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Still using an original iPhone? We want to know.

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A shot of the battered original iPhone belonging to a member of the design team.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Next week marks 10 years since Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone, blowing our collective minds regarding the possibilities that smartphones presented.

Coming up on a decade later, if you’re still using the first-gen iPhone on a regular basis, we want to hear from you!

Apple invests $1 billion in world’s biggest tech fund

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tim cook in a car
Apple invested $1 billion in Didi Chuxing last year.
Photo: Tim Cook/Twitter

Apple confirmed today that is getting into the venture capital game by investing in one of the world’s largest tech funds.

SoftBank’s new Vision Fund received $1 billion from Apple, according to a company spokesperson that revealed the company is investing in the $100 billion fund to gain access to future technology.

Sleek iPhone 7 case puts the headphone jack back where it should be

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The biggest problem with the iPhone 7 has been solved.
The biggest problem with the iPhone 7 has been solved.
Photo: Incipio

CES2017 iPhone 7 users no longer must choose between charging their device or listening to headphones, thanks to a new case that restores the headphone jack to its rightful place.

Getting a headphone jack back on the iPhone 7 comes at the cost of some serious bulk, but with Incipio’s new OX case, at least you won’t have to carry around a dongle anymore.

Floodlight Cam combines all-in-one security with simple setup

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Ring Floodlight Cam
Floodlight Cam does it all.
Photo: Ring

CES2017 Step up your home security with the new Ring Floodlight Cam.

Making its debut at CES 2017 in Las Vegas this week, the Floodlight Cam keeps an eye on your property with 1080p video recording, motion detection and the loudest siren available on an outdoor camera. What’s more, it’s incredibly easy to install.

OWC’s gigantic dock adds more ports to the new MacBook Pro

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OWC's dock adds serious bulk to the MacBook Pro.
OWC's dock adds serious bulk to the MacBook Pro.
Photo: OWC

CES2017 MacBook Pro owners that wish Apple included more ports alongside the Touch Bar can now have the best of both worlds — if they don’t mind slapping a huge dock on their machines.

OWC teased a new accessory called the DEC dock for MacBook Pro at CES, the monstrous gadget show happening in Las Vegas this week. The dock is comically large, but it adds a bevy of new features to the MacBook Pro, including extra storage.

Fisher-Price bike helps iPad-addicted toddlers get exercise

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Fisher-Price-Smart-Cycle
The Smart Cycle comes with games that require peddle power.
Photo: Fisher-Price

CES2017 Many of today’s toddlers are addicted to tablets, which means they like to sit around for hours on end playing games and watching videos. Fisher-Price wants to make this activity a little less sedentary with the Think & Learn Smart Cycle.

Unveiled at CES 2017 in Las Vegas this week, it’s a stationary bike for kids with a built-in tablet stand that lets them cram in some much-needed exercise while their little minds remain focused on other things.

Galaxy S8 could use same battery supplier as explosive Note 7

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Galaxy Note 7 that exploded while charging.
The Note 7 was one of last year's big debacles.
Photo: Mr NiBaidu

Samsung threw away millions of dollars and took a hefty PR hit thanks to its exploding Galaxy Note 7, which it wound up recalling at great cost last year.

However, it seems that Samsung’s not ready to give up on the controversial batteries used in the smartphone, but will instead continue using Samsung SDI batteries for its upcoming Galaxy S8 flagship device.

Thunderbolt 3 Dock helps you get the most out of your MacBook Pro

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Screen Shot 2017-01-04 at 14.56.11
Coming soon to a MacBook Pro near you.
Photo: Elgato

CES2017 Accessory maker Elgato unveiled its new Thunderbolt 3 Dock at CES, offering a way for users to connect a pair of 4K displays to their new MacBook Pro, in addition to plenty of other legacy connection options.

Costing $299, it promises to stand in for the plethora of dongles you’ll need as the tech world makes the jump to Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C.

Smart hairbrush tells your iPhone if you’re not brushing properly

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You're brushing it wrong!
Photo: Withings/L’Oreal

CES2017 Every year at CES, there’s one gadget that epitomizes the crazier side of Silicon Valley’s “connected tech” smart devices mania.

In 2017, that prize may well belong to Withings and L’Oreal’s newly unveiled smart hairbrush — a device that critiques your hair-brushing technique, then feeds the results back to your smartphone.

