Apple fans are no stranger to the company’s high prices. For example, if you’re looking for a portable power bank to charge your iPhone while on the go, Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack will set you back $99. On the other hand, the Speedy Mag Wireless Charger helps keep your iPhone up and running for the low sale price of just $48.99.
The affordable battery pack also comes in several colors, so you’re not relegated to the white zone.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Looks like we have a date for the next big Apple event: Mark your calendars for September 7! We’re expecting iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 — which both sound awfully familiar — and hoping for something surprising.
Also on The CultCast:
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.
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If you work in a creative industry — or aspire to one day — then you need to be familiar with the same software titles that the pros use. Ready to develop your skills? Now’s a perfect time to invest in your education.
You can get nearly 100 hours of expert-led Adobe Creative Cloud training for just $24.99 during our Back to Education Event, which runs until August 24. Plus, during this event, 50 cents of each bundle sold will be donated to a school or charity you can vote on. (We’ll send you an email to vote for the organization you feel is most deserving of your contribution.)
★★★★☆
Apple TV+ medical drama Five Days at Memorial, about the terrible misfortune of the staff of an abandoned hospital during Hurricane Katrina, hits the fourth day of disaster this week.
The power is still off, and the A/C is a distant memory. Helicopters are coming to evacuate, but the elevator to the roof is broken. Things are going to get worse before they get better. The gripping drama stays madly compelling and deeply tragic.
Apple’s next big thing might not be a car or an AR headset. Thanks to a rule change announced this week by the Food and Drug Administration, Cupertino could soon add hearing aids to its product lineup. The potential market is huge, and Apple stands uniquely positioned to disrupt the status quo.
The new rules allow companies like Apple to sell hearing aids over the counter and online, so buyers can set them up in the comfort of their own homes. Previously, if you wanted to buy hearing aids, your only option was to make an appointment for a hearing test and fitting at a specialist store.
This small change looks set to have a big impact. FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf told CNN he expects the ruling “will unleash the power of American industry to improve the technology.” And there’s one company in particular that has all the know-how to do just that — Apple.
BenQ unveiled its new TH690ST short-throw 4LED projector Friday, calling it “the world’s first 4LED video party projector with preset game modes for bringing big entertainment to any gathering.”
You connect it to any gaming console or other video source with an HDMI cable to get the party started. Oh, and don’t forget to have a wall to project on.
★★☆☆☆
Apple TV+ mystery Surface, about a woman suffering from amnesia at the center of a dark web of mystery, finally tells the truth about who mystery woman Sophie really is.
Turns out she was the brains behind the operation, bringing herself and her husband from nothing to a beautiful house, a six-figure income, and more problems than they know how to handle.
So just how did she and James go from a young power couple lying their way to the top to a couple of criminals looking at the barrel end of jail sentences?
You can enjoy the classic link look on your Apple Watch with the stylish and sophisticated Casetify Link Bracelet. It not only looks great, but it’s robust and comfortable all day long. It also comes in three stylish color options.
Here’s why it’s one of my favorite bands after six months of wear.
Accessories maker Moft offered a new folding wallet Thursday that magnetically sticks to your iPhone 12 or 13, but also acts as a stand whenever you need one.
Carry your license and another card with your handset. Set the stand to take a video call or watch a YouTube video. What’s not to like?
Well, some folks might not like the two-card maximum, but that could work fine for others.
★☆☆☆☆
Apple TV+ family comedy Trying hits a snag or two this week, as Jason and Scott both realize they’re running out of road before a fall.
Jason needs money if he wants to pay for the house he’s been renting, which otherwise will be sold out from under him at any minute. Scott needs to make enough money to pay for Karen’s incoming baby, or she’ll continue looking at him as the fatuous loser with his head in the clouds that the show has more than shown us that he is.
On top of that, the adoptees’ grandmother is gunning for custody and she’s willing to fight dirty. Good, I say. This show needs some actual tragedy.
Imagine buying a massive new ultra-wide, curved monitor to display what you do on your Macs in style. But once you get it all set up, the monstrous thing won’t stop wobbling.
Today’s featured M1 MacBook Pro and Mac mini setup suffers just that problem, despite the use of a recommended monitor arm attached to a solid standing desk.
Check out the advice the user got and all the gear in play below.
Apple bought the popular music-recognition app Shazam, which can name any song you hear, in 2018. Friday marks the app’s 20th birthday. And this week it officially surpassed 70 billion song recognitions, Cupertino said.
