Happy New Year — and it will no doubt be happier if you can nab AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C charging case, which has returned to its lowest price yet. Maybe that’ll even motivate you to exercise more, if by chance you set certain New Year’s resolutions along those lines and could use the help of Apple’s top earbuds.
Amazon is selling the updated noise-canceling earbuds for $189, down from $249. That’s the best price we’ve seen. And you can find discounts on other Apple earbuds, too.
The darkly comedic spy thriller series Slow Horses has three seasons ready to binge-watch on Apple TV+ — season 3’s finale aired last week — plus season 4 on the way and now a fifth season planned for production, the streaming service said Tuesday.
The critically acclaimed hit show starring Gary Oldman might as well keep rolling, as there are more novels in Mick Herron’s Slough House book series to base new six-episode seasons on.
The Magic Mirror Smart TV looks like a mirror but doubles as a fully functional TV. This mirror TV is slim and waterproof, so you can hang it in any room. And right now, you can save $850 on this eye-catching technology.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 8 reveals why Lee Shaw is traveling around the world blowing stuff up, and also hits us with a big surprise. Then it drops some central characters down a huge hole.
Read our review/recap for Godzilla-size spoilers about the latest episode, plus some speculation about the show’s future.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Since Apple and the rest of the civilized world is taking a holiday break, we’re spending the majority of the show on our final picks for the best and worst of 2023.
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.
2024 looks like a big year for Apple Watch. The world’s most popular wearable could get the biggest redesign in its 10-year history in the form of a device potentially called “Apple Watch Series X” or simply “Apple Watch X.”
That’s excellent news, because 2023 was not a great year for Apple Watch. Sure, we got a fresh new look with watchOS 10. But on the hardware side, the updates to Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 seem pretty minor. And then there’s the looming U.S. ban on Apple Watch imports and exports due to a patent dispute.
So, what should we expect from the Apple Watch 2024 lineup?
Whether you’re traveling, going to work, heading to school or dropping off your gear at the gym, it can be incredibly beneficial to keep a lock on your bag or luggage. Now, you can give the classic lock a digital upgrade with the Tokk TSA-approved fingerprint lock.
It makes accessing your phone, wallet, clothes and other goods easy, while keeping them ultra-secure from potential thefts. Even better, it’s now on sale for only $44.99 (regularly $59).
2024 is going to be a big year for Apple products. The iPhone is due for a second year in a row of big changes. And the entire iPad lineup is getting refreshed. The rest of the Macs are being updated to M3 chips. The Apple Watch Series X may receive a radical design. And fourth-gen AirPods will bring pro noise cancellation features to the cheaper buds.
We have a new video that summarizes everything we know about Apple’s top products coming next year.
With the cybersecurity sector constantly evolving and expanding, a robust job market sprang up around it. And this ethical hacking course bundle can teach you the skills you need to claim your spot in this increasingly lucrative IT sector.
Gain a greater understanding of the techniques and trends that are changing cybersecurity efforts with discounted lifetime access to The 2023 Complete Ethical Hacking Certification Bundle. Normally sold for $130, this comprehensive 10-course package costs only $29.97 through January 1 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.
Here’s your last chance of the year to grab certain outstanding deals on iPhone accessories from Best Buy before 2024 comes along, including one item for an astounding 80% off the regular price.
Jump on the links below to nab bargains on iPhone cases, screen protectors, wallets and chargers. Keep in mind the examples below are just a sampling of all that’s on offer. Sales lasts through December 31.
★★★★☆
Hopefully you were already onboard with For All Mankind‘s sometimes brazenly credulity-stretching alternative reality. The first woman president comes out as gay. Homegrown terrorists blow up NASA HQ. Agency director Margo Madison defects to the Soviet Union and then goes to work in its space agency, only to end up partnering with NASA.
If so, then you won’t mind if a Russian ghost comes back to mess with us now, too.
OK, he’s not a ghost. He’s Sergei, the Russian scientist who seemed to fall in love with Margo and got strangled in front of her to get her to give up U.S. space secrets. And as forces now align to mine the Goldilocks asteroid near Mars, he breaks cover on Earth to seek her out — and maybe not just for more romance.
The Apple A3 series processors make the latest Macs into powerful gaming machines. And macOS Sonoma includes tools to make porting PC games to Mac much easier. As a gamer myself, these are very welcome moves.
But right now, Apple is taking a “build it and they will come” attitude. History shows there’s an important step needed to turn Mac into a serious competition for PC and gaming consoles: CEO Tim Cook and Co. need to put their money where their mouths are and financially encourage top game developers to bring their products to macOS.
That might even include buying one or more game developers.
