Abode Iota includes a camera, motion sensor and supports HomeKit home automation. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Abode Iota is a do-it-yourself security system that’s one of the very few with support for Apple’s HomeKit home-automation platform. That means it’s a breeze to control from your iPhone. It includes a camera, motion detector and windows/door sensor. Additional sensors can be added.
I installed the Iota Starter Kit and have extensively tested it. Read on to see whether it’s the right solution to secure your home or business.
Apple might be prepping a smaller wireless charger to go with the rumored multi-device version. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple will release a single-device wireless charging pad in addition to the larger, multi-device mat rumored to be much like the doomed AirPower, according to an unconfirmed report Sunday.
Whether you're a beginner or a skilled user, you'll get an in-depth education in the full range of tools in the Microsoft Office Suite. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Whether you’re working from home or at the office, Microsoft Office Suite is probably part of the picture. Excel, Word, Outlook and the rest of the software package prove fundamental to the modern workplace. So if you find yourself with some extra time, these lessons mean you can gain some super-marketable skills.
Learn to sample sounds in a free GarageBand tutorial from Apple. Screenshot: Apple
An Apple employee teaches the basics of the free GarageBand music-creation software in an new video tutorial from Today at Apple. It covers sampling sounds from your kitchen to make house music.
Normally, these free educational sessions are held in Apple Stores, but with these all closed during the COVID-19 crisis, they’ve gone online. There are already training videos for drawing and taking better pictures.
Apple threads the needle with its new budget iPhone. Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
With screaming-fast internals, key flagship-level features and a budget price tag, the new iPhone SE ticks all the boxes in these uncertain times. Apple cut a few smart corners to make the magic happen.
Read all about the 2020 iPhone SE in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Grab yours today and get to reading. (Alternatively, hit the links below for the week’s top Apple news, reviews and how-tos.)
If you’re looking for some situation-appropriate fiction to read during the COVID-19 lockdown, then what could be better than a good old post-apocalyptic novel?
Some people will want to avoid all mention of pandemics and other worldwide disasters. But if your idea of catharsis comes through mental inoculation, then you should check out this list. I’ve read a ton of dystopian fiction over the years, and below are some of my favorites. A few are from recent years, and one is a bona fide classic, but all of them are great.
Boost your streaming video game with these discounted gear bundles. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Being unexpectedly stuck at home can mean you’ve suddenly got time to start streaming your thoughts and creative endeavors. But if you want people to watch your videos, you’ve got to cover the basics — good camera angles and quality lighting.
These two DIY bundles include studio lights, camera grips and more so you can stream video like a pro.
A Fold Apart is a puzzler with a touching storyline. Photo: Lightning Rod Games/Apple
A Fold Apart asks players to solve over 50 handcrafted paper-folding puzzles. But the real goal of this title that debuted Friday on Apple Arcade is to bring together a couple struggling through a long-distance relationship.
Save on Windows 10 and Microsoft Office upgrades with our discount code. Photo: URcdkeys
This Windows 10 and Microsoft Office upgrades post is presented by URcdkeys.
If you currently run old versions of Microsoft software and keep putting off upgrades because of costs, Cult of Mac has you covered. Our readers can get 20% off an assortment of Windows 10 and Office product keys that are already priced well below typical prices.
Once you enter Cult of Mac’s special discount code at purchase and get the key, you’ll be free to install Windows 10 Pro or your choice of 2016 or 2019 Office products on any PC.
There’s a new boss of Beats, an Apple product line of top-tier headphones, some aimed at runners. Photo: Apple
The head of Apple Music is apparently assuming an additional role. Oliver Schusser is reportedly going to take charge of the company’s Beats line of high-end headphones, while also remaining at the helm of Apple’s music-streaming service.
Apple also took the opportunity to refute a recent unconfirmed report that it’s phasing out Beats.
Defending Jacob star Chris Evans talks about portraying every parent’s nightmare. Photo: Apple
Chris Evans’s first big role after playing Captain America is a district attorney whose 14-year-old son is accused of murder in Defending Jacob on Apple TV+. He and other cast members talk about their characters from this upcoming show in a “First Look”video released Friday.
Make safe grocery acquisition a little easier with Drafts' shopping mode. Photo: David Clarke/Unsplash
During the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve probably become hyper-aware of how much you touch everything. Your face, your iPhone, the AirPods you never clean, the filthy handle on your apartment building’s front door, etc. If you’re using your iPhone’s Reminders app to manage your iPhone shopping list, you’re likely finding yourself constantly tapping the screen and relying on Face ID to wake it up during trips to the store.