Kevin Hart gets toned in new Apple Watch Nike+ ad series

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Nike
The Apple Watch Nike+ comes with a hipster beard, apparently.
Photo: Nike

Kevin Hart goes on an epic (and fictitious) 700-mile run through the desert in a great new set of Apple Watch Nike+ ads.

Focusing on the fitness-tracking aspects of the device, the creative spots chronicle the comic actor’s quest to get in shape. Apple and Nike never ran into trouble getting high-profile celebrities to endorse their products, but Hart is certainly one of the funniest spokesmen in recent memory.

Watch the Nike ads — which tell the story of “The Man Who Kept Running” — below.

iPad art graces cover of latest New Yorker

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Jorge Colombo drew the New Yorker cover on iPad Pro.
Jorge Colombo drew the New Yorker cover on iPad Pro.
Photo: The New Yorker

Want proof you can get “real” work done on the iPad Pro? Look no further than the latest cover of The New Yorker.

Long-time art editor Jorge Colombo drew the latest cover using the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and the app Procreate. It’s not the first time art created on the iPad has been featured by the popular magazine, but it’s certainly the best looking one yet.

Even better, you can watch Colombo draw the cover.

New case lets photographers mount ZEISS lenses on iPhone 7

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ExoLens, which partnered with ZEISS for a pro line of iPhone lenses last year, will soon offer a protective case for the iPhone 7 to accommodate the lenses.
ExoLens, which partnered with ZEISS for a pro line of iPhone lenses last year, will soon offer a protective case for the iPhone 7 to accommodate the lenses.
Photo: ExoLens

When lens maker ZEISS partnered with ExoLens to bring pro optics to the iPhone, mobile photographers had to make a choice between having great lenses or a protective case for the phone.

Now ExoLens has solved that, at least for the iPhone 7, with a protective case that will accommodate the ZEISS line of lenses. The new ExoLens Case will be on display at CES in Las Vegas this week and will be available for purchase within the next couple of months.

Retro gaming on the go, laser keyboards and more [Crowdfund Roundup]

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Crowdfund Roundup
Help turn these awesome ideas into reality!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Incredible new gadgets often go unnoticed on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. We round up the best ones each week to help them get the funding they need to become reality.

This week, we’ve got an awesome handheld emulator that lets you play your favorite retro games on the go, a laser keyboard that’s super-versatile, a tiny device that adds Bluetooth connectivity to your existing headphones, and more!

Get the touchscreen MacBook that Apple will never make

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Stop waiting for Apple to put a touchscreen on the Mac.
Stop waiting for Apple to put a touchscreen on the Mac.
Photo: Neonode

CES2017 MacBook Air owners patiently waiting for Apple to come out with a touchscreen laptop can now take matters into their own hands: A new product called AirBar turns the laptop’s display into a touchscreen.

Neonode, the company that created AirBar, unveiled the new sensor — which is specifically designed for the 13-inch MacBook Air — at CES, the world’s largest electronic show taking place in Las Vegas this week.

Apple celebrates Chinese New Year with free Beats headphones

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Great offer, you think? Sadly you (probably) won't be able to participate.
Photo: Apple

Apple will celebrate Chinese New Year by giving away pairs of Beats Solo3 headphones in its Product (RED) variant — which just so happens to also be a color associated with good luck and prosperity in various Asian cultures.

Unfortunately, if you’re reading this in the U.S., the giveaway isn’t available to you — but rather to customers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. Which we guess makes total sense, given the occasion!

More evidence that Apple plans to make iPhones in India

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Apple supplier is increasing its ability to build masses of iPhones in India
Designed in California, made in India.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly planning to start manufacturing its iPhones in India, and — right on cue — a new report claims that Apple supplier Wistron has applied for fast-tracked approval to expand its factory in the Indian city of Bengaluru.

“Wistron has approached us to expedite certain clearances with regards to the augmentation and expansion of its existing unit,” said a high-ranking regional government official, who declined to be identified.

New security chip combines fingerprints with facial recognition

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Some selfies are harmless.
Unlock your phone by snapping a quick selfie!
Photo: Per Gosche/Flickr CC

Leading human interface solution developer Synaptics has announced a new “multi-factor biometric fusion” security system for mobile devices and PCs, built around a combination of both fingerprint and facial recognition.

