Zagg Pro Stylus helps you take notes, sketch, swipe, mark documents and more on your iPad. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Zagg Pro Stylus has an active tip for writing and drawing, and also a capacitive tip for swiping. It’s two styli in one, making it useful every day. It’ll magnetically attach to an iPad Pro, but works with a whole range of Apple tablets.
I drew some conclusions after using this stylus for work and fun. Here are the results.
The iPhone 12 mini is a hot little number. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
Buying a compact smartphone used to mean making some big sacrifices. You either had to settle for an older model, or you had to opt for an Android handset (ugh!). That’s no longer the case, thanks to iPhone 12 mini.
iPhone 12 mini makes no compromises. It’s not a watered-down version of the larger iPhone 12; it is an iPhone 12 that’s squeezed into a smaller body. It has a gorgeous Super Retina XDR display, a blazing-fast A14 Bionic processor, great cameras, 5G and Face ID.
What’s missing? Absolutely nothing! If you want a small smartphone that has it all, iPhone 12 mini is the only option.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the biggest and best yet. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
The biggest and best version of iPhone 12 has finally landed. The iPhone 12 Pro Max takes everything that makes this year’s iPhone lineup so terrific and combines it with an even bigger screen and a better camera. Apple calls it “the photographer’s iPhone,” but really, it’s the best smartphone going for anyone who likes super-sized displays.
iPhone 12 Pro Max is Apple’s biggest smartphone to date, with a Super Retina XDR display that measures at 6.7 inches diagonally. It’s also the fastest handset on the market, thanks to an incredibly speedy A14 Bionic processor that’s coupled with 5G connectivity (where available).
However, the Pro Max is just one of four iPhone 12 options available this year —- and it’s the most expensive of the bunch. Is it worth it?
With the Zagg Slim Book Go your iPad Pro becomes a 2-in-1 tablet/notebook. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
An iPad Pro is powerful mobile computer. Add a Zagg Slim Book Go and you get a genuine MacBook competitor.
We typed our way through a full review of this keyboard folio case for Apple’s latest pro tablet, so dive in to see if it’s the add-on your iPad has been looking for.
The Meross Smart WiFi Plug is unobtrusive but very functional. Just what your want. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Meross Smart WiFi Plug lets you control two lights, fans or other appliances from your iPhone or iPad. And because it’s a simple plugin unit, it brings the convenience of Apple’s HomeKit home automation with minimal hassle.
After extensive testing, here’s how this accessory stood up to regular use.
Made from high-quality felt and leather. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
The delightful Mujjo Sleeve for MacBook is a great way to protect your precious notebook when you’re on the move. It’s beautifully made from quality materials, and it won’t weigh you down like a bulky bag.
The Sleeve ensures your notebook remains free from marks and scratches, no matter how much you carry it around. It also offers space for some accessories, important documents and more.
I’ve been using one to protect my 13-inch MacBook Pro for several months now. Here’s what I think of it.
Becoming You is sensational, no matter your age Photo: Apple TV+
New Apple TV+ documentary series Becoming You is the kind of admirably human show that seems designed to rack up grateful viewers.
Tackling the earliest development of the human brain in more than a hundred children the world over, the docuseries makes a calculated plea for empathy and togetherness — and a convincing one at that.
The heartwarming Doug Unplugs looks like a sure-fire hit for kids. Image: Apple TV+
Powered by the formidable DreamWorks Animation, Apple TV+’s newest children’s show is frequently disarming and deeply cute. Doug Unplugs, which arrives on the streaming service this Friday, is likely to be perfect for young kids, and not too much for tired parents who’ll watch it over their shoulders.
Mophie 4-in-1 Wireless Charging Mat has room for multiple iPhones, AirPods and more. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Mophie 4-in-1 Wireless Charging Mat is for households with lots of devices that need power. It can handle multiple iPhones and AirPods cases simultaneously, and it designed to make correctly aligning them easy. And there’s even an option for Apple Watch.
