Graphic designer and illustrator Terry Smelker’s workstation includes many interesting elements, like a specialized drawing tablet and a multimedia controller he uses along with his tricked-out MacBook Pro. But even if you’re not curious about his setup proper, get a load of that Apple gear collection! Fortunately, he provided plenty of photographs.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Apple’s design aesthetic,” he told Cult of Mac. And that started him on his collection of vintage Apple products, which complements the rest of his gear.

The Apple Watch Series 8 expected this fall won’t have better performance than its recent predecessors, according to a reliable tipster.

It will get other enhancements, though.

Sometimes it feels as though office equipment can sense when you’re in a hurry. You need a digital copy of a document, and your scanner picks that time to scan only a quarter page or reduce your print’s shading to the point that it looks like a ghost.

When you need a high-quality scan, fussing with hardware is probably the last thing you want to deal with. But what if you could scan documents using your iPhone? iScanner does just that, turning your trusty smartphone into a full-featured document scanner that’s easy to use and produces crystal-clear results.

Plus, lifetime iScanner subscriptions are available for just $39.99 (regularly $199) for a limited time.

Apple’s new M2 MacBook Pro ships with a notably slower SSD than its predecessor. Tests show the speed difference is as big as 50% in some scenarios.

Announced at WWDC22, the M2 MacBook Pro went on sale June 24.

Apple is working on a new HomePod that could launch next year with a new S8 chip. The smart speaker reportedly will be similar in size to the original HomePod rather than the HomePod mini.

Apple is also working on a powerful new Apple TV with an A14 chip and more RAM.

The Samsung USB Type-C Flash Drive adds up to 256GB of additional storage to Mac desktops and notebooks as well as most types of iPad. It can be easily switched among all of these, and other computers, too.

I tested the tiny drive with multiple devices, and it stood up quite well. Here’s why I love this speedy little accessory.

Apple could launch a new MacBook Air powered by a faster M3 processor as soon as next year.

The company also has a bunch of other Macs due for launch later in 2022 or early 2023. They will run on Apple’s new M2 chip, which powers the new 13-inch MacBook Pro as well as the upcoming M2 MacBook Air set for July launch, or the M2’s more powerful Pro/Ultra/Extreme variations.

Imagine you’re having an incredible time traveling abroad. After a night in yet another lovely hotel, you grab your iPhone, put on your Apple Watch, throw your iPad into a bag, and you’re off.

But if you forget even one of the chargers or cables for those devices, the rest of your trip will be wildly inconvenient (at least until you make it to an overpriced travel store). So streamline while you can. Carry one powerful charger for all your devices. Then get a 4-in-1 cable to connect them all to it.

Plus, get that four-way cable while it’s on sale for $17.99 (regularly $34), and you can spend your savings on a couple of chocolate croissants and some fine European coffee.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The first reviews for the new M2 MacBook Pro are … not good.

Also on The CultCast:

• Benchmarks for Apple’s new M2 chip continue to impress, but you can expect even more amazing performance boosts later this year.
• What the upcoming CarPlay update is really about.
• Apple TV+ has another hit on its hands with For All Mankind.

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.

Our sponsor: CleanMyMac X

CleanMyMac X, from Ukrainian developer MacPaw, is a decluttering app for Mac that can keep your computer in tip-top shape. It includes 49 tools to find and delete invisible junk clogging your hard drive. Cult of Mac publisher Leander Kahney swears by CleanMyMac X (instead of swearing at it, as he does with most apps).

Get CleanMyMac X today with 5% off at macpaw.app/cultcast. Discount valid until June 30.

This post is brought to you by Chargie.

We know, you hate it when you wake up in the morning and your phone is warm from last night’s charging session (especially in the summer). We also hate it when you miss calls or flights when your phone dies because the battery doesn’t hold up like it used to.

You can easily put an end to this mess with Chargie, brought to you by a guy who one autumn afternoon said, “That’s it!” after almost missing his flight home because of a dying phone battery. Ovidiu Sandru’s device now has over 25,000 customers worldwide and has been protecting phone batteries since May 2019.

You probably don’t want to come home to find your precious little one has torn open your MacBook, even in the name of learning. They might discover what a circuit board looks like, but at what cost?

That’s why you should foster your child’s STEM interest in a way that keeps your electronics off the chopping block. The CrowPi2 offers a fantastic starting point for kids who want something to tinker with. Plus, it’s on sale for $319.99 (regularly $329).

Rumors of an Apple Watch Explorer Edition started last year, when Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple was working on ruggedized smartwatch designed specifically for athletes. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, from TF International Securities, added fuel to the fire last December, claiming that an “extreme sports version” could debut in 2022.