The system would allow users to either set up extra secure logins requiring multiple forms of biometric ID, or have devices which could intelligently choose the most convenient mode for an occasion — such as opting for facial recognition when a person is likely wearing gloves.

Apple Watch Series 3 manufacturer focuses on better battery life

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Apple Watch
Apple has already improved performance and battery life once.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has chosen its manufacturer for the next-generation Apple Watch and tasked the company with delivering better battery life, according to a new report.

Apple Watch Series 3 is also expected to bring improved performance, but its hardware is unlikely to come with any major changes.

Want tech innovation? CES 2017 is about to bring it.

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Each year at CES, tech's biggest players show off their latest, greatest gear. (Except for Apple, of course.)
Each year at CES, tech's biggest players show off their latest, greatest gear. (Except for Apple, of course.)
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

CES2017 Just because Apple ignores CES, the gigantic electronics show that slams Las Vegas each January, doesn’t mean you should. If you’re interested in the next wave of tech innovation, the annual show should definitely be on your radar.

You won’t glimpse the next iPhone or the rumored Apple Car, but there’s plenty of great tech breakthroughs that should get you salivating over next week’s big event. Here’s a rundown of all the cool stuff we expect to see at CES 2017.

Handbrake, Colt Express, and other awesome apps of the week

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Awesome Apps
'Appy new year everyone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Happy 2017 everyone! Facebook may have been last year’s most popular app, but there’s plenty more for you to explore in the App Store.

Check out our picks for the most exciting new apps of the week below. Whether you’re looking for a great game to usher in the New Year or something a bit more serious and useful, we’ve got you covered!

From tiny innovations to big brawls, this is how Apple rolled in 2016

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Thank Jobs, 2016 is finally over!
Thank Jobs, 2016 is finally over!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac 2016 sent Apple for a wild ride full of fantastic new products, crazy controversies and tons of extra drama with its rivals.

Tim Cook and his colleagues probably can’t wait to jump into 2017. But before we start looking toward Apple’s future, let’s take a quick look back at all the stories that made 2016 a year Apple fans will never forget.

Adjustable stand makes your iPad Pro even more pro

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ElevationLab created DraftTable because a steady drawing hands needs a steady stand for the iPad Pro.
ElevationLab created DraftTable because a steady drawing hands needs a steady stand for the iPad Pro.
Photo: ElevationLab

Frank Lloyd Wright didn’t create innovative home designs by drawing from his couch. He sat at a drafting table, its surface supporting his paper at the angle of his choosing.

So what would he do with an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil? He might try the new DraftTable by Portland, Oregon-based Elevation Lab.

Best Mac and iOS games of 2016

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best mac and ios games 2016
2016 might have sucked overall, but not for games.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac When it comes to games, Apple trails behind Microsoft and the broader PC market. Though Cupertino’s hardware often sports cutting-edge specs, the fact is that gaming was never really the intended use for Apple machines.

Why this is, and whether it should prevent top titles from gracing Mac screens, is enough for its own article. Luckily, things are changing: From sprawling strategy games to genre-bending first-person titles, 2016 gave Apple fans a harvest of great titles for Mac and iOS alike.

Surprise! Facebook is the year’s most popular mobile app

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Nielsen's sample of the year's most popular apps.
Photo: Nielsen

With 2016 coming to a close, Nielsen has ranked the year’s most popular mobile apps in the U.S. and — wouldn’t you know it! — Facebook takes the top two spots with its Facebook and Facebook Messenger apps.

Despite the growth of other social media services, Facebook saw growth of 14 percent from last year, with more than 146 million average unique users each month. Facebook Messenger also picked up over 129 million unique users every month.

Hands-on with AirPods and the best gadgets of 2016 on The CultCast

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Affordable first drones and our favorite gadgets on The CultCast!
Affordable first drones and our favorite gadgets on The CultCast!
Photo: 3DR

This week on The CultCast: It’s our epic final episode of 2016! We’ll wrap up the year with our hands-on review of the hotness themselves, Apple’s AirPods. Then … is Apple’s “Golden Era” drawing to a close? We discuss. And finally, ya’ll know we review a lot of products during the year — we’ll reveal our absolute favorite gadgets of 2016!