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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.

Week’s best Apple deals: Get iPad Pro at Black Friday prices, Goat Simulator for free!

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iPad Pros at Black Friday prices? Goat outta here!
iPad Pros at Black Friday prices? Goat outta here!
Photos: Apple, Acoustic Research, Coffee Stain Studios

Christmas is almost here, and if you’re still shopping for gifts, you only have a few days left before express-shipping fees kick in and brick-and-mortar stores get stingy with discounts to take advantage of your need.

Before that happens, check out some of the best iPad, iPhone and game prices we’ve seen all year, in this week’s roundup of the best Apple deals.

Finally, a holiday gift guide you actually care about [Deals]

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GG - Mainframe
Beats by Dre, UE ROLL 2, and lots of Mac amenities make for some very happy holidays.

The people on your holiday shopping list deserve cutting-edge gifts. That’s why you won’t find ugly sweaters or gifts that are actually meant for pets not people in the Cult of Mac gift guide.

Loaded with tech gift ideas for Apple fans, this handy guide will make you the best gift-giver in the family for once.

Tim Cook and other tech titans meet Trump in his tower

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Peter Thiel separates Tim Cook and Donald Trump at tech summit.
Peter Thiel separates Tim Cook and Donald Trump at tech summit.
Photo: Sean Spicer/Twitter

Trump Tower in New York City became the site of the biggest meeting of tech figures in years Wednesday, as President-elect Donald J. Trump called together Silicon Valley’s elite for a meeting of the minds.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was among those in attendance and was seated within arm’s reach of the Trump, even though Cook  previously has been criticized by the recently elected Republican. Trump also called for a boycott against Apple products during the blistering presidential campaign.

Apple drops fresh batch of betas for iOS, macOS and tvOS

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A new iOS beta is here!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Developers received a fresh new batch of beta software from Apple today, just two days after the company launched iOS 10.2 and tvOS 10.1 to the public.

The new first betas for macOS 10.12.3, iOS 10.2.1 and tvOS 10.1.1 all come with a number of bug fixes and performance enhancements, but they likely don’t contain any major new features.

Apple must pay $2 million to employees it screwed over

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Apple sign
Gene Levoff is accused of insider trading while at Apple.
Photo: Milo Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s former retail employees have come away victorious in their long legal battle against Apple in California.

A jury has ordered Apple to pay $2 million, after the iPhone-maker has found to have illegally denied retail staff meal and rest breaks and took weeks or months to give departing employees their last checks.

Apple is hiring more automotive mapping experts

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Apple Maps reservation OpenTable
Apple is working to improve its mapping services.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s continuing to ramp up its automotive mapping experts by poaching employees from the German company Here, owned by Audi, BMW, and Daimler.

A new report claims that Apple has hired around a dozen employees over the past several months for software or mapping-related roles.

Turn Gmail into a powerful task manager [Deals]

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ActiveInbox adds a crucial layer of organization to your chaotic Gmail inbox.
ActiveInbox adds a crucial layer of organization to your chaotic Gmail inbox.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Gmail can be as useful as it is overwhelming, especially when keeping the lid on an overflowing inbox. ActiveInbox creates a new task management dimension within your Gmail dashboard that helps cut through the inbox based on what needs doing. It integrates right into Gmail on browsers and mobile devices alike, adding a degree of organization and efficiency that can transform the way you work. And right now you can get a year of ActiveInbox for $24.95 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Microsoft Cortana will open up to third-party devs

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Cortana was named after a character from Halo 4
The battle to establish a dominant AI assistant is ramping up.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft has just announced new Software Developer Kits (SDKs) for its Cortana virtual assistant, allowing developers to create new Cortana skills, as well as to integrate it into smart devices.

Check out the video below for a look at some of the skills Microsoft’s Cortana can offer when incorporated into a smart device.

Apple store employee: iPhone battery replacement is a mess

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iphone-7
Genius Bar expert says Apple has "no real plan" to deal with problem.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple was quick to rectify the “random shutdown” problem affecting some iPhones by offering in-store battery replacements for affected customers. Unfortunately, it seems that already-busy Apple store employees aren’t too happy about the replacement program.

Given that each replacement takes between 20 and 45 minutes, and staffers are doing 15 to 30 replacements per day, it’s quickly adding up to “more than we [can] replace,” according to a longtime Genius Bar guru.

Apple’s Support app is now available in the U.S.

