Cult of Mac

They might not be the first thing you think of when you consider technological innovation, and they’re probably not the first gadgets you reach for when packing your tech essentials. But owning connected devices can truly make your life so much easier.

Whether it’s a keychain with tracking enabled so you never misplace your keys again, a powerful router for fast and reliable internet connectivity, or even a next-level antenna that allows you to stream your favorite content without any lags, these are the oft-overlooked essentials you should really pay a little more attention to — and for a limited time, they’re all on sale.

If the latest Apple leaks and rumors prove correct, this year’s new Macs might seem strangely familiar. From colorful iMacs to the reintroduction of long-lost MacBook ports, it looks like Apple might go retro in a big way.

Cult of Mac writer Luke Dormehl dives into the phenomenon and makes the case for why going “Mac to the future” might be just fine.

And speaking of bad things … our Apple TV+ reviewer Scout Tafoya got an early look at Cherry, the new movie from longtime Marvel directors the Russo brothers. Let’s just say things went a little sour. (Scout’s blistering review of Cherry is pretty epic.)

On the other hand, he liked the new documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry. That movie arrived on Apple’s streaming service this week, in case you’re looking for a little weekend viewing.

Read these stories and more in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s free and built for easy reading on your favorite iOS device. (If you don’t want to download the free app, you can get the links in any web browser below.)

First there were AirPods — then there were AirPods Pro. The two may look similar, but they’re actually very different. Apple spent a full year on development and refinement, giving the AirPods Pro true noise cancellation (versus simply passive noise cancellation in the eartips), a water-resistance level of IPX4, custom eartips for a better fit and a pressure valve to help reduce the pressure inside your ear.

Bad dreams, dead rebels, crumbling marriages, and new babies all collide in Dickinson’s season 2 finale.

The Apple TV+ show about the famous feminist legend of poetry needs to tie up a lot of loose ends. But it’s got to also leave enough left unanswered to entice viewers for next season. Can it accomplish all this on its own terms?

This week on The CultCast: We’ve got new details and leaks on the upcoming MacBook Pros, iMacs and Mac Pro mini … or will it be the Mac mini Pro? Plus: Lossless music is coming to Spotify, which means the mythical Apple Music lossless is likely right around the corner!

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Apple TV+ reportedly picked Austin Butler and Callum Turner for the cast of Masters of the Air, a followup to HBO’s mega-hit Band of Brothers. Supposedly, two more lead actors have been chosen but not yet named.

The limited series will follow a group of bomber pilots during WWII.

Lyxo is an ultra-realistic game about bounced light. It’s also one of the most aesthetically beautiful games to arrive in the App Store for quite a while. And, yes, it’s possible to be both at once.

“I first had the idea while lying in bed one morning,” Tobias Sturn, the one-person development studio known as Emoak, told Cult of Mac. “I saw a beam of light falling beautifully into the room, and cutting through the shadows. Immediately, I thought of a game where the player uses mirrors to guide a beam of light through a completely dark room.”

Jump forward a little over a year, and this week Lyxo launched on iOS. Sturn took us through the game’s creation, including opening up his sketchbooks, and explained his crash course in physics to build the game engine.

Apple reportedly plans to shake up the design of the MacBook Pro later in 2021. Sources in the company’s Asian supply chain assert that a 14-inch model is on the way, a first for Apple.

Just as importantly, it and an improved 16-inch MacBook Pro supposedly will be the first macOS notebooks with a mini-LED display, improving the look of the screen.

San Francisco-based designer Arun Venkatesan is about to take delivery on a 2020 MacBook Air with an M1 chip to replace the 2013 MacBook Air he uses in tandem with his 2018 MacBook Pro. But the new Mac isn’t really what he’s excited about.

He thinks less about having the latest technology and more about how his tools fit into his design philosophy, which he wrote about at length here. Form and function meet in his elegant and minimal setup.

On this week’s Losing Alice, Apple TV+’s erotic thriller series about filmmaking, director Alice has a big premiere coming up but her star isn’t present. Just what happened in Room 209 — and what’s next?

Looking for an iPad upgrade? Check out Woot’s impressive one-day sale on iPad Pro refurbs.

