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Awesome Apple Watch stocking stuffers for $40 or less

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Apple-Watch-stocking-stuffers
Shopping for an Apple Watch wearer? Start here!
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Holiday shopping for an Apple Watch fan couldn’t be easier. There are so many awesome bands and accessories out there, you’re bound to find something they’ll love. But we’re here if you need a helping hand.

We’ve rounded up some of the best Apple Watch gifts that are a steal at under $40. There are bands, charging stands, cases, and more to choose from. All from brilliant brands like Mifa, Elago, and Rilee & Lo.

Apple rival Huawei considers ditching chargers as well

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Chinese company Huawei wants the media buzz that would come with releasing the world's first foldable phone.
Huawei has sent out a survey asking how much people really care about having power adapters in every box.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr CC

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

OK, so a quote most readily associated (falsely) with freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi isn’t a perfect fit to describe Apple’s decision to ditch the charger with the iPhone 12. But it certainly seems weirdly appropriate here.

Strong demand for iPhone 12, new Apple TV on the way in 2021

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iPhone 12 Pro Shiny sides
The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are proving particularly popular.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 12 is seemingly shaping up to be a massive winner for Apple, with a Tuesday report claiming that Apple is set to produce between 20% and 30% more handsets than it did last year.

The report says that Apple has plans to produce up to 230 million iPhones in 2021. While that also includes older handsets like the iPhone 11 and SE, it is primarily driven by “demand for [Apple’s] first-ever 5G” phones, according to Nikkei.

iPhone 6 is dropped out of an airplane — and lives to tell the tale

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iPhone dropped out of plane
This is the moment before everything kicked off.
Photo: G1

There are all sorts of reasons Apple doesn’t recommend that you drop your iPhone out of airplanes. But, if it does accidentally happen, you may not be totally out of luck.

A report from Brazilian news outlet G1 concerns filmmaker Ernesto Galiotto, who accidentally dropped his iPhone 6 out of a plane at a height of 984 feet. An accompanying video shows that Galiotto was trying to use the device to film over a beach 100 miles east of Rio de Janeiro, when it was whipped out of his hand and sent hurtling toward certain death.

Well, almost certain, that is!

AirPods Max headphones officially go on sale, priced $549

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AirPods Max are the first over-the-ear headphones sold under the Apple brand.
AirPods Max offer Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and spatial audio.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s fancy AirPods Max headphones officially go on sale today, meaning that if you were lucky (or just organized) enough to have ordered them online right away, they should be winging their way to your home as you read this.

They are also available to buy in Apple Stores, although don’t expect plentiful supplies.

Apple owes us a dedicated Apple TV+ app

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Apple owes us a dedicated Apple TV+ app
An updated Apple TV app makes it easier to find Apple TV+ original shows and movies. Slightly easier.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The Apple TV app tries to do too much. It tries to be too much. And this lack of focus damages the Apple TV+ streaming service. Still, a design change in iOS 14.3 and the iPad equivalent makes it just a little bit easier for subscribers to find Apple TV+ shows and movies.

The small tweak doesn’t go far enough, though. It’s only a tiny step in the right direction. What’s truly needed is a dedicated Apple TV+ app.

Apple rolls out big updates for iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch

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Monday brought iOS 14.3, iPadOS 14.3, macOS Big Sur 11.1, watchOS 7.2 and more.
There are operating system updates for iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.
Photo: Apple

It’s a big day for Apple fans — there are software updates for iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

With an update, iPhone 12 Pro gets support for Apple’s new ProRAW image format. And all iPhone and iPads display new privacy info about third-party apps.

But primarily, the new versions are about adding support for AirPods Max and Apple Fitness+ to a range of operating systems. And bug fixes too.

With Apple Fitness+ launching today, early reviews praise its excellent form [Updated]

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Apple Watch is key to the new Apple Fitness+ subscription service.
Apple Watch is key to the new Apple Fitness+ subscription service.
Photo: Apple

With Apple Fitness+ set to launch Monday, a handful of early reviews say the subscription service is a winner that makes fitness fun.

If you’ve got an Apple Watch and access to gym equipment in your home, it’s practically a no-brainer at $9.99 a month. Could this be a Peloton beater?

