At $399, the Spatia isn’t cheap by any means, but its sound and features rival systems costing much more.
And does it sound sweet. With five drivers, including a subwoofer, the Spatia serves up a rich, wide soundstage. Lots of speakers claim “room-filling sound,” but the Spatia truly fills the bill.
The new MacBook Pro is here, but is it worth it? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
It’s been four long years since Apple’s last big update to the MacBook Pro lineup. But Apple finally answered our prayers and delivered us the brand new MacBook Pro we’ve been waiting for — or did it?
It’s a beautiful machine with an intriguing new interface element called the Touch Bar. Check out my full MacBook Pro review below for more.
Pic Scanner Gold and an iPhone will preserve treasured family photos. Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac
For longer than I have allowed myself to believe, the iPhone has been called a scanner that fits in your pocket. But if I wanted a high-quality copy of an old photograph, I still sought out a flatbed scanner, presuming the results would be superior to taking a picture of a picture with a phone.
But the iPhone camera, as maybe you are tired of hearing, improves with each generation and the so-called scanner apps prove more valuable as a way to copy a photograph for sharing and even printing. One such app is the new Pic Scanner Gold.
We've found seven awesome iPhone 7 Plus cases under $25 each! Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Dropped some hard-earned coin on a fresh iPhone 7 Plus? Congrats. Now I’m going to help you protect it for less than $25.
In my latest video, I’ll show you my favorite iPhone 7 Plus cases that you can pick up right now at a bargain. Leather, protective. wallet — check out my picks below.
Is Apple Watch Series 2 the perfect running partner? Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
With the launch of a GPS watch, and a renewed Nike partnership, Apple is getting serious about targeting runners. So is Apple Watch Series 2 the perfect running partner that Cupertino promises?
As an avid runner myself, I was keen to find out. Over the past couple of months, I’ve been training for the TCS New York City Marathon, and I took my Apple Watch Series 2 with me every step of the way — right up to the finish line in Central Park last week. Here’s how it measured up.
Lexar makes a microSD reader and JumpDrive that backs up your iPhone data and frees its memory. Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac
We take for granted how much of our lives are stored on our iPhones until, of course, that day arrives when a notification pops up to say the device’s memory is full.
Lexar has a couple of nifty little devices to quickly store photos, videos, music and documents, and free up the memory on your iPhone.
The CalypsoTimeless Charging Stand consists of a simple arch form swathed in soft, European leather and held together by meticulous stitching. Photo: CalypsoCrystal
Best List: CalypsoTimeless Cuvette Charging Stand for Apple Watch
When a high-tech accessory doubles as something else I’m always intrigued. In this instance, I’m looking at a charging stand that not only powers up my Apple Watch, but is a great art piece independent of its charging capabilities.
Shure's MV51 microphone is MFi-certified and great for recording with an iPhone or iPad. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
Best List: MV51 microphone by Shure
Looking like something Elvis Presley would rock, the Shure MV51 is a handsome, retro-styled microphone well-suited to podcasting with an iPad or iPhone. Sturdy and portable, I find it great for recording on the go. It’s small enough to throw into a jacket pocket and, because it’s made of all metal, it’s nigh indestructible.
Paired with an iPhone and Shure’s well-designed recording app, it’s a lot more compact than most podcasting rigs, and versatile enough for most recording situations. Best of all, the audio it captures sounds great.
Segway's miniPRO is the new standard in hover boards. Photo: Erfon Elijah/Cult of Mac
There’s no way to look cool rollin’ on Ninebot’s Segway miniPRO, but it’s built like a tank, boasts great battery life, and it’s so gosh darn fun to ride, you just won’t care.
Another plus? Non-exploding batteries. What Segway has here is the new Cadillac of hoverboards.
Which Beats wireless headphones are right for you? Images: Beats
For some, Beats are the only headphone option to consider, because they have that intangible “cool factor” other brands lack. If you’re in the market for your first pair of wireless Beats, we’re here to help.
With a sharp screen, a fast processor and 4GB of RAM, the new LeEco Le Pro3 is a bold shot across the bow of Apple and other premium smartphone makers.
While the hardware nudges the phone toward the high end of the spectrum, the rock-bottom pricing should send shivers through Cupertino. At just $399 — or $299 if you get in on LeEco’s generous instant rebate, which starts today — the Le Pro3 is a steal when compared to the iPhone 7 Plus.
In To Pixar and Beyond, Lawrence Levy offers an insider look at Steve Jobs' early struggles at the animation studio. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
After his death, Steve Jobs became mythic. He’s remembered as an asshole and a technology seer: a Tony Stark-like figure who could uniquely divine the sci-fi future, conjuring magical products from whole cloth almost single-handedly.
He’s also seen as infallible: a business and technology genius with powers of divination beyond those of us mere mortals.
But To Pixar and Beyond, a new book by Lawrence Levy, the former CFO of Pixar, paints a very different picture.
PowerHouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch and iPhone includes a built-in Magnetic Charging Module for Apple Watch.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
If you’re an Apple Watch and iPhone owner, there’s a good chance you suffer from cluttered-nightstand syndrome. There’s only so much surface space on your standard bedside table, and plugging in multiple devices for overnight charging can mean a tangle of wires and general disarray.
The Belkin PowerHouse charging dock, which juices up an iPhone and an Apple Watch at the same time, will cure you instantly of this 21st-century malady.
