Mobile menu toggle

Reviews - page 49

Tiny World is the nature doc you should be binging [Apple TV+ review]

By

Tiny World is back and as cute as ever
The astonishing docuseries about Earth's tiniest inhabitants is back and as cute as ever.
Photo: Apple TV+

Two of Apple TV’s big nature shows just returned back for their second seasons mere months after they debuted. Tiny World is the cuter of the two. Its micro look at a macro world remains charming, cute and sometimes despairing and gross, but never so much you couldn’t show it to kids.

Earth at Night in Color’s stunning imagery will render you speechless [Apple TV+ review]

By

Earth at Night in Color
Season 2 of Apple's nighttime nature doc delivers amazing new delights.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ docuseries Earth at Night in Color delivers a fresh batch of majestic nighttime sights, cruel natural phenomena and fascinating perspectives in its second season, which premieres today. The show didn’t quite reinvent the nature documentary wheel, but it still offers a welcome retreat from the horrors of 2021.

Elago MagSafe-compatible charging tray beautifully organizes your desk [Review]

By

Elago Charging Tray for MagSafe review
Combine the Elago Charging Tray with an Apple MagSafe puck for an organized desk or nightstand.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Slip an Apple MagSafe puck into the Elago Charging Tray to create an iPhone 12 charger with a built-in tray. The combination quickly powers up your handset while also helping to organize your desk or nightstand.

The accessory has been beside my bed for several weeks. Here’s why I like it.

The Year Earth Changed reveals pandemic’s surprise silver lining [Apple TV+ review]

By

David Attenborough and Penguins will teach us about The Year Earth Changed
David Attenborough and penguins teach us about the unexpected positive side effects of the pandemic.
Photo: Apple TV+

A nature special and a cautionary tale, The Year Earth Changed delivers a whole mess of qualified good news that you’re going to wish didn’t come with so many strings attached to it. An engaging, largely drone-shot 45 minutes of TV, the new Apple TV+ documentary about the environmental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic won’t change your life. But it will make you feel slightly better about having just spent the last year indoors.

This silicone case ‘fixes’ Apple TV’s accursed Siri Remote [Review]

By

With the Elago R4 Retro silicone case, you can say goodbye to losing your Apple TV Siri Remote.
Say goodbye to losing your Apple TV Siri Remote.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

In pictures, the Apple TV’s sleek Siri Remote looks like a total winner. In practice, it’s a bit of a disaster. Luckily, the fix is in: Elago’s inexpensive R4 Retro case makes the Siri Remote easier to use and harder to lose.

Plus, the silicone sleeve looks sporty and provides some protection to the surprisingly fragile Apple TV remote.

Intelli ScoutPro is a power bank for fans of wireless charging [Review]

By

Intelli ScoutPro review
Between its multiple USB ports and charging coils, Intelli ScoutPro can juice up five Apple devices at once while on the go.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

There are so many external batteries that it’s hard to stand out from the pack, but the Intelli ScoutPro manages it easily. There’s magnetic wireless Apple Watch and iPhone chargers. Plus the dual USB-C ports can output up to 100 watts each. All told, the accessory can hold up to 24,000mAh and handle up to 240 watt.

I put this power bank through its paces, testing all the ways it can recharge Apple devices. Here’s how it stood up.

For All Mankind fires off a damp squib of a cliffhanger [Apple TV+ review]

By

For All Mankind review: Things are not going well, either on Earth or in space.
Things are not going well, either on Earth or in space.
Photo: Apple TV+

In this week’s episode, Apple TV+’s alternate-history space show For All Mankind finally gets to the big, violent “what if?” it’s been building to all season. Is it too late to make any of the fireworks they’ve seen saving go off in spectacular enough fashion to save a dreary second season?

The answer … will not shock you.

