With TechMatte’s charging case, your Apple Pencil.is ready to use wherever you go. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The TechMatte Apple Pencil Gen 2 Charging Carrying Case juices up the iPad’s official stylus when it’s not attached to the tablet. It’s a secure place to carry the Apple Pencil around, and keep it topped off when you’re on the go.
I tested this charging accessory to be sure it lives up to its promises.
This MDM platform for Apple devices could ease your startup's productivity gridlock. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you’re a fan of Apple products, you’re not alone. And if you lead a company or organization that operates across a network of Apple devices, then you’re also not alone. In fact, 100% of Fortune 500 companies use Apple products.
Those with small (or no) IT departments may not have the resources to successfully manage all those Macs, iPhones and iPads. Without the proper approach, handling things like application distribution, inventory management, enforcement of security settings and everything else that comes into play when overseeing a group of devices can suck up a ton of time.
Mobile device management platform Jamf Now is here to help you set up, manage and make the most of your employees’ Apple devices.
Here's why devices are officially compatible with Studio Display. Photo: Apple
It requires a lot of bandwidth to drive the super-sharp 5K screen in Apple’s new Studio Display, and some devices just don’t cut it. Those hoping to use one with iPad Air will be disappointed to learn that a big upgrade is necessary.
Studio Display is only compatible with the fifth-generation iPad Air, announced during Apple’s big Peek Performance event on Tuesday. The fourth-generation model, released in October 2020, is left out in the cold — like iPad mini.
This dead-easy photo editing software comes with templates, plus lessons to teach you about photography. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
You don’t have to spend 12 hours waiting for the perfect shot to get a professional-quality photo. All you need is a good photo editor. The Complete Award-Winning Luminar AI Bundle does most of the work editing your photos for you — and makes all the rest easy.
And for just $39.99 (regularly $235), making the decision to get Luminar is a snap.
Apple is said to be planning a major MacBook Air refresh with an all-new design for 2022. But it may not get an “M2” chipset upgrade, as some rumors have suggested. It could also miss out on a mini-LED display.
Here’s what you can expect, according to one analyst who has proven reliable in the past.
Apple blew our minds this week with its all-new and somewhat unexpected Mac Studio. The diminutive desktop, which has the same footprint as Mac mini but is almost three times as tall, is by far Cupertino’s most powerful machine to date when you buy it with the incredible new M1 Ultra chip.
There’s just one problem with that. The impressive M1 Ultra model, which is significantly more powerful than even the fastest Mac Pro, starts at a whopping $3,999 — a considerable jump from the M1 Max model, which starts at $1,999. And I can’t work out how it’s so darn expensive!
The MacBooks, iMacs and Mac mini that were rumored for the “Peek Performance” event didn’t appear. Photo: Apple
When CEO Tim Cook left the stage at the end of Apple’s “Peek Performance” event, he took the hopes of many MacBook and iMac users with him. Because there was just one Mac introduced Tuesday, the Mac Studio.
But some of the computers not announced are still expected to launch. Just not now. Here are the Macs we didn’t get, and which ones to look for from Apple in the coming months.
Take back your sleep with this streaming service.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
How do you feel when you don’t get a good night’s sleep? Sluggish? Slow? Unproductive?
If you’re looking for a way to get to sleep and stay asleep, Restflix may offer a solution. And thanks to a new price cut, you can get a lifetime subscription to this sleep app for just $99.99. That’s 83% off the normal price of $599. (One- and three-year subscriptions are also available.)
Luck, which features a dragon voiced by Jane Fonda, is just one of the star-studded films coming to Apple TV+. Photo: Apple
Apple kicked off Tuesday’s Peek Performance event with a look at the upcoming Apple TV+ slate of movies — and it’s not a very pretty picture.
You can look forward to the kind of forgettable, star-studded stuff that Netflix has become so adept at providing a rapacious public, most of whom seem just as eager to forget these types of movies exist. While promising Martin Scorsese film Killers of the Flower Moon remains free of both a release date and a trailer, the Apple TV+ sizzle real showcased several upcoming movies that don’t inspire confidence.
Tim Cook wears the colors of the Ukrainian national flag during the Peek Performance event. Screenshot: Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook doesn’t often wear colorful Apple watch bands, but he made an exception during Apple’s Peek Performance event on Tuesday.
Cook emceed the event wearing an eye-catching yellow Sport band. Paired with his blue sweater, Cook seemed to be making a subtle gesture of support for the embattled country (yellow and blue are the colors of the Ukrainian national flag).
Apple seeded to developers release candidates for all of its operating systems. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple seeded to developers the release candidates of macOS Monterey 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4 on Tuesday. That’s the final step before introducing them to the public, which will finally give Mac and iPad users access to the long-delayed Universal Control.
The iOS 15.4 Release Candidate also went to developers, so iPhone users will soon be able to unlock their iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask. Plus, the watchOS 8.5 RC and tvOS 15.4 RC were seeded as well.
