Ever order a bento box from a Japanese restaurant, with sushi and other foods in separate little compartments? The Function101 BentoStack Charge 8000 is like that — except it holds Apple accessories you want to store at your desk or tote around. Plus, it charges them.
The BentoStack comes with four useful compartments that you can use as trays. And it features a rechargeable power bank.
November 14, 2006: Apple teams up with a slew of airlines to offer the “first seamless integration” between iPods and in-flight entertainment systems.
A special dock will let iPod owners use the devices to play music and videos on planes’ seat-back displays. The plan promises to rid the world of old-fashioned in-flight movies and airline magazines.
I occasionally run across someone criticizing Apple because the MacBook Pro supports only a single external display. But that’s not a limitation of most MBP models — only the budget versions.
It was a drawback of the first professional-grade MacBook with Apple silicon, which is probably why people are still confused today. However, today there are multiple options for those who want two or more external screens.
You can get the incredibly useful Apple Pencil 2 for its lowest price ahead of Black Friday. Amazon is taking $40 off the iPad accessory, dropping its price to $89.
The Apple Pencil 2 works with iPad Air, iPad mini 6, and iPad Pro to make note-taking and drawing a breeze.
You may think you’re getting the most out of your Nintendo Switch, but don’t be so certain. There’s an instant upgrade that will bring expanded portability and power to all your Nintendo Switch gaming.
For a limited time, you can pick up a Nintendo Switch-compatible mini docking station for just $18.99 (regularly $24). Take advantage of this deal for a personal gaming upgrade, or pass it along as a present!
French iPhone users now have access to Tap to Pay, which enables businesses to accept contactless payments from credit cards directly on their iOS handset – no additional hardware required.
The service has been gradually roiling out around the world since it launched in 2022.
xMEMS Labs is bringing what it calls breakthrough technology to the wireless earbuds market late next year after a CES 2024 debut — the Cypress ultrasonic speaker. It turns ultrasonic waves we normally can’t even hear into full-frequency, hi-res audio with remarkable detail, the California-based semiconductor company said Tuesday.
The solid-state microspeaker, which will find its way into various companies’ earbuds and headphones — hello, AirPods? — generates low-frequency sound pressure for a full bass response, according to xMEMS Labs.
That makes the ultrasonic speaker a true replacement for legacy speaker technology that has only been refined, not replaced, since your great-grandparents rocked the Victrola.
With Live Voicemail, a new feature in iOS 17, you don’t need to pick up your iPhone midcall to see who’s calling or what they want. You can see a transcription of their voicemail message as it’s being recorded — and pick up at any point, if the call turns out to be important. This feature proves transformative for introverts who only want to answer a phone call if strictly necessary.
Even better, Live Voicemail pairs very well with another iOS feature, Silence Unknown Callers. With both of these turned on, unwanted calls will be far less intrusive, but you will still be able to pick up the important calls as they come in.
Here’s how to use Live Voicemail to avoid phone spam and other annoyances without missing crucial calls.
Don’t wait for Black Friday deals to start planning your next vacation. Pick up a two-pack of Dollar Flight Club Premium for only $59.97 (regularly $1,104) through November 16 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. The service helps you find cheap flights so you can afford to fly where you want, when you want, without maxing out your credit cards.
You could travel for less this holiday and beyond!
Apple is reportedly on the list of streaming services with the option to acquire Coyote vs. Acme, a film Warner Bros. made but recently decided to not release.
It’s a story of Wile E. Coyote attempting to catch the Road Runner from the classic cartoons. John Cena stars in the film.
A New York City-based magazine editor showed off a beautiful computer setup that serves up twice the fun because it boasts two of everything. Well, not everything.
But it doubles up on a lot of the main gear — two M3 MacBooks Pro, two Studio Displays, two sets of Philips Hue smart lights, a pair of Yamaha speakers on stands and, believe it or not, two Magic Trackpads and a Magic Mouse.
Read more about the setup’s whys and wherefores below, and check out that gear list of links at the bottom of the article.
November 13, 2013: Apple and Samsung head back to court to determine how much the Korean company must pay for copying the iPhone.
Cupertino asks Samsung for $379 million in damages for ripping off key iPhone technical and design features. Apple arrives at that number based on estimated lost profits, royalty rates and the $3.5 billion worth of copyright-infringing devices Samsung sold during the period in question.
The base model in the new 2023 MacBook Pro lineup comes with Apple’s standard M3 chip. This model, which replaces the discontinued 13-inch MacBook Pro, costs $400 less than the next model up, which runs on an M3 Pro chip.
