Christmas - page 2

How to use math to wrap perfect presents

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Math makes wrapping presents easy.
Math makes wrapping presents easy.
Photo: Katie Steckles

Wrapping Christmas presents takes talent. A talent I do not have.

Most of my wrappings look more like a crumpled mess of paper instead of perfect parcels fit for a king. Turns out I’ve been doing it all wrong by not including a very necessary ingredient in my wrapping repertoire: math.

Mathematician Katie Steckles published a brilliant explainer video today for the gift wrapping challenged among us that details some mathematical ways to ensure every present you wrap is absolutely perfect, no matter what shape and size it comes in.

Check it out:

iOS devices dominate online Christmas shopping stats

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Photo: Wikipedia
"And what do your online Christmas shopping stats say, young man?" Photo: Wikipedia CC

It was a great Christmas for iOS, according to new figures released by IBM, which monitored mobile traffic for online shopping over the holidays.

What it discovered was that a massive 57.1 percent of online shopping via a mobile device was carried out using an iPhone or iPad: up 8.3 percent compared to the previous year.

While no direct explanations were drawn, this has to be due to the enormous success of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which some analysts have predicted was set to sell a massive 71.5 million units over the festive season.

Granny mistakes piece of Christmas chocolate for an iPhone

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If you’re like me, you’ve probably had that experience of giving an older relative a gift of tech for the holidays, only for it to go unappreciated. In this absolutely priceless video, though, one family turns that situation on its head, tricking their very sweet grandmother into thinking she’s been given an iPhone she has absolutely no use for… until she discovers it’s made of chocolate!

Treat your ears to the weirdest holiday songs ever

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Nothing says holiday music like...wait, what? Photo: King Diamond
Nothing says holiday music like...wait, what? Photo: King Diamond

It’s easy to list off classic songs of the season, isn’t it? Even now, the hit holiday tunes we all know by heart rush up the music charts every year, gracing radio and streaming options for the happiest season of them all.

Of course Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)” — written in 1944 by Mel Torme — is currently No. 5 on the Billboard charts, while “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee (1958) tops even that chestnut at No. 3 of the top hot holiday songs as well.

But what about all those other holiday songs that never had a chance to be on a chart anywhere, except perhaps the chord charts these bands use to play live gigs? How will the odd songs, the weird ones — the tunes that just “think different” — ever get heard?

That’s why we’re here, with a bunch of weird tunes you just have to hear. Happy holidays!

Apple strikes a sentimental chord again with new TV ad for the holidays

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The star of Apple's new ad for the holidays. Photo: Apple
The star of Apple's new ad for the holidays. Photo: Apple

Apple is back with a new tearjerker of a Christmas ad, entitled “The Song.” Like last year’s Emmy-winning TV spot for the holidays, the company has chosen to showcase how its products make people feel, rather than what they do.

This time around, a young musician uses Garageband on her Mac to make a song for her grandmother. Expect to start seeing this on TV quite a bit over the next couple of weeks.

Is Apple planning on being a Scrooge this year?

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Where is 12 Days of Gifts? Photo: Apple
Where is 12 Days of Gifts? Photo: Apple

Last year, Apple celebrated the holidays with a fantastic app called 12 Days of Gifts. Like a digital advent calendar, the 12 Days of Gift apps handed out free music, TV shows, movies, books, and apps over the holiday period.

But this year, we haven’t seen the 12 Days of Gifts app, at least so far. Is Apple canceling it? What’s the hold up?

Awesome gift ideas for the coolest creatives

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The Wacom Intuos is like a touchpad you can draw on. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The Wacom Intuos is like a touchpad you can draw on. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A Mac is the ultimate tool for creatives — you’ll find Apple computers littered throughout graphic design houses, music and video studios, marketing agencies and newsrooms.

Chances are, if you know a creative, you know a Mac user.

So, what are you going to buy them for Christmas? If you’re stuck for ideas, let us help.

Our gift guide for creatives will help you pick the perfect present.

Whether you’re looking for an affordable stocking stuffer or a budget-breaking gesture they’ll never forget, we’ve got you covered.

Love is all you (and penguins) need, says John Lewis Christmas ad

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All you need is love. Photo: John Lewis
All you need is love. Photo: John Lewis

Sometimes all a penguin needs is love, says the new Christmas ad from British department store John Lewis.

There’s a young boy with a real penguin. The penguin, named Monty, loves playing with the boy: swimming, sledding, building with Legos. but there’s one thing the boy cannot provide for poor Monty, and that’s a life mate.

Watch the full ad below and be sure to stick around for a delightful Calvin & Hobbesian moment at the end.

No One Giving An iPhone For Christmas Has Ever Been More Awesome Than This Guy [Humor]

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08 - mPdukrr

Many of us got or received iPhones for Christmas, and I’m guessing you thought you were pretty smart, putting it in a gift bag to disguise the telltale shape. But you’ve got nothing on this guy, who fooled someone into thinking that the iPhone they were actually unwrapping was just a crappy old chair. Check out how they did it, after the jump.

