Orbitkey offers a pair of AirTag holders that make it easy to attach Apple’s tracking tag to your keys or purse. The Slim Case has a minimalistic design, while the Leather Holder wraps the AirTag in a stylish sleeve.
I used both holders to see how they stood up to real-world use.
New Apple TV+ docu-series Lincoln’s Dilemma delivers a fine history lesson in classical PBS form. The four-part series, which premieres today, brings you the story of Lincoln’s presidency and the ways in which he approached the issue of slavery, from his first dealings with the issue until his death at the hands of a Confederate sympathizer.
Stewarded by executive producer/directors Jacqueline Olive and Barak Goodman, executive producer Jelani Cobb and a host of historians and activists, the series’ form is likely too sturdy and utilitarian to change the way anyone views Lincoln.
However, the filmmakers’ intent is admirable. They set out to neither oversell nor undersell Lincoln and his views on slavery, how history has sought to simplify the political figures of the 1860s, and how the Great Emancipator was and was not an adequate moniker for the 16th president of the United States.
Monowear’s gorgeous Urban Canvas bands are a terrific match for Apple Watch. They’re nicely priced at just $38, and they come in a range of great color options that go well with almost anything.
Here’s why they’re some of the toughest and most surprising Apple Watch bands I’ve worn to date.
New Apple TV+ dark comedy/thriller Severance centers on a company man with an unusual relationship to himself and his job. Every day he goes to work, and his brain stays behind.
At work Mark’s a new man — one who doesn’t have to think about his grief or his petty social problems. At home, he’s a sad sack who doesn’t know he’s about to stumble into a conspiracy.
Comedy veteran Ben Stiller and first-time showrunner/writer Dan Erickson collaborated on Severance, which premieres Friday. The unconventional show takes pointed satirical swipes at modern workplace culture, but ultimately offers a deeper look at the meaning of life.
The Mophie Portable Magnetic Stand folds flat but opens to hold up a MagSafe iPhone at a wide range of viewing angles. It’s a convenient way to make FaceTime calls or watch video wherever you go while freeing up your hands.
I tested the foldable stand with my iPhone 13. Here’s why I like it.
There’s no better case for giving your iPad a unique look than the Twelve South BookBook Cover — no one else is going to have a tablet that looks like something Isaac Newton might have carried. Plus, this new addition to the BookBook line has room inside for a click-on keyboard.
I tried out this tablet case to see how well it stands up in ordinary use. And to be sure there’s really room inside for an iPad keyboard.
If you want more Thunderbolt ports for your Mac, the Plugable USB4-HUB3A hub offers a trio of them. And they are fully functional, offering up to 40 Gbps transfer speeds and support for 4K monitors. Plus, there’s a USB-A port for good measure.
I put Plugable’s new Thunderbolt hub through a round of testing to be sure it lives up to specs.
The Afterparty, Apple TV+’s Rashomon-style comedy of perspectives, finally looks back at the party before the party. Outkast is on the stereo, the cast get bad haircuts, and everyone makes embarrassing mistakes. Could this explain Xavier’s death?
The show hasn’t done much to engender any good will toward its cast of characters, and this week’s stunt episode doesn’t help things. The Afterparty seems quite taken with the idea of the cast reliving their glory days. But the sight of them all looking younger isn’t quite the gas the writers and director Chris Miller seem to think it is.
Servant conjures up a storm in a teacup this week on Apple TV+. Leanne, the nanny with strange powers, finds herself losing control just as the desperate family she’s here to save needs her most.
Threatened by creeps, stalkers, and pretenders, Leanne has little choice but to let bad things happen to bad people. Writer Laura Marks and director Dylan Holmes Williams create a memorably harrowing half-hour in this week’s episode, entitled “Ring.”
The Sky Is Everywhere, the new Apple TV+ film based on the young adult novel by Jandy Nelson, is exactly what you’re picturing based on its title.
Director Josephine Decker steps away from the indie film world to embrace the things a big studio budget can afford (in this case A24 as well as Apple). And she makes sure that every cent is up there on the screen. Decker gives in too much to the sugar high of teen romance, but she and her very committed cast get an A for effort.
New Apple TV+ thriller Suspicion spends some quality time with its suspected kidnappers this week. As Natalie’s alibis and facades begin to crumble, Aadesh’s life falls apart. Meanwhile, Katherine, Anderson and Vanessa all get impatient for breaks in the case.
This week’s well-acted and tightly paced episode is all about the little lies we tell to help our families — and what happens when we run out of convincing ones.
Belkin found a way to improve on Apple’s MagSafe charging puck for iPhone. Both charge equally fast, but Apple’s lies flat, while Belkin’s includes a built-in kickstand. Plus, the third-party accessory maker put in a much longer cable. And these are just some of the benefits of the (deep breath) Belkin Boost↑Charge Pro Portable Wireless Charger Pad with MagSafe 15W.
I put the wireless charger through a round of tests. It came through with flying colors.
Servant heads to the park and Julian hunts for DNA in an unsettling new episode of the Apple TV+ series about a mysterious nanny and the broken family she’s trying to help.
This week, Leanne’s paranoia takes a backseat to Julian’s, who’s convinced he has to take steps to protect his sister Dorothy from the cult, from Leanne, and from herself. Guest director Carlo Mirabella-Davis finds a host of new notes to play this week, separating him from his peers in all the right ways.