I put this multi-device charger to the test. Here’s how it stood up to regular use.
Clive Oppenheimer and Werner Herzog guide us through Fireball. Photo: Apple TV+
Werner Herzog’s latest documentary is truly an all-timer for the Bavarian buddha. Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds, a doc about meteors that debuts on Apple TV+ on November 13, looks at no less than the way the heavens speak to us insignificant earthlings.
In traditional Herzog style it’s discursive, loopy and unspeakably beautiful. However much Apple TV+ spent on this film, it was a bargain. Because this is the kind of documentary you’ll want to watch over and over again.
The iPhone 12 Pro looks like a piece of jewelry, and offers a ton of powerful features, too, Photo: Ian Fucs/Cult of Mac
Back in September 2012, Apple released what was arguably the best iPhone, the iPhone 5. It looked beautiful, felt great in hand, and signaled the shift from 3G to LTE.
Now, eight years later, Apple is revisiting that playbook with the iPhone 12 lineup. And after about a week of using the iPhone 12 Pro, and putting it to the test on my family’s vacation to Disney World, I think I can safely say this is both my new favorite iPhone, and possibly the new best iPhone of all time.
Mujjo’s leather wallet case manages to appear both professional and elegant. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Mujjo Full Leather Wallet Case for iPhone 12 protects your valuable handset and gives you a place to carry your credit cards and driver’s license. Plus, it looks amazing while doing so.
Here’s why I love this case after using it for several weeks.
Whether for work or entertainment, the Lepow Z1-Gamut makes a fine MacBook companion. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Lepow Z1-Gamut external display adds 15.6 inches of extra space to your computer for work or school. And it’s portable, so it can be folded away when not needed. The screen connects easily to a Mac or iPad, and costs under $200.
The new Ergo M575 trackball puts your cursor under your thumb. Photo: Logitech
Logitech just unleashed a new entry-level wireless trackball that feels good, looks fine and works wonderfully. The new Ergo M575 adds some features previously found only in its high-end MX Ergo trackball, including one that port-deprived MacBook owners will appreciate.
Plus, at $49.99 list, it won’t break the bank. If you’re interested in trying a trackball, for whatever reason, this is a smart choice.
The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 is the “Goldilocks” of Apple’s four new handsets. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
There’s no need to struggle to decide which of the four iPhone 12 versions is the best. The 6.1-inch “standard” version packs all the features most people need — like 5G and a great camera — while coming in at a price far lower than the Pro series.
After plenty of real-world use, here are all the reasons why the iPhone 12 (non-Pro, non-mini) is the right choice.
Rashida Jones and Bill Murray On The Rocks. Photo: Apple TV+
On the Rocks, the first Apple TV+ arthouse film, is an extremely winning combination of midlife crisis, comedy of remarriage, and road-trip movie.
Writer/director Sofia Coppola’s charmingly cynical, shaggy-dog anti-romance — which stars Bill Murray and Rashida Jones, and debuts today on Apple TV+ after a brief theatrical release — is a smart step toward filling out the streaming service’s growing library of original movies.
The upcoming Apple TV+ documentary offers a moving look at Bruce Springsteen's life and music. Photo: Apple TV+
Just in time for election day, America’s real president makes a stump speech that’s part biography and part self-mythologizing letter to an equally mythic version of the state he calls home. Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You, like a lot of the Boss’ later albums, isn’t exactly groundbreaking or inventive. However, there’s a good reason his homespun coastal Americana never goes out of fashion. Nobody gets America like Springsteen.
Upcoming Apple TV+ documentary Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You showcases the songs on his 20th album. While it won’t tell you anything you didn’t already suspect, you will find an incalculable kind of value in the songwriter’s company.
Shut up, Lutz! The Helpsters are back for a second season. Photo: Apple TV+
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” has long been the Sesame Workshop’s modus operandi, and the second season of Apple TV+ kids show Helpsters is living proof that the strategy works.
