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Seize power for all your gear and gadgets [Deals]

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3 outlets and 4 USB ports make this travel-friendly power strip a comprehensive charging solution.
3 outlets and 4 USB ports make this travel-friendly power strip a comprehensive charging solution.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The more we rely on our digital devices, the more chances there are to run out of juice at just the wrong moment. But the essential charging gadgets in this roundup can meet anyone’s thirst for power.

They include a portable, surge-protected strip with USB and standard outlets, a five-port dock that organizes your gizmos while they charge, a trio of extra-long, MFi-certified Lightning cables, and a wireless charging hub for Apple Watch and three other devices. Read on to learn more:

AirPods haven’t taken the headphone market by storm … yet

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AirPods sales
Apple's AirPods were super-rare upon their launch.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Tim Cook has called the AirPods a “runaway success,” but what this means in terms of wireless headphone market share remains to be seen.

A previous report from Slice Analytics claimed that Apple’s new headphones captured a whopping 26 percent for wireless headphone sales in December. However, analysts at NDP Group think the real number is significantly lower — like, in the 2 percent to 3 percent range.

Why the difference?

Pokémon GO raked in almost $1 billion last year

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Pokemon GO
Pokémon GO made $800m faster than any other game.
Photo: Niantic

Pokémon GO raked in almost $1 billion in 2016, despite being available for only half of the year.

Niantic’s hit was downloaded over 500 million times in a few short months after making its debut last July, and it made $600 million faster than any other mobile game, according to the experts at App Annie.

Apple denies it will launch battery-replacement program for iPhone 6

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The iPhone 6 Plus was Apple's biggest phone yet.
Have you had problems with your iPhone 6 shutting down randomly?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Update: Apple has denied a report that it might launch a battery-replacement program to cover its iPhone 6 handsets.

The exact reason for the supposed battery-exchange initiative wasn’t revealed in Makotakara’s post, which was short on details. But the now-debunked rumor made it sound like Apple might expand the battery-replacement program in place for certain iPhone 6s handsets due to a fault that causes the units to randomly shut down.

36 years on, you can play Bill Gates’ crappy Donkey game on Apple Watch

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Bill Gates just won the internets.
Of all Bill Gates' accomplishments, how did DONKEY hang around?
Photo: Bill Gates

Before Bill Gates was, well, Bill Gates, he was the 20-something software developer behind DONKEY.BAS, a simple yet frustratingly difficult PC game in which players drive a car along a stretch of road while avoiding donkeys.

Created in 1981 to show off the BASIC programming language on the then-new IBM PC, an updated version of the game has now been ported to Apple Watch.

Apple is hiking up App Store prices in the U.K.

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Mac App Store
Prepare to pay more for iOS and macOS apps.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple will hike App Store prices for users in the U.K. due to fluctuating exchange rates and taxation changes.

U.K. prices will go up by at least 25 percent within the next seven days, and Turkey, India and other countries can also expect to see increases, Apple said.

2017 MacBook Pro to bring Intel Kaby Lake, 32GB of RAM

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MacBook
The next MacBook Pro will bring the power pro users require.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple will launch a new 15-inch MacBook Pro later this year powered by Intel’s next-generation Kaby Lake processors and 32GB of desktop-class RAM, according to a reliable analyst.

The latest models feature Skylake chips and up to 16GB of RAM, but many professionals have complained this just isn’t enough for a high-end notebook.

Is iPhone Apple’s most significant product to date? [Friday Night Fights]

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wood
Can you think of anything more important to Apple?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone celebrated its tenth anniversary this week, and it’s hard to imagine where Apple would be today without it. It is by far the company’s most successful product, but is it also its most significant to date?

Friday Night Fights bugApple revolutionized a number of product industries with the Mac, iPod, iTunes, and iPad — all of which have been incredibly successful at some point. It also pioneered new concepts with products like the Newton. Were any of these things more important to Apple than iPhone?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we relive our first experiences with iPhone and discuss Apple’s most significant product releases.

10 apps for enhancing iPhone photos

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A good photo editing app can add mood and alter colors to clarify your vision of your dog or any of your photos.
A good photo editing app can add mood and alter colors to clarify your vision of your dog or any of your photos.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

One of my favorite observations by a now-forgotten sage explained the difference between writing and photography like this: A bad sentence can be massaged, but nothing helps a bad photo.

So true. However, I’ve experienced for myself how a good photo-editing app can salvage sloppy composition or bad exposure — and even teach you something along the way. So if you resolve to become a better photographer in 2017, you might want to add some tools to put a finer finish on your iPhone photos.

Samsung will spill the beans on Note 7 explosions next week

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galaxy note 7
The Note 7 went from hero to zero.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Samsung will reveal the findings of its internal investigation about the exploding Note 7 smartphones one day before it announces its Q4 earnings, claims a new report.

That would put the date at January 23, after which the company no doubt hopes that the news cycle will quickly move on to Samsung’s earnings for the last three months of 2016.

iPhone 7 tops 2016 smartphone performance chart

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Top-10-smartphones-2016
Apple's A10X Fusion chip continues to impress.
Photo: AnTuTu

Benchmark specialists AnTuTu have put together a chart that highlights 2016’s top performing smartphones, and it’s no surprise to see iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus right at the top of it.

Apple’s latest handsets grabbed the first and second spots with the highest benchmark scores, followed by the OnePlus 3T. There’s no sign of a Samsung device in the top ten.

