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Leather ‘taco’ will stop keys from scratching your iPhone

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Is anyone else getting hungry? Photo: Campbell Cole
Is anyone else getting hungry? Photo: Campbell Cole

You probably spent a lot on your iPhone, and you don’t want something like your car and house keys scratching it up when you cram all of them into the same pocket.

Sure, you could slap a case on there. Or you could keep your keys and phone in separate pockets. That’s what I started doing, but that was mainly because I had a hole in the secondary pocket, and the phone was the only thing that wouldn’t fall through it when I walked.

7 beautiful workplaces that put yours to shame

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It would probably be a bit scary to work on the top floor of this shifted building, but that doesn't mean it doesn't look amazing.

City of Westminster College in London features open learning spaces and
It would probably be a bit scary to work on the top floor of this shifted building, but that doesn't mean it doesn't look amazing. City of Westminster College in London features open learning spaces and "appears as a clean-cut, modern building with a distinct Scandinavian heritage. The building’s simple geometric forms rotate around a terraced atrium, creating a unifying yet flexible organization."

Photo: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects

Tasty gifts for the cooks on your list

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Get the chef in your life something special for the holidays. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Get the chef in your life something special for the holidays. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo:

Surely you know one of these people: They’re not intimidated by a complicated recipe, and they can turn a handful of random ingredients into something delectable.

They stare dreamily at the windows when they walk by Sur La Table or Williams-Sonoma, and they’d rather whip up a meal on their own than go out for a dinner and drinks.

They’re serious about food and drink, and they’re not afraid to try new things. Well, serious cooks need serious tools. If you’ve got one of these masters of the culinary arts on your list, these gifts will tickle their tastebuds.

Audi’s driverless supercar films passengers’ delight and terror

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The manufacturer built its Piloted Driving prototype into an RS7 model. Photo: Audi
Audi built its Piloted Driving prototype into an RS 7 model. Photo: Audi

Are you eagerly awaiting the arrival of the self-driving car so it can save you from the stress and possible injury caused by people who swerve around in the streets like maniacs? Or do you hate the idea of a driverless auto because it won’t let you weave around all those slow a-holes who won’t get out of your way?

Regardless of how you feel about vehicles that don’t need your help to manage your commute, they’re coming, and change is often scary. especially if the free-wheeling roadster in question is a superfast Audi RS 7. And if you’re wondering what you look like when you’re sitting in a hunk of metal traveling at over 135 miles per hour with no control over the steering or brakes, Audi has you covered.

Relive the most memorable musical moments of 2014

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Apple has big ambitions for its new music streaming service.
Which bands made your 2014 playlist? Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

2014 has been a huge year for music and like many of you we’ve spent the past twelve months sifting through the hottest album releases, starting with Beyonce’s mega-album and culminating with the other wordly music bomb D’Angelo just dropped on the world after 15-years in hibernation.

iTunes saw declining revenues for the second year in the row, but the music industry and its superstars were as strong as ever, blasting out new albums that challenged convention. There were also a host of newcomers that shocked us with their maturity and sound as they tried to knock established artists from the top spots. Want to know our favorite songs and albums of 2014? Take a look below to find out:

Get lifetime access to over 5,000 Adobe training videos [Deals]

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People who work in creative industries know that the best examples of media creation software are made by Adobe. Whether it’s getting pictures just right with Photoshop, or putting together a whiz bang digital newsletter with InDesign, Adobe makes software to tackle just about any creative dilemma.

While Adobe products are the industry standard in creativity software, they can also be complex and frustrating for novice users. That’s why Cult of Mac Deals is offering Lifetime Access To Over 5,000 Adobe Authorized Training Videos for the remarkably low price of $79.

Swiss watchmaker’s squirming makes Jony Ive sound like a prophet

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Luxury Swiss watch makers were originally dismissive of Apple Watch, but now that its launch is inching closer, their tone is changing. TAG Heur’s chief squirmed in front of the press today and announced that his brand is working on something that might be totally amazing. They’re just still looking for partners to make it happen.

Jony Ive prophesied in September that Swiss watchmakers were in “trouble” thanks to his new creations, and it’s looking like he was right. TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver said his company is creating a product to take on Apple Watch, but only if it “can be first, different and unique.”

Biver told reporters that TAG has already struck several partnerships for the watch, and they’re also considering acquiring a few companies to speed up the process.

These are the best app deals of the year by far

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App Santa

App Santa is back for the holidays with a very impressive collection of over 40 discounted iOS and Mac apps. You can score up to 80% off on some real gems, including Clear, Tweetbot, Day One, and Deliveries.

