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Apple original The Morning Show bags first award nomination

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The Morning Show's Billy Crudup earns Apple TV+ its first major awards win
Jennifer Aniston and Billy Crudup in The Morning Show.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV+ series The Morning Show just earned its first award nomination. Billy Crudup, who plays cocky network head Cory Ellison, is up for Best Supporting Actor in the Critics’ Choice Awards.

Crudup is up against Peter Dinklage, who played Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones, and Tim Blake Nelson, who plays Wade Tillman in HBO’s hot new action drama Watchmen.

iPhone 12 could get bigger battery thanks to new circuit tech

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iPhone 11 Max Pro battery
We'll need bigger batteries for 5G.
Photo: iFixit

Next year’s so-called iPhone 12 lineup could come with even bigger batteries thanks to brand-new circuitry.

Apple has reportedly teamed up with a new supplier that is manufacturing a battery protection module that’s almost 50% than that in today’s handsets. It will free up precious internal space to allow for larger cells.

Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR orders start Tuesday

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Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR orders start Tuesday
It may be time to start mobilizing your funds!
Photo: Apple

Six months after unveiling its new Mac Pro, Apple has finally revealed exactly when customers can order the new pro-grade Mac and Pro Display XDR: Tomorrow.

Over the weekend, Apple sent out emails to customers who had requested details on the new computer. Noting that “the wait is almost over,” the message revealed an order date of Tuesday, December 10.

Space-saving USB-C docking stand sports a whopping 11 ports [Review]

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Brando 11-In-1 Hub Type-C Docking Stand adds all the ports you could want
Brando’s Docking Stand adds nearly a dozen ports, both common and obscure.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Forget your frustrations with the minimal number of ports on your MacBook or iPad Pro. The Brando 11-In-1 Hub Type-C Docking Stand lets you connect virtually any peripheral to your computer. There’s a trio of USB-A ports, Ethernet, HDMI and an SD card reader. And that’s only the start.

Get the full list, and see how well this multi-port stands up to real world use, in this review.

Record a podcast or vlog straight from your iPhone [Deals]

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Shure MV88 Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone for Apple Devices
Easily record crystal clear audio straight from your iPhone with this Lightning-connected mic.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Podcasting and vlogging are the platforms of our age. So if you want to reach people, you want to be able to easily record high quality audio and video. Our iPhones already record pretty great video, but the little built-in mic struggles with quality audio. That’s where this compact condenser mic comes in.

Last chance: 20% off terrific Twelve South accessories

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Twelve-South-Forte
Get your stunning Forté stand at a sweet discount.
Photo: Twelve South

Twelve South has long been making some of the best accessories you can buy for Apple devices. And right now you can save 20% on some of its hottest products in the Cult of Mac Store.

We’ve got great cases for iPhone and AirPods, sweet charging stands for Apple Watch, and more. This sale has a very limited time left to run, so enjoy it while you can.

Get intense! Amp up Apple Watch workouts with HIIT [Cult of Mac Magazine 326]

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Crank up the intensity! Learn how to log HIIT workouts on Apple Watch.
Crank up the intensity! Learn how to log HIIT workouts on Apple Watch.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is all the rage these days. Proponents say it delivers many of the benefits of a much longer workout — but in short, sharp bursts. If you want to fast-track your fitness, your Apple Watch can help.

Find out how to log interval-training workouts in this week’s totally free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s filled with MacBook tips, product reviews and a surprising number of wild iPhone rumors. Download it now (or get the stories in your browser below).

Dig into our top 4 deals from Cyber Week [Deals]

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Cyber Week Main
Score a ton of Mac apps and charge all your devices with our best Cyber Week deals.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

How time flies. In the blink of an eye, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone. If you’re still looking to scoop up some great deals on gear and gadgets, we’ve got four of the best from Cyber Week for you to review.

Mac owners won’t want to miss the awesome bundle of heavily discounted apps, and everyone should get a charge out of the other deals.

Game of Thrones star joins Dickinson for season 2

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finn-jones
Jones played Loras Tyrell for six seasons of Game of Thrones.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Apple is quickly adding new members to the cast of Dickinson as it gears up for a new season, including the actor who played one of the most iconic minor characters of Game of Thrones.

Finn Jones, of Loras Tyrell fame, has reportedly signed on for a role in season 2. He will be joined by Pico Alexander as newcomers on the teen drama show that has been lauded as one of the best series to come out of Apple TV+ so far.

Iconic Arizona Apple store wins design award

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scottsdale
Outside view the Scottsdale store.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s townsquare-style store at Scottsdale Fashion Square in Arizona nabbed the best of design award for retail and mixed-use space from The Architect’s Newspaper.

The Scottsdale Apple store beat out a Christian Dior store in Chicago’s high fashion shopping district and a retail center in Springfield, Missouri. Boasting design features like a cantilevered roof for shading, the store looks unlike most other Apple stores you usually see.

Check out the view from the inside:

Apple Park to host Toys for Tots open house

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Apple Park
Apple Park is opening its doors to the neighbors.
Photo: Matthew Roberts/Maverick Imagery

Cupertino residents that live near Apple’s new campus are being invited inside Apple Park for a holiday toy drive.

