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Reviews - page 38

10 best movies on Apple TV+

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Best movies on Apple TV+
Ready for movie night? These are the best movies on Apple TV+.
Photos: Apple TV+

From Irish folklore to ’60s New York, from culture clashes to meteors, here is a list of the very best films on Apple TV+ so far.

You can divine the company’s best impulses by seeing the best films it acquired, from arcane, auteurist curiosities and thoughtful genre pieces to documentaries that attempt to break free from the usual niches.

Physical can’t shake its annoying routine [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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Physical recap: Just like Greta (Dierdre Friel) and Sheila (Rose Byrne), this show needs a plan.★★☆☆☆
Just like Greta (played by Dierdre Friel, left) and Sheila (Rose Byrne), this show needs a plan.
Photo: Apple TV+

1980s aerobics nightmare Physical goes in circles this week as Bunny and Tyler engage in surveillance for subterfuge, John and Sheila seek outside help, and Danny gets a hard dose of reality from Wanda.

In the episode, entitled “Don’t You Want to Watch,” the Apple TV+ series falls back into a familiar rut of Sheila facing problems and somehow solving them, with too little suspense and zero empathy generated for its ghoulish cast of characters.

Physical needs a Hail Mary in the worst way.

For All Mankind relishes its three-way race to Mars [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆

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For All Mankind recap ★★☆☆
Next stop: Mars. (Maybe.)
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+’s lunar headache For All Mankind is headed to Mars for real this time. Three competing spaceships strive to make it to the red planet first to win a huge cash prize.

NASA holds some tricks up its sleeve to beat the wilier competition, but you can’t count out the Russians just yet. They’re always willing to do something stupid to make headlines. A mostly fine episode ends on a nice little cliffhanger to boot.

Top TweetDeck for Mac alternatives to ease power users’ pain

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TweetDeck for Mac alternatives worth trying out
These TweetDeck for Mac alternatives are worth checking out.
Photo: Rajesh

With Twitter killing off TweetDeck for Mac today, users who didn’t plan ahead might be scrambling for options to manage their feeds.

While TweetDeck will continue to function on the web, many power users prefer a native Mac app. Luckily, you can find several worthy TweetDeck alternatives for Mac users that will help you get a handle on your Twitter obsession.

Edifier NeoBuds S offer decent ANC and articulate sound [Review] ★★★★☆

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Edifier does a nice job with presentation, including seven sets of eartips.★★★★☆
Edifier does a nice job with presentation on both NeoBuds Pro and NeoBuds S, including seven sets of eartips and a nice travel pouch.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Known for speakers and headphones with high-quality sound at affordable places, China-based Edifier plans to release a new set of true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) this month, the NeoBuds S. They closely track the look and feel of the well-regarded, high-resolution NeoBuds Pro the company rolled out in July 2021 — but with some promised improvements.

Edifier sent Cult of Mac a set of NeoBuds S to try out and see how well the company’s beefed-up noise cancellation and sound quality perform, among other features.

Loot gets stuck in a loop trying to build show worthy of its star [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Loot recap ★★★☆☆
An alpaca farm is just the start of this week's excitement.
Photo: Apple TV+

New Apple TV+ comedy  Loot goes into damage-control mode this week, as a theme park that Molly owns undergoes a public disaster and the billionaire must take stock of her post-divorce holdings.

Sofia goes to an important meeting, Nicholas goes to an important audition, and Arthur goes to a suddenly important soccer game. The show settles into a comfortable groove as it gives everyone an archetype to play with around dependable star Maya Rudolph.

RadWagon 4 is an electric utility bike with space for your groceries, cargo and kids [Under Review]

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Rag Wagon 4 hero image
RadWagon 4 has room for all your kids and parcels.
Photo: Erfon Elijah/Cult of Mac

Under Review on The CultCast: Rad Wagon 4 electric utility bike

After a year on the road and almost 600 miles, I’ve gotten to know the RadWagon 4. And no joke, this electric cargo bike played a part in my family deciding to sell our second vehicle.

