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Apple introduces new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, and Magic Trackpad 2

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Screen Shot 2015-10-13 at 14.56.00
Round of applause for Apple, please.
Photo: Apple

Alongside stunning new 21.5- and 27-inch Retina iMacs, Apple’s other big announcement of the day relates to the release of an all-new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, and Magic Trackpad 2.

These gorgeous new devices have been completely redesigned to feel more comfortable than ever, while also featuring fully rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, giving them around one month of charge.

Samsung Galaxy S7 to rip off the iPhone 6s’ 3D Touch

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samsung-galaxy-s7-to-rip-off-the-iphone-6s-3d-touch-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201504Galaxy-S6-front-jpg
The next Galaxy is going to be even better. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
The next Galaxy is going to be even better. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

The pressure-sensitive displays packed into Apple’s latest iPhones give them a unique advantage over their rivals, but not for long.

Samsung is already working to put a pressure-sensitive screen of its own into next year’s Galaxy S7, new reports claim.

Apple releases ‘stunning’ new 4K and 5K iMacs

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Screen Shot 2015-10-13 at 14.26.03
Apple's iMacs just got even sweeter.
Photo: Apple

Apple today revealed its refreshed line of iMacs, including a brand new 21.5-inch 4K Retina iMac and 27-inch 5K Retina model.

The smaller iMac now matches the pixel density of the larger 5K iMac, giving it 4.5 times the resolution of Full HD. The 27-inch iMac, meanwhile, boasts Retina 5K displays across the board, whereas previously they were available only for the $2,499 flagship iMac.

The 21.5-inch 4K iMac starts at $1,499, while the 27-inch version starts at $1,799.

Apple Watch is ‘phenomenal’ but not a threat, says TAG Heuer CEO

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apple-watch-is-phenomenal-but-not-a-threat-says-tag-heuer-ceo-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201510tag-heuer-carrera-teaser-fixed_0-png
TAG Heuer teases its new Android-powered smartwatch.
Photo: TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer teases its new Android-powered smartwatch.
TAG Heuer teases its new Android-powered smartwatch.

Swiss watchmakers have been tripping over themselves to dismiss the Apple Watch as a threat, but TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver has come out with what I think is one of the fairer assessments of Apple’s debut wearable device to date.

His take? That the Apple Watch is hella bad news if you’re a low-priced watchmaker, but probably okay if you’re making timepieces over the $2,000 mark.

Apple finally working to bring Touch ID to MacBooks

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Yep, that would work.
Yep, that would work.
Photo: USPTO/Apple

Apple may finally be ready to introduce its Touch ID fingerprint sensor to the MacBook — more than two years after it made its first appearance on the iPhone.

A new patent published today describes “Finger sensing apparatus using hybrid matching and associated methods,” and depicts an embedded Touch ID sensor on a future MacBook, although it also leaves to the door open for the same technology to be featured on an iMac keyboard.

Woz talked to Steve Jobs about returning to Apple in 2011

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Steve Wozniak. Photo:
Could Woz have made an Apple return? Not if he had anything to say about it.
Photo: HigherEdWeb/Flickr CC

Steve Jobs raised the possibility of Steve Wozniak returning to Apple in conversation that took place during Jobs’ final days in 2011, according to a new interview.

The insight comes from a Bloomberg interview with Woz talking about the new Steve Jobs movie, which opened on limited release last weekend.

Free at last! Apple finally ditches controversial antitrust monitor

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Apple can't ditch its ebook compliance monitor.
Apple has finally parted ways with Michael Bromwich.
Photo: Apple

Apple has finally ditched its controversial antitrust monitor Michael Bromwich after two years of what Apple acknowledges has been a “rocky relationship.”

Bromwich was first installed in Cupertino back in October 2013, after Apple was found to have illegally colluded with five book publishers to raise e-book prices in a way that was deemed to have hurt Apple’s competition.

Watch out, Slack and Google Docs: Pingpad might be the next big thing

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The desktop view of Pingpad.
The desktop view of Pingpad.
Photo: Pingpad

There are greats apps for groups to complete tasks and great apps for group communication. In Pingpad, the group has a single app that allows for both.

