Our digital lives revolve around having enough power, so we rounded up some of the best deals on charging gear for your shopping convenience. These juicy deals range from high-capacity backup batteries and a six-port USB charging hub, to a voice-controlled outlet and a car charger with four USB ports.

Even better, all of these charging accessories are discounted by more than half.

The European Commission doesn’t want its staff using WhatsApp or iMessage for internal communications. Instead, they must start using end-to-end-encrypted messaging app Signal as part of a push toward greater security.

“Signal has been selected as the recommended application for public instant messaging,” noted an instruction that reportedly appeared on internal EC messaging boards in early February.

Apple has reportedly subpoenaed Santander Bank and $50 billion intelligence contractor L3Harris Technologies as part of its ongoing battle with cybersecurity startup Corellium.

Apple wants to know how both groups are using Corellium’s software. This software lets companies run virtual versions of iOS for security and functionality testing.

Have an old Apple Watch you want to donate to a good cause? Recycle Health, a nonprofit working out of Tufts Medical School, is collecting fitness-tracking wearables to donate to underserved populations.

These include homeless people, veterans, people in senior living homes, and intellectually disabled adults, in low-income communities. The hope is that the fitness-tracking devices could lead to “sustained behavior change” among those who need it.

Unnamed Target retail store employees are sharing details of what some believe are soon-to-be-released Apple updates using purported images of product listings from the companies retail inventory system.

The supposed new products include Apple AirPods X Generation, a 10.5-inch iPad, a new generation Apple TV, a new iPod touch and a series of new Apple Watch bands. 

iPhones running iOS 14 will borrow the multitasking layout currently used by iPads, according to a reliable leaker.

This is apparently the first major leak about the next iPhone operating system, which is expected to be unveiled this June.

This week we keep old folks safe, brew perfectly measured coffee, celebrate Photoshop’s 30th anniversary, and complain about SoundCloud.

Whenever lots of people gather in one place, the chargers start to feel scarce. Things get even more complicated when people use different makes, models and connection types. Why not sidestep the problem entirely with an all-in-one charging hub?

Apple shows off the capabilities of the Ultra Wide camera in the iPhone 11 Pro with a breath-taking video shot in scenic Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada.

Watch this video now:

Wireless charging can really help keep your iPhone topped off and ready to go. Every model since the iPhone 8 supports it, and Cult of Mac brings you our list of the best wireless chargers available today.

This includes multi-device models too, for everyone who needs power up an Apple Watch or AirPods too.

Before iOS 7, skeumorphism’s cartoon realism ruled. Then things swung too far in the opposite direction, with flat white pages, skinny text and occasionally confusing visual cues. An emerging design trend called neumorphism could bridge the gap in iOS 14, according to Cult of Mac’s Charlie Sorrel. With subtle shading and helpful hints, neumorphism could influence the evolution of Apple’s mobile UI.

Read all about this hot emerging design trend in this week’s free issue of our iOS magazine. It also includes the week’s top Apple news stories, along with a passel of how-tos and product reviews.

Macs are powerful machines, but the right software can vastly expand their capabilities. This bundle of apps offers a bunch of new media-related abilities, from music management to video conversion and ringtone creation.

Walmart is allegedly looking to sell its video-streaming service Vudu right as the streaming wars are starting to heat up.

NBCUniversal is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire Vudu from Walmart, which could give the company another valuable asset as it prepares to launch the Peacock streaming network in a couple of months.

A speedlight set up creating a buzz in the photography community for its portability syncs with any camera system, including the iPhone.

The PiXLIGHT is the latest strobe accessory for iPhone photographers. Several companies like Lume Cube and Profoto have Bluetooth enabled flashes dedicated to smartphone shooters.

Apple Maps offers surprisingly great public transport features. It recently expanded transit directions across Europe, so you can get “turn-by-turn” directions for metro, tram and other modes of public transit.

Even if your city isn’t yet covered by these directions, there’s still a whole lot of really useful information available. For instance, just tap a station on the map, and it will show all upcoming departures.

Let’s take a look at Apple Maps public transit features.

iPhone and iPad users can already sign up to download Quibi, the mobile-only streaming service created by former Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Quibi was quietly posted to the App Store at the end of last month. News that it’s available for pre-order just surfaced today. You won’t be able to start streaming Quibi shows until April, but if you want to make sure you don’t miss the launch you can pre-order it now.

Like almost all of Apple’s built-in iOS apps, the Music app is capable but hard to use. Apple’s habit of hiding key functions behind multiple button-taps is in full force here, and it’s getting worse. Want to “heart” a track? You used to be able to do it from the lock screen player. Now you have to access the Music app’s share menu, and find it there.

And what if you want to view your recently added items as a list, or your list of songs as a grid? Tough. On the other hand, if you use features like the For You… playlists, and Apple Music’s excellent More by… recommendations, many alternative music apps don’t support them.

The answer to this digital music conundrum is Marvis Pro, a 1-year-old music app that offers everything you need — and nothing you don’t.

Apple Maps’ brilliant Look Around feature (its own version of Street View) is now live for Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

The expansion comes less than a month after Apple rolled out major Maps improvements to all users in the United States. It means Look Around now supports a total of nine locations, with more likely to come in 2020.

No one could protest legislation aimed at curbing child sex abuse, but a bill that reportedly will be introduced soon in the US Congress could have much wider consequences. One result might be a legally mandated requirement that messaging services have a “backdoor” so that law enforcement can read all encrypted messages.

Tossed into the swirl of rumors and reports about coronavirus and its impact on Apple production is an alleged new entry to the AirPods lineup called “AirPods Pro Lite.”

The quotes bookending the product name are because no one is sure what to make of what is essentially a rumor first reported by a Chinese website with a mixed record for accuracy.

In the last few days, reports have surfaced in DigiTimes of a second “lite” version supplier, giving further credence to the various reports.

This week on The CultCast: New iPads Pro, new AirPods and AirTags are incoming, but Apple warns coronavirus could mean big manufacturing delays. Plus: From cut and paste, to Newton, and more — we remember the inventions of tech folk hero Larry Tesler.

And stick around for an all new What We’re Into, where Leander pitches some of the most bizarre shows on TV.

Our thanks to LinkedIn for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters … head to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post.

WhatsApp’s brand-new dark mode will be exclusively available on devices running iOS 13 when it finally makes its debut. The feature is now being tested in early versions of the app ahead of its rollout to everyone.

Approaching a year-and-a-half after it marched onto iPhone, I’m still amazed that Sid Meier’s epic Civilization VI has somehow been squeezed onto a device that fits in your pocket.

Now there’s a new reason to be amazed, too. That’s because the turn-based 4X game (that’s “eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate” for all you newbies) has been discounted to its cheapest price yet. Instead of the $59.99 regular price, it’s currently just $4.99.

How can you go wrong?

It’s unlikely that we’re going to stop wanting new apps anytime soon. So mobile app development remains one of the best skill sets to cultivate. This bundle of seven courses can build your mobile development chops.

Steve Jobs’ autograph is rare because a) he was Steve Jobs and b) because he reportedly hated signing autographs. That makes any opportunity to get your hands on the John Hancock of Apple’s late CEO and co-founder pretty exciting.

An upcoming auction promises one of the more interesting Jobs autographs I’ve seen. RR Auctions is auctioning off a mid-1990s PowerBook 190cs, signed by Jobs in black felt tip. Its starting price? A mere $1,000 — although you can expect it to sell for many, many times that figure.