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Apple helps former NFL linebacker DeMarcus Ware build his new fitness app

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D2W app
DeMarcus Ware's new fitness app Driven to Win launches today.
Photo: D2W

Former NFL linebacker DeMarcus Ware is launching an iOS fitness app called Driven to Win (D2W) — and Apple helped him build it.

The former Dallas Cowboys star said was invited to Cupertino to meet with Apple engineers who helped him develop the app. Starting in 2019, he made a total of nine trips to Apple’s offices to meet with the company’s developers.

Water-resistance, U1 chip, swappable bands are just a few things MIA from AirPods Max

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Internal components of AirPods Max spaced out horizontally.
AirPods Max pack in plenty of impressive tech, but some stuff didn't make it.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s U1 chip, allowing for devices to more accurately connect to others nearby using ultra-wideband technology, is MIA in Apple’s pricey new $549 AirPods Max headphones.

The chip, which Apple introduced in 2019 with the iPhone 11, was rumored to show up in the AirPods Max. But according to a tweet by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple had to scrap a number of big features it planned to include in the high-end headphones it launched Tuesday.

Apple’s been working on AirPods Max since the first-gen AirPods shipped

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AirPods Max will set you back $549.
AirPods Max sport an over-ear design with top-quality audio, Active Noise Cancellation, spatial audio, and more.
Photo: Apple

The AirPods Max headphones may have only been announced this week, but Apple’s been working on them since the first-gen AirPods shipped back in 2016.

This interesting tidbit comes from a (now deleted) tweet from Dinesh Dave, currently a product designer at Facebook, but previously a Senior Interactive Designer at Apple. While no-one expects hit products to be created overnight, it gives a sense of how far out Apple’s working in its product roadmap.

For All Mankind sci-fi drama picked up for stellar third season on Apple TV+

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‘For All Mankind’ season two premiering globally on Apple TV+ on February 19, 2021.
Apple TV+ gave an early season three renewal to For All Mankind.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV+ is clearly confident about For All Mankind. The alternate-history sci-fi series got a green light for a third season on Tuesday. And that’s months before the second season debuts on Apple’s streaming video service.

The show depicts a different version of the space race — one that begins with the USSR beating the US to the Earth’s moon.

Apple’s autonomous car unit gets a new driver

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The Apple Car won‘t look anything like this. At all.
The Apple autonomous vehicle project is now part of the company’s AI division.
Illustration: Cult of Mac

Apple’s self-driving car division is reportedly on the move, but not in the usual way. The project has been transferred into Apple’s artificial intelligence division.

The reorg comes at the retirement of Bob Mansfield, who’d been managing the company’s not-so-secret autonomous vehicle development.

Mix and match AirPods Max ear cushions for cool color combos

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AirPods Max red and black
This red and black AirPods Max color combo isn’t available from Apple, but you can make it yourself.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Those with very deep pockets can make their AirPods Max colors even more personalized. Ear cushions for the headphones are replaceable and come in a variety of hues. They sure aren‘t cheap, though.

But save some money for a charger, because there’s no power adapter in the box.

iOS 14.3 with ProRAW support for iPhone 12 Pro is nearly here

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iOS 14.3 Release Candidate, iPadOS 14.3Release Candidate, watchOS 7.2 Release Candidate and tvOS 14.3 Release Candidate.
Look at all those Release Candidates. iPhone users can grab iOS 14.3 in less than a week. And iPadOS 14.3, watchOS 7.2 and tvOS 14.3 are nearly here too.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple gave developers early access to iOS 14.3 on Tuesday, which will bring ProRAW support to the iPhone 12 Pro models. Plus, it and the iPad equivalent will give everyone more information about the privacy practices of the apps they use.

Apple also seeded to devs the release candidates for watchOS 7.2 and tvOS 14.3 on Tuesday.

That weird AirPods Max case gives jokesters plenty of ammo

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AirPods Max or AirPods Bra. You decide. The internet happily points out the ... quirks in the AirPods Max design.
The internet happily points out the ... quirks in the AirPods Max design.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

After Apple unveiled AirPods Max this morning, the internet jumped quickly into mockery mode. The pricey over-the-ears headphones come with a case that lots of jokesters think looks like a bra.

And that’s just the start.

