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iPhone 7 headphone dongle boasts amazing insides

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3.5mm-to-Lightning headphone adapter DAC
The 3.5mm-to-Lightning headphone adapter includes the cutest little digital-to-analog converter we've ever seen.
Photo: Tinhte

Anyone who thinks Apple is no longer innovating should check out a new video revealing the amazing amount of technology — including a tiny digital-to-analog converter, or DAC — that the company managed to squeeze into its deceptively simple 3.5mm-to-Lightning headphone adapter.

Produced by Vietnamese website Tinhte, the video may not exhibit the finesse of an iFixit teardown, but it’s certainly an impressive demo of how much Apple is able to do with even the most basic-looking of dongles.

How to use macOS Sierra: Tips and tricks

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macOS Sierra is here!
macOS Sierra is here!
Photo: Apple

Today marks the release of Apple’s big software update, macOS Sierra. This huge update comes on the heels of the recent launch of iOS 10, watchOS 3 and tvOS 10.

macOS Sierra hosts some great new features including Siri support, a universal clipboard, auto unlock via Apple Watch, better file synching with iCloud and tons more. Fittingly, Cult of Mac has all the tricks and tips you need to get the most out of Apple’s new operating system including a few video tutorials for good measure. Mac owners can download the free update today!

What’s your favorite macOS Sierra feature?

iPhone 7 review: Old body, spectacular new soul

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iPhone-7
Don't be fooled by the iPhone 7's familiar design.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Fans weren’t expecting much from this year’s iPhone upgrade. We wanted something big — something that could reverse falling demand for Apple’s biggest product lineup — but we feared we weren’t going to get it.

What we got was the iPhone 7. It looks just like iPhone 6s (and iPhone 6), but Apple promises it’s a different beast. It’s faster, more exciting, and more capable than its predecessors — and it comes in new colors.

I’ve been using iPhone 7 since it went on sale last week, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with my experience so far. It’s definitely not the massive disappointment some people anticipated, but is it worth the upgrade if you already have a recent model? Read Cult of Mac’s iPhone 7 review to find out.

Get that Raspberry Pi project going with this LCD screen kit [Deals]

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Raspberry Pi is a platform for building anything you can imagine, and now you can add a touch screen LCD.
Raspberry Pi is a platform for building anything you can imagine, and now you can add a touch screen LCD.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Anyone who likes to tinker with tech knows Raspberry Pi, the microcomputing platform that’s perfect for gaming, robotics, networking–you name it. If you’ve been thinking about getting your hands on a Pi, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better opportunity than this kit which includes a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B sporting a Quad-Core 1.2 GHz CPU and a gig of RAM, and with an LCD touchscreen. Right now you can get the kit for $114.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Chinese billionaire bachelor bought eight iPhone 7s – for his dog

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dog
Coco appears to be wondering, "Which one shall I open first?"
Photo: Wang Sicong/Weibo

If Apple does make inroads in China with iPhone 7 sales, the company may have an Alaskan malamute named Coco to thank.

More precisely, it would go to Coco’s owner, Wang Sicong — who likes to spoil his dog with treats from the Apple Store. Wang bought eight iPhone 7 handsets for the pet.

Apple Music drives first serious music industry growth since 1999

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Apple Music
Apple Music is doing good in the eyes of record labels.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Music is having a big impact on the profitability of the music industry, according to a new report from the Recording Industry Association of America.

How big? Apple Music is one of the key players driving what looks to be the recording industry’s first back-to-back yearly growth since 1998-1999.

Apple works to fix iPhone 7 Lightning EarPods glitch

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iPhone 7 earbuds
There's a problem with Apple's new EarPods.
Photo: Apple

Considering that some people were predicting the iPhone 7 to be a commercial and critical disappointment, the arrival of Apple’s latest iPhone refresh has gone incredibly well.

There have been challenges, however. First there was Hissgate, in which some iPhone 7 Plus owners reported that their handsets emit strange noises when under heavy load. Now there’s a glitch with Apple’s new Lightning EarPods.

Apple hires physician known for popular YouTube channel

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Dr. Evans has spoken out about the future of medicine being apps.
Photo: DocMikeEvans

Apple added another medical expert to its growing team by adding Dr. Mike Evans, a Toronto-based physician best known for his popular YouTube channel under the name “DocMikeEvans.”

