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A huge vulnerability within Apple’s HomeKit software has been discovered that potentially could have allowed attackers to gain access to smart accessories like locks and garage doors.

The zero-day vulnerability was reportedly patched by Apple within the last few days but certainly shows that HomeKit might be quite as secure as some users think.

Wired earbuds still sound better than similarly priced wireless earbuds, plus they don’t usually require charging. But the wires are a big enough pain that going wireless is a one-way trip. Never again will you have to untangle your earbuds to listen to a podcast in bed. You won’t have to put up with rustling cables as you walk, or suffer having earbuds ripped out when the wire catches on your hand.

But not all wireless earbuds are worth the switch. And there are also several big differences in style and function that you should consider. Here, then, is your guide to the best wireless earbuds around.

You’re going to love this one if you’re a keyboard-shortcut user. And if you’re not, then this tip might be the thing that finally converts you. Did you know that you can quickly search across all open Safari tabs on all your devices, just by hitting a key-combo and then typing?

The power of crowdfunding is undeniable. Maybe you’re recording an album, launching a new product, or just trying to fund a potato salad. Crowdfunding has revealed there are countless people eager to throw their money at your projects.

Apple’s latest devices finally support wireless charging, so why not treat yourself to a charging mat that can top up two simultaneously? Funxim looks as good as Apple’s own AirPower mat, but it will cost you considerably less.

It’s just one of the awesome ideas in this week’s Crowdfund Roundup. We’ve also got home security that doesn’t rely on cameras, an ultra-tough Apple Watch band, and more.

Apple built its trillion-dollar reputation delivering beautiful hardware that turned tedious tasks into magical experiences.

But a recent string of ridiculous bugs — and a seriously shocking security flaw — put Cupertino in a precarious position: If Apple doesn’t stop the screw-ups, it could permanently sully its good name.

The iPhone comes in such a simple form that you could think of it as the core brain of a larger system. If you need to go underwater, you can get a case for that. If you want to turn it into a satnav for your bike or stroller, you can do that, too (see below).

The iPhone accessory market is huge, and there is a gadget or gizmo for almost anything. Here are some of our favorite iPhone accessories, for the new iPhone X as well as for older iPhones.

As far back as Nikola Tesla, people have dreamed of powering devices wirelessly. Somehow we’ve gained a lot of other technological wonders before that, but wireless charging is now a thing. And it’s getting a lot more portable.

What does it feel like pinning your hopes and livelihood to one of Apple’s most important creations? Fascinating new documentary App: The Human Story takes an unflinching look at the world of app developers in an attempt to answer that question.

It showcases devs’ big wins — and infuriating struggles — as they try to survive and thrive in the massive app economy Apple created. It’s basically the show Apple should have made instead of its ridiculous and annoying Planet of the Apps.

iPhone X is considered the best smartphone Apple has ever made by almost everyone who’s ever used one. But according to Consumer Reports’ smartphone ratings, it’s not as good as the more affordable iPhone 8 — or the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Text snippets are one of the most useful “unknown” features on Mac and iOS. They let you type a few letters, and have them expand into a whole word, sentence or paragraph. You can use them to type, say, aadd and have it turn into your office address, for example. Or you might set up a shortcut to generate a symbol usually hidden on the iOS keyboard: xx to type a #, for example.

Until now, though, Apple’s Text Replacement function proved a royal pain to use. It never synced properly between devices, and it didn’t support multiple-line snippets. But in an update last week, Apple fixed both those problems.

The payoff of learning a new skill or developing existing ones are endless; whether that means a higher likelihood of making yourself more marketable in the workplace or starting a side project. The Stone River eLearning Lifetime Membership made it easier for anyone to learn everything from iOS app development to graphic design at your pace and even straight from your iPhone.

You can now trade-on your old Apple Watch for an Apple Store gift card. You’ll get up to $175, depending on the model you have and the condition it is in.

Apple Pay Cash lets people send money to each other using iMessage. You can send up to $3,000 — certainly enough to cover your share of lunch — and the transaction is free if you use a debit card registered in your Apple Wallet.

All you need is to have a card in Apple Pay, and be running iOS 11.2 or newer, and you’re good to go. Here’s how to use it.

Did you ever take a look at the sleek and simple back of your iMac and thought to yourself: “That could really use some more clutter,”? Then we have some great news. Short of turning your Mac face-down in your grandmother’s house and leaving it to accumulate lace doilies and figurines, the Baxter Storage Shelf is the best way to add clutter, aka. storage space to your iMac.

It’s gift-giving season, that time of year where you buy people yet more junk that they neither want nor need, all out of a guilt forced on your by tradition and the fear of looking cheap. It’s going to stress you out. But we can at least make the process of buying unwanted dross a little smoother, by making an app do all the package deliveries tracking for you.

AirPods shipments are expected to double next year as demand for one of Apple’s best accessories remains incredibly strong. Shipping times have already been reduced to just 1-3 days thanks to an improved assembly process.

If you work in graphics or design, you know the value of a deep well of image assets. And that value usually comes at a price, often costing well into the thousands of dollars.

An Apple Watch app that could actually save your life by watching for irregular heart rhythms is just of one of the picks for this week’s “Awesome Apps of the Week.”

In addition, we’ve got a console-quality racing game, a new iOS web browser, and an app that will let you stream video to your Apple TV by simply dropping a video onto your Mac. Check out our picks below.

It’s getting easier and easier to take part in the joy of drone flying. So neither skill nor price should prevent anyone who wants to take to the skies from doing so.

So, you blacked out from too much turkey, slept right through Black Friday and maybe even Cyber Monday? Worry not, because now we live in the age of Cyber Week. And we’ve rounded up the best deals of the season at the Cult of Mac Store. We’ve got a massive bundle of Mac apps, a lifetime of powerful VPN protection, productivity-boosting coworking platform, and a decked out drone.

If you like mechanical keyboards, you love mechanical keyboards. Their clickety-clack action is way more positive than the soft, short travel of any MacBook or Magic Keyboard, and once you get used to them everything else seems squishy. It’s like driving a big American boat-like sedan after spending a week driving a hard-riding European sports car. The problem is, unlike a vintage Porsche or a Ferrari, the average mechanical keyboard has the looks of a corporate pool car. The Lofree keyboard, on the other hand, looks fantastic.

Ever since iOS 9, iOS has had a dedicated share extension to search the current web page in Safari. You just hit the sharing arrow, then choose Find in Page on the bottom row of options, and then you can type in your query. It works, and it works well, but it’s a very clunky method for doing something that requires a single keystroke (Command-F) on the Mac.

Today we’ll look at some alternatives for finding text in a web page on iOS, along with a bonus tip for site-wide searches.

Face ID on iPhone X was designed to be operated by just one user, and that’s not going to change anytime soon.

Apple’s Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, says there are no plans to add multi-user support.

Bitcoin is gaining excitement and value, and fast. But it’s not just a new currency, it’s also a new technology. So whether you want to invest, spend, or just hold a conversation, there’s a lot of ground to cover.