Apple’s new Focus feature is like Do Not Disturb on steroids. It is much smarter than the Do Not Disturb of old. Since not all work or relaxation is created equal, you can set up Focus modes for specific situations to keep unwanted distractions at bay.

When you’re working, you might want email and Slack to come through, unless you’re in a meeting.

When you’re at home, you may want most notifications to come through, but not if you’re having have friends over, playing games or watching a show.

This article will cover setting up Focus modes on iOS 15. If you have the latest iPhone, a brand-new Mac or you’ve kept up with software updates, you’ll want to check out our guide for iOS 16.

If you have an old device and you want to see how Focus modes work, keep reading.

Pretty much anyone with gear powered by electricity — like a computer setup — can tell you how pervasive a problem cable clutter can be. Dealing with cable management is nobody’s favorite task, though, so it often goes unaddressed. And yet certain products, like cable blocks, go a long way toward solving the thorny problem.

Function 101 Cable Blocks are perfect for keeping your cables neatly arranged and within reach, rather than splayed all over the place. And you can get them for 30% off today in the Cult of Mac Store. It’s the last day of the sale.

Aura Devices updated its health-metrics-focused smart band for Apple Watch Wednesday by slimming it down and adding a fitness-oriented subscription service.

The second-generation Aura Strap 2 records metrics like body fat percentage, muscle density and water levels.

Only one day after Cupertino discontinued the iPod touch, its last dedicated portable music player, some configurations are already sold out in the Apple Store. Others remain for sale “while supplies last,” as Apple said of its fast-dwindling stock.

Looking to get the best possible deal on the M1 Mac mini? Amazon is just brought back its whopping $129 discount on the machine. That means you pay just $569.99 — down from the Mac mini’s retail price of $699.

A coupon, automatically applied at checkout for a limited time, makes this the lowest price for the M1 Mac mini so far.

Apple products are famously not cheap. So much so that some people will go to considerable lengths to avoid shelling out for a new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or iPad with keyboard. Today’s featured computer setup belongs to a traveling musician (famously not rich).

He takes his Mac mini on the road with him. Of course, with a Mac mini, you also need some sort of display and input devices, as in a keyboard and a mouse or trackpad. And you have to find room and set it all up wherever you lay your head.

Is it worth it? For some people, it is. We’ll explain why.

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Mophie’s latest ultra-compact USB-C wall chargers, containing gallium nitride (GaN), are available exclusively at Apple or Mophie’s parent company Zagg, the companies said Wednesday.

The Mophie Speedport chargers, designed to power up iPhone, iPads and Macs, come in 30W and 67W sizes.

According to a new report, the European Commission could release a draft law this week requiring tech companies like Apple and Google to better police their platforms for illegal images of child sexual abuse, known as CSAM.

The law would require tech companies to detect, remove and report images to law enforcement.

The internet isn’t the only way to stay connected. A powerful AM/FM/shortwave radio can link you to music, news and sports from around the world. And it can come in handy for staying informed while you’re traveling — or keeping entertained while you’re camping

The Elite Mini AM/FM/Shortwave Radio with Digital Tuner can do all that and more. And for a limited time, it’s on sale for $24.99 (regularly $34).

It looks like Apple is finally preparing to make the switch to USB-C on its iPhone lineup. Based on his latest supply-chain survey, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts Apple will ditch the Lightning connector and switch to USB-C on the iPhone 15 in 2023.

Netflix has so far shied away from showing ads on its platform, and unlike many other streaming services, it does not offer a cheaper ad-supported tier. However, that reportedly will change by the end of the year.

The streaming service is also looking to end password sharing around the same time. So, if you have been leeching off your ex-girlfriend’s Netflix account, know that it won’t last long.

According to a new prediction, a pill-and-hole display design will replace the notch on all four iPhone 15 models scheduled for release next year. In the upcoming iPhone 14 series, the new design is expected only on the two Pro models.

The prognostication also looks ahead to all sensors and front cameras going under the display starting with some iPhone 16 models. The predictions come in the form of a road map of upcoming releases that display industry consultant Ross Young tweeted Tuesday.

Whatever industry you work in or interests you have, everyone needs their own website. And over time, you’ll probably want to launch more than one. That means you’ll need somewhere to host them. And one of the world’s most recommended options, DoRoyal Eternal Kingdom Lifetime Website Hosting, is on sale today for just $49 (regular price $300).