According to a Canadian news report, Evans was recruited after his “peer-to-peer health care” YouTube videos — in which he voices a cartoon doctor, explaining common medical ailments — caught Apple’s attention.

Ready to trade in your old phone? Meet the folks behind our gadget buyback (highest prices, BTW)

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The guys behind MyPhones Unlimited, an Arkansas-based buyback program that we believe pays more than the competition (in nine out of ten cases).
The guys behind MyPhones Unlimited, an Arkansas-based buyback program that we believe pays more than the competition (in nine out of ten cases).
Photo: MyPhones Unlimited

We recently launched a gadget buyback program that promises to pay more for used and broken Apple devices than Gazelle, Walmart and even Apple itself. This post is about the startup company we partnered with to bring you this service.

A college friend who bought a new phone and was about to trash a defunct iPhone 3G sparked the idea for MyPhones Unlimited, a smartphone recycling service that Cult of Mac recently partnered with.

“Two main thoughts came to mind,” says MyPhones Unlimited founder Gabe Trumbo. “One is that that can’t be good for that to just be thrown away, there has got to be a better way to recycle it. And beyond that, I’m sure there’s still some value in it.”

He was right. Trading in his friend’s phone himself, Trumbo got a bigger chunk of change than he expected — and immediately saw a market coupled to an important problem.

How iFixit made its incredible iPhone 7 teardown [Kahney’s Korner podcast]

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Kyle Wiens, CEO iFixit
Thanks mostly to Kyle Wiens of iFixit, iPhone teardowns have become a tech culture phenomenon.
Photo: iFixit

iFixit’s iPhone 7 teardown involved 30 people in three countries, an X-ray machine and lots of sleepless nights. Thanks to iFixit’s hard work, iPhone teardowns have become a tech-culture phenomenon. Millions of fans eagerly await details of the internal components of Apple’s latest devices.

A lot of this has to do with Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, the second-biggest supplier of Apple parts after Apple itself, and publisher of the huge and amazing iFixit repair wiki.

In this week’s episode of Kahney’s Korner, I talk with Wiens about all the work that goes into making the iFixit teardowns for a massive global audience, and the hardware secrets of the iPhone 7.

New Google Trips travel app makes planning vacations a breeze

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Google Trips puts travel guide for 200 cities in your pocket.
Google Trips puts travel guide for 200 cities in your pocket.
Photo: Google

Planning where to go and what sights to see can take the fun out of a vacation, but Google’s new app is ready to handle all the heavy lifting for you.

Google Trips debuted today on both iOS and Android devices, putting a travel guide in your pocket everywhere you go.

Trips instantly plans each day of your vacation with just a few taps. You set the agenda based on what types of spots you’d like to visit and Google Trips shows you a variety of plans that hit up the most popular local gems.

Animators try their hand at telling the Steve Jobs story

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YouTube is a repository for animated features on the life of Steve Jobs.
YouTube is a repository for animated features on the life of Steve Jobs.
Photo: Adam Holownia,

Cult of Mac 2.0 bugWith all there is to marvel about Steve Jobs and the story of Apple, it’s easy to forget what Jobs meant to animation.

So it’s not surprising that several animators have sought to capture the near-mythological character of Jobs in animated shorts that can be found all over YouTube.

iPhone 7 display is the best LCD ever tested

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iPhone 7
Apple has perfected the LCD.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 7 display may be the new device’s most underrated feature, based on an in-depth analysis by display experts.

Apple’s new LCD display was rated as “visually indistinguishable from perfect” when it comes to image contrast and intensity. The tiniest amount of color variation, seen when viewing the screen from an angle, also yielded top marks.

Hissgate: iPhone 7 Plus emits strange noise when under heavy load

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iphone 7
Apple rode the iPhone 7 Plus' wave into 2017.
Photo: Apple

The first crisis to hit the iPhone 7 Plus is already here, and this time it could be a lot more annoying than Bendgate and Antennagate.

Some iPhone 7 Plus owners are reporting that Apple’s new devices emit a strange hissing noise when performing processor-intensive tasks. And no one is sure what’s causing it.