David Hockney paints Beethoven on iPad to celebrate composer’s birthday

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David Hockney's iPad image
David Hockney has been creating art on iPad for years.
Photo: Apple

Apple Music teamed up with the iconic British artist David Hockney to create a portrait of Beethoven for the artist’s 250th birthday.

Hockney, whose painting “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” is the most expensive work of art by a living artist to ever sell at auction, created the Beethoven image using his trusty iPad.

Thousands of iPhones looted in riots at Wistron factory in India

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Apple supplier is increasing its ability to build masses of iPhones in India
India has been an increasingly big part of
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Riots broke out over the weekend at a Wistron factory in southern India that produces iPhones, resulting in around 100 people being arrested. Thousands of iPhones were stolen during the incident.

The riots were reportedly related to allegations about unpaid wages and other exploitation. Workers were allegedly not paid for several months, and made to do mandatory overtime. Protestors broke windows at the factory on the outskirts of Bangalore, pulled down CCTV cameras, and flipped cars onto their sides.

Tim Cook squashes Apple TV+ show about the glory days of Gawker Media

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Tim Cook delivers the goods at Apple's iPhone 11 event.
Tim Cook reportedly wasn't about to let Apple glorify a company like Gawker.
Photo: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly stepped in to squash an Apple TV+ series that would have chronicled the rise of controversial blogging network Gawker Media.

Earlier this year, Vanity Fair reported that Apple TV+ execs were working with former Gawker writers Max Read and Cord Jefferson, among others, on the series. Not much in the way of details were published. However, it sounds like it could have been a scripted show about the “glory days” of a blog known for “skewering the powerful.”

One of the potential problems? Apple and Cook could have been among the powerful in question.

Jony Ive is reportedly in the running to take the driver’s seat at Ferrari

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Ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive has long been passionate about cars. Now he might be headed for Ferrari.
Ive has long been passionate about cars.
Photo: Matt Lamers/Unsplash CC

Since leaving Apple in the middle of last year, Sir Jony Ive has launched a new design agency, LoveFrom, and taken on clients including Airbnb. Now he could be headed for the figurative driver’s seat at Ferrari — as the Italian luxury carmaker’s next CEO. Possibly.

According to a report from Reuters, Ive — by far the best-known designer in Apple history — is in the running to take over as Ferrari’s next CEO. Given Ive’s love of high-end cars, that has to be a job he would be tempted by!

AirPods … to the Max! [Cult of Mac Magazine 379]

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AirPods Max: Apple takes AirPods to the Max!
Apple's high-end headphones sold out fast.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s new over-the-ear headphones are kind of over the top. From the high-end design to the sky-high price tag, AirPods Max certainly made quite a splash this week.

They sold out almost immediately after Tuesday’s unveiling. And that weird AirPods Max case got mercilessly mocked online, as people compared it to a bra and a sleep mask, among other things.

It’s not all AirPods Max this week, though: Apple TV+ started streaming Wolfwalkers, which our reviewer called the “best animated film of the year.” Plus, Apple’s mysterious self-driving car project raced back into the rumor fast lane.

Read up in this week’s free edition of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now for your iOS device. Or use the links below to get to the stories on the web.

Disney+ raises prices $1 per month after announcing massive 87 million subscribers

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Disney+ logo
Disney+ is an undisputed success.
Photo: The Walt Disney Company

Disney has announced that its Disney+ streaming service will increase in price by a single, solitary dollar per month. That takes the monthly cost of the streaming service to $7.99 per month — or $79.99 per year if you buy an annual subscription.

Meanwhile, the price of the Disney Bundle, which also ties in Hulu and ESPN Plus, will add the same $1 to its price tag, bringing it to $13.99 per month. These price changes will kick into effect come March 26, 2021.

New, open-box iPads and MacBooks see stellar discounts on Woot

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Save on 13.3-inch MacBook Pro from 2020
Save up 35% today only!
Photo: Apple

Woot is offering cracking discounts on a whole bunch of new, open-box iPad and MacBook models today only. You can save up to 35% on 2019 and 2020 devices, including the newest iPad Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Stock is selling fast so enjoy this sale while you can!

