In yet another promo for Apple TV+’s intriguing workplace thriller Severance, Apple CEO Tim Cook gets in on the action. Severance director and executive producer Ben Stiller dropped a video Friday morning on X.com starring the mild-mannered tech honcho. Cook reports for orientation as an innie on the severed floor of Lumon Industries.

The video is short, but Cook isn’t bad — especially in the elevator, where he shows his severed transformation in consciousness (with the help of some special effects). Then, near the end of the video, he made me laugh out loud.

You’ve got to love a computer, gaming and TV setup with a big external display that’s so efficiently arranged it barely even takes up any desk space. Today’s featured MacBook Pro workstation manages the feat by mounting a big smart TV as a display on the wall, along with a pegboard for peripherals storage. But the MacBook setup with wall-mounted display took some pretty serious DIY skills, described below.

Good lighting can completely change the vibe of your workspace. This USB-powered LED monitor light bar is a simple upgrade that makes a big difference. Instead of taking up desk space with a clunky lamp, this sleek light bar clips onto any flat monitor more than 0.55 inches thick.

It also comes with a knob to control the lighting. Whether you’re working, gaming or winding down with a show, this lamp gives you adjustable, focused light exactly where you need it. Plus, it’s on sale for $34.99 (regularly $59).

In our Severance season 2 episode 2 recap, we discover the lengths to which Lumon Industries went to clean up after the Overtime Contingency (OTC) that enabled the rebelling innies to briefly escape to the outside world at the end of season one.

In last week’s season two debut, the Macrodata Refinement (MDR) crew came back to work on the severed floor. This week’s episode, “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig,” doubles back to show what it took for Mr. Milchick, Helena Eagan and others to get them there. It doesn’t quite have the first episode’s high impact — it brought the show back to us after season one’s climactic cliffhangers three years ago — but it clarifies matters while introducing new questions.

Apple’s next-gen CarPlay was supposed to arrive in 2024. That did not happen. Despite the delay, the company confirms it is working with several automakers on CarPlay 2.

Apple showcased the next-generation CarPlay at WWDC 2022. More than two and a half years later, it still hasn’t showed up.

Want a small phone with a price tag to match? This Mini 4G dual-SIM smartphone is fully functional but actually fits in your pocket. This little phone is about the size of a credit card, but comes packed with the features you expect from a smartphone.

It runs on Android 9, however, and can’t be upgraded, so it’s not the greatest from a security perspective. Still, if you just need a quick and tiny backup phone, it’s on sale for just $94.99 (regularly $119).

We might not have seen the last of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. Despite the abrupt — and somewhat baffling — departure of star Noel Fielding, the producers of the Apple TV+ comedy series are reportedly trying to convert what was already filmed for season two into a movie of some sort.

But that still leaves plenty of people wondering what the heck is going on with Fielding.

Nothing produced by Apple Original Films for Apple TV+ can win an Oscar this year. The nominations went out Thursday, and Apple TV+ didn’t score a single one.

Films that seem like Oscar bait — including Fancy Dance and Blitz — got totally snubbed.

Amazon bargain site Woot! currently offers incredible deals where you can get huge discounts on Keychron mechanical keyboards — up to 63% off normal prices. Plus, you can nab an extra $10 off if you’re a new Woot! shopper. While quite a few of the keebs have sold out, you still have six excellent choices, listed with details and direct links below, and a bit more than a week to grab yours. The sale end January 31 at 10 p.m. PT.

Qi2 wireless charging could have helped the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S25 series better compete with the iPhone. But no — the Korean phone-maker let another opportunity to integrate this useful feature into its products sail by.

Samsung did build a half-assed version of Qi2 in the S25 series, so it might claim it met its promise to adopt the charging standard. But it’s a clunky solution.

iPhone users should care about Samsung’s poor decision because it means accessory-makers are less likely to produce Qi2-compatible products that are also compatible with Apple’s handsets.

In yet another creative promo for its hit workplace thriller series Severance, Apple TV+ dropped a new video Wednesday that masquerades as a Lumon Industries management training video.

“Lumon Industries is proud to present the Lumon Management Program — otherwise known by its breviloquent moniker of LUMP,” Apple TV+ wrote on X, announcing the video. “Today’s practicum: Integrating New Team Members.”

Your iPhone takes beautiful bokeh images, and these look truly astonishing on Looking Glass Go, a display that turns your pictures into 3D holograms. Children, pets, whatever you send to the screen seems to be floating in the frame. No headset or special glasses are necessary.

As cool as the 6-inch photo frame is — and it’s very cool — my time with the product turned up limitations you should consider before purchase.

