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Tim Cook: Russian ads aren’t to blame for U.S. election results

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Tim Cook
Cook thinks there are bigger issues to deal with.
Photo: NBC

The tech and political worlds may be buzzing over claims that Russian ads helped influence the U.S. presidential election, but one person who’s not so quick to jump on board with the theory is Apple CEO Tim Cook.

In an interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt, which aired Wednesday night, Cook poured cold water on the suggestion by arguing that such ads make up an absolutely tiny part of the larger issue as to why people in the U.S. are so divided in their politics.

Wrap your Apple Watch in woven stainless steel [Watch Store]

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casetify
Casetify's Stainless Steel Mesh Bands rival Apple's Milanese Loop Bands in quality and cost nearly half the price.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Stainless steel meticulously weaves its way through the Mesh Band for Apple Watch — Casetify’s answer to the significantly more expensive Milanese Loop by Apple. And, Casetify’s version is just as stylish and functional as the behemoth brand’s band.

For penny-counters, you’ll save from $67 to $117 on Casetify’s silver and black stainless steel mesh bands, respectively, and gain an additional color not offered by Apple: rose gold. I’ve been wearing mine all week and am loving the quality and fit of this sleek metal band.

Casetify designs all its products to be super stylish and functional, and its latest collection of Stainless Steel Bands for Apple Watch is no exception. Check out these new bands in our Watch Store, and read on to learn more.

Apple’s earnings call will be the calm before iPhone X superstorm

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Apple is worth more than the entire US energy sector combined
Apple is worth more than the entire US energy sector combined
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple will give investors their first insight into iPhone 8 sales, right on the eve of the iPhone X launch.

The final Apple earnings call of 2017 takes place Thursday, November 2, at 2 p.m. Pacific. Apple’s fourth fiscal quarter ended right after the iPhone 8 started shipping. The results aren’t expected to be record-breaking, but this first glimpse should give us a better idea of how monstrous Apple’s holiday season will be.

This is what to watch for:

Listen to the iPhone X’s exclusive new ringtone

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iPhone X
Did you get lucky?
Photo: Apple

Apple fans that purchase the iPhone X will get an extra tree when devices finally start arriving later this week: an exclusive ringtone.

Bundled inside the software for the iPhone X is an all-new ringtone called “Reflection.” The song has a melody that is somewhat similar to the iconic “Marimba” ringtone that launched with the original iPhone.

Take a listen:

Face ID can be slower than Touch ID, but you can speed it up

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Face ID iPhone X
Ensure Face ID is as fast as it can be.
Photo: UrAvgConsumer

Face ID is the future, and it’s easy to see why. It’s significantly more secure than Touch ID, and it eliminates a number of big limitations. But it’s not quite perfect yet.

Those who are lucky enough to have received a unit early from Apple have discovered that Face ID is slower than its predecessor. There are some things you can do to speed it up, though.

Public testers can now try iOS 11.2

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iOS 11
iOS 11.2 comes with some Control Center tweaks.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Members of Apple’s public beta testing program can already get in on the action with iOS 11.2.

Apple released its newest batch of betas to public testers today giving members access to all the new features and fixes in the the first beta builds of iOS 11.2 and tvOS 11.2.

Apple Music gets an anthem in funky new ad

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Streaming services like Apple Music dominate the US music market
Streaming services like Apple Music dominate the US music market
Photo: Apple

Album covers take center stage in the latest ad for Apple Music. The funky new video that was pushed to Apple’s YouTube channel this morning features an eclectic collection of quick art shots inspired by the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Sia, Eminem, Drake, FKA Twigs and many more.

Check it out:

Apple hypes good iPhone X reviews

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iPhoneX
Apple is clearly hoping for big things with the iPhone X.
Photo: Apple

Apple is following an unorthodox word-of-mouth marketing campaign for the iPhone X, and that has continued with a new press release issued by Apple — showing off the best review soundbites from the first reviews for its next-gen handset.

The press release is accompanied by a movie-style poster with quotes from outlets such as Mashable, TechCrunch, and others.

tvOS 11.2 fixes Apple TV 4K’s biggest problem

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Apple TV Siri Remote
Sound sync woes will be a thing of the past.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple TV 4K has a video output problem. It’s pretty serious when your main purpose is to output video. But after listening to user complaints, Apple has fixed the issue in tvOS 11.2, its next major software update.

