With the right software tools, you can create professional-quality photos even if you aren’t an experienced photographer. And, if you get the really right software, you can create eye-catching images perfect for sharing on social media, advertising your business and more.

Ready to give your Instagram Stories a serious upgrade or start cranking out click-worthy YouTube banners and brochures? Pixlr Premium is an easy-to-use photo editor that comes with loads of tools for producing the best images around. Plus, it’s on sale for just $79 from Cult of Mac Deals.

We’re still yet to see an official invite for Apple’s big spring event, which all but rules out the rumored March 8 date. So, when is it likely to happen? Don’t bother asking Siri. As usual, the digital assistant proves less than helpful.

“You can’t hurry news” is the response you get when asking what will be announced at the next Apple event. “No, you’ll just have to wait.”

Apple has stopped selling its products in Russia as the country’s war on Ukraine stretches on. The Mac-maker is taking other steps as well, like removing the state-backed news applications RT and Sputnik from the App Store.

“We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Apple said Tuesday in a statement. “We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region.”

Everyone needs a reliable cloud storage solution in order to back up all their precious memories and sensitive documents. One such service, Degoo Premium, comes very highly rated. And today, you can grab a lifetime 10TB backup plan on sale for just $99.99 (regular price: $3,600).

If you want a great-sounding portable speaker but don’t care about voice-activated control, Sonos just came out with the Sonos Roam SL. It’s like the highly regarded Sonos Roam smart speaker released last year, but it leaves out the far-field microphone and costs $20 less.

Going mic-less means you don’t get to use voice-activated assistants with the speaker. And you lose a couple of other mic-related functions, too.

With everyone primed for a rumored Apple event on March 8, fans are eagerly awaiting the invites that will confirm the date. As of Tuesday morning, however, Cupertino left everyone twisting in the wind.

But that didn’t stop Apple fans and tech journos from speculating about the possible spring event. On Twitter, the hashtag #AppleEvent served as a showcase for theories, jokes and concept art concerning the matter.

The Nomad Base One is an iPhone MagSafe charger that’s an elegant combination of glass and aluminum. It surely looks beautiful on an executive’s desk.

But it’s also $129.95, well above the typical cost of this type of accessory.

A group of software engineers have joined forces to form the Open Web Advocacy (OWA), which will fight Apple’s “anti-competitive” web browser restrictions on iPhone and iPad.

The OWA says that Apple’s tight controls, which prevent third-party browsers from using their own engines on iOS, has stalled innovation for the past 10 years and “prevented web apps from taking off on mobile.”

In the market for a smart door lock that works with Apple’s HomeKit automation system as well as Home Keys you can keep in the Wallet app? Look no further than the new Aqara Smart Door Lock A100 Zigbee.

It features support for leading home automation protocols and advanced authentication tech, the company said Monday. Trouble is, you can only get it in Malaysia and Singapore so far, with other countries coming soon.

But U.S. availability? As yet unknown.

Fresh off its rollout of a smartphone that can charge wirelessly at 100W, Honor said at MWC 2022 it will offer new earbuds that monitor temperature. The new buds look like AirPods Pro. And temperature sensing is a function Apple has reportedly tested in AirPods.

The former Huawei subsidiary, based in China, said its new $199 Earbuds 3 Pro combine a temperature sensor with an AI temperature algorithm. It has an 80% chance of coming within plus or minus 0.3 degrees Celsius of an accurate reading, the company said.

Don’t you just hate having to give visitors your long and complicated Wi-Fi password? Instead, make connecting to your network quick and easy by turning your password into a QR code that can be scanned in an instant. But if you prefer a built-in iOS method, you should also know how to share WiFi on iPhone, which allows quick and secure sharing without the need for QR codes. Learn more here.

We’ll show you how.

Feel the need for more external screens to go with your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? On Tuesday Hyper rolled out its new HyperDrive 4K Multi-Display Docking Station. It’ll help you connect up to three 4K displays with a 60Hz refresh rate.

