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Best Buy begins taking Apple TV preorders

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Reboot your Apple TV with style.
Apple TV will be available in Best Buy from November 4.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple made its refreshed Apple TV available for pre-order earlier this week, and now Best Buy is also accepting pre-orders for the next-gen streaming set-top box.

As with Apple’s official pricing, the 32GB model will set customers back $149.99, while the 64GB version costs $199.99. Best Buy notes that the product will be available for in-store pickup from November 4.

5 more apps that crush it with 3D Touch

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Social app bumpn will 3D Touch your heart(s).
Social app bumpn will 3D Touch your heart(s).
Photo: bumpn

As developers race to embrace 3D Touch, more and more third-party apps are utilizing iOS 9’s killer feature to make common tasks faster and easier.

Employed properly, 3D Touch’s Quick Actions lists can put many tasks at your fingertips — assuming you’re using an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, the only models with the hardware to us the new technology. 3D Touch’s new Peek and Pop features also let you preview certain items (Peek), then press deeper if you want to open them (Pop).

With more and more apps adding 3D Touch, developers are clearly hell-bent on creating more stimulating experiences. Here are more third-party apps that are doing big things with 3D Touch.

Apple: Quit weighing things on your iPhone 6s

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Apple doesn't want you doing this.
Photo: Ryan McLeod

Apple doesn’t want developers creating digital scale apps for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus!

In a recent post on Medium, dev Ryan McLeod says he and his friends created a digital scale app that worked using Apple’s new 3D Touch pressure-sensing feature.

Called Gravity, they submitted it to the App Store, only to have it rejected for “having a misleading description.” To show the app in action, the team then submitted a video to Apple, but were told that “the concept of a scale app was not appropriate for the App Store.”

Eddy Cue is a baller with Apple Watch and Golden State Warriors championship ring

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Eddy Cue couldn't look any happier if Apple had just announced record earnings. Oh, wait.
Photo: Eddy Cue/Twitter

It’s no secret that Apple Senior VP Eddy Cue is a massive basketball fan, with an office full of Duke memorabilia, and sightings at various NBA games over the years.

Which probably explains why he looks quite as ecstatically happy as he does to be rocking a Golden State Warriors’ championship ring in a new photo posted to his Twitter feed, following yesterday’s award ceremony for the new NBA champions 2015-2016.

Apple’s suppliers are hurting over weak iPad demand

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iPad sales are slowing. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple's suppliers think the company isn't doing enough to make the iPad a 'must have' product.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

iPad sales dipped below 10 million this quarter for the first time since 2011 — and the lack of demand for tablets is hurting Apple’s suppliers.

According to a new report, the Taiwan-based company Coretronic, which provides backlight units for Apple, has been forced to cut down its work force at three separate factories in Taiwan, while closing a subsidiary in Nanjing, China completely.

Unique keyboard app turns your boring messages into music

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The most melodious way to type.
Typing "LOL" and "WTF" has never been so melodious.
Photo: SoundKey

SoundKey is a clever keyboard app that plays instruments as you type to create melodies from your words.

Developed by two French students who wanted to incorporate music directly into people’s daily use of the iPhone, it’s an unusual twist on the custom iOS keyboards we’ve come to know and love.

Funnyman Bill Hader spammed in new ‘Hey Siri’ ad

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That burger looks tasty. And messy.
That burger looks tasty. And messy.
Photo: Apple

Bill Hader eats a hamburger while getting Siri to read him his email in this new fun video from Apple. The message from “Prince Oseph” offers Hader a life-changing opportunity, and having his iPhone read it really shows off the “Hey Siri” functionality in iOS 9.

Nerd cred: Obviously, Hader is using an iPhone 6s, because Hey Siri only works when not connected to power on the latest iteration of Apple’s flagship smartphone.

Check out the full ad below.

U.S. government says you won’t get locked up for jailbreaking

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Hacking your Apple TV may no longer land you in the cooler.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Great news for people who are looking forward to jailbreaking that Apple TV that’s on its way to you this week: The Library of Congress has amended the law to render after-market firmware modification completely legal in the United States.

Small questions like legality haven’t stopped people from opening up their gadgets before, but they’ll be happy to know that it’s totally above-board now.

The 7 biggest takeaways from Apple’s Q4 earnings call

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The iPhone 6s is selling like hotcakes.
The iPhone 6s is selling like hotcakes.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 6s is a huge hit, China is still doing great, and Android users absolutely love switching to iPhone.

