exclusive to Cult of Mac readers, we have a massive price drop on Microsoft Office for just $39.99 until 11:59 p.m. PDT tonight.
Cult of Mac has an exclusive on this deal. No one else is offering MS Office for this low. Office is normally priced at $349, but we have it for less than a few gallons of gas. Act fast, though, because the Cult of Mac MS Office sale ends in a few hours.
★★★★☆
The Soundcore Motion Boom Plus is a powerful, portable outdoor speaker you might want to nab before summer’s over. The boombox-style Bluetooth speaker brings the brawn — 80 watts of power — along with a bit more heft than some competitors.
When you factor in the excellent sound quality, some sporty features and the relatively low price of $179.99, it’s a worthy choice for outdoor use. Some folks might even use it indoors, but many never would because of its black plastic design. It might look at home in a college dorm, but probably not in most living rooms.
The 10.2-inch iPad expected in fall 2022 supposedly will get a facelift. Leaked CAD drawing indicate the upcoming tablet will have a larger screen and the flat edges Apple includes in its other tablets.
But the low-cost iPad 10 reportedly will remain the last iPadOS device with a Home button after the redesign. The audio jack could be out, though.
Apple has a new tool to determine if your iPhone is restarting unexpectedly. It can be challenging for Apple repair technicians to determine if your device is rebooting randomly.
The company aims to fix this problem with its new diagnostic tool.
Do you ever arrive at work and have that little panicky moment where you’re unsure if you locked the door? Do you go back? Call a neighbor? Hope your autopilot self was responsible today?
Why not just pull out your phone and check to be sure? With the Bosma Aegis, you can control your deadbolt with an app, but that’s not all you can do. For a limited time, the Bosma Aegis Smart Door Lock is only $79.99 (regularly $119) with code SMARTLOCK. If you’re interested, act fast though — this sale only lasts through August 2022.
Flowers aren’t the only way to add a pop of color to your garden. Whether you want a rainbow road or just some colorful flavor throughout your greenery, this 12-pack of decorative LED lights could be the next beautiful addition to your outdoor aesthetic.
With 16 rotating color options and a smart design, these outdoor LEDs are on sale for only $39.99 (regularly $79).