Thanks to a wonderfully simple quick-release clasp, Monowear’s new Deployant Reserve band for Apple Watch is ideal for anyone who despises traditional buckles. It’s made from genuine leather that’s wonderfully soft, and like all Monowear products, it’s also nicely priced.
Here’s our full review.
AirFly Pro can wirelessly connect your AirPods to a plane’s entertainment system. Or the machines at your gym. If it has a 3.5 mm audio jack, this Bluetooth adapter lets it communicate with your AirPods. Even two pairs at once.
And the same easily pocketable gizmo can connect your iPhone to a car stereo’s AUX port to play music off your iPhone.
I tested both these features — find out how well they work in this AirFly Pro review.
Looking for a great book to bury yourself in as we escape the closing days of a pretty terrible year? Whether you’re looking for one for yourself or a gift for a fellow tech lover, 2020 had no shortage of great titles.
Here are our choices for the best tech books of 2020.
Attach the Mophie Juice Pack Connect to your iPhone to significantly increase the battery life. And replace it with a ring holder/stand when you want a slim handset again.
I put this clip-on battery system to the test. Here’s how it stood up.
With a sleek design and some sweet Apple magic, AirPods Pro Max headphones look great, sound exciting and reward those in the Apple ecosystem.
However, the hefty $549 price tag, some quirky design decisions and some very real limitations mean they’re not right for absolutely everyone.
A decent all-in-one charging hub that can top-up your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously doesn’t have to break the bank. Elago’s is insanely practical, virtually unbreakable, and a steal at just $30.
It’s ideal not only for desks and bedside tables, but also those who frequently travel. It supports all iPhone and Apple Watch models, and it’s available in a number of smart and subtle color options.
Moft Float adds a two-level kickstand to your iPad Pro or iPad Air, and can even lift the tablet so it seems to float over the keyboard. This combination case and stand is a truly brilliant piece of kit.
I’ve been testing this not-yet-released product, and here’s what it’s like to use every day.
The Meross Smart WiFi LED Bulb integrates almost any lamp or light fixture into a HomeKit smart home. It can be controlled with an iPhone, and offers color changing and dimming.
I added a pair to my smart home. Here’s how it went.
Apple Fitness+ only came online yesterday, but I’ve already logged 10 workouts with it. I let Cupertino’s new subscription service put me through my paces, so I could put it through its paces to bring you this review.
I’m a qualified personal trainer and a fitness fanatic who trains hard every day. So I was curious to find out if Apple Fitness+ could give me a challenging workout.
Wolfwalkers, the animated movie that arrives on Apple TV+ today, is the best animated film of 2020. A fiery mix of folklore and feminism, it’s one of the most astonishing works of visual art you’re likely to see this year.
It comes from the makers of gorgeous animated features The Secret of Kells and The Breadwinner — and it marks their strongest work to date.
The Minix Neo P1 uses gallium nitride to pack three powerful USB ports into a tiny wall charger. It can provide up to 66W to an iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch or other gear. And the power adapter is made for travel, with fold-down prongs and adapters for a wide variety of countries.
I tested the Neo P1 with a variety of devices. Here’s how it stood up.
Wireless chargers don’t get much cooler than the new Liberty from Zens. Available with a tempered glass surface that lets you see all 16 of its copper charging coils, it tops up iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch simultaneously.
It’s probably the only wireless charger you’ll ever need, and it does its job brilliantly. It’s like an AirPower you can actually buy.
Right from the start, the Apple Watch was all about personalization, thanks to interchangeable bands and watch faces. Now, Apple Watch owners enjoy even more options for making their wearables their own. To aid that quest for customization, we rounded up a bunch of brilliant Apple Watch accessories you can get right now, all for $35 or less.
You’ll find beautiful bands, brilliant bumpers and the coolest charging docks — all reviewed or approved by a member of the Cult of Mac team.
Apple TV+ steps up its nature doc game again with Earth at Night in Color. Exciting, beautiful and cute, the show is as easy to watch as it is cumbersome to say.
Narrated by Tom Hiddleston, the series looks at parts of the natural world previously only revealed in grainy and intense night vision. It’s as exciting and revealing as anyone could hope for.