This month at WWDC, Apple’s focus on new fitness features for watchOS 9 lent further credence to these rumors. As a fitness-fanatic myself, all this hype has got me pretty excited. It inspired me to create these Photoshop mockups, exclusively for Cult of Mac, to explore exactly what the Explorer Edition might look like.

You’ve tried staring at your MacBook, but you still can’t grasp what your professor’s lecture notes mean. You might have heard how important studying is, but nobody teaches anyone how to study.

Hint: There’s more to it than reading.

If you want to learn how to study, the 2022 Perfect Score Academic Success Master Class Bundle gives you lifetime access to practical study skills that actually work — for only $49 (regularly $699).

It goes without saying that AirPods Pro 2 will offer better sound. Duh. But Apple also will add some surprise features to the next generation of its earbuds, according to a new leak. That includes heart rate detection and a new hearing aid feature.

Plus, the charging case supposedly will make the switch to USB-C, to match reports that iPhone 15 will dump the Lightning port.

Apple streamlined the subscription-management interfaces on iPhone and iPad Friday.

The new look adds spacing between separate subscriptions. And it makes telling which subscriptions are active and inactive a little more clear at a glance.

Apple TV+ murder mystery Now and Then draws to a simmering close this week.

Pedro has lost his campaign, but there’s always more to lose. Ana is ready to turn on him. Sofia’s troubles catch up with her. Marcos suspects his father. Flora suspects her best friend. Hugo suspects Sofia. And there’s only an hour to wrap things up.

It’s been a marvelous bit of sensationalism from start to finish. If we get a second season of this bilingual thriller, it will be a welcome development.

It’s official: Netflix is adding a cheaper ad-supported tier to its streaming service. The change is apparently intended to reverse a recent drop in subscribers.

It’s part of a trend, as rival streaming service Disney+ announced this spring it is making the same move.

Continue reading

Apple TV+ alt-history hit For All Mankind makes all the right moves this week, then immediately blows a 26-point lead in the last inning.

For once, the dramatic arcs thrown at Margo, Karen, Dev, Aleida and Kelly all seem pretty satisfying and not at all cheap or hyperbolic. Then the writers ensure we won’t see how any of that plays out, instantly turning this from one of the show’s best episodes into its most frustrating yet.

But hey, at least we’re going to Mars, I guess.

An updated MacBook Pro – the first laptop to run on the powerful new Apple M2 processor – hit store shelves Friday morning. The chip makes it the fastest 13-inch notebook in Apple’s lineup.

The company unveiled the M2 chip  three weeks ago at its Worldwide Developers Conference. It also took the wraps off the first two laptops to run on it: the just-launched MacBook Pro and a redesigned MacBook Air that is coming in July.

Air Twister combines the fun of flying with the challenge of fighting off invaders. The endless shooter debuted Friday, June 24 through the Apple Arcade subscription service.

It’s from legendary game creator Yu Suzuki.

Mounts can make the most of a computer setup. They can mobilize so much of your gear — computers, displays, microphones — so you can use them when you need them and push them out of the way when you don’t, opening up desk space. And you can minutely adjust their positioning, too.

Today’s featured MacBook Pro and Mac Studio computer setup takes advantage of mounts for the computers, display, video camera and microphone.

In the market for an Apple Watch 7, or maybe the more-affordable Apple Watch SE? Amazon discounted both on Friday, so now could be the time to make that purchase.

Check out the deals below.

This week on Apple TV+ aerobics opera Physical, its star self-help guru buys a whiteboard and the show itself backslides. After a promising showing last week, Physical reverts to its worst tendencies.

Danny is still unbearably pretentious and selfish. Sheila is still a misanthropic jerk to absolutely everybody. John is becoming more desperate by the minute. And Greta indulges in a threesome. None of this constitutes real news or development on this show. But since Physical doesn’t really know what it wants to say, this is just how it goes most weeks.

This post on discount Microsoft software is brought to you by Keysbuff.

Software activation keys provider Keysbuff.com lets you grab great deals on software through the end of June. Cult of Mac readers can save up to 91% off the full price on Windows 10 — and uncover significant savings on lots of other Microsoft software, too. See the list below and click on the links.

If bargains like that sound good, just 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 others.

Chris Evans, star of Marvel Studios’ Captain America movie series, gave the internet a bit of a thrill when he finally said goodbye to his trusty iPhone 6s with a lovely little eulogy Thursday.

The iPhone 6s came out in 2015 and ceased new sales in 2018. Now it’s 2022, and it looks like Cap has, at long last, woken up to the iPhone 13.