When a brilliant math postgraduate verges on sussing out a certain pattern in prime numbers, he finds himself in between unseen enemies and government forces in a burgeoning conspiracy. That’s according to the new Apple TV+ trailer, below, for series Prime Target. After all, the whiz kid’s discovery could unlock every computer and unravel digital security worldwide, apparently.

“A brilliant mind is a dangerous weapon,” notes the tagline on the new series’ key art. The eight-episode conspiracy thriller debuts January 22 on Apple TV+. Watch the trailer below.

Update: Prime Target started streaming on Apple TV+ Wednesday. While The New York Times calls it a “charming popcorn thriller,” other reviews are less charitable. And “rotten” ratings on Rottentomatoes.com — critical rating of 43% and viewer rating of 56% (60% and up is “fresh”) — don’t appear too promising, either.

After unveiling its Galaxy S25 lineup Wednesday during its Galaxy Unpacked event. Samsung pulled a “one more thing” to tease its iPhone 17 Air competitor: the Galaxy S25 Edge.

Although the company didn’t disclose the phone’s exact thickness, it showcased the S25 Edge’s thinness by putting it alongside its Galaxy siblings.

iPhone users who install iOS 18.3 after the upgrade launches next week will find that Apple Intelligence is now on by default for those who use a compatible handset.

Previously, using the suite of AI-powered functions required opting in, but no longer. It’s a seemingly subtle but important change.

When buying an iPhone 16 series model in the December quarter, a higher percentage went for Apple’s cheapest variant than they in the previous year, according to a market research firm. The basic iPhone 16 even beat out the 16 Pro.

Some of that growth was siphoned from the 16 Pro Max, just not quite enough to keep it from being Apple’s most popular during last quarter. And sales of older models without Apple Intelligence also lost ground.

A potentially big development for Apple-focused content creators is on display at 2025 NAMM Show, as Shure shows off the new MV7i Smart Microphone and Interface it first unveiled earlier this month at CES 2025, calling it a first of its kind.

The innovative $350 mic brings professional-grade two-channel recording capabilities to Apple’s ecosystem, eliminating the need for a separate audio interface. You can plug an XLR mic or instrument right into Shure’s new mic. And you can connect it to Apple devices via USB-C to work with tracks using Shure’s MOTIV audio and video apps.

Upcoming documentary series Vietnam: The War That Changed America tells the story of the conflict through those who survived it on both sides, according to the trailer Apple TV+ dropped for it Wednesday. Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke narrates the six-part series. Featuring rare archival footage and moving reunions of service members, it’s set to premiere January 31. As one of the most anticipated new movies Apple TV has to offer, this documentary provides a compelling look at the war’s lasting impact.

Good news, Silo fans: You’ll be able to see season three of the hit sci-fi series. Not only has Apple TV+ committed to making it, but the showrunner promises it will be better lit than Silo season two.

That should please those who complained about having trouble making out what was going on in parts of the more recent episodes.

I’ve seen a few amazing man caves and she shacks while covering cool computer setups for Cult of Mac, but not many can compete with the home of today’s M4 Mac mini setup. The user converted a backyard shed nestled in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. So now the man shed M4 Mac mini setup doubles as a home theater sporting a gargantuan screen. You can find all the gear in the links list below for both the computer and home theater setups.

YouTube is improving the experience for its Premium subscribers by adding more perks for them. Going forward, YouTube Premium users can enjoy faster playback speeds on mobile and stream high-quality audio.

On iPhone, you can now play YouTube Shorts in picture-in-picture. Smart Downloads is also expanding to include support for Shorts.

Meta is reportedly exploring the development of AI-powered smartwatches and earbuds with built-in cameras. The social media giant is also working on AR glasses that could launch around 2027.

Before that, Meta will launch high-end smart glasses with a built-in display as soon as this year.

Netflix is getting more expensive in the US and several neighboring countries again. The streaming service will hike its prices despite a healthy addition of 18.9 million new subscribers in Q4 2024.

The streaming service last hiked its prices in October 2023. However, since the pandemic, Netflix has increased its subscription prices several times.

Apple seeded the release candidates for iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3 and macOS Sequoia 15.3 to developers Tuesday. In addition, the watchOS 11.3 RC, tvOS 18.3 RC and visionOS 2.3 RC went to developers at the same time. These bring only minor modifications to the various devices, though.

Release candidates are generally the final phase before the operating system upgrades go to users.

The U.K. government committed to a GOV.UK Wallet app that will let users leave their physical driver’s license at home. An iPhone or Android will be all that’s needed.

The same digital ID can be used as proof of age when buying alcohol.