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Apple’s HomeView is a quirky new product aimed at reinvigorating the company’s push into the smart home. The company unveiled the smart display this week, alongside updates to Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini.
Then Apple opened iPhone Duo preorders, with the first folding iPhone selling out immediately (and earning scalpers bonkers bonuses on eBay).
Perhaps the craziest part is that October’s only half over, and there’s still more good stuff from Apple on the way, including the first touchscreen MacBook Pro!
See our coverage of all these new devices below.
Also in this edition of The Weekender:
Another twist in Apple’s smart home blitz: The company partnered with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric to produce new smart locks, security cameras and more. Here’s what’s up with the Apple Home Collection.
We discussed all the new Apple gear and more on the Cult of Mac podcast. (Spoiler alert: Leander thinks HomeView is a genius product!)
Will the Apple Music logo really go from red to black?
One of the Apple TV 4K’s best features is a new Siri Remote with built-in Find My. Thankfully, you can buy one separately to use with older set-top boxes. And if you already own an Apple TV, you don’t need to buy new hardware to take advantage of many great new features.
That’s not the case with the original HomePod mini, which doesn’t get the new smart speaker’s best features.
And finally, Cult of Mac Deals launched a big discount on a fancy screen recorder with lots of bells and whistles. And you can save on a great PDF editor for Mac as well as Windows 11 Pro (less than $10)!
Enjoy your weekend!
— Lewis Wallace, managing editor
Feature story
Plus, more on HomeView:
Plus, more on Apple TV 4K:
A message from Roku
How Jennifer Aniston’s LolaVie brand grew sales 40% with CTV ads
For its first CTV campaign, Jennifer Aniston’s DTC haircare brand LolaVie had a few non-negotiables. The campaign had to be simple. It had to demonstrate measurable impact. And it had to be full-funnel.
LolaVie used Roku Ads Manager to test and optimize creatives — reaching millions of potential customers at all stages of their purchase journeys. Roku Ads Manager helped the brand convey LolaVie’s playful voice while helping drive omnichannel sales across both ecommerce and retail touchpoints.
The campaign included an Action Ad overlay that let viewers shop directly from their TVs by clicking OK on their Roku remote. This guided them to the website to buy LolaVie products.
Discover how Roku Ads Manager helped LolaVie drive big sales and customer growth with self-serve TV ads.
The DTC beauty category is crowded. To break through, Jennifer Aniston’s brand LolaVie, worked with Roku Ads Manager to easily set up, test, and optimize CTV ad creatives. The campaign helped drive a big lift in sales and customer growth, helping LolaVie break through in the crowded beauty category.
News
Plus, more Apple rumors and leaks:
A message from Wispr Flow
Stop typing AI prompts. Start talking.
You think 4x faster than you type. So why are you typing prompts? Wispr Flow turns your voice into ready-to-paste text inside any AI tool. Speak naturally, tangents and all, and Flow cleans it up. Available on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android.
Deals
Plus, more software from Cult of Mac Deals:
