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Reviews - page 34

Bad Sisters is a delightfully dark comedy [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Bad Sisters recap: All the Garvey sisters had reason to dislike the recently deceased John Paul.★★★★☆
All the Garvey sisters had reason to dislike the recently deceased John Paul.
Photo: Apple TV+

New Apple TV+ dark comedy Bad Sisters follows a family of Irish women who vow to help each other through thick and thin. Thick comes in the form of a miserable brother-in-law, who’s lying in a coffin and represents loose ends for all of them.

Can they outmaneuver a desperate insurance investigator and keep from turning on each other? This is good TV. Let’s just watch it cook.

Get seriously productive with MacTigr mechanical keyboard for Mac [Review] ★★★★★

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Das Keyboard MacTigr review★★★★★
The Das Keyboard MacTigr is a durable mechanical keyboard made specifically for Mac.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Das Keyboard’s MacTigr is specifically for Mac users looking to get serious work done. It uses top-quality mechanical switches in a 105-key layout, and adds on Mac-specific keys as well as other bonus features.

I tested the low-profile keyboard in my home office. Here’s why I’m so impressed.

Add a convenient handle to your iPad with this unique case [Review] ★★★★☆

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Add a handy handle with Pitaka FlipBook Case for iPad★★★★☆
One of the few features an iPad Pro is missing is a handle. FlipBook Case has that handled.
Photo: Pitaka

The Apple Magic Keyboard is a great way to get work done on your iPad, but it’s not a particularly secure way to transport the tablet. The Pitaka FlipBook Case wraps around the Apple Magic Keyboard and iPad Pro or iPad Air to both protect them and add a handle. It even includes a pocket.

I took the leather-and-carbon-fiber case for a spin. Here’s what I found.

Journey’s protective iPhone 13 leather case feels just right [Review] ★★★★☆

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I've already accidentally added some ★★★★☆
I've already accidentally added some "character" to this fine leather iPhone case. You know, scratches. Maybe they'll fade or blend in as the patina develops.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Whether you’re getting an iPhone 13 series handset at a discount because iPhone 14 is coming soon or you just want to change up your case for the iPhone you already have, you can’t go wrong with the tasteful and tough Journey iPhone 13 Leather Case.

The company sent me a MagSafe-compatible, tan-colored case for iPhone 13 Pro to try out. I found it a refreshing switch from the Apple clear MagSafe case I’d been using, which had begun to blacken at the corners over the past several months.

Surface takes us on a trippy journey into Sophie’s mind [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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★★★☆☆
Can drugs help Sophie (played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw) sort out reality?
Photo: Apple TV+

Surface, the Apple TV+ mystery about a woman with no memory, goes tripping in an episode filled with twists, turns, memories and hallucinations.

Sophie has a secret identity. Her husband, James, has a secret file that Baden the cop needs to steal and investigate. And literally nothing is going to go as planned. Sophie treats herself to a little psychotropic therapy when her therapist lets her down.

She learns a little more than she bargained for in this mostly OK episode.

Loot finally gets to the point in season finale [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Loot recap season finale Apple TV+: Molly (played by Maya Rudolph) finally gets her head straight in the Loot season finale.★★★☆☆
Molly (played by Maya Rudolph) finally gets her head straight in the Loot season finale.
Photo: Apple TV+

Loot, the Apple TV+ sitcom about a rich woman discovering the meaning of life through charity work, finally hits the wall I’ve been waiting for after weeks of politesse and a too-overwhelming fear of the vulgar side of comedy.

In this week’s season finale, Molly and the crew head to Corsica for a billionaire energy summit where she must make an important choice. She must decide between her rich, debonair boyfriend and his million-dollar ideas about conservancy, and her friends who want to do real, on-the-ground work and fight the root causes of the problems facing their neighbors.

Trying fails out of the school of hard knocks [Apple TV+ recap] ★☆☆☆☆

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Trying recap Apple TV+: Princess (played by Eden Togwell) gets busted this week on Trying.★☆☆☆☆
Princess (played by Eden Togwell) gets busted this week on Trying.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ series Trying, the James Corden of sitcoms, invents some new fake problems for its characters to solve this week. Tyler bumps his head, Princess steals a solution to an outcast’s problem, Nikki and Karen don’t feel like moms, Jason is disappointed in his son’s taste, and there may be a new wrinkle in the couple’s decision to keep their kids.

