★★★★☆
The KYY K3-3 Portable Monitor adds a high-quality second screen to your Mac or iPad. Even some iPhones. It’s 15.6 inches and has a 4K resolution, so it’s designed for work and play wherever you go.
I tested the reasonably priced second screen in my home office and when working remotely to see how it stands up to real-world use. I like it more than I expected to.
One thing we love about Apple is the staying power of its beautiful displays. We see the Studio Display maker’s much older Cinema Displays and Thunderbolt Displays used in modern computer setups pretty regularly.
Today’s MacBook Pro setup recently added a docking station to charge the laptop while connecting it to a classic LED Cinema Display.
Lego Bricktales is a fun way to play with these bricks wherever you go. The game challenges players to build their way through puzzles in a variety of colorful environments.
It’s available for iPad and iPhone.
Want a safer, more privacy-focused online experience? You can eliminate web tracking, secure your privacy, and protect your data with Ivacy VPN. It works on iOS, macOS and more, and you can use it on up to five devices with a single dirt-cheap subscription.
With this special pre-Black Friday deal, you can score lifetime access to Ivacy VPN for only $39.99 (regularly $97) — the lowest price on the web!
One of the best ways to use MagSafe on iPhone is to make it carry your wallet. It means you don’t have to remember to pick up multiple items every time you leave the house, and it ensures that you always have access to credit and ID cards that you can’t carry virtually in the Apple Wallet app.
Now that we’ve had MagSafe for a few years, there are lots of great wallets to choose from. Here are six of the best that you can slap onto the back of your iPhone today.
Smart shoppers know that Sam’s Club offers pretty much everything you need for the holidays. You can start with great prices on gifts (including Apple products), but you also can save on appliances, decorations and plenty of delicious food to fuel your holiday feasts.
Better yet, the savings don’t stop after you snap out of your holiday food coma. You will save on essentials all year long at Sam’s Club. Chances are there’s a location near you, and there’s never been a better time to join. Cult of Mac readers can get a one-year membership to Sam’s Club for just $20. This membership typically costs $50, and it can pay for itself in a single visit!
Almost every day, our robot vacuum tangles itself in charging cables, which the kids toss cavalierly across the floor. Snaking from behind the couch, the cords wait like baited fishing lines to ensnare our unsuspecting Roomba. It’s an unmitigated cable management disaster.
Luckily, we just got some Cable Blocks from Function101. Cable Blocks are rubbery little magnetic blocks that sit on your desk or nightstand and hold cables out of the way. It’s a simple and clever design.
Here’s why Cable Blocks are my favorite cable management system.
In what is apparently an enormous change of direction, Apple reportedly plans to add support for Rich Communication Services to the iPhone Messages app in 2024. This will enable iPhones and Androids to communicate more effectively, with more of the bells and whistles associated with Apple’s proprietary iMessage platform.
It also could be the end of the green bubble versus blue bubble controversy, though not necessarily. If you’re wondering how to get RCS on iPhone, Apple’s latest update will bring end-to-end encryption to RCS messaging. Find out more here.
Just about everything electronic requires firmware — Apple’s iPad stylus is no exception. With software comes updates, and there’s new one for the recently released version of the Apple Pencil with a USB-C port.
Here’s how to check what firmware version your Apple Pencil is currently running, and a suggestion on how to get the new update.
Anyone who loves vinyl records will tell you that the physicality of the medium is half the fun. Still, those precious platters aren’t exactly the most portable way to bring music to the party, to say nothing of the equipment you need to play them — until now.
The RokBlok 2.0 is a compact, self-contained record player that spins around while the record stays still, and it’s on sale now with early Black Friday pricing. Now through December 3, you can grab it for yourself or a loved one for only $79.97 (regularly $99).
Toys make fantastic gifts, but printing unlimited toys on demand? That may just be the coolest thing anyone could ever receive. With the Toybox 3D Printer Deluxe Bundle, kids and kidults alike can make their toy dreams a reality.
Ahead of Black Friday and the holiday gift-shopping craze, Cult of Mac readers can get a kid-friendly Toybox 3D printer, bundled with eight printer food colors, for only $329.97 (regularly $439). This hot deal only lasts until November 16, though.
Legends Christian Dior and Coco Chanel launched modern fashion design amid the horrors of Nazi occupation in Paris, according to the first look Apple TV+ provided Wednesday for The New Look.
Boasting a star-studded cast, the 10-episode historical drama series premieres February 14.
Whether you call them monitor risers, desk shelves or display stands, finding the right one for your desk’s size can be a huge boon to your computer setup. Today’s featured Mac mini workstation benefits from a compact Balolo stand sitting toward the back of a small desk.
