The Weekender
Posts
Flex your iPhone's muscles

Flex your iPhone's muscles

Find out how to use a powerful but underused feature.

Lewis Wallace
July 06, 2024

Siri Shortcuts are surprisingly useful, yet I rarely hear anybody talking about utilizing them. It’s time to change that.

In this weekend’s new how-to, D. Griffin Jones explains what shortcuts can do — and serves up eight prime examples of how they can help you get things done.

See what they can do for you!

Also in this edition of The Weekender:

Hitting the road with all your Apple gear? Here’s our buyer’s guide to the best wireless chargers for iPhone and Apple Watch.
Apple Watch owners, if you haven’t yet customized the widgets in your Smart Stack, what are you waiting for?
Here’s another reason to keep wearing your Apple Watch. A doctor says the smartwatch can detect a silent but deadly heart condition.
Gritty detective drama Sugar on Apple TV+ sounds like a good binge — if you can handle the violence. (We also put together a sneak peek at all the new shows coming to Apple TV+ this summer.)
Is your favorite emoji falling out of style?
During our Deal Days event, Cult of Mac Deals is serving up big price drops on CarPlay displays, MagSafe-compatible iPhone battery packs, an AI-powered photo editor for Mac and more. (You can see all the sales on our Deal Days page.)

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

How-tos

The 8 best iPhone shortcuts to get you started

If you’ve never tried making your own Siri Shortcuts, we’ve compiled a short list of the best shortcuts for iPhone to introduce you.

The fastest way to make a GIF on your iPhone (or Mac)

You can make a GIF on your iPhone or Mac out of any Live Photo or video you have in your photo library or saved to your computer.

9 cool things you can do with an old iPhone

There are a lot of things you can do with an old iPhone; it may be worth keeping it around rather than trading it in.

How to customize Apple Watch widgets for easy access to your favorite apps

The Smart Stack is a fast way to get info on your Apple Watch. Here's how to edit your Apple Watch app widgets to see what you want anytime.

News

Apple Watch can detect leading cause of heart attacks, doctor says

Apple Watch ECG might spot a potentially fatal lack of oxygen/blood reaching the heart muscle, typically caused by blocked coronary arteries.

Future AirPods could use IR cameras for in-air gesture control

Apple's IR camera-equipped AirPods could enter mass production in 2026 and feature deep Vision Pro integration.

Plus, more Apple rumors:

Apple puts iPhone X plus original AirPods and HomePod on ‘vintage’ list

iPhone X plus original AirPods and HomePod made Apple's "vintage" list. Apple will stop servicing them pretty soon.

All the new comedies and dramas on Apple TV+ in summer 2024

Take a look at what's new or coming to Apple TV+ in summer 2024: fun comedies and exciting thrillers with big-name stars.

Plus, more Apple TV+ news:

World's most unpopular emoji: Did your favorites make the list?

Emoji gain and lose popularity over time. Now a new report lists 14 of the world's least popular emoji -- are they your faves?

Parents will love locking and hiding apps in iOS 18

Parents should pay attention to an iOS 18 feature that allows them to lock apps with Face ID. Keep your iPhone or iPad child-friendly.

Deals

Grab a brand-new Apple 67W USB-C Power Adapter for only $39.99

Save on a brand-new, open-box Apple 67W USB-C Power Adapter. It's a fast, compact complement to most modern MacBooks (and many other devices).

Plus, more hardware from Cult of Mac Deals:

This $40 lifetime subscription gives you access to ChatGPT, MistralAI and more, all in one place

Get an AI tool that brings top AI models like ChatGPT, Mistral AI and more together in one interface. Enter 1minAI, the all-in-one AI tool.

Plus: Master ChatGPT and Google Gemini with these intro to AI courses

This weather radar app gives you real-time data you can use

Stay ahead of inclement weather events with Weather Hi-Def Radar, a weather radar app that goes beyond your phone's usual weather alerts.

Plus, more software from Cult of Mac Deals:

Build unlimited websites with this lifetime hosting service

HostVerge web hosting lets you create as many websites as you need (with custom email addresses). Get a lifetime sub for $178.99 (reg. $699).

Plus, more services from Cult of Mac Deals:

Reviews

Best wireless travel chargers for iPhone and Apple Watch

Stay powered up on the go with our selections of the best multi-device wireless travel chargers for iPhone and Apple Watch.

Plus: Compact power bank keeps gadgets juiced on your jaunts [Review]

3 reasons to watch ‘Sugar’ on Apple TV+ ... and 1 reason not to

Experience a modern twist on classic detective movies with "Sugar," a must-watch Apple TV+ series starring Colin Farrell.

Sonos Ace vs. AirPods Max comparison: Which high-end headphones are better?

Read our Sonos Ace vs. AirPods Max comparison for specs, hands-on comments and more.

Add a stable kickstand to M4 iPad Pro with this lightweight folio case [Review] ★★★★☆

Pitaka MagEZ Folio 2 is a slim and light iPad case that protects the tablet while also adding an origami kickstand.

Setups

Mechanical gaming keyboard revs up Mac mini rig

This M1 Mac mini user is a big fan of gaming gear company NZXT, including its slick NZXT Function keyboard.

This top webcam captures crisp video

A MacBook Air user finds the Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam takes great imagery for video calls.