★★★★☆
The OtterBox OtterGrip protects your iPhone and adds a handle that doesn't impede wireless charging. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
OtterBox’s new OtterGrip Symmetry Series case protects your iPhone, plus it includes a pop-up handle. What sets it apart from the competition is the handle doesn’t interfere with MagSafe wireless charging.
I wrapped my own iPhone 14 Plus in an OtterGrip. I found a lot to like.
Traveling to another country? With an eSIM, you can rest assured your iPhone can get online. Photo: Jeshoots.com/Unsplash License
You may already know about SIM cards for cellular data, those little microchips that slide on trays in or out of smartphones. But the future of connectivity is eSIM cards, and that future is now.
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iPhones and other smart gadgets already come with eSIM built in. And one of the best ways to use this convenient new technology is to enjoy international travel with unlimited eSIM data from Holafly.
Holafly’s eSIM unlimited data plans cover you when you travel. They’re tailored to your destinations. And they keep your iPhone connected in many countries, hassle-free, while also keeping costs down.
A range of 8BitDo game controllers now work with Mac, iPad, Apple TV and more. Image: 8BitDo
The selection of game controllers that can be used with Apple devices just grew, as a software update made multiple 8BitDo products compatible with iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV.
The accessory maker offers wired and wireless controllers that mimic Xbox and Playstation ones. And there’s the 8BitDo Lite SE, too.
The iPhone 15 Pro will supposedly have a solid-state volume rocker and mute switch. Image: chenwen1987
The traditional mute switch on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max supposedly will be replaced with a static, touch-sensitive button. If true, it’s possible this will be too easy to activate so users don’t get the notifications they expect.
Just-leaked CAD images allegedly show how the buttons on the upcoming iPhones will look. And that they look very easy to press accidentally. It also doesn’t look like the new button would offer a visual cue that an iPhone is set to silent mode.
Neither iPhone nor Android are secure enough to satisfy the Kremlin. Photo: Bryan Jones/Flickr CC
Claiming that iPhones can be hacked by Western intelligence agencies, the Kremlin reportedly told government officials involved in the 2024 Russian election to get rid of their iPhones.
A Kremlin spokesperson then told Reuters that government officials shouldn’t use a smartphone at all, Android or iPhone.
Apple's retail presence in India is set to get a big boost. Photo: Unsplash
After years of delay, Apple’s first retail store will reportedly open in India next month. The 22,000 sq. ft. store is located inside the Jio World Drive mall in Mumbai.
Get Apple Pencil 2 at well below the usual price. If you hurry. Photo: Daniel Korpai/Unsplash
Digital artists, or those who would like to be, can pick up an Apple Pencil 2 for a whopping $40 off the usual price. That’s a 31% discount.
I use this stylus with my iPad all the time, and there’s no better tool for painting on your tablet. It’s also great for taking notes and sketching out ideas.
★★★★☆
The RiotPWR RP1950 game controller is ready to play top-tier games on an iPhone or iPad. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The RiotPWR RP1950 Cloud Gaming Controller solves a problem for iPhone gamers: the controller plugs into the Lightning port in today’s models, but also into the USB-C port that will be in the iPhone 15. In the mean time, the controller can also be used with the many iPad models that use USB-C.
I field-tested RiotPWR’s latest controller and its removable iPhone mount. I understand why Apple likes it enough to put in the online Apple Store.
There's a lot Siri doesn't understand. And that's a problem. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Siri simply can’t compete with ChatGPT and other chatbots because it was built with the wrong system, according to someone who was once charged with improving Apple’s voice assistant.
But there’s hope for future improvement, as Apple is reportedly working on a replacement that is being built to be more like ChatGPT.
★★★★☆
David Goldschmidt (aka Goldy) and Hurley A. Jones Jr. (aka Bobby Buffet) are just two of the wrestlers we meet in Monster Factory. Photo: Apple TV+
Monster Factory, a surprisingly inventive docuseries about wannabe pro wrestlers, is Apple TV+’s best sports docuseries yet. Over the course of its six breezy and beautiful episodes, set at a wrestling farm school in New Jersey, we meet a cast of eccentrics who share a common dream: to throw people around for a living.
They want to become stars, to go down in pro wrestling history. And with cantankerous Danny Cage as their coach, these ne’er-do-wells learn everything there is to know about wrestling — and they teach us, too.