The writers also show their Tory hand this week with jabs at all things lower class — except when it’s necessary for our characters to engage in them. Not even a special cameo from a great villainess can lift this week’s offering above pitiful.

Anker GaNPrime power bank and charging station are capable specialists [Review] ★★★★☆

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The Anker 727 Power Station, left, and Anker 733 Power Bank have your special needs covered.★★★★☆
The Anker 727 Power Station, left, and Anker 733 Power Bank have your special needs covered.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Anker deployed a whole squad of six new, compact and capable high-speed GaNPrime chargers to the charging accessory battlefield a few weeks back. They seem equipped to cover pretty much any need, taking different forms and offering different charging capacities and numbers of ports.

The company sent me a few to try out. I already reviewed the impressively potent and portable Anker 747 150W GaNPrime Charger, an adapter. Now I’ll take a look at two other forms — the Anker 733 Power Bank and the Anker 727 Power Station, which is a compact power strip.

They each address specific capabilities a lot of people might look for in a charger. You might want one of each.

For All Mankind goes out with a bang in season 3 finale [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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For All Mankind season 3 finale recap Apple TV+: Things are getting dicey at NASA.★★★☆☆
Things are getting dicey at NASA because of course they are.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ space opera/soap opera For All Mankind closes its confounding third season this week by introducing us to a new character and a new geopolitical rival for the beleaguered space crews.

In this week’s season three finale, entitled “Stranger in a Strange Land,” Ed Baldwin learns Danny’s terrible secret. Jimmy Stevens hangs out with the wrong crowd for just a few minutes too long. Margo’s in trouble, Kelly’s giving birth, Karen’s making bold choices, and Dev is up a creek.

None of that’s going to matter by this week’s third act, of course. Just you wait and see.

Five Days at Memorial captures the horror of Hurricane Katrina [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Five Days at Memorial recap Apple TV+: Susan Mulderick (played by Cherry Jones) is in charge, but Hurricane Katrina is about to make things spin totally out of control.★★★★
Susan Mulderick (played by Cherry Jones) is in charge at the hospital, but Hurricane Katrina is about to make things spin totally out of control.
Photo: Apple TV+

Hurricane Katrina has come and gone and there are 45 unexplained deaths in a hospital in New Orleans. That’s the hook for new Apple TV+ limited series Five Days at Memorial. The titular hospital is a crowbar used to examine the carelessness of U.S. disaster-relief infrastructure, health care and our attitudes toward one another.

This all actually happened. And show creators John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) and Carlton Cuse (Lost) mean to take us uncomfortably close to the truth of what happens when Americans are faced with unprecedented situations … because we are running out of those.

Miniature MagSafe speaker amps up iPhone audio [Review] ★★★★★

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Scoshe BoomCan MS review★★★★★
The Scoshe BoomCan MS pumps out outstanding sound for the size and price.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Scoshe BoomCan MS sticks to the back of a ‌MagSafe‌ ‌iPhone and ups the sound quality considerably. The palm-size Bluetooth speaker magnetically attaches to recent Apple handsets where it also act as a kickstand or a handle. And it’s waterproof and dustproof.

I’ve been using the BoomCan MS for a few weeks… and I love it.

Zagg’s rugged iPad keyboard case adds useful trackpad, too [Review] ★★★★

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Zagg Pro Keys with Trackpad review: Very protective iPad keyboard case★★★★
Want to work from a coffeeshop? Your iPad and the Zagg Pro Keys with Trackpad might be just what you need.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPad is an outstanding tablet, but add the Zagg Pro Keys with Trackpad and it becomes a powerful notebook computer that’s ready for work or school. Plus, the keyboard case offers a welcome 6.6 feet of drop protection.

There are versions for several Apple tablets, so I wrapped my 12.9-inch iPad Pro in the Pro Keys and went to work using it. There’s a lot to like here.

Loot puts friendships to the test, and shockingly, some will fail [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Loot recap: This week's episode is all about friends and making hard choices.★★★☆☆
This week's episode of Loot is all about friends and making hard choices.
Photo: Apple TV+

Loot, the Apple TV+ comedy about a woman with everything who learns from people who have nothing, has a play, a zoning board meeting and a summit to prepare for this week.

