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The Room Three improves an already near-perfect puzzle series

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The Room Three
The Room Three has you exploring a spooky manor full of puzzles.
Screencap: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

We didn’t think it was possible to improve on the amazing second installment of The Room, but developer Fireproof Games has delivered.

The third entry in the puzzle series, The Room Three, takes everything we already loved about the franchise’s Myst-style puzzles and mysterious, Lovecraftian horrors and makes it bigger and smarter. And then it throws in a new character, the most coherent and engaging plot yet, and multiple endings, which it didn’t even need to do, but all of it is great.

Tiny ring light does more than make your selfies shine

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The SELFLASH is essential for selfies plus a whole lot more.
The SELFLASH is essential for selfies plus a whole lot more.
Photo: SELFLASH

Tech accessories tend to solve a single problem really well. The SELFLASH, a small ring light you attach to your smartphone for selfies, is not just around to make you look pretty.

In offering a flattering wink of light in a variety of colors and intensities, the SELFLASH also provides up to 128 GB of storage for file transfers, can serve as a backup battery for your phone and has a Bluetooth tracker. Not satisfied with your smartphone’s camera? A pro model of the SELFLASH also comes with a 15.1-megapixel camera.

Compact power pack lets you know how it’s doing

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Keep an eye on this tiny self-contained charger via app or LED lights.
Keep an eye on this tiny self-contained charger via app or LED lights.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: Power Tube 3000 by Mipow

If you’ve ever carried around one of those tube-shaped power packs for your iPhone or iPad, you know the one thing it really needs is a way to tell how much juice is left in the thing.

The Power Tube 3000 provides this in spades, with a simple three-light display on the tube itself and an app that lets you know exactly how much power you have left — and what that translates to in terms of usage.

KidGPS lets you keep track of your brood from your iPhone

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Parents can track their kid's whereabouts with the KidGPS.
Parents can track their kid's whereabouts with the KidGPS.

I remember the day I was way late from school and met up with my frantic mother as I walked home. She was walking quickly and carrying a metal comb with a pointy handle. This was for stabbing my attackers, or at least the ones that entered her mind as she fretted.

Of course, technology these days brings us a saner way of tracking down a late kid. One is KIdGPS, by mobile accessories maker X-Doria. It’s a palm-sized tracking device the kids carry so that nervous parents can check on their whereabouts via a companion app on their iPhone or Android device.

Tim Cook insists Apple Pencil is not a mere stylus

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Tim ditched his Mac for the iPad Pro.
Tim ditched his Mac for the iPad Pro.
Photo: Olivier Hess/The Independent

Tim Cook loves the new iPad Pro so much it’s the only product he travels with now, other than his iPhone.

In a new interview talking about the benefits of the new big-screened iPad, the Apple CEO trumpeted the iPad Pro’s productivity thanks to new multi-tasking software in iOS 9 complimented by the new keyboard and Apple Pencil. Some detractors have dismissed Apple Pencil as a just a fancy stylus, but Cook insists it’s a much more revolutionary product than that.

Pro Tip: How to sort iOS Notifications by date

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Never miss an important Notifcation again!
Never miss an important Notifcation again!
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Pro Tip Cult of Mac bugYou know how it is — you unlock your iPhone with Touch ID so fast that you miss some important Notifications. You swipe down from the top of your iOS device’s screen to see what you missed and — ugh — you realize that your Notifications are sorted by app. How will you ever figure out which new Notification you missed?

Luckily, there’s a fairly simple way to get your iPhone and iPad to list your Notifications in date order, assuring you never miss one again.

Here’s how.

Let Alloy turn your frequent iPhone tasks into apps

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alloy-automator-launcher-iphone-app - 6
Alloy streamlines our frequent multi-step tasks into quick automated launchers.
Photo: Alloy

Alloy is the iPhone app that ultimately wants you to spend less time using your iPhone. It lets you create automated tasks and workflows that you can launch with one tap. The automations can upload a selfie to Twitter, convert currency, save your parking location, perform a saved search on Amazon and just about anything else if you’re willing to get creative

Rare Apple III Plus still works (thanks to good karma)

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This Apple III Plus still works after spending the 1980s scheduling yoga classes at a spiritual retreat center.
This Apple III Plus still works after spending the 1980s scheduling yoga classes at a spiritual retreat center.
Photo: Yogaville/eBay

As far as computers go, the Apple III was a rather rotten Apple. The first 14,000 were recalled with hardware problems galore and even with bugs eventually worked out, Apple never could erase the computer’s “lemon” label.