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Supportapp
There's a new way to get help from Apple.
Photo: Apple

Apple has launched its new Support app in the U.S., giving customers the ability to get expert help with devices and software — as well as scheduling repairs at the Apple store if necessary — from the comfort of their iOS device.

Handily, the app also provides a catalog of support articles designed to help users fix common issues.

Breaking down Apple’s latest design studio video

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Apple Infinite Loop II
Apple's secretive Industrial Design Studio is on the ground floor of Infinite Loop II, one of the main buildings of Apple's Cupertino campus.

To promote his new design book, Jony Ive has made a video giving a very rare peek inside Apple’s ultra-secretive design studio.

The video is only the second one that I know of that shows the inside of the “studio behind the Iron Curtain” — so called because it’s so sealed off from the outside world. (The other was last year’s 60 Minutes episode).

While watching it, I recognized a lot of details that I mention in my book about Jony Ive but I don’t think are generally well-known. So I screenshot the video and made a few notes. Warning: This one’s for the design nerds.

How to charge, connect and customize Apple’s AirPods

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AirPods arrived just in time for Christmas.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new AirPods have finally arrived after months of waiting.

Shipping estimates for the new wireless earbuds have already been pushed back to 2017, thanks to the overwhelming demand, but if you’re lucky enough to get them in your ears this week, you’ll need some tips on getting started.

Here’s everything you need to know to use AirPods:

macOS 10.12.2 is out with new emoji and wallpapers

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macOS Sierra logo
New goodies have arrived for Mac users.
Photo: Apple

Mac owners can now take advantage of all the new emoji iPhone users got earlier this week, thanks to today’s release of macOS 10.12.2.

Apple launched the macOS update this morning, bringing a host of performance enhancements to users, as well as couple new features and small tweaks.

Headphones with AI, super smartwatches for kids 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 got super smartwatches that keep your kids safe, incredibly intelligent headphones with artificial intelligence, a device that measures your nutrient levels, and more!

Rock out with the jamstik+ smart guitar [Review]

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jamstik+ MIDI guitar
The jamstik+ makes learning the guitar accessible and fun.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Best List: jamstik+ MIDI guitar

Already thinking about how to fulfill your 2017 New Year’s resolution of becoming a rock god?

If so, check out the jamstik+. This MIDI guitar, and its associated collection of apps, promises to help anyone who wants to learn to play guitar or improve their existing skills.

Stream 360-degree video from your iPhone

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giroptic-io-usecase-1
Take this 360 camera for a spin. Get it?
Photo: Giroptic

360-degree photography is all the rage these days, and a new third-party iPhone accessory could further add to that — by giving users the chance to easily record 360 photo and video using their trusty iPhones.

Designed to allow for live-streaming via Facebook and YouTube, the iO device takes both 4K still photos and enhanced 2K video. Check out a video demonstration below:

The very best from the Cult of Mac Store in 2016 [Deals]

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Get three MFi-certified, extra long Lightning cables for around the price of a single standard one.
Get three MFi-certified, extra long Lightning cables for around the price of a single standard one.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The year’s almost over, so it’s time to review the best deals that graced the Cult of Mac Store in 2016. Our top deals include a bundle of three extra long, MFi-certified Lightning cables, a lifetime of VPN protection, a powerful planning tool for turning to-do lists into flowcharts, and a comprehensive set of lessons for coding in iOS 9 and 10. They’re all massively discounted, but you can shave off another 16 percent by using the code: “BESTOF2016” (some exclusions apply). Read on for more details:

BeatsX in-ear headphones will ship in February

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You'll be waiting just a bit longer for these headphones.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s much-delayed AirPods may be shipping in time for Christmas, but if you’re after the BeatsX in-ear headphones announced at exactly the same time, you’ll be waiting a bit longer than that.

That’s according to Apple, which just updated its official webpage to note that the new headphones won’t be shipping until February — or considerably later than the Fall release date they originally had.

AirPods finally available with shipping in time for Christmas

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Apple won't miss out on the all-important holiday market after all!
Photo: Apple

Update: Well that didn’t last long! Already it seems that AirPod demand has exceeded supply, as shipping times have been pushed back past Christmas into 2017.

Apple’s long-awaited, sometimes derided wireless AirPods are finally available to buy through Apple’s online store — priced at $159.

While it’s not known when they’ll be available for sale in brick-and-mortar Apple retail stores, you can breathe a sigh of relief, since orders placed through Apple’s online store are currently showing a pre-Christmas delivery date of December 21.