Howard and Nicholas must patch up their friendship. Sofia and Molly need to work out their differences of opinion and ambition. Molly comes face to face with the bad side of charity work. And in general, the characters needs to make some hard choices about the people they want in their lives.

Surface finds solid ground with straight-up storytelling [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Surface recap: Will Sophie (played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw) get to the bottom of what's going on with her husband, Jamie (Oliver Jackson-Cohen)?★★★
Will Sophie (played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw) get to the bottom of what's up with her husband, Jamie (Oliver Jackson-Cohen)?
Photo: Apple TV+

Surface, the new Apple TV+ mystery series about a woman who can’t remember her life or lies, keeps up the erotic intrigue this week. The show avoids all of its worst tendencies for a basically good fourth episode.

Amnesiac Sophie and her lover Thomas clandestinely chase leads as they try to solve the mystery of who almost killed her. Sophie’s husband, James, desperately runs around trying to hide his crimes, and Caroline gets pulled back into his orbit once again.

The investigation and the cover-up proceed apace. It’s just a matter of who’s smarter, more thorough and more careful.

Mars is getting monotonous on For All Mankind [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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For All Mankind recap: It's always something.★★★☆☆
Whether on Earth or on Mars, it's always something.
Photo: Apple TV+

For All Mankind holds a few cliffhangers up its sleeve in season 3’s penultimate episode, but first it must deal with its soapy dilemmas.

Ellen and Larry are in the hot seat, Kelly Baldwin’s baby is coming along ahead of schedule, Aleida Rosales is all out of heroes, Karen and Dev might switch jobs — and Danny Stevens’ goose might be cooked!

A decent episode of the Apple TV+ alt-history sci-fi hit focuses on plot nitty-gritty and emotional turmoil, until it gives way to a typically frustrating final reveal.

Physical season finale leaves us praying for cancellation [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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Physical season 2 finale recap: Please say it's over.★★☆☆☆
Please say it's over.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+’s second season of Physical draws to a merciful close this week. Though she’s finally gotten John Breem out of her bedroom, Sheila still has to deal with him. He’s still making Danny crazy — and he’s still the only man in town with power enough to satisfy Sheila’s needs.

Wouldn’t it be funny if she had to wind up trapped with him in a business agreement? Well, no, it wouldn’t, and it isn’t, but that’s where we’re headed.

Trying wrings a tiny victory out of pregnancy and a party [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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Trying recap Apple TV+: At least somebody's laughing.★★☆☆☆
At least somebody's laughing.
Photo: Apple TV+

Trying, the Apple TV+ comedy about middle-class ghouls making the once-a-generation decision to start families, plans a birthday party for special little boy Tyler this week.

Tyler’s party is too overwhelming at first, but with a little help from a lot of people it becomes fun. Elsewhere, Karen is pregnant and nervous, Nikki resents her fertility, Scott has to quit a burgeoning career, and Jason is still on the hook for a dream house.

Black Bird will break your heart with its riveting conclusion [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Black Bird finale recap: Time's running out for Jimmy Keene (played by Taron Egerton).★★★★
Time's running out for Jimmy Keene (played by Taron Egerton).
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ murder mystery Black Bird draws to a pulse-pounding close as jailhouse informer Jimmy Keene’s last-ditch efforts to stay alive are being threatened at every turn.

Serial killer Larry Hall is inches from confessing, Jimmy’s about to get shanked — and nobody’s coming to help either of them. Plus, Jimmy’s dad Big Jim is dying in a hurry outside prison walls.

The limited series saves its best mechanics for last as the clock runs out on all of our heroes.  Black Bird concludes on a high note indeed.

Bad Luck for Apple TV+ and Skydance [Apple TV+ review] ★★☆☆☆

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Luck review: Skydance is going to need a lot of Luck to sell unimaginative movies with a problematic CEO.★★☆☆☆
Skydance is going to need a lot of Luck to sell unimaginative movies with a problematic CEO.
Image: Apple TV+

Apple TV+’s newest film is the streamer’s big flagship collaboration with Skydance Animation under the new leadership of disgraced former Pixar chief John Lasseter.

Can the film’s relative charms tip the scales in favor of a new endeavor, instead of back toward the hasty assembly of a company around a man who never really answered for his allegations? Unfortunately, Luck, which premieres Friday on Apple TV+, would have had to have a lot more going for it to get people talking about the movie on pure merit.

