Not too much longer to wait. Photo: Geek Village Chief
As predicted, Apple’s next special event — dedicated to the iPhone 13 and, possibly, new AirPods — will take place virtually, Mark Gurman reports in his weekend “Power On” newsletter.
Gurman also said that, in keeping with the company’s approach during COVID-19 times, Apple will focus on online sales. That’s a far cry from Apple’s classic launches, where the iPhone unveiling event was attended by hundreds of tech journalists, while fans lined up outside Apple Stores to get their new handsets.
Need a high-end iPhone that won’t break the bank? Check out Woot’s latest sale on iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max refurbs. Prices start at just $479.99, but the discounts are good for today only. Enjoy them while you can!
Coming soon to a Mac near you? Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple aims to bring Face ID to Mac within the next couple of years, reports Mark Gurman in his weekend “Power On” newsletter for Bloomberg.
Gurman describes deploying the facial-recognition technology across all of Apple’s major devices — iPhone, iPad, Mac — as the company’s “ultimate goal.” He also suggests that Apple could be looking to embed the TrueDepth camera system, which helps power Face ID, in the Mac screen itself. This would help to eliminate the notch at the top of the display.
Get professional results quickly and easily with this intuitive photo editor. Photo: Pexels
The unsung hero of photography and visual art is editing. Yes, you can enhance your photos with the right equipment, but being able to edit your work later is absolutely essential.
It is also incredibly time-consuming and difficult. If you want to make editing your photos easier, take a look at Pixlr Premium. Right now, a one-year subscription to this intuitive editing software is on sale for $19.99. That’s a steep drop from its MSRP of $95.
Make photo editing easy
With Pixlr, you can make small, precise edits using a wide variety of tools. And you can make big, global changes that will take your work in a new direction. If you’re interested in posting your work on social media, you can use Pixlr’s design templates for the most popular platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and more.
If you want to delete the backgrounds from portraits, selfies and other shots, you can use the remove background tool. This is great if you want to customize the background, or if you just want to save a visual asset without having to delete the background every time you want to use it. Plus, you can choose from the 18,000 assets that come with the program.
Pixlr Premium comes packed with enough tools for you to create endless unique works. Beyond the thousands of assets, it gives you 3,000 extra overlays, 7,000 icons/stickers, 5,000 decorative texts and a ton of templates. The photo editor works on Macs and Windows PCs.
Save on Pixlr Premium
If you want to start editing your photos quickly, you’ve got to try out this easy-to-use photo editor that’s packed with fun features. You can get a one-year subscription to Pixlr Premium on sale now for $19.99.
The unlikely Apple TV+ hit comedy returns with more of the same. And that's a good thing. Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Ted Lasso’s second season brings more of the aw-shucks charm and positivity that made the show the biggest hit on Apple TV+.
I didn’t find the show’s concept — a cornball U.S. football coach gets hired to lead a U.K. soccer squad — all that intriguing when the show debuted last year. But Ted Lasso’s relentless optimism won me over. And I’m not alone: The upbeat show definitely struck a chord with pandemic-weary viewers all over the world.
The show might be too sappy for Cult of Mac reviewer Scout Tafoya, who’s apparently not a sports fan. (He’s more of a Schmigadoon! kind of guy.) But even he grudgingly admits Ted Lasso is “handsomely produced and well-acted.”
And really, the show isn’t about sports … it’s about life, leadership and the transformative nature of teamwork.
Scout’s Ted Lasso season 2 review is the cover story of this week’s free edition of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now to read on your iOS device of choice. Even if you’re not into sports, or Apple TV+, you’ll find the mag’s stocked with plenty of Apple news, reviews and how-tos.
Enter for your chance to win one of these powerful ZMI PowerPacks. Photo: ZMI
You’re on a plane, binge-watching your favorite show, but your laptop is running out of battery. With two hours left before you land, you kick yourself for not being prepared. “That’s it,” you think to yourself, “as soon as I land, I’m getting a powerful battery pack.” Well, this week’s giveaway is for you.
ZMI is giving away two powerful portable chargers valued at nearly $230 to two lucky winners. The top prize is the $149 ZMI PowerPack No. 20, which puts out a massive 210W and can recharge a 16-inch MacBook Pro and two other devices simultaneously. This good-looking battery pack won a prestigious design award from Red Dot.
Second prize is the more portable ZMI PowerPack 20K Pro, which puts out 65W max and is valued at $80. Enter this week’s giveaway for your chance at winning one of these two battery packs.
This photography bundle will show you how to take the best pictures in any situation. Photo: Pexels
Anyone can snap a picture on their phone, but learning to become a photographer requires dedication and practice.
It’s not just learning how to take a good picture, but what a good picture is for different purposes. Taking photos for a wedding is different from capturing a landscape, which is different from travel photography, and so on. You can start learning what’s what with the 2021 Ultimate Learn to Become a Photographer Bundle — and it helps that it’s on sale for $30.
You can rest your gadget on top for a charge or pop it inside from a cleaning. Photo: Accell
The new Accell Power UV Sanitizer with Wireless Charging promises to kill 99% of common germs and bacteria on your devices with UV light. And of course you can also use it to power them up.
After over a year of delays, the real Facebook Gaming service is available for iPhone and iPad. Image: Cult of Mac
Add Facebook to the list of companies offering a gaming service for iPhone. There’s a lengthy list of titles available on day one, including strategy, role playing, trivia and other types of games.
But don’t look for these in the App Store — Apple’s stringent rules on gaming services caused Facebook Gaming to be introduced as a web app instead.
Aqara's new air quality monitor works with HomeKit and other smart home systems. Photo: Aqara
Smart home accessory maker Aqara’s new gadget for HomeKit lets you monitor air quality in your house. As pollution rises from wildfires and other causes — depending on where you live — you may find it handy to glance at the Aqara TVOC Air Quality Monitor to know whether you need to do something about the air you breathe.