But if you’re willing to give the Apple III a second chance, there is a working one for sale, complete with manuals, startup disks and, quite possibly, the good karma of a famous swami.

Adobe creatives gush over iPad Pro in new demo video

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iPad Pro and Apple Pencil keep designers happy and eraser dust-free.
iPad Pro and Apple Pencil keep designers happy and eraser dust-free.
Photo: Apple

Adobe’s VP of Products, Scott Belsky, said the iPad will transform how creatives work, and according to some of the most creative people that use the company’s apps, they agree.

Ahead of the iPad Pro’s launch later this week, Adobe gathered some top designers and illustarators to test out the company’s apps on the new tablet to see if you can do real creative work on it. Illustrator Draw, Photoshop Mix, Photoshop Sketch, Photoshop Fix and other Creative Cloud apps shine on the iPad Pro in the demo that highlights how transformative the iPad Pro will be.

Here’s how creatives make use of the large screen:

The new Apple TV just received its first software update

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tvOS just got another new update.
tvOS just got another new update.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple released the first update for its new fourth-generation Apple TV today with tvOS 9.0.1.

The new tvOS 9.0.1 update is a minor update that mostly focuses on performance improvements and bug fixes that have been discovered after the device went on sale at the end of last month.

Eddy Cue: iPad Pro changed the way I think about tablets

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iPad Pro
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is more affordable than ever.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s senior VP of services, Eddy Cue, sat down with CNN this morning to talk about why you need to buy the new iPad Pro that will go on sale later this week.

Along with being the best iPad ever for professionals that want to create content, Cue told Brian Stelter that the gigantic tablet is a really great device to consume media on. “It’s great for doing things like email, but I consume more than I create,” said Cue, who claims features like Four Speaker audio will change the way you think about a tablet.

Watch the entire interview below:

Lessons from Apple’s former ‘chief evangelist’ and other entrepreneurship resources [Deals]

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4 hours of top-notch instruction from former Apple Chief Evangelist Guy Kawasaki, who spearheaded marketing for the original 1984 Macintosh.
4 hours of top-notch instruction from former Apple Chief Evangelist Guy Kawasaki, who spearheaded marketing for the original 1984 Macintosh.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Staying productive in business requires inspiration from study and the examples of others. That’s why we’ve gathered some of the best resources for the budding tech entrepreneur, lessons from one of the top minds at Apple, fundamental startup courses and a lifetime of coding courses. Check out what we’ve rounded up:

E.U. regulators will decide if Apple’s Irish tax deal is illegal by Christmas

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Apple raked in the cash last quarter.
Did Apple benefit from sweetheart deals in the E.U.?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s tax practices in Europe have been the subject of investigation for some time now. However, European Union regulators say they’ll finally have a conclusion as to the question of whether Apple benefited from “illegal tax sweeteners” by the end of this year.

According to Ireland’s finance minister Michael Noonan, the decision will be announced, “between now and Christmas.”

iPhone 6s undergoes crazy stress test under motorcycle wheel

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Screen Shot 2015-11-09 at 15.11.25
Burnoutgate? Hey, let's be honest -- it wouldn't have been any worse than bendgate.
Photo: Techrax/Instagram

What happens when a rose gold iPhone 6s undergoes a bizarre “burnout” stress test beneath the wheels of an Italian Ducati pocket bike? A completely implausible scenario that would never in a million years happen to a handset in the real world, that’s what!

But, hey, if seeing brand new iPhones destroyed in bizarre ways is what gets your engines revving, click below for the oddly-compelling video.

iPad Pro available to order Wednesday, in stores later this week

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Get ready to meet the iPad Pro's smaller sibling.
Coming soon to a store near you.
Photo: Apple

Apple has confirmed that its super-sized iPad Pro tablet will be available to order online Wednesday, with stocks available in retail stores from the end of this week.

More than 40 countries will be covered by the launch, including the United States, Canada, China and much of Europe. Apple will start selling accessories for the iPad Pro at the same time, with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard available for $99 and $169 respectively.

World’s longest iPhone passcode video goes viral

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Photo: Rob LeFebvre, Cult of Mac
This user takes iPhone security to the next level.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre, Cult of Mac

There’s being careful about iPhone security and then there’s…. this.