Those are just some of the details Tim Cook and Apple CFO Luca Maestri revealed during this afternoon’s earnings call with investors that revealed Apple managed to top Wall Street’s expectations thanks to the iPhone 6s.

Here are the top takeaways from Apple’s latest record-setting quarter:

Apple tops estimates with $51.5 billion in revenue in Q4

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Apple raked in the cash last quarter.
Apple raked in the cash last quarter.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s earnings barely beat Wall Street’s expectations for fourth-quarter revenue thanks to strong sales of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, which helped the company bring in $51.5 billion and quarterly net profit of $11.1 billion

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus set a new launch weekend record of 13 million units sold, helping Apple finish the quarter with 48.5 million units sold. 2015 was Apple’s most successful financial year ever, leading Tim Cook to call it a “testament to the tremendous execution by our teams.”

Liveblog: Apple’s monstrous Q4 earnings call

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Tim would rather you not ask about taxes.
Tim would rather you not ask about taxes.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple is ready to report its financial results for Q4 2015 to this afternoon and, as usual, investors are expecting it to be another record-breaker.

Cult of Mac will be here to liveblog all the action, from the numbers down to the analysts’ questions. iPhone 6s sales will loom large on the minds of investors who have been leery that demand might be waning. Revenues are expected to top $51 billion, but with China’s economy slumping, we wouldn’t be shocked if Wall Street isn’t thrilled with the numbers.

Tim Cook or CFO Luca Maestri will kick off at 2 p.m. Pacific, but we’ll be jumping on the liveblogging party early with a breakdown of all the numbers. Bookmark this page and join us for Apple’s monstrous earnings call.

Watch iPhones die slowly in Droid Turbo 2 torture-porn ad

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watch-iphones-die-slowly-in-droid-turbo-2-torture-porn-ad-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201510Droid-Turbo-2-shatterproof-ad-jpg
An unknown number of smartphones died in the making of this ad.
Photo: Motorola
An unknown number of smartphones died in the making of this ad. Photo: Motorola
An unknown number of smartphones died in the making of this ad. Photo: Motorola

Maybe you know this sickening feeling: Your smartphone slips from your hand and starts its descent toward the ground. If you’re standing in an asphalt parking lot or walking down a city sidewalk — and you don’t have your phone protected in a life-preserving case — you know what happens next.

Time seems to stand still as the phone falls toward earth. Then … Impact. Shattering glass. And a horrifying glimpse at the damage done.

Pro Tip: Delete files immediately in OS X El Capitan

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Get rid of your files immediately in El Capitan.
Get rid of your files immediately in El Capitan.
Photo: Steve Lambert/FlickrCC

Pro Tip Cult of Mac bugEvery day, I delete files. Usually, they’re images or screenshots I download or use for my work here at Cult of Mac. These kinds of files pile up across a full day, and I just want to get rid of them to de-clutter my workspace.

Even if I use the Command-Delete keyboard shortcut to get them to the Trash, I still need to empty the Trash (with Shift-Command-Delete), making this a two-step process.

OS X El Capitan brings a feature that lets me skip one of these steps. Here’s how to delete your files immediately using your El Capitan-enabled Mac.

What to expect from Apple’s Q4 2015 earnings call

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LOVELOUD
Apple CEO Tim Cook will introduce the band Imagine Dragons Satuday at the LOVELOUD Festival in Utah.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple is scheduled to reveal its earnings for the final fiscal quarter of 2015 on Tuesday, October 27, and investors are expecting monstrous results.

Sales of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus should boost revenues to new heights after Apple announced that it sold a record 13 million units of the new devices during launch weekend alone. Exactly how many iPhones Apple sold won’t be revealed until the bell closes, but Tim Cook seemed pretty optimistic in a recent interview.

Cook told The Wall Street Journal that Apple Watch shipped even more watches last quarter than in the first quarter. It’s unlikely Apple will give us the actual Apple Watch sales figures during the earnings call, but there should be a lot of juicy Apple bits.

Here’s everything to expect from Apple’s Q4 2015 earnings:

How to get gorgeous new Apple TV screensavers on your Mac

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Apple TV's wallpapers look even better on Mac.
Apple TV's wallpapers look even better on Mac.
Photo: John Coates

One of the coolest features of the new Apple TV is its absolutely stunning new screensavers, which fly you through some of the most gorgeous locations in the world.

