In a festive New Year’s promotion, Elago is offering every accessory in the Cult of Mac Store — hundreds of items, all in one place — at 15% off through January 7. No matter what Apple products you may have received as gifts over the holidays, there’s something for your in the sale. We cover some highlights below.

A year after the debut of AirPods Max, an analysis of user reviews found that buyers like the over-the-ear headphones less than rival products. The main problem: price.

For comparison, the same study by consumer research company Revuze shows people who buy Apple’s basic AirPods seem much more satisfied. And user reviews of other Apple products are usually quite positive, too.

“It is off-brand and surprising to see how poorly the AirPods Max product was received over the course of the year since its release,” Revuze CEO Boaz Grinvald told Cult of Mac. 

If you’re an avid gamer, or maybe just an aspiring one, it pays to know which displays and accessories will best serve your needs. Not just any display, input device and headset will keep up with today’s graphically rich games. The dual M1 Mac and Sony PlayStation 5 computer setup we look at today demonstrates some good choices you might consider.

Redditor smhppp uses an M1 Mac mini for personal uses, an M1 MacBook Air for work and a Sony PS5 for gaming. They showed their setup in a post entitled, “Current setup, spec in comments for those interested.” It’s one of those one-vertical-and-one horizontal-display setups so many people are trying lately.

This GaN2 charger post is presented by Journey, a brand of Alogic.

These days, you really don’t have to live with slow chargers for your iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro and other devices. That’s because gallium nitride (GaN) technology makes it possible to pack components into small spaces, resulting in tiny but powerful charging gadgets like the Journey 30W USB-C Mini Charger.

It’s fast. It’ll charge almost anything. And because it’s one of the smallest chargers you can get, you can take it anywhere. Even better, Journey’s current promotion offers the little powerhouse for 30% off with the code BLACK30.

OK, so no 2021 award for Most Fastidious Cable Management, mentioned in this article’s headline, exists — at least not around here. But if it did, we might hand it to the person behind today’s setup.

It centers on a 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro and a 32-inch LG 4K display. And it keeps cable clutter to an extreme minimum.

Sometimes a simple, high-quality and ultra-useful gift is the one that cuts through all the noise of holiday shopping. This MacBook Leather Sleeve is made from a single piece of beautiful, vegetable-tanned, full-grain leather. And it makes the perfect gift (for yourself or others).

Not only will it keep your MacBook fully protected against daily wear and tear, but it also makes for a sophisticated statement in terms of in-office accessories.

One of the questions you see most in the comments sections of posts about computer setups on social media is: Where did you get that wallpaper? To many folks, the setup may be fine and dandy, but what they really care about is not so much the fancy hardware, but the imagery on the display that they might easily get for themselves.

Today’s setup is a prime example. It made us look back at 10 great wallpaper sources we’ve come across, below. That’s 11, actually, including today’s subject.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: It sounds like Apple has some really big plans for 2022. We’re psyched about some things, skeptical about others, but definitely shining up our Apple Cards.

Also on The CultCast:

• Snap Spectacles, as modeled by Alex E. Heath.
• Anxiously awaiting the end of the “notch.”
• AppleCare+ getting a fear-based boost?
• More of our Gear of the Year picks.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

This post on home office setups is brought to you by HumanCentric.

Itching to upgrade your work-from-home experience? HumanCentric, a desk accessories and workspace design brand based in Chicago, is giving away a bundle of three new products every Friday that will transform any home office. Each winner gets the company’s desk shelf system, laptop riser and headphone stand — three matching accessories that work together to level up both the look and productivity of any workspace.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Let’s talk about the virtual reality headset Apple supposedly will unleash next year. Will it happen? What will it do? And do we even want it to happen?

Also on The CultCast:

• Maybe AirPower isn’t dead — and maybe something even more amazing is on the horizon.
• Tesla Cyberwhistle FTW.
• Our first round of Gear of the Year picks.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.