Soundcore Motion Boom Plus speaker sports sound as big as all outdoors [Review] ★★★★☆

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Those bits on the end press in and out, as if moved by waves of bass. But they only seemed to move when actually pushed.★★★★☆
Those bits on the end press in and out, as if moved by waves of bass. But they only seemed to move when actually pushed.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

The Soundcore Motion Boom Plus is a powerful, portable outdoor speaker you might want to nab before summer’s over. The boombox-style Bluetooth speaker brings the brawn — 80 watts of power — along with a bit more heft than some competitors.

When you factor in the excellent sound quality, some sporty features and the relatively low price of $179.99, it’s a worthy choice for outdoor use. Some folks might even use it indoors, but many never would because of its black plastic design. It might look at home in a college dorm, but probably not in most living rooms.

Troubadour’s durable Pioneer Backpack suits the office or the gym [Review] ★★★★

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The Troubadour Pioneer won't look out of place at the gym or in the office.★★★★
The Troubadour Pioneer won't look out of place at the gym or in the office.
Photo: Troubadour Goods

It might be time to get a new backpack. The British company Troubadour Goods makes just just what you need. It recently released four of its sustainable bags in a limited-edition color, a dark khaki.

They sent me the Troubadour Pioneer Backpack to try out. And it’s a stunner, fit for taking to work or outdoor hikes and trips to the gym in between.

Compact Anker 747 GanPrime Charger packs 150W of power [Review] ★★★★☆

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The new Anker 747 GanPrime Charger pumps 150W of power through four ports for your devices.★★★★☆
The new Anker 747 GanPrime Charger pumps 150W of power through four ports for your devices.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

It’s not easy to get super-excited about chargers. But the current wave of ever-smaller and ever-more-potent gallium nitride (GaN) chargers gets the heart pumping a little faster than that or your average sleeping person, at least.

And if anyone’s keeping us awake and watchful regarding the charger market, it’s Anker.

The company recently held a special event to release six chargers in its new GaNPrime line. The first to arrive in my hands is the Anker 747 GaNPrime Charger, which pumps out 150W of power through four ports. But it’s just small enough to toss in your computer bag or knapsack without a second thought.

Hub adds 3 high-speed Thunderbolt ports without the bulky power brick [Review] ★★★★★

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Sanho HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub review: You can never have too many high-speed data ports, and the HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub adds three more to your Mac or iPad Pro.★★★★★
You can never have too many high-speed data ports, and the HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub adds three more to your Mac or iPad Pro.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Thunderbolt hubs add super-fast ports to your Mac, speeding up your workflow. But these hubs also require a really bulky power adapter … usually. The just-announced Sanho HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub is the exception. It’s small enough to travel with.

I tested the Thunderbolt hub in my home office for a couple of weeks to see how it stands up to real-world use.

The best keyboard Apple ever made, but smaller? [Review] ★★★★☆

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The Matias keyboard on my desk. The Mac sits on the mStand next to an Apple Cinema Display and Magic Trackpad.★★★★☆
The Matias keyboard is the spiritual successor to the greatest keyboard of all time, the Apple Extended Keyboard II.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

In its entire 46-year history, Apple has made only one truly great keyboard: the Apple Extended Keyboard II. Dating from 1987, the Apple Extended Keyboard II has been dubbed “the greatest computer keyboard of all time.

For me, the Extended Keyboard is the ultimate Goldilocks keyboard: it offers the perfect amount of travel, feel and sound. Alas, it was discontinued in 1994 and Apple hasn’t made a mechanical keyboard — with switches and springs beneath each key — since.

But fear not. The Matias Mini Tactile Pro keyboard is the Extended Keyboard’s spiritual successor: a modern mechanical keyboard in a mini package that plays nice with modern Macs.

But is it any good?

Things heat up for our jailhouse informer in Black Bird [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Black Bird recap: Things are not going well for prison informer Jimmy Keene (played by Taron Egerton).★★★★
Things are not going well for prison informer Jimmy Keene (played by Taron Egerton).
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ miniseries Black Bird finally reveals the killer this week, along with the evidence that might hang him … or might not be enough to do anything but frustrate the people working to expose him.

Superlative work from actors Paul Walter Hauser, Ray Liotta and Laney Stiebing in the episode, titled “The Place I Lie,” pulls the show into greatness just before its final installment.

Black Bird covered a lot of ground in a little time — and now it’s time to bring it home.