Apple hasn’t announced any plans to bring the screensavers over to the Mac yet, but they’re such a perfect fit that developer John Coates created a new Swift app that lets anyone get the beautiful backdrops on their desktop.

Here’s how to do it:

Gen X loves Apple Pay more than Millenials do

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Apple Pay Apple Watch
Apple Pay is coming to China.
Photo: Apple

The year of Apple Pay might be starting to plateau after adoption of the mobile payments service exploded through out 2015, according to data from Phoenix Marketing.

Apple Pay is still picking up users one year after launch, but the firm’s data shows that growth has slowed over the last few months. It appears that Millennials aren’t as crazy yet about wallet-free payments as expected. Gen X users have grown the most though with nearly 23% having already signed up for the service in the first year.

Rugged, great-sounding earbuds might outlive your iPhone

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These earbuds are so rugged, you'll love them a long time.
These earbuds are so rugged, you'll love them a long time.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: AudioOHM RNF earbuds by GOgroove

My kids are constantly breaking their earbuds. Whether a pair of Apple’s pack-in EarPods or a $40 pair of neon green ‘buds from Best Buy, anything they use ends up with frayed and broken wires.

These ruggedized earbuds from GOgroove, however, withstood both teens — and I’m still able to use them. Plus? They sound really great for the price.

Apple encouraged by growing revenues in China

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China
Customers in China aren't lining up for the iPhone like they once were.
Photo: Apple

China’s rising middle class has been good for Apple and the iPhone. CEO Tim Cook said iPhone sales in the world’s largest smartphone market has risen 112 percent over the last year.

Cook reported the China earnings during Apple’s third-quarter conference call as the company gets to set to release an earnings report Tuesday afternoon for the last quarter that many analysts are predicting will be underwhelming.

Here are our top tech picks for 20 bucks and under [Deals]

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The ExoMount Touch keeps your phone within easy reach with a simple, one-touch mechanism.
The ExoMount Touch keeps your phone within easy reach with a simple, one-touch mechanism.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Twenty dollars doesn’t go as far as it used to, but that doesn’t have to be true if you know where to look. Cult of Mac’s frugal sleuths have found some great deals that you can add to your life with a spare bill floating around in your wallet, from hands-free mounts to game design training and more. Check them out below.

Apple lets German customers add iTunes purchases to phone bills

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Apple brings carrier billing for app purchases to Germany.
Apple brings carrier billing for app purchases to Germany.
Photo: Cult of Mac

You may soon be able to make purchases in the iTunes store without a credit or debit card.

Apple has been working with a phone carrier in Germany on an agreement that would let people pay for items as part of their phone bills. Users’ phone numbers, rather than credit cards or bank account numbers, will be used to make purchases that will show up on the next bill.

How to fix the iPhone 6s Plus’ frame rate problem

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The iPhone 6s has more junk in the trunk.
Some iPhone 6s Plus animations look surprisingly jerky.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 6s Plus has a frame rate problem, and the only solution is more cowbell right here!

Although it’s not necessarily something your average user is going to get too concerned about, a number of people have noticed that the iOS transition animations on the phablet-sized iPhone 6s Plus look considerably slower and more jerky than those on the smaller iPhone 6s.

Fortunately there’s a way to fix it.

Apple’s first Dubai store is a desert oasis of tech

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Apple's 50,000-square-foot retail space will be the first in U.A.E.
Photo: Gulf Business

In advance of the opening of Apple’s massive 50,000-square-foot retail space at the Mall of the Emirates this Thursday, Gulf Business has gotten a sneak preview of the company’s debut United Arab Emirates store — showing a leafy open-plan oasis carrying the new Jony Ive-designed Apple Store interior.

Check out more pictures below.

Gorgeous Apple Watch stand may be more than you need

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Sena Apple Watch stand
I may not be the target audience for the Sena Apple Watch stand. Possibly because I have a lamp shaped like Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

It’s hard to resist the allure of a fancy Apple Watch stand, especially if you want to take advantage of watchOS 2’s awesome Nightstand Mode. Sena’s Travel Case and Stand is one such premium accessory, and how useful it’ll be to you depends on what kind of relationship you have with your smartwatch.

It looks great, and it’s definitely high-quality. And while it does solve a couple major issues I’ve been having with my Apple Watch, it offers solutions for some other ones I can’t imagine ever confronting.