Cult of Mac

If you’re lucky enough to own the latest and greatest Apple Watch Series 7 (or any other Apple Watch for that matter), you know it’s the quintessential smartwatch/fitness tracker hybrid.

Such an amazing watch deserves nothing but the best styling. TruWood’s wooden Apple Watch bands give your high-tech wearable a distinctive look. The Everyday band goes all-in on the wood look, while the Classic model pairs wood with stainless steel. Either way, you get a totally unique look for your Apple Watch.

Bose recently rolled out an all-new portable Bluetooth speaker. The rugged little SoundLink Flex features an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, 12-hour battery life and what Bose said is “astonishing” sound for its size. Oh, and it floats, too, the company said.

Anker launched six new charging accessories for the iPhone 12 and 13 series Monday with its new “MagGo” lineup: three desktop chargers, a car charger, a battery and a phone grip.

We wrote about a new Anker 3-in-1 charger just yesterday. Now, Anker builds out its raft of iPhone 13 accessories with a new collection of MagSafe gear to keep your handset charged up at home or on the go.

The just-released version of Photoshop on iPad lets users work with raw photos, making adjustments to images right out of the camera. And the new Illustrator on iPad adds a Vectorize feature, converting any image into a crisp, vector graphic.

The announcements came out of the Adobe Max conference, which kicks off Tuesday.

The first iPhone SE with an edge-to-edge display won’t launch until 2024, according to a new report. And the third-generation model in the budget line, expected in 2022, supposedly will come with an unexpected name.

Compelling digital content and beautiful photos are more in demand than ever before. One prime example: With roughly 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is one of the most popular platforms around, not only as a social networking app but also as an e-commerce marketplace.

To stand out, you need stellar photos. The Complete 2022 Photography Master Class Bundle includes nine different courses and 25-plus hours of content that will coach you on how to capture the world you see around you. Its powerful lessons range from portrait and wedding photography to editing iPhone photos to perfection.

Apple rolled out iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1 on Monday with the anticipated inclusion of SharePlay, a feature missing from the recent iOS 15 release. Today’s update also brings camera improvements for iPhone 13 Pro models, enables adding COVID-19 vaccination records to Wallet, and includes a bunch of other features.

If you’re in the upgrading mood, you can download iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1 now. (Note for Mac owners: macOS Monterey is now available as well.)

iPhones and Apple Watches and AirPods, oh my. If you own these three devices, you should enter our latest giveaway. Cult of Mac is giving away four Trio Wireless Charging Pads from Satechi.

This $119.99 charging pad will juice up three of your most-used Apple products at once. The Trio Wireless Charging Pad’s sleek designer look means you can easily place it anywhere without taking up too much space. If you are getting weighed down by charging bricks and cables, embrace your minimalist self and be sure to enter this giveaway.

The blue light coming from your iPhone might be the reason you struggle to get to sleep at night. Filter up to 90% of blue light with an Ocushield Anti-Blue Light Screen Protector, available for up to 52% off for your iPhone 7/8, 11/XR, 7/8 Plus, SE, 11 Pro Max/XS Max, 12 mini and 12 Pro.

Dr. Brain will be the first Korean Apple Original when it launches on Apple TV+ in early November. It tells the story of a scientist so desperate to find out how his family was killed that he’s willing to connect his brain to theirs to access their memories.

A trailer released Monday gives a first look at how intense the six-episode series will be. Watch it now!

The first wave of AirPods 3 reviews just came out, and they’re full of good news for those considering Apple’s latest truly wireless earbuds. Sound quality draws praise, as does battery life. But reviewers don’t seem as happy about the lack of active noise cancellation. And some would have preferred silicone ear tips.

Read on for reviewers’ specific comments about AirPods 3.

Anker expanded its lineup of iPhone 13 accessories Friday with a new version of the PowerWave Magnetic Stand. Now with a 3-in-1 form factor, Anker’s new MagSafe-compatible stand will juice up your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch — all at once, if necessary.

