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Want to turn your bottle into a speaker? Put a Cork in it.

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Cork Speaker
Now you can bottle your sound, literally, with the Cork Speaker.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

There are Bluetooth speakers that are shaped like bottles. Then there’s the Bluetooth speaker that needs a bottle to work.

The Cork Speaker attaches right where you might think – at the opening of a bottle – and directs audio into the empty space so that it projects a deep and resonating sound.

Apple Watch strap adds two HD cameras

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CMRA_20Apple_20Watch_20camera.0.0
Is this a useful use-case for the Apple Watch? This company hopes so.
Photo: Glide

If you’re disappointed that the Apple Watch doesn’t boast a built-in camera, you may be interested to hear about a new watch band available for pre-order today.

Called CMRA, the third-party Apple Watch strap boasts a pair of HD camera with the ability for users to carry out “seamless photo and video capture” directly from their wrists.

Rugged smartphone tripod tackles any situation [Deals]

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Take pictures from any angle with this super durable smartphone tripod
Take pictures from any angle with this super durable smartphone tripod
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When you’re out in the world trying to take high quality photos with your smartphone, a tripod is invaluable. What you want is a portable phone mount that can get any angle and withstand the test of time and travel, and that’s what the ARMOR-X tripod was built for. It’s built to take photos anywhere and from any angle, even on rugged surfaces like rocks, and it’s built to last. And right now you can get one for $19.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Why the MacBook Pro headphone jack didn’t disappear

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iPhone 6 headphone jack
Gone from the iPhone, not from the MacBook Pro.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

A few people were surprised to see a 3.5mm headphone jack appear on Apple’s new MacBook Pro laptop, just weeks after the company very publicly discarded the port for its new iPhone 7.

But according to Phil Schiller, speaking in a new interview, it’s not an example of inconsistency on Apple’s part. Instead, it speaks to a much deeper philosophical question on Apple’s part about the difference between mobile and non-mobile devices.

Atlas Recall has the muscle to be the ultimate search engine

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Atlas Recall
If it came across your screen, Atlas Recall can find it.
Photo: Atlas Informatics

Jordan Ritter owes his success as a software architect and serial entrepreneur to ruthless time and task management. But still, there were times “digital chaos” was kicking his ass.

So leave it to Ritter, who made history with Napster, to kick back. His newest venture, Atlas Informatics, launched a software product he says will give every user a “photographs memory” of their digital lives.

Escape From New York smartwatch might make your head explode

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Lifeclock One makes you Snake Plissken-chic.
Lifeclock One makes you Snake Plissken-chic.
Photo: Jonathan Zufi

Before there was an Apple Watch, Snake Plissken had a kind of smartwatch that tracked his health. He knew that if his watch hit zero before he could rescue the President of the United States, he could count on the explosives injected into his neck to go off.

But that’s not the point. What matters is that the countdown clock attached to actor Kurt Russell for the 1981 classic Escape from New York would make a really stylish smartwatch today. And you can now own one and wear it as if your president’s life depended on it.

Hulu’s live TV stream will deliver ESPN, Disney and Fox

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The new Hulu will launch next year.
The new Hulu will launch next year.

Hulu scored two new partnerships for its upcoming streaming TV service that it plans to use to help cable subscribers finally cut the cord.

Both Disney and 21st Century Fox have agreed to be part of Hulu’s skinny bundle that will allow customers to stream live TV from at least two of the top networks in the US for a monthly fee.

Valet Charger power pack lets you leave your Apple Watch cable at home

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The Valet Charger solves a first-world problem: How to keep your Apple Watch charged on the go.
The Valet Charger solves a first-world problem: Keeping your Apple Watch elegantly charged on the go.
Photo: Belkin

If you’re traveling with your Apple Watch and desperately want to eliminate a cable from your bag, Belkin’s new Valet Charger power pack could do the trick.

With its built-in round magnetic charging module, this 6,700mAh battery pack lets you jettison the single-use cable that comes with every Apple Watch.

New MacBook Pro may get an OLED upgrade

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macbook pro
The new MacBook Pro is stunner.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 8 may not be the only Apple product that gets an OLED upgrade next year.

Apple is reportedly testing new displays for next year’s MacBook Pro and is exploring the use of OLED, which offers lower battery consumption, brighter colors and sharper contrasts.

Apple’s flagship store in Chicago comes with $62 million price tag

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IMG_2433
An artist rendering of Apple's store on the north bank of the Chicago River.
Photo: Chicago Department of Planning and Development

The new store being built by Apple along the Chicago River is shaping up to be one of the company’s most expensive new locations of 2017.

Apple’s store on the iconic “Magnificent Mile” is being mostly built underground at 401 N. Michigan Ave., but Apple wants the plaza-level entrance to be absolutely fabulous, so it’s going to cost more than $60 million.

iOS 10.2 public beta brings new wallpapers and emoji

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iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus owners get three new wallpapers with iOS 10.2
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

One day after launching the first beta of iOS 10.2 to developers, Apple has now made the software update available to public testers.

iOS 10.2 is the first major update for iPhone and iPad users since 10.1 brought Portrait Mode To iPhone 7 Plus users as well as a number of UI tweaks. The new iOS 10.2 beta is slim on new features but does bring 72 new emoji and wallpapers.