When Gifts Go Bad And 2013’s Wackiest Apple Rumors On Our Newest CultCast

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Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s Christmas CultCast time! This episode: a new deal in China hands Apple 770 million potential new customers; we cover some of the wackiest rumors of 2013; the Mac Pro delivers surprising results in performance tests; some of App Store’s best apps just went on sale; and we recall some of the best and worst gifts we’ve given or received!

Have a few laughs whilst getting caught up on each week’s finest Apple stories! Download new and past episodes of The CultCast on iTunes or hit play below and let the audio enjoyment commence.

Thanks to lynda.com for sponsoring this episode. Learn at your own pace from expert-taught video tutorials at lynda.com.

What Apple’s Sappy Christmas Commercial Would Look Like In Real Life [Video]

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holidayapple

 

Apple’s new tear-jerking Christmas commercial Misunderstood has quickly been lauded as one of the company’s best iPhone commercials in years. The syrupy-sweet ad pays homage to the holiday season with a medley of cliché family Christmas scenes while a sullen teenage boy sits in the background nose deep into his iPhone, only to find that the sad teen was really filming a beautiful family movie the entire time.

The ad is heartwarming, maybe even horrible, but also completely unrealistic as the teen shot vertical videos that magically switched to portrait orientation.

Business Insider and others have already pointed out the huge flaw in Apple’s commercial, but Youtuber Andy Nyugen has taken it a step further by making a parody of what Apple’s commercial would look like if it were real-life.

Take a look:

Apple Posts Holiday Shipping Deadlines For Christmas Shoppers

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giftsshippingguide

When it comes to Christmas shopping, procrastinating is a long standing American tradition. So to let you know how long you’ve got until you absolutely have to place your Christmas orders, Apple has posted a new guide detailing the estimated shipping times on all of its products.

Apple announced that the Online Apple Store will be offering free shipping on all orders from now until December 22nd, but according to the guide many of Apple’s most popular products need to be ordered a full week before the 25th if you want it to be waiting under the tree on Christmas morning.

Stay Warm And Connected This Winter With The Touch-Screen Compatible Gloves [Deals]

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CoM - Gloves

Winter’s coming, which means colder weather. And we all know how annoying it is to use our smartphones with gloves on, constantly taking them on and off to make calls and send texts.

Well, no more. The touch-screen compatible gloves use sensor technology to conduct your skin through the material, and enable you to use any touch screen as if you had no gloves on at all. Grab a pair (or 5) of the perfect stocking stuffer for only $14 during this limited time offer courtesy of Cult of Mac Deals.

Philips Hue Line Of Smart Lightbulbs Expands With Groovy New Options

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We’re big fans of the Philips Hue lighting system, which allows you to control your house’s mood and lighting with a slick iOS app. The only problem is that there’s been only one kind of Hue lightbulb until now.

But the Hue lineup is getting more versatile. Philips is set to expand their funky Wi-Fi-controlled lightbulb line with LightStrips and Bloom Bulbs.

Ending Soon: Get High Quality Design Resources With The Mega Design Bundle Upgrade [Deals]

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Are you a designer? Do you want to become a designer? Have you ever thought about bringing out the creative in you? Now is a great opportunity for you to stack up on some high quality design resources so you can tackle any design wishes you may have thanks to The Mega Design Bundle and Cult of Mac Deals!

This bundle contains more than 2.5 GB of smooth icons, flashy vector elements, intuitive Photoshop templates, and other essential designer assets for literally pennies on the dollar. Valued at over $1000, you can get it for just $49.99!

Deal Extended! The Mega Design Bundle [Deals]

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CoM - Mega Design Bundle

Are you a designer? Do you want to become a designer? Have you ever thought about bringing out the creative in you? Well, Cult of Mac Deals has an incredible offer that’s tailor-made for someone just like you – allowing you to feed your inner design spirit with over 3,000 creative items! That’s right…The Mega Design Bundle is here, stronger than ever — and has been extended!

Festive Android & iOS Sales Help Angry Birds Rack Up Another 30 Million Downloads

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Angry Birds continues to be one of the most successful games available on Android and iOS, and despite already racking up more than 1 billion downloads across all platforms, it continues to be a big seller. This Christmas, the surge in Android and iOS sales saw Angry Birds downloads boosted again. In just one week, the title was downloaded more than 30 million times.

A Record 17.4 Million Android & iOS Devices Were Activated On Christmas Day [Report]

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Smartphones and tablets have been the hottest Christmas gifts in recent years, and the 2012 holidays were by far the biggest yet for Android and iOS. A new study from mobile analytics firm Flurry has found that a record-breaking 17.4 million Android and iOS devices were activated on Christmas Day, leading to an equally record-breaking 328 million app downloads.

Teenager Gets New iPhone For Christmas… Along With 18-Point Contract From Mom

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Imagine your delight as a teenage boy who’s just unwrapped a shiny new iPhone for Christmas. It’s probably your first smartphone — maybe even your first cellphone period — and you can’t wait to turn it on and start playing with it. But before you can do that, you must sign an 18-point contract, laid out by your mom, which details the terms and conditions of your iPhone ownership.

That’s what happened to 13-year-old Gregory this Christmas. Before he claimed his new iPhone, his mother, Janell Burley Hofmann, made him agree to a number of “rules and regulations,” some of which you’ll certainly find amusing.