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Mac division has ‘lost clout’ with Jony Ive and Apple design team

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The 2009 unibody iMac proved a watershed design for Jony Ive and Apple.
Has Apple forgotten about the Mac?
Photo: Apple

Apple’s Mac team has “lost clout” with the company’s industrial design group and software team, claims a new report, arguing that Cupertino has “alienated Mac loyalists.”

The picture painted by the article is of a division with a lack of clear direction from senior management, departures of key employees, and technical challenges — all conspiring to make the Mac one of Apple’s forgotten divisions.

The 10 best Apple ads of 2016

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Best Apple ads of 2016
You want innovation? Look no further than Apple's advertising.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac Apple may not have launched its most innovative products in 2016, but when it comes to marketing, Cupertino is still killing it.

By utilizing celebrities, musicians, athletes and everyday iPhone owners, Apple created some of its most memorable ads ever in 2016. Whether they were touting Apple TV with Kobe Bryant, or using the story of an autistic boy to show how technology can change the world, Apple ads entertained us and gave us all the feels.

These are our favorite Apple ads of 2016.

Apple wants India to make local manufacturing worthwhile

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Apple supplier is increasing its ability to build masses of iPhones in India
Apple wants to move some of its manufacturing to India.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is continuing to consider manufacturing its devices in India — but it wants the Indian government to make it worthwhile.

That’s according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, which notes that Apple recently outlined its wish for financial incentives in a letter to officials in India, and that the country’s Senior Trade Ministry authorities have since met to discuss the matter.

Google’s self-driving minivans are finally here

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Meet Waymo's self-driving minivan.
Meet Waymo's self-driving minivan.
Photo: Waymo

Waymo offered a first look at its fleet of hybrid Chrysler Pacifica minivans today, showing off vehicles that pack an array of sensors and software that enable autonomous operation.

The self-driving fleet of 100 minivans from Waymo (which is run by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) will hit the streets in early 2017.

Best Mac accessories of 2016

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Best Mac accessories 2016
From dongles to docks, these are the year's best Mac accessories.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac We value our Mac computers. Whether on a desk or in a lap, they help us complete many life tasks. But you and your machine wouldn’t make it without reliable accessories — especially now that we live in the USB-C era.

Storage drives, hubs with extra ports, a good pair of headphones, maybe a bag to carry your tech — all these Mac accessories play important roles. They often remain unsung, but sometimes come through to help us avoid a devastating loss of hardware or important work.

So if you are looking to bolster your Mac support team, look no further than this list of some of Cult of Mac’s favorites accessories from 2016 for iMacs, MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

You can finally play Minecraft on your Apple TV

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Minecraft
The popular building and exploration game is finally on tvOS.
Photo: Mojang

2016 is certainly ending with a bang for Apple customers. Just days after Nintendo dropped Super Mario Run for iOS, Mojang’s smash hit Minecraft has landed for Apple TV.

Costing $19.99, Minecraft: Apple TV Edition isn’t cheap, but it’s something which is sure to be very popular among the game’s ultra-passionate fanbase.

Super Mario Run gets off to a flying $4 million start

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Super Mario Run on iOS
Where's he running to? The bank, apparently.
Photo: Apple

The eagerly-awaited Super Mario Run made upwards of $4 million worldwide in its first day on the market, according to analytics company App Annie.

The analytics firm suggests that the game — which represents the first official appearance of  Mario on iOS — was downloaded around 10 million times, and was the top-ranked game by downloads in 60 of the 151 countries it launched in within hours of its debut.

AirPods unboxing: First look at Apple’s new wireless headphones

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AirPods
Apple's wireless AirPods have finally been released!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s AirPods were due for release in late October, but the wireless headphones didn’t become available until last week from stores and via online orders (expect a six-week wait for the latter!)

Fortunately, we were able to get hold of a pair first thing today. Check out the video below to see what’s inside the box and get our first impressions.

Apple: Massive EU tax bill is just about making headlines

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money
Apple's general counsel thinks the move against Apple is basically clickbait.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has launched its legal challenge against the European Union’s demand of $14 billion in allegedly unpaid back taxes.

In a statement, Apple general counsel Bruce Sewell said Cupertino has been targeted because of its success, implying that European legislators picked on the company for largely symbolic reasons.

Super Mario Run and other awesome apps of the week

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Awesome Apps
'Appy holidays. Almost.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

It’s the week before Christmas and, if you’re tired of buying gifts, decorating trees, or complaining about the weather, why not download some of the week’s hottest App Store titles?

Check out our picks below. From the long-awaited Super Mario Run and beyond, these are the most notable app launches of the past seven days.

AirPods alternatives and the best TV shows of 2016 on The CultCast

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AirPods aren't the only wireless buds in the game.
AirPods aren't the only wireless buds in the game.
Photo: TBS

This week on The CultCast: An honest look at Super Mario Run; we review better-sounding AirPods alternatives; the cool new stuff in the iOS and tvOS updates; and we reveal the hands-down best TV shows of 2016!

This episode supported by: Jamf Now, the affordable, cloud-based solution you can rely on to manage the iPads, iPhones and Macs in your workplace. Manage three devices for free at jamf.com/CultCast.

