Could these be the ones? At $599, they better be. Photo: Master & Dynamic
The new Master & Dynamic MW75 over-ear headphones will undoubtedly compete with top cans from Apple, Sony, Sennheiser and others. They boast up to 28 hours of battery life and adaptive, environmentally aware active noise cancellation.
But the premium Master & Dynamic headphones actually make AirPods Max look somewhat affordable. They cost an eye-popping $599.
SwitchEasy's charger lets you juice up four devices at once. Photo: SwitchEasy
The more gadgets we buy, the more separate chargers we end up with. If you’re sick of plugging in your stuff all over the place, try a multi-device charger like the SwitchEasy MagPower 4-in-1 Charging Stand.
The compact stand’s ingenious design lets you easily charge four devices at once. You can power up your iPhone or other smartphone, Apple Watch, AirPods and another device all at the same time. Three out of those four gadgets power up wirelessly, too, so you can cut some cords.
And through tonight, you can get 20% off the stand in the Cult of Mac Store. That’s a savings of $17 off the regular price.
Moving backgrounds are new feature of Keynote 12.1. Screenshot: Apple
Apple’s Keynote version 12.1 adds moving backgrounds intended to add visual interest to presentations. And Pages 12.1 adds support for mail merge.
Add in a performance-oriented tweak in Numbers 12.1, and you’ve got iWork 12.1, the latest version of Apple’s free productivity suite for Mac, iPad and iPhone.
★★★★☆
It's not difficult to get used to those rotating ear hooks. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Ever have an earbud fall out of your sweaty ear at the gym? I lost a somewhat pricey product that way once. And if you lose one of them, you’re probably not going to use the other one, even if it’s designed for occasional solo use.
The new Soundcore Sport X10 True-Wireless Earbuds, released Tuesday, aim to put an end to wayward earbuds.
Anker sent me a pair of the earbuds to try, along with instructions for using the Soundcore app for them in beta. Below, I’ll get into why I found the new product to be an excellent value at $79.99.
The new track-lighting system opens up many customization options. Photo: Philips Hue
Signify said Tuesday it plans to expand its Philips Hue smart lighting range with the addition of track lighting, a new dimmer and scene-selection switch, and its first portable indoor-outdoor rechargeable lamp, among other items.
Philips Hue products support HomeKit via the Hue Bridge. The new options will launch during the summer, the company said.
This compact charger can handle iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Why settle for a boring charging stand that is so big it becomes a permanent fixture on your desk or nightstand? This fast, space-saving charging station looks like something out Tron. It juices up three Apple devices at once, and folds flat so you can take it on the road easily.
The Charge & Fold 3-in-1 Docking Station will charge your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods simultaneously. And while similar multi-device chargers can cost a fortune, this one’s on sale for just $35.99 (regularly $119).
Apple users may be freed from CAPTCHA. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple developed Automatic Verification to let iPhone, Mac and iPad users bypass those irritating CAPTCHA image tests that websites use to confirm that someone is a human and not a bot.
Match any real-world color in an instant with this tiny sensor. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Your walls might not be the color they used to be. Even if you know the exact color and brand of paint, natural fading can make it hard to paint over the daily dings a home tends to endure.
Instead of searching for a color you remember, find the actual color of your walls (and pretty much anything else) with the Nix Mini. It’s a portable color sensor that quickly scans virtually any surface and tells you exactly what color it is, complete with paint suggestions.
For a limited time, this little gadget is on sale for $83.95 (regularly $99).
Laut's iPad Pro folio is a handsome case and stand. Photo: Laut
Father’s Day sales are drawing to a close, but one of the Cult of Mac Store’s promotions extends to the end of Monday. There’s still time to enjoy a buy-one-get-one-free offer from Laut on all of its Apple accessories. They have many kinds of cases, stands for iPads and MacBooks, Apple Watch bands and more, including plenty of fun stuff.
