Top stories - page 173

There’s never a better time to start the project you’ve always wanted to work on than the start of the new year. So, whether you want to finally build the app you’ve always wanted to, or start an exciting new career as an app developer, e-learning with the Complete Mobile & App Development Bundle will open the doors to do so.

And even better, this top-rated course is on sale for a limited time. Usually $1,791, not only is this training on sale now, but you can take a further 20% off the sale price today when you enter the code CYBER20 as part of our Cyber Week II sale. That drives the price all the way down to $35.99. With nine different courses included in this bundle, that works out to less than $4 per course.

It’s the season for cold windows and warm sofas, which means there’s always a new way to make your home a bit cozier. If you want a fireplace without the hassle of actually having a fireplace, then you should get a Flikr Fire2, especially while it’s on sale for 27% off.

If your New Year’s resolution is to get in shape in 2022, Apple Fitness+ provides the perfect solution. Tightly integrated with Apple Watch, it offers hundreds of excellent video workouts you can do at home right now. But the question is, will you?

As the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Subscribing to Fitness+ is all very well, but it’ll be a waste of money if you lose interest after a week.

Unfortunately, sticking to a New Year’s resolution isn’t easy. That’s probably why almost 50% of them fail in the first year.

If you want to smash your fitness goals in 2022, you need to start by getting your head in the right place. And that’s where well-formed outcomes can help. They are goals that meet certain essential criteria identified by psychologists in the 1980s using a technique called neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP.

Well-formed outcomes provide a framework that can massively increase your chances of achieving your goal. And all you need to do to turn your resolution into a well-formed outcome is ask yourself these six questions.

There’s no better time to upgrade your life than the new year. And the easiest way to start 2022 with intention is with some of the most-trusted life-improvement apps out there. With our Social Distancing Lifetime Subscription Bundle Featuring Rosetta Stone — which gets you lifetime access to the award-winning language software, the 12min condensed book app and the top-rated KeepSolid VPN Unlimited — you can do just that.

Usually $844, this bundle is on sale today for just $199. Plus, you can boost your savings by taking another 20% off when you enter the code CYBER20 at checkout — driving the price for the package all the way down to just $159.20.

You should ring in the New Year with the first new Peanuts special since 2011. In Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne, Lucy is having a party but everything is going wrong. It’s her fault but she blames everyone else. So the gang has to come together to save the day.

As a Peanuts fan going back decades, I watched the new holiday special with a skeptical eye. I found a lot to like, whether this is your introduction to Charlie Brown and his friends, or you’re a long-time watcher like me.

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.

With the omicron variant fueling lightning-fast spread of COVID-19, it’s a good time for iPhone owners to take advantage of the exposure notifications feature built into iOS. By simply enabling this feature, you will get an alert after being exposed to someone who tests positive for the virus — as long as they also have contact notifications turned on, and they report their test results.

For obvious reasons, this automatic version of contact tracing works more effectively if more people utilize it. If you discover that you’ve been in close contact with an infected person, you can take appropriate steps (getting tested, staying away from vulnerable people, etc.)

We’ll show you how to take control of COVID-19 exposure notifications on your device.

The new M1 Macs are impressive — especially the newest of the new, the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBooks. They’re so impressive, we see them replacing even late-model desktop Macs that have years of useful and even impressive life left in them. Such is the case with today’s year-end setup.

In a twist on the old phrase uttered at this time of year, “Out with the (not very) old, in with the (insanely great) new.”

Apple might break into a new product category in 2022. The company reportedly will unveil its long-rumored virtual reality and augmented reality headset.

Over the years, Apple profoundly changed the smartphone, tablet, smartwatch and MP3 player markets, taking niche products mainstream. It’s possible it’s about to do the same for VR/AR.

With everyone living and working digitally more than ever, it’s never been so important to protect our files. So, if you could use some reliable cloud storage for your devices, gives this Degoo Premium: Lifetime 1TB Backup Plan a look.

A $900 value, you can snag this deal for a fraction of that cost for a limited time. For a single payment of less than $40 (with coupon code CYBER20), you’ll get more backup space than Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive combined.

With 2022 approaching, you should aim to start the new year organized and ready for action. That includes your devices. It’s time to say goodbye to flat batteries and stay fully powered with a new charger you can rely on.

From charging in your car to optimizing your desk space, the chargers in this roundup deliver everything you need to never be left with a dead battery again. And you can save on them during our second Cyber Week sale.

