Top stories - page 225

The demand for professional video content to engage users online isn’t going anywhere. And while it can be incredibly expensive and time-consuming to create original content, some tools certainly will help you increase output without sacrificing quality.

This subscription to Camtasia 2021 + One Year of Maintenance helps you easily produce polished, beautiful videos. You can use the Mac app’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface to quickly create educational, engaging content from the materials you readily have on hand.

Hit comedy Ted Lasso put another one into the back of the net for Apple TV+. Or it put another 20 there, if you like. The show notched 20 Emmy nominations today, breaking the record for a first-year comedy that Glee set in 2010 with 19.

On its website Tuesday, Apple offered a new MagSafe Battery Pack, designed to work with the iPhone 12 series from mini to Pro Max. That is, it’s designed to work as of the release of iOS 14.7, due imminently.

Unlike all the other unofficially “MagSafe compatible” wireless battery packs that came out after the iPhone 12’s release, this one’s MagSafe-approved, straight from Apple. It took a while, but it’s here.

The release candidate for iOS 14.7 was seeded to developers on Tuesday. It includes some promised improvements to the Apple Card, and it enables users to use a just-announced MagSafe Battery Pack. In addition, it allows users to manage timers on a HomePod.

Plus, the macOS Big Sur 11.5 release candidate, iPadOS 14.7 RC, watchOS 7.6 RC and tvOS 14.7 RC were also made available for developers.

The ability to send or receive a WhatsApp photo or video message that automatically disappears after one viewing is rolling out to iOS beta users of the messaging app, just as it did in late June to Android beta users.

Accessories-maker Nomad Goods wants to cover your world of Apple gadgets in leather. Even the ones you probably don’t carry around every day. Its newest product is a leather cover designed to protect and beautify the iPhone 12 series’ magnetic charging puck, Apple’s MagSafe Charger.

If you use the internet, you need a virtual private network you can trust. It’s a no-brainer: A VPN allows you to protect your private information, keep your connection secure, and browse the internet content you want, totally unrestricted.

One of the best-reviewed VPNs out there is AdGuard VPN. And today, we’ve found a five-year subscription to the highly rated service on sale for just $39.99. That’s an 88% discount off the regular price of $359, which works out to less than $8 a year for total internet browsing security.

Apple apparently wants to build car batteries on its home soil. The company is eyeing a number of manufacturers as it plans to set up factories in the United States, according to a new report.

Foxconn, already one of Apple’s largest manufacturing partners, or Advanced Lithium Electrochemistry (Aleees) could get battery orders from Cupertino in the future, sources say.

There are a lot of things to love about AirPods: In fact, they’re one of the best Apple accessories out there. But one thing that’s not so hot about them? The $159 price tag (which goes up to $199 if you want a wireless charging case).

The price is especially forbidding considering how easily the little buds can be lost, dropped or stolen.

If you want to use your iPad like a laptop, adding a Brydge keyboard has long been the best way to do it. There are other solutions — a lot of them, in fact — and many are more affordable. But none of them are as good as a Brydge keyboard.

And no Brydge keyboard has been better than the new Max+ for iPad Pro. Like its predecessors, the Max+ is beautifully built from anodized aluminum, with a backlit keyboard that delivers a stellar typing experience. The big difference with the Max+ — which makes it even better than the Pro+ — is a larger, more reliable trackpad and a new, much more seamless magnetic docking system for your iPad.

The Max+ is not only the best Brydge keyboard ever made, but also the best third-party keyboard you can buy for iPad Pro. Here’s our full review.

Last week Anker added the new Life P3 active-noise-cancelling (ANC) wireless earbuds to its Soundcore lineup — in an array of bright colors for an affordable price.

Seems like a lot of companies are upping their ANC, true-wireless earbud game.

The latest beta of the HomePod system software adds support for Apple Music lossless audio. This allows both the large and small versions of Apple’s smart speaker to play music in a very high-quality format.

Do you miss the Jon Stewart era of The Daily Show? Are you fully vaccinated for Covid-19 and willing to prove it? Can you get to New York City with haste? If you answered “yes,” then you can watch July in-studio tapings of Apple TV+ current-affairs show The Problem with Jon Stewart for free.

