Photographer and writer Chris Denbow puts an interesting twist on his computer setup. He credits its “Dark Mode” — which is obvious in the photographs of the desk and the room, but extends to the machines and the software he uses — for boosting his focus and creativity. He said the dark theme gives him a “space dedicated to creativity.”

“Introducing ‘Dark Mode,’ a minimal, monochromatic home office/workspace that helps eliminate distractions, [and] allows focus and productivity,” Denbow told Cult of Mac.

An issue amateur drone pilots face taking photos or shooting footage is that the drone itself often shows up in the shot. Then, if they want to make that aerial photography perfect, they — or someone they pay — has to edit the drone out afterwards.

Insta360 said Tuesday it solved that problem with it’s new Sphere, a 360-degree camera specially designed to keep the drone “invisible.”

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

Keysbuff’s End of May Sale offers you the chance to get great deals on software. Cult of Mac readers will find deep discounts from the software activation keys provider. You can save up to 90% off the full price on Windows 10 — and score great savings on lots of other Microsoft software, too.

To grab these great bargains, 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 in the list below. You can purchase many of these products with lifetime licenses.

Apple TV+ is trying to kill me, specifically, the guy writing this. They’re trying to kill me. Send help. I am begging you, find someone, call the United Nations. You see, Apple TV+ bought Carpool Karaoke from The Late Late Show With James Corden — and it’s bringing the dreadful reality show back for another season.

The only saving grace is that Corden is not here, presumably because he’s harvesting the tears of children. There’s puff journalism, and then there’s treating the idea of Carpool Karaoke as some beloved cultural fixture and allowing celebrities the chance to “prove” how well they can sing and how fun they are.

Microsoft confirmed Friday it’s developing a low-cost streaming device that would allow users to play Xbox games and stream media without needing a full console. That could directly compete with Apple TV.

Meanwhile, Apple’s product — sometimes criticized as overpriced — may see a less-expensive iteration later this year, according to analysts.

A dearth of local golf courses shouldn’t stop you from hitting the links. It turns out, you can play golf on some of the most famous courses in the world — from your living room. And you don’t even have to risk your windows to do it.

The Phigolf smart golf simulator is an incredibly lifelike golf simulator that puts you in some of the most famous courses in the world without ever needing to put on shoes.

But this is your last chance to grab it at a great price! If you pick up Phigolf with swing stick before May 31 during Cult of Mac Deals’ Memorial Day sale, you can get it for only $179.

A bill aimed at regulating Big Tech is reportedly losing support in the U.S. Senate. The fate of the American Choice and Innovation Online Act is now in question.

It is a Democratic proposal but some Senate Democrats are leery about voting for it in an election year.

“Here he comes. Here comes Speed Racer.” The theme song to the classic cartoon could be referring to a live-action Speed Racer series reportedly headed for Apple TV+.

It’ll supposedly have J.J. Abrams as executive producer.

Whether you’re nostalgic for early Macintoshes or you simply like the cuter things in life, Shargeek has the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for you. You can join the campaign at a low, early-bird price to get the company’s new Retro 35 GaN Charger. It looks just like a toy version of an original Macintosh, complete with a little smile on its screen.

And with 35W of power, it can readily charge up laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Traveling is expensive, so you want to make sure you have a great time while you’re abroad. Sometimes that means hitting the best tourism spots or knowing where the prettiest views are. Or it means knowing the language and being able to talk to the locals and learn where they think the best spots are.

Learn to travel smarter with The 2022 Ultimate Travel Bundle. It will show you how to make your experience one to write home about. And for a limited time, it costs only $29.99 (regularly $2,079).

Actor Ray Liotta, famous for his roles in Goodfellas, Field of Dreams, Cop Land and other films and TV shows, died in his sleep Thursday at age 67, his publicist said.

Liotta also stars in the upcoming Apple TV+ drama series Black Bird, set to premiere on July 8.

Lucky attendees who get to visit Apple Park for a special WWDC22 developer day are getting the red carpet treatment, including caviar for breakfast.

The menu for the event includes a smoked salmon and caviar bagel made from “house smoked salmon, mascarpone cream, Tobiko black caviar, Persian cucumber, [and] micro horseradish,” which asks more questions than it answers. What on earth is micro horseradish?

Update: That “massive $450 discount” proved extremely popular. It sold out incredibly quickly, which sometimes happens. You can still get other deals on iPad Pro at the links below, though.

Apple’s excellent M1 iPad Pro is available on Amazon with massive discounts of up to $450.