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

Help a little girl save animals in Alba: A Wildlife Adventure on Apple Arcade

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‘ Alba: A Wildlife Adventure’
Saving a dolphin is part of Alba: A Wildlife Adventure.
Photo: Ustwo Games

Head off with a little girl as she wanders a Mediterranean island rescuing animals in Alba: A Wildlife Adventure. She’s supposed to be on vacation, but she’s ready to start an environmental movement instead!

The game, which hit Apple Arcade on Friday, is from Ustwo Games, the creator of the classic Monument Valley.

Manufacturers think AirPods Max are a ‘niche’ product that won’t sell in volume

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AirPods Max red and black
Is the AirPods Max a product that won't sell to the masses?
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

It’s way too early to have a sense of how many units Apple will sell of its newly announced AirPods Max headphones. But according to a rumor from Digitimes, two of the manufacturers involved with production are “not expecting much” from the “niche” product.

The report cites sources from Compaq Manufacturing and Unitech, two companies reportedly making printed circuit boards for the new headphones. Unsurprisingly, both firms declined to give official responses with their verdicts.

Animated album covers bring a splash of cool to Apple Music

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iPhone user on Apple Music
This is a nice touch for Apple Music users.
Photo: Daniel Cañibano/Unsplash CC

Remember how cool it was the first time you used Apple’s Cover Flow feature to flip through artwork for albums you bought on iTunes? More than a decade after Apple introduced that feature, Apple Music is rolling out a cool update: animated album covers.

Apple added the feature in the beta versions of iOS 14.3 and macOS 11.1. As you might expect, the animated covers are not available across the board on day one. So far, they’re just starting to appear for certain artists — with beta users starting to find them and share them online.

Apple cracks on with building its own mobile modems

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qualcomm.modem.chip
Apple currently relies on modems designed by Qualcomm.
Photo: Qualcomm

Apple has started building its own cellular modems for use in future devices. Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, made the announcement to employees Thursday during a virtual town hall meeting.

The company currently relies on Qualcomm modems, after restoring its relationship with the company following a prolonged clash over patents and royalties. However, Apple has made no bones about its desire to bring this part of its manufacturing in-house. It even bought Intel’s modem business for $1 billion in 2019, the second-largest acquisition in Apple history.

Remote-working Apple engineers use AR to guide technicians in China

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Apple augmented reality has business potential
Apple
Photo: Apple

Apple engineers used remote control robots and iPads equipped with custom augmented reality software to guide technicians in overseas factories, due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Usually Apple engineers make frequent visits to places like China, where Apple carries out manufacturing. However, this year’s coronavirus lockdown has made this impossible — leading to Apple having to make some tech-savvy adjustments.

Desk space and a monster monitor are keys to this magician’s productivity [Setups]

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MacBook Pro Setup
A big desk, an enormous screen, and a minimalist philosophy make for a productive setup.
Photo: Allan Hagen

Allan Hagen is a New York-based professional magician and amateur photographer with a serious setup. His favorite part of the setup is the big, stunning Antoccino Desk by RH Modern, which helps him concentrate.

“A big desk with a fairly minimalist setup really lends itself to focusing on the tasks at hand,” he said.

Mystery-thriller The Last Thing He Told Me heads to Apple TV+

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‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ is making the jump from book to Apple TV+.
The Last Thing He Told Me hasn’t reached readers’ hands but an Apple TV+ adaptation is already in the works.
Photo: Simon & Schuster

Julia Roberts is the latest star putting in an appearance on Apple TV+. She’ll reportedly take the lead in an adaptation of the mystery-thriller The Last Thing He Told Me.

Update November 12, 2021: Jennifer Garner has replaced Julia Roberts as the lead in this upcoming series.

macOS Big Sur 11.1 is almost ready [UPDATED]

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macOS Big Sur 11.1 Release Candidate is what Apple used to call a ‘Golden Master.’
The macOS Big Sur 11.1 Release Candidate is likely the last step before a public release.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Update: The wait for macOS Big Sur 11.1 is over. It and operating system updates for quite a few other Apple computers launched Monday.


Apple seeded a macOS Big Sur 11.1 Release Candidate to developers on Thursday. That’s good news for those who hold off upgrading their Mac to each new big new macOS release until after it gets its first major revision.

In addition, there are second release candidates for iOS 14.3 and iPadOS 14.3 available.