Organized by Realmac Software, App Santa represents an extremely high caliber of indie app developers. And if you’ve been holding out on buying any of their apps, now is the time to pounce. The promotion lasts today through December 26th.

New snail species is so punk, it’s named after Joe Strummer

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Rock the snail shell. Photo: Shannon Johnson/Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Rock the snail shell. Photo: Shannon Johnson/Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

This deep sea snail is covered in spikes, has purple blood and lives in the most extreme ocean environments. So of course the scientists that discovered it had to name it after their favorite punk rocker, Joe Strummer of The Clash.

In a study cleverly named “Molecular taxonomy and naming of five cryptic species of Alviniconcha snails (Gastropoda: Abyssochrysoidea) from hydrothermal vents,” researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute detail five new species of snails, one of which gained the scientific name A. strummeri to honor The Clash frontman.

Use your Apple TV as a full-fledged desktop browser with AirBrowser app

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AirBrowser lets you use your TV as a web browser, without all the usual hassle. Photo:
The AirBrowser app lets you use your TV as a web browser, without all the usual hassles. Photo: IdeaSolutions

This post is brought to you by IdeaSolutions, creator of AirBrowser.

Would you like to surf the web, watch streaming videos, read newspapers and do everything else you normally do on your Mac browser, in full screen on your TV? Pinch to zoom, swipe, bookmark pages — all using your iOS device as a remote control?

AirBrowser let’s you do all these things. You can get the full desktop browsing experience on your television, with all the sites you visit optimally scaled to fit your TV’s screen size. Read on and watch the AirBrowser video for more info on this easy-to-use app.

Apple halts Russian sales due to ruble’s ‘extreme’ fluctuations

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

Apple fans in Russia can no longer buy new iPhones or Macs, reports Bloomberg. The company has stopped all sales in the country due to ‘extreme’ Ruble fluctuations.

All Apple products were pulled temporarily from the online store in Russia this morning, and Apple’s not saying when they’ll be coming back.

Instagram gets five new filters after two-year wait

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Instagrammers just got five new filters to pick from. Photo: Instagram
Instagrammers just got five new filters to pick from. Photo: Instagram

Instagram is today rolling out new updates on Android and iOS that bring an updated design, new features, and five new filters that Instagram says are its best yet. Inspired by the global community, the new filter set is the first Instagram has added in two years, and it’s designed to compliment the capabilities of modern smartphone cameras.

Huawei’s crazy dual-camera phone is also called the ‘6 Plus’

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Huawei today announced its new Honor 6 Plus smartphone at an event in Beijing, and the device is already getting a lot of attention for having almost exactly the same name as Apple’s latest flagship.

Despite what you may think, however, this isn’t just another iPhone clone. Instead, it’s a flagship Android phablet with some impressive specifications, including an integrated coprocessor for fitness tracking, a massive battery, and two 8-megapixel rear-facing cameras that promise sharper images and some incredible features.

Apple wins at last: iTunes DRM was ‘genuine improvement,’ jury finds

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iPod
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The verdict is in, and after nearly a decade of legal wrangling, Apple has prevailed in the class-action lawsuit seeking over $1 billion in damages by iPod owners who claimed the company conspired to kill competing music services by adding restrictions to iTunes.

The eight-person jury found Apple not liable of adding DRM restrictions as an anti-competitive move toward rival players like RealNetworks from 2006 to 2009. The Verge reports that the jury unanimously delivered the verdict this morning and said that iTunes 7.0 is a “genuine product improvement” that increased security for consumers.

Spoiler Alert is the first game you’ll beat backwards

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Un-save the princess and un-battle the epic boss in Spoiler Alert. Photo: Tiny Build Games
Un-save the princess and un-battle the epic boss in Spoiler Alert. Photo: Tiny Build Games

You’ve collected all the coins, you’ve beaten all the enemies, and you’ve finally gotten to the right castle and saved the princess.

Now, in order to avoid a nasty time paradox, you’ll have to do it all again. In reverse.

Spoiler Alert, from developer MegaFuzz and publisher tinyBuild Games, is the first platforming game you’ll play backwards, un-collecting every coin and un-killing every monster to make it back to the beginning. This is the first time the game is on iOS, as well.

Check out the trailer below for a quick taste of gameplay.

Samsung’s mobile payment system could be even bigger than Apple Pay

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Samsung is preparing to launch its own Apple Pay competitor in 2015, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans — and it could be teaming up with LoopPay to make it even more successful. Just like Apple’s offering, Samsung’s will allow the owners of its smartphone to pay for goods simply by waving their devices at a machine, but it may not rely on NFC.

