Top stories - page 231

You might make your Apple Watch look like a retro Casio with our giveaway this week. Four lucky winners will receive not one but two Quattro Pro Apple Watch bumper cases from Elkson. That’s one to keep and one to give to a friend.

The Quattro Pro bumper case combines a sturdy strap with a protective case to guard your Apple Watch from bumps and scrapes. If you worry about your Apple Watch and want to protect it in style, be sure to enter this giveaway.

Sweeping change is overrated, especially when it comes to something you use every day — like your iPhone.

It’s true that this year’s iOS update doesn’t bring a ton of mind-blowing new features. But when you’re trying to execute a simple task, sometimes you don’t want your mind blown. You want “it just works” … or maybe “it just works the way I’m already comfortable with.”

iOS 15’s iterative changes indicate just how mature the iPhone is. And that’s a very good thing. That’s the gist of Cult of Mac writer Ed Hardy’s reasoning. Get his full take in the cover story of this week’s edition of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s free on iPad or iPhone. And it’s got this week’s top Apple news, reviews and how-tos.

Even with all the different streaming options available these days, it’s still easy to get bored with the choices available. Haven’t we all scrolled endlessly through Apple TV+, Netflix or HBO Max, only to never decide on what to watch? Sometimes there is such a thing as having too many options. And with all the mysteries, dramas, rom-coms and more, it can prove overwhelming at the end of the day.

So why not switch up your binge-watching sessions with content that’s both fun and informative? This lifetime subscription to CuriosityStream focuses on delivering thousands of the best documentaries in the world to you — including award-winning exclusives and originals.

Apple TV+ went fishing for its own Glow but instead landed the transparent, overcooked and overdetermined Physical, which debuts today.

Star Rose Byrne tries as hard as she can to enliven this mishmash of cliches. However, its grotesque, fetishistic anti-nostalgia goes nowhere fast.

iOS 15 is kind of boring. It brings some welcome new features, but nothing that will change the way you use your iPhone forever.

Some people might find the lack of earth-shaking new features dull. But the bottom line is, when it comes to something as integral to our daily lives as the way you interact with your iPhone, “boring” is shorthand for “good.”

The All-Star Mac Bundle Featuring Parallels Pro is the ultimate curated app collection. In addition to Parallels Pro, which lets you run Windows apps on your Mac, the bundle boasts five award-winning apps that will boost your productivity, secure your data and more. But hurry, this deal ends on Tuesday, June 22.

These apps are trusted by millions of users worldwide to be among the best of the best in their fields. Typically retailing for $876, this bundle of five great Mac apps is on sale now for just $25 with coupon code ALLSTARMAC.

As governments around the world scrutinize Apple’s App Store policies, the U.S. Congress is pondering legislation that could stop the company from preinstalling default apps on iPhones.

Apple critics suggest that such a move would level the playing field and give smaller developers a chance to compete. But would it actually benefit consumers, the purported goal of such antitrust legislation?

I’m not sure it would. In fact, it might simply make owning an iPhone a lot less enjoyable.

Our widowed protagonist comes face to face with the bane of her existence in this week’s episode of Lisey’s Story, the Stephen King miniseries currently giving Apple TV+ a welcome shot of weird. Lisey must face some painful memories in order to avoid an even more painful future.

These days, the M1-processor Macs are calling to a lot of people, and Redditor KhanathanJr is no exception. He’s a first-time MacBook fan wielding a formidable 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro packing an 8-core Intel i9 processor, 16 GB of RAM and a reasonably good graphics card, but … you know.

It may not retain its commanding position in the setup for much longer.

Looking for a fun brain-teaser this weekend? Look no further than Letter Rooms, a letter-jumblingly fun word game created by award-winning developer Klemens Strasser, maker of Subwords, Asymmetric and Elementary Minute.

The new $1.99 anagram-based game boasts more than 200 puzzles, broken down into a dozen topics — including animals, sports, pop culture, and more. What better way to dust off your mind after lockdown?

Many things can get in the way of a perfect day of golf, from lousy weather to a lack of convenient tee times. If your dad likes to golf, and you’re still hunting for the perfect Father’s Day gift, this could be a hole in one.