So Laut’s buy-one-get-one-free promotion on 79 Apple accessories in the Cult of Mac Store runs through the end of Monday. There’s just several hours to go, so shop away!
Setapp has great productivity apps for macOS and iOS. Photo: [email protected]
A subscription service might not sound like a great way to get your apps, but don’t sell it short. Many folks find subscribing to Setapp is an easy and worthwhile way to get more than 200 apps that help with a variety of tasks — and that someone else has already curated.
After all, the main alternative is diving into the vast app ocean of the App Store. Good luck finding just what you need in there before you drown.
In honor of World Productivity Day — that’s right, at least try to look busy on June 20 — we take a look at some of Setapp’s great tools.
Would you have gone with a darker-colored keyboard? Which one? Photo: [email protected]
Will you rue the day you choose the wrong color peripherals? Will you ask strangers on social media to help you fix the problem? The owner of today’s striking M1 MacBook Air-based computer setup did just that.
But if you ask us, they could just take solace in the setup’s strengths. Those include an epic OLED smart TV and some top-shelf, professional-level audio gear, plus a cool Edison desk lamp.
But we’ll share some good advice we saw about the keyboard issue. Read more below.
Three heads are better than one with this Apple Watch charging cable. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you’re on the move, you likely don’t want to carry a different charger for every device. If you want to spare some outlet space and cut down on cords you’re carrying, try out this 3-in-1 Apple Watch, AirPods and iPhone charging cable.
It comes with two Lightning tips and a magnetic puck for charging your Apple Watch. Connect it to a high-quality power source (like this 65W GaN charger from Ugreen), and you can juice up three devices at once.
Sound convenient? Now’s the time to pick up one or two of these hassle-busting cables. They are on sale now for just $24.99 (regularly $34).
Apple Watch Series 3 was a great smartwatch in its day. But that day was in 2017. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple Watch Series 3 is still in Apple’s product lineup but you should avoid it. It’s so near the end of its product life that it’s not a good value even at $199.
There’s another Apple wearable that costs just a bit more and isn’t about to ride off into the sunset.
Master digital photography with this bundle. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Unless you’re taking nature photos, digital photography is no walk in the park. There’s a lot to learn about this complex art. And the picture-perfect way to master it is with a well-structured course led by a real expert.
This 17-hour Digital Photography Insiders Course takes you through the key concepts and skills new digital photographers need to master to produce amazing pictures in a snap. And this digital photography training course is on sale for $60 (regularly $299) for a limited time.
Time to walk back that M2 skepticism just a smidge. Image: Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Erfon’s warming up to Apple’s new M2 chip. New benchmarks make it sound even more capable than we thought.
Also on The CultCast:
Brace yourself for better narcissism: iPhone 14’s selfie cam is getting a major upgrade.
It sounds like Apple is planning a wild array of new MacBooks and iPads, in some very interesting sizes.
Apple TV shoots and scores! Major League Soccer is coming to the Apple TV app.
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 spy pen is primed for some covert action. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Feel like going full 007? The iSpyPen Pro is a covert camera with 128GB of storage and a long-lasting battery — and yet it still looks and works like a regular pen.
Grab this stealth camera in silver or black for up to 19% off, and prep yourself for your next big undercover adventure.
Wireless charging is easier than plugging in a bunch of cables every day. Photo: Adel Neal/Cult of Mac
Father’s Day is the time to show your appreciation for dear old dad — or hip young dad, as the case may be. Maybe he’d appreciate accessories for his beloved Apple products. The Father’s Day Sale in the Cult of Mac Store features a great selection of deals!
For starters, Laut is offering a buy-one-get-one-free deal on its wide array of accessories, including iPhone and AirTag cases, Apple Watch bands, laptop stands and much more.
See below for many more discounts on great gifts. You can get 20% off a huge number of items.