You can never be too thin, too rich or have too many USB ports. The EZQuest USB-C Gen 2 Hub Adapter adds four USB-C ports and three USB-A ones, making room for an array of peripherals for your Mac or iPad.

I put the USB-C hub through real-world testing. Here are its strengths and weaknesses.

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. 

Apple Watch’s Digital Crown helps users take full advantage of the watchOS interface, beyond using the wearable’s touchscreen. But it looks like future Apple Watches might ditch the crown in favor of optical sensors, according to a new patent the Cupertino tech giant filed.

The well-regarded Slopes app that provides resort information to skiers and snowboarders — and helps them track their exploits carving mountain trails — saw four major updates in December. They include privacy-focused live location sharing and enhanced maps for iPhone and Apple Watch.

A Sam’s Club membership, usually a $45 value, is already a deal. It gives you access to essential everyday products at exclusive low prices. The warehouse superstore’s prices are hard to beat.

Currently, a one-year Sam’s Club membership is 65% off at $19.99. Grab one now to open the door on exceptional deals on Apple products and other essentials.

Reading more books consistently ranks as one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions, and it’s a good one!

If reading more and learning something new is on your list, then you’re in luck. 12min is a book service that condenses some of the most popular books into 12-minute, easily processable packages. And right now it’s on sale for just $31.20 (regularly $399) with coupon code CYBER20.

We keep coming across two great secrets of super-clean desktops when it comes to computer setups. As shown in today’s featured setup, they’re both about creating significant amounts of open desk space in different ways — without losing any access to your gear or forfeiting any computing power.

And we’re not just talking about clearing away basic clutter, or even cable clutter, although that always helps. We’re talking about how you can get some of your main equipment up and off the desk so you have room in front of you. Redditor kurtvdpoel demonstrates the two excellent methods in his post, “Home office with Mac mini Apple M1.”

If you got an Apple Watch for Christmas, or even if you already had one — congratulations on owning one of the best smartwatches! Now, it’s time to up your band game (aka your Apple Watch strap). For a limited time, you can get the Speidel Square Tip Oiled Leather Band for Apple Watch for just $9.89 in the Cult of Mac Store. That’s 70% off the regular price!

Apple won‘t let the iPad languish in 2022. Most notably, some big improvements are reportedly coming to the display and charging capabilities of the iPad Pro line.

And the iPad Air and iPad won‘t be overlooked, either.

The AirPods experience is great overall, but let’s be honest. The way Apple’s earbuds work with a Mac is a pale imitation of the seamless functionality you get when using them with iPhones and iPads.

Luckily, an innovative Mac app called AirBuddy fixes that. And right now, you can save 20% on AirBuddy with code CYBER20.

One of the greatest goals you can have for 2022 is to explore the world around you and surround yourself with nature — and this awesome Carsule pop-up cabin for your car will allow you to do exactly that.

Not only is it discounted right now from its regular price of $379, but you can enjoy even more savings by taking a further 20% off the sale price with the coupon code CYBER20. That knocks the price all the way down to $239.99 for a limited time.

The eagerly anticipated and much-praised Apple TV+ original series Foundation, based on the epic Isaac Asimov novels of the 1950s, has received a modern-day distinction, of sorts — it’s among the most-pirated shows of the year online. As such, it’s in good company.

It’s not quite the same sort of honor as the scads of awards Apple TV+ has been winning for shows like Ted Lasso and Stillwater, but it’s impressive nonetheless.

In gift-giving season, sometimes you get something you already have or something that isn’t quite what you wanted. So, if you can exchange the item for something you truly covet — like a killer pair of Apple AirPods or Beats earbuds — you probably should.

But how do you choose between earbuds made by Apple and earbuds made by Apple subsidiary Beats by Dre? We’ve laid out the specs for four popular sets of buds, below, pitting AirPods Pro against Beats Fit Pro and the new AirPods (3rd gen) against Beats Studio Buds. But all the specs listed in each chart are the same, so it’s not difficult to compare and contrast all four.

A new, red-and-gold, limited-edition design for Beats Studio Buds will celebrate the Lunar New Year in China and other countries — the Year of the Tiger — Apple said on Monday.

This follows a recent release of another predominately red, limited-edition design in collaboration with the men’s fashion store Union we wrote about earlier in December.