★★★☆☆
First you struggle, then everything works out. Right? Photo: Apple TV+
Little America, the easygoing Apple TV+ series about the immigrant experience in America, returns this week for a second season of predictably uplifting storytelling.
This parade of hard-luck stories features happy endings that range from gentle to ecstatic. Just like last season, the show is largely successful — if frequently too well-behaved for its own good.
Lots of toys live in this MacBook Air and gaming PC rig. Photo: [email protected]
Some setups are no-nonsense, just the facts, ma’am — strictly utilitarian. Others are fanciful and full of toys. Today’s featured setup leans toward the latter, with its burgeoning population of Transformer figures crowding the shelf above the display and even related wall art.
And there’s plenty of gaming going on there, too, via a custom gaming PC and Nintendo Switch OLED in addition to an M1 MacBook Air and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Oh, and it has one of the coolest speaker systems ever made, too.
“Get your bling on with the Casetify Glitter Apple Watch Band!” says Casetify in its listing for the distinctive band. And at this time of year, the festive bands — available in four fun colors — seem especially merry.
But you can rock the sparkling band any time of year for whatever festivities you’re into. Just head to the Cult of Mac Store.
Be sure to use promo code CULT when shopping for software deals at CDKeylord.com to get the lowest possible price.
Image: CDKeylord.com
‘Tis the season to save on crucial Microsoft software. Just shop the Christmas Sale at software activation keys provider CDKeylord.com to save on Word, Office and more. Even better, Cult of Mac readers can click on the links below and get even more savings on Windows 10 and other Microsoft software.
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In order to maximize the deals, enter promo code CULT at CDKeylord.com. That will take an extra 30% off the site’s already-low prices on keys for Windows 10 Pro Global, Microsoft Office 2021 Pro and more.
★★★☆☆Puppy Place can't stop being adorable. Photo: Apple TV+
Puppy Place returns to Apple TV+ this week with a second batch of adorable, low-stress hijinks centered on a family that fosters cute pooches.
The Petersons and their four-legged charges once again set out to teach us to love dogs — and ourselves in the process. The puppies are cute and plentiful, the lessons come hard and fast, and no problem is so difficult that it might stress out a child.
The show remains a pretty good afternoon time-waster for kids under 10.
This top-rated AI résumé writer is the perfect gift for anyone who wants to boost their career in 2023. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Is there a better gift you can give this holiday season than a career level-up? An app for constructing the perfect résumé is a great gift idea for doing that. And you can also get lifetime access to Resoume, an AI-based résumé writing assistant, for just $39.99 (regularly $600). ´
★★★★☆Emancipation is an action-packed look at the brutality of slavery that should make you forget The Slap. Photo: Apple TV+
Based on a true story about a slave’s quest for freedom during the Civil War, Apple TV+’s oddly positioned Oscar contender Emancipation pairs action with an unflinching look at slavery’s brutality.
It stars Will Smith, whose bizarre post-Slap apology tour makes for strange bedfellows with Emancipation’s stark subject matter and the film’s action-oriented director, Antoine Fuqua. But this cautiously made movie is probably the best possible film this team could have produced. And indeed, it’s quite a bit better than an Oscar-ready slavery drama made in today’s Hollywood has any right to be.
★★☆☆☆
New episodes of Carpool Karaoke are all about the stars, like Duran Duran and Sandra Oh. Photo: Apple TV+
New episodes of Carpool Karaoke: The Series just popped up on Apple TV+, with zero fanfare or build-up or warning, because, well, who’s going to stop them? You? I didn’t think so.
Still, the showrunners did the one thing possible to entice me to review this new batch: They snagged some interesting guest stars. And you know what? A few actually charming moments emerge, despite the cringe-inducing artifice and sheer laziness of Carpool Karaoke’s premise and production.
These no-shipping music lessons make the perfect last-minute Christmas gift. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Not sure what to get the person who has everything this Christmas? Forget useless gifts they’ll never unbox and give them something they’ll appreciate. This mega-bundle of piano and guitar lessons from top instructors has earned rave user reviews and doesn’t require any shipping time, making it a fantastic last-minute gift.
During our Last Chance Sale, you can purchase the collection for just $29.99 (regularly $1,600).
There's no excuse to not watch Emancipation with a free two-month trial. Graphic: Apple TV+
The docudrama Emancipation hits Apple TV+ tomorrow, and to make sure Will Smith fans can watch it, Apple is offering a free two-month trial of its streaming video service.
Google is improving Chrome so it takes up less of Mac's system memory. And it'll go easier on batteries, too. Photo: Google/Apple
Google tweaked the desktop version of Chrome so that background tabs take up less memory. The widely used browser will also use less power when a laptop’s battery is getting low.
The changes are coming soon to the macOS version as well as other desktop OSs.
The new Mujjo Tech Kit is compact. The Tech Case is larger. Photo: Mujjo
Are your Apple accessories and cables becoming a messy hassle, especially when you travel? Mujjo, known for its vegan leather products, unveiled a new collection of eco-friendly nylon tech organizers Thursday.