With a powerful M1 chip and large display, the iPad Pro could become your ideal workstation when you are on the move.

We’ve all heard the “sad trombone” sound. Well, today all brass is happy — or at least some brass, down south in Alabama — because Apple CEO Tim Cook just gave his alma mater’s band program a donation to the tune of $100,000.

Cook played trombone in the Robertsdale High School band in Robertdale, Alabama, near Mobile. He graduated in 1978, on his way to an engineering degree from Auburn University and later an MBA from Duke University.

Some sources suggest Apple TV+ has already signed a deal for the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. Now a new report say the football league’s planned NFL Plus streaming service could sweeten the deal for Apple — or another winning bidder, as the case may turn out to be.

The two services together on Apple TV+ could offer fans a great selection of viewing options.

Apple employees can to look forward to raises. The company sent an email to its workers informing them it’ll spend more on employee compensation this year. And starting pay for retail workers is going up 10%.

This is happening as Apple faces increasing competition for employees in a tight labor market, and its retail workers are starting to unionize.

A smartwatch doesn’t need to come with a hefty price tag. While it might not boast all the advanced features of the latest Apple Watch Series 7, the ChronoWatch C-Max Call Time smartwatch gets the job done just fine. And it’s definitely a bargain when you consider the Series 7’s starting price of $399.

This affordable smartwatch comes with many common features related to health, fitness, productivity and entertainment. It works with iPhones as well as Android devices. And it’s on sale for just $49.99 (regularly $159).

Created by former Apple employee Christian Selig, Apollo for Reddit is hands-down the best Reddit reader out there. Forget the official Reddit client for iOS and iPadOS – Apollo is the app I return to day after day when it comes to exploring the fascinating world of Reddit.

In my view, the official Reddit app feels like a rehashed version of Reddit’s freewheeling website. Meanwhile, Apollo is a proper piece of mobile software — the real McCoy, if you will. It gives you a fantastically effective interface for digesting the mountain of news and topical info posted by Reddit’s millions of users.

Now don’t get me wrong. Apollo is by no means swish, flash and fancy. It’s instead the exact opposite – stripped-down and streamlined. But believe me: When it comes to browsing Reddit while on the move, this app gets the job done.

Haitong International Securities analyst Jeffy Pu has provided more insight into the iPhone 14’s production delay and revealed that the production of the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max has been the worse affected by the lockdown in China.

A supply chain report from earlier in the week claimed that iPhone 14’s production was running behind schedule.

Apple TV users should install a system software patch released Wednesday. tvOS 15.5.1 apparently fixes a small bug in the latest big update, which Apple released last week.

The patch comes out in unison with a small update to HomePod software.

A cluttered email inbox is as aggravating as it is common. Everyone deals with it, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with it.

Instead of constant distractions, and sifting through piles of unnecessary and unwanted emails, you can take control of your inbox. Finally achieve that fabled zen state known as inbox zero with a lifetime subscription to the Mailman email manager.

It’s a web browser plugin that works with Apple Mail, Gmail and other popular email clients. And it’s on sale for a limited time.

You don’t have to wait months for Apple to finally show off the iPhone 14: A collection of renders based on the most reliable leaks gives the best look yet at the upcoming device. That includes the replacement for the screen notch, the expected changes to the camera hump and more.

As a bonus, the renders show the upcoming handset in purple, which supposedly will be an option.

Games played on iPhone and Android represents 61% of the overall gaming market, according to two market analysis firms. And mobile’s lead over PC and console gaming is growing.

The total gaming market is set to hit $222 billion in 2022. For comparison, global film revenue for 2019 (the last pre-pandemic year) was $42.5 billion.

Ikea, known for a growing array of smart home products in recent years, said Wednesday it will soon replace it’s HomeKit-compatible Tradfri gateway with a new hub and Home app that support the upcoming Matter standard.

Matter is a smart-home technology standard Apple, Amazon, Google, the Connectivity Standards Alliance and others are working on to make smart home-automation products work together — even when they come from different brands.

We don’t run across huge numbers of computer setups online driven by M1 MacBook Air laptops. When a laptop is the main computer, it’s more often a MacBook Pro.

But a MacBook Air powered by an M1 chip is a formidable machine, whether you’re tossing it in your knapsack for work on the go or leaving it on a stand on your desk, jacked into a USB-C hub and external display.

An M1 MacBook Air drives today’s featured setup — located in Germany — which also features some interesting bits and pieces we haven’t seen elsewhere. Those are a nifty Marshall wireless speaker and a foot hammock.