Apple TV+’s murder mystery/comedy The Afterparty soldiers on this week, investigating drunken party girl (and former valedictorian) Chelsea.
The genre-hopping show, which made a fitful start with last week’s first three mirthless episodes, has no better luck with this week’s half-hearted, half-remembered crime story than it did as a poorly thought-out musical or rom-com.
At this point, it’s a genuine question whether the writers and producers knew what they were doing when The Afterparty snagged a full-season order. Not even the ordinarily reliable Tiffany Haddish seems to be having any fun in this blinkered affair.
Apple TV+ dips its toe into the well of Israeli TV production again for Suspicion. The show, which stars Uma Thurman and premieres Friday, is a no-nonsense, globetrotting thriller with plenty of real-world resonance.
Suspicion is based on False Flag, created by Maria Feldman and Amit Cohen, a binge-worthy series that centered on the murder of Hamas chief Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. But if the reception that other Apple TV+ geopolitical thrillers got is any indication, Suspicion faces an uphill climb to become a hit.
If you want a monitor for your Mac, let me suggest the 27-inch Innocn one that just launched. It has a 4K resolution, offers 1.07B+ colors and high contrast. The screen is suited for Photoshop, gaming, or watching TV and film.
I tested the + 27-inch 4K Computer Monitor 27C1U in my home office, and it’s some serious eye candy. Here’s why I think you’ll agree.
There are strangers in the house on this week’s Servant, the Apple TV+ show about the absurd goings on in a Philadelphia townhouse.
Writer Tony Basgallop and director/producer M. Night Shyamalan continue to reap rich rewards from showing what it looks like when the kookiest people in town try to do things normally. Mystic nightmare nanny Leanne thinks every shadow is a murderer, and Dorothy doesn’t seem to think anything is wrong.
The truth likely lies somewhere in between, but who knows if they can keep it together long enough to discover what’s really going on.
Apple TV+’s newest comedy The Afterparty is a lifeless, listless and laughless murder mystery in seven parts told by dozens of narrators. The premise is novel: Each episode, the first three of which premiere Friday, parodies a different storytelling genre.
Executive produced, written and directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord of The Lego Movie fame — and starring a who’s who of contemporary comedians — the show had everything going for it. It is, however, an almost complete misfire.
The Afterparty is neither funny nor fun enough to ever create an identity stronger than any of what it’s lampooning.
What to do with your MacBook or iPad when you’re not using them? You can just leave them lying around but that’s wasteful of space. The iVoler Vertical Laptop Stand holds your computer upright, either when it’s charging or when you have an external screen and keyboard connected. Best of all, its clamp closes on your computer to securely hold it but also easily release it.
I tested the very affordable stand in my home office. Here’s why I love it.
Thanks to its partnership with The Jim Henson Company, the creative force behind The Muppets and Sesame Street, Apple TV+ has finally given the people what they want: more Fraggles.
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, a faithful and fun reboot of the cult hit puppet show from the ’80s, arrives Friday on Apple TV+ with its verve and good vibes intact.
While the Fraggles never quite rose to the popularity of the Sesame Street gang or Kermit and his friends, they did inspire some passionate fans. It’s a joy to be back at Fraggle Rock, even with the few concessions made to appease a more modern audience.
Servant, the bleakest and most thrillingly deranged show on Apple TV+, returns for a third season Friday. The Turner family and their mystic nightmare nanny have finally turned some corners from which they cannot return. Now it’s time to see what the writers have planned for this gang of thieves, liars and sinners.
Director/producer M. Night Shyamalan and writer Tomy Basgallop’s brainchild turns three today — and I couldn’t be happier to attend the party.
The InnoView 15.6-inch Portable Monitor might be everything you’re looking for in a second screen for your MacBook. First off, it’s beautiful. And it’s very slim and lightweight. Plus it works with a wide variety of devices: Mac, iPad, even iPhone with the right adapter.
I used InnoView’s on-the-go display for both work and entertainment. Here’s all the many ways it impressed me. And its one flaw.
Writing on an iPad with a fingertip is ridiculous, but an Apple Pencil is overkill for many people. The Adonit Neo Duo is an active stylus with a fine tip that works well for taking notes of sketching. As a bonus, press a button and it also writes on iPhone. It even clings to the side of several iPad models.
There’s also the Adonit Neo, a simpler version that just works with iPad.
I tested the capabilities of both styli. And I found a lot to like.
The Tragedy of Macbeth is probably the most experimental thing to stream on Apple TV+ so far.
On its face, the film doesn’t seem all that odd. It’s an adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most well-regarded and most frequently performed plays, starring the biggest male lead on earth. It’s directed by a multiple-Oscar-winner and features his similarly lauded (and extremely popular and talented) wife in a lead role.
So, while Apple TV+’s most exciting feature film since Wolfwalkers might not sound like much of an experiment, the devil’s in the details. This adaptation is both expected and unexpected — in frequently thrilling ways.
The Tragedy of Macbeth hits Apple TV+ today after a theatrical run. Here’s why you should add it to your Up Next queue.
The OWC Mercury Pro U.2 Dual can handle up to eight U.2 SSDs. And it can be pre-configured with up to 64TB. That’s a lot of storage capacity. Or put in your own SSDs. And the external drive enclosure uses Thunderbolt for high-speed connections to your Mac. Plus there’s RAID support.
I put the drive holder through testing. Here’s what I found.