Apple reportedly warned a U.K. court that it might withdraw from the country if it must pay an enormous patent licensing fee. The iPhone-maker is being sued by Optis Cellular Technology over patents Apple says are invalid because they cover standard cellular-wireless technology.

Having a virtual private network you can trust is the secret to unlocking full internet freedom. It allows you to protect your personal data, stream from regionally blocked sites, and browse the internet completely anonymously. 

Thankfully, we found a VPN that won best-in-class awards for doing exactly that — and it’s on sale with a great discount. Right now, you can get a two-year subscription to Private Internet Access VPN, plus $15 back in in-store credit, for just $69.95. That’s a 73% discount off the regular price of $268.

Gorgeous, high-definition monitors hold a place of honor in many a computer setup. And sometimes it’s several displays, actually. But we rarely come across one of the most amazing monitors out there: the Apple Pro Display XDR. Why? Well, it costs $6,000, for one thing. Or, if you’re lucky, not quite that much.

So if you’re not a wealthy or financially irresponsible person, what’s a reasonable alternative to the Pro Display XDR?

Apple is planning to bring high-definition FaceTime cameras to all next-generation Mac models, one tipster claims. The move will start with the upcoming MacBook Pro refresh, expected later this year.

A larger iMac powered by Apple Silicon is “en route” and could feature an even faster “M2X” chip, according to reliable reporter Mark Gurman.

The next-generation all-in-one is expected to replace the 27-inch iMac with an even larger screen — perhaps around 30 inches — and could well be Apple’s fastest desktop to date.

Apple’s new iPad mini is on track to launch this fall with its “biggest redesign” to date, according to one reliable reporter.

The sixth-generation device, which could look like a more compact version of the iPad Air, is expected to feature a larger edge-to-edge screen. It could be powered by the lightning-fast A14 Bionic chip.

There’s probably nothing more annoying than your phone dying right when you need it the most. Ditto for your AirPods or Apple Watch in the middle of a workout. Instead of dealing with a mess of different cables and chargers to power up your favorite devices, this 3-in-1 Apple Watch & Lightning Charger Cable can charge three devices at once.

It’s the perfect way to minimize cable clutter and ensure that all your necessary charging cords can be located quickly and conveniently. And it’s on sale now for just $16.99!

FaceTime is about to get even better. In iOS 15, which is available now as a free public beta, Apple’s proprietary messaging service gets great new audio and video features. Plus, you can use it to communicate with Android and Windows folks as well.

Find out what these new FaceTime features do, and how to use them, in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Also don’t miss this week:

• A 3D-printed wall clock based on the Settings app icon.
• Woz’s impassioned support for the right to repair.
• A look at Lisey’s Story’s creepy incel baddie.

Read all about it in our iOS mag, or get the links below.

If you have a dog that runs away or just doesn’t listen, this week’s giveaway is for you. The CollarTrek dog collar securely holds an AirTag in place, making sure Fido’s location is easily trackable at all times.

Keep your dog safe and sound by entering this week’s giveaway. Enter and you could win one of four CollarTrek Leather AirTag dog collars.

Apple Watches carry quite the price tag, and for good reason. The state-of-the-art smartwatch integrates seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem, making it a convenient companion. However, the Apple Watch band comes with a steep price tag, and there’s nothing really “smart” about it. A high-quality silicone watch band serves the exact same purpose as a $99 steel mesh one.

Working student Chris Reed told Cult of Mac he put a year of work into his “slow build” home office and computer setup. In that year he strove to achieve a clean and balanced look, and, judging by his pics and comments, it seems he got there.

Reed said he wanted to go with dual monitors rather than a wide screen display to save some money. He’s pleased with his choice of 32-inch Samsung 1080p curved monitors, run along with his 2020 MacBook Pro and his iPad Pro.

Lisey has both of her sisters by her side as crazed stalker Jim Dooley approaches for their final showdown. But is everything as cut-and-dried as it appears?

The penultimate episode of Lisey’s Story, the Stephen King miniseries on Apple TV+, has one last round of games to play.