★★★★☆
Whether or not you took the plunge and upgraded to a new Apple Watch Series 8 or SE, you can partake of something more affordable if you own any model of the wearable — Apple’s new lower-end Apple Watch bands. I picked up the new Apple Midnight Sport Loop for my Apple Watch Series 6.
I like the new band. But I found it interesting to compare it to third-party versions of similar quality that go for a lot less money.
Lupa Legacy released the slimmest folio case available on the market for the new iPhone 14 series, the company said Thursday.
The brand’s Original Wallet Collection features animal- and cruelty-free faux leather folios with sleek designs.
And the Apogee Series includes a patent-pending case design that delivers secure card storage combined with heavy duty, drop-proof phone protection, Lupa said.
Shooting or animating videos is easier than ever, and adding polished voiceovers can help bring your YouTube videos and marketing materials to life. However, hiring talented voice actors can get quite pricey.
With an AI-based voiceover generator like Micmonster, you can narrate your own scripts in various styles and languages. For a limited time, you can purchase a lifetime subscription at the best price available on the web: just $59 (regularly $119).
Apple is using a faster and more power-efficient Snapdragon X65 modem on the iPhone 14 Pro series. This allows the new iPhones to pull faster download speeds on 5G networks.
The new modem also reduces the latency time. Combined, these improvements will provide a better network connectivity experience on the iPhone 14 Pro.
Apple has announced that it will increase the prices of apps and in-app purchases on the App Store in Europe and some other countries. The changes come into effect starting October 5, 2022.
The weakening Euro has forced the Cupertino giant to make this move.
You can now save a bundle on the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro. This tablet is powerful enough to be a notebook alternative, and now it’s available for $100 below the usual cost.
There are also a nice deal on the 11-inch iPad Pro, iPad Air and other Apple tablets.
Enjoyable thesis writing: For many students, it may sound like an oxymoron. But using a great app that eliminates the fuss around writing and editing papers can be key to making the whole process quick and painless.
MonsterWriter is one of the best-reviewed Mac writing apps out there. And right now, you can purchase a lifetime license on sale for just $19.99 (regularly $34).
Users report that the camera in the iPhone 14 Pro starts shaking uncontrollably in some third-party applications. The weird glitch occurs in popular apps including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.
The shaking only occurs when using the built-in camera of these apps. Strange mechanical noises from inside the phone accompany the shaking.
Update: This problem is fixed in iOS 16.0.2, available now.
A pop-up window in iOS 16 asking iPhone users to approve pasting into an app appears far more often than it should, according to an Apple executive. A fix is on the way.
In the meantime, keep hitting “Allow Paste.”
Turns out the iPhone 14 isn’t a cookie-cutter copy of its predecessor like everyone thought, but the big changes are all on the inside. A teardown of Apple’s new “basic” handset finds that it’s easier to repair than earlier versions.
iFixit, which did the teardown, calls it “the most significant design change to the iPhone in a long time.”
It’s time to get a grip — on a silicone case for your new iPhone 14, that is. Elago has two super-grippy silicone cases — one with MagSafe and one without — that are easy to hold, protective and colorful.
The two cases, which come in a variety of colors, are priced right in the Cult of Mac Store — just $20.99 for the MagSafe version and $14.99 for the regular one.
Sometimes you just can’t help taking a wholistic approach to a computer setup, taking in the whole room. That’s what happens when the user makes their home office a veritable museum like that which surrounds today’s featured MacBook Pro setup.
Three themes set it apart: The Beatles, the variety of RGB lighting and the concrete blocks holding up the Ikea countertop and the retro Thunderbolt Displays sitting on it.
If a coworker came in today with a new iPhone 14 Pro, you may have decided you just have to have one. Bad news: the wait is a month or more before it can be delivered.
There’s much better news for anyone interested in the more basic iPhone 14.
Putting a case on your iPhone or MacBook is a no-brainer for protection against scratches and scuffs. However, web-based threats can be far more damaging — and not just to your device. Getting hacked can empty your wallet and ruin your reputation.
A virtual private network like Windscribe can help you stay safe online, and Pro Plans are currently on sale starting at $39 (regularly $69).
The highlight of the iPhone 14 Pro models is the Dynamic Island – the interactive replacement for the screen notch. It’s currently only in the most expensive iOS handsets, but those who prefer Apple’s two “standard” models reportedly won’t have to wait too long for a chance at the screen cutout.
The same apparently isn’t true for ProMotion displays.
New in iOS 16 is the ability to follow your favorite sporting pastime with My Sports. It allows you to get the latest scores, read coverage from newspapers and magazines, see scheduled games and watch highlights.
It works across multiple apps, including Apple News, Apple TV and others. You can follow teams from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NWSL, WNBA and MLS. It also includes college football and basketball. Here’s how to set it up.
In recent years, Bluetooth has significantly changed how we communicate, work and enjoy entertainment. If you’re looking to expand your range in that department — or support older audio equipment — there are tools that can help. For example, this Two-in-One Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter and Receiver supplies Bluetooth functionality for devices that don’t offer it.
Get this dual-mode Bluetooth adapter and modernize your hi-fi devices for just $25.99 (regularly $35).
Apple desperately needs to shake up its iPhone Pro colors. The brand-new iPhone 14 Pro — in the exotic-sounding “deep purple” color — actually looks like a dull gray in real life.
When Apple marketing chief Greg “Joz” Joswiak revealed the new deep purple color at last month’s Far Out product launch, I immediately thought of “Smoke on the Water.” I envisioned a bold hue that would actually look trippy and unique. And I thought maybe Cupertino’s brightest minds finally broke free from the iPhone Pro’s typically mundane color palette.
What was I smoking?
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: iOS 16 makes our year-old iPhones feel fresh again. And the various “hidden” features flying under the radar make the iOS 16 experience even more impressive.
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.
Get the only cleaning cloth you need: CultCloth!
iOS 16 brings a lot of exciting changes, but no one seems to like the new Search button on the Home Screen.
It can clutter your aesthetic theme, it’s easy to press accidentally, and it’s not any faster than using the swipe-down gesture for search. Luckily, it’s possible to turn it off — read on to see how.
The Apple Pencil can open up a whole new dimension for creativity on your iPad. But does your creativity really cost $129? An Apple Pencil alternative can offer many of the same features, allowing you to sketch on your iPad — or any other tablet — without breaking the bank.
For example, the Digi Pen comes highly recommended by users. And it’s on sale right now for $39.99, more than half off its regular price.
The iPhone 14 Pro is raising the bar for on-the-go photography, but unless Apple adds propellers in next year’s models, you’re going to have to search somewhere else for a new camera perspective. That road might lead you to the Ninja Dragon Storm X, a drone with a dual 4K camera setup that’s easy to fly, even if you’ve never touched the controls before.
Garden Tails: Match and Grow is a new match-3 game for nature lovers who are looking for a calming time-killer. Play through a series of levels to unlock flowers, bushes and friendly animals.
It debuted Friday on Apple Arcade, and there are versions for a range of Apple computers.
★★★★☆
Bad Sisters takes a look at John Paul’s mental health in a particularly solid episode of the murderously funny Apple TV+ hit. The series, about a family covering up a murder in the present — and trying to commit it in the past — takes a madcap turn this week.
Bibi is mad with grief, Grace is a broken woman, Roger’s going to jail and Becka’s falling in love. Plus, we get the funniest scene of the season. A fine showing from the cast helps this week’s episode get a good head of steam going in time for a great final sequence of dark slapstick.
Anyone having activation problems with their iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro series model should install iOS 16.0.1. Apple specifically created the update to deal with an issue in setting up its latest handset.
It also takes care of other bugs in the iPhone 14 series.