Adobe’s Photoshop on the iPad just got some very useful features carried over from the desktop version, including Content-Aware Fill and Remove Background. Plus, Select Subject got a human-centric update. These make it easier to remove objects from images, or put new backgrounds behind subjects.

In addition, Adobe gave its Fresco painting application for iPad the Liquify and Magic Wand functions on Tuesday.

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The following is from the introduction to The Cult of iPod, my 2005 book about the massive impact of the tiny music player. Introduced in 2001, the iPod quickly became one of the most important gadgets of all time. It transformed Apple and it brought a lot of joy into people’s lives. All told, Apple sold about 400 million iPods before officially pulling the plug on the device Tuesday.

I hope this intro captures why I loved the iPod, as did millions of other people.

Excerpt from The Cult of iPod

Fire, the wheel, and the iPod. In the history of invention, gadgets don’t come more iconic than Apple’s digital music player. The iPod is to the 21st century what the big band was to the ’20s, the radio to the ’40s, or the juke-box to the ’50s — the signature technology that defines the musical culture of the era. And what a marvelous technology the iPod is. Inside Apple’s little white box is magic, pure magic, in the guise of music.

Soon after Apple officially killed the iPod on Tuesday, users flooded Twitter with remembrances of the little music player that changed the world when it barged onto the scene in 2001.

From tech influencers to industry analysts to garden-variety music lovers — you know, the folks whose ears lit up when Apple gave them a device that put 1,000 songs in their pockets — it was a genuine iPod lovefest.

Here are some of the finest tributes to the iPod.

The robotics engineering student who made a name for himself replacing an iPhone’s Lightning connector with USB-C is at it again. But this time he’s bringing a USB-C AirPods charging case into the world for the first time.

Ken Pillonel got $86,000 for the iPhone. No word yet on whether crazy money will come his way for the AirPods case.

It’s the end of an era — Apple has stopped making the once-iconic iPod. The little music player helped save Apple, and made the company a powerhouse in the music industry, but its day is over.

The last model is the iPod touch, which “will be available while supplies last,” Apple said Tuesday in a press release.

Editor’s note: We originally published this illustrated history of the iPod to celebrate the device’s 10th anniversary on Oct. 22, 2011 (and updated it a decade later). We republished it on May 10, 2022, when Apple finally pulled the plug on the iPod.

The iPod grew out of Steve Jobs’ digital hub strategy. Life was going digital. People were plugging all kinds of devices into their computers: digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players.

The computer was the central device, the “digital hub,” that could be used to edit photos and movies or manage a large music library. Jobs tasked Apple’s programmers with making software for editing photos, movies and managing digital music. While they were doing this, they discovered that all the early MP3 players were horrible. Jobs asked his top hardware guy, Jon Rubinstein, to see if Apple could do better.

Six months after its launch, people are still griping about Apple Watch Series 7. Even our own Lewis and Erfon recently agreed on The CultCast that Series 7 wasn’t worth the upgrade.

Many have moaned that it lacks new features, with some even suggesting it was a last-minute rush-job on Cupertino’s part. Personally, I don’t believe a word of it. I love my Series 7 and I think the haters have got it all wrong. Here’s why.

For a brief period, the Saudi Aramco oil giant took over from Apple as the world’s most valuable company. A rally on Tuesday has since put the Mac-maker back on top, but all it would take is another bad day on Wall Street for Apple to lose the title again.

This comes after Apple has lost over 14% of its value in 2022, while Aramco gained about 28%.

DJI launched its newest consumer drone Tuesday, the compact and lightweight Mini Pro 3. It’s just light enough so you don’t have to register it with the Federal Aviation Administration. Folded up, it fits in the palm of your hand.

And it packs features associated with bigger, pricier drones, like a 48MP camera, 4K 60fps video and obstacle sensing.

One of the No. 1 stressors about traveling is money, and it’s not just the food at the airport terminal that comes with a sky-high price tag. However, with the right tools, you can save on every part of your travels, from flights to hotels and even the car you rent when you land.

A one-year subscription to Launching Travel will help you save on hotels, rental cars and more. And for a limited time, it’s on sale for just $29.99 (regularly $45).

Apple has started developing an OLED panel without a polarizer that will make them thinner than traditional displays.

Reportedly, these slim OLED panels are ideal for use in foldable displays. Samsung already uses OLED displays with similar technology on the Galaxy Z Fold3.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP of Services, is reportedly looking to restructure the company’s offerings to make a more significant push in streaming and advertising.

Apple’s services business has been growing rapidly over the last few years. It currently boasts more than 825 million paid subscribers.