The educational show, created by Odd Squad and Adventure Time writer Timothy McKeon, with music by longtime collaborator Paul Buckley, is long on charm and star power and short on filler.
Season two of Helpsters, which arrived on Apple TV+ Friday, is likely exactly what your kids need while you finally get around to doing the laundry. And you’ll laugh, too, at the litany of guest stars and the occasional elegant joke.
Nuheara IQbuds 2 Max are a bit larger than many rival earbuds, but they do much more. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Nuheara IQbuds 2 Max aren’t typical wireless earbuds. Sure, they let you listen to music and podcasts, but that’s just the start. They have active noise cancellation when you want quiet. Or they help you hear in-person conversations better by filtering out background sounds.
I did real-world testing of these in-ear headphones designed for people whose hearing isn’t quite good as it used to be.
This wireless charger can blast your iPhone with germ-killing ultraviolet light. Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
With a recent study showing the virus that causes COVID-19 can live up to 28 days on glass and stainless steel, it might be time to double down on your disinfectant efforts. Remind me again what iPhones are made of … oh, yeah, glass and metal. Yikes!
One easy way to sanitize your iPhone and other small items is to use a device like the Mophie UV Sanitizer with a built-in wireless charger. While the company doesn’t specifically claim that the device kills COVID-19 dead, another recent study showed definitively that ultraviolet light can kill the potentially deadly virus.
At some point, “better safe than sorry” comes into play.
The Ghostwriter gang gets back together. Photo: Apple TV+
One of the first Apple TV+ shows for a younger audience, Ghostwriter was both a reboot of a ’90s cult hit and a shoo-in to get renewed. With precious little to choose from, the streaming service’s execs had little choice but to put their muscle behind a show with cheap production costs and limitless potential for story ideas.
Like Apple TV+’s initial batch of Ghostwriter episodes, the second season is in no hurry to go anywhere or say much. However, it’s agreeable company — and its heart is in the right place.
Apple TV+ enters the world of nature docs with the charming Tiny World. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ invites you to take a look at the things beneath your feet in its new documentary series Tiny World. Narrated by Paul Rudd, this show is charming, if maybe too cute for its own good.
Tiny World, which premieres on October 2, is the first of three new docuseries coming to the streaming service this fall. It’s a shrewd and promising start, as Apple TV+ positions itself as a provider of episodic nonfiction content to match its high-profile dramas and films.
Minix Neo Storage Plus could be the only accessory your MacBook or iPad needs. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Minix Neo Storage Plus handles two jobs. It’s a multiport USB-C adapter, adding USB-A, HDMI and Ethernet to Mac or iPad. And this accessory is also an SSD, bringing 480GB of storage.
We tested all the features of this multifunction hub. Here’s how it stands up to real-world use.
Tehran is the most gripping Apple TV+ series to date. Photo: Apple TV+
In order for any streaming service to keep up with the competition, it must serve up serialized shows that people can’t wait to finish. Until now, Apple TV+ did not offer one of those. Not even the star-studded and fairly engrossing Defending Jacob proved so compelling you couldn’t turn it off.
That all changes this Friday, when Israeli spy thriller Tehran premieres on Apple TV+. The streaming service’s best dramatic show by a mile, it delivers stunning displays of intrigue and backstabbing.
Apple Watch Series 6 Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Almost all the reviews of the Apple Watch Series 6 say the same thing: Yeah, it’s great, but it’s an incremental upgrade, and if you already have a Series 5, skip the upgrade.
That’s sage advice, I guess, especially in the middle of a crushing pandemic that’s ruined the economy, left millions unemployed, and has lots of people thinking carefully about their expenses.
But I say stuff it!
If you have the money, run out and buy the latest Apple Watch. It’s frickin’ amazing! It blows my mind that you can have a mini-iPhone strapped to your wrist that can make phone calls, pay for groceries, give directions, monitor your blood and heart, and so, so much more. It’s a technological marvel, my favorite gadget — and it could possibly save my life.