Pingpad is a stew of many different first generation apps for notes, lists, calendars and instant messaging. In one space, a group can work across platforms on documents, chat back and forth and post pertinent links all in real time. Think Google Docs meets Whatsapp.

TuneIn Premium now streams live NFL games FTW

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Apple TV won't be streaming football this year.
Apple TV won't be streaming football this year.
Photo: NFL
TuneIn is also streaming a bunch of NFL shows. Photo: TuneIn
TuneIn is also streaming a bunch of NFL shows. Photo: TuneIn

TuneIn Premium, the radio streaming app for Android and iOS, just got an awesome new update that lets you tune into live NFL games.

Subscribers get access to play-by-play feeds for all 32 NFL teams, including both the home and away feeds and national radio broadcasts.

Learn to make iOS 9 apps by actually, you know, making them [Deals]

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By building 20 separate apps, this course will teach you development on iOS 9 from top to bottom.
By building 20 separate apps, this course will teach you development on iOS 9 from top to bottom.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

iOS 9 is still a wide open frontier for anybody looking to develop the next hit app. If you want in on the action, you’re going to have to learn to use iOS 9’s various powerful coding tools and languages, which is why this course is ideal. By building 20 separate apps, you’ll learn the ins and outs of developing for iPhone, all for just $19 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Facebook updates are easier than ever thanks to 3D Touch

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Facebook is killing your battery.
Yay for 3D Touch!
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Facebook has just updated its official iOS app, adding some new iPhone 6s-friendly features designed to work with the new handsets’ 3D Touch capabilities.

What exactly does that mean? Essentially that you can now use 3D Touch’s “Quick Actions” from the Facebook app icon. Give your iPhone 6s a firm press on the Home screen and you get the option of writing a post, uploading a photo or video, or taking a photo or video.

Foxconn posts record September revenues thanks to iPhone 6s

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Apple raked in the cash last quarter.
Can there be a better month than September if you're in the iPhone business?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

iPhone 6s manufacturer Foxconn has posted revenues of $318.4 million for the month of September, largely as a result of Apple’s next-gen handset.

The monster earnings for the month were not only the best month of Foxconn’s year so far, but represented a 30 percent rise from the previous month and an increase of 17.8 percent year-on-year.

And Apple’s main manufacturer is expecting October to be even better!

One of our favorite headphones goes Bluetooth

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Bowers & Wilkins' P5 Wireless headphones make us believe in Bluetooth.
Bowers & Wilkins' P5 Wireless headphones make us believe in Bluetooth.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: Bower & Wilkins P5 Wireless Headphones

Damn, I love Bluetooth.

Crap, I hate Bluetooth.

Bluetooth is the Jekyll and Hyde of technology. One minute it is your best friend and confidante; the next it is the most evil of evils. Actually, it is the other way around. As you are trying to find the device, and pair the device, and make sure the device stays paired, Bluetooth is some super-annoying technology. Then, once your devices have made nice, the relationship is repaired.

India is finally getting its own official Apple Stores

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India Apple Stores
The closest thing India has to an Apple Store at the moment.
Photo: Lawrence Sinclair/Flickr CC

India is finally getting its own official Apple Stores, thanks to a partnership with local consumer electronics chain Croma.

The six new retail stores will be opened inside existing Croma stores in India, much like the store-in-a-store model used by Apple during the 1990s. Despite this, they will feature the familiar Apple Store look and feel, and be manned by staff trained by Apple.

Apple voted top brand in the United Arab Emirates

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A location fit for an Apple Store? We think so.
The site of Apple's upcoming Dubai Apple Store.
Photo: Longhornsandcamels

The United Arab Emirates hasn’t even gotten its first Apple Store yet, but that hasn’t stopped Apple from ranking no. 1 in a list of the “Top 10 Most Intimate Brands in the UAE.”

