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This tiny cube connects your iPhone to guitars and microphones

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iTrack One Pre
The iTrack One Pre won't slide off your desk.
Photo: Focusrite

Focusrite’s iTrack One Pre might be the ultimate portable recording gadget for musicians. It’s a little cube that fits in a pocket, but that packs in connections for a microphone and a guitar, as well as a port for charging the iPad or iPhone you connect to. It can even supply Phantom Power to a microphone, and has it’s own gain (“volume,” kinda) knob.

Best (and most memorable) Apple ads of 2017

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Best Apple ads of 2017
From AirPods to iPhone X, Apple sold us the goods in 2017.
Photo: Apple

Cult of Mac's 2017 Year in Review Apple’s pretty darn good when it comes to advertising, and 2017 was no exception. Whether it was Portrait mode, AirPods or the iPhone X, creatives working on Apple ads found new and exciting ways to sell us on Cupertino’s latest innovations.

Check out our picks for the year’s best Apple ads below.

Best iOS games of 2017

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Best iOS games of 2017
2017 didn't disappoint when it came to great iOS games.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac's 2017 Year in Review 2017 has been one heck of a year for iOS gaming fans. From action-oriented arcade blasters to strategy games so deep they should come with a warning, just about every genre has been well represented.

Distilling hundreds of great titles down to a single shortlist isn’t easy, but we’ve done our best. These are our picks for the 15 greatest mobile games of 2017.

Huawei executive arrested for allegedly taking bribes

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Huawei
Huawei is the top-selling smartphone brand in China.
Photo: AndroidCentral

The China sales head of Huawei Technologies’ smartphone division has been arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes.

According to an internal memo sent to staff, Teng Hongfei was detained for, “the suspected crime of accepting bribes as a non-state functionary.” Huawei is currently the top smartphone maker in China by market share, and could soon overtake Apple in terms of global market share.

Kanye West gifted his wife Apple stock for Christmas

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Kanye
Kanye West was among the first people to get an Apple Watch Edition.
Photo: Justjared

Kanye West is an Apple fan. So what better Christmas gift for him to buy his wife, Kim Kardashian, than AAPL stock?

Kardashian shared her surprising story online, saying that West gifted her the shares, alongside some Apple headphones, and some stock from other select companies including Amazon, Disney, and Netflix. While she didn’t share the exact amount, considering that AAPL is up 47 percent in 2017, that’s a pretty great gift!

Apple is searching for new modem chip suppliers to replace Qualcomm

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chips
Apple's feud with Qualcomm shows no signs of slowing down.
Photo: Intel

Apple has reportedly shifted half of its baseband modem chipsets for iOS devices to Intel from Qualcomm, and is now considering shifting additional orders to Taiwanese manufacturer MediaTek.

The news comes at a time when hostilities between Apple and former manufacturer Qualcomm continue to heat up, with no signs that they will come to a close soon.

Best gadgets of 2017

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Best gadgets 2017
What gadgets grabbed our attention in 2017? Funny you should ask.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac's 2017 Year in Review Welcome to Cult of Mac‘s Gadget of the Year extravaganza. Unlike some other blogs, where harassed writers get a last-minute order from the boss to come up with an end-of-year list, and then spend a half-hour writing up the first five Google results for their given subject, our top gadgets are all rad, and all genuinely worth your cash.

Two of them will even change how you use technology, which isn’t a bad score for just one year. Let’s take a look at our favorite gadgets of 2017, and see why they’re so good.

Udemy classes cost just 10 bucks through December 29

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Jump at this chance for lifelong access to Udemy courses for just $10.
Jump at this chance for lifelong access to Udemy courses for just $10.
Photo: Udemy

This post is presented by Udemy.

Massively online open courses have transformed learning. Thanks to MOOCs, pretty much anyone with an internet connection and a desire to learn can receive a vital education on almost any topic.

Of course, these online courses aren’t free. But Udemy is holding a Holiday Flash Sale that’ll get you pretty close. From now through Friday, December 29, 2017, Cult of Mac readers can access any course costing $200 or more for just $10.

Cult of Mac’s 2018 Apple wish list

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iPad Pro2
What the next iPad might look like.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Cult of Mac's 2017 Year in Review With 2018 about to begin, why rehash everything that already happened, just to fill up some space while we take time out for Christmas? Let’s go with a different year-end cliche? Yes, it’s a wish list for Apple products in 2018.

Some of these will almost certainly come to pass, while others perhaps will not. One is probably doomed before you even read about it here. Let’s take a look at what Apple products I hope will part me from my money in the coming year.

Upgrade all your geekiest Christmas gifts [Deals]

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Main Image

Christmas is coming, and along with it (if you’re lucky) a bunch of cool new tech. Whether you’re getting a new iPhone, computer, mp3 player, or basically any device that carries a charge, we’ve gathered some great deals on accessories for them. That includes wireless charging, to VPN protection, portable charging and more. Read on for more details:

Sail through Apple Watch setup with these handy tips

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The Apple Watch is gorgeous (and comfy, too).
Your Apple Watch setup will be a breeze with these handy tips.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

You’ve got your Apple Watch, you lucky devil. Now it’s time to tweak it to make it as personal as possible with these Apple Watch setup tips.