For the power, price, versatility and build quality, I don’t think there’s a bike on the road that beats the RadWagon. This is the bike I recommend to everyone who wants a way to scoot around without a car, with enough space to carry cargo, one or two kids, packages, groceries or anything in between.

Ugreen T3 ANC wireless earbuds: OK bang for the buck [Review] ★★★☆☆

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The Ugreen T3 HiTune earbuds will get the job done for many folks on a budget.★★★☆☆
The Ugreen T3 HiTune earbuds will get the job done for many folks on a budget.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

In a world awash in earbuds, it’s not easy for lower-end products to keep their heads above water. But some manage to do it through solid overall quality and a good feature spread, like the new Ugreen T3 HiTune ANC Wireless Earbuds.

They’re not going to compete with many products at mid-to-high price points, like AirPods Pro and competitors. But the T3s offer bass to burn, an OK fit and a range of solid features at $40.

What you don’t get is top-notch sound across all frequencies, stellar ANC or a sense of tremendous build quality.

Simplify your storage with this tiny Samsung USB-C flash drive [Review] ★★★★

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Simplify your storage with a tiny Samsung USB-C flash drive★★★★
Samsung's flash drive plugs into an iPad Pro as easily as it does any Mac.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Samsung USB Type-C Flash Drive adds up to 256GB of additional storage to Mac desktops and notebooks as well as most types of iPad. It can be easily switched among all of these, and other computers, too.

I tested the tiny drive with multiple devices, and it stood up quite well. Here’s why I love this speedy little accessory.

Now and Then season finale sizzles with classy trash [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Now and Then season 1 finale recap: Rosie Perez steals the show in a totally satisfying season finale.★★★★☆
Rosie Perez steals the show in Now and Then's totally satisfying season finale.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ murder mystery Now and Then draws to a simmering close this week.

Pedro has lost his campaign, but there’s always more to lose. Ana is ready to turn on him. Sofia’s troubles catch up with her. Marcos suspects his father. Flora suspects her best friend. Hugo suspects Sofia. And there’s only an hour to wrap things up.

It’s been a marvelous bit of sensationalism from start to finish. If we get a second season of this bilingual thriller, it will be a welcome development.

For All Mankind poses great questions, then refuses to answer them [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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For All Mankind recap ★★★☆☆
This must be a time machine. A completely infuriating time machine.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ alt-history hit For All Mankind makes all the right moves this week, then immediately blows a 26-point lead in the last inning.

For once, the dramatic arcs thrown at Margo, Karen, Dev, Aleida and Kelly all seem pretty satisfying and not at all cheap or hyperbolic. Then the writers ensure we won’t see how any of that plays out, instantly turning this from one of the show’s best episodes into its most frustrating yet.

But hey, at least we’re going to Mars, I guess.

Physical wants to swing, but everyone’s a jerk [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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Physical recap: This episode starts with a nightmare and then goes downhill.★★☆☆☆
This week's episode starts with a nightmare and then goes downhill.
Photo: Apple TV+

This week on Apple TV+ aerobics opera Physical, its star self-help guru buys a whiteboard and the show itself backslides. After a promising showing last week, Physical reverts to its worst tendencies.

Danny is still unbearably pretentious and selfish. Sheila is still a misanthropic jerk to absolutely everybody. John is becoming more desperate by the minute. And Greta indulges in a threesome. None of this constitutes real news or development on this show. But since Physical doesn’t really know what it wants to say, this is just how it goes most weeks.

Loot is funny, but we’ve heard these jokes before [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Loot recap Apple TV+: Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph needs to get serious in Loot.★★★☆☆
Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph needs to get serious fast in Loot.
Photo: Apple TV+

In new Apple TV+ comedy Loot, Maya Rudolph plays a billionaire playgirl who must grow up and discover a conscience when she realizes that her public behavior casts her charitable foundation in a bad light.

Surrounded by misfits, she must tailor her wild lifestyle to more humble settings. Otherwise, she risks turning the one good thing in her life into a joke.