And what’s more, the dock works with every MacBook made since 2016, Hyper said.

Ready to see the world — and speak confidently in different languages while doing it? Right now, you can grab a lifetime subscription to Babbel, the world’s leading language app, at a special price drop of just $199 for all languages, forever.

Make your AirTag infinitely more useful by slipping it inside Laut’s excellent Huex case.

Made from soft yet sturdy silicone and combined with a useful keychain, the Huex allows you to attach AirTag to almost anything, keeps your tracker protected, and comes in colorful designs to suit your look.

Microsoft on Monday rolled out a major OneDrive update that adds full Apple M1 support for the first time. Version 22.022 now runs natively on Apple silicon chipsets, which should mean improved performance and efficiency.

The update also eliminates a kernel extensions issue, which broke both OneDrive and Dropbox, that macOS 12.3 beta testers recently ran into.

A Benjamin Franklin biopic is headed for Apple TV+, with legendary actor Michael Douglas taking on the title role.

Just as importantly, the limited series is being written by Kirk Ellis. He also wrote HBO’s John Adams, which was showered with awards.

Apple filed a patent application for a desktop computer that’s also a keyboard. If that seems familiar, it’s the design used by some of the first personal computers back in the 1900s.

Because even old ideas can still have merit.

A good graphic design app can save professional and aspiring artists time, money and needless stress. Drawtify Online Vector Graphic Editor is an intuitive design app with no learning curve and a lifetime subscription, and it’s on sale for $79.99 (regularly $899) for life.

Apple’s iPhone MagSafe charger is one of the best ways to juice up a handset, but it’s not really a travel accessory. That’s where the Speck Presidio Pro Folio for MagSafe comes in. It’s a slim case for Apple’s wireless charger that also acts as a viewing stand for an iPhone.

I tried it out, and I’m quite pleased with the accessory.

With the right charger, your iPhone 12 or 13 can top up pretty fast. But can it charge to 50% capacity in 15 minutes, wirelessly? Nope. But that’s what former Huawei sub-brand Honor promised Monday at MWC 2022 with its latest flagship handset, the Honor Magic 4 Pro.

Fast charging with iPhone runs about half the speed Honor claims. And though we doubt many folks would ditch their iPhones for the Honor Magic Pro 4, who knows if they’ll be able to get one, anyway. The company hasn’t specified a release date or where the phones will sell.

Is it reasonable to call a computer setup “budget-friendly” if it includes a new 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro? Well, is there such a thing as an Lamborghini economy car? How about a thrift-store Faberge egg? Or maybe a bargain-basement super yacht?

OK, we exaggerate slightly. You don’t have to be a billionaire to afford a nice Mac. But it helps.

Today’s featured setup makes a go of getting some “budget-friendly” cred despite its high-powered centerpiece — with mixed results.

Whether you’re looking to redesign your space with a fresh look or you just want to block out more light on a sunny morning, Lutron’s updates to its smart shades and blinds might help do the trick.

Lutron rolled out its HomeKit-enabled Serena Smart Architectural Honeycomb Shades on Monday with more than 40 fabric choices and some new refinements to block more light.

In the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held Sunday night, Apple TV+ won two awards apiece for its sports comedy hit series Ted Lasso and its popular and groundbreaking film CODA.

This year will be “the biggest in the history of Apple Watch since the original model,” according to a new report. Apple Watch Series 8 is expected to come in three new versions that will bring “major updates to activity tracking.”

Apple could also (finally!) retire Apple Watch Series 3, which has looked painfully outdated for some time now, later this year.

Go to a Sam’s Club, and the only thing more memorable than the deals on Apple devices are the smells of the delicious deli and bakery treats that tempt you as you walk in the door.

Now you can make the dream come true with a Sam’s Club membership for only $19.99, complete with a free rotisserie chicken, cupcakes and a $10 Sam’s Club e-gift card.