There are plenty of good USB-C hubs, but here are Cult of Mac’s favorites. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Nothing expands the capabilities of your Mac or iPad Pro more than a good USB-C hub. Plug one in and you can connect to TVs and tons of other peripherals, including external storage.
There’s an immense variety of these, depending on whether you want portability or a huge number of ports. There are even hubs designed specifically to clip to the side of an iPad.
To help you find the best USB-C hubs, Cult of Mac compiled this list of our favorites.
It's a wireless charging stand as well as a stand-in for on-the-go charging. Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac
Many wireless chargers are designed to serve three mobile devices. The RapidX MyPort is made to selflessly serve one device in three different ways.
MyPort is first a smartphone stand to wirelessly charge your iPhone. But the vertical charging element has a restless side. It begs to be detached from the base to travel as a companion to your iPhone. It works as a portable wireless charger. And, with its two USB ports (one USB-A, one USB-C), it becomes a quick-charging wired power bank.
Clickety-clacky, there's no going back Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
You probably need a keyboard. If you have an iMac, then you already have the one Apple included the box. If you have an iPad or a MacBook, then you should have that thing up on a stand at eye level, with a keyboard and mouse/trackpad attached so you don’t kill your neck/back/wrists. And if you want a clicky keyboard that works great with all three, then pretty much your best (and only) option is the Keychron K2, a beautiful, solid little device that can work with just about any device you have.
You don't have to give a big gift to make someone's holiday memorable with these great stocking stuffers. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
The holidays are near, and the season of gift-giving is here. Finding that perfect something for your loved ones can be tricky, but sometimes it’s the little things that really make the difference.
Whether it’s a stocking stuffer, a secret Santa gift or you just need something quick and easy, these are five excellent gift ideas to point you in the right direction.
Brando’s Docking Stand adds nearly a dozen ports, both common and obscure. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Forget your frustrations with the minimal number of ports on your MacBook or iPad Pro. The Brando 11-In-1 Hub Type-C Docking Stand lets you connect virtually any peripheral to your computer. There’s a trio of USB-A ports, Ethernet, HDMI and an SD card reader. And that’s only the start.
Get the full list, and see how well this multi-port stands up to real world use, in this review.
Feels a bit like doing jury duty, to be honest. Photo: Apple
Another week, another new show on Apple TV+. This time it’s Truth Be Told, a crime series featuring a podcasting investigator digging up a murderous past.
Is it the new Serial or just a bowl of boring oatmeal? Here’s my review of the first episode.
Rotor Riot Wired Game Controller is like plugging an Xbox controller into your iPhone. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
While the 100+ games on Apple Arcade are designed for touchscreens, many of them are more fun with a physical controller. That can be one from an Xbox or Playstation, but the Rotor Riot Wired Game Controller is a better option for iPhones because of its built-on phone stand and Lightning connector.
I tested this surprisingly-affordable MFi controller with some of the best titles on Apple’s gaming service. Read on to see why I’m so impressed by it.
Shopping for a Mac fan? Start here! Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
If you’re buying for an Apple fan who loves their Mac, there are loads of awesome gifts you should consider. We’ve rounded up the best to make your holiday shopping a little easier.
We’ve picked out the best headphones, mice, keyboards, and more so that you don’t have to spend hours hunting down the perfect purchase. And many of them are on sale today for Cyber Monday.
RAVpower FileHub Travel Router does far more than its name indicates. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Life on the road can be a hassle, even with an iPhone, but there’s a lot the RAVpower FileHub Travel Router can do to make it easier. It’s a battery, a hub with a USB port and SD card reader, and (naturally) a travel router.
I road tested every feature of this accessory. Read on to see if it deserves a place in your travel kit.
Shopping for an Apple Watch fan? Start here! Image: Killian Bell
It couldn’t be easier to buy holiday gifts for loved ones who own an Apple Watch. There are so many wonderful accessories out there for the best-selling smartwatch on the planet.
And Cult of Mac can help you find the best. Our Apple Watch gift guide includes our favorite bands, charging stands, wireless headphones, and more. Any many of them are now on sale for Black Friday.
Now you have no excuse to leave your holiday shopping until the last minute.
There's nothing creepy about a nanny cradling a fake baby, right? Photo: Apple
A spooky nanny. A creepy baby. And a whole bunch of crazy plot twists. It can only be Servant, M. Night Shyamalan and Tony Basgallop’s psychological horror series for Apple TV+.
The series debuted on Thanksgiving, and I’ve already hungrily snarfed down the first 30-minute episode. While I’m not yet sure if it’s enjoyable junk food or a balanced, healthy meal, I liked it a whole lot. Check out my episode one Servant review.
Shopping for an iPad fan? Start here! Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Black Friday is upon us, which means it’s a great time to start your holiday shopping. Don’t worry if you don’t know what to buy — Cult of Mac is here to help you choose the best gifts for the iPad lover in your life.
You’ll find the best headphones, speakers, game controllers, and keyboards in our iPad gift guide for 2019. And there’s something to suit every budget.
So, when you’ve finished scoffing down that turkey, check out the roundup below.
Don't know what to buy? Let Cult of Mac help. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
With so many iPhone accessories available today, it’s hard to know where to start when buying holiday gifts for the iPhone lover in your life. But Cult of Mac can help.
We’ve rounded up some of the best accessories out there for iPhone owners. We’ve got great cases, superb headphones, gorgeous charging stands, and more.
