The biggest iPad doesn't look so big next to that mechanical keyboard. Photo: Steve Troughton-Smith
App developer Steve Troughton-Smith raised a few eyebrows recently when he tweeted a photograph of his iPad Pro propped up on a stand and hooked up to a mechanical keyboard that dwarfed it in size. It looked like some ungainly desktop machine of yesteryear.
“The perfect computer doesn’t exist,” the title read.
It would be a stretch to say Troughton-Smith does all his work on that iPad setup, but he does some of it via the tablet, he told Cult of Mac.
Grab your wallet: the iPhone 14 Pro is supposedly going up in price. Concept render: souta
An analyst believes he has the answer to one of the few remaining mysteries of the iPhone 14 series: price. Supposedly, the two iPhone 14 Pro models are in for a price hike. But there’s good news for those interested in the basic iPhone 14.
The cost of the new iPhone 14 Plus is still a closely-held secret, though.
The Adonit Neo Pro gets power from the side of a compatible iPad, just as Apple Pencil does. But it costs much less. Photo: Adonit
Place the Adonit Neo Pro on the side of an iPad and the stylus will start charging. The Apple Pencil 2 can do the same trick, but the Neo Pro costs less than half as much.
Adonit’s stylus can do most of what Apple’s can, as it offers tilt sensitivity and palm rejection. All it’s missing is pressure sensitivity.
These wireless earbuds are a great and affordable AirPods alternative. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past few years, you likely already know that the iPhone no longer comes with a headphone jack. And Apple certainly doesn’t ship its smartphones with a free set of AirPods — the third-generation wireless earbuds retail for $179.
Want a more affordable option? Then you might consider these Flux 7 TWS Earbuds, which are on sale now for a wallet-friendly sum of just $25.99 (regularly $99).
Apple is looking to make the Apple Watch in Vietnam. Photo: Apple
Apple is looking to assemble MacBooks and Apple Watches in Vietnam to diversify its supply chain. The company’s vendors have so far manufactured these products in China.
Apple suppliers already assemble AirPods, iPads, and iPhone chargers in Vietnam. After China, it is the second largest manufacturing hub for the company.
Sidney honors a legend and his legacy as an iconic actor, filmmaker and activist. Photo: Apple TV+
Sidney Poitier was the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Actor. His willingness to stand up to racism made him both loved and hated in 1960s America. An Apple TV+ documentary honoring his life and legacy premieres September 23.
A trailer for the film, called simply Sidney, debuted Tuesday.
Use this digital microscope to get an up-close look at the tiny world with your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
iPhones and iPads offer plenty of valuable features, but with the right accessories, you can turn them into bonafide educational tools. For example, this Wi-Fi microscope adds a new dimension to your iOS devices and Macs, turning them into a fun way to explore the world in miniature for $55.95 (regularly $69).
Spotify is offering a three-month free trial to new subscribers for a limited time. The music streaming service typically has a one-month trial period.
If you are a former Spotify Premium user, you can resubscribe by paying just $9.99 for three months.
iOS 16 beta 6 is a little light on changes. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
With iOS 16 likely just a month away from release, Apple is picking up the tempo of beta releases of the operating system. Apple seeded iOS 16 beta 6 Monday, a mere seven days after the fifth beta. Along with that increase in release speed, the latest beta packs only minor changes.
As iOS 16 nears its stable launch, we are going to see Apple focus more on squashing bugs and improving the overall stability instead of adding new features or tweaking things around.
It's glamorous, but it's not over-the-top glamorous. Photo: Goldenerre
Sometimes you want to glam it up a bit, but not so much that you look silly at the laundromat. If you’d like an Apple Watch band that you can look good wearing at the burger joint, the French restaurant and the gala black-tie benefit, look no further. Goldenerre’s Starburst Apple Watch Band has you covered.
And it’s available now for a staggering 66% off in the Cult of Mac Store. That’s a savings of $56!
Drops and spills are no problem for the Zagg Rugged Pro Connect. Photo: Zagg
The Zagg Rugged Pro Connect keyboard and case for iPad can take what life dishes out. It has 2 meters of drop protection, it is water resistant, the keys won’t pop off, and there’s a snap-on screen protector.
The case fits multiple generations of the 10.2-inch budget iPad, and is available starting Tuesday.
★★★★☆
One of the few features an iPad Pro is missing is a handle. FlipBook Case has that handled. Photo: Pitaka
The Apple Magic Keyboard is a great way to get work done on your iPad, but it’s not a particularly secure way to transport the tablet. The Pitaka FlipBook Case wraps around the Apple Magic Keyboard and iPad Pro or iPad Air to both protect them and add a handle. It even includes a pocket.
I took the leather-and-carbon-fiber case for a spin. Here’s what I found.
