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Tim Cook allegedly pledged $275 billion to China in ‘secret’ investment deal

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Tim Cook's secret China investment deal: The agreement is said to have helped settle tensions with Chinese authorities.
The agreement is said to have helped settle tensions with Chinese authorities.
Photo: Fortune Global Forum/Flickr CC

Apple CEO Tim Cook “secretly” struck a deal with China in which he agreed to invest around $275 billion of Apple’s money to boost the country’s economy and “technological prowess,” according to a new report.

The five-year agreement was allegedly made during a series of visits Cook made to China in 2016 amid growing regulatory hostilities toward Cupertino. Since then, Apple has become China’s biggest smartphone brand.

Google adds voice and video calls to the Gmail app on iPhone and iPad

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Gmail adds voice and video calls
Download the update today to start chatting.
Screenshots: Google

You can now place calls and join remote meetings from right inside the Gmail app on iPhone and iPad.

Google Chat integration, with support for both voice and video calls, has been added in the app’s latest update. But it comes with one big limitation that means you’ll probably still need to keep the Google Chat app.

Apple expects iPhone demand to bounce back in early 2022

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iPhone 13 and new iPads hit the Apple Store
iPhone demand has reportedly fallen in recent weeks — but it may not be down for long.
Photo: Apple

Apple is expected to increase iPhone shipments by 30% during early 2022, according to a new report, which cites multiple sources familiar with the plan. It is believed Cupertino hopes to ship 300 million throughout next year.

A recent report claimed Apple had cut iPhone orders going into the holiday season as a result of weakening demand for its newest models — thanks in large part to the component shortages that have made some options hard to obtain.

Win a Wacom Intuos Pro creative pen tablet [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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Intuos Pro
This slim pen tablet is designed to create.
Photo: Wacom

If you fancy yourself an artist, this giveaway is for you. Cult of Mac is giving one lucky winner an Intuos Pro tablet with pen from Wacom, the global leader in the pen display and tablet market. You can connect it via Bluetooth or USB to your Mac (or PC), and use it to draw, paint or retouch photos.

Art is excellent for mental health. So boost your self-esteem by drawing and painting on your Mac. If you want a sense of accomplishment that a finished creation can give, make sure to enter our giveaway.

Accell’s new Thunderbolt 4 dock offers high-speed data transfers, plenty of ports

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Accell’s new Thunderbolt 4 dock offers high-speed data transfers, plenty of ports
The Accell Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station is ready for professional workloads.
Photo: Accell

The Accell Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station allows multiple peripheral connections to Mac through a single Thunderbolt 4 cable. It turns a single Thunderbolt port into two, while also offering DisplayPort, USB-A, Ethernet and more.

The professional-grade hub is available for purchase starting Monday.

Apple TV+ picks up a respectable 9 Critics Choice nominations

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Apple starts shooting second season of For All Mankind next month
“For All Mankind” picked up a nomination Best Drama Series in the Critics Choice TV Awards. Other Apple TV+ shows also received nominations.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV+ received nine nominations across six programs for the 27th Annual Critics Choice TV Awards. That includes Best Drama Series for For All Mankind, Best Comedy Series for Ted Lasso, and Best Movie Made for Television for Come From Away.

The winners will be announced in January.

New Apple program will teach thousands of kids to code

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Using iPad and Apple’s Everyone Can Code curriculum, kids and teens at Boys & Girls Clubs in more than a dozen US cities will have the chance to learn the basics of app design and development.
Using iPad and Apple’s Everyone Can Code curriculum, kids and teens at Boys & Girls Clubs in more than a dozen US cities will have the chance to learn the basics of app design and development.
Photo: Apple

In celebration of Computer Science Education Week, Apple said Monday it launched a new program that will help tens of thousands of kids and teens at Boys & Girls Clubs in more than a dozen U.S. cities to learn how to code.

Add Ethernet and 6 more ports to MacBook with HyperDrive Duo Pro

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Add Ethernet and 6 more ports to MacBook with HyperDrive Duo Pro
The HyperDrive Duo Pro adds the ports your MacBook needs without too much bulk.
Photo: Hyper

HyperDrive Duo Pro is a 7-in-2 USB-C Hub that plugs into the side of a MacBook to add a variety of ports, including Gigabit Ethernet, USB-A and microSD.

It’s designed to not interfere with the new MagSafe 3 power port on the 2021 MacBooks, but the hub is also compatible with any Apple laptop going back to 2016.

Clean M1 Mac mini station is an audio-visual beast [Setups]

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This clean, M1 Mac mini-based setup packs a lot of audio-visual firepower.
This clean, M1 Mac mini-based setup packs a lot of audio-visual firepower.
Photo: [email protected]

Some computer setups are remarkably cool for their awesome computing power. Others wow you with incredible displays, with several high-def monitors. And still others blow you away with premium sound. Or, in the case of today’s featured setup, premium audio-visual gear many people would be psyched to get their hands on.

Keep a low profile with Rode’s discreet new Lavalier II microphone

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The Rode Lavalier II offers broadcast-quality recording in a tiny package.
The Rode Lavalier II offers broadcast-quality recording in a tiny package.
Photo: Rode

Australia-based Rode Microphones rolled out its new Rode Lavalier II microphone, a big update — or a small one, literally — on its original premium lavalier mic introduced about a decade ago. The new mic’s low-profile design makes it discreet and simple to conceal underneath clothing.

Apple has big plans for 2022, including iPad Pro and MacBook Air overhauls

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Apple in 2022
It could be another great year.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly plans ambitious upgrades for a number of its hottest products in 2022, including major revamps for iPad Pro and MacBook Air — as well as an Apple silicon boost for the Mac Pro. Mac mini is also expected to see a refresh.

