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Jony Ive will host free design talk in Washington, D.C.

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Ive
Jony Ive will be talking about the future of design.
Photo: Apple

As one of Apple’s more elusive executives (when was the last time he spoke live at a keynote event?), it’s not every day that you get to hear chief design officer Jony Ive talk about what he does best.

If you live in Washington, D.C., however, you’ll get the chance later this month. Ive is speaking about the “future of design” at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum.

Best of all? The tickets are free.

Apple’s AI experts are working to make self-driving cars smarter

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Apple's Car
The autonomous Apple Car as spotted last month.
Photo: diggapple/Twitter

Apple may have just reignited rumors about its Apple Car ambitions by publishing an online research paper — describing how neural networks can be used to detect autonomous car-friendly objects in 3D point clouds.

The results could be used to help improve accuracy in LiDAR technology, in which pulsed laser light is used to measure the distance of objects.

Pixar co-founder takes leave of absence following misconduct allegations

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steve jobs
Steve Jobs surrounded by Pixar founders Edwin Catmull (left) and Peter Lasseter (right).
Photo: Disney

Pixar co-founder John Lasseter has become the latest high profile person to be accused of inappropriate behavior toward women. In a statement released today, Lasseter apologized for his alleged pattern of showering female employees with hugs and that he’s taking a six-month leave of absence.

As Chief Creative Officer of both Disney and Pixar, Lasseter is one of the most prominent persons in the animated film industry. Steve Jobs and Lasseter had a close relationship for years after the Apple CEO purchased Pixar from Lucasfilm.

Keep your AirPods safe and sound with PodPocket

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PodPockets protect your AirPods and complement Apple's unique design.
A PodPocket protects your AirPods and complements Apple’s unique design.
Photo: PodPocket

This post is presented by PodPocket.

Apple’s futuristic wireless headphones might look like they belong in Elroy Jetson’s ears, but they’re still subject to gravity. Think it stings when you drop a couple hundred bucks on a new set of AirPods? Imagine the feeling of dropping them on the pavement.

Bottom line: AirPods are great, but also expensive, fragile and easy to lose.

Why the iPhone X needs its notch

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iPhone X notch
The "notch" is not a problem.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Ever since Apple unveiled the iPhone X, naysayers have been complaining about “the notch.” But in today’s video, I’m going to do my best to convince you that the controversial cutout at the top of the iPhone X screen is totally not an issue.

Here’s why I think the iPhone X actually needs the notch.

Pick the VPN setup that’s best for you [Deals]

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This roundup of VPN deals offers an option for anybody looking to protect their online life.
This roundup of VPN deals offers an option for anybody looking to protect their online life.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Getting a VPN is one of the most effective ways of adding a degree privacy and protection to your online life. But with all the options out there, it can be hard to know where to start. So this roundup of various Windscribe VPN licenses is a great place to start.

Buoy is a smart home water system that gives you complete control

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Buoy
Buoy makes managing water easy.
Photo: Buoy

Smart appliances have allowed us to take control of our home security, heating, lighting, and more. Now you can do the same with your water supply, thanks to Buoy.

This revolutionary new smart device uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to give you a complete understanding and complete control over your water. It alerts you when there’s a leak, lets you shut off supply remotely, and helps you avoid unexpected bills.

Steve Jobs had a thing for ‘Billie Jean’

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Jobs
Steve Jobs was a fan of Michael Jackson's music, especially Billie Jean.
Photo: Esther Dyson/Flickr CC

There was a time in the 1980s when Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” was a balm that could sooth the prickly nature of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

His former publicist remembers having to play the song over and over again because it was the only way he got through a particular photo shoot.

Foxconn will be assembling Apple’s HomePod speaker for 2018

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Apple's new HomePod smart speaker is ready to rock your house.
HomePod's delay will help Amazon.
Photo: Apple

Foxconn is joining the HomePod supply chain to help assemble Apple’s delayed smart speakers, a new report claims.

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. — to use Foxconn’s full name — is currently the sole manufacturer of Apple’s iPhone X. However, despite the massive demand for that device, various manufacturing issues with the iPhone X recently caused Foxconn to report its biggest decline in profits in nearly a decade.

That evidently isn’t putting it off working with Apple, however.

Apple forced to pull Skype from Chinese App Store

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Skype for Web
Skype is the latest app to run into problems in China.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

China may be working to ban Skype, with the phone call and messaging service disappearing from a number of sites, including Apple’s App Store in the country.

“We have been notified by the Ministry of Public Security that a number of voice over internet protocol apps do not comply with local law,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “Therefore these apps have been removed from the App Store in China.”

AT&T’s merger with Time Warner hits major roadblock

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AT&T logo
U.S. government says AT&T/Time Warner merger would hurt customers
Photo: Luismt94/Wikipedia CC

The U.S. Justice Department has filed an antitrust lawsuit to block a planned AT&T and Time Warner deal — marking the first time in several decades the government has tried to block a merger between two companies that don’t directly compete with each other.

