New iPhone 14 rumors get us excited about 2022. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Our 2022 hopes are up, up and away on the latest rumors about what new features iPhone 14 Pro might bring. The camera sounds like it will once again deliver impressive gains, but it’s the potential for an iPhone 4-style makeover that’s really got us drooling.
Also on The CultCast:
New Apple displays on the horizon?
Dying AirPods … and amazing deals on replacements.
Alex E. Heath’s goggle-eyed moment during his interview with The Matrix stars.
More of our product picks in Gear of the Year.
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.
Take your video calls to the next level with this portable home streaming studio, less than $20 today.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you want to take your videos to the next level, it’s time to upgrade the lighting you’re filming with. For a limited time, you can pick up the Aduro U-Stream Junior Twins Home Streaming Studio W/Dual Ring Lights on sale for just $19.99 — that’s a 60% discount off the regular price of $49.
Team Swagger goes to the nationals in the stunning finale of Apple TV+’s incredible show about a basketball team and its players and satellites. Reggie Rock Bythewood and the incredible team of Swagger writers are prepared to send Ike, Jace, Jenna, Crystal and the rest of the team out with a bang.
A season’s worth of innuendo and tension is about to be unearthed and made real.
Protect your MacBook with this luxurious leather sleeve. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Sometimes a simple, high-quality and ultra-useful gift is the one that cuts through all the noise of holiday shopping. This MacBook Leather Sleeve is made from a single piece of beautiful, vegetable-tanned, full-grain leather. And it makes the perfect gift (for yourself or others).
Not only will it keep your MacBook fully protected against daily wear and tear, but it also makes for a sophisticated statement in terms of in-office accessories.
Dr. Ike (played by Paul Rudd) never really gets what he deserves. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+’s The Shrink Next Door, starring Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd, mercifully comes to a close this week after eight very long episodes. Marty goes looking for the missing pieces of his life after 30 years under Ike’s care, and finds a lot of dead ends.
Can he repair his life after so long messing everything up? It’s an open question whether he, or anyone around him, will be willing to forgive him. This series finally parts ways with its central pair and lets them both off with a warning, in the grand scheme of things.
Home Widget lets you make your own HomeKit widgets. Photo: Clément Marty
With Home Widget, it’s now possible to control your HomeKit accessories directly from your iPhone’s Home screen. Turn on and off lights or even run automated scenes with the quick push of a button. With the new app, you can make a bunch of HomeKit widgets to meet your needs.
I put Home Widget to the test in my smart house. I’m generally pleased with its usability.
The Dickinson siblings work things out. Photo: Apple TV+
Reconciliations abound and new beginnings rear their heads on the penultimate episode of Dickinson, the alt-history Apple TV+ series about the great poet and her family and friends. And the show prepares to say goodbye in fine, fine form.
Dickinson finally answers its loose-end questions about Emily Dickinson’s place in history (and, indeed, the place of art and poetry in a more general sense). The show finally explores what it means to want to create during a destructive time — and it’s a shame the showrunners won’t be able to do more after landing in such a beautiful place. There’s still some sitcom business, but that’s less important.
Everything is white, even the M1 Mac mini. But how did that happen? Apple doesn't make it in white. Photo: [email protected]
If you look up “11.11” in the Slang Dictionary, it says, “If it’s 11:11,make a wish! Some people believe 11:11 is a magic number or lucky time of day, good for making a wish … or reaching cosmic enlightenment.” Well, if something’s enlightened, or at least en-whitened, it’s today’s Mac mini-based setup.
It’s all there in black and white, really, with “11.11” writ large on the dual displays — probably via the Fliqlo screensaver, though it could be a clock app — and Nintendo gaming consoles aplenty.
At CDKeylord.com, you can pay about $14 for a Windows 10 Pro key, then upgrade to Windows 11 for free! Photo: CDKeylord.com
This discount software activation keys post is brought to you by CDKeylord.com.
In its year-end promotion, software seller CDKeylord.com offers good deals for the taking. Cult of Mac readers can get 35% off the regular price of a Genuine Lifetime Windows 10 Pro key and many other product-activation keys. And when you buy a Windows 10 key, you can get a free upgrade to Windows 11! Just enter the special discount code CULT at checkout.
See all the currently available discounts on Microsoft software in the list below.
It’s your last chance to get the top-rated "Netflix of Mac apps" at this low price. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Which Mac apps do you subscribe to — and which would you like to try out, but can’t justify the expense? How about one low-priced subscription that gives you access to more than 200 killer Mac apps?
That’s the concept behind Setapp, dubbed “the Netflix of Mac apps,” and this week is your last chance to grab a one-year subscription for just $69. That’s a 36% discount off the regular price of $107.