Prices start at just $25, and many of the products are currently on sale for Black Friday. Snap them up while they’re cheap!
These books offer rare insights into an incredibly secretive company. Image: Killian Bell
Whether you’re buying for yourself or a friend or family member, there’s no shortage of great books about Apple. But with so many millions of words written about the Cupertino company over the years, which books most deserve your time?
Allow Cult of Mac‘s gift guide to fill you in on the 10 Apple books that deserve space on your shelf.
Touch sensitive and toasty. Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac
For the longest time, winter gloves had one job: Keep our hands warm. When smartphones came along, things got complicated for gloves.
Consumers demanded a fabric conductive enough for our gloved hands to work our touchscreens. Simple enough — except, of course, on really cold days, when fingers inside those typically thin touchscreen gloves felt like icicles.
It's about time! Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
There’s a great Steve Jobs story that somehow seems relevant in a 2019 MacBook Pro review. You probably know it, but I’ll tell it anyway. After the iPad launch, Jobs supposedly walked into a meeting with the Mac team, carrying an iPad. He woke up the iPad, which happened instantaneously. Then he woke up a Mac, which took a while to come out of sleep. Then he asked something like, “Why doesn’t this do that?”
Today, he might take the iPad Pro, and the brand new top-of-the-line MacBook Pro, start them both editing a few images, and wait for the fans to spin up on the Mac. While it cranks up to leaf-blower levels, he’d point at the silent iPad, and make some scathing quip.
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro is an incredible computer that’s let down by the red-hot Intel chips inside. Apple’s cool, fast, super-powerful A-series ARM chips can’t come to the Mac soon enough. Using this Intel machine after using an ARM-powered iPad for several years, the Mac feels like there’s something wrong with it. And yet, barely 24 hours into owning one, I absolutely love it.
The OtterBox Strada leather folio wallet case is a both tough and attractive. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Combining your iPhone case with your wallet is an easy way to simplify your life. Take the OtterBox Strada for the iPhone 11, which offers slots to hold multiple cards, while also wrapping around the front, back and sides of your handset. A leather exterior gives it a luxurious look and feel.
I used an OtterBox Strada for weeks — here’s how it stood up in daily use.
Bag 'em! It's time to accessorize that monster laptop. Photo: WaterField Designs
Your shiny new 16-inch MacBook Pro arrives this week, and of course you want to deck it out with all the latest accessories. What you need will depend on what you use your computer for, but almost everyone will want a case, a keyboard and a mouse. And there are plenty of other MacBook Pro accessories you might need to get the job done.
Check out our guide for dongles, cables and even battery packs that will help you get the most out of your new MacBook Pro.
Open a gate or unlock your bike at just the press of a finger with Tapplock One+. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The combination lock you used in school is a dinosaur now. It’s been replaced with much smarter versions like Tapplock One+. This has a fingerprint scanner, and a Bluetooth connection to your iPhone. It’s a padlock with no key to lose or combination to memorize.
Sayonara Wild Hearts is fast-paced fun, with a great beat. Photo: Apple
Speed and techno-pop blend in Sayonara Wild Hearts, one of the best titles on Apple Arcade. Ride a motorcycle, fly or battle opponents to the beat of the music.
Read on to see why everyone with a subscription to Apple’s gaming service should be playing this new offering.
An iPad with a Brydge keyboard is a pretty good replacement for a Mac! Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
A year ago, when Apple introduced the latest iPad Pro models, I called the tablet the computer for everywhere. To this day, I still think the 2018 iPad Pro, complete with Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard Folio, is an incredible setup for tons of situations. At the same time, it’s anything but cheap, starting at $1,107 for an 11-inch model with keyboard and Pencil.
Then there’s the Mac laptop lineup. Apple’s current cheapest offering is the MacBook Air, also starting at $1,100. Fortunately, you don’t have to drop over a grand to get an incredibly versatile, powerful, and portable budget laptop made by Apple.
Mophie Juice Pack Access adds to the thickness of the iPhone 11, but also adds hours of battery life. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Mophie Juice Pack Access for the iPhone 11 extends the battery life of Apple’s latest handset while also protecting it. This hard case leaves the iPhone’s Lightning port available, while also letting you charge you phone with your MacBook’s cable.
Discover if this is the right iPhone 11 battery case for you in our hands-on review.
Mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad can handle iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods at once. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Anyone who’s all-in on Apple has an iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch. Recharging that combination every night can be a hassle, but the Mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad can handle them all at the same time.
Apple likes it enough to put it on the Apple Store, so take a look to see if you need one on your nightstand.
Anker’s little dongle is super handy. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
The latest iPad Pro comes with a proper USB port, in the shape of USB-C. Now, as long as you can find the right cable or adapter, you can plug in pretty much anything short of a printer, and it will work as expected.
But you still need to find the right cable, or resort to a USB hub (none of which are really designed to work well with a tablet). In the past, that meant buying lots of USB-C to microUSB, USB-C to miniUSB, USB-C to USB-B cables, and so on.
The Courant Carry is both gorgeous and highly functional. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Courant Carry is a lightweight and sleek phone powerbank that holds 8,000mAh. Even better, it’s wrapped in pebble-grain Italian leather so it looks outstanding, which is very important for an accessory intended to be carried everywhere.
It can wirelessly charge every iPhone released since 2017. And the Carry itself can be charged without cables.
Does the functionality of this external battery live up the the appearance? Read on to find out.