The AT&T chief says the suit, “defies logic and is unprecedented,” but the Justice Department claims that AT&T’s $85.4 billion bid to buy Time Warner would mean higher fees and fewer choices for customers.

How to get Animojis on any phone (kind of)

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iPhone X Animoji
Animoji are too much fun!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Want Animojis on any iPhone? While you need the iPhone X’s TrueDepth sensors to create Apple’s animated emojis, some apps produce results that look very much like Animoji.

In the video below, I’ll show you how one of them works.

Rare working Apple Lisa-1 sells for $50,000

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Take a sneak peek at upcoming Apple Lisa documentary
The Lisa was one of Apple's more notorious flops.
Photo: Auction Team Breker

If you feel foolish for having spent $10,000 for an Apple Lisa-1 computer in 1983, you hopefully kept it.

A working model recently sold for more than $50,000 at auction.

One of Apple’s biggest commercial failures is now one of the most coveted pieces of vintage tech. The steep price, clunky performance, and unreliable Twiggy floppy disks led to poor sales. Apple made improvements and dropped the price on the Lisa-2, but the launch of the Apple MacIntosh pretty much ended Lisa’s life.

PDFelement for Mac makes it easy and fast to edit PDFs

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Wondershare PDFelement PDF editor for Mac
PDFelement works wonders with PDFs.
Photo: StockSnap/Pixabay CC

This post is presented by Wondershare, maker of PDFelement.

What happens when you’re about to send an important PDF, only to spot a typo? If it was a Word document, you could just open it up, zap the offending letters, save and send. But with a PDF, it’s not so easy — if you don’t have the right software.

That’s why an app like PDFelement for Mac is a potentially invaluable part of anyone’s digital document toolkit. With it, you can edit, add and delete text in a PDF as easily as you would a Word document. Here’s how it works.

iPhone X goes super-tiny in new concept designs

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iPhone XS
Which iPhone would you choose?
Photo: Curved

Tiny iPhones could make a big comeback in the near future if Apple ever decides to bring the iPhone X display to an iPhone SE-sized device.

It’s only a matter of time before the edge-to-edge display of the iPhone X makes its way to all of Apple’s other iPhones and based on some new concept mockups, we can’t wait to see it on the smaller iPhone SE body.

Prepare to drool:

Logitech Slim Combo gives iPad Pro a comfy keyboard [Review]

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The Logitech Slim Combo iPad Pro keyboard case puts a rugged cover on your precious tablet. But it's not for everyone.
The Slim Combo puts a rugged cover on your precious iPad Pro. But it's not for everyone.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

If you use the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro, you know it’s got the power to replace a MacBook for some tasks (especially if you’re running iOS 11, which gives your iPad superpowers).

The Logitech Slim Combo case, with a clamshell design and a complete keyboard, makes your iPad Pro seem even more like a laptop than ever. It’s not all super-portable bliss, though. A couple of strange design choices make you painfully aware that the Slim Combo isn’t an Apple product.

Jump on this Black Friday deal for a massive bundle of Mac apps feat. PDF Expert [Deals]

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Black Friday Mac Bundle Feat PDF Expert
Don't miss on this eight Mac app bundle, featuring PDF Expert and Roxio Toast.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

That’s right, it’s almost time for Black Friday to roll around again. This year, forget facing the long, bleak lines at department stores. Instead, you can bring a truckload of new apps to your Mac with the click of a button, including award-winning Mac app–PDF Expert 2.2.

Your Mac drive deserves an emergency kit [Deals]

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Get one-click recovery of essential files from Mac, iPhone or Android devices.
Get one-click recovery of essential files from Mac, iPhone or Android devices.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The best laid plans often go awry, and so do our hard drives. Then there are times when we accidentally delete files, including important business documents and precious family photos. That’s why it pays to have the tools on hand to prevent and recover from the loss of key data.

Animal Crossing lands on iOS this week

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Nintendo introduces 2 paid subscriptions for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
Nintendo introduces 2 paid subscriptions for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
Photo: Nintendo

Nintendo has something sweet up its sleeve that will keep you entertained over Thanksgiving. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is finally coming to Android and iOS this week.

I made my own smart HomePod speaker, and it’s awesome

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iPod Hi-Fi
The iPod Hi-Fi has aged well. Initially a dud, it's now a collectors' piece. And it sounds great.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Last week’s crushing news that Apple’s HomePod won’t be available for Christmas was a blow to some.

But I shrugged it off.

That’s because I made my own HomePod smart speaker. It cost me about $60 and sounds absolutely great.

How a dev’s lies caused a panic on eve of Apple Watch debut

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apple watch
Belle Gibson was profiled on many TV shows, largely thanks to Apple's promotion.
Photo: Sunrise

Apple found itself in an awkward situation prior to the launch of the Apple Watch, when one of its star developers was exposed as a fraud who had lied about her health condition to become famous.

An article published in the Australian newspaper The Age reveals just how close Apple was to wellness blogger and developer Belle Gibson — and how the company was ultimately forced to make the call to drop her just before its important Apple Watch went on sale in 2015, after the true story came out.