The two laptops look almost identical. The big question is, will the entry-level M3 MacBook Pro suit your needs? Or should you spend the extra $400 and get the one with the M3 Pro chip? Find out in this comparison.
The good news is that iPhone could finally allow users to install applications directly starting in 2024, according to a reliable source. The bad news is that being able to go without the App Store will only be an option in Europe.
To be clear, sideloading is required by EU law so it’s definitely happening. The timing isn’t clear, though.
Apple could overhaul its tablet lineup in 2024, delivering the first 12.9-inch iPad Air and upgrading iPad Pro models to OLED displays and the company’s fast new M3 chip.
The upgrades could help boost iPad shipments to between 52 million and 54 million units in 2024, up from about 50 million in 2023.
November 12, 1996: Apple lays out a wild plan to get into the restaurant business, saying it will open a chain of Apple Cafes with a touchscreen point-of-sale system.
A bit like future Apple retail stores — but without the computers and iPhones for sale — the restaurants would open in cities around the world. The first, Apple says, will be a 15,000-square-foot restaurant in Los Angeles, opening in late 1997.
Spoiler alert: None of this happens.
If you don’t like jamming AirPods or other earbuds into your ears, you should consider bone-conduction headphones. They offer clear audio and a comfortable listening experience that some people prefer to regular earbuds.
Want to find out for yourself? Ahead of Black Friday, we’ve got Open-Ear Conduction Stereo Wireless Headphones on sale for only $24.97 (regularly $79). These alternative headphones could significantly improve your or a loved one’s audio experience.
In this week’s Awesome Apps roundup, we have a synthesizer app that brings back the sound of the ’80s, a solid VPN for safely surfing the Web, an app for testing external drives for recording high-res video, and a guide to the best eateries in Italy.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Erfon breaks down the specs/performance of Apple’s recently released MacBook Pro lineup, and he’s convinced there are only two models any sane person would buy. Listen to found out which models make the grade!
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
★★★☆☆
Alternative-history space-race drama series For All Mankind returned to Apple TV+ Friday with a season 4 opener that handled two tough jobs pretty well — painfully looking back at past tragedies and peering ahead with trepidation to probable new ones. After all, space is dangerous and so are people.
In an episode called “Glasnost,” set 8 years after the end of season 3, For All Mankind sets its sites on asteroid wealth and a joint mission led by the United States and Russia to get it. And it doesn’t take long for people to start dying up there.
An extremely portable power bank that charges iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods all at the same time? We’re interested before you even tell us the price. But tell us that price is just $34.97 for a limited time, and we’re all the way in … ASAP!
This heavily discounted multidevice wireless charger is small enough to slip into your pocket or purse. Plus, it would make a great gift for anybody who uses an iPhone, an Apple Watch or any Qi-compatible device.
Through November 16, you can get one — or a dozen — for a massive 70% off the usual price of $119.99!
If you love the synth sounds of the ’80s, we have something for you. AudioKit Pro launched a brand-new hybrid synthesizer app for iPhone and iPad Wednesday for those who love the sounds of the 1980s, ’90s and early 2000s.
And while the developer said the synth app usually costs $19.99, right now you can get it for $3.99. And by the way, it’s currently rated #1 in Music on the App Store.
In a tedious and awkward 10-minute video released Thursday, buzzy startup Humane gave a more thorough introduction of its Ai Pin. The video all but confirms my feelings that we are seeing the next hilarious Silicon Valley failure play out in real time.
Since co-founder Imran Chaudhri’s TED Talk earlier this year, where we got a vague introduction to the supposed iPhone-killer’s features, there remained a slim chance — one in a hundred — that the then-unnamed device wasn’t a total waste.
Any ounce of doubt has been washed away as this new video doubles down on the Ai Pin’s flaws and walks back its only positives. In fact, the introductory video clearly demonstrates why the device will fail: The AI gave completely wrong answers and provided no way to check their accuracy. It’s absolutely untrustworthy.
Whether you’re combing through spreadsheets or cooking up some code, extending your desktop can really accelerate your workflow and even reduce eye strain. Luckily for Cult of Mac readers, we’re offering a pre-Black Friday discount on a portable touchscreen monitor you can take anywhere.
Meet the Desklab monitor, which boasts a sleek display with touchscreen abilities. Until November 16, it’s on sale for only $249.97 (regularly $375)!
If you have a family, odds are you share a house, furniture, car and more. But you might not give as much attention to what you share in your digital lives, even if your digital pictures and purchases are equally valuable.
Apple makes it easy to link your digital lives together with just a little bit of setup. Here are the top six benefits of using Family Sharing.