T-Mobile’s Un-carrier 8.0 plan is rollover minutes for your data

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Photo: Cult of Mac
Photo: Cult of Mac

T-Mobile revealed the next stage of its ‘Un-carrier’ plan this morning with the introduction of a new feature called ‘Data Stash’ that’s pretty much just like AT&T’s old rollover minutes, expect for your data plan.

The new plans automatically roll any data you don’t use for the month into your Data Stash. You can then tap into the saved gigabites anytime you need some extra data to keep you out of those nasty overage fees. To make the new feature even more alluring, T-Mobile says its tossing in 10GB of free data for every line on your family plan.

Apple Pay now covers 90% of U.S. credit card purchase volume

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Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
Apple Pay. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Pay’s list of supporters is continuing to grow this week, as Apple announced this morning that dozens of new banks, retailers, and start-ups have signed up to bring Apple’s mobile wallet to their customers.

The company’s new e-commerce product hasn’t even been out for two full months, but thanks to its aggressive launch, Apple Pay now supports so many credit cards and banks that it covers about 90% of the US credit card purchase volume.

The New York Times reports that Apple Pay is coming to ten new banks today, and starting on Friday, Orlando Magic basketball fans will be able to use Apple Pay at any of the Amway Center retailers and food and beverage stands.

iPhone 6 tops Google’s 2014 tech search trends

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Google’s ‘Year in Search’ report was released this morning providing an insight into what’s on the mind of world’s internet users, and when it comes to technology, the iPhone 6 was the most popular tech search of 2014.

The Apple Watch also appeared on the top 10 list, taking the number 8 spot followed by the iPad Air as number 10 in the Consumer Electronic category. The Nexus 6 managed to pull in to third place, while Samsung had two devices in the top 5.

Here’s the full top 10:

9 weird ways to turn your iPhone or iPad into a music machine

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Keeping music on iOS weird. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Keeping music on iOS weird. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo:

If there’s one thing we humans like to do, it’s make music. Seriously, we’ve been doing it since prehistoric times, so it’s no big surprise that we’d find many ways to bring music to our latest tool: the iPhone and iPad.

While there are a ton of different ways to play or make music on your iOS device of choice, here are nine rather weird ones, plus some fantastic videos to hear and see just how its done.

Time-delay app buffers you against awkward texts

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New messaging app On Second Thought allows time to reconsider before a message reaches its destination. Screen grab: On Second Thought
New messaging app On Second Thought allows time to reconsider before a message reaches its destination. Screen grab: On Second Thought

Maci Peterson made a Christian man blush with a text message she sent to plan a first date.

“I wanted to know where to meet, D.C. or Maryland,” she told Cult of Mac. “So I typed, ‘Are you in DC or MD?’ and AutoCorrect changed it to, ‘Are you in D.C. or Me?’ I was so embarrassed.”

Peterson recovered and hopes she is on the verge of saving us all from stumbling fingers, drunken texts and the bewildering algorithms of AutoCorrect. Her new app, On Second Thought, launches this week for Android devices with a version for iPhone users due out early next year.

Everything Apple Watch apps can’t do

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The Rumor: Apple Watch won't launch until Spring.

The Verdict: Probably. Angela Ahrendts told employees that Apple Watch won't hit stores until after Chinese New Year (February 19th). We weren't expecting a January or February launch, but hopefully our wrists will be rocking the Apple Watch before April.
Devs are generally pleased with what they can do on the Watch, but you might be surprised at how much is off limits. Photo: Apple

Third-party developers are already making apps for the Apple Watch, but they’re doing so with one hand tied behind their backs.

Coders that Cult of Mac spoke with are pleasantly surprised by the opportunity to bring apps to the Watch so early, but many note they must abide by severe limitations to get their apps ready for the Apple wearable’s launch next spring.

Your new 30K iWatch is just a click away

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Got $30k to drop on this diamond encrusted Apple Watch bracelet? Photo: Mervis
Got $30k to drop on this diamond encrusted Apple Watch bracelet? Photo: Mervis

We don’t know when Apple Watch will hit stores, but if you can’t wait to strap your wrist with the most luxurious Apple product ever created, Mervis Diamonds has the perfect band to match the 18k gold Apple Watch you’ve been lusting after. And it’ll only set you back $30,150.

Become the ultimate web developer and save up to 93% [Deals]

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CoM_NYOP_Learn_to_code

It’s almost time for a new year. With a new year comes new beginnings. Why not take that as an opportunity to learn a new skill, such as web design, or enhance the skills you already have by learning something about web security?

Today we feature four educational bundles surrounding the topic of web design and web security that we know you’ll love. Each is available at low low prices and for a limited time only at Cult of Mac Deals.