Ah, the magic of Christmas. Even a grownup can get deliriously excited about unwrapping a rich haul of computer gear that turns a Charlie Brown Christmas tree of a setup into a powerful workstation that would intimidate Ebeneezer Scrooge. You can also relive the magic and watch Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales free this season.
Today’s user had a decent MacBook Pro and iPad Pro to begin with, but ended up with a proper, highly functional setup. And commenters had further suggestions for additions, too. Hey, the more the merrier!
If you’re looking to take your cooking to the next level in 2024, a kitchen knife sharpener can make a major difference. Routinely, so much of meal prep comes down to the quality of kitchen knives, and now there’s an affordable way to upgrade the set you already own.
The days are dwindling to take advantage of an end-of-year offer on a two-pack of highly rated Angle Pro knife sharpeners. Normally sold for $398, this pair is available at only $109.97 through January 1 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.
In an effort to boost sales and clarify offerings, Apple will revamp its AirPods lineup in 2024, reports have indicated — but that won’t include updates for every product.
AirPods 4 should arrive next year, with two versions replacing current lower-priced earbuds models. And AirPods Max 2 rumors suggest some long-awaited updates, although the pricey over-ear headphones won’t get a major revamp. And as for what comes after AirPods Pro 2, we’ll have to wait until early 2025, most likely.
After a federal court granted a temporary pause on the Apple Watch ban Wednesday, Apple returned Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 to select store shelves, with online store sales expected to resume Thursday — for a short time, at least.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted a temporary stay until January 10. Apple requested the pause after the Biden administration confirmed Tuesday it won’t overturn the ban, put in place through a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling.
★★☆☆☆
The iKier K1 Pro Max is a top-of-the-line laser engraver that will etch your creations into wood to make beautiful pieces of precision physical art. After extensive testing, I was impressed by the hardware and the pieces I was able to make.
Unfortunately, the machine is complicated to set up and the software let me down at every single step in the process. I never got it working with my everyday Mac, I couldn’t use the machine’s built-in software and the included third-party software (only offered with a 30-day free trial) is a convoluted mess of labyrinthian dialog boxes spawned from user interface hell.
Certification is one of the first things that management (and the ATS software they use) looks for when it comes to IT and cybersecurity workers. That’s why CISSP certification is highly sought after.
Now there’s a way to boost your chances at acing those all-important exams — the highly discounted CISSP Security and Risk Management Training Bundle. Ahead of the New Year, you can level up your IT knowledge with this comprehensive bundle for only $29.97 (regularly $424).
Christmas day is behind us, but Amazon bargain site Woot! is at it again with a smoking-hot deal for your and yours — two-thirds off the regular price of a Belkin Wemo Smart Video Doorbell!
The hot item sold out recently, so this is a bonus sale on Wednesday, Woot noted. And you should note the gadget works exclusively with HomeKit Secure Video.
The ban on Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 sales in the United States stands, after the Biden administration confirmed Tuesday it won’t overturn it, but a federal court paused it temporarily Wednesday after Apple’s request for appeal.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted a temporary stay until January 10 — so Apple can resume selling the wearables, at least for a short time.
Apple plans some big upgrades for the iPhone 16 lineup in 2024. The phones could get even bigger displays, with AI integration helping make Siri smarter (and, hopefully, a lot more useful).
These changes should arrive on top of the usual yearly upgrades like faster A-series chips and brighter displays. So, what should you expect from iPhones in 2024? Read below to find out.
The holiday shopping season might cool off a bit right after Christmas, but not at B&H Photo. Its year-end Mega Deal Zone sale is running hot with a bunch of bargains on Apple products this week — especially MacBook Pro.
You can get $250 off a hot new M3 MacBook Pro or up to an amazing $2,000 off a massively loaded 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro, to name two examples. See more below.
Strap an AirTag to your bike so that you can discreetly track its location with this ingenious mount from Device Therapy. It looks just like a bog-standard reflector at first glance, so would-be thieves will have no idea it’s even there.
Bag yours today from the Cult of Mac Store for just $15.99.
After a recent debate over whether dual external displays should be lined up straight across or angled for better ergonomics, a Mac Studio and dual-MacBook setup addresses the question in a different way. It uses three identical displays in landscape mode, placing the center one one straight and one on either side of it at an angle.
And the setup also offers connecitivity tips, running the two MacBooks into two of the displays via a CalDigit dock while the Mac Studio drives one directly.
Starting in late January, Amazon Prime Video subscribers will need to pay an additional $3 a month to watch without commercial interruptions.
The change leaves Apple TV+ as one of the few video streaming services that doesn’t charge extra to avoid adverts.