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Tim Cook calls AirPods a ‘runaway success’

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airpods
Getting your hands on AirPods is almost impossible.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple CEO Tim Cook was all smiles during a brief appearance at the New York Stock Exchange this morning. While taking a quick tour of the floor with his nephew, Cook revealed that AirPods are so popular Apple can’t make them fast enough.

All the ways Apple disappointed us in 2016

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Biggest Disappointments
Apple's 2016 wasn't exactly inspiring.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac 2016 hasn’t been Apple’s best year by a long shot. While the company is still making money hand over fist and has seen its Services division go from strength to strength, Apple also consistently stumbled for the first time in years.

While we remain loyal to the Apple brand, here are our picks for the year’s biggest disappointments.

Eat off an iPad at this fancy San Francisco restaurant

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Truffles served on an iPad plate.
Photo: Richie Nakano

A restaurant in San Francisco has begun serving food on iPads. Quince is using the popular tablets as plates in an apparent effort to appeal to younger diners. Each iPad plays a video of a water dog searching for truffles while you eat your meal off its screen.

Seriously.

Every Apple store worldwide is sold out of AirPods

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AirPods sales
This is a sight you're not likely to see in your local Apple store.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Our take on Apple’s new wireless AirPods may be that they “just work,” but one thing that isn’t quite so seamless is picking up a pair in person at your local Apple store.

That’s according to airpods.isinstock.com, a website dedicated to providing at-a-glance stock levels for Apple’s AirPods at every Apple retail store in the world. The current grand total of stores stocking the AirPods? A big fat zero.

Charge up and organize all your devices in one place [Deals]

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Organize and charge up all your mobile and wall-connected devices at once.
Organize and charge up all your mobile and wall-connected devices at once.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We’ve all seen the mess a room can become with all the power cables and power strips our electronics share with our lamps, TVs and other stuff. Lucky for us, GorillaPower has come out with a centralized charger that cuts the clutter, and keeps all your essential electronics juiced up. This sleek, space saving hub can handle as many as 7 devices at once, and right now you can get it for just $59.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple beat Samsung on device activations this Christmas

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Apple had a heckuva Christmas.
Photo: Flurry

More iPhones and iPads were activated over the festive season than any other company’s handsets and tablets, according to data published by analytics firm Flurry.

Analyzing data about phone and app activation throughout the week leading up to Christmas day and the start of Chanukah, Flurry found that 44 percent of all new activations were for Apple devices — more than twice the number of nearest rival, Samsung.

iPhone 7 could soon be available in Jet White

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Although things may not be quite as they seem.
Photo: Sonny Dickson

The name might not make sense, but a “Jet White” iPhone 7 could soon be on the way, according to renowned Apple leaker Sonny Dickson, who posted pictures of just such a handset online this week.

The Jet Black iPhone 7 was one of the hottest iPhone models when the handset first launched back in September. A similarly glossy handset in white could therefore prove to be a nice mid-year iPhone sales booster should Apple choose to go in this direction.

Check out a video of the alleged handset below.

Week’s best Apple deals: Best prices on refurb Apple Watches and iPhones

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Get refurb deals on Apple gear or the amazing Duet Display at half price.
Get refurb deals on Apple gear or the amazing Duet Display at half price.
Photos: Apple, Duet

If you’re experiencing a post-holiday spending hangover, don’t fret! There are still plenty of Apple deals available for anybody on a budget. Score factory-refurbished Apple Watches and a popular productivity app at the best price we’ve seen. You’ll find those deals and more in this week’s best Apple deals.

Apple offers first glimpse at its secretive AI work

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photos in ios 10
iOS 10's Photos app can automatically recognize content in images.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Researchers on Apple’s artificial intelligence team have published the first ever research paper ever from the iPhone-maker, ending Apple’s long standing ban that safeguarded company secrets.

The paper details methods on how to train AI algorithms to recognize images. Apple’s researchers reveal that they have tried using both computer-generated images as well as real-world images to train to algorithm, but each have serious drawbacks.

iPhone’s dual-lens camera might go vertical in 2017

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iphone 7
Apple is planning to change its dual-lens camera already.
Photo: Apple

Next year’s Plus-size iPhone might come with a slightly different dual-lens camera, according to the latest rumors out of Asia.

Citing supply chain sources, the new rumor claims Apple will reposition the secondary telephoto lens on the iPhone so that it sits below the traditional wide-angle lens.

