Tim Cook met with Rev. Jesse Jackson on Monday in a private sit down that was described as ‘positive and productive’ by the civil rights leader.

Jackson is in the Bay Area this week to promote a workshop hosted by his Rainbow PUSH Coalition that is focused on closing the racial gap in the tech industry. USA Today reports that the Cook and Jackson talked for over an hour, and while Jackson wouldn’t mention what they talked about specifically, he said he came away impressed.

In a very strong year for iOS games, inventive platformer Leo’s Fortune was one of my undisputed favorites — a game that Cult of Mac described in its review as “one of the most beautiful iOS games” we’d seen in ages.

Currently seen as part of Google’s giant billboard display in Times Square, Leo’s Fortune is celebrating its success by going on sale for $2.99 in the App Store.

A Mac is the ultimate tool for creatives — you’ll find Apple computers littered throughout graphic design houses, music and video studios, marketing agencies and newsrooms.

Chances are, if you know a creative, you know a Mac user.

So, what are you going to buy them for Christmas? If you’re stuck for ideas, let us help.

Our gift guide for creatives will help you pick the perfect present.

Whether you’re looking for an affordable stocking stuffer or a budget-breaking gesture they’ll never forget, we’ve got you covered.

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin previously claimed that Steve Jobs’ life was rich enough that it could make 10 movies. Based on the evidence we’ve been presented with, however, it’s having a tough enough time making one.

This week’s setback is the news that Natalie Portman, who was reportedly in talks to play a role in the movie, has decided to part ways with the project for unknown reasons.

This is the latest in a long line of challenges for the movie adaptation of Walter Isaacson’s bestselling movie. Multiple A-list actors and directors passed on the project early on, before Sorkin’s handpicked Steve Jobs thesp Christian Bale was cast as Apple’s co-founder, only to later throw in the towel.

Most recently, the movie was put up for sale by its original studio Sony, which wound up selling to Universal Studios for development costs only.

It’s a pretty common sight: Using an iOS device that is short on battery life while it’s charging with an even shorter Lightning cable.

Now you can get the range of motion you need to comfortably use your iOS device with The 10 Ft. MFi-Certified iOS Lightning Cable, more than half off for a limited time at Cult of Mac Deals.

Tim Cook has been shortlisted again for Time magazine’s Person of the Year award following a remarkable year that saw record stock prices, iPhone sales, and the Apple Watch, as well as Tim Cook opening up about his personal life.

Steve Jobs never managed to earn the Person of the Year award, but Tim could become the first Apple CEO to nab the honors if he manages to beat out Vladimir Putin, Jack Ma, and Ebola.

Apple’s got some great things planned for 2015, but before we get there we need to look back at the year that was 2014.

With that in mind, today marks the release of the company’s annual iTunes Store awards — highlighting the best music, movies, books, podcasts, apps and games from one of Apple”s most eventful years in history.

If you’re looking for the best possible recommendations for enjoyably passing the time this holiday season (at least until Cult of Mac announce our own “best of 2014” lists), you can find out Apple’s list of winners after the jump:

I recently decided it was time to get a proper desktop computer. I needed it predominantly for work, but I wanted it to be powerful enough to play the latest games in 1080p without worrying about stuttering or terrible frame rates.

The new Mac lineup didn’t offer a perfect fit — the Retina 5K iMac was too expensive, and the new Mac mini simply wasn’t powerful enough — so I set myself a goal: To build a gaming machine with a dedicated video card, capable of running OS X, for around the price of a Mac mini.

I set a budget of $650 for my build. That’s $150 more than the base model Mac mini, but $50 less than the midrange model. In this piece, I’ll take you through the components I purchased and why I chose them, and how I put them all together. Next week, I’ll show you how I installed OS X to turn my DIY gaming rig into a Hackintosh.

This week: warm up the telly—Woz is getting a tech-tastic reality TV show; we divulge our favorite new iPhone and Mac apps; we answer some ridiculous listener questions in an all-new Get To know Your Cultist; and finally, Steve Jobs denies Leander Kahney’s attempted handshake not once, but TWICE. Leander recounts the tale. We die laughing.

Quietly chuckle your way through each week’s best Apple stories! Stream or download new and past episodes of The CultCast now on your Mac or iDevice by subscribing on iTunes, or hit play below and let the chuckles begin.

Our thanks to Boom 2 for supporting this episode. Ever needed to turn up your Mac’s volume louder than it could go? Boom 2 can bolster your Mac’s puny volume to righteous levels your ears probably can’t handle. Try it out free for 7 days and save 20% off any a license with code CultCast at checkout.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a drummer. When it came time to assign instruments in elementary school, I started on a practice drumming pad.

The music teacher never let me graduate to a real drum because he knew what he was hearing on the rubber pad would be a disaster on a simple snare. But an aspiring drummer in Japan has mastered the pad — the iPad, that is. His fast-moving fingers earned him the title of “sickest drummer in metal right now” on Digg.