Why you should sell your preowned iPhone XR and how to do it. Photo: Gadget Salvation
This iPhone buyback post is brought to you by Gadget Salvation.
Thinking about upgrading your iPhone this fall, but not sure what to do with your older iPhone XR? Selling it is a great option. Not only will that put a few extra bucks in your pocket, but it is also environmentally friendly.
Here are five reasons to sell your preowned iPhone XR.
Keep track of links you've received from friends. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
iOS and iPadOS 15 make it easier than ever to keep track of web links that are shared with you in Messages by putting them all in one place inside Safari.
Here’s where you can find them — and how to view them all on iPhone and iPad.
Satechi's new GaN wall chargers come in three sizes. Photo: Satechi
Satechi, known for an array of iPad and iPhone accessories, has released a trio of GaN wall chargers to help you keep all your Apple devices powered up.
The ceramic Biscuit charger is designed to be upgraded. Photo: Charles Duffy
A Kickstarter campaign promises a new iPhone wireless charger with a zirconia ceramic body and interior mechanics designed for easy repairs and upgrades. That means it bucks the “planned obsolescence” trend and begs longterm — and even permanent — use. The product’s name? Biscuit.
Not summering on the Baltic Sea shoreline in the south of Sweden, are you? Photo: [email protected]
Redditor N3oPuff drew some attention on the social media platform with a setup photo that flaunts mind-blowing gear not so much as it does natural beauty. It definitely brings to mind the old real estate maxim: “location, location, location.” But an M1 Mac mini always helps.
In fact, it could be the perfect Setup for a summer Friday.
An iPad mini with a mini-LED screen seems appropriate. Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The 2021 iPad mini will be Apple’s next tablet with a mini-LED display, according to information leaking from a component supplier. This type of screen looks better than the standard LCD used in many current iPads.
But an display industry expert claims there’s no truth to this report.
Even so, Apple allegedly won’t reserved the display tech for tablet much longer. mini-LED displays will also supposedly be used in upcoming MacBook Pro models.
Pretend you got the jetpack you always wanted in Jetpack Joyride+ on Apple Arcade. Photo: Halfbrick Studios
Jetpack Joyride+ launched on Apple Arcade Friday, allowing subscribers to play the classic game without the hassle of in-app purchases.
Strap on a jetpack and fly through an endless runner. Or ride a mechanical dragon or giant mech while wearing a crazy costume — the game offers all these modes.
Create a masterpiece on your Mac with up to $50 off the highly rated Wacom Intuos graphics tablet. You can draw, design, and paint with more precision than ever before — and for a lot less.
Keep your files and your Apple devices safe forever with this two-for-one subscription. Photo: Pexels
If you’re like us, your iPhone, Mac and iPad are jammed with precious digital files that took years to collect, but can take just a moment to get hacked. To keep that from happening, you can avail yourself of the Lifetime Backup and Security Subscription Bundle.
It includes everything you need to ensure you always have a backup of all your files — and that your internet connection is safe and secure.
ChargerLAB tore into Apple's new MagSafe Battery Pack. Literally. Photo: ChargerLAB
YouTube channel ChargerLAB got its hands on Apple’s new MagSafe Battery Pack and gave it the teardown treatment to see what secrets it contains.
The video, which you can check out below, shows off the magnetic battery pack’s dual-cell design. It looks like it essentially contains twin iPhone batteries — providing a total power output of 11.13Wh, based on two 3.82 volt batteries (7.62 volts combined).
Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt and Nick Mohammed survey the pitch. Photo: Apple TV+
The big American heart in the body of the United Kingdom is beating again. Ted Lasso is back for another season of relentless positivity, and fans of the hit Apple TV+ comedy can rest easy. They know exactly what they’re getting.
The title character, played by Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis, returns for more unorthodox soccer coaching with his deep bench of homespun aphorisms intact. In short, if you liked the first season — and who didn’t? — you’ll enjoy this one as well.
Expect a fancy screen upgrade for the MacBook Air. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Apple’s new MacBook Air with 13.3-inch Mini-LED display will debut in mid-2022, says respected TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a new note to clients, seen by Cult of Mac.
Kuo had previously said that a MacBook Air with Mini-LED screen would arrive sometime next year. However, he had not narrowed this down to a particular time of the year. Kuo is one of the more accurate (although not infallible) Apple analysts/reporters. According to AppleTrack, he has an accuracy rating of 76.6%.
By far the best small smartphone money can buy. Photo: Apple
Treat yourself to one of Apple’s newest iPhone models at its lowest price yet. Woot is now offering “grade A” iPhone 12 mini refurbs from just $579.99 today only. They’re all unlocked and ready to use on any network.
New AirPods will reportedly borrow the design of the AirPods Pro. Photo: Omid Armin/Unsplash CC
Apple’s AirPods 3, the third iteration of its standard issue wireless earbuds, could make their debut in September alongside the iPhone, Digitimes reported Friday.
According to the report, the new AirPods — which are rumored to receive a redesign in line with the AirPods Pro, minus the active noise cancelling feature — will “remain price-friendly.” The current AirPods launched in March 2019 at $159 with standard charging case or $199 with wireless charging case.
The eSign PDF tool helps you sign and save documents. Photo: Smallpdf
This PDF e-signing post is in collaboration with Smallpdf.
When you sign up to use Smallpdf’s eSign PDF tool, you can create signatures and initials, sign documents electronically, and invite other folks to sign them as well. It takes all the pain out of dealing with e-signatures.
It’s a crucial tool for working with PDF files, and it’s just one of many useful tools Smallpdf offers.