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Use Apple Pencil to mark up PDFs in Mail app

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PDF-markup-in-mail
Fixing up a PDF in Mail is way easier than you might think.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Today we’ll learn how to open and edit a PDF right in the iOS Mail app, and then send it on its way, all without opening any extra apps. Given that a lot of PDFs we receive are documents that need to be checked over, or signed, and then returned, this tip is a real time-saver.

Instead of waiting until you get back to your Mac, you can take care of things right from your iPhone.

This rugged case turns your iPhone into a GoPro [Review]

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The Hitcase Pro 2.0, shown with a super-wide lens, is now available for iPhone 6, 6s and 7 on Kickstarter.
The Hitcase Pro 2.0, shown with a super-wide lens, is now available for iPhone 6, 6s and 7 on Kickstarter.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Yes, the iPhone can shoot pictures in the same places as many pro-level cameras. But because the iPhone lacks pro-level durability, you may not bring it on your most rugged adventures.

Hitcase’s latest product should ease your mind and let capture your most extreme imagery ever.

How to spot Apple’s self-driving cars in the wild

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tim cook in a car
Tim Cook and Apple are getting serious about the auto industry.
Photo: Tim Cook/Twitter

Apple finally received permission from the California DMW to test self-driving cars on public roads this week, but spotting an Apple Car in the wild won’t be easy for fans.

Instead of making its own automobile for the streets, Apple will simply be testing its autonomous vehicle software using other company’s cars. Apple has permission to drive only three cars, so seeing them on the road might be tough.

Here’s what to look for.

How to watch the NHL playoffs on any Apple device

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How to watch NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2017
Ready to watch the NHL playoffs 2017? Here's how.
Image: NHL

By Chris Brantner, guest blogger

Catching every game of the NHL playoffs can seem slightly complicated — especially for cord cutters. Coverage is shared across multiple networks, including NBC, NBCSN, USA, CNBC and NHL Network.

If you’re reading this article, odds are you’re in the Apple ecosystem and you’re wondering how to watch the Stanley Cup games online. Luckily, plenty of options for watching the NHL playoffs exist, many of which work great on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Add new lenses to your iPhone 7 Plus, and more [Week’s Newest Deals]

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This week's newest deals include extra tough Lightning cables, new iPhone 7 plus lenses, and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This week the Cult of Mac Store saw some great new additions. From a set of extra tough, switchable Lightning cables, to a set of interchangeable lens upgrades for iPhone 7 Plus, a stylish and sleek laptop case, and a lifetime free of location-based streaming restrictions, there’s something here for everybody. Read on for more details:

Now’s the perfect time to sell your old iPad

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This girl is using her iPad, but you probably aren't
It might be time to say "goodbye" to your iPad (and "hello" to some cold, hard cash).
Photo: Unsplash

Today is the best day to sell your iPad. Why? Because with the new iPads coming this week, prices on older gear will soon drop.

If you’ve got an old iPad lying around, or even if you’re over your giant iPad Pro, sell your Apple tablet now before the bottom drops out — we’ll pay you for it through the Cult of Mac buyback program.

Fix all your devices with this loaded DIY toolkit [Deals]

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CoM - iFixit Essential Electronics Toolkit
Don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't fix. This toolkit gives you everything you'll need to start repairing your own electronics.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Most of your devices weren’t designed to be fixed. In fact, manufacturers would much prefer that you pay to have all your gadgets repaired or — even better — replaced. That’s why you’ll never find an Apple-produced repair guide for your iPhone.

But you have a right to fix anything you own, no matter how many specialized screws a company decides to use. iFixit’s mission is to empower you to fix your own gadgets, and with the company’s Essential Electronics Toolkit, you can save time and money by keeping your devices running. And right now you can get the iFixit Essential Electronics Toolkit for just $19.95 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Versatile backpack carries the load with style [Reviews]

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The Moshi Arcus backpack wants to shoulder the weight of all you carry for a day's work or travel.
The Moshi Arcus backpack wants to shoulder the weight of all you carry for a day's work or travel.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Red flags go up for me when a shoulder bag or backpack is described as having a “minimalist” design. Minimalist is code for “won’t carry all my crap.”

However, in the case of the new Moshi Arcus multifunction backpack, the minimalism actually conceals an ample and well-thought-out space. A surprising number of pockets in various sizes accommodate all the tools of a daily carry.

Get grooving with this glorious audio gear [Deals]

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We've got the best in Bluetooth earbuds, headphones and streaming hubs at the Cult of Mac Store.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

One of the most important uses of our digital devices is bringing sweet, sweet sounds to our ears. Whether you want to listen to a favorite album or podcast, we’ve gathered some of the best delivery systems for top-shelf sound.

From two different Bluetooth earbud sets to a home audio streaming hub and a set of high-fidelity Bluetooth headphones, there’s plenty here to please your ears.

Glass iPhone 8 redesign will only be available on larger-size models

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iPhone8
Don't expect to get the new glass enclosure on Apple's smaller iPhones.
Photo: Imran Taylor

Size won’t be the only thing separating Apple’s next-gen 4.7-, 5.5-, and 5.8-inch iPhones, claims a new report.

According to sources in Apple’s supply chain, the rumored glass exterior form factor will only be available on the larger of Apple’s new iPhones. The smaller sized iPhone will meanwhile continue using an aluminum-alloy chassis, while the mid-sized 5.5-inch iPhone (the current iPhone Plus size) has yet to be determined.