Soft, premium silicone keeps iPhone 12 protected for under $22 [Review]

By

Elago MagSafe Silicone case for iPhone 12
Almost as good as Apple's, but a darn sight cheaper!
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple will charge you a heck of a lot for a piece of silicone you can slap on the back of your iPhone. And you can get silicone cases almost just as good for a fraction of the price. Elago’s premium MagSafe Silicone case for iPhone 12 is just $21.99 — and it’s absolutely terrific.

Its hybrid design makes for a robust but slim skin that superbly fits your iPhone, and protects it from scratches and scrapes. It’s available in a number of pretty color options, and it’s well worth your cash.

Aukey’s magnetic iPhone 12 charger costs half what Apple’s does [Review]

By

Aukey Aircore 15W review
Aukey Aircore 15W uses Apple’s MagSafe system to clip to an iPhone 12 series model and power it up.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Say goodbye to plugging in Lightning cables with the Aukey Aircore 15W. Touch this wireless charger to the back of an iPhone 12 and it’ll cling there, juicing up the battery.

I tested this low-cost accessory in real-world conditions. Here how it handled.

HyperJuice magnetic iPhone 12 battery is handy but hefty [Review]

By

The HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack matches the look of an iPhone 12.
HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack for iPhone 12 really simplifies on-the-go charging. It’s almost MagSafe, but not quite.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Sanho HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack magnetically clings to the back of an iPhone 12 series model, recharging it without wires, clips… anything else. It packs 5000mAh of power and a USB-C port too.

I put the MagSafe-like battery pack through real-world testing. Here’s what’s I found.

Tensions run hot between Soviets and US in For All Mankind [Apple TV+ review]

By

For All Mankind review: Ellen Wilson (played by Jodi Balfour) makes an unbelievable move this week.
Ellen Wilson (played by Jodi Balfour) makes an unbelievable move this week.
Photo: Apple TV+

Space-race soap opera For All Mankind drops a bomb this week that could ruin the chances of everybody here getting what they want — and definitely destroys whatever character work the writers and actors have done up until now.

The writers realized nothing exciting had happened all season and so just dropped a bunch of character arcs in favor of what’s convenient. I wish I was surprised.

For All Mankind rolls out red carpet for the Russkies [Apple TV+ review]

By

U.S. astronauts like Danielle Poole (played by Krys Marshall) meet their Soviet counterparts.
U.S. astronauts like Danielle Poole (played by Krys Marshall) prep to meet their Soviet counterparts.
Photo: Apple TV+

The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! Don’t bother they’re here … Apple TV+’s For All Mankind gears up for its historic moon handshake in typically laidback fashion in this week’s episode.

The commies are here to collaborate on a space mission meant to bring civilizations together. They’re of course mirthless, shifty cads because that’s just how Russians are written in fiction like this.

Until, of course, they get to eat red meat and drink American whiskey. Then they’re all smiles! Glad to know these jokes haven’t changed at all since the Iron Curtain went up.

Belkin’s stylish MagSafe stand quickly powers up iPhone 12 and AirPods [Review]

By

Belkin Boost↑Charge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand with MagSafe review
Belkin Boost↑Charge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand makes your iPhone ready to use hands free, and it quickly juices up the handset with MagSafe.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Belkin Boost↑Charge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand with MagSafe holds your iPhone 12 up so it’s ready for FaceTime calls or just checking email. And it powers up the handset twice as fast as traditional wireless chargers. Plus, it comes with a built-in AirPods charger. If you’re looking for a Belkin iPhone mount with MagSafe for Mac notebooks, there are additional options available that provide seamless integration.

I put this stylish iPhone accessory to the test. Here’s how it performed in the real world.

For All Mankind wonders how to mend a broken heart [Apple TV+ review]

By

Michael Dorman in For All Mankind
Gordo (Michael Dorman) is getting his groove back at last.
Photo: Apple TV+

The characters in For All Mankind, Apple TV+’s space-race melodrama, all try to find their sea legs … or, uhh, space legs … in this week’s tense episode. Astronaut Ed Baldwin is under the sea. And his wife, Karen, is losing her cool. Meanwhile, Tracy Stevens is on the moon, and her ex Gordo is losing his mind!