Hear it for yourself:

Retro controller transports you back to golden age of gaming [Deals]

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This SNES controller has the look and feel of the classic with the functions and features perfect for today's gaming.
This SNES controller has the look and feel of the classic with the functions and features perfect for today's gaming.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you grew up along with the gaming industry, you remember the time when Nintendo was king (before Pokemon Go). Endless evenings spent playing Super Nintendo are among the warmest memories of many childhoods, and this Bluetooth-powered recreation of the iconic controller brings it back. With this controller, you can bring the feeling of the good old days to the best new games, just $49.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple debuts stylish new ads for Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 7

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This man is using his iPhone 7 to photograph a deer in a gas station. Seriously.
Photo: Apple

Apple debuted three new ads over the weekend: two of them for the new iPhone 7, and one for the Apple Watch Series 2.

Highlighting the new waterproofing features of all the devices, along with the low-light camera sensor of the next-gen iPhone, they’re strong, artistic ads — which do the job of explaining to you what Apple’s new smartwatch and handset are capable of, without making it feel like you’re being given the hard sell.

Check them out below.

James Corden is embarrassingly funny in new Apple Music ad

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screen-shot-2016-09-19-at-14-07-54
Corden swims with apples. It's, like, a metaphor.
Photo: Apple

Hot off his genuinely hilarious skit with Tim Cook at the start of the recent iPhone 7 media event, James Corden is back alongside Apple executives for a new ad for Apple Music.

Playing himself, Corden pitches various off-the-wall concepts for an Apple Music ad, to more and more bemused reactions from Apple execs Jimmy Iovine, Eddy Cue and Bozoma Saint John.

Check it out below.

This photographer tested the iPhone 7 Plus before anyone else

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iPhone 7 photos
The iPhone 7 Plus handled the tricky light of sunset over the U.S. Open stadium court.
Photo: Landon Nordeman/ESPN

Photographer Landon Nordeman generally knows what to expect when ESPN calls him to shoot an event. But for the recent U.S. Open tennis tournament, ESPN needed Nordeman to report to the courts in Flushing Meadows, NY without any of his cameras.

Once there, an ESPN photo editor discreetly placed in his hands a sleek new piece of gear that would not be available to a clamoring public for two weeks – the iPhone 7 Plus.

“I was excited once I learned it was the iPhone, but thought I would only get to use it for an hour and have to give it back,” Nordeman told Cult of Mac. “I had the phone and shot with it for four whole days. I loved it. I really loved it.”

Exploding Note 7 blamed on Samsung’s rush to beat Apple

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Samsung-Galaxy
This is why you don't rush products.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Samsung’s disastrous Note 7 debacle — in which exploding handsets caused the company to withdraw all 2.5 million handsets already shipped — was reportedly the result of rushing to beat Apple.

According to a new report, Samsung saw an opportunity to capitalize on what it felt was likely to be a comparatively boring iPhone 7, and decided to break speed records unveiling a phone it thought could appeal to disappointed would-be iPhone customers.

Today in Apple history: Powerful, upgradeable Macintosh IIx arrives

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snap27
The Mac IIx in all its glory
Photo: Laptopanda

Mon19 September 19, 1988: Apple debuts the Macintosh IIx, an incremental upgrade of its fantastic Macintosh II.

The updated model is the first Mac to come with Apple’s new, improved 1.44MB floppy disk SuperDrive. It also packs a hefty price tag of between $7,769 and $9,300 — the equivalent of $15,817 to $18,934 today.

So don’t even try complaining about the cost of an iMac, circa 2016!

Get years of VPN protection, iPhone 7-ready power cases and more [Week’s Newest Deals]

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You've got the new phone, now get this case that protects and adds 140% charge to the iPhone 7.
You've got the new phone, now get this case that protects and adds 140% charge to the iPhone 7.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Another week, another new batch of big deals on gear and gadgets. This round we’ve got an iPhone 7-ready power case, professional level training in Excel, a cleverly designed wall charger, and three years of top shelf VPN protection. If you’re online and use a smartphone (hey, that’s me too!), there’s something here to pique your interest. Read on for more details:

Black Friday predictions 2016: How to save hundreds on iPhones, iPads and Macs

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What kind of Apple deals can you expect to find on Black Friday 2016?
What kind of Apple deals can you expect to find this Black Friday?
Photos: Apple, Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple fans may be resigned to paying full price for their gadgets, but we’ll certainly see Apple gear on sale this Black Friday season. The trick to finding these bargains is knowing where to look — and that’s anywhere but the Apple Store.