Travel-ready 7-in-1 USB-C hub packs both HDMI and DisplayPort [Review] ★★★★☆

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HyperDrive USB4 Mobile Dock review★★★★☆
Be ready to connect to HDMI or DisplayPort monitors with the HyperDrive USB4 Mobile Dock.
Photo: Hyper/Cult of Mac

With Hyper’s HyperDrive USB4 Mobile Dock, you’re ready to connect to either HDMI or DisplayPort monitors at 4K or even 8K. The USB-C hub also includes dual USB-A ports, Ethernet and more. Plus, it’s the right size to use in your office or on the road.

I put the dock through a battery of tests to see how it stands up on real-world use. Here’s how it did.

New Soundcore sport ANC earbuds: Good fit for fit people [Review] ★★★★☆

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It's not difficult to get used to those rotating ear hooks.★★★★☆
It's not difficult to get used to those rotating ear hooks.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Ever have an earbud fall out of your sweaty ear at the gym? I lost a somewhat pricey product that way once. And if you lose one of them, you’re probably not going to use the other one, even if it’s designed for occasional solo use.

The new Soundcore Sport X10 True-Wireless Earbuds, released Tuesday, aim to put an end to wayward earbuds.

Anker sent me a pair of the earbuds to try, along with instructions for using the Soundcore app for them in beta. Below, I’ll get into why I found the new product to be an excellent value at $79.99.

Tehran tenses up for explosive season 2 finale [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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Tehran season 2 finale recap: Who will double-cross who in the season finale?★★☆☆☆
Who will double-cross who in the season finale?
Photo: Apple TV+

In the season finale of Apple TV+ spy drama Tehran, Peyman is dead — and everyone is guilty.

Milad and Tamar need to patch up their frayed relationship if they have any hope of escaping the country and certain death. Marjan and Faraz must make sure they don’t look guilty as the investigation into the “accidental” death of the son of the head of the Revolutionary Guard commences.

And there’s still the matter of Peyman’s father, Qassem, whom Tamar swore to kill. Now, she has next to no shot at getting near him. It’s a lot of ground to cover in 43 minutes. And there’s still the more difficult task of making any of these people compelling enough to want to see them in a third season.

You can feel a cliffhanger coming in Now and Then [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Now and Then recap Apple TV+: Ana (played by Marina de Tavira) and Pedro (José María Yazpik) hope for a positive outcome on election night.★★★★
Ana (played by Marina de Tavira) and Pedro (José María Yazpik) hope for a positive outcome on election night.
Photo: Apple TV+

Line ’em up, it’s Election Day on Now and Then, the Apple TV+ telenovela about the fallout from a 20-year-old murder case.

Pedro and Ana wait with bated breath to see if he won the mayoral election, while Ernesto gives him an ultimatum and Francis offers her a job. Marcos and Sofia plot their escape, Flora schedules a surgery, Hugo’s awake from his coma, and Sullivan’s been keeping secrets from everybody.

The plot is thick and the drama delicious this week.

Home builds bigger in dispiriting second season [Apple TV+ review] ★★☆☆

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Home review Apple TV+: A sprawling 17th-century home in France gets remade on the inside.★★☆☆
A sprawling 17th-century home in France gets remade on the inside.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ documentary series Home returns Friday for a second season of wonky architecture and human interest stories. The streamer is banking on the beauty of accessibility as spectacle and drama to bring audiences back for more feel-good TV.

The houses the series showcases look glorious, to be sure. But the stories are meant to be as much of a hook as the sight of impossible angles and cozy nooks nestled in wondrous corners of the earth.

For All Mankind’s mission to Mars gets a little Musk-y [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆

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For All Mankind recap: Multimillionaire Dev Ayesa (played by Edi Gathegi) wants to get to Mars first.★★☆☆
Self-made multimillionaire Dev Ayesa (played by Edi Gathegi) wants to get to Mars first.
Photo: Apple TV+

For All Mankind heads to Mars a little sooner than expected this week — and with a surprise guest in the cockpit.

Danielle and Ed, then Molly and Margo, fall out. Karen and Ed fall into business together. Aleida worries about her family from the moon. And Danny Stevens is still a little psychopath.

It’s business as usual on Apple TV+’s frustrating space-exploration soap. The highs of last week’s TV movie of the week detour are already forgotten.