Over the weekend, Japanese Twitter user yossy1999116 posted a video clip shot on the subway, showing a user with an historically long and complex passcode unlocking their iPhone. If you’ve ever wanted an advert for how Touch ID can improve your life, this is almost certainly it.

Steve Jobs movie is unceremoniously dumped out of theaters

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Steve Jobs is booted off screens. It's almost like the 1985 Apple board is running theaters.
Photo: Universal

Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs movie had another disastrous showing at the box office over the weekend. With earnings declining more than 69 percent from the previous weekend to just $823,000, the movie was dumped from 2,072 screens — more than any other film.

By comparison, the new Bond movie Spectre took $73 million in its opening weekend.

Apple won’t have to compensate retail employees for waiting in line

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San Francisco Apple Store Line
Apple Stores are known for their long queues. But it's usually the customers who are waiting.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple won’t have to stump up the cash for back-paying thousands of current and former employees at Apple Stores across California, according to the ruling of a federal judge.

The lawsuit was brought against Apple in 2013 by two former retail employees — claiming that Apple’s policy of mandatory bag searches after work had cost them dozens of hours of unpaid wages, totalling around $1,500 per year.

When winter comes, don’t let gloves come between you and your phone [Deals]

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This beanie includes a bluetooth transmitted and mic, and the gloves are touchscreen-compatible, meaning  you can listen to music and take calls while staying warm.
This beanie includes a bluetooth transmitted and mic, and the gloves are touchscreen-compatible, meaning you can listen to music and take calls while staying warm.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s going to be cold soon, and the gloves are about to come back on. That shouldn’t mean we can’t use our most important devices though, so we’ve gathered a couple garments that can keep you in touch with your tech while you stay warm.

iPhone 7 rumors and shattering Apple TV remotes on The CultCast

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Careful with that new Apple TV remote, mister!
Careful with that new Apple TV remote, mister!
Photo: Drstover

This week: the new Apple TV remote is unnervingly easy to break; home-buttonless iPhone 7s; the UK wants your Apple devices to be less secure; and we pitch our favorite new Apple TV apps!

Our thanks to Lynda for supporting this episode. Lynda is like the Apple Music of online education, with over 3000 expert-taught video courses you can stream straight to computer or mobile device. Learn how to use Logic’s new super powerful Alchemy synth, or develop Mac apps for OS X—learn all you want for free for 10 days at lynda.com/cultcast.

This Lightning charging cable is basically everything-proof [Deals]

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The Titan MFi-Certified Lightning Cable is tough as nails and built to outlast us all.
The Titan MFi-Certified Lightning Cable is tough as nails and built to outlast us all.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When charging your phone or transferring data between devices, it’s only a matter of time before the soft white plastic of the stock Lightning cable frays and breaks. Given how much we use and rely on our devices, that’s just got to stop, which is why Titan’s MFi-certified Lightning cable is a must-have. It’s built tough enough to outlast us all, so you can take the worry of a busted cable out of your mind by putting one of these in your bag for $27.95.

Titan’s cable is wrapped twice in flexible industrial-grade steel, with its USB and Lightning connectors sealed and protected from fray. The MFi rating means Apple vouches for it to keep your devices safe, and it’s even backed by a limited lifetime warranty. Rough handling and time itself are no match for this Terminator-grade charging cable.

Get a Titan MFi-Certified Lightning Cable for just $27.95 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Running without iPhone makes Apple Watch inaccurate

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Don’t leave me this way - Apple recommends you take your iPhone with you on a run
Don’t leave me this way - Apple recommends you take your iPhone with you on a run
Photo: Graham Bower / Cult of Mac

Runkeeper is one of the first big-name running apps to offer full watchOS 2 support, which means you can log a run on your Apple Watch even if you leave your iPhone behind.

The Apple Watch’s built-in Workout app has always offered this feature, but it is new for third-party apps. I had never tried it before, but Runkeeper got me curious. So I left my iPhone charging at home, put on a pair of Nikes and went out for a run.

Conspiracy theorists think Apple owns this mysteryious car company

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Is Apple behind Faraday Future?
Is Apple behind Faraday Future?
Photo: Faraday Future

A new electric car company has revved up Apple Car conspiracy theorists who think the mysterious automaker may actually be a shell company for Apple’s automotive ambitions.

Faraday Future has already pulled in $1 billion in investments and is stocking up on top Tesla talent (just like Apple), but little else is known about the new company that currently boasts over 400 employees with plans to add 100 more of the best automotive engineers and designers in the world before the end of the year.

Take a look at the rendering of their future car: