Project Titan, Apple’s secret electric car program that was greenlit by Tim Cook two years ago, is facing a serious crisis.

The iPhone maker has reportedly laid off dozens of employees that were working on the auto project, even though the company has already started testing a couple of autonomous vehicles the team built.

This week on The CultCast: iPhone 7, AirPods, the new Apple Watch — we’ll cover everything Apple announced this week, and tell you what we like, what we don’t, and what we’ll be spending our own hard-earned monies on. Plus: Nintendo’s big move into iOS, and how to lock down the exact iPhone you want when the preorders go live.

This episode is supported by TunnelBear, the simple privacy app that makes it easy to browse privately and enjoy a more open internet. Visit GetTunnelBear.com to get your free TunnelBear today.

This week’s deals came like a truckload of presents for productivity and self-improvement. We’ve got a streamlined app for running Windows apps right from your Mac dock, a box set of Rosetta Stone language courses, 3 years of a massively discounted VPN service, and the uber popular typing assistant TextExpander. See if you can resist reading on:

With the addition of GPS, you might imagine Apple Watch is now a credible runner’s watch. Not so fast.

It may have made a big splash with swimmers, but to appeal to runners, there are more issues that Apple needs to address. Like a screen that stays on while you are running, and controls that still work when you get really sweaty.

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are now on sale, and Apple will be hoping that they’ll be able to halt and even reverse falling demand for its smartphone lineup. The new models have better cameras, faster processors, stereo speakers, and water-resistant designs.

But are those improvements enough? Without sharper displays and features like wireless charging — which are now commonplace on rival smartphones — does the iPhone 7 series deliver enough to fend off increased competition from its rivals?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over whether Apple’s latest devices can compete with the rest.

This post is brought to you by Wondershare, maker of Dr.Fone.

Say you’ve deleted your messages before backing up your iPhone. Usually the best iTunes can offer is a shrug. With a convoluted and opaque system of options, it makes a task that should be a simple matter — finding the stuff you need and getting (or returning) it to your device — overly confusing and frustrating. Worse yet, iTunes can often lead to results you’re not looking for.

Their photography on the iPhone 6 and 6s was celebrated by Apple with glossy magazine ads, billboards and banners that stretched down skyscrapers.

But the photographers whose work fueled the “Shot on iPhone 6” marketing campaign are trading in the old technology for the shiny new iPhone 7, in most cases the dual-lens 7 Plus.

And they’re off! Less than 24 hours into the life of the iPhone 7, we’ve seen our first deal on it (sort of). You’ll find this surprising buy — plus the iPhone 6s, Apple Music and more — in this week’s best Apple deals.

Apple kicked off preorders for its new Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watch lineups at 12:01 a.m. this morning and we want to know which models were most popular among Cult of Mac readers.

Take our polls below to let us know which model, size, and color you decided to go for.

Alright, all you bleary-eyed Apple fans. Did your late-night iPhone 7 preorder go well? We want to know what iPhone 7 model Cult of Mac readers covet the most.

What type of iPhone 7 did you preorder? Let us know in the reader poll below.

And if you fell asleep before the preorder started, or couldn’t get the model you craved, we’d love to hear your iPhone 7 preorders horror stories. That’s what comments sections are for.

The notion of noise canceling headphones conjures images of an airline passenger settling into his seat trying to block out the sound of the kids sharing his row. These A-Audio Legacy Over-Ear Headphones are noise-canceling headphones for the person in another row who’s working on a mix or getting deep into a recorded performance. With a patented 3-stage sound given honors at CES’s Innovation Awards, they’re noise-canceling headphones for the discerning listener, and right now you can get a set of A-Audio Legacy headphones for just $79 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Google just gave us yet another reason to use its excellent Google Photos app for iOS. Its latest update, version 2.0, gives iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users the ability to quickly turn their favorite Live Photos into shareable GIFs and video clips.

Apple has reportedly ramped up both chip and component orders for the Apple Watch Series 2, with monthly shipment orders for August and September both surpassing two million units.