Prices start at just $399.99 for a 12.9-inch model (2015) with 32GB of storage, while a newer, faster 2020 model can be yours from $699.99. Bag one now before they’re all gone!

When the coronavirus pandemic hit last year, one of the many, many impacts of the spread was the delaying of Apple’s iPhone 12 series. While Apple and its suppliers were able to claw back some of the lost time, the iPhone 12 devices were ultimately pushed back to late October and early November, rather than the usual September release.

But while this might have been frustrating for Apple and customers alike, a new piece of research suggests it may have actually been a net positive. According to Counterpoint Research, the delay could turn out to have been a prudent move for Apple. It reports:

Antitrust investigators in the Netherlands are reportedly coming to the end of a “years-long” investigation into Apple and its control of the App Store.

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has been investigating this matter since 2019. It focuses on Apple’s “payments system” in the App Store, which charges developers 15% to 30% in commission. With its impending decision, it could become the first antitrust authority to rule on this contentious issue.

Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work. The apps we use daily can do everything from customizing smarter workflows to predicting the phrases we write. They can suggest an appropriate contact and auto-scheduling meetings based on conversations with co-workers.

In fact, more and more laborious processes are getting a boost from AI — and photo editing is no exception. Movavi Picverse Photo Editor for Mac & Windows allows you to edit professional-quality photos using AI, with features like auto-enhance, background removal, restoration and more. And you can get a lifetime license at a big discount.

Apple is not developing a coronavirus vaccine passport with Google, despite European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s assertion that such an app is in the works.

On Thursday, von der Leyen told reporters Apple and Google were developing a potentially travel-boosting solution for the World Health Organization. However, “a person familiar with Apple’s position” says the EC boss is mistaken.

The will-they-won’t-they drama involving Apple and Kia’s possible team-up to build an Apple car is on again.

Shares in the automaker rose by up to 8.1% Friday, after rumors abounded that there is still a chance that they will work with Apple on an electric vehicle. Even if it turns out to be a slightly different vehicle to the one some are expecting.

Get ready to start traveling again with Casetify’s brilliant iPad cases. They protect your beloved tablet while safely carrying your credit cards and essential documents. And they’re available in a number of awesome designs.

Woot’s spectacular sale on MacBook refurbs is back! There are a whole host of models to choose from, with prices starting at a mere $329.99 today only.

Don’t miss out!

For All Mankind, the Apple TV+ soap opera about the lives of astronauts in an alternate-history America, takes a few leaps toward disaster in its sophomore season’s second episode. Crisis looms around every corner — and everyone’s gearing up for the worst.

With Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, the young pop star gets a showcase and a bio-doc, which means she’s gotten so hugely popular that people demanded to know more about her.

The good news is, Eilish is a humble and interesting subject. The bad news: Being a depressed teenager with high-tension demands placed upon you isn’t the easiest thing in the world.

A concept artist proposes an iPhone Pro without a Lightning port. Instead, he envisions a new dock port on the back of the handset where clip-on accessories could attach.

A beautifully made video shows off the concept iPhone as though it were real. Watch it now.

Many Target stores will become better places to buy Macs, iPhones and other Apple products. In a deal announced Thursday, there’ll be twice as much space dedicated to the devices in these locations, and Target employees will get additional training on using them.

Apple on Thursday released a critical macOS update that might save your MacBook from being damaged by a misbehaving USB-C hub or dock. The problem is severe enough that macOS Big Sur 11.2.2 was rushed out solely to fix this problem.

This new version might not be available for all users, as it affects only certain models.

Apple will highlight the contributions of women to society in many ways during Women’s History Month, including suggesting relevant outstanding books, podcasts and apps. It also plans virtual Today at Apple sessions led by female creators.

Plus, there’ll be an International Women’s Day Apple Watch Activity Challenge for March 8, and there’ll be other ways of observing this day.

Something weird is brewing in Apple land. The company, which for years wasn’t big on embracing its past, has gone retro.

While the innovations — ranging from the first 5G iPhones to the exciting new Macs powered by Apple’s proprietary processors — keep coming, Cupertino is reportedly revisiting some of its past designs for its next generation of products.

And you know what? I like it.