Sharpen your iOS coding chops for next to nothing [Deals]

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iOS 10 and 9 lesson bundle
Learn to code for iOS 10 and iOS 9 in this comprehensive, massively discounted lesson bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

For developers, iOS is as vibrant a platform as ever. There’s plenty of room for new and seasoned developers alike to make their mark, which makes this duo of lessons in iOS 10 and iOS 9 from Mammoth Interactive a valuable resource for coders of any skill level.

It offers nearly 200 hours of top-shelf instruction, and right now you can get the entire iOS coding bundle for just $29 at Cult of Mac Deals.

New AirPod ads show off Apple’s wireless dream

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Screen Shot 2017-01-16 at 14.57.22
Apple's new ads celebrates its new AirPods.
Photo: Apple

Apple debuted new ads for its freshly-released AirPods over the weekend, demonstrating features like instant pairing and Siri, while getting across the joy that comes with Apple’s wireless dream through a musical dance number.

Starring Los Angeles-based dancer and model Lil Buck, and set to the song “Down” by Marian Hill, the four black-and-white spots debuted on Apple’s YouTube channel.

Check them out below:

Jimmy Iovine reiterates Apple’s interest in original TV content

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Iovine
Iovine says Apple Music isn't just about music.
Photo: Apple

Jimmy Iovine is hinting that Apple may indeed be looking to follow Amazon and Netflix down the original TV programming route, telling The Hollywood Reporter that the company is “going to do whatever hits popular culture smack on the nose.”

“At Apple Music, what we’re trying to create is an entire cultural, pop cultural experience, and that happens to include audio and video,” Iovine said.

Apple commemorates Martin Luther King Jr. Day

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MLK-quote-Apple
Apple.com today.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Apple is today commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a famous quote on the front page of its website that promotes equality.

Paying homage to the legendary civil rights leader is a tradition for Apple, which has become increasingly focused on supporting equal rights and fighting discrimination in recent years.

Samsung chief faces arrest for bribing South Korea president

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samsungs-new-galaxy-s7-and-s7-edge-bring-better-designs-incredible-specs-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads2016024_vr-homepage-desktop-size-a-letterbox-v1-780x390
Samsung's de-facto boss is in a spot of trouble.
Photo: Samsung

The de-facto head of Samsung faces arrest on charges of bribing South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye and a confidante.

The call for Lee Kun-hee, Samsung’s vice chairman and the only son of its incapacitated chairman, is part of a larger investigation into alleged corruption involving senior government officials and large South Korean corporations.

Breakout Ninja, Sonny, and other awesome iOS games

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Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend all!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

For whatever reason, I’ve been playing a ton of iOS games this past week, so with that in mind I decided to focus on games for this week’s “Awesome Apps” instalment.

Whether you’re looking for something quick and easy to while away your Sunday, or a far more in-depth gaming experience that’ll keep you busy until the bad weather ends, I’m confident you’ll find something on this list to enjoy.

Check it out:

Name your price for this coding crash course [Deals]

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Name your price for a full-spectrum, comprehensive, hands-on set of lessons in coding on several platforms.
Name your price for a full-spectrum, comprehensive, hands-on set of lessons in coding on several platforms.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s a new year, so it’s a great time to give yourself the valuable new skill of coding. It’s a discipline that takes a lot of time — and often money — to get proficient, but this bundle of coding lessons offers a chance to learn for whatever you’re willing to pay.

Today you can name your price for the Learn to Code 2017 Bundle at Cult of Mac Deals.
Clocking in at 156 hours of instruction, this bundle covers everything from basic to advanced techniques for development on iOS, web and other platforms. You can learn Python, Ruby,  JavaScript, Google’s Go programming language, iOS 10 and Swift 3 — and lots more!

This is a full-spectrum set of lessons useful for people at any skill level. The lessons are buttressed by hands-on projects and templates that make this more than just book work. It’s a great way to get practical experience in the craft of coding.

Buy now: Pay what you want for the Learn to Code 2017 Bundle, worth well over $1,000.

Upgrade your iPhone with 60X zoom and more [Week’s Best Deals]

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Get triple backup and extra reach for your iPhone's lifeline with this bundle of MFi-certified Lightning cables.
Get triple backup and extra reach for your iPhone's lifeline with this bundle of MFi-certified Lightning cables.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Take your mind off the crazy week and rest your eyes on some of its best deals at the Cult of Mac Store. This go around we’ve got a trio of MFi-certified Lightning cables, a lifetime VPN subscription, a full-on telescopic lens for your iPhone and a skeleton key for streaming video.

The best part? Most of these deals are priced at more than 90 percent off!

Mavic Pro: The coolest gadget since the original iPhone [Reviews]

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Mavic Pro
The Mavic Pro is much more than a cool flying toy.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Tiny cameras that can fly still seemed like a sci-fi dream just five years ago, but with DJI’s new Mavic Pro drone, the future has arrived ahead of schedule.

When it comes to drones, no company is killing it right now more than DJI, and the Mavic Pro is its most amazing achievement yet. Yes, some drones fly faster and shoot better video, but the Mavic Pro is the ultimate drone for people who love photography, flight and the outdoors but don’t want to be weighed down.

Best of all, you don’t need to be a practice drone pilot or tech nerd to have a blast with the Mavic Pro. Here’s why it’s our favorite drone ever.

Android creator plans new device to challenge iPhone

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Galaxy Note 7
Samsung and other Android smartphone makers are about to get some new competition.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Former Google VP Andy Rubin is in talks with carriers about selling a new smartphone he has created with his startup, Essential.

Rubin left Google two years ago after creating Android and the leading the team behind it for eight years. Now that he’s had time away from the search giant, Rubin is planning to take on the iPhone and Android handsets with a new type of smartphone that specializes in artificial intelligence.