For a limited time, you can get him a PhiGolf Mobile & Home Smart Golf Simulator with Swing Stick at a reduced price. It’s sure to help your dad perfect his golf swing, no matter what Mother Nature has in mind.

The Sanho HyperDrive USB-C 6-in-1 Hub clips to an iPad and adds a collection of ports, allowing the tablet to make use of a variety of popular accessories, from mice and headphones to external displays. The multiport adapter offers outstanding functionality in minimal space.

The original version is one of the best iPad accessories ever. I tested the followup and it’s even better.

Apple dropped the cost of AppleCare+ breakage insurance plans for MacBooks with the M1 processor by up to $50.

These plans offer deeply-discounted repairs on two accidents for every twelve months of coverage.

iOS 15 is a big deal — and it’s coming soon, with lots of exciting new features. From FaceTime movie sharing to a new Focus feature that allows you to concentrate without distraction, iOS 15 will make our lives simpler.

But the arrival of iOS 15 isn’t just good news for Apple users: It’s also a great opportunity for app developers. The pandemic boom that started in 2020 looks unlikely to go bust anytime soon.

Want an affordable iPhone that offers some of Apple’s latest and greatest features? Pick up a “grade A” refurbished iPhone XS Max, complete with a Super Retina display and Face ID, for under $485 on Woot.

This deal is good for today only, so don’t miss out!

The online Apple Store might not be the best place to buy the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Place an order for 2021’s hottest tablet on Apple.com on Wednesday and you could wait a month or more to have it shipped to you. But other stores have the device in stock now.

Why wait?

If you’re looking for the ultimate multitasking device, check out the Teamwork 2-in-1 Wireless Phone & Apple Watch Charger. It can safely and effectively charge your iPhone and Apple Watch — or any other Qi-compatible device — at the same time.

Apple’s CEO told the audience at France’s VivaTech conference that a critical part of the European Union’s proposed Digital Markets Act isn’t in the best interests of iPhone users. The proposal would require Apple to allow users to sideload applications, something CEO Tim Cook and the company are adamantly opposed to.

The one-year free trial of Apple TV+ comes to an end later this month, which means you will be charged soon to keep your subscription going. If you don’t want to use Apple TV+ going forward, you need to cancel it.

We’ll show you how.

Redditor carrotcakeblack wins more than a few style points for his “mostly monochrome! Also some keyboards” setup, as he calls it in his post’s title.

But he leaves out one of the factors visitors like most about his well-photographed MacBook Pro-based outfit. Namely, the way he hangs so much of his gear on a pegboard off to one side in such a visually appealing way.

You’ve got your AirTags. Now you just need a way to attach them to the gear you never want to lose again. This affordable AirTag keychain holder lets you connect one of Apple’s tracking tags to your keys, backpack, purse or whatever else you need to keep tabs on.

Adonit Prime is a stylus for iPhone or iPad that combines a premium form with top-quality function. It’s for anyone not satisfied with everyday styli — anybody who wants one that stands out from the crowd.

I tried both the Prime – Dash (the version for iPhone) and the Prime – Note (for iPad). Here’s why they would be at home on any executive’s desk.

With Father’s Day coming up, the Adonit Prime might be just right for the dad who has everything.

We all go through a similar thought process when our phones, laptops or iPads break, get lost or are stolen. Somewhere between trying to remedy the situation and coming to terms with the loss comes the sharp realization that all your content is gone. Saying goodbye to your photos is never fun, but you can prevent this nightmare from happening by taking precautions now.

What’s better than using cloud storage? Keeping your photo and video content in the palm of your hand. While the cloud can be convenient, the Photo Backup Stick automatically backs up pictures and videos — without having to rely on an internet connection. It can eliminate the need to pay for monthly cloud-storage fees.

watchOS 8 isn’t the most significant update Apple Watch has seen over the years, but it’s certainly no snoozefest. Improvements to a number of key apps and a new face will be welcomed by Watch wearers this fall.

And you don’t have to wait until this fall to get yours hands on it. If you have a spare Apple Watch and an Apple Developer account, you can download and install watchOS 8 today. We’ll show you how.

Ready to start testing macOS Monterey? You can already get your hands on the developer beta — so long as you have a compatible Mac. We’ll show you how to download and install it today.