If you’re having frequent parties, or if you’re a DJ, this is the perfect piece of kit for you. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Wicked Lasers, the company behind the popular Spyder lasers and the world’s most powerful flashlight, has a new product designed to take parties to the next level. The LaserDock houses a laser projector and music visualizer in one. And it promises to be easy enough for anyone with a Mac or PC to operate.
The LaserDock was introduced on Indiegogo with much fanfare in September, surpassing its original goal. But does it deliver? Check out our video review below.
Show off your iPhone SE with a variety of great cases. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
There’s a lot of love right now for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. But what if you’re a fan of the small yet mighty iPhone SE?
While the size of the iPhone SE certainly makes it possible for you to dust off your old iPhone 5s cases for another go round, there are plenty of great new cases designed especially for Apple’s compact iPhone SE.
How to ensure you get a route map with every outdoor swim Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
The Workout app in Apple Watch Series 2 includes two new swimming options to show off its waterproofing. This is a key differentiator over the cheaper Series 1 model, and yet very few reviewers actually took their test units for a swim. One even claimed that all the pools and beaches in New York were closed, so they couldn’t test this feature.
So I decided to take the plunge with Series 2 and find out for myself if it sinks or swims.
Over the past two weeks, I’ve tested my Apple Watch in a variety of swimming conditions, including various public pools — and even the Mediterranean sea.
Dreampad is a pillow that joins forces with your iPhones to help you sleep. Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac
A good night’s sleep could start with a good pillow. But the part of our bed designed to rest our head doesn’t do anything to shut it off.
But what if it could?
The Dreampad along with an iPhone app promises to do just that. The firm and fluffy pillow uses a patented technology that delivers relaxing music through the pillow that can be heard only by you and not the sleeper next to you.
Mix technology and beer without worrying thanks to Fizzics. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Technology and alcohol don’t usually mix. It normally results in lost iPhones or inebriated calls to an ex. But, I might make an exception for the Fizzics Draft Beer System.
Fizzics is designed to enhance the flavor and aroma of any bottle, can or even 64 oz. growler you place inside. Without the use of any CO2 or nitrogen cartridges, the boozy contraption aims to give you the fresh from the tap experience by using sound technology. But, does it work?
I gladly took on the challenge to try out the Fizzics and put it to the test. Check out the review below.
Back it up! The new Western Digital My Passport for Macs holds 4 terabytes. Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac
The best work I ever did as a photographer resides in a collection of Western Digital external hard drives that are stored in an old, large camera bag in my closet. The images span more than a decade and with any one of the WD My Passport drives, I can confidently plug one in and quickly find some black-and-white relic of my past.
You can see the progress of time in the pictures (clothes and hair styles) as well as in the design and sizes of the WD drives. Each year, the drives offered more storage space in the same basic compact housing.
So I was astonished a couple of weeks back when the UPS driver dropped off a WD My Passport sized just a little bigger than a deck of cards — with a whopping 4 terabytes of storage.
This stunning 4K LG Display plays nicely with USB-C. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The upcoming 2016 MacBook Pro is rumored to feature only USB-C ports, much like last year’s MacBook refresh.
If you’re hoping to get an external display to go with your shiny new laptop, right now the options are somewhat limited. Luckily, the stunning new LG Electronics 27UD88 monitor will provide you with everything you need.
Udoq's docking station is compatible with just about any mobile device. Photo: Lyle Kahney
Best List: Udoq universal charging stand
There’s a constant war in our house for charging bricks and cables. I like to keep chargers in certain places so I know where they are — beside the bed for example. But they constantly disappear, thanks to my light-fingered kids.
It drives me bananas, which is why I like the Udoq, a universal charging stand that neatly organizes and charges between two and eight devices. It can’t be easily half-inched.
Want a cheap speaker that can blow your socks off? Look no further. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The speakers in our iPhones and iPads keep getting better and better, but they’re not close to replacing Bluetooth speakers just yet. If you’ve just splashed out hard-earned dollars for a new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, a low-priced, quality speaker may come as a welcome relief.
There are a few rare finds out there that deliver good bang for buck, and the $60 DKnight Big MagicBox is one of them.
iPhone 7 or iPhone SE? Everyone wants to know. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
With new iPhones being released each year, I’m used to being tempted by the latest and greatest Apple device. The iPhone 7 is no different, but it’s always a tough decision whether you should upgrade your existing device for the latest model.
For the last 6 months or so, my daily driver has been the iPhone SE, and I’ve loved it. In fact, I did a whole video on why I was switching to the much smaller device from my 6 Plus.
And it’s that time again! The iPhone 7 has caught my eye and after using it for the last two weeks, it is tempting me away from my SE.
Trade-in that old Apple Watch for money off at the Apple Store. Photo: Ste Smith/CultofMac
I finally have a reason to stop cheating on my Apple Watch.
For the past 16 months, Apple’s wearable and I have had an on-again, off-again relationship. The Apple Watch looks great. It helps me stay fit. It tells the time really well. But it hasn’t been the complete wrist solution I need.
With the Apple Watch Series 2, a lot of the compromises of Apple’s first-gen smartwatch have finally been fixed. You can get GPS without carrying your iPhone. The new Apple Watch is water-friendly. And it’s built for speed. But with the new, less-expensive Apple Watch Series 1 getting some of the same features, is the Series 2 seriously worth the upgrade?
While working on this Apple Watch Series 2 review, I’ve been wearing the new device everywhere I go ever since it came out Friday. The short answer is, “hell yes.”