What’s more, the next-generation Apple Watch will come in a “ruggedized version aimed at extreme sports athletes.”

What’s the most ambitious watch band Apple ever made?

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The Clover Solo Loop for Apple Watch comes in nine sizes -- as well as six other Solo Loop colors besides dark green.
The Solo Loop for Apple Watch comes in nine sizes and seven colors.
Photo: Apple

One of the many things that set an Apple Watch apart from traditional watches is the massive selection of inexpensive straps. Cupertino made installing Apple Watch bands so easy that you can change up your look on a dime — and for almost that little money.

While seemingly millions of options exist for a mere $10 or so, Apple makes some of the best bands in the business. They cost a little more than most, but they may be worth it.

And one band, in particular, stands as the “most ambitious” watch band Apple ever made, according to Evans Hankey, Apple’s VP of industrial design.

Just how cool will Apple’s VR headset be? [The CultCast]

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The CultCast: Are you ready for Apple VR headset?
Are you really ready for VR?
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Let’s talk about the virtual reality headset Apple supposedly will unleash next year. Will it happen? What will it do? And do we even want it to happen?

Also on The CultCast:

  • Maybe AirPower isn’t dead — and maybe something even more amazing is on the horizon.
  • Tesla Cyberwhistle FTW.
  • Our first round of Gear of the Year picks.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

How a 1993 puzzle adventure became Apple’s 2021 Game of the Year

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Myst on Mac
It's easy to see why Myst is Apple's Mac Game of the Year.
Photo: Apple

Myst, the puzzle-adventure game from Cyan, has been named the 2021 Mac Game of the Year by Apple. But this popular classic actually made its debut way back in 1993.

Myst has gone through an incredible transformation since then. What was once a meager 3MB install is now a whopping 11.5GB download that’s packed with puzzles, glorious graphics and immersive sound. Here’s why the game picked up an Apple award — and why you might want to play it.

Award-winning, Viking-themed platformer Oddmar+ makes the jump to Apple Arcade

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Oddmar from Senri & Mobge
Oddmar+ is one of a pair of classic App Store games joining the extensive collection on Apple Arcade
Photo: Senri & Mobge

Oddmar won the Apple Design Award in 2018, and the Viking-themed platformer is now available on Apple Arcade. Friday’s other addition is Dandara: Trials of Fear, also a platformer.

Both games have been in the App Store for years, but have now joined hundreds of other titles in Apple’s gaming subscription service.

Bulky but brilliant iPhone case stops people flicking through your nudes

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iPhone Swiper Stopper case
A smart and simple fix.
Photo: Unnecessary Inventions

Don’t you just hate it when you show someone a photo on your iPhone and they rudely assume it’s okay to start flicking through your gallery? This bulky but brilliant iPhone case was designed to prevent that from happening.

The 3D-printed accessory features a detachable screen cover that blocks touch input, so you don’t have to worry about other people accidentally stumbling across your nudes — and then having to work through that trauma.

FTC wants to put a stop to Nvidia’s $40 billion acquisition of Arm

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FTC moves to block Nvidia's acquisition of Arm
The move would "distort Arm's incentives," the FTC said.
Image: Arm/Nvidia/Cult of Mac

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit to block Nvidia from acquiring Arm. It believes the move would “distort Arm’s incentives in chip markets” and allow the combined firm to “unfairly undermine Nvidia’s rivals.”

Nvidia is already one of the largest chip companies in the world, while Arm’s technology is licensed to some of the biggest and most powerful brands, including Apple, Samsung, and Qualcomm.

Prince William is the next guest on Time to Walk for Apple Fitness+

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Prince William on Time to Walk
Tune in on December 6.
Photo: Apple

His Royal Highness Prince William will be the next guest on Time to Walk for Apple Fitness+. It will be a “special holiday episode” that closes out the series on December 6, Apple said on Friday. A free version will also be available.

During the episode, Prince William reflects on “a lighthearted moment when he was drawn out of his comfort zone, the value of listening as a way to empower others, and an experience that led him to prioritize mental health.”

Apple Music subscribers get ‘exclusive gifts’ over the holidays

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Apple Music offers exclusive gifts for the holidays
Starting with a special EP from Coldplay.
Image: Apple

Apple Music subscribers will receive “exclusive gifts” as part of a new holiday promotion. The gifts include a special EP from Coldplay — exclusive to Apple Music — as well as playlists and other “goodies” from A-list artists.

Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Elton John, and DJ Khaled are a few of the names who are onboard. Gifts will be rolled out every day over the next week, and you must have a valid Apple Music subscription to receive them.

2021’s most popular emoji will leave you crying with joy

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2021’s most popular emoji will have you crying with joy
The two most used emoji are way ahead by a wide margin.
Graphic: Unicode Consortium

People like to laugh. And that leads to Tears of Joy accounting for over 5% of all emoji use in 2021. We also love to love. That put the heart in second place.

The Unicode Consortium compiled a list of all the most popular emoji for the year. And also shared data on the different types of emoji that get used the most.

Enjoy up to 60% off essential Just Mobile accessories for iPhone and Apple Watch

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Just-Mobile-AluBase
Get the AluBase wireless charger and more at a big discount.
Photo: Just Mobile

Looking for big discounts on great accessories for the holidays? Just Mobile has slashed up to 60% off all its essentials for iPhone and Apple Watch for a limited time.

You can save on cases, screen protectors, charging pads, and portable power banks for a limited time only.