Apple's new M1 Ultra chip is the most powerful one ever in a personal computer. Photo: Apple
When Apple rolled out the first M1 chip in late 2020, it seemed like a pretty big jump forward. Then the new M1 Pro and M1 Max in MacBook Pro models blew people away in October 2021. Now the Cupertino tech giant calls its latest M1 Ultra chip in the new Mac Studio desktop computer “the next giant leap for Apple silicon and the Mac.”
It’s almost like when Neil Armstrong got back from taking “one giant leap for mankind” on the moon in 1969 — if someone had told him, “you can toss that jalopy you went up in. Now we’ve got a real spaceship for ya.”
Apple said at its “Peek Performance” event Tuesday that the M1 Ultra is “the world’s most powerful chip for a personal computer.”
A larger iMac with Apple silicon is expected later this year. Photo: Apple
After gracing us with its jaw-dropping Mac Studio and 27-inch Studio Display on Tuesday, Apple finally discontinued the aging 27-inch iMac. The machine is no longer available to purchase through official Apple retail channels.
It’s probably not gone for good, however. Cupertino is rumored to be working on a larger iMac model that could appear alongside other new Mac models — including a new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro — later this year.
The Apple Studio Display, revealed Tuesday alongside the new Mac Studio desktop, finally brings a high-end Apple monitor at a more-affordable price point.
Like the MacBook Pro and Pro Display XDR, the new 27-inch 5K monitor features TrueTone, P3 wide color gamut, studio-quality microphones, a six-speaker sound system, a thin bezel and optional nano-texture glass. But at $1,599, it costs just a fraction of the Pro Display XDR’s eye-watering price.
“The Studio Display is in a class of its own,” said Nicole Kordes, Apple’s engineering program manager for Mac, during Tuesday’s Peek Performance event. “Along with a gorgeous screen. It’s loaded with incredible features that no other desktop display can deliver. And it provides that integrated experience Mac users love.”
Apple TV+ will stream Friday night baseball games as soon as these are available again. Photo: Apple
Apple and Major League Baseball announced “Friday Night Baseball,” a weekly doubleheader with live pre- and postgame shows on Apple TV+. This is the first live sports available on the streaming service. And it won‘t require a subscription. At least not at first.
Of course, at this point there is no baseball. The MLB and players union are fighting over money, and the 2022 season is in jeopardy.
Mac Studio is by far Apple's fastest desktop to date. Photo: Apple
Apple on Tuesday gave us our first glimpse at its brand-new Mac Studio — its first desktop featuring the M1 Ultra chip. It’s bigger than a Mac mini but smaller than a Mac Pro, and it’s the most powerful machine Apple has built to date.
Its M1 Ultra chip makes Mac Studio twice as fast as a high-end MacBook Pro, with a 20-core CPU, 64-core GPU, and up to 128GB of unified memory. And it’s still amazingly efficient.
The new iPhone SE is available is available in the same colors as before, but it's much-improved on the inside. Photo: Apple
As widely predicted, Apple launched its third-generation iPhone SE during its “Peek Performance” event Tuesday. The new entry-level handset features 5G connectivity, a speedy A15 Bionic chipset, improved battery life, greater durability and up to 256GB of storage, Apple said.
And it will cost $429, a not-too-painful bump over the previous model’s $399 price tag.
The iPad Air gets a major speed boost with a Mac-quality processor. Screenshot: Apple
The iPad Air 5 is one of the highlights of Apple’s March product event. While not a redesign, the new midrange tablet offers a faster processor, Center Stage support and other improvements.
“With the breakthrough M1 chip, Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage, and ultra-fast 5G, iPad Air is now more powerful, more capable, and simply more fun than ever,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s head of marketing.
Green is the iPhone color of the day. Photo: Apple
Apple added two new green finishes to its iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro lineups Tuesday to generate a colorful midseason jolt of excitement.
“Today we’re introducing two gorgeous new finishes,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook during the streamed “Peek Performance” event. “iPhone 13 looks stunning in this bold new green with its precision-milled back glass and color-matched aluminum edges. And iPhone 13 Pro in a sophisticated new alpine green joins the most Pro lineup we’ve ever created.”
Get yours today to bag free shipping! Photo: BluShark
If you would like your Apple Watch to look a little less like a piece of highly polished tech, check out BluShark’s new vintage leather band.
Made from ethically sourced ostrich and crocodile leathers, it gives your smartwatch a wonderfully rustic look — and it’s super-comfortable. It’s also surprisingly affordable at under $35, and if you order yours from the Cult of Mac Store today (March 8), you can also enjoy free shipping inside the U.S.
Sony's new Walkman models for 2022 are for audiophiles. Photo: Sony
Following up on high-end Walkman models released several years ago, Sony recently introduced two new Walkman digital audio players it reportedly plans to start selling in April for $1,600 and at least $3,200.
The pricier one is gold-plated. Just thought you should know, in case you were already reaching for your incredibly fat wallet.
Recent rumors indicate Apple’s fifth-generation iPad Air — which could be unveiled today during the company’s Peek Performance event — will match iPad Pro in performance. And they weren’t kidding, according to the latest leak.
In addition to a speedy M1 processor, the new midrange slate is expected to feature 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM as standard. That’s twice as much room for apps, games, music and movies than the most recent model offers.