Save on a whole range of charging gear, from wireless hubs to laptop-ready backup batteries and more. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
More devices means more trouble keeping everything charged. These four Mac and iPhone accessories will give you all the power you need, no matter your situation (assuming you’re not a supervillain hell-bent on world destruction).
Rip DVDs in almost any condition to many formats with MacX DVD Ripper Pro. Photo: Digiarty
This DVD copy and backup post is presented by Digiarty.
Many of us would love to say we long ago converted our stacks of DVDs to digital file formats, but … not so much. If you must know, our old DVDs are stashed in a closet. If you’re in the same boat, you might try MacX DVD Ripper Pro, a super-fast backup and ripping tool for Mac. It can handle discs in almost any condition and convert them to many formats for you to store and play on various devices while freeing up precious shelf or closet space. Even better, for a limited time you can even get it for free in the MacX DVD Ripper Pro giveaway.
Now that you've upgraded, it's time to take advantage of all the new features. Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
If you downloaded iOS 14 — and you really should — you probably know it’s packed with tons of new features. Find out how to make the most of all the latest additions with our roundup of iOS 14 tips and how-tos.
And, naturally, we’ve got plenty of coverage of this week’s big “Time Flies” event. Get the scoop on the new Apple Watches, iPads and Apple services in the latest edition of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s free, and it’s a blast to read on your iPad or iPhone.
You’ll also get the rest of our Apple how-tos and product reviews. And, if you don’t want to download the mag (did I mention that it’s free?), you can get the week’s top stories in your browser below.
Grab these deals on smartphone camera gimbals, LED light rings, lenses and more. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
In 2020, video has become an essential part of everyday life, from Zoom calls to vlogging to learning the latest TikTok dance. If you want your video to truly shine, you need some extra gear. These four great accessories will help you get more from your iPhone or Mac camera.
They're there for a reason and you should look out for them. Image: Cult of Mac
If you’ve already updated to iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, you might be wondering why green or orange dots sometimes appear in the corner of your screen on iPhone and iPad. It’s not the result of a strange bug.
Instead, those dots are there to help protect your privacy. When they appear, it means certain features on your device are in use, and it’s important to look out for them. Here’s why.
Wondershare UniConverter, now in Version 12, lets you work with a multitude of media formats. Photo: Wondershare
This video conversion post is presented by Wondershare UniConverter.
Whether you love to make videos or just watch and share them, if you want them to be seen in virtually any format on practically any device, you need a good video-conversion tool. It might be time to try Wondershare UniConverter, which can convert any video to more than 1,000 different formats. Try the Mac-dedicated version for a taste of how easy and quick video conversion can be.
With watchOS 7, you're just a couple quick toggles away from maximum handwashing effectiveness. Photo: Apple
The new Handwashing app in watchOS 7 gives you a handy reminder to keep your mitts clean. Thoroughly, COVID-19-fighting clean. However, you need to make two quick tweaks to maximize the effectiveness of this new handwashing tool.
Finding the perfect fit is easy. Image: Cult of Mac
Thinking about picking up one of Apple’s new Solo Loop or Braided Solo Loop bands for Apple Watch? Unlike others, they’re not adjustable, so you’ll need to pick the right size for a perfect fit.
Save on VPNs, personal trainers, sleep aids, and other great apps. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Everyone loves a deal, so we’ve rounded up four great ones. Save upwards of 60% on VPN protection, lifelong meditation tools, home workout app, and lots more.
At least, if the European Union laws are as expected. Photo: Square
Apple Pay may wind up being just one of several mobile payments services available on the iPhone if the European Union gets its way, Bloomberg reported Friday.
The report claims that the EU is weighing up new rules that would compel companies like Apple to open up the NFC (Near Field Communication) tech in its smartphones and watches to rival players. That could mean that Apple Pay isn’t the only option for customers who want to pay for products with their Apple device.
Marble Knights mixes game genres, and supports multiplayer action. Photo: WayForward/Apple
The latest addition to Apple’s gaming service is a rare multi-player title. Marble Knights lets up to four people at once roll together through a sword-swinging adventure.
Unless a last-minute deal is agreed, President Trump is going to ban ultra-popular Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat from the U.S. starting Sunday, the Department of Commerce announced Friday.
TikTok is consistently the most downloaded non-gaming app in the world. In the U.S., it currently has around 100 million monthly users. WeChat, while nowhere near as big in the U.S., is China’s most important app and widely used by many Chinese-Americans to communicate with friends and family back home.
Tim Cook speaking with a person on the iPhone production line. Photo: Apple
Apple’s division of its supply chain into one part aimed at the China market and the other aimed at the rest of the world continues apace. The goal? Helping Apple get around rumbling trade tensions between the United States and China.
