Cult of Mac

OtterBox this week launched a replacement program for its unique OtterSpot batteries after confirming that some are susceptible to swelling.

Earlier versions of the battery, which are designed to stack so that multiple units can be charged simultaneously, will be swapped at no cost for those who contact OtterBox support.

You don’t need a full lab setup to see the tiny details of the world. This WiFi Digital Microscope can magnify up to 1,000X and is on sale for just $55.95 (regularly $69).

Connect this powerful digital microscope directly to your smartphone and see a new side of the world around you. It can magnify 50 to 1,000 times. At the highest level, you can make out individual cells in everyday organisms. You could see microscopic bacteria, the cellular structure of organic specimens, or even your own blood cells!

A shareholder advisory group is urging Apple investors to vote against a $99 million compensation package awarded to CEO Tim Cook last year.

Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) said it has “significant concerns” over the “design and magnitude” of the package — which is up $14.8 million from the year before. But it is Apple’s board, not investors, that make the final decision.

iOS and iPadOS 15.4 make a small but welcome change to the way in which Safari saves login information. As of the third beta release, which rolled out to developers on Tuesday, passwords without user names won’t be saved.

The change, which also applies to macOS 12.3 Monterey, means users will be prompted to add a user name before they can save a new password. It helps prevent a buildup of passwords you can’t remember the user names for.

If you own a MacBook Pro, an iPad Pro or any other power-hungry device, you are going to want to enter our latest giveaway. Cult of Mac is giving away 10 — count ’em, 10! — powerful GaN fast chargers from award-winning company Ugreen.

The 100W GaN fast charger packs three USB-C ports and one USB-A port, so it can charge up to four devices at once. If you want to stop using multiple charging blocks that take up all your power outlets, be sure to enter this giveaway.

Java is still one of the most useful coding languages in the world. You can master it with The Complete 2022 Java Coder Bundle.

On sale now for $39.99 (regularly $1,791), it’s a great way to learn Java — even for total beginners. (Don’t worry, advanced coders: This bundle offers plenty for you, too.)

You know those cool photographs that are half underwater and half above water? They’re called split photos. And a new waterproof case on Kickstarter called the SJPro Smartphone Mobile Mini Dome will let you take them with your iPhone, or almost any smartphone, for a pledge of $45.

New York’s attorney general issued a warning Wednesday about AirTags being used to secretly track people. And this is only the latest in a growing controversy over misuse of Apple’s tracking tags.

Perhaps Apple should drop the item tracker completely. At the very least, the functionality needs to be scaled way back.

There’s no better case for giving your iPad a unique look than the Twelve South BookBook Cover — no one else is going to have a tablet that looks like something Isaac Newton might have carried. Plus, this new addition to the BookBook line has room inside for a click-on keyboard.

I tried out this tablet case to see how well it stands up in ordinary use. And to be sure there’s really room inside for an iPad keyboard.

This text editor post is presented by UltraEdit. 

Whether you’re a blogger, a web editor or a software developer, automatic formatting can mess with your writing. That’s why you need a text editor, which is similar to a word processing program but lets you work with nothing but plain text and symbols.

If you write code, a text editor is the most important thing to have (after expertise in your coding language, of course). That’s true whether you use HTML or a more complex and powerful tool, like C++ or Python. But how do you pick a suitable text editor?

Pokémon Trading Card Game Live, the newest game from The Pokémon Company, enters beta testing on iOS and macOS next week before it makes its official debut. But there is a rather large catch (excuse the pun).

If you want to be one of the first to play Pokémon TCG Live, you must be Canadian.

Apple is making a number of nice design improvements to its Podcasts app in iOS 15.4. The biggest is the ability to filter podcast episodes by season.

That particular change undoubtedly will prove handy as users navigate their way through long-running shows. But it’s not the only new option for podcast filtering in Apple’s latest beta.

If you don’t have a solid virtual private network in place, you need one for safe surfing. Atlas VPN comes highly rated — and right now, you can grab a three-year subscription to the service for just $49.99.

That’s an 87% discount off the regular price of $395.

Twitter’s upcoming Safety Mode feature, which is designed to automatically detect and block trolls from your timeline, was this week expanded to more users in many English speaking countries before it rolls out to everyone.

Safety Mode first entered beta with a limited number of testers last September. It is now available to around half of all users in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and more as Twitter looks to “collect more insights” on how well it’s working.

YouTube has again extended its Picture in Picture test on iPhone and iPad. The test was originally supposed to end last October, but after multiple extensions, it is now scheduled to conclude on March 14.

It means you still cannot enjoy the feature without a YouTube Premium subscription.

For some time now, the wireless earbud market has grown toward the bursting point, with all sorts of options for active noise canceling buds with wireless charging, long battery life, solid waterproofing and other features for prices between $75 and $150.

But if you’re sick and tired of paying less for more, Sony has something new for you. You can pay $178 for earbuds without ANC or wireless charging, plus pedestrian battery life and minimal waterproofing. Meet the all-new Sony LinkBuds Truly Wireless Earbuds!

What do you get for that price? Sony’s reputation, plus an interesting new compact, lightweight, open-style design that might work great for at least some people.

It’s tax time, and that can be a stressful thing for cryptocurrency investors. But it really doesn’t need to be. Accointing crypto tax software generates a tax report and helps you manage your crypto finances. And that can help you avoid costly errors that the IRS might pounce upon to penalize you.

Avoid that kind of nasty situation with this crypto-centric tax software. Bonus: Accointing is on sale so you don’t have to cash out to afford it.

The iPhone 6 Plus was a game changer for Apple back in 2014. But it’s riding off into the sunset now that it’s been added to Apple’s list of vintage products, limiting its repair options.

And the iPad 4 from 2012 is now officially obsolete.

If you have an elderly Mac that’s not up to the demands of the latest macOS version, you can turn it into a Chromebook. All you need is Chrome OS Flex, an operating system Google created for older Macs and PCs.

The OS is still in beta, and targeted at businesses and schools. Nevertheless, it might become a way to bring some new life to your obsolete Mac.

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It’s safe to say not everyone loves Apple’s stock carrying case for its flagship headphones, AirPods Max. You might even say some people hate the case. So it’s worth noting when an alternative comes along, like Intelli’s stylish new CarryOn case, released Tuesday.

And they look like a solid choice to carry AirPods Max whether or not you’re traveling at 30,000 feet.

Rilee & Lo is now offering its biggest-ever discount on its entire collection of stunning stretch-link bands for Apple Watch — as well as the matching stacking bracelets.

Bag yours from the Cult of Mac Store before the sale ends at 11:59 p.m. PT today to get 50% off the usual price.

If your computer setup tends to get cluttered — and whose doesn’t? — you have a new tool. That is, if you own a 24-inch iMac or plan to get one, anyway. On Tuesday Twelve South rolled out an updated version of its popular BackPack shelf just for the latest M1 desktop Macs.

Using the BackPack shelf, you can stash all sorts of stuff, like USB-C hubs, hard drives and other devices, out of sight behind your computer.

How do you make your emoji stand out in a sea of similar designs? You give them an awesome 3D makeover, of course! That’s exactly what Microsoft is doing with more than 1,800 emoji characters inside Microsoft Teams.

The redesign, which starts rolling out today in an early preview, will be available all platforms — including macOS, iOS and the web.

Wordle fans are already upset with The New York Times, the popular game’s new owner, for making big changes to its original word list.

The updates, which are designed to make the game more accessible, the publication said, include the removal of obscure and potentially offensive words. And they’re having a big impact on the game’s social aspect.