Creepy Calls is a fascinating but flawed head trip [Apple TV+ review]

By

Calls on Apple TV+
Calls on Apple TV+
Photo: Apple TV+

With new show Calls, Apple TV+ brings a French TV sensation to America and it’s three things in one. It’s a fascinating experiment, an old idea repackaged — and something of a missed opportunity.

The series, which premieres this Friday, hides its star-studded voice cast behind pixelated images and on-screen text, making it sort of an anti-event. That alone means Calls faces an uphill climb to find a new audience.

StudioDock brilliantly transforms iPad into iMac mini [Review]

By

Kensington StudioDock iPad Docking Station review
With the Kensington StudioDock, an iPad tablet becomes an outstanding desktop with multiple ports and wireless chargers.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Imagine an iMac with an iPad for its screen and you’ve got the Kensington StudioDock. Slip your tablet into the docking station and it’s elevated to eye level, plus you have access to an extensive collection of built-in ports. The stand can even wirelessly charge your other Apple devices.

Read on to explore all the reasons why this is the best iPad desktop stand ever made.

Russo brothers’ victory lap turns sour with excruciating Cherry [Apple TV+ review]

By

Tom Holland in Cherry
Even Spider-Man can't save this disaster.
Photo: Apple TV+

After years of shepherding the Marvel Cinematic Universe to its first major climax, directors Joe and Anthony Russo decided to make one of the proverbial “one for us” movies — as in “one for them, one for us.”

It’s a classic Hollywood strategy, where filmmakers follow up a moneymaking blockbuster with a personal project that’s more like an indie flick. The trouble with the Russo brothers “one for us” movie — a drama called Cherry, comes to Apple TV+ today — is that the “us” in this case possess no style, no ideology, no ideas and no ambition. Cherry is a total waste of $10 million and 2-and-a-half hours of screen time.

HoverBar Duo cleverly combines tablet desktop stand with shelf clamp [Review]

By

Twelve South HoverBar Duo review
The Twelve South HoverBar Duo securely holds an iPad on a desk, or it can be clamped to a shelf.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

With Twelve South’s HoverBar Duo, it’s not necessary to choose between an iPad stand that sits on a desk and one that clamps to a shelf — this accessory does both. And it has a two-piece articulated arm to give a wide range of positioning options. Plus it clamps tightly onto a tablets of many sizes.

I put this stand through its paces, and here’s how it stood up to real-world use.

Stylish smart sunglasses offer built-in Bluetooth speakers [Review]

By

Flows Bandwidth Bluetooth audio sunglasses review
Flows Bandwidth Bluetooth audio sunglasses pair well with an iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Flows Bandwidth’s Bluetooth audio sunglasses let you listen to podcasts or take calls without blocking out the world around you. Despite speakers built into the stems, the men’s or women’s versions look like any other sunglasses. But they keep you entertained on the go.

I’ve worn these smart glasses for weeks. Here’s why I like them.

You’re always ready to play with OtterBox’s protective Xbox controller case [Review]

By

OtterBox Gaming Carry Case review
OtterBox Gaming Carry Case provides solid protection for your Xbox controller.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Slip your Xbox controller into the OtterBox Gaming Carry Case to protect it when gaming on the go. There’s a built-in phone stand so you can play anywhere, and the case makes room for OtterBox’s new phone mount.

I’ve used this Xbox controller case for several weeks. Here’s why I like it.

There’s fire inside and out in Dickinson’s season 2 finale [Apple TV+ review]

By

Will Pullen as the ghost of Emily's future on this week's Dickinson
Will Pullen plays the ghost of Emily's future in the season 2 finale.
Photo: Apple TV+

Bad dreams, dead rebels, crumbling marriages, and new babies all collide in Dickinson’s season 2 finale.

The Apple TV+ show about the famous feminist legend of poetry needs to tie up a lot of loose ends. But it’s got to also leave enough left unanswered to entice viewers for next season. Can it accomplish all this on its own terms?