Provided order numbers remain at this level, it could suggest the Apple Watch Series 2 will sell double what Apple’s first-gen Apple Watch managed, with year one sales reported to total 12 million units.

Tim Cook says that Apple designs its new products with the Chinese audience in mind. However, judging by one of the translated slogans for its new iPhone 7, that same localized care and attention doesn’t extend to every aspect of Apple’s business

The proof? One of the slogans for the iPhone 7 is apparently being read by some audiences as “This is penis.”

Hey, at least iPhone 7 Plus owners can feel good about themselves!

iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and Apple Watch Series 2 pre-orders are finally open, and already shipping dates are slipping for some of the hottest items in Apple’s next-gen collection.

As expected, the new black and jet black iPhones are proving to be some of the hardest handsets to get your hands on, with shipping dates slipping to 2-3 weeks and 4-6 weeks, respectively.

Preorders for the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 have started.

Time is of the essence as you make your overnight purchase: Taking even an extra few minutes to place your preorder could leave you with a second-choice device or cause your shipment to be delayed. (Initial units will ship Sept. 16 to stores in 28 countries.)

Demand for the new devices is already high, so check out Cult of Mac’s guide to helping you get the exact iPhone 7 or Apple Watch you want.

Here’s what to do:

Apple will start taking preorders for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus at 12:01 a.m. Pacific on Friday, September 9. That’s tonight, people (if you’re living in the United States)!

You’re going to want to get your order in as soon as possible if you want launch-day delivery, but which model should you go for? Find out which iPhone 7 model is right for you right here!

Eddy Cue is among a list of high-profile speakers that will feature at this year’s New Establishment Summit held by Vanity Fair. Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs’ biography, is also in the lineup, alongside Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Apple board member Bob Iger.

This post is brought to you by Totallee.

You know that feeling when you get a new iPhone case and find yourself wondering why it couldn’t be just a little — maybe even a lot — thinner? Sickening, right?

After all, the iPhone was designed to sit in your hand like a slender sliver of shiny wonder. The more it gets sheathed in armor, the less it feels like the sleek, tactile technological marvel that it is.

Apple’s always been the company that promised us the world. Steve Jobs’ genius was his ability to convince us that every single thing Apple did shifted the Earth on its axis.

Recently, that feeling of magical futurism has faded. Apple events have been preceded by a feeling of “been there, done that.”

Forget the “wireless future” that Apple talked up at yesterday’s iPhone 7 event as it tried to convince us that we really want AirPods and a dongle rather than a headphone jack. If Apple has a strategy in 2016, it’s underpromise and overdeliver.

And it’s working great!

Apple now sells two different versions of Apple Watch — Series 1, which starts at $269, and Series 2, which starts at $369. So, what’s the difference between these two models, and is Series 2 worth the additional $100? Find out right here.

Apple Watch wearers will soon find it easier to reach relaxation, thanks to the new Breathe app included in watchOS 3.

Every week, the Breathe app provides Apple Watch wearers with a summary of how well they performed the most essential human task for staying alive. If you suck at breathing, don’t worry. Breathe will turn you into a zen master in no time.

To start a breathing exercise follow these steps.

3D Touch lets us do a lot of things on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, but not everyone is familiar with all of its capabilities. One of the functions that often goes unnoticed is the ability to open the app switcher with a simple 3D Touch gesture.

Here’s how to use it.

Using your phone as a wireless hotspot can be a wince-worthy last resort as you consider how much of your data plan you’re gobbling. But with the Karma Go Hotspot, you can access the web wherever you are, without eating up your personal data plan.

It’ll add a buffer of 50GB to your personal Wi-FI connection, and right now you can get a Karma Go for only $199 at Cult of Mac Deals.

The new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are the first iPhones to receive IP67 dust and waterproofing certification. However, before you start planning all the new underwater activities you plan to do with your new handset, it’s important to know that those claims are advisory only.

In fact, as the small print for iPhone 7 makes perfectly clear, liquid damage is not covered under warranty.