Cult of Mac

We may be biased, but whether you’re spending your summer in the great outdoors, going on a much-deserved vacation, or spending quality time at home, stocking up on new gadgets is always the most exciting part.

Thankfully, we found some of the internet’s top-rated and cult-favorite tech accessories, which will take your summer plans up a gear. And even better, you can grab them with incredible discounts in our summer sale right now.

Plus, with all these limited-time deals, if you spend $50 or more, you’ll get $10 back in store credit. Your $10 store credit will automatically be added to your account 14 days after purchase (as long as any returns made don’t drop your total below $50).

Google could pay a whopping $15 billion to remain the default search provider on iPhone and iPad, according to one analyst. The figure could rise even higher, to as much as $20 billion, in 2022.

It is believed Google is willing to pay so much to ensure Microsoft and Yahoo, which may also be interesting in striking a deal with Apple, cannot break up the partnership Google has enjoyed for more than a decade.

This software keys post is presented by CdkeySales.com.

As with previous sales events, Cult of Mac readers can now grab a special 20% discount on the already-low-priced software product activation keys available at CdkeySales.com.

Apple will make several changes to its App Store policies to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by developers, the company said Thursday. Cupertino also will cough up $100 million to create a “fund” for small app-makers.

As part of the deal, Apple will allow developers to inform customers about alternative payment methods outside of their iOS apps. But they won’t be able to mention those payment methods inside the apps themselves.

Apple Watch recently passed an important milestone. There are now 100 million of them in active use according to a market analysis firm. And more than 50 million Americans have one.

The user base is one of the most important measurements of a product’s success. It shows how many people are actively using a device, as opposed to buying one, disliking it, then dumping it in a drawer.

People upload well over 600 billion photos to the internet every day, but when was the last time you saw a photo album or used a filing cabinet for current records? Keeping your internet working well, and your files secure, is a big part of many professional and personal lives, but finding reliable ways to get that done can prove frustrating.

If you want a trustworthy way to open the internet back up to you, and a secure place to keep your files, then you should check out The Lifetime Backup & Security Subscription Bundle. This bundle gives you a massive cloud backup and one of the best virtual private networks in the world, and right now it’s on sale for $89.99. And when you spend $50 or more, you’ll automatically get $10 back in store credit! 

YouTube repeated an earlier promise to allow all iPhone users in the U.S. to watch video from its application in a small window while another app is open. And it expanded on the commitment by promising iPad will be included too.

But exactly when this will happen is a bit up the air.

A new Apple News Partner Program allows subscription news publications to provide their content to the Apple News app while paying a lower than usual share of the revenue coming from customers. Companies that choose to participate will have to give Apple 15% of subscription fees in the first year — half the usual amount.

This move is apparently in response to complaints from big publications about Apple’s cut.

With the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) turning 105 years old, Apple said today it will donate $10 for purchases of its products from official sales points to the National Park Foundation (NPF) through August 29. The Cupertino tech giant will also share new ways for customers to learn about and celebrate America’s parks.

New bands for a larger Apple Watch models have appeared in leaked photos ahead of this year’s Series 7 upgrade.

The images, from two different sources and of two different band variants, hint at new 41mm and 45mm size options. They’ve surfaced just days after a tipster claimed Apple’s next Watch refresh will pack larger screen sizes.

We all know how annoying it is to be barraged by spam texts and calls. In fact, robocalling, scam texting and fraud phone calls are so problematic, there’s an iPhone setting that blocks any unknown numbers from getting through to you.

But blocking unknown numbers isn’t perfect, especially if you’re waiting for a delivery, need a health care provider to return your call, or use your phone for business (like scheduling new clients).

RoboKiller Spam Call & Text Blocker is the perfect solution to help you continue to use your phone, while blocking 99% of spam calls.