With three ports and plenty of power, this is a great charger for anyone using multiple devices at once. Photo: Lululook
The Cult of Mac giveaway prize this week is a perfect fit for anyone who needs a powerful yet compact charger. We teamed up with Lululook to give five lucky winners a chance to get their hands on a three-port, 65W gallium nitride charger.
This thing can charge everything, from your iPhone mini to your MacBook Pro.
★★☆☆☆
Who will double-cross who in the season finale? Photo: Apple TV+
In the season finale of Apple TV+ spy drama Tehran, Peyman is dead — and everyone is guilty.
Milad and Tamar need to patch up their frayed relationship if they have any hope of escaping the country and certain death. Marjan and Faraz must make sure they don’t look guilty as the investigation into the “accidental” death of the son of the head of the Revolutionary Guard commences.
And there’s still the matter of Peyman’s father, Qassem, whom Tamar swore to kill. Now, she has next to no shot at getting near him. It’s a lot of ground to cover in 43 minutes. And there’s still the more difficult task of making any of these people compelling enough to want to see them in a third season.
Save on this mini golf simulator that helps improve your swing from home. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Nothing quite beats a round of golf when the weather gets warmer, but those sizzling summer days don’t last forever.
Right now, you can get a great deal on TruGolf Mini, a golf simulator that lets you practice your swing at home, in the office or anywhere you want. It usually costs $399, but it’s $100 off for a limited time.
That might sound like a lot of money to play virtual golf. Gut this at-home entertainment system can essentially pay for itself when you use it as a fun party game or save money on buckets of balls at the driving range. And it’s great for when the weather won’t cooperate with your trip to the golf course.
To celebrate Juneteenth, artist Ajuan Mance is revisiting “The Ancestors’ Juneteenth,” a series that depicts historical Black figures in present-day settings. Photo: Apple
In the run-up to Juneteenth, which takes place on Sunday, Apple showcased an artist Friday who created a series of digital drawings with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.
The series, by Juan Mance, celebrates and chronicles Black figures throughout U.S. history, putting them in modern contexts.
★★★★☆
Ana (played by Marina de Tavira) and Pedro (José María Yazpik) hope for a positive outcome on election night. Photo: Apple TV+
Line ’em up, it’s Election Day on Now and Then, the Apple TV+ telenovela about the fallout from a 20-year-old murder case.
Pedro and Ana wait with bated breath to see if he won the mayoral election, while Ernesto gives him an ultimatum and Francis offers her a job. Marcos and Sofia plot their escape, Flora schedules a surgery, Hugo’s awake from his coma, and Sullivan’s been keeping secrets from everybody.
The plot is thick and the drama delicious this week.
The new Anker 535 puts five ports on the front of your iMac. Photo: Anker
Anker targeted a pet peeve of some iMac users Friday when it introduced a USB-C hub that puts useful ports on the front of the machine. The desktop’s own hubs are on the back, which not everybody likes.
The company designed the new 535 model, a 5-in-1 USB-C hub made of metal, specifically for the 24-inch M1 iMac, though it also works with other iMacs.
And you can get it at a launch discount. See below.
★★☆☆☆
A sprawling 17th-century home in France gets remade on the inside. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ documentary series Home returns Friday for a second season of wonky architecture and human interest stories. The streamer is banking on the beauty of accessibility as spectacle and drama to bring audiences back for more feel-good TV.
The houses the series showcases look glorious, to be sure. But the stories are meant to be as much of a hook as the sight of impossible angles and cozy nooks nestled in wondrous corners of the earth.
Great record-player sound over Bluetooth? Yes, according to Cambridge Audio. Photo: Cambridge Audio
Cambridge Audio just released a new turntable that can play vinyl records the old-fashioned way or over Bluetooth, streaming audio wirelessly to speakers, headphones or amplifiers.
The new Alva ST follows the company’s Alva TT, which the world’s first aptX HD Bluetooth turntable.
And the Alva ST uses the same codec technology for high-quality sound — the kind that until recently could only be had through wires.