PDFelement 8.0 is a full-featured PDF editor. Image: Wondershare
This post is brought to you by Wondershare, maker of PDFelement.
Wondershare’s PDFelement, now available in version 8.0, vies for the title of best Adobe Acrobat alternative and prides itself on being a PDF editor “built on simplicity,” whether you use it with macOS or Windows. We’ve seen nothing in our use of the Mac version of the utility to quibble with any of that. It’s powerful and easy to use.
No more betas. You can update your computer(s) to macOS Big Sur 11.5 and/or iPadOS 14.7. Photo: Cult of Mac
Both macOS Big Sur 11.5 and iPadOS 14.7 made the jump from beta to full release on Wednesday. They bring only a handful of new features, though, as well as bug fixes.
Host casual conversations, share your screen and more. Image: Slack/Cult of Mac
Slack is rolling out its new Huddles feature in an effort to bring the office environment to wherever you might be working. The feature lets you hold “quick, informal discussions” with other members of your team.
You can also use it to share your desktop screen, which makes it great for demonstrations. We’ll show you how to use Huddles on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
HyperJuice chargers can be stacked to provide more power. Photo: Hyper
Accessories maker Hyper has launched 65W and 100W HyperJuice chargers — based on power-efficient gallium nitride (GaN) technology — that you can stack to increase power output.
Warning, jazz joke ahead: "Remember to always practice safe Sax," quipped a Redditor. Photo: [email protected]
Redditor madeitinthewild makes beautiful music up in Canada. Or he makes music, anyway. Jazz music. You can tell by the assortment of saxophones next to his M1 MacBook Air- and iPad Air 4-based mini music studio. That, and he said so.
“Remember to always practice safe Sax,” came the obligatory jazz-joke comment.
“No way I live on the edge,” replied madeitinthewild, kinda true to his Reddit handle.
The MagSafe-compatible Chargeasap Flash Pro Plus power bank can charge up to six Apple devices at once. Photo: Chargeasap
Australian outfit Chargeasap is back on crowdfunding site Indiegogo with new high-capacity power banks for charging gadgets on the go. The Flash Pro works for Android and the MagSafe-compatible Flash Pro Plus is designed for Mac.
Apple's ditching the "mini" iPhone lineup. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
Apple is looking to phase out the iPhone mini line in favor of its next-gen iPhone SE, a Wednesday report by Nikkei Asia suggests.
Apple debuted its first iPhone mini with last year’s iPhone 12 generation. However, sales have never materialized to match its bigger siblings like the regular iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. While Apple will release an iPhone 13 mini this year, expect that to be its last.
In its place? More emphasis on Apple’s other low-cost handset: The iPhone SE.
Bag yours for under $180 before this discount disappears. Photo: Apple
Amazon is now offering one of the biggest discounts we’ve ever seen on brand-new Powerbeats Pro wireless headphones. You can bag yours for just $179.95 — down from $249.95 — for a limited time only.
Interested in a Netflix gaming service? Image: Netflix/Cult of Mac
Netflix seemingly isn’t content to compete with Apple (spoiler: it’s winning) over streaming video subscription services only. The media giant has now confirmed that it is planning to launch an Apple Arcade rival — and at no extra cost to its subscribers.
In a letter to shareholders, Netflix noted that it is still “in the early stages of the initiative,” but that it views it as a major piece of the puzzle in terms of dominating the entertainment landscape.
Who needs Zoom anyway? You won't with one of these lifetime subs to ElevenSight. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Even though many companies are beginning to work in person again, working from home isn’t going away anytime soon. Even Apple backtracked on its plan to get employees back in the office.
With WFH still in play, video conferencing and connecting digitally continues to offer a convenient way to interact at a more personal level than a phone call or email. And as online work evolves and grows, the media we use to connect also changes and improves.
ElevenSight is one of the best browser-based web conferencing solutions around, and the best Zoom alternative you’ll find. For a limited time, you can pick from three different ElevenSight subscription plans — E-Line, Starter and SMB. They’re all lifetime plans, and they’re all on sale now.
Get ready for the next iPhone keynote! Photo: Apple
The iPhone 12 has been a major success for Apple, but Wedbush analyst Dan Ives thinks the company’s expectations are even greater for the iPhone 13.
In a Wednesday note to clients, seen by Cult of Mac, Ives suggests Apple is gearing up to produce between 90 million and 100 million iPhone 13 units. That’s a 15% increase year-on-year over the iPhone 12, whose initial orders were for 80 million units.
The analyst also sheds light on when he thinks the iPhone 13 event will take place.
Amazon has been slashing prices on its entire lineup (almost) of Kindle e-readers. You can save up to $55 on the newest models, with prices starting at just $59.99.
These are limited-time discounts, so enjoy them while you can.