Melbourne, Australia-based Journey makes electronics accessories designed to evoke the aesthetic appeal of the Australian landscape. And its handsome Magnetic Wireless Charger and practical Magnetic Wireless Car Charger could keep your iPhone 12 powered up all the way across the Outback — if it came to that.

We’ve all been referring to Apple’s next-generation iPhone lineup as “iPhone 13” for months now. And according to a spy shot published by one leaker this week, we’ve been right on the money.

Despite suggestions Apple might change its naming convention for iPhone this fall due to superstition around the number 13, it looks like Cupertino isn’t (fortunately!) going to take any notice of that.

iPhone 13 may not be as affordable as iPhone 12, after all. A new report claims Apple is planning to hike prices for its next-generation smartphone lineup to cover the rising costs of its powerful chipsets.

Apple’s primary chip supplier, TSMC, has reportedly notified all customers that it will be increasing prices by as much as 20%, starting in January 2022.

A major new privacy feature of iOS 15 won‘t be ready when the update goes out to iPhones. iCloud Private Relay will mask users’ IP addresses so they can’t be tracked. But it needs additional time for beta testing.

The selection of horror series on Apple TV+ is about to grow now that the streaming service picked up The Changeling. LaKeith Stanfield will star in the story of fatherhood, marriage, mythic monsters and racism.

No matter how hard you are on your gear, you aren‘t going to destroy the OWC Envoy Pro FX. The 2 terabyte SSD is waterproof and offers military-level drop toughness. Plus the USB-C accessory supports Thunderbolt 3 so data transfers are super fast.

I put the solid state drive through testing. Here’s how it stood up.

If folding the laundry can take a full hour, how are you going to find time to learn a new language, read new things, or just improve your quality of life? For now, you can’t buy more time, so the next best thing is to find ways to make the things you want to do more efficient, rewarding, and accessible. To that end, The Ultimate Productivity Lifetime Subscription Bundle Ft. Rosetta Stone gives you a subscription to the legendary language app, a way to get through your reading list in no time, and a VPN that can’t be beat. All of this is on sale for $159.20 if you use the code ROSETTA20, and then you’ll also get $10 in store credit for spending $50 or more! 

Two Apple TV+ shows won Primetime Emmy Awards on Wednesday. For All Mankind: Time Capsule won for Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Media while Calls won for Outstanding Motion Design.

These juried awards were announced ahead of the regular Emmy ceremony that’s happening in mid-September.

Every AirPods owners should have a few essential accessories to keep their precious buds protected and prevent them from getting lost. This awesome bundle from Speidel includes everything you need — and it’s a steal.

You get a shock-absorbent case, silicone ear tips for a more secure fit, a strap that keeps both AirPods together at all times, and a second hardcover case that lets you carry everything together.

Bag your bundle today for just $12.99!

On-screen game controls can be hard to use, but the GameSir X2 Lightning Mobile Gaming Controller adds physical buttons and joysticks to your iPhone. This newly-launched version includes a Lightning connector, making Bluetooth unnecessary.

In a related development, the GameSir F7 Claw Tablet Game Controller for larger devices is now available on Amazon.

Incase has rolled out a new hardshell case to help protect your 13-inch MacBook Pro. The new Reform Hardshell for MacBook features a co-mold design and four-foot drop protection. It also has what the Irvine, California-based company called “first to market” antimicrobial protection.

The latest “Today at Apple” video just hit YouTube, showing iPhone owners how to snap stunning Portrait photos of their pets. The tutorial features tips from award-winning photographer and animal advocate Sophie Gamand.

An old, spiral-bound, somewhat stained Apple II computer manual from 1980 went under the hammer at auction the other day. When all was said and done, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay had the winning bid for the thing — $787,484.

Redditor Parmg100 runs his M1 MacBook Pro with enough displays to make most Mac owners do a doubletake. He said he manages to connect five displays, including two ultrawide monitors. Naturally, Redditors showed some curiosity about how he does it, given the MacBook Pro’s limitation on connecting external displays.