MacBook Pro’s two biggest problems may get fixed in 2017

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The MacBook Pro will be more affordable next year.
The MacBook Pro will be more affordable next year.
Photo: Apple

Apple just barely revealed its new MacBook Pro, but rumors about the next-generation model are already giving fans something to get excited about in 2017.

The next MacBook Pro will supposedly come with a much-lower price tag, according to one of the most accurate Apple analysts in the biz, Ming-Chi Kuo.

AirPods might get delayed until 2017

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airpods
AirPods were originally scheduled to arrive in October.
Photo: Apple

If you had AirPods on your Christmas list, it might be time to cross them off. A new report claims we could be waiting until January next year for Apple’s fancy new wireless earphones to go on sale.

How to restore Mac startup chimes on 2016 MacBook Pro

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touchbar
We don't have the new MacBook Pro yet, and already we're missing the startup chimes.
Photo: Apple

By now, you’ve probably heard that the new MacBook Pro doesn’t automatically play Apple’s iconic startup chord when you power it on.

While not met with the same hostility as the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack on iPhone 7, the change definitely upset some people. Especially since the sound serves a useful purpose: It indicates that diagnostic tests have been successfully run and your Mac is working as it should.

With that in mind, nobody would blame you for wanting to restore the iconic audio cue on your new MacBook Pro. But how do you do it? Follow our simple steps to find out.

Why Apple needs to design its own MacBook chips

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A10 Fusion
The Mac needs an Apple processor.
Photo: Apple

Apple is getting a lot of stick for failing to give users a 32GB RAM option onthe latest MacBook Pro — but there’s a good reason why 16GB is the most you can get.

It’s also the reason Apple needs to start designing its own processors for the MacBook family.

These earbuds plug right into your Lightning jack [Deals]

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Upgrade your iPhone 7's headphones with these top-rated Lightning cable headphones
Upgrade your iPhone 7's headphones with these top-rated Lightning cable headphones
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

With the new iPhone, Apple have decreed that the day of the headphone jack is behind us. But that doesn’t mean you have to suddenly embrace battery-draining Bluetooth. The HOCO L1 Lightning Cable Headphones connect to your phone via its Lightning port so you can upgrade your phone and carry on listening like you’re used to. Named among the Top 10 Best Lightning Headphones for iPhone 7 by Heavy, you can get these headphones for $21.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple Music might be about to get a big price drop

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AppleMusic
Apple could cut $2 off its regular monthly subscription cost.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Forget $9.99 per month — Apple might slash the price of Apple Music subscriptions to better compete with streaming music rivals, most notably Amazon.

According to a new report, Apple could drop monthly subscription prices by as much as 20 percent. The Apple Music price drop would mean a regular subscription would cost users around $7.99 per month, while a family package would go for $12.99.

MacBook Pro teardown reveals why you can forget about upgrading

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macbook
We wouldn't mind a piece of the new MacBook Pro. Or even a whole laptop if possible.
Photo: iFixit

A teardown of the new entry-level MacBook Pro reveals it to be one of Apple’s least upgradeable laptops.

The good news? Even the Touch Bar-free model includes some nifty upgrades. The bad? From proprietary pentalobe screws that make opening the case unnecessarily difficult to the RAM soldered to the logic board, this isn’t a laptop you’ll be able to upgrade easily.

New book paints intimate portrait of Steve Jobs at work [Review]

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To Pixar and Beyond by Lawrence Levy
In To Pixar and Beyond, Lawrence Levy offers an insider look at Steve Jobs' early struggles at the animation studio.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

After his death, Steve Jobs became mythic. He’s remembered as an asshole and a technology seer: a Tony Stark-like figure who could uniquely divine the sci-fi future, conjuring magical products from whole cloth almost single-handedly.

He’s also seen as infallible: a business and technology genius with powers of divination beyond those of us mere mortals.

But To Pixar and Beyond, a new book by Lawrence Levy, the former CFO of Pixar, paints a very different picture.

First iOS 10.2 and tvOS 10.1 betas arrive for developers

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News and Music ios10
New beta software for iPhone is here.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Developers received a big batch of beta software updates from Apple today.

New betas for iOS, tvOS, watchOS and macOS are now available, bringing a host of bug fixes and performance updates just one week after Apple released iOS 10.1 with support for Portrait Mode on the iPhone 7 Plus.

Awesome Aluminum Apple Watch bands, world’s smartest earphones and more [Crowdfund Roundup]

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Crowdfund Roundup
Help turn these awesome ideas into reality!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

You can find some incredible new gadgets on Kickstarter and Indiegogo that often go unnoticed. We’re rounding up some of the best every week to help them get the funding they need to become a reality.

This week, we’ve chosen a stunning aluminum band for Apple Watch, the “world’s smartest” wireless earphones, a smart clock that displays your notifications, and an incredibly intelligent bottle that can rid your water of contaminants.

Sharp exec confirms next iPhone will have OLED display

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iOS and Android are killing off the competition.
Samsung is already using OLED in its phones.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The next iPhone will get upgraded to an amazing OLED display, according to a Sharp executive who confirmed the long-standing rumor while speaking at Tatung University.

Sharp President Tai Jeng-wu, who is also an executive at Foxconn, told students that if Apple doesn’t switch to OLED iPhone, there won’t be any innovation.