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First Apple Music Awards celebrates the best of 2019

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Apple and Genius team up to bring Verified episodes on Apple Music
Apple and Genius team up to bring Verified episodes on Apple Music
Photo: Apple

Cupertino will celebrate the first Apple Music Awards with a special performance by Billie Eilish this week at the Steve Jobs Theater inside Apple Park.

Eilish takes the top honor as Global Artist of the Year, while Breakthrough Artist of the Year goes to Lizzo. Song of the Year goes to Lil Nas X for genre-blurring viral sensation “Old Town Road.”

You’ll be able to watch Eilish’s performance live at 6:30 p.m. PST on December 4.

Wonderful gifts for any Mac fan [Gift Guide 2019]

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Mac-Gift-Guide-2019
Shopping for a Mac fan? Start here!
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

If you’re buying for an Apple fan who loves their Mac, there are loads of awesome gifts you should consider. We’ve rounded up the best to make your holiday shopping a little easier.

Gift-Guide-2019-bugWe’ve picked out the best headphones, mice, keyboards, and more so that you don’t have to spend hours hunting down the perfect purchase. And many of them are on sale today for Cyber Monday.

Now all you have to do is break out your wallet.

Class-action lawsuit against Apple’s butterfly keyboard moves forward

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The third-generation
The butterfly keyboard was one of Apple's biggest mistakes.
Photo: iFixit

Apple finally moved on from its disastrous MacBook butterfly keyboard, but the class-action lawsuit related to them is moving forward.

A U.S. federal judge rejected Apple’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit today. That sets up the company for a big legal showdown with customers trying to prove Apple knew about serious problems with the keyboard — but kept selling it anyway.

John Wick director shoots epic snowball fight entirely on iPhone

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snowbrawl
Our snowball fights were never this amazing.
Photo: Apple

David Leitch, the visionary director behind John Wick and Deadpool 2, teamed up with Apple for the latest “Shot on iPhone” ad that takes snowball fights to an all-new level.

The 90-second ad, titled Snowbrawl, follows a young girl who teams up with her friends in a sprawling snowball fight against her older brother and his cronies. Packed with tons of action stunts and gorgeous slow-mo shots you wouldn’t expect to be shot on a phone, the new ad will have you hyped to shoot your own winter videos.

Prepare to be blown away:

Get in on 10 Cyber Monday steals that won’t be here tomorrow [Deals]

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10-Ft. MFi-Certified Braided Lightning Cable Packs
Grab a Lightning cable for the home, office, and car.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

While Black Friday is practically a worldwide holiday, Cyber Monday is still more for the serious bargain shoppers. While all the big box stores and major retailers have their post-Thanksgiving offers to make, the major Cyber Monday steals usually come from off the beaten path.

To that end, we’ve compiled 10 of the best Cyber Monday deals on some fantastic holiday sale items. But just like the holiday weekend, these offers will all start disappearing in literally hours…so get in on the savings now while you still can.

iPhone launch schedule may get big shakeup in 2021

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iPhone11
iPhone 11 has been good for business.
Photo: Apple

Big changes could be coming to the way Apple launches iPhone, starting in 2021.

Analysts at JP Morgan Chase published a new research note today claiming Apple is readying its supply chain to be able to launch new iPhones twice a year. The move would supposedly give Apple more flexibility to add new features over a six month period and better compete with companies like Samsung and Huawei.

3 productivity apps for Mac we can’t live without

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clock
Running out of time? There are many ways to boost your productivity.
Photo: Pixabay

This Mac productivity apps post is presented by Dashlane.

Productivity apps for Mac are ubiquitous. There are so many of them, you can burn up a lot of productivity while you spend hours searching for the best ones. That’s why articles like this one prove so useful. They help you quickly identify a few key apps worth considering.

