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iXtra case brings more storage and battery life to iPhone

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storage case
This smart case will boost your iPhone in more ways than one.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

You can never have too much storage or battery life with your smartphone. The iXtra case adds more of both to your iPhone, with up to 128GB of built-in memory and up to 2,000mAh of additional juice.

It could be the perfect iPhone case, and you can claim yours now on Kickstarter.

Telephoto iPhone lens, lifelong cloud storage, and more [Week’s Best Deals]

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Getflix lets you go anywhere without losing your favorite movies and TV shows.
Getflix lets you go anywhere without losing your favorite movies and TV shows.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The year’s coming to a close, but the great deals on gear and gadgets just keep coming in. This week, we’ve got a service for sidestepping geo-restrictions on your favorite video channels, a full blown telephoto lens for the iPhone, a rock solid car mount for your mobile devices, and a lifetime of super secure cloud storage. Most of them are discounted by 80 percent or above. Read on for more details:

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.

Carry an iOS drive expansion on your keychain [Deals]

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iKlips has created a thumb drive that does double duty for Lightning and USB connections alike.
iKlips has created a thumb drive that does double duty for Lightning and USB connections alike.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Like a computer, we use our iPhones and iPads to store all sorts of data. Unlike a computer, you can’t just plug in a USB thumb drive to expand storage or transfer that data. Unless of course you have an iKlips DUO+, an dual sided Lightning and USB-compatible thumb drive that you can carry right on your keychain. It’s a sleek and simple upgrade for any iOS device, and right now you can get one for $69.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

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.

Ready, get set, go download Super Mario Run for iOS

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Super-Mario-Run-Dec-15
That's today!
Photo: Nintendo

At long last, Nintendo’s long-awaited Super Mario Run has sprinted into the App Store, in what is certainly the biggest iOS game launch of 2016 after Pokémon Go.

Marking the first time Nintendo’s most iconic character has been available on iOS — outside of dodgy third-party game emulators — a demo of Super Mario Run is downloadable for free, while the whole game priced at $9.99.

Instagram’s Snapchat-like features pull in more users

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Stories is already seeing more users than Snapchat.
Stories is already seeing more users than Snapchat.
Photo: Instagram

Instagram’s move to adopt features similar to SnapChat seems to have paid off for the globally popular photo-sharing network.

On its blog Thursday, Instagram sent a thank you note to its community, a number that surpassed 600 million users since it was founded in October of 2010.

Let this AI help you stay focused and relaxed during the holidays [Deals]

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CoM - Brain.fm
When you need to focus or relax, Brain.fm uses smart algorithms to generate the perfect music.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Holidays can stress anyone out, and the music that comes around this time each year sure doesn’t help. Whether you’re trying to focus on your gift list, relax after a busy day of shopping, or just tune out the holiday noise altogether and get some work done, Brain.fm might offer something you can use. It’s an AI-powered streaming station that composes music scientifically designed to help you relax or stay on task, and right now you can get a lifetime of Brain.fm for just $39 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Japanese ad shows off speed of Apple Pay

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Apple Pay
One of the big Apple Pay selling points in Japan is the ability to use it on the subway.
Photo: Apple

Like a short, Apple-produced version of the movie Sliding Doors, the company’s latest ad for the Japanese market pits two parallel versions of the same character against each other — one with Apple Pay, one without.

Guess which one makes it onto the train home in time? (Hint: the answer probably won’t shock you!)

New wireless tech could allow iPhones to charge from across the room

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iPhone wireless charging
You call this wireless charging?
Photo: Ivo Marić and Tomislav Rastovac

Apple could incorporate some impressively cutting edge wireless charging tech into its future devices, claims a new report — and it’s got the perfect partner companies to work with.

According to Fast Company, Apple may draw on the wireless company Energous and chip maker Dialog to usher in technology that would allow users to charge their iOS devices from across the room, rather than using the kind of charging mats employed by rivals like Samsung.