I spy iPhone and AirPods

December 25, 2021

We're certainly not recommending that you conduct a Christmas spying operation.

However, if someone wanted to gather some intel on what's under the tree, this week's top how-to could yield some tasty yuletide tidbits.

Really, though, it's all about shedding light on how iPhones, AirPods and other Apple devices can be used for surreptitious surveillance. After all, if you don't know how this iOS feature works, you won't know how to protect yourself from info-grinches.

Merry Christmas!

– Lewis Wallace, managing editor

How-tos

iPhone spying is really just a tricky use of the Live Listen feature built into iOS. And, even if you’re not a budding James Bond, knowing about this trick could keep someone from eavesdropping on you.

Sit back, take a few minutes and learn something new you can do with your handset.

It’s built to run entirely natively on Mac. Some parts of the app were native on macOS before, but now the rest is catching up for better performance.

News and opinion

Christmas time is here, and Apple TV+ is ready to help you celebrate.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: New concept art give us an even better vision of what Apple’s mixed-reality headset might look like.

Several older iPhones and iPads reportedly won‘t be able to upgrade to iOS 16 when it debuts in 2022.

If you haven't tried out Apple Music, now’s your chance. Shazam is offering five months of unlimited access to new subscribers. (Some existing subscribers can get two months free, too.)

The upgraded lens should allow for significantly greater optical zoom.

Plus, more Apple rumors:

The Transportation Security Administration looks set to be the first agency to support the new feature, which could take some of the hassle out of flying.

Deals

If you’re looking for a way to juice up your brand-new Apple Watch on the go, Cult of Mac Deals has the perfect thing. These Apple Watch Wireless Charger Keychains are compact, powerful and the perfect blend of fun and usefulness. Buy several and save during our site-wide Christmas Sale!

Tired of staring at the same old Mac apps? Spice things up a bit with The Complete Limited Edition Mac Bundle, and get ready to geek out over a dozen life-changing productivity and creativity apps.

You only need one charger, even if you have four devices that you use constantly.

Your iPhone can do a lot of smart things, but did you know it can become an awesome microscope? All you need is this WiFi Digital Microscope.

Reviews and recommendations

The series bids us farewell this week — too soon, but beautifully. The Apple TV+ alt-history show says goodbye on a sweet, lightly ambiguous note — and finds its strength in invention. Emily Dickinson we hardly knew ye.

The OWC Envoy Pro SX uses Thunderbolt to provide the super-fast data transfers that professionals need. And it’s drop-proof and waterproof so it can stand up to real life.

Forever losing your new Siri Remote for Apple TV? Wrap yours in this protective silicone case from Elago that also has room for an AirTag.

It's unlikely AirPods Pro users will be wearing their buds into real warfare. But if they were, they'd protect them with the Military Bumper.

Setups

OK, so no 2021 award for Most Fastidious Cable Management, mentioned in this article’s headline, exists — at least not around here. But if it did, we might hand it to the person behind this setup.

Sometimes when you’re trawling the interwebs for cool computer setups, you learn a lot not just from the person bragging about their gear in a social media post, but also from the folks admiring or lambasting it.

All we want for Christmas is a Porsche 911. It could be a gleaming new one, with a base price of a mere $99,200. It could be super-cool vintage one. Or it could even be a Lego one like the one featured in this setup.