You can see that choice desk shelf and several other options below, along with all the setup’s gear, including a Studio Display and marvelous high-end headphones.
Professionals looking for a more powerful MacBook will get really significantly more performance by upgrading to an M3 Max processor instead of the M3 Pro.
It’s no surprise that the Max version of one of Apple’s new chips is faster than the Pro, but many people might not be aware how very much faster it is.
When you’re traveling, nothing beats a single, small charging station that can power up multiple Apple devices simultaneously. Enter the MagStack 3-in-1 wireless charging station, which can juice up your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods without cluttering up your desk or bedside table.
This remarkably portable power station resembles Apple’s MagSafe Duo. However, it proves even more useful than that now-discontinued device, which retailed for a hefty $129.
For a limited time, the MagStack is on sale for just $42.97 (regularly $74), making it surprisingly affordable. (You can save even more on a two-pack.) It even comes with the 20W power adapter you’ll need to plug into the wall!
As cybercrime becomes more prevalent, so do employment opportunities for people with the skills to battle hackers, phishers and other online baddies. The Complete 2023 CompTIA Course Super Bundle offers 13 courses that can help you earn the certifications you need to tap into this increasingly lucrative career path.
Ahead of Black Friday, you can gain lifetime access to these cybersecurity-focused courses from iducate for only $39.97 (regularly $195). Don’t delay — that’s the best price online!
Owning a copy of Microsoft Office is simply essential in today’s remote and hybrid working world. Set yourself up to work from home or anywhere with a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac, on sale now for just $49.99 (list price $249.99).
For PC fans, the Windows version of MS Office is available — but the deal’s not quite as sweet.
Ever order a bento box from a Japanese restaurant, with sushi and other foods in separate little compartments? The Function101 BentoStack Charge 8000 is like that — except it holds Apple accessories you want to store at your desk or tote around. Plus, it charges them.
The BentoStack comes with four useful compartments that you can use as trays. And it features a rechargeable power bank.
You may think you’re getting the most out of your Nintendo Switch, but don’t be so certain. There’s an instant upgrade that will bring expanded portability and power to all your Nintendo Switch gaming.
For a limited time, you can pick up a Nintendo Switch-compatible mini docking station for just $18.99 (regularly $24). Take advantage of this deal for a personal gaming upgrade, or pass it along as a present!
xMEMS Labs is bringing what it calls breakthrough technology to the wireless earbuds market late next year after a CES 2024 debut — the Cypress ultrasonic speaker. It turns ultrasonic waves we normally can’t even hear into full-frequency, hi-res audio with remarkable detail, the California-based semiconductor company said Tuesday.
The solid-state microspeaker, which will find its way into various companies’ earbuds and headphones — hello, AirPods? — generates low-frequency sound pressure for a full bass response, according to xMEMS Labs.
That makes the ultrasonic speaker a true replacement for legacy speaker technology that has only been refined, not replaced, since your great-grandparents rocked the Victrola.
Don’t wait for Black Friday deals to start planning your next vacation. Pick up a two-pack of Dollar Flight Club Premium for only $59.97 (regularly $1,104) through November 16 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. The service helps you find cheap flights so you can afford to fly where you want, when you want, without maxing out your credit cards.
You could travel for less this holiday and beyond!
A New York City-based magazine editor showed off a beautiful computer setup that serves up twice the fun because it boasts two of everything. Well, not everything.
But it doubles up on a lot of the main gear — two M3 MacBooks Pro, two Studio Displays, two sets of Philips Hue smart lights, a pair of Yamaha speakers on stands and, believe it or not, two Magic Trackpads and a Magic Mouse.
Read more about the setup’s whys and wherefores below, and check out that gear list of links at the bottom of the article.
If you don’t like jamming AirPods or other earbuds into your ears, you should consider bone-conduction headphones. They offer clear audio and a comfortable listening experience that some people prefer to regular earbuds.
Want to find out for yourself? Ahead of Black Friday, we’ve got Open-Ear Conduction Stereo Wireless Headphones on sale for only $24.97 (regularly $79). These alternative headphones could significantly improve your or a loved one’s audio experience.
In this week’s Awesome Apps roundup, we have a synthesizer app that brings back the sound of the ’80s, a solid VPN for safely surfing the Web, an app for testing external drives for recording high-res video, and a guide to the best eateries in Italy.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Erfon breaks down the specs/performance of Apple’s recently released MacBook Pro lineup, and he’s convinced there are only two models any sane person would buy. Listen to found out which models make the grade!
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 live stream, embedded below.