Save a ton on great accessories in our huge Cyber Monday sale

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CoM-Store-Sale
Don't miss our massive Cyber Monday discounts.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The Cult of Mac Store’s massive Cyber Monday sale is on now, with big discounts to be had on some of our biggest brands.

You’ll find sweet Apple Watch and iPhone accessories at up to 77% off the usual price. We’ve got brilliant bands, gorgeous charging stands, handy battery banks, and lots more.

See what’s on offer today and pick up some great holiday gifts at terrific prices.

Apple’s purchase of Intel phone modem biz is a done deal

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intel
Intel and Apple have formalized a deal that has the iPhone maker producing its own smartphone modem.
Photo: Thomas Hawk/Flickr

Intel Corporation says it has completed a $1 billion sale of most of its smartphone modem business to Apple.

The deal goes down as Apple’s second-biggest acquisition in its 42-year history. Apple will absorb patents, equipment and roughly 2,200 Intel workers.

Siri corrects weatherman during a live broadcast

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Siri corrects weatherman during a live broadcast
"Not now, Siri!"
Photo: BBC

The great thing about having Siri built into your Apple Watch is that it’s always there when you need it. The bad thing about it is that it’s there when you don’t need it, too.

BBC Weather meteorologist Tomasz Schafernaker recently ran into an embarrassing mishap on live TV when describing snow in the US Midwest. At that point, Siri kicked in to correct him, saying there was actually no snow forecast.

Last chance: Save up to $50 on Twelve South’s stunning HiRise stands

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HiRise Duet is the first dual charging stand that powers up Apple Watch in Nightstand mode.
Don't miss these sweet savings!
Photo: Twelve South

The Cult of Mac Store’s mega deal on Twelve South’s stunning HiRise stands ends today. Take advantage of it now to save up to $50 before it’s too late.

Both the HiRise Wireless for iPhone and the HiRise Duet for iPhone and Apple Watch are included in the sale. They’re some of the finest stands money can buy, and they make for terrific holiday gifts.

Apple could sell 3 million AirPods over Black Friday and Cyber Monday

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Apple’s wearables business will explode through 2023
AirPods are worth their weight in gold to Apple.
Photo: Caviar

Apple could sell upward of 3 million AirPods units during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping holidays, claims Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.

Ives bases his guesstimate on Apple Store checks, inventory levels at a number of retailers, and more. Overall, Ives thinks Apple will sell more than 65 million AirPods units this year — and even more will follow in 2020.

Get the best Cyber Monday deals on Apple gear [Deals & Steals]

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CoM-Cyber-Monday-blog
There's still time to save big!
Image: Cult of Mac

Black Friday might be over now, but Cyber Monday has only just started, which means there’s still time to save big! There are some terrific deals to be had on the hottest Apple devices and awesome accessories.

Our special Deals & Steals roundup will help you seek out the biggest discounts. Whether you’re shopping for iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, or a brand-new Mac, we’ve got you covered.

Today’s highlights include:

Find all these deals and more in our roundup below.

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

This 13 Mac app bundle featuring Parallels Desktop is on sale today [Deals]

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The 2020 Limited Edition Mac Bundle Ft. Parallels Desktop
Turn your Mac into a productivity powerhouse with 13 award-winning apps for productivity, drive maintenance, privacy and tons more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The best way to get the most out of your Mac is to put the right apps on it. From productivity to creativity, maintenance and beyond, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better collection of apps than in this massive bundle. It features Parallels Desktop, which lets you run your Mac and Windows apps on the same machine. The bundle is also massively discounted, so you can upgrade your Mac without downgrading your bank account.

Apple has raised $220 million to fight AIDS-related deaths in Africa

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Apple has raised $220 million to fight AIDS-related deaths in Africa
Apple raised money through Bono's Project (RED) charity.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Over the past 13 years, Apple has contributed $220 million to help fight the spread of AIDS-related deaths in Africa. Tim Cook made the announcement on Twitter Sunday, marking World AIDS Day.