Get the hard drive equivalent of health insurance [Deals]

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Keep this single click file recovery app handy for the inevitable moment when your lose a file you really need.
Keep this single click file recovery app handy for the inevitable moment when your lose a file you really need.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Hard drives, like bodies, can develop issues that need expert help. Whether accidents on the part of the user or just run-of-the-mill file corruption, Disk Drill Pro 3 offers a powerful and simple tool for recovering what would otherwise be lost. It’s a single click disk recovery, and right now you can get a lifetime license of Disk Drill Pro 3 for just $34.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Backup battery doubles as a portable outlet [Deals]

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Add a layer of battery backup to your boring old Apple wall adapter.
Add a layer of battery backup to your boring old Apple wall adapter.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The standard Apple USB interface for wall outlets is compact and nice looking, but it’s not much use if you aren’t around a wall. NomadPlus doesn’t replace the outlet, but enhances it, adding a 1800mAh backup battery and the ability to charge on the go. It’s like carrying a wall outlet around in your bag, but less weird. And now is your last chance you can get a NomadPlug for just $18.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic and other awesome apps of the week

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

If you find yourself at a loose end today, perhaps after overindulging on the eggnog and looking to sit down for a few minutes, why not check out our picks for the top apps of the last week?

Whether you own an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or MacBook, we’re confident you’ll find something to enjoy on our list!

Got a new iPhone? Sell your old Android phone to us.

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Got a shiny new iPhone? Sell us your old Android device.
Got a shiny new iPhone? Sell us your old Android device.
Photo: Paula Lavalle/Unsplash

No matter how well you take care of an Android phone, the time will come for it to count its last electric sheep. Selling a smartphone, even a functioning one, can be a hassle — and less than rewarding when dealing with the typical Android buyback program or Craigslist buyer.

If you’ve got a Samsung, LG or HTC phone, even one that’s gone completely kaput, Cult of Mac’s buyback program makes it easy to trade it in for the best price.

Get the cloud-based file sharing powerhouse used by the biggest names in tech [Deals]

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This powerful and popular sharing and productivity platform is used by some of the biggest names in tech and media.
This powerful and popular sharing and productivity platform is used by some of the biggest names in tech and media.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Working with teammates on their own computers, it sure helps to be able to get whatever’s on your screen onto theirs. CloudApp makes that easy.

It’s an all-inclusive platform for capturing, annotating and sharing everything from screenshots and GIFs to screen video recordings, all via super-quick links and integration with a hundreds of productivity services. It’s used by the likes of Slack, HBO, Facebook, The New York Times, Tumblr, GitHub and many more, and right now you can get a year of CloudApp for your team for a mere $30.

The weirdest Apple stories of 2016

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Wierdest Stories 2016
It's been a weird year. And Apple's no exception.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac Covering Cupertino is more than just statistics and rumors about upcoming products. There’s plenty of weird Apple news, whether it be a Chinese billionaire buying iPhones for his pet dog or the revelation that, in some alternate universe, Tim Cook could become vice president of the United States.

With that in mind, here are the weirdest Apple news stories of 2016.

Rocket League clone brings supercharged soccer to iOS

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Turbo League is the game you've been waiting to play.
Photo: Zero Four Games

Rocket League is undoubtedly one of the finest and most enjoyable games to grace the current generation of consoles, but it’s yet to make its way to mobile. Soon we won’t need it, because Turbo League for iOS promises to be just as good.

Fans of the space sim genre rejoice [Deals]

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Playing with rockets is fun on its own, and this space sim adds a playful feel and tons of depth.
Playing with rockets is fun on its own, and this space sim adds a playful feel and tons of depth.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Space sims — like flight sims — maintain a niche following. The game genre mixes the fun of flight with the extreme physics involved in sending things to freaking space. Mac (and PC) game Kerbal Space Program manages to scratch the rocket science itch while also being genuinely entertaining and accessible.

This great take on the space simulator is winning praise all over the gaming world and boasts an active community of modders and enthusiasts. Right now you can get a Steam ticket for Kerbal Space Program $13.59.

Consumer Reports slams new MacBook Pros’ terrible battery life

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2016 MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro's battery life problems drag the laptop down.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Consumer Reports just unloaded a mighty smackdown on the new MacBook Pro lineup, citing “highly inconsistent” battery life as the reason the latest Apple laptops failed to earn a coveted recommendation.

It’s the first time the well-regarded reviews organization flunked an Apple laptop. And the test results should give serious pause to anybody who is considering buying a new MacBook Pro.

With AirPods, Apple gets back to ‘it just works’ [Review]

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lost AirPods
Apple's wireless earphones are easily one of the company's best products of 2016.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s EarPods have always been a go-to favorite for me. They’re included with every iPhone, always sound good enough for what I need, and I’ve always found them comfortable. Even going back to the good old iPod days, I’ve always kept a pair close to hand.

But now Apple’s moving on into the “wireless future” with its new AirPods. These completely wireless earphones let you listen to music and podcasts, make phone calls and talk to Siri. But just how do they measure up?

Pokémon GO finally gets an Apple Watch app

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News of an Apple partnership with Nintendo and Pokémon Go for the Apple Watch seemed to draw the most excitement from Apple fans on Twitter.
We got a glimpse of Pokémon GO for the Apple Watch during the iPhone 7 event.
Photo: Apple

Pokémon GO is finally ready for Apple Watch. The iOS game, one of 2016’s biggest breakout hits, got an update today that includes the long-awaited Apple Watch app.

According to the game’s maker, Pokémon GO is a perfect match for Apple’s wearable.