Clearly that’s useless if you’re being responsible and wearing a mask in the supermarket. Today we’ll see how to quickly toggle a “shopping mode” in the Drafts app, which will keep your iPhone awake while you dash down the aisles.
A short and wacky ad from Apple takes an unusual look at opening a 2020 iPhone SE. Photo: Apple
Every iPhone buyer knows the excitement they feel when they first pull the protective plastic wrapper off their new device. Apple is supposedly about to release an ad for the 2020 iPhone SE that plays on the excitement users feel in that exact moment.
Privacy groups want to make sure contact tracing technology keeps your data safe. Photo: MIT Lincoln Lab
The American Civil Liberties Union said Friday it is cautiously encouraged by a commitment to privacy by Apple and Google as they develop Bluetooth-based contact-tracing technology to track the spread of COVID-19.
But the civil liberties group says the two tech giants must resolve “certain important privacy-related questions” key to winning trust from a public growing wary about who sees their data.
Those looking to improve the graphics performance of their 2019 Mac Pro can now pick up the Radeon Pro W5700X MPX Module from the Apple Online Store.
For exactly $1,000, the new GPU offers up to 9.4 teraflops of compute performance and 16GB of GDDR6 memory. It uses AMD’s latest RDNA architecture, and it’s now the most affordable GPU module Apple sells.
You’ll have to wait a bit if you didn’t already order the 2020 iPhone SE. Photo: Apple
Apple began taking pre-orders for the second-generation iPhone SE on Friday, and in the U.S. already ran out out of its stock for release on launch day.
Orders placed placed earlier today will arrive on April 24. But the official Apple Store website indicates that orders for the new $399 iPhone placed now won’t arrive until May.
An ultrawide monitor (and a second screen on top) take this battlestation to the next level. Photo: iSetups/Instagram
An amazing 49-inch LG UltraWide monitor dominates the sweet work-from-home setup of front-end developer Justin Chua from San Jose, California. A second 32-inch Dell monitor floats above, adding even more screen real estate to this eye-blasting battlestation.
And check out his sweet, custom-made mechanical keyboard!
Experience fascinating sea life in E-Line Media’s Beyond Blue. Photo: E-Line Media/Apple
Anyone missing the ocean can dive into E-Line Media’s Beyond Blue. Playing as a scientist, the goal of the iPhone or Apple TV game is to explore and uncover the secrets of the Earth’s last uncharted frontier.
It debuted Friday on Apple Arcade, the company’s subscription gaming service.
Steam Link for iPhone and iPad just got a big update that adds mouse and keyboard support for the first time. Don’t get too excited just yet, however. While direct mouse input is available, it’s not ideal for many game genres just yet.
BZFuture offers a free Windows Pro 10 activation key with antivirus software purchase. Photo: BZFuture
This antivirus software with Windows key post is presented by BZFuture.
Cybercriminals use complex methods to hijack, damage and exploit your computer and data. They think know more than you do — and maybe they do. At least for now. But their success relies on you remaining lazy, overly busy and ignorant. And since you already know you need potent protection, it’s no great leap to realize products offered by BZFuture can assist you. Does it help even more that the reseller now offers a free Windows Pro 10 activation key with purchase of antivirus protection? Sure it does.
WhatsApp currently allows just four people in a single group call. Photo: WhatsApp
Seeing friends and family in person just isn’t possible during a global pandemic, so WhatsApp could be making some changes to ensure that we can still have face-to-face contact (via a screen) without leaving our homes.
Changes in the app’s latest beta release suggest the limit for group audio and video calls will soon increase. It currently allows for just four participants at any one time, while others — like Facebook Messenger — can support up to 50.
Apple's new architecture docuseries is half-inspiring, half-insufferable. Photo: Apple TV+
Home, the new Apple TV+ docuseries about unconventional structures designed by unorthodox architects, is — surprise, surprise — as much a mixed a bag as anything else on the streaming service.
The nine-episode series, available to watch Friday, provides a window into homes and the ethos, hardship and breakthroughs that lead to their creation. It would be an understatement to say that some episodes prove more interesting than others.
Apple might not be worth as much as some investors think. Photo: Pixabay/Pexels CC
Goldman Sachs may be Apple’s partner in Apple Card, but that doesn’t mean that its equity research division is a cheerleader for Apple in everything it does. In fact, the firm just cut its price target on Apple from $250 down to $233, and recommends that clients sell their Apple shares.
This is the third time that Goldman has downgraded its Apple earnings estimate since February 17. Analysts led by Goldman tech analyst Rod Hall think that Apple is headed for a reduction in iPhone demand this year. That’s likely to be followed by a shallower recovery headed into 2021.