High Court rejects objection to Apple’s Irish data center

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Politicians receive frightening threats about cancelled Apple data center
A mock up of Apple's proposed data center in Ireland.
Photo: Apple

Ireland’s High Court has rejected an appeal against Apple’s plans to build an 850 million euro ($960 million) data center in Athenry, County Galway. The rejection means that the project should finally, after much stalling, go ahead.

The appeal filed by several local residences objected to Apple’s plans due to their belief that it would have a negative impact on the environment. The judge said there was no basis for the objection being valid.

iPhone X price could hurt it in Greater China region

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iPhone sales
The iPhone X is even pricier in Greater China.
Illustration: Cult of Mac

Having experienced declining iPhone sales in the Asia Pacific region, Apple is confident that the iPhone X will help turn things around — although local retailers are still fearing the worst.

According to a new report, iPhone X pre-orders have exceeded one million units in China, representing more than 1/6 of the total 5.5 million+ units supposedly already demanded by customers. Those kind of brisk sales are good for Apple, but sources in the Taiwanese retail channels think that this kind of “phenomenal demand” could soon fade away.

Apple originally planned iPhone X for 2018

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iPhone X
Think you're having to wait to get an iPhone X? You could've been waiting even longer.
Photo: Apple

Does it seem strange that Apple would release two markedly different iPhone models, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus and the radically different iPhone X, in the same year? If so, a new interview with Apple executives may help explain it: it wasn’t Apple’s original plan.

According to Dan Riccio, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, the company originally planned to deliver the iPhone X in 2018, a full twelve months later than it wound up introducing it. However, “with a lot of hard work, talent, grit, and determination we were able to deliver them this year.”

Why Apple short-circuited the media machine for iPhone X reviews

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Apple's new strategy for iPhone X reviews blew up the system.
Apple's new strategy for iPhone X reviews blew up the system.
Photo: Gerd Altmann/Pixabay CC

Anybody who thinks Apple can’t innovate should look in awe at the fecal hurricane whipped up by the company’s unorthodox iPhone X marketing plan.

By giving popular YouTubers early access to the next-gen iPhone, and allowing them to “scoop” the old-school journalists traditionally granted such preferential treatment, Cupertino upended the typical review cycle.

Apple apparently bruised a few fragile egos in the process. Frankly, it’s hilarious watching the ensuing media meltdown.

watchOS 4.1 arrives with LTE Apple Music streaming

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Apple Watch Music
Grab the new watchOS update while it's hot.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple Watch Series 3 owners can now get all the features they were promised from Apple’s new wearable at launch, thanks to a new watchOS update that brings some big new additions.

After months of testing, watchOS 4.1 was released to the public this morning. The update adds a number of performance improvements and changes, including LTE streaming for Apple Music.

2018 iPhones won’t get rear-facing TrueDepth camera

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Face ID
These are the sensors that power Face ID.
Photo: Apple

The 2018 iPhone won’t come with a rear-facing TrueDepth camera, according to one of the most accurate Apple analysts in the business.

KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi-Kuo sent investors a note today that the array of sensors that power Face ID and animoji will stay at the front of iPhones, for now.

Apple’s latest acquisition could be game changer for iPhone camera

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sensor technology
An iPhone 6 shooting along side a camera modified with a Quantum Film Sensor in 2015.
Photo: InVisage/YouTube

Apple has reportedly bought a California startup that developed new image sensor technology that could boost the iPhone’s photo and video capability.

A news website that covers the digital imaging space reported on Apple acquisitions of InVisage, citing unnamed sources that said the deal was completed in July. Some former InVisage employees are already working in Cupertino, according to the report.

Nintendo disappointed with Super Mario Run profit

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Super Mario Run on iOS
200 million downloads haven't pulled in enough cash.
Photo: Apple

Super Mario Run was the hottest game on iOS for months after it hit the App Store. It has now been downloaded more than 200 million times on mobile, and yet, the title is yet to reach “an acceptable profit point,” Nintendo says.

That’s bad news for fans of Nintendo’s mobile games.