The Mujjo Tech Kit and Tech Case help keep your growing gaggle of tech accessories tidy and untangled, the company said.
Satechi's new iPhone power bank is also a stand. And a wireless AirPods charger, too. Photo: Satechi
Satechi’s latest power bank wirelessly juices up an iPhone while also serving as an adjustable mobile stand. The Duo Wireless Charger Power Stand can power the handset while its showing a film or just displaying incoming messages.
Plus, the 10,000 mAh battery wirelessly charges AirPods, too.
If there's an Apple fan on your holiday shopping list, they'll love Momax gear. Image: Artboard Studio/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac
‘Tis the season for outstanding and affordable accessories for your Apple products, and Momax is playing Santa Claus. The company offers 10 great products for travelers, work-from-home toilers and Apple power users alike.
And rest assured, in addition to discounts available on Amazon for the devices, you can take another 15% off with the special coupon code CULTXMAS2022. Happy holidays!
★★★★☆
The rugged Zagg Pro Mouse mouse pairs with multiple computers and charges wirelessly. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Your iMac, MacBook and iPad can easily share the Zagg Pro Mouse. With the press of a button, the rugged Bluetooth mouse switches between multiple computers. As a bonus, the accessory supports wireless charging.
I tested it in my multicomputer office for a couple of weeks. Here’s what it’s like to use every day.
Apple and its staff support organizations and communities around the world through volunteer work, donations and learning programs. Photo: Apple
Apple and its employees have raised more than $880 million in charitable giving for nearly 44,000 groups all over the world since the Employee Giving program started 11 years ago, the company said Thursday.
As part of that, more than 76,000 Apple workers have put in over 2.1 million volunteer hours. Apple matches employee giving and volunteer hours with donations, too, in addition to its corporate grants to organizations.
Time is running out for the Lightning connector. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The European Parliament picked December 28, 2024 as date after which iPhone and all other handsets sold in the EU must have a USB-C port. That means the iPhone 17 in 2025 will definitely not include a Lightning port.
But unconfirmed reports say Apple will make the change earlier than that.
There's still time to get a pair of translation earbuds by the holidays. (Plus, they're 55% off.) Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, being able to understand the local language can make your trips more enjoyable. And you don’t necessarily have to learn it, either.
You can carry a bit of fluency in your pocket with an award-winning pair of Mymanu Clik S smart translation earbuds. They can help you communicate in up to 37 languages. Order for $99 (regularly $220) by December 8 to ensure your earbuds arrive in time for the holidays.
Images in iCloud Photos will not be scanned for child sexual abuse material. Image: Apple
Apple completely abandoned its previously announced plan to scan iCloud Photos libraries for child sexual abuse material. The company will not go through users’ pictures on its cloud-storage servers looking for CSAM images.
Instead, Apple is going the opposite direction by enabling users to encrypt pictures stored in iCloud Photos.
A touchscreen MacBook might be in development. And it'll have a 20-inch folding display. Photo: Antonio De Rosa/ADR Studio
Apple could be working on a MacBook far larger than the current 16-inch model – a 20.25-inch one is supposedly in development. But don’t picture a standard laptop, as this will supposedly use a folding display.
Such a large screen would make the macOS notebook a productivity powerhouse.
Freeform will soon be available in iOS 16.2, macOS Ventura 13.1 and iPadOS 16.2. Photo: Apple
Apple seeded the iOS 16.2 release candidate to developers Wednesday, taking a huge step toward giving iPhone users access to the Freeform collaboration app, the recently announced Apple Music Sing and other exciting new features.
The iPadOS 16.2 release candidate also went out with nearly the same feature set. Plus, Apple seeded the macOS Ventura 13.1 RC, watchOS 9.2 RC and tvOS 16.2 RC to devs, too.
Apple plans to expand end-to-end encryption for more iCloud services. Photo: Markus Spiske/Unsplash
Apple said Wednesday users are gaining three new security features to protect their data in the cloud, with some available now and some to come. The overall program is called Advanced Data Protection.
The three new functions to help keep data and communications safe are iMessage Contact Key Verification, Security Keys for Apple ID and Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, the company said.
3D first-person shooter Quake 3 can run in Linux on an M1 Mac with the new graphics driver. Screenshot: Alyssa Rosenzweig & Asahi Lina/Asahi Linux Blog
Independent developers working to get Linux running on Apple silicon have made a significant breakthrough — the release of the first graphics driver. This is an important step toward running operating systems other than macOS on Apple’s powerful new computers.
“We’ve been working hard over the past two years to bring this new driver to everyone, and we’re really proud to finally be here,” wrote developers Alyssa Rosenzweig and Asahi Lina in a Wednesday blog post announcing the GPU driver release. “This is still an alpha driver, but it’s already good enough to run a smooth desktop experience and some games.”