As fitness trackers converge, everyone’s sprinting toward confusion

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Fitbit Alta Fitness Tracker GG
Is it an activity tracker, a sport watch, a smartwatch or all three?
Photo: Fitbit

2016 has been a tough year for fitness trackers, with scientists questioning their effectiveness and headlines boldly proclaiming that “fitness trackers don’t work.”

And yet, sales of fitness trackers are healthier than ever, while struggling smartwatch makers are desperately trying to reposition their gadgets to muscle into the fitness market. So what is going on? If fitness trackers really don’t work, why are consumers still buying them?

Apple adds 21 gorgeous screen savers to Apple TV

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The new Apple TV packs a lot of surprises.
The new Apple TV videos are incredible.
Photo: Apple

One of the best things about owning an Apple TV — staring at the hypnotically beautiful screen savers — just got a whole lot better.

Apple published 21 gorgeous new videos today that give Apple TV viewers a bird’s-eye view of fantastic cityscapes in Hong Kong, China, Dubai and other beautiful locales.

Should Apple take on Xbox and PlayStation? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf_gaming
Would you buy an Apple console?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s product portfolio is crying out for something new. Fans and investors are itching to see where the company will go next, and whether it can revolutionize yet another industry. Should a games console be top of its list?

Friday Night Fights bugSome fans may not know this, but Apple has produced a console before. It wasn’t too successful, but Apple is a different company now, and it’s already serving hundreds of millions of avid gamers with its Apple TV and iOS devices. In some ways, a console makes a lot of sense.

But could Apple really topple the PlayStation or Xbox? Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over whether Apple should build its own console!

Super Mario Run copycats invade Android

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Super Mario Run on iOS
Super Mario Run clones are already bounding onto the Google Play store.
Photo: Apple

Super Mario Run, Nintendo’s first major game for mobile, is already a huge hit on iPhone, but Android users will have to wait until 2017 to get their fingers on the real deal.

However, a ton of Super Mario Run clones are already springing up on Google Play — trying to steal Nintendo’s thunder.

What they said: Best Apple quotes of 2016

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Best Apple quotes 2016
If you can't say something nice ...
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac The world of quotes is a poorer place without Steve Jobs, who was a quote machine. Nonetheless, plenty of people talked about Apple this year, whether lauding the company’s successes or damning its strategies.

Here are the most memorable Apple quotes of 2016.

Apple orders mystery folding displays from LG

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LG-flexible-OLED
LG's flexible OLED displays.
Photo: LG DIsplay

LG Display is to start mass-producing folding OLED displays in 2018, and new reports claim Apple is one of the first companies to have already placed an order. The displays pave the way for smarter flip phones that can be folded in the middle.

Drone flyover video reveals latest state of Apple’s new spaceship campus

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Apple-Campus-2-updated
How the new campus will eventually look.
Photo: Apple

A new drone video provides the latest glimpse at how Apple’s futuristic “spaceship” campus is coming together, three years after the company broke ground on the impressive HQ.

Rather than just showing us the massive Apple campus as it looks today, YouTuber Matthew Roberts gives us a “year-end” montage, showing progress made since the middle of the year.

$44 million investment buys Apple the right to sell iPhones in Indonesia

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iPhone 7 back
Apple can sell iPhones to 250 million new customers.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has secured the right to sell the iPhone 7 in Indonesia after committing to investing $44 million in the country in the form of an R&D center.

The investment helps Apple get around a law stating that, from January, all 4G handsets sold in Indonesia must comprise 30 percent of “local content.” This can include hardware, software, or an investment commitment.

Sell your old Apple Watch to us for cold cash and peace of mind

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Cracked-Apple-Watch
Turn your broken Apple Watch into cash, not an environmental hazard.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Maybe your Apple Watch is broken, or you want to get some extra cash to spend on a Series 2 upgrade (or a totally different device). Whatever your reason for wanting to sell your Apple Watch, the best and easiest bet is selling it to us through Cult of Mac’s Apple gear buyback program.

Watch Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto draw Mario on an iPad Pro

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Apple
Mr. Miyamoto tries out a freehand sketch on the iPad Pro.
Photo: Apple

Apple and Nintendo have become a match made in heaven, thanks to the Super Mario Run game that debuted today for iPhone and iPad.

To celebrate the game’s launch, Super Mario Run creator Shigeru Miyamoto showed how he draws the iconic videogame character using an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.

Watch him sketch below:

Apple goes surfing in latest watch ad

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Surfs up!
Surfs up!
Photo: Apple

The Apple Watch’s improved waterproof technology is on full display in Apple’s newest ad, which catches some waves with the wearable.

Go Surf is the latest in Apple’s “Give the gift of go” series of short holiday ads that show off Apple Watch Series 2’s fitness features. The new ad is accompanied by another spot titled Go Ride that zips through the city on a bike.

Check ’em out:

Best iOS apps of 2016

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Best iOS Apps
Appy holidays!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac It’s been a banner year for iOS apps. From smart photo-editing tools to music-generating apps, Apple and third-party developers alike brought some serious heat to the App Store. We’ve combed through our home screens to pick out the best iOS apps of 2016.

Check out our picks below.