Sheila freaks out this week on Physical [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆

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Physical recap: Rose Byrne finally gets to let loose.★★☆☆
Rose Byrne finally gets to let loose in the role of Sheila.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+’s Physical, about a would-be fitness guru in California, heads to a funeral this week to rethink its priorities. Sheila’s finally cracking up, John’s lies catch up with him in a sad way, Bunny is at the end of her tether, and a vengeful mother gets her hooks into two generations of women.

A couple of standout performances lift this week’s episode out of the usual doldrums. Rose Byrne is allowed to stretch a bit beyond the usual limitations of her role as Sheila Rubin — and the result is a glimpse into a better version of what this show could be.

Cha Cha Real Smooth might be the worst movie of the year [Apple TV+ review] ☆☆☆☆

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Cha Cha Real Smooth☆☆☆☆
Take a long second to get used to this face.
Photo: Apple TV+

Only moments ago Cooper Raiff was a niche figure, someone you could avoid with a little effort. But now, he is the filmgoing public’s problem, thanks to Cha Cha Real Smooth, which premieres Friday on Apple TV+.

Writer/director/actor Raiff’s excruciating 2020 feature debut, Shithouse, captured enough viewers and earned enough praise to garner him a second chance to waste our time with the equally galling and charmless Cha Cha Real Smooth.

Apple TV+ paid an absurd amount of money for this garbage film. Unfortunately, the big gamble on this “Sundance hit” landed the streaming service an indifferently directed trifle starring a weaselly narcissist.

Why I think Overcast is the best podcast app out there [Awesome Apps]

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A great design and smart features are some of the reasons why I love Overcast.
A great design and smart features are some of the reasons why I love Overcast.
Screenshot: Joe White/Cult of Mac

This definitely isn’t the first time we’ve talked about Overcast here at Cult of Mac. But since I’ve been spending time rounding up my must-have apps as part of our Awesome Apps series, it makes sense to tell you why Marco Arment’s podcast client is the best podcast app out there.

It’s actually a great time to introduce anyone unfamiliar with Overcast to the app, since it recently received its biggest redesign ever. Part of this change includes a new home screen with some smart features. I love Overcast for a number of reasons, but the app’s home screen is probably chief among them.

Brilliant magnetic iPad stand is both flexible and portable [Review] ★★★★★

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Lululook Foldable Magnetic iPad Stand review★★★★★
Your iPad can also be your desktop with the Lululook Foldable Magnetic iPad Stand.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Lululook Foldable Magnetic iPad Stand is ready to help turn your tablet into a small desktop computer. Your iPad attaches to it magnetically, and you can easily adjust the height and viewing angle. Or switch between portrait and landscape.

Just as importantly, when you don’t need it, the desktop stand folds up so you can carry it with you or easily put it out of the way.

This is absolutely one of the best iPad Pro or iPad Air stands I’ve ever used. Here’s why I love it.

DockCase USB-C dock with display smartens up connectivity [Review] ★★★

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The display isn't life-changing, but it can be useful and it's kind of cool.★★★
The display isn't life-changing, but it can be useful and it's kind of cool.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

After trending toward fewer and fewer ports for a while, Macs have added some back lately, offering better connectivity for the latest laptops and desktops. But it never hurts to have a dock to connect additional devices, share files and distribute power — and now you can get one with an informative display.

DockCase has shaken up the fairly boring world of USB-C docks with its new series. The company sent me its 7-in-1 USB-C Smart HD Display Dock Pro to take for a spin. DockCase said it’s the first to offer such a dock with an HD display.

Hands-on: All iPads get these great new iPadOS 16 features

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Hands-on: All iPads get these great new iPadOS 16 features
Improved Files and Mail apps are just a couple of the great new iPadOS 16 features coming to non-M1 iPads.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

There’s more to iPadOS 16 than floating app windows. The Files app gets some significant improvements in the upcoming upgrade. There’s a Weather app and great new features in the Mail and Messages apps. Plus, you can hand off a FaceTime call between your Apple computers.

These enhancements are available to every iPad that supports iPadOS 16, which is currently in developer beta. So don’t think there’s nothing coming this fall for tablets without an Apple M1 processor. That’s just not true.