Apple Fitness+ added group workouts and meditation sessions Monday, letting users communicate in real time with up to 32 other people. The new capability taps FaceTime’s new SharePlay feature, which works on iOS devices now and comes to macOS Monterey later this fall.

“It’s a really fun way to connect with friends and family, even trade some words of encouragement or friendly smack talk, while also making progress toward closing their rings,” said Jay Blahnik, Apple’s vice president of fitness technologies, in a press release.

Mac users can now upgrade to macOS Monterey. This new version offers improvements to Safari and FaceTime, and new Focus mode. But two of its biggest features — Universal Control and SharePlay — won’t debut until later.

It’s free to download and install on all compatible computers.

Nanoleaf rolled out the latest in its catalog of modular, HomeKit-compatible LED smart-light panels. Following a parade of shaped-product releases — triangles, squares, hexagons — you can now buy Nanoleaf Lines for $200 and use them to make all sorts of lighted shapes. And you can sync them to action on a screen or to music.

Recently we featured a SwitchEasy sale on iPhone 11 cases, giving those who didn’t upgrade to iPhone 13 a reason to live (just kidding). Now a new SwitchEasy Flash Sale in the Cult of Mac Store is in effect — 30% off select iPhone 13 cases. But it ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time Monday, so act fast.

Among the cool updates iOS 15 brought in September is an upgraded Weather app with some interesting and useful features. One of those is a new Precipitation map that’ll show you exactly where it is, and will be, raining (or snowing or sleeting) in your area — or anywhere.

You can also view Temperature and Air Quality maps in the same way. We’ll show you how.

Jazz great Miles Davis probably never imagined one of his classic song titles, “All Blues,” would end up in a headline about an M1 iMac-based computer setup. And it’s not every day you see a completely color-coordinated workstation that’s not just “Kind of Blue” (to drop another title), but drenched in blue hues.

These are strange times.

The first reviews of the 2021 MacBook Pro just dropped, and they’re generally quite positive. There’s praise for the mini-LED display, the return of useful ports, and the sheer power of Apple’s new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.

However, some reviewers harbor mixed feelings about the screen notch. Here’s a summary of comments about the features.

Apple TVs are beautiful, and if you like the Siri remote, then they’re perfect. However, if you want a traditional remote that works seamlessly with your Apple TV, you want the Function101 Button Remote for Apple TV, available for just $29.95.

Function101 packed everything you’d expect from a traditional remote into its alternative Apple TV remote. Loaded with buttons, it’s made to smoothly navigate the Apple TV’s unique interface. Easy to use and easier to install, it gives you total control of your Apple TV in seconds — no voice or touch commands required.

Rumors that Apple Watch 7 would include be able to sense the wearer’s blood glucose didn’t pan out. But Apple is reportedly collaborating with a pair of Asian companies to add non-invasive blood sugar monitoring to the 2022 model.

This would add to the already lengthy list of health-monitoring features available in Apple’s current wearable.

A new series of renders based on rumors about the 2022 MacBook Air show just how slim it might be. And how it might borrow many of the features of the recently announced MacBook Pro.

The upcoming model reportedly will include an M2 processor, a MagSafe connector and a mini-LED display with a screen notch. But not the wedge design of previous MacBook Airs.

Adobe shared a sneak peek of the new Vectorize feature coming to Illustrator on the iPad. It will let users turn any hand drawn sketch into a vector graphic.

The developer shared a video demonstrating the capabilities of the upcoming featuere. Watch it now.

If you own more devices than you can count, this charging cable will change your life. Retail stores can charge anywhere from $15 to $50 for a single charging cord. If you’re tired picking and choosing which devices to charge first, grab a 4-in-1 Multi-Port and Apple Watch Charging Cable.

It’s 48% off, and it will simplify your charging life. For only $17.99, you can charge any phone, any Apple Watch, headphones, electronic reading devices and much more. Not individually, but all at once. All of your devices can finally get up to 100% charged before your day begins.

Whether you like great time-wasting games, want to experience the beautiful photography that was once popular on Instagram, or want to preserve your favorite memories in video, this week we have some awesome apps to check out.