Bag a bargain iMac, MacBook refurb from $359.99 today only

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Save on MacBook, iPad refurbs
Don't miss out!
Photo: Apple

Need to pick up an affordable Mac ahead of the holidays? Check out Woot’s one-day sale on iMac and MacBook refurbs. There are a whole bunch of models to choose from, with prices starting at just $359.99.

They’re selling fast, so bag yours before they’re all gone!

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

Transfer iPhone photos to hard drive to free up space with OWC Copy That

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OWC Copy That is a free image-transfer app for iOS and iPadOS.
Move multiple iPhone or iPad photos and videos to an external drive with ease using OWC Copy That.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

OWC’s just-released Copy That application frees up space on iPhone or iPad by transferring images or videos to external drives. Alternatively, it can easily back up an collection of these files.

And it’s free, with an in-app purchase for extra features.

Logitech Circle View Doorbell joins short list of HomeKit doorbells

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Logitech Circle View Doorbell: A HomeKit doorbell with a modern look.
The Logitech Circle View Doorbell wouldn't look out of place on a modern home like this.
Photo: Naomi Ellsworth/Unsplash CC

Logitech unveiled the Circle View Doorbell on Tuesday, calling it “the first wired video doorbell developed exclusively for Apple HomeKit.”

The $199.99 accessory features Face Recognition and Logitech TrueView video, and works with most wired doorbell systems, Logitech said.

Too late: AirPods Max’s hottest colors won’t arrive by Christmas [Updated]

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If you didn't order already, it's not going to be a blue AirPods Max Christmas.
If you didn't order already, it's not going to be a blue AirPods Max Christmas.
Photo: Apple

If you wanted AirPods Max in blue, pink or green, it looks like you’ll be waiting till well into 2021. Order one of the three hottest colors of the pricey new over-the-ear headphones now, and they won’t be delivered for 12 to 14 weeks, according to Apple’s online store.

Those shipping times slipped quickly after Apple launched the high-end headphones via press release early Tuesday morning. By late morning West Coast time, space gray AirPods Max delivery times had slipped as well — to December 31. Only the silver option still showed as being available for delivery prior to Christmas.

Act fast, and you can get them between December 15 and 17. But adding custom engraving pushes the delivery date to December 29 for that model. (Update 2: By midafternoon West Coast time on Tuesday, even the silver AirPods Max delivery window had slipped to December 31 – January 8.)

Tripadvisor app gets booted from the App Store in China

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Tripadvisor
Won't someone think of the children!?
Photo: Tripadvisor

Apple has pulled the Tripadvisor app from its China App Store on the orders of the Chinese government as it works to “clean up” the internet, CNN reports.

The Tripadvisor app, which somehow ran afoul of the government, was one of 105 apps deemed to be illegal. Since the Tripadvisor app is mainly concerned with hotel reviews, its removal seems more than a little surprising. However, it’s far from the first app to get the boot from the localized China App Store.

Another judge seemingly shoots down Trump’s TikTok ban

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U.S. investigations of TikTok gather steam.
TikTok's not going away just yet.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

A second judge in the United States has granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s attempted ban on TikTok.

Washington-based US District Judge Carl Nichols made the decision late Monday. This followed US judge Wendy Beetlestone in Pennsylvania making a similar ruling in late September. Trump’s ban would have stopped Apple and Google from offering TikTok downloads in their respective app stores.

AirPods Max: Apple’s new over-ear headphones look fantastic but mighty pricey

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AirPods Max are available to order for $549.
AirPods Max, the first over-the-ear headphones sold under the Apple brand, combine a custom acoustic design with Apple H1 chips and advanced software.
Photo: Apple

Apple expanded its popular AirPods lineup Tuesday, unveiling a new over-the-ear model dubbed AirPods Max.

The high-end headphones promise to deliver “the magic of AirPods” in an all-new design. They boast high-fidelity, spatial audio and active noise cancellation like AirPods Pro. And they come in five colors. They’re available to order today, priced at $549.

Apple Fitness+ launches on December 14

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Apple Fitness+ will whip you into shape starting December 14.
Apple Fitness+ will whip you into shape starting Monday.
Photo: Apple

Apple Fitness+, Apple’s $9.99-a-month subscription workout service built around Apple Watch, will launch December 14.

The service will launch with 10 workout types. These include High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Strength, Yoga, Dance, Core, Cycling, Treadmill (for running and walking), Rowing and Mindful Cooldown. The sessions are led by an elite team of fitness experts we profiled here.