Email invites to the exclusive event started going out this week to people who live near Apple Park. Apple Park has a big visitor center but rarely lets outsiders inside the spaceship campus.

Take a look at the invite:

How to fix the new 16-inch MacBook Pro’s clicking speakers

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Apple added an Escape button, but broke the speakers. Find out how to fix MacBook Pro clicking speakers.
Apple added an Escape button, but broke the speakers.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro ships with a serious problem. If you listen to sound — any sound — through its speakers, they can click. It sounds like a stuttery, glitchy crackle. You can hear it when the Mac makes an alert sound, or when you listen to music. The problem is not limited to the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, either. It’s a long-standing bug that affected previous models as well.

The good news is that there’s a workaround. The problem isn’t the speakers. They work fine. It’s the operating system. More specifically, it’s the sample rate of the audio device. Here’s how to fix the clicking speakers on your brand new MacBook Pro.

Coming-of-age drama about a skateboarding muslim teen debuts on Apple TV+

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Hala stars Geraldine Viswanathan and Jack Kilmer
Hala (Geraldine Viswanathan) has a crush on an American classmate (Jack Kilmer), to her family’s dismay.
Photo: Apple

Hala, a film about the struggle of a Muslim teen fitting in in America, just became the second movie available on the Apple TV+ video service.

The independent feature debuted earlier this year at the Sundance festival, and reviewers have generally liked this drama.

Apple TV 4K users lose Dolby Vision for Apple TV+ content

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AppleTV+
How are Apple Originals looking on your TV?
Photo: Roku

Some Apple TV 4K owners are reporting that they can no longer enjoy Apple TV+ content in Dolby Vision.

Titles like The Morning Show and See are still available in standard HDR. But even earlier episodes, which were available with Dolby Vision initially, can no longer be watched in the enhanced format.

3-nanometer chips will be ready for 2022 iPhone

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3-nanometer chips will be ready for 2022 iPhone
What will the 2022 iPhone have to offer?
Photo: Apple

The A-series chip in Apple’s 2020 iPhone is likely to take advantage of the 5-nanometer technology developed by chip designer TSMC. However, the chip giant is already hard at work on a 3-nanometer process it thinks will be ready in 2022.

You know, just in time for the iPhone 12S and 12R or whatever Apple calls them!

Big change coming to MacBook Pro and we reveal our Gear of the Year, on The CultCast

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CultCast 417
A welcome change may be coming to MacBook Pro and iPad...
Photo: @YSR50

This week on The CultCast: Apple is readying a new display technology that could bring a huge change for MacBook Pro and iPad; our favorite Black Friday hauls; and it’s time for our favorite Gear of the Year! Plus our favorite movies, TV shows, and all the other stuff we loved most in 2019. It’s a party and you’re invited.

Our thanks to NETGEAR for supporting this episode. The Orbi WiFi 6 router gives you ultra-fast speeds and wider coverage throughout your home – it’s the biggest revolution in WiFi ever. Check it out today at Netgear.com/bestwifi.

First 3 episodes of crime drama Truth Be Told debut on Apple TV+

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First 3 episodes of crime drama Truth Be Told debut on Apple TV+
Will new Apple TV+ series live up to the promise of its cast?
Photo: Apple

The first three episodes of Apple Original crime drama Truth Be Told debuted on Apple TV+ on Friday.

The series stars Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water, The Help) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad). The shows is about a true crime podcaster, called to investigate the case of convicted killer who claims he was framed for murder.

Apple Watch’s EKG tech may have helped save yet another life

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Apple Watch's EKG tech may have helped save yet another life
It sounds crazy, but saving lives may be the Apple Watch's killer app.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

There’s no shortage of amazing stories about how Apple Watch has helped to save people’s lives. According to a new report, a 74-year-old man from Lake Worth, Florida was visiting family when he began experiencing unusual symptoms. Despite having “no idea” about atrial fibrillation, Roy Robinson was clued in by his Apple Watch’s EKG tech.

One trip to the emergency room later, and, well, Cupertino likely has another satisfied Apple Watch customer.

Rotor Riot iPhone game controller lets you kick more ass in Apple Arcade [Review]

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Rotor Riot Wired Game Controller plays well with Apple Arcade.
Rotor Riot Wired Game Controller is like plugging an Xbox controller into your iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

While the 100+ games on Apple Arcade are designed for touchscreens, many of them are more fun with a physical controller. That can be one from an Xbox or Playstation, but the Rotor Riot Wired Game Controller is a better option for iPhones because of its built-on phone stand and Lightning connector.

I tested this surprisingly-affordable MFi controller with some of the best titles on Apple’s gaming service. Read on to see why I’m so impressed by it.

Apple explains why iPhone 11 keeps checking your location

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GeoZilla Find Family & Friends app
Apple clarified that the occasional location checks made by the iPhone 11 aren’t surreptitious tracking.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

simpEarlier this week, a security researcher made waves after discovering that the iPhone 11 uses Location Services even after owners block access to the feature. Apple then released a short, vague explanation that actually explained nothing.

Today, Apple finally released a statement clarifying what’s going on. It goes into much greater detail. And it explains why the checks can’t be used to track users.