That’s a lot of people in bars wondering what the tune is.
Ever wonder what song is the most “Shazamed” of all time? Well, Apple provided that nugget and many other factoids, and referred to a lot of interesting music you may want to check out.
The iPad Pro is extremely expensive, so you’d be wise to protect yours from damage. You can safeguard your investment with a protective case like the CoverBuddy.
During our Back to Education promotion, it’s on sale for only $34.99 (regularly $42). Plus, for every CoverBuddy purchased during this event, we’ll donate 50 cents to a school or charity in need.
★★★★☆
New Apple TV+ dark comedy Bad Sisters follows a family of Irish women who vow to help each other through thick and thin. Thick comes in the form of a miserable brother-in-law, who’s lying in a coffin and represents loose ends for all of them.
Can they outmaneuver a desperate insurance investigator and keep from turning on each other? This is good TV. Let’s just watch it cook.
Why settle for one lamp when you can grab one that does two things at once? This LED lamp lights up your room in a big way, but also gives you a smaller, more focused lamp for reading, crafting etc.
This vibrant LED floor lamp broad spectrum light and a focused reading lamp, and it’s on sale for $34.99 (regularly $52) for a limited time. Even better, 50 cents of your purchase will help a school or charity as part of our Back to Education event. You’ll receive an email to vote on organizations that provide kids’ school lunches, fill school-funding gaps and more!
Three new colors of Beats Fit Pro wireless earbuds — a collaboration between Beats and celebrity Kim Kardashian — went on sale at Apple online Tuesday and promptly sold out. But now you can get them on Amazon, too.
The three new “neutral” colors are designed to blend in more than most earphones. Following Tuesday’s launch at Apple.com/Kim, they went on sale Wednesday at select Apple Stores and resellers.
This week’s giveaway sponsor Bucardo specializes in unique Apple Watch accessories that give you even more options. And the bundle we’ve put together pairs two pieces of unique Apple Watch gear: a pocket watch and a sports band. Learn more about this stunning collection and upgrade your Apple Watch with a touch of vintage sophistication.
Two lucky winners will receive one Bucardo Apple Pocket Watch and one Bucardo Sports Band. Together, the items in this unique bundle retail for $189. Enter below for your shot at taking home the big prize.
Apple TV+ offered a first look at upcoming drama series Shantaram this week in the form of a photo of star Charlie Hunnam (Son of Anarchy) in character, plus a rundown of the cast and plot of the adventure-romance, set to premiere October 14.
And speaking of drama and adventure, the production ran into big trouble on the way to becoming a reality.
Australia’s national swim team uses Apple Watch, iPad and a combination of apps to improve performance, helping the team in the most-successful period in its history, Apple said Wednesday.
As if you needed another thing to make you feel bad about skipping the lap swim at the Y this morning.
August 18, 2014: A Christmas-themed iPhone ad lands Apple an Emmy for “Most Outstanding Commercial of the Year.”
The prize-winning spot is Apple’s “Misunderstood” iPhone 5s ad. It depicts a silent teenager who won’t spend time with his family at Christmas because he’s too busy with his iPhone. At the end of the ad, he reveals that he’s not actually being a misanthrope. He used his iPhone and iMovie to shoot and edit a heartwarming family montage!
The ninth entrant in Keychron’s custom mechanical keyboard line came out Wednesday, making it abundantly clear the company wants to cover every corner of the market. The new Q9 is for folks who want a tiny keyboard they can customize — maybe one that’s smaller than anything they’ve ever used.
As a 40% layout mini keyboard with just four rows of keys, the all-aluminum Q9 makes even a compact 60% keyboard look big.
The end of summer is the perfect season to reinvest learn a new skill or get better at an old one. So, if you’ve decided it’s time to focus on golf, consider a home golf simulator like the SwingLogic SLX MicroSim.
Regular practice with the affordable system can shave points off your golf score and add consistency to your game. During our Back to Education sale, you can equip yourself to learn golf like never before by picking up this package for only $189 (regularly $249).
If modern life has taught us anything, it’s that the more backups you have, the better off you are, especially if you’re going to school or learning new skills. The iScanner app for iOS makes it easy to back up anything on paper as a digital file, making it easy to edit and share.
Apple’s next big product event — the release of the iPhone 14 series — will take place on September 7, according to a new report.
The event kicks off a busy release period before the end of the year, with new Macs, iPads and Apple Watches expected.