Anyone can be a writer in the same way that anyone can be a carpenter or a software developer or baker. Writing is a skill you can practice, and the only way you’re going to get better is if you give yourself the information, tools and guidance you’ll need to grow.

The Bestselling ProWritingAid Lifetime Subscription Bundle comes with two things every writer needs: well-organized instructional courses with a thriving community of other writers, and some really good editing software. For a few days only, you can get these writing resources on sale for $179.99.

Some people love to carefully examine Apple event invites as though each one serves as a crystal ball that can show the future. The one that went out Tuesday might have been crafted to suggest that the iPhone 13 will be better at taking pictures of stars. Or maybe it hints that Apple’s virtual-reality headset will be unveiled.

On the other hand, it could be nothing more than a pretty picture.

Bose just rolled out its new flagship soundbar for use with a TV in a home-theater environment — the Bose Smart Soundbar 900. And guess what? The product’s name pretty much matches its price tag — $899.99.

Update your home entertainment experience with an Apple TV 4K at its lowest-ever price. OWC is offering brand-new previous-generation units for just $109 for a limited time only.

That price is a whopping $70 off the hardware’s original price, and well below the previous low of $119. Act fast — you can buy up to three while inventory lasts.

Hidden in Tuesday’s invite to the Apple September event is an augmented reality Easter egg. It’s part of the company’s ongoing move to draw more attention to AR — and make its event invites cooler than anyone else’s.

The graphic for the event is the Apple logo floating over a lake in the evening. iPhone users can transfer that design to the real 3D world, and pass through it into a star-lit virtual space.

Signify, the parent company of Philips Hue, put the word out last week that funky new lighting products are coming. Some are out now and some will light up later. A new partnership with the music platform Spotify has launched, too.

Several items offer the gradient technology Philips Hue added last year to its Play Lightstrip.

Apple today confirmed it will host its next big keynote on Tuesday, September 14. The “California streaming” event will likely be focused on iPhone 13, as well as Apple Watch Series 7 and a possible third-generation AirPods upgrade.

You’ll be able to watch the whole thing live online when it kicks off at 10 a.m. PDT.

This Apple collector’s item post is brought to you by apple-1-manuals.com.

In 1976, the Apple-1 became the future Cupertino tech giant’s first product. Fewer than 70 of the devices remain today, only six of them believed to be in working order. And even the original Apple-1 Operation Manual is incredibly collectible. But now you can get a faithful re-creation of the manual — the product of hundreds of hours of work — for your very own.

You can find basic copies of the original on cheap printer paper, but Armin Hierstetter, a German entrepreneur and retro computer enthusiast, took it upon himself to do it better.

Kingston Digital is now shipping its new XS2000, a portable SSD featuring USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 speeds in a tiny drive you can slip into your pocket. So you can carry around up to 2TB of data and barely notice it’s there.

Function101 is now offering 20% off select products purchased through the Cult of Mac Store.

Save on the brilliant Button Remote for Apple TV, which we just gave a glowing review, as well as the excellent BentoStack and Cable Blocks. The discount ends later today, so enjoy it while you can.

WhatsApp promises to protect every one of its 2 billion users with end-to-end encryption that ensures their messages cannot be seen by anyone outside of the original conversation. But does it live up to that promise?

A new report alleges that the Facebook-owned messaging platform uses artificial intelligence and more than 1,000 contract workers to examine “millions of pieces of users’ content” using “special Facebook software.”

That’s despite Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg telling the U.S. Senate in 2018 that “we don’t see any of the content in WhatsApp.”

You have the site, the app, the ad deal, the social media — all the things you need to get your voice, name or business out there. The only thing you need are pictures to populate everything. Unfortunately, free, open-source images — particularly pictures of people — are incredibly limited.

Instead of dealing with strange stock photos that lack diversity, try Scopio Authentic Stock Photography. Its standard lifetime subscription is on sale now for only $20.30 in honor of Labor Day. But act fast, because this deal is only available for a few days.

iPhone 13 could make its much-anticipated debut on September 14, according to teasers from one U.K. carrier.

