Remote work means lots of potential distractions, even if it’s from the comfort of home. Family, neighbors, the TV in another room — there are plenty of ways to lose focus. So during the COVID-19 lockdown, noise-canceling headphones are an essential way to keep distractions at bay.

Apple unveiled a new 13-inch MacBook Pro on Monday, bringing a slew of upgrades to its smaller high-end laptop.

It’s available to order today, starting at $1,299 for regular customers or $1,199 for students and teachers.

Apple will unleash its updated 13-inch MacBook Pro Monday, according to Apple leaker Jon Prosser.

“Incoming. Today’s the day,” Prosser wrote in a tweet, linking to a previous one about the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, codenamed J223.

Now’s your chance to finally bag Apple’s newest iPhone lineup at a big discount. Woot is offering refurbished iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max units at hundreds of dollars off the usual selling price for one day only.

Bag yours now for as little as $599.99.

An amazing new augmented reality demo shows how the future of cut, copy and paste might work.

Created by Cyril Diagne, a 34-year-old artist, designer and programmer currently in residence at the Google Arts & Culture Lab in Paris, the demo shows images of objects being dragged from the real world and dropped into Photoshop on a Mac. That’s an AR application that any designer could get on board with!

In a virtual commencement address to Ohio State University grads Sunday, Apple CEO Tim Cook talked about challenges the world faces in the time of COVID-19 and implored the outgoing students to “build a better future than the one you thought was certain.”

Cook, by now a seasoned commencement speaker, also discussed what he’s been doing during the coronavirus lockdown and mentioned his experiences working with Steve Jobs. You can check out his full commencement speech below.

Human beings do our best reasoning when we put our thoughts and ideas into forms that are easy to see and interact with. Notepads are great, but this is the computer age, so the mind-mapping tools available to us are better than ever.

One great example is MindMaster, and right now a lifetime subscription costs just $49 at the Cult of Mac Store.

A new “invisible” HomeKit-compatible lock means you won’t need to sacrifice fancy door hardware to get smart lock functionality. Level Lock replaces your existing deadbolt’s guts, hiding seamlessly inside your door.

It’s an innovative approach to smart lock design. That’s not too surprising, though, considering Level Home was founded by a couple of ex-Apple employees.

We love the new Magic Keyboard, which adds a trackpad and lets an iPad Pro float almost magically. Read the full Magic Keyboard review and find out everything we like (and a couple things that could be better).

In this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine, you’ll also find an essay on all the ways a 2008 MacBook proves better than a modern Apple laptop. And a bit of trash talk about lazy new Apple TV+ comedy Trying.

Plus, we’ve got even more reviews, the week’s top Apple news, and a bunch of great how-tos and pro tips. Download the free iOS mag now or get the links below.

Macs come with plenty of power and potential, but getting the most out of your machine means getting the right apps. Power users know this best, and that’s just who this bundle of seven great Mac apps is for.

Any Mac user can benefit from the apps included in the 2020 Mac Power User Bundle. With an 86% discount from Cult of Mac Deals, the whole thing costs just $29.99. Even better, all seven apps comes with lifetime access.

Here’s what the bundle includes:

Apple Watch Series 6 will be able to take blood-oxygen readings, according to an unconfirmed report. Word of this upcoming feature has leaked before — and COVID-19 makes adding it a bit more urgent.

The source for this rumor also claims the 2020 Apple Watch will usher in numerous other new features as well.

You shouldn’t have to deal with the frustration of unlocking your iPhone with Face ID when you’re wearing a mask. And you don’t have to. This simple pro tip shows you how to skip Face ID and quickly unlock with a passcode instead.

Automatic Labs is shutting down is vehicle monitoring service which worked with the iPhone beginning May 28, saying Friday its business has been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The service provides various data via a diagnostic port on many vehicles as well as warns authorities when a car has been in an accident.

Apple updated its COVID-19 screening app Friday with new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including additional symptoms of the disease and tips on using cloth masks.

In its fourth episode, stellar Apple TV+ show Defending Jacob shows every member of the Barber family starting to crack as young Jacob moves closer to his murder trial. As the characters head toward revelations and uncomfortable conclusions, they start to stall for time in irresponsible, sometimes dangerous ways.

As the situation unfolds, their relationships with each other start to fray.

Apple and Goldman Sachs might cut you some slack on your credit card bill if you lost your job during the COVID-19 pandemic. Users of the Apple Card were notified today that they can apply to skip their May payment without interest charges being added.

Veteran Hollywood writer and producer Annie Weisman has signed a longterm creative deal with AppleTV+ to develop televisions projects exclusive to the service, according to a published report Friday

Apple’s default mouse and trackpad settings in iPadOS might work great with the company’s own accessories, but they can be less than ideal with third-party peripherals. Scroll speed, in particular, seems very temperamental.

Unfortunately, Apple decided it would be a good idea to hide away those scroll speed settings, so a lot of users have no idea they can be adjusted. Here’s where you can find them on iPad.

Revenue from iPad sales dropped 10% during the first quarter of 2020. And shipments dropped 3%, according to a market-research firm. But analysts say that people working and studying from home during the pandemic could bring a burst of purchases this quarter.

With little fanfare and few details, Valve Corporation said Friday it has ended SteamVR support for the Mac to concentrate its efforts on more financially viable platforms like Windows and Linux.

The news comes as recent surveys show the acceptance of the platform by macOS users below 5%.

Apple’s gaming service focuses more on lighter fare, but Friday brought the release of Neversong. Players take on the role of Peet, a boy just awoken from a coma as he searches for his missing girlfriend through an asylum while battling monsters and zombies.

Running out of things to watch during lockdown? Streaming service Crackle is bringing “thousands” of free movies and TV shows to Plex, the digital media and organizational app that launched its ad-supported streaming service in December.

Having initially rolled out movies by Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), Lionsgate and Legendary, it’s now introducing a plethora of free titles from Crackle. These include the likes of hit movies Captain Phillips, Patriot Games and The Illusionist, alongside TV shows like Hell’s Kitchen and Roseanne.

It should come as no surprise that the iPad is one of our favorite devices here at Cult of Mac. Ever since the introduction of the 2018 iPad Pro models and iPadOS 13, Apple’s tablet has made huge strides in being more capable and powerful for tons of things I do. So, needless to say, when I saw the Magic Keyboard, I had high hopes.

One critical factor for the iPad to be a useful tool for me has been a good keyboard experience. Even more important is the ability to shift from typing on the keyboard to interacting with the touchscreen when I want to go mobile around the house or office. 

Now, with the Magic Keyboard, Apple offers a new option for the iPad Pro. The new case lets you effortlessly jump between keyboard and tablet mode whenever you want. Or you can forget about the touchscreen entirely, turning the iPad into more of a laptop than ever before.

Smartphone shipments took a major tumble in the first quarter of 2020 as coronavirus wreaked havoc on the supply chain and demand. That’s the conclusion drawn by three of the top mobile-tracking research firms, Strategy Analytics, Canalys, and IDC.

While their numbers don’t all tally perfectly they tell the same overall picture. While Apple wasn’t immune to the decline, however, it fared better than some of its rivals.

Amazon’s big discount on Powerbeats Pro is back for a limited time only. You can enjoy $50 off the usual price on all four color options.

Powerbeats Pro pack Apple’s newest H1 chip, offer up to nine hours of listening in between charges, and sport a sweat-resistant design that’s ideal for running, cycling, and home workouts while the gyms are closed.