Although Apple walks you through many of the basic steps, there are plenty of choices to be made before you’ll be able to squeeze maximum utility and joy out of your sleek, stylish smartwatch.

Cult of Mac’s roundup shows you exactly how to make the most out of your new favorite gadget.

Best iPhone accessories [2017 Gift Guide]

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iPhone Gift Guide 2017
Need gift ideas? Find them right here!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2017 Gift Guide bugThe holidays are right around the corner, which means it’s time to start picking out the perfect gifts for your loved ones. Cult of Mac can help! This gift guide offers up a whole bunch of awesome gift suggestions for the iPhone lover in your life.

We handpicked some of the finest cases, wireless chargers, Bluetooth earbuds and more. They’re better than a bookstore voucher, and they’re guaranteed to fetch a smile.

Civilization VI, Rainbrow, and other awesome apps of the week

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App holiday1
'Appy holidays!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A brilliant iPad port of one of the greatest turn-based strategy games of 2016, Civilization VI, is just of one of our picks for this week’s “Awesome Apps of the Week” roundup. In addition, we’ve got neat updates for the official Reddit and Shazam apps, plus a game that you control… using your eyebrows?

Check out our picks below — and have a very happy holidays!

Best Apple Watch accessories for smartwatch fans [2017 Gift Guide]

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Apple Watch gift guide
Great gift ideas for any Apple Watch wearer.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2017 Gift Guide bugTreat the Apple Watch lover in your life to some sweet gifts this holiday season.

Cult of Mac can help you pick out the finest accessories money can buy for Apple Watch fanatics. We have everything from swanky straps to chic charging stands in our best Apple Watch accessories roundup.

Best iPad accessories for tablet fans [2017 Gift Guide]

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These iPad accessories will thrill anyone who gets them.
These iPad accessories will thrill anyone who gets them.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2017 Gift Guide bugStill stressed about holiday shopping? Don’t fret! Cult of Mac is here to help you pick out the perfect gifts for your loved ones this Christmas. This gift guide offers up a bunch of brilliant suggestions for the iPad addict in your life.

We’ve handpicked the best accessories, the finest cases, and more.

Updated AirPods plus our picks for best TV of 2017, on The CultCast

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CultCast iPad

Photo: @YSR50

This week, on a holly jolly edition of The CultCast: The next-gen AirPods are supposedly coming in 2018; next-day delivery of iPhone X is a sprinkling of Christmas magic; how to listen to Youtube videos when your iPad or iPhone screen is off; and we wrap up with our favorite TV shows of 2017!

Our thanks to Backblaze for supporting this episode! Backblaze online backup is Mac native, unlimited, unthrottled cloud backup, and it’s only 5 bucks a month. Try it totally free for two weeks at backblaze.com/cultcast.

Best Mac accessories for gift-giving [2017 Gift Guide]

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These best Mac accessories are perfect for any Mac owner on your gift list.
These accessories are perfect for any Mac owner on your gift list.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2017 Gift Guide bug Christmas creeps up on you quickly, so if you haven’t already started your shopping, it’s time to do something about it. Cult of Mac can help! In this guide, you’ll find a selection of stellar gifts that are perfect for the Mac lover in your life.

We have killer keyboards, stunning stands, super speakers and more!

Revised App Store guidelines give devs a reason to celebrate early

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App Store
Template apps don't mean much to you? They would if you were a developer.
Photo: Graham Bower

A minor change in its App Store guidelines this week concerning template apps doesn’t sound like much. But if you’re one of the many, many iOS developers running a small business who rely on the App Store for a living, either directly or indirectly, it was a major triumph.

Here’s why it’s given developers another reason to celebrate this holiday season.

The latest version of Toast offers total control of digital media [Deals]

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The latest version of Toast adds enhanced integration with other apps, along with powerful new tools.
The latest version of Toast adds enhanced integration with other apps, along with powerful new tools.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Capturing, converting, editing, burning to DVD. Each of the many ways we work with digital media files requires the right software. Roxio Toast has long been seen as one of the top digital media apps for Mac. With the latest version, Toast 16 Titanium, that title seems even more secure.

Apple recruits Amazon Studios execs for its original content team

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apple tvPIC
Apple is building up an impressive team for its original programming.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has recruited three executives from Amazon Studios, who will help Apple further grow its original programming ambitions.

The new employees include Tara Sorensen, former head of Amazon kids’ programming, who will join Apple to pursue a similar role; international development executive Carina Walker, who joins Apple as a creative executive; and business affairs chief Tara Pietri, who will head up Apple’s legal affairs division.

iPhone X demand may be weaker than Apple expected

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iPhone X
Apple may be considering a price reduction in early 2018.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone X shipments are likely to be somewhere between 30-35 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, a new report claims.

If true, this would be something of a disappointment for Apple. Sources in the semiconductor packaging and testing service industry suggest that iPhone X pre-orders in markets including the United States, Taiwan, and Singapore were not as strong as expected.

Cowen analyst Karl Ackerman previously claimed that sales of the new device are “good,” but possibly not as good as anticipated.