Sky Mobile is already giving customers the opportunity to pre-register for “all the info on the upcoming big announcement.” Those who do will get access to an exclusive offer on the “next generation” device.

WhatsApp could soon give users the ability to hide their “last seen” status from individual contacts. Evidence of the change has already popped up in WhatsApp beta releases ahead of its rollout on Android and iOS.

Apple may be planning to unveil a revised MagSafe Charger alongside iPhone 13. A new version of the accessory, with model number A2548, spilled this week in Federal Communications Commission filings submitted by Apple just last month.

Sam’s Club is where you go when you know what you need and you need a lot of it. Like any exclusive club, once you’re a member, you get in the door and access to a lot of special stuff. You can find bulk items, high-quality home decor, clothes — even freshly made meals.

However, a Sam’s Club membership normally costs at least $45. For a very limited time, you can get a year-long Sam’s Club membership for just $19.99. And if that’s not enticing enough, you’ll also get a free rotisserie chicken and cupcakes!

Apple will ask iPhone and iPad users for their permission to show personalized ads within its own apps in iOS and iPadOS 15.

A new popup appears when opening the App Store for the first time after installing one of Apple’s latest betas. It says personalized ads “help you discover apps, products and services that are relevant to you.”

Redditor Doyniish runs a Mission Control-looking workstation, thanks a gargantuan monitor in between a substantial 24-inch iMac display on the left and a MacBook Pro on a stand to the right. In the shot, they’re all festooned with open windows, making it look like all the work in the world is in progress at that particular desk.

Apple’s most popular devices could get even more expensive next year, with chip-maker TSMC said to be planning its biggest price increase in more than a decade. The move could also affect companies like Nvidia and Qualcomm.

Sources are blaming the price hike on a number of factors, including higher material costs and the ongoing chip shortage, which has encouraged some device vendors to buy up more components than they actually need.

Germany is calling on the European Union to force smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung to repair and update their devices for at least seven years. It also wants manufacturers to offer spare parts at reasonable prices.

The European Commission has already proposed stricter rules for mobile device vendors. It’s all part of an effort to reduce waste by ensuring smartphones and tablets can remain in use for longer.

Smartwatches have improved significantly since they first hit the market. Now it’s not just your phone you’re wearing, it’s also your workout buddy, your music, even something to help you keep tabs on your health.

The ChronoWatch Multi-Function Smart Watch is a streamlined smart device that can make your life easier but costs a fraction of what an Apple Watch does. For a very limited time, you can get a ChronoWatch in blue, gray or rose gold for just $30 — a huge markdown from its regular price of $200.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has called on Apple to completely abandon its child safety features after their rollout was delayed.

The group says it is “pleased” Apple’s move is on hold for now. But it calls the plans, which include scanning user images for child abuse material (CSAM), “a decrease in privacy for all iCloud Photos users.”

The EFF’s petition against Apple’s original announcement now contains more than 25,000 signatures. Another, started by groups like Fight for the Future and OpenMedia, contains more than 50,000.

Certified Lover Boy, the newest album from Drake, has broken the Apple Music streaming record set by Kanye West just a few days ago.

In just 12 hours after the album’s release at midnight EST on Friday, September 3, it become 2021 most-streamed album and surpassed the 60 million streams that Donda racked up during its first 24 hours of availability.

Charging your phone shouldn’t be inconvenient, even if everything else happening around you is. If you’re halfway through a double shift, stuck on a long drive, or lost in the woods, you should still be able to charge your phone as easily as you could at home.

The Xvida Magnetic Wireless Power Bank makes that possible by putting a powerful wireless charger into an ultra-slim package that attaches magnetically to your phone so you don’t have to stop using it while it charges.

Right now, this incredibly convenient charger is on sale for $39.99 if you buy one — or $69.99 for two.

This week, Cult of Mac is giving away six practical and protective PadFolio Cases for your 12.9-inch iPad Pro from tomtoc, a popular case company. Designed to carry your iPad Pro, keyboard, chargers, dongles and all your necessary accessories, this case will protect your iPad Pro while keeping everything in place.

If you want to make your friends and peers jealous of how super-organized and productive you are at work or school, be sure to enter this giveaway.