In doing so, it didn’t just beat tech rival brands like Samsung and Google, but also auto-makers Lexus and Mercedes, chain coffee shop Starbucks, and a variety of others.

Steve Jobs movie rakes in cash during limited opening weekend

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Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs.
How full will the audience be when Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs movie opens wide?
Photo: Universal Pictures

Just like the original Macintosh or iPhone, the Steve Jobs movie is racking up favorable reviews among a few early adopters — en route to (hopefully) taking over the world.

After its limited opening weekend, it’s definitely off to a strong start.

Make putting your resume together a lot less painful with this app [Deals]

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Resumonk makes it fast and easy to create beautiful, clear resumes so you can got on with looking for your next gig.
Resumonk makes it fast and easy to create beautiful, clear resumes so you can got on with looking for your next gig.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Possibly the worst part of the dreary task of job hunting is writing a resume. They’re about as fun to read as they are to write, so your’s has to be clear and eye-catching, something Resumonk Resume Creator makes easy. It’s a great way to cut a big part of the pain out of looking for a job, and right now you can get a lifetime subscription for $24.99

Chesh, Twitter Moments, and other awesome apps of the week

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appsoftheweek_1024
'Appy weekend all.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Somehow it’s already half-way through the weekend, but there’s still time to check out the hottest apps to have arrived in the App Store as of late!

This week, we’ve selected a broad range of topics — from emergency alerts everyone should have installed on their iOS devices, to a fun photo app, and some truly immersive puzzle games. Check out our picks below.

How to get past Philips Hue’s ‘iCloud Sync’ roadblock

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Philips hue lighting
Sure, the lights are all pretty now. But at what cost, Philips?
Photo: Philips

Pro Tip Cult of Mac bugYou should be excited to get Siri up and running with your new Philips Hue bridge and control your lights with the power of your voice, but one annoying error might stop you. It definitely had me scouring the Internet for answers when I was setting up my smartbulb system this afternoon, and I’d love to save you that time.

Because if you’ve spent $200 on fancy lightbulbs, you probably want to start using them right away, damn it.

Step up your car charging game with these three clever devices [Deals]

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Griffin's iTrip AUX lets you charge and control your phone's audio, all through the Aux-in jack.
Griffin's iTrip AUX lets you charge and control your phone's audio, all through the Aux-in jack.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Cars play a key role in how we use our digital devices, like providing the perfect way for listening music, convenient ways to take hands free calls, and keeping our phones charged up. There’s still more that can be done though, and we’ve rounded up the car charging stations to prove it.

iPhone 6 had Bendgate, 6s gets Chipgate, this week on The CultCast

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6s battery life not great?  It could be your processor.
6s battery life not great? It could be your processor.
Photo: iFixit.com

This week: we celebrate CultCast 200! And just in time for the party—it’s the iPhone 6s scandal we all knew would someday come… #CHIPGATE. We’ll tell why the internet is nerd-raging over this newest iPhone scandal, and why it might just be diminishing your iPhone 6s’ battery life. Plus: the new Jobs movie is generating Oscar buzz. Seriously! And since he’s seen it—twice—Alex E Heath is here to give us his review. And stay tuned till the end for our favorite memories of CultCast’s past. It’s CultCast 200!

Our thanks to Harry’s for supporting this episode. Harry’s super-sharp, German-made razors ship free right to your door and for way less than the drugstore razors. And be sure to use code CultCast at checkout save $5 off your first order.

Cult of Mac Magazine: All you need to know about Chipgate

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Another year, another -gate.
Another year, another -gate.
Cover Design: Stephen Smith

Another week, another fantastic Cult of Mac Magazine ripe for your perusal! We’ve got a ton of stuff on the latest iPhone 6s controversy, unfortunately dubbed “Chipgate,” as well as a deep dive into OS X El Capitan with a tour and some great tips, a head-to-head comparison of Apple TV versus its next big rival, Roku 4, some fear and loathing over the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic, and a sexy (?) power strip and some other fantastic product reviews.

Check it all out in this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine, available for download at the incredibly low price of free!

Here’s the rundown for this week’s issue: