Apple previewed its newest retail outlet in the U.K. Tuesday, Apple Brompton Road in London’s Knightsbridge neighborhood. The store, set to open Thursday afternoon local time, claims a few “firsts.”

They include the first mirrored ceiling in an Apple Store, the first dedicated pick-up area in a U.K. Apple Store and the first time Apple has used a certain type of sustainable flooring.

Located a stone’s throw from Hyde Park and featuring design inspired by local flora, the store also boasts a brand-new augmented reality (AR) experience about William Blake.

This post is brought to you by VistaCreate.

Graphic design software VistaCreate offers an array of tools that can help anyone create effective images for their business or project — design skills optional.

To do that, the easy-to-use graphic design software offers a huge array of templates, free access to a massive library of images and videos, and handy tools, like a new background remover that helps open up your image options.

Even better, the free version of VistaCreate is feature-rich on its own. But if you want even more, you can try the Pro version for a few dollars a month.

Apple’s next quarterly earnings report and call with analysts take place on Thursday. (It’s Q3 for Apple’s fiscal year despite being Q2 on your calendar.) And the company has already warned it may take an up to $8 billion revenue hit for several reasons.

As usual, after the fiscal results come out and the stock market closes for the day, Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will talk with financial analysts on a public call about the results and future expectations.

After its launch in 2017, the Nintendo Switch became a massive hit, beloved by gamers everywhere. There have been few updates to the popular console since then, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make your own revisions.

With this Nintendo Switch-compatible docking station, you can ditch the clunky original Switch Dock for an upgrade that’s as sleek and portable as the console itself. For a limited time, you can get a 3-in-1 Nintendo Switch Docking Station for $19.99 (regularly $24).

Court documents submitted Saturday indicate Apple settled a patent-infringement lawsuit related to AirPods with audio manufacturer Koss.

The company had accused the maker of AirPods and Beats earbuds and headphones of infringing on Koss wireless headphone technology patents.

Have you ever felt like you only experience allergies when you’re home? That may be because the air in your home is not as clean as you thought. But there’s an easy solution!

The Hydroice is an 8-in-1 device that packs a powerful air filter into a compact, home-cooling package. And for a limited time, it’s on sale for only $44.99 (regularly $49).

Fans of the office comedy Mythic Quest on Apple TV+ will be relieved to hear the show’s coming back for season 3. That news was confirmed and a teaser trailer was unveiled Saturday at a special panel about the show at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

The show’s cast and creators confirmed that the series will return this fall. And they rolled a first-look teaser for the third season that suggests it’ll be just as funny as the first two seasons. Have a look and a laugh at it, below.

While all iPhone 14 series handsets are expected to sport 6GB or RAM, an increase over the current standard, iPhone 14 Pro and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max will also come with a newer and faster type of memory, according to a new report.

Delicate pastel hues aren’t just for Easter eggs and watercolor paintings. When applied to your Apple Watch as a band, a pastel color can seriously brighten up your wrist and freshen up your whole look.

If you’ve had enough of the basic blacks and browns, you can get the Laut Huex Pastels Apple Watch Band for just $30 in the Cult of Mac Store.

If you missed some of the biggest Apple Store openings ever, don’t worry. Now there’s an app for that. The Apple Store Time Machine app transports you to opening day at four iconic locations with a surprising amount of detail.

Michael Steeber created the interactive app to take you back to opening day in four places (and times): Tysons Corner (McLean, Va.), Stanford Shopping Center (Palo Alto, Calif.), Fifth Avenue (New York, NY) and Infinite Loop (Cupertino).

Anker Innovations said Monday at a special event that new partnerships have birthed a new lineup of Gallium Nitride (GaN) fast chargers for use at home and on-the-go.

The six new compact, efficient GaNPrime chargers range in power output from 150W down to 65W and cover a lot of possible uses. The range includes wall chargers, a power bank and a power strip.

“GaNPrime represents a new era in charging,” said Steven Yang, CEO of Anker Innovations. “In addition
to delivering a faster and safer charging experience, our new GaNPrime chargers offer significant savings in energy consumption, reinforcing Anker’s commitment to a more sustainable future.”

Apple spent $1.3 billion recently to help remedy the California housing crisis, the company said Monday, following up on its pledge three years ago to spend $2.5 billion on an array of projects.

The Cupertino tech giant highlighted its new Veterans Square unit in Pittsburg, California, among other developments.

People love posting impressive photographs and descriptions of their computer setups online. And other people love either drooling over them or mercilessly criticizing them.

But no matter what technology appears — lets say a new-ish M1 MacBook Pro, a 4K wide-screen display, an excellent 4K webcam, rock-solid input devices and a reliable standing desk, as in today’s featured setup — it’s all forgotten if there’s a pet in the picture.

When the power goes out, your level of preparation makes all the difference between minor inconvenience or total disaster. The Generark Solar Generator kit is a portable, solar-powered generator that could help make your next blackout into nothing more than a reason to break out your favorite candles.

For a limited time, the Generark Solar Generator is on sale for $1,499 (regularly $1,597).

In a rare move, Apple will run a four-day promotion in China and offer hefty discounts of up to RMB 600 ($90). The discount will be applicable for iPhone 13, iPhone 12, iPhone SE, Apple Watch SE and AirPods.

The promotion will run from July 29 through August 1.

The upcoming “Pro” Apple Watch will reportedly feature a new design. It will be the first major design overhaul of the wearable since the Apple Watch Series 4 debut in 2018.

Its screen size should also be about 7% larger than the current models.

While we anxiously await a flurry of new and updated apps coming for iOS 16, a few great new apps and updates have hit the scene recently.

From being more productive to being more creative, this week’s Awesome Apps are sure to help you feel accomplished. And if you have something you want us to check out for a future Awesome Apps post, be sure to email your suggestion or tweet them over!

Your drink might be perfectly chilled, but if it tips over, what’s the point? The Non-Tipping Can Cooler can keep your canned beverage cool and secure on virtually any flat surface.

It looks like magic — and basically invalidates the existence of cup holders. For a limited time, it costs only $17.99 (regularly $24).

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: It looks like MacBook Pros with more-powerful M2 series chips will come sooner rather than later. Is Apple going to make this an annual thing? And if so, how will Erfon (and other Mac fans) cope? So many decisions …

Also on The CultCast:

• What exactly is Apple up to with its U1 chips and iOS 16? Sounds intriguing.
• Amazon Prime Air delivers with drones, and a robotaxi might not be far behind.
• The DeLorean might make an 88-mph comeback.

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 livestream, embedded below.

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Special thanks to this week’s sponsor, Squarespace. Get all the tools you need to set up your very own website and commence selling anything online. Start your free website trial today at squarespace.com/cultcast (no credit card required). Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain with code cultcast at checkout.

You know your children can do more, but do they? Prodigy Afterschool Masterclasses could help your little ones fulfill their potential.

These online after-school classes for kids are on sale for a limited time in two packages. The Afterschool package costs $99 (regularly $660), and the Premium Package goes for $198 (regularly $1,320).

Black Bird, the Apple TV+ drama about a bad guy sent to ferret out a worse guy in the rottenest jail in America, takes a turn for the confessional this week. Probable serial killer Larry Hall and police informer Jimmy Keene tell each other some truths and some lies as they clean up the mess after a prison riot.

Larry starts to see the hidden side of Jimmy. And Jimmy starts to recognize the worst parts of himself — the ones that remind him of Larry. Black Bird’s been in a good place for two and a half episodes, and this latest one finds the show indulging in its strengths for an extended conversation between the two leads.

Anyone with multiple devices knows the chore of tangled wires. Maybe it’s time to change that. This week we are teaming up with Ugreen to give two lucky winners a shot at winning a sleek 3-in-1 MagSafe Wireless Charging Station, retailing at $159.99, plus a six-port Nexode 200W USB-C Desktop Charger priced at $199.99.

Enter below for your chance to win one of these powerful bundles.

As much technology as we have, it’s still hard to land in a foreign country and ask someone where the bathroom is. From ancient Sumerian to Google Translate, language has been used to connect civilizations. And for that whole time, a universal means of communication could have been really helpful.

The Noun Project is working to create a global visual language composed of simple, easily understandable icons. And right now, you can gain access to its entire library of 5 million icons at a reduced price. Purchase five years of unlimited access to the Noun Project library for $79.99 (regularly $199).

Apple TV+ comedy Loot goes on two dates this week. Molly, the billionaire who’s discovering what it’s like to have a conscience, has a suitor. And Nicholas learns the meaning of friendship when he comes to Howard’s aid.

As usual, the show’s niceties undercut its comedy every step of the way. And that’s a problem when you’re writing a sitcom starring America’s funniest woman.

HEROish from Sunblink challenges layers to, “(almost) save the world and (kind of) look good while doing it.” The latest addition to Apple Arcade offers single-player adventures, but it’s also player-versus-player deck-building tower defense game.

The fantasy-themed title is available now for a variety of Apple computers, including iPhone and Mac.