Apple TV+ continues its inspired streak of children’s fare with an adaptation of Jon J Muth’s Zen storytelling book series. Stillwater takes the central character from those books, a stoic and wise panda, and pits him against the foibles of three young kids.
Stillwater, which lands on Apple TV+ today, feels like a kind of classic PBS kids cartoon. It’s all about trying to prepare pipsqueaks for life’s disappointments by teaching them how to shift their perspective — and understand that some of life is beyond our control. There’s an awful lot to enjoy in this one.
Let’s be honest, you already know whether you’re going to watch Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special on Apple TV+.
This isn’t an early Apple Silicon Mac where you need to read up on whether the transition to a new chip architecture has worked before making your purchasing decision. You either heard the words “Mariah” and “Christmas special” and thought “that’s an easy skip,” or immediately set about making space on your calendar to enjoy it in all its festive fierceness.
Nothing I write here is going to change your mind on either of these polarized takes. But, for the record, I enjoyed the show, which premiered today on Apple TV+.
Apple Watch is meant to be worn while exercising, and the Bucardo Sport is a Watch band created with athletes in mind. But it also looks great for everyday use.
The sporty Apple Watch band comes in a range of colors, and it’s made of performance fabric. Find out what it’s like to wear.
RAVpower PD 30W USB-C Charger with Lightning Cable can be the wall charger that iPhone 12 users need. It includes USB-C and USB-A ports, and fold-down electrical prongs. And it juices up iOS handsets as fast as possible — far quicker than Apple’s old 5W chargers. Plus, it even comes with a charging cable for use with older iPhones.
Read on for the results of my real-world testing of the wall charger and cable combo.
The HiRise Wireless manages a rare feat: it’s both useful and attractive. This charger holds your iPhone up at an angle where the screen can be easily seen. And a removable core allows this accessory to be used while traveling. Just as importantly, the base unit would look at home on any CEO’s desk.
Find out if this is the wireless charger you’ve been looking for in our hands-on review — and bag yours for 20% less in the Cult of Mac Store’s Black Friday sale.
The Aukey 9-in-2 USB-C Hub (CB-C81) lets you add a pair of 4K HDMI screens to your MacBook. But that’s just the start because it packs in nine ports, despite a relatively small size. It offers a pair of USB-A ports, SD/microSD card readers, Ethernet and more.
After real-world testing, here’s how this multiport adapter stands up.
2020 has been a year of change and adjustment, and Thanksgiving is no exception. With family gatherings put on hold and more people looking for ways to interact virtually, there’s still plenty of fun and games to be had with your distant friends and family.
Whether you’re into board games, card games, or just looking for ways to interact between turkey and pie, these are some of the best iOS, Apple TV, and Mac offerings you can play virtually.
I just opened more than 650 tabs in Safari on a new M1 MacBook Air. I would have opened more, but I got bored.
Meanwhile, in the background, the machine is downloading Photoshop and the Microsoft 360 suite, and I can see in Activity Monitor that it’s processing thousands of iCloud photos while also indexing the hard drive.
Despite this, the machine is as fleet as a greyhound. I started working on a Photoshop project while checking email, keeping an eye on TweetDeck and, of course, clicking around all those open Safari tabs. The MacBook Air is just humming. I’ve never seen anything like it.
An iPhone doesn’t have to look coldly technological. Oakywood cases add cherry or walnut to your phone, giving it a more natural appearance. And the cases add shock resistance to Apple’s handset.
I enjoyed wrapping my iPhone 12 in an Oakywood bumper case. Here’s why.
★★★★☆
Apple has been doing some remarkable things with audio lately. The sound coming out of a new MacBook or iPad Pro is nothing short of amazing, given the tiny speakers they have. AirPods sound spectacular. And then there’s the original HomePods, which punch way above their weight and are some of the best speakers out there.
But what about the new HomePod minis, which cost $99 and pack the potential to give Apple a much-needed boost in the smart speaker game? Do they sound any good?
The Zagg Pro Stylus has an active tip for writing and drawing, and also a capacitive tip for swiping. It’s two styli in one, making it useful every day. It’ll magnetically attach to an iPad Pro, but works with a whole range of Apple tablets.
I drew some conclusions after using this stylus for work and fun. Here are the results.