According to a Friday report from Digitimes, Apple is giving more orders to Chinese firms Luxshare Precision and BYD for the Apple Watch Series 6 and Wi-Fi iPad series, respectively.
Enter to win a brand new Tesla Model 3. Photo: StackCommerce
Feeling the urge to hit the road? What better way to hit the road than in a brand new Tesla Model 3? So what if you can’t afford one, most of us can’t. But with this giveaway from Cult of Mac Deals, you can get one for free.
See was one of the first Apple TV+ shows. Photo: Apple
The Jason Mamoa-starring Apple TV+ post-apocalyptic drama series See will resume shooting its second season next month, according to a report from Deadline.
Season two of the show will reportedly resume filing on October 14 in Toronto. Filming will continue (unless there’s another COVID-prompted shutdown) through March 2021.
Brandon Fayette is VFX supervisor for The Orville, Hulu’s hilarious Star Trek-esque sci-fi comedy show from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. Since screen space is vital to Fayette, he runs a triple-monitor rig.
The headliner is a Dell 49-inch UltraSharp Monitor. Its 32:9 aspect ratio means that he needs to find a wide panoramic pic for his screen saver. Next to the UltraSharp, Fayette uses a Wacom Cintiq 27QHD 27-inch monitor. This uber-precise monitor boasts a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, which is four times the pixel density of a standard HDTV.
Fayette’s third monitor is an Eizo CG277-BK 27-inch ColorEdge Professional Monitor. With its amazing image quality, it was specifically designed for professional colorists.
Learn how to use widgets, the App Drawer, and more. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
iOS 14 is finally out and packed full of awesome new features that make being an iPhone user even greater. We’ve got real Home screen widgets, a useful new App Drawer, Picture in Picture, and more!
If you were able to avoid the iOS 14 beta and all these things are still brand-new to you, you might be wondering how some of them work. Well, don’t worry — Cult of Mac has how-to guides on all of them.
Find out how to use some of the best new features in iOS 14 right here.
Apple’s current lineup of tablets offers a lot of overlap in features. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
The newly announced iPad Air 4 is going to make choosing a tablet harder. It borrows so many features from the 2020 iPad Pro models that many who might have gone for one of Apple’s professional tablets should choose this new model instead. But certainly not everyone.
Here’s how these devices compare, with the newly-unveiled iPad 8 thrown in for good measure.
All Totallee iPhone accessories are on sale for Cult of Mac readers. Photo: Totallee
This iPhone accessories post is presented by Totallee.
Totallee is best known for its ultra-thin iPhone cases that add an extra layer of protection without adding bulk. However, the company offers a full lineup of accessories to help you get the most out of your iPhone, and now is the perfect time to grab some at a deep discount.
To make room for new inventory for the upcoming iPhone, Totallee is offering Cult of Mac readers 30% off all iPhone accessories with code CULT30. It’s valid until Sept. 25, 2020.
Stillwater on Apple TV+ will teach kids life skills. Photo: Apple
Coming soon to Apple’s streaming service are two animated shows for children. Doug Unplugs is from DreamWorks Animation and based on a successful book series about a young robot. And Stillwater, which is also based on a book series, stars a very wise giant panda.
Apple TV+ also revealed on Thursday that the second seasons of its children’s shows Ghostwriter and Helpsters will both premiere in October.
Give your Apple Watch a vintage Game Boy vibe. Photo: Adel Neal/Cult of Mac
Every Apple Watch deserves a good charging stand. The W5 from Elago takes you back in time with a one-of-a-kind design that resembles an iconic handheld gaming console.
Made from high-quality silicone, it’s simple, sturdy and surprisingly affordable. It’s also compatible with every Apple Watch ever made. Here’s why we think the Elago W5 charging stand is a great way to spend $19.
Solid upgrades to an already great smartwatch. Screenshot: Apple
Ahead of the new Apple Watch units finding their way onto users’ wrists, the initial “first impressions” reviews have hit the internet. While they’re not deep dives into the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE (users got to try them out for 24 hours), they still provide a sense of how they’re being received.
So what do the lucky individuals Apple sent an early review unit to have to say about them? Read on to find out.
The blood oxygen sensor on the new Apple Watch is big news. Photo: Apple
Buyers won’t need to wait to use Apple Watch Series 6’s marquee feature: a blood oxygen sensor. The Blood Oxygen app should be available from day one in the United States and many other countries, according to Apple’s list of watchOS 7 features.
That stands in stark contrast to the delay for Apple Watch Series 4’s big health-related feature. People who bought it had to wait quite a few months before the smartwatch’s new ECG feature went live. It switched on in the United States three months after the device shipped, and users elsewhere had to wait even longer.
Easily watch your favorite movies and apps on your smart TV with 14 mirror apps. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Apple TV is the go-to tool for slinging your Mac’s screen to your television. But that’s a costly option. This Mac app offers a simple and much more affordable option.