If you've been wanting an M1 Pro MacBook, don't miss this opportunity. Photo: Apple
Amazon surfaced the lowest prices ever on certain 2021 MacBook Pro laptops Tuesday, including 14-inch and 16-inch models. Specifically, there are three options featuring the M1 Pro chip and different sizes of solid state drive (SSD).
If you’re in the market for one of those, act fast. Deals where you can lop $300 off the the usual prices don’t usually last long.
Let your MacBook stand up and take a stand with the Twelve South Curve Flex. Photo: Twelve South
With Twelve South’s Curve Flex, a MacBook can tilt up slightly or be elevated almost two feet off a desktop. The laptop stand is designed to be, well, flexible. It’s also portable.
Lifetime subscriptions to Prism Drive secure cloud storage are on sale during our Back to Education event. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
As far as remote file storage goes, iCloud is pretty great. It connects seamlessly to your Apple devices, is reliable and reasonably cheap. But it’s not perfect. For example, if you’re a college student or learning a new skill, you might need more storage space to house all your project files.
For situations like that, Prism Drive makes for an excellent and inexpensive Plan B. And right now, lifetime subscriptions are on sale during our Back to Education event.
With the Plugable UD-6950PDH on your desktop, your Mac can have 13 more ports and two more 4K monitors. Photo: Plugable
The Plugable UD-6950PDH is a just-launched USB-C dock that lets Mac users add a wide variety of accessories via a whopping 13 ports. And that includes a pair of 4K monitors even on Macs that not designed to handle that many.
On top of that, the dock offers 100W of power for charging high-end MacBooks.
Not for Windows users. Das Keyboard promises MacTigr provides "a premium Mac typing experience." Photo: Das Keyboard
Unlike so many keyboards, the MacTigr is specifically for Mac. The designers at Das Keyboard included Mac-specific keys in a low-profile mechanical keyboard made of high-quality materials.
In addition to Cherry MX Low Profile Red mechanical switches, the accessory is packed with extra features, like a volume knob, sleep button and even a two-port USB-C hub.
Save big on a lifetime subscription to this top-rated mindfulness app. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
No one wants to admit it, but our iPhones can sometimes be black holes. Mobile games and social media can sap our attention and damper our productivity. On the flip side, your smartphone can help bring you to a better headspace and alleviate your stress and anxiety, thanks to all the mindfulness apps you can try.
One example is the Mindfulness.com app. For a limited time, you can purchase a lifetime Plus Plan for $69.99 (regularly $399), courtesy of our Back to Education campaign, which ends August 24.
Life By Ella premieres globally September 2, 2022 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+
Life By Ella follows a teen as she takes herself in a bold new direction: She’s going to seize every day and experience everything she was afraid to do before. The kids and family series debuts September 2 on Apple TV+.
Apple posted an extremely upbeat trailer for the upcoming show Monday.
AirVersa's new Purelle air purifier works with HomeKit as well as the Thread wireless networking protocol. Photo: AirVersa
AirVersa’s new Purelle Smart Air Purifier for HomeKit came out on Amazon in the U.S. on Saturday. According to the company, it’s the first air purifier to support the Thread networking standard.
That Thread support will be important when the Matter home automation standard starts helping devices made by different makers work well together.
Two Studio Displays offer identical color consistency. Photo: [email protected]
If there’s one thing Apple displays are known for, it’s high prices. OK — all joking aside — if there are two things they’re known for, it’s crisp, accurate colors and being worth the price for that level of quality.
After all, those who work or play with graphics, photos, video or animation need great color.
And if you go dual-display, it helps if they’re the same model. Today’s featured Mac Studio setup, for example, corrected mismatched displays and the resulting color inconsistency by adding a second Studio Display.
Christopher Walken, John Turturro and Zach Cherry in “Severance” on Apple TV+. The series won 5 awards from the Hollywood Critics Association. Photo: Apple TV+
Two of the best-loved shows on Apple TV+ — Severance and Ted Lasso — took home honors over the weekend from the Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards.
Severance won five awards, including Best Drama, and Ted Lasso won two awards, including Best Comedy. Apple TV+ topped all streaming services with 53 nominations overall.
★★★★☆
I've already accidentally added some "character" to this fine leather iPhone case. You know, scratches. Maybe they'll fade or blend in as the patina develops. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Whether you’re getting an iPhone 13 series handset at a discount because iPhone 14 is coming soon or you just want to change up your case for the iPhone you already have, you can’t go wrong with the tasteful and tough Journey iPhone 13 Leather Case.
The company sent me a MagSafe-compatible, tan-colored case for iPhone 13 Pro to try out. I found it a refreshing switch from the Apple clear MagSafe case I’d been using, which had begun to blacken at the corners over the past several months.