You can now listen to Apple Music on Google Nest speakers

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Google Nest smart speakers
A new place for you to listen to Apple Music.
Photo: Google

Apple Music subscribers can now use Apple’s streaming music service on Google Nest smart speakers, thanks to an update. It means that users can access the Apple Music catalog with voice commands on their Nest Audio, Nest Hub Max and Nest Mini.

Google’s smart speakers supports various streaming audio services, such as Spotify. However, Apple Music was not among them. In order to listen to Apple Music, users previously needed to use an Amazon Echo device or Apple’s own HomePod.

Another one more thing: Could AirPods Studio headphones launch Tuesday?

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AirPods Studio will apparently look much like this.
Are these what AirPods Studio will look like?
Render: Jon Prosser/cconceptcreator

Apple may have staged an unprecedented three product events in three months, but it could have one more debut up its sleeve. (Yes, even after calling last month’s event “One More Thing” .)

If a last minute report is to be believed, Apple could, as early as Tuesday, unveil its AirPods Studio headphones. Well, maybe.

HomePod 14.2.1 software update fixes bugs

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HomePod Software Version 14.2.1 is out.
HomePod owners can install an update to Software Version 14.2.1.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Both sizes of Apple’s smart speaker got an update to HomePod Software Version 14.2.1 on Monday. The new system software promises just general improvements. It’s not yet known if that includes squashing a reported bug in Wi-Fi connectivity for the HomePod mini.

Interesting Apple Watch concept totally rethinks a basic feature

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An Apple Watch concept gets complications out of the way
What if your Apple Watch face was pristine because the complications were hidden out of the way?
Screenshot: A Better Computer

Apple Watch offers watch faces that’s do much more than tell time. But a user thinks the extra snippets of information — called complications — junk up the appearance of the wearable. They created an Apple Watch concept that moves them off the display and onto the pop-up window that’s currently the Control Center.

After mocking Apple, Samsung stops including chargers with phones

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No Samsung charger for you!
Samsung buyers could soon wave goodbye to a free wireless charger and headphones.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Samsung is copying Apple again. The Galaxy S21 series reportedly will not come with a wall charger or a pair of headphones when the new top-tier handset debuts in January.

This despite Samsung mocking Apple in October for leaving these accessories out of the iPhone 12 box.

Apple TV focused on gaming won’t launch Tuesday [Updated]

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An Apple TV made for gaming could be announced December 8
Apple TV can play games, not just video. New hardware focused on gaming could be in development but not out soon.
Photo: Cult of Mac

A faster version of the Apple TV set top box apparently isn’t going to unveiled Tuesday morning, despite significant speculation.

Apple is reportedly going to launch something on December 8, and earlier today a noted leaker seemed to hint about it being new Apple TV hardware. But that’s now been retracted, and other sources have stated that whatever gets announced tomorrow, it won‘t be an Apple TV.

UPDATE: Apple took the wraps off AirPods Max headphones and Apple Fitness+ on December 8.

California’s COVID-19 exposure notifications go live Thursday

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COVID-19 contact tracing is about to get easier in California.
COVID-19 contact tracing is about to get easier in California.
Photo: Brian McGowan/Unsplash CC

California will launch a COVID-19 exposure-notification system Thursday that uses smartphones to track interactions with infected people.

The state “has partnered with Google and Apple to launch a #COVID19 exposure notification app, CA Notify,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday on Twitter. “Starting Thursday, you can opt in to get push notifications on your phone if you have been exposed to COVID-19.”

iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are hardest iPhones to get your hands on right now

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iPhone 12 Pro Max screen looks great, even from an angle.
Customers can't get enough of Apple's top-tier smartphones this year.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are reportedly proving to be customer favorites this year, based on a new report by J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee.

In a note to clients, Chatterjee observed that the lead times for the two high-end iPhones “continue to build,” representing a “favorable indicator of customer demand.”

Season 2 of Apple TV+’s excellent Tehran series could be on the way

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Tehran is a spy thriller starring Israeli actress Niv Sultan.
The spy thriller stars Israeli actress Niv Sultan (left) and Shervin Alenabi.
Photo: Apple TV+

Season two of Tehran, the excellent spy drama whose first season just wrapped up on Apple TV+, is underway — although Apple has yet to give it the official go-ahead.

“I can say that we are working on the second season,” said Julien Leroux, CEO and founder of production company Paper Entertainment. “It’s not been officially greenlit, but we are working on it, so hopefully we’ll have some good news by the end of the year.”