Disney and Pixar characters drop their sweet facades and go for one another’s throats in Disney Melee Mania, a multiplayer action game that debuted Friday on Apple Arcade.
Ever wondered what would happen if Elsa and Moana took on Buzz Lightyear and Wreck-It Ralph? Now you can find out.
macOS Monterey 12.2 beta 1 is out with some welcome improvements. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple began testing macOS Monterey 12.2 beta 1 on Thursday, just days after the release of macOS 12.1. An official list of what’s coming in the new version hasn’t yet been revealed by the Mac-maker, but tests with beta 1 have turned up a few changes. The much-anticipated Universal Control isn’t one of them, though.
This pre-release version seeded to developers was not accompanied by any iOS, iPadOS or watchOS betas on Thursday.
Apple AirTag helps save Christmas. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
A Texas woman put Apple AirTags on her outdoor Christmas inflatables in case they were stolen. And when they were, she was able to use the item trackers to easily find them.
This two-in-one gadget keeps your drink hot and your phone at 100%. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
There are few things more pleasant than a hot cup of coffee and work you know you can actually get done. The only thing better is when your cup stays perfectly hot and your phone is ready for you when you’re done working.
And that’s what you get with the Ui 2-in-1 Self-Heating Mug & Wireless Charging Pad Set. This double feature keeps your drink hot and your phone charged, and it’s on sale for $84.95 (regularly $94).
The new Echo 5 Thunderbolt 4 hub provides 85W of charging power. Photo: Sonnet Technologies
Sonnet Technologies rolled out its new Echo 5 Thunderbolt 4 Hub on Tuesday to enable Mac and iPad Pro users — or anyone with a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 port on their machine — to expand their connectivity to peripherals like displays, input devices and storage. And it offers a robust 85W of charging power.
When you get a computer or tablet and it has fewer ports than you’d like, hubs like this one can come in handy.
Severance also stars Christopher Walken so you know it’s extra creepy. Photo: Apple TV+
The eerie sci-fi thriller Severance will follow a group of employees who’ve had their work memories surgically severed from their personal ones. It’s a creepy idea, especially as it’s something Apple might consider whenever its top-secret product details leak out.
A teaser trailer for the upcoming Apple TV+ drama series starts the weirdness off.
The compact is a jumpstarter for your vehicle that powers up gadgets, too. Photo: Mophie
Accessory-maker mophie launched three new portable batteries in its powerstation go rugged series Wednesday. Each one is capable of charging mobile devices, powering lights and more during a power outage, or even jump-starting a car if necessary.
“The addition of rugged to our existing powerstation go lineup gives customers another option for power while on-the-go,” said Gavin Slevin, managing director of mophie parent company Zagg International, in a press release. “We are excited to equip users with another multifunctional and affordable portable power option for peace of mind while on the road.”
Pixelmator Photo offers desktop-quality color adjustments, AI-powered tools and batch editing. Photo: Pixelmator Team
Pixelmator Photo is one of the best photo editors for iPad, and it got even more mobile with an iPhone version debuting Thursday. It offers desktop-level editing tools on a mobile device.
And to celebrate the iPhone launch, the application is half off.
A brilliant Sport band that won't break the bank. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Elago’s brilliant Sport band has quickly become my favorite activity band for Apple Watch. It’s well-designed and built like a tank from super-sturdy materials. And it’s unbelievably good value for money at just $18.99.
Get a genuine permanent activation Windows 10 key for just $13.30 at Keysbuff. Then get a free upgrade to Windows 11.
Photo: Microsoft Edge/Unsplash License
This software activation key sale post is presented by Keysbuff.
Cult of Mac readers always get great deals from software activation keys provider Keysbuff. You can save up to 70% off full prices on Windows 10 and many other Microsoft software titles in the Keysbuff Christmas sale, which runs through December 31. Just use promo code COM at Keysbuff.com to get an extra 30% off already-low prices on keys for Windows 10 Pro Global, Microsoft Office 2021 Pro and others in the list below. You can purchase many products with lifetime licenses.
Just before the end of the year, Apple TV+ has one more prestige item to push. New sci-fi movie Swan Song stars multiple Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali and multiple Academy Award nominee Glenn Close.
Swan Song, which premieres Friday on Apple TV+, is a number of things: an inspirational disease drama, a sleek sci-fi parable, a clone movie, and the feature debut of an Academy Award-winning short film director, Benjamin Cleary.
Arriving so soon after Tom Hanks’ ho-hum Finch, viewers could be forgiven for preparing for the worst. Thankfully, there’s no need.
Apple is currently building two smaller, more affordable alternatives to its 32-inch Pro Display XDR, according to a leaker. The company is also said to be working on a new high-end display with a built-in A13 chipset.
The new screens in early development reportedly use LG panels. And it remains unclear when they might hit the market.