Grab Apple's first AirPods Pro beta today. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple this week seeded its first AirPods Pro beta firmware for registered developers. This version enables a number of new features, including Ambient Noise Reduction and spatial audio for FaceTime calls.
Apple Music will exclusively livestream a special “sold-out listening event” for Kanye West’s 10th album, Donda, on July 22. The event will take place at 5 p.m. PDT, with the album launching the following day.
Donda is West’s first album since 2019’s Jesus Is King, which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Album. It also achieved the No. 1 position on the Rap Album, Gospel Album and Billboard 200 charts.
Coming soon to a pair of ears near you. Graphic: Cult of Mac
Apple’s next-gen AirPods, the third iteration of the company’s regular AirPods, will go into production next month, Nikkei Asia reported Wednesday.
This would be the first upgrade for Apple’s standard issue AirPods since the second-gen version debuted March 2019. The original AirPods made their debut in December 2016.
The Satechi Aluminum Stand & Hub has what you need to make your iPad Pro or Air into a portable desktop. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Satechi Aluminum Stand & Hub turns your iPad into a useful desktop. Not only does it prop up your tablet, it includes six useful ports. And it goes almost anywhere, from a meeting room to a coffee shop.
I’ve used the tablet stand for weeks, including on a recent vacation. Here’s why I love it… despite a limitation or two.
Jon Stewart's new parody video is so full of NSFW images we had to go with this one. Screenshot: Jon Stewart
Although The Problem with Jon Stewart doesn’t premiere on Apple TV+ until September, the comedian couldn’t let Jeff Bezos’ and Richard Branson’s personal space race go by without comment. Stewart posted a video Tuesday making fun of billionaires competing to see who can shoot off a better rocket.
The humor isn’t subtle. Many jokes have been made about how much Bezos’ New Shepard rocket looks like a penis, and Stewart takes the idea and runs with it. If watching a video of giant space penises is going to get you in trouble at work, maybe you’d better wait until you get home to see this one.
The Fjorden iPhone grip and MagSafe-compatible case turn your phone into a DSLR. Photo: Fjorden
A Kickstarter campaign pushes a new iPhone camera grip and MagSafe case combo called the Fjorden. It promises to turn your iPhone into a DSLR camera — while still fitting in your pocket. Its physical camera controls might make a lot of photographers very happy.
Every day is brain day with NeuroNation's mental workouts. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you know a second language, then you know it requires maintenance and practice to be able to stay fluent. The moment you stop practicing, the language starts to fade, until you find yourself barely able to ask where the bathroom is.
That’s called language attrition, and it isn’t limited to language. If you want your brain to work faster, you need to train it and maintain it. There’s no better way to do that than NeuroNation Brain Training, an app designed to improve your cognitive abilities. And right now, you can get a one-year subscription on sale for $39.99.
You'll need if you want Apple's support. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
If you run into any issues with your new MagSafe Battery Pack, you may need to provide Apple Support with its serial number. There are a couple of quick and easy ways to find that. We’ll show you how.
On macOS, Wondershare Filmora offers advanced video editing without a steep learning curve. Photo: Wondershare
This post is brought to you by Wondershare, maker of Filmora video-editing software for Mac and PC.
If you’re looking for an easy way to take your videos to the next level without skimping on features, you can find it in Wondershare Filmora X.
The popular app enables you to make complex, visually rich videos like a pro — but without the learning curve. It simplifies advanced features to make them accessible to everyone. With Wondershare Filmora, you can quickly start shooting vids and sharing them, even if you’re new to video editing.
Tetris Beat isn’t your parents’ version of the game. Photo: Apple Arcade
Take Tetris and give it some rhythm and you get Tetris Beat, a fresh version of the puzzle classic. It includes music from Alison Wonderland and many other artists.
The 2021 iPad mini might look something like this. Concept: Cult of Mac
The much-anticipated iPad mini 6 will boast the Apple A15 processor, according to an unconfirmed report. That should bring a significant performance increase. And the tablet will allegedly have a USB-C port and a Smart Connector.
The United Kingdom is developing new antitrust measures and could fine tech giants up to 10% of their annual revenue for breaking the rules. The Digital Markets Unit’s plan is intended to make it easier for U.K. businesses — such as startups, news publishers and advertisers — to compete with established giants like Apple and Amazon.
“Tech has transformed our lives for the better, whether it’s helping us to stay in touch with our loved ones, share content, or access the latest news,” said Kwasi Kwarteng, the U.K.’s secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy, in a press release Tuesday. “Nobody wants to see an unassailable monopoly, and our common sense reforms will help protect consumers, support ground-breaking new ideas and level the playing field for businesses.”
Want the newest iPad Air? Now’s a great time to bag yours on Amazon, where prices start at just $499.99 — the lowest price yet —for a 64GB model after a $99.01 discount.
Some 256GB models are down to as little as $639 after Amazon slashed $110 off. These are the biggest discounts we’ve seen so far.