Cult of Mac

PlayStation Plus is simply an essential if you have a PlayStation console — it lets you play online, download free games every month, and gain access to members-only discounts. If you’re a PlayStation fan, now’s the time to buy and stock up for the next three years. For a limited time, you can grab a PlayStation Plus: 3-Year Subscription + $20 Store Credit for just $119.99.

“A faulty configuration change.” That’s all it takes to bring three of the world’s biggest social platforms to their knees for more than six hours, according to an apology issued by Facebook after Monday’s disastrous outage.

Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp became unavailable worldwide between approximately 9:15 a.m. PDT and 3:30 p.m. PDT on October 4. Facebook said it has no reason to believe user data was compromised during this time.

Ten years after Steve Jobs’ death on this day in 2011, Apple is thriving when many predicted it wouldn’t.

Go back and look at articles published in the wake of his death, and it’s all gloom, gloom, gloom. But a decade on, the company is worth more than $2 trillion, revenues have nearly tripled, the stock is up more than 1,000%, and there’s no end in sight.

Apple’s success has many fathers of course, but one big one is that Jobs’ personality has been deeply embedded into the company and how it does things. It’s called “the routinization of charisma,” and it helps explains why Apple continues to prosper.

It’s great when a company releases a product that meets its expectations. It’s even better when it exceeds them. But that’s what you can expect when you buy a new Apple device with the latest A15 Bionic chip.

Independent tests confirm that the A15, which can be found inside iPhone 13 and the newest iPad mini, is even more impressive than Apple led us to believe, easily outpacing the newest mobile chips from the competition.

Apple today commemorates its co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs ten years after he passed away from pancreatic cancer. The company’s homepage has been adorned with images of Jobs throughout his years at Apple, as well as an official film and a statement from the Jobs family.

“We miss him profoundly,” the statement reads. “We were blessed to have him as a husband and father.”

Power banks in the new MyCharge Mag-Lock series use the magnets from Apple’s MagSafe system to attach to an iPhone. They come in 3000mAh, 6000mAh and 9000mAh capacities, with the largest able to triple the length of time a handset can go between charges. No power cable is needed and you can use your iPhone while it’s charging.

I put all three sizes of the power bank to the test. Read on to find out how they stood up.

RelayThat is a subscription service that allows users to create stunning graphic design content fluidly and intuitively. A lifetime subscription to RelayThat is currently on sale for only $59.99, down from $720. There are also lifetime subscriptions available for two and three users for $109.99 and $149.99, respectively.

And, for a limited time, you can take an extra 40% off those sale prices when you use code VIP40 at checkout.

Apple confirmed on Monday that Apple Watch Series 7 will finally be available to preorder on Friday, October 8. Desperately want to bag your own? Sell your old Apple Watch to Cult of Mac today to raise some quick upgrade cash.

Cult of Mac’s buyback program makes it easy to sell your old Apple devices, and we typically pay more than other buyback services. What’s more, we cough up real cash. Get a quote for your old Apple Watch today.

About 60% of the price of an iPhone 13 Pro goes into producing it, according to a analysts’ estimate. That figure comes from examining the cost of each component in Apple’s new high-end smartphone. It’s much more than Apple used have to pay.

And note that the rest of the selling price isn’t pure profit.

There’s nothing like toiling over a computer setup until you get it just how you like it. Of course, that can mean many different things to different people. Some folks’ setups are as austere as a monk’s workbench while others look like Mission Control on steroids.

Redditor PlaZma64 recently drew attention to their newly completed setup with a post entitled, “Finally got my setup how I like it.” It’s centered on a MacBook Pro, an iPad Pro and a slew of Apple peripherals.

If you’re having trouble with one of your favorite apps in iOS 15, it’s now possible to “report a problem” through the App Store. Apple removed this feature a couple of years ago but iOS 15 brings it back, and it’s now even better.

Here’s what has changed.

There’s plenty to love about Apple’s AirPods lineup. From the original AirPods to the noise-canceling AirPods Pro to the stunning AirPods Max, they set the standard for wireless audio.