“AIDS-related deaths have fallen by more than half since 2004,” he wrote. “Together we can achieve an AIDS-free generation.”

Apple Pay Express Transit hits London

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Apple-Pay-Express-Transit-London
Paying for your journeys just got a lot faster.
Photo: Apple

Apple Pay Express Transit is now available across all Transport for London services — including the Underground, buses, and trams.

Commuters can use the feature with iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for rides faster than before. It does not require transactions to be authorized with a face or fingerprint, so the whole process takes seconds.

Apple will take ‘deeper look’ at how it handles disputed borders after Crimea controversy

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European MPs want Apple Maps correction over Crimea controversy
Apple recently changed Apple Maps and Weather to show Crimea belonging to Russia.
Photo: Andrew Butko/Wikimedia CC

Apple says that it is going to take a “deeper look at how we handle disputed borders” after recent controversy about the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Last week, Apple agreed to depict the disputed peninsula as belonging to Russia on Apple Maps and Apple Weather. The changes only showed when viewed inside Russia. In the backlash that ensued, Ukranian foreign minister Vadym Prystaiko said that Apple should stick to “high-tech and entertainment”.

Check off your Cyber Monday shopping list early [Deals]

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Cyber Monday Main
Get an early start to all of the Cyber Monday sales going on now!
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Holidays are great, but they can also be a nightmare, especially when it comes to shopping for gifts. Life’s too short to spend in line at the mall, so we’ve rounded up some of our best Cyber Monday deals early this year. From secondary phone lines to portable wireless charging, gaming chairs, camera stabilizers and way more, there’s something here for everyone on your gift list.

RAVpower travel router also connects iPhones to hard drives and SD cards [Review]

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RAVpower FileHub Travel Router is also a hub.
RAVpower FileHub Travel Router does far more than its name indicates.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Life on the road can be a hassle, even with an iPhone, but there’s a lot the RAVpower FileHub Travel Router can do to make it easier. It’s a battery, a hub with a USB port and SD card reader, and (naturally) a travel router.

I road tested every feature of this accessory. Read on to see if it deserves a place in your travel kit.

Thinking different: Inside the new Cult of Mac book [Cult of Mac Magazine 325]

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Peek inside the new book Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition.
Peek inside the new book Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

When tasked with designing The Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition, Derek Yee asked himself why there weren’t any books about Macs that looked like MacBooks. Then he cooked up a grand design that pays homage to awesome Apple products.

The new book, by Leander Kahney and David Pierini, is a follow-up to the original. It’s filled with all-new stories and photos of the Apple fans who never stop thinking different. (And it’s available now for preorder from Amazon.)

Get a sneak peek inside the book, along with the rest of the week’s top Apple news, reviews and how-tos, in your free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine.

Black Friday is over, but its spirit lives on in these 10 stellar deals [Deals]

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Black Friday Jamstik
Get these deals still with Black Friday prices, don't miss out.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

As Cyber Monday and the rest of the holiday shopping season prove each year, the need for bargains reigns eternal. So even though the consumer frenzy of Black Friday 2019 may be part of history, you can still enjoy the spoils of the day with 10 great holiday gift ideas that remain available at ridiculously low Black Friday pricing.

But there are no guarantees on how long these prices will remain, so get in on these offers pronto — or watch them magically disappear. Don’t forget to use the promo codes at checkout for additional savings!

iPhone 11 Pro scores highest in 2019 for video camera

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iPhone 11 Max Pro cameras
The next iOS update will have an additional off switch for Location Services after recently data privacy concerns.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple has seen the rise of competitors launching smartphones with cameras declared by reviewers and consumer labs as surpassing the iPhone.

But the iPhone 11 Pro dismissed some creeping doubts when it launched this fall and it will end 2019 at the top of several recap and best-of lists.

Among the first with its 2019 review is independent lab DxOMark, which tested 31 new smartphones this year and ranked the 11 Pro as its favorite for video.