But there are still ways to make your beloved AirPods even better. These AirPods accessories are designed to improve their fit, protect against wear and tear, and keep you fully charged throughout the day. Plus, they’re all an extra 15% off for a limited time with code VIP15.

Apple on Monday confirmed that Apple Watch Series 7 will be available to preorder on Friday, October 8 at 5 a.m. PDT/8 a.m. EDT. Deliveries and Apple Store availability are scheduled for one week later on Friday, October 14.

The new device will be available in more than 50 countries initially, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and China. But if you want one on launch day, you probably should be prepared to pounce when preorders start Friday.

Apple Watch Series 7 has been pictured in the real world for the first time since last month’s unveiling. The images show that the device’s new display is noticeably larger and curvier than on previous models.

Apple’s newest smartwatch could finally be available for preorder later this week ahead of its official debut this fall.

iOS and iPadOS 15 have been out for a couple weeks now, and as with most new iOS releases, they usher in plenty of new apps to take advantage of the latest features. This week, we’re talking all about iOS and iPadOS Safari extensions.

If you have an online portfolio, put your resume online, plan to start a blog, or want to launch your small business — you absolutely need a web hosting service. This iBrave Cloud Web Hosting: Lifetime Subscription offers unlimited websites, subdomains, bandwidth and storage for a fraction of the cost of typical web hosting services.

An 11-inch iPad Pro with a mini-LED display will debut in 2022, according to a trusted analyst. It will join the 12.9-inch model that already has this type of screen that looks better than a standard LCD.

However, the analyst rescinded an earlier prediction that an iPad Air with an OLED display will launch in 2022.

If you’ve ever wished you could merge your iPhone and Nintendo Switch, I have great news. The GameSir X2 Lightning wraps around your handset and adds physical buttons and joysticks in a design reminiscent of the Switch Lite. And it includes a Lightning connector so it plugs directly into your iPhone.

I spent many hours playing games with this accessory — probably more than were necessary for testing. Here’s why I love it.

The final episode of the first season of Mr. Corman premiered on Apple TV+ this week, and it turns out that’s all there’ll ever be. Cupertino reportedly canceled the show, which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

That’s a rare move by Apple’s streaming service. This is only the second show it’s nixed.

Get yourself an Apple Watch charger that you can forget about right up until you really need it. Apple Watch Wireless Charger Keychains are on sale for $16.99 for one, $33.14 for two and $65.44 for four if you use the code VIP15 during our VIP Sale.

Apple Card users could be running into problems paying their bill on Friday because the online portion of the service is having a problem. This might also affect other aspects of using the card, but that does not include using the card to pay for purchases.

Update: Apple reported the problem fixed on Friday evening about 7.5 hours after it first cropped up.

The arrests and accusations fly this week on Apple TV+’s shocking crime drama, Truth Be Told. Podcaster Poppy Parnell needs to get a grip on her situation because her father’s in need, her partners in crime need space, and she’s starting to look too self-obsessed for her own good. Can she pump the brakes in time, or will Micah stop her first?

Animated sci-fi short Blush is small, cute and full of heart. And it’s also a gauntlet thrown down to let the competition know Apple TV+ is getting serious about winning awards.

The long-in-the-making story debuted Friday on Apple’s streaming service, and it definitely swerves into Pixar territory — for better or worse.

Apple on Friday released an update for iOS 15 that takes care of a bug that disabled Unlock with Apple Watch on the iPhone 13 series. This patch — dubbed iOS 15.0.1 — has other bug fixes too, including one that incorrectly told users their storage was nearly full.

The new version is accompanied by iPadOS 15.0.1 with its own bug fixes.

Apple TV+’s space opera ramps up this week to show us the goods. But can Foundation get to the business of exciting drama now that the world has been thoroughly built, the characters are in play, and the clock is ticking?

The show has been confident but not quite exciting yet. Let’s see if it can avoid the pitfalls that ruin a lot of Apple TV+’s original programming.