How to disable word predictions on the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar

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MacBook
Word predictions are barred from bar exams.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A number of U.S. states have banned the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar from law exams due to the predictive text feature that suggests words as you type. However, others will still allow it so long as predictive text is disabled.

Here’s how to turn off the feature on your machine.

Anyone can get in shape in 2017 with the CultFit Home Workout

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Get fit in the privacy of your own home using everyday objects
Get fit in the privacy of your own home using everyday objects
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

CultFit Home Workout If your New Year’s resolution is to get in shape in 2017, but you spend all your waking hours in front of your MacBook, we’ve got the answer: our new CultFit Home Workout.

All you need is your iPhone, plus your Apple Watch if you have one, and some everyday objects you’ll find around your home or office. No gym membership required. It’s a great way to get started on your fitness journey, and it only takes 10 minutes a day.

Consumer Reports changes its verdict on new MacBook Pros

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Custom keys for Photoshop.
Software update sorts out battery issues, says the consumer watchdog.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Consumer Reports has revised its earlier rating for the new MacBook Pro lineup and now recommends the laptops, after a software update fixed battery problems found in testing.

The respected consumer watchdog previously cited the new laptops’ “highly inconsistent” battery life as the reason it couldn’t give out one of its coveted recommendations — the first time an Apple laptop had failed to make the grade.

Eat off an iPad at this fancy San Francisco restaurant

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Truffles served on an iPad plate.
Photo: Richie Nakano

A restaurant in San Francisco has begun serving food on iPads. Quince is using the popular tablets as plates in an apparent effort to appeal to younger diners. Each iPad plays a video of a water dog searching for truffles while you eat your meal off its screen.

Seriously.

As fitness trackers converge, everyone’s sprinting toward confusion

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Fitbit Alta Fitness Tracker GG
Is it an activity tracker, a sport watch, a smartwatch or all three?
Photo: Fitbit

2016 has been a tough year for fitness trackers, with scientists questioning their effectiveness and headlines boldly proclaiming that “fitness trackers don’t work.”

And yet, sales of fitness trackers are healthier than ever, while struggling smartwatch makers are desperately trying to reposition their gadgets to muscle into the fitness market. So what is going on? If fitness trackers really don’t work, why are consumers still buying them?

What they said: Best Apple quotes of 2016

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Best Apple quotes 2016
If you can't say something nice ...
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac The world of quotes is a poorer place without Steve Jobs, who was a quote machine. Nonetheless, plenty of people talked about Apple this year, whether lauding the company’s successes or damning its strategies.

Here are the most memorable Apple quotes of 2016.

The new MacBook Pro may have some battery issues

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Luminar
Some owners of the new MacBook Pro report unexpectedly short battery life.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s innovative new MacBook Pro may come with a battery that is a magnet for problems.

Several owners of the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar have taken to Apple’s support forums and Twitter to complain that the battery inside the new machine doesn’t last nearly as long as advertised.

Apple will use drones to make Maps better

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Apple Maps reservation OpenTable
Drones could be key to improving Apple Maps.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple plans to use a combination of drones, indoor mapping and other smart tech to improve its Apple Maps service, claims a new report.

Employing drones could help Apple catch up with industry leader Google. The search giant has routinely outpaced Apple on mapping technology ever since Cupertino entered the space with its (initially disastrous) Apple Maps in 2012.

Name your price to become a coding pro [Deals]

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Gain the skills you need to become a pro coder, for whatever you're ready to pay
Gain the skills you need to become a pro coder, for whatever you're ready to pay
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Learning to code is one of the best things you can do in today’s workplace. With such a vast skillset though, it can be hard to know where to start. That makes this bundle of lessons a great resource, with over 150 hours of instruction covering 10 broad topics for beginner and experienced coders alike. Best of all, you can pay what you want for the whole bundle at Cult of Mac Deals.

Super smart remotes, glass iPhone cases and more [Crowdfund Roundup]

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Crowdfund Roundup
Help turn these awesome ideas into reality!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

You can find some incredible new gadgets on Kickstarter and Indiegogo that often go unnoticed. We’re rounding up some of the best every week to help them get the funding they need to become a reality.

This week, we have a super smart remote that controls almost everything, a tempered glass case for iPhone 7, a robot that teaches kids to code without computers, and more!

Take your wired headphones wireless with this Bluetooth adapter

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AirMode Bluetooth headphone adapter
The AirMode Bluetooth headphone adapter lets you cut the cord on your wired headphones.
Photo: Audio Nation

If you’ve got high-end wired headphones and want to make them wireless, AirMode might do the trick. The short cable comes with standard audio connectors on either end that replace the detachable cords found on many headphones.

Packed with features and reasonably priced, AirMode could be the perfect Bluetooth dongle for retrofitting your gear for Apple’s wireless future.

Is the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar a touchscreen replacement? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Would you prefer a touchscreen?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s new MacBook Pro has arrived with its exciting OLED Touch Bar, giving users a brand new way to interact with macOS. It’s the closest we’ll get to a touchscreen on a Mac — at least for the foreseeable future — but is it a suitable replacement?

Friday Night Fights bugThe Touch Bar is already supported by all of Apple’s own apps, and the company says developers are quickly adapting their own software for it. It’s only going to get more useful over time, but would a Mac touchscreen be even better?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over the Touch Bar and whether it can help macOS users forget all about touchscreen computers.

Old iMacs don’t die. They become lamps and fish tanks in Nebraska.

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cult 2.0
Jake Harms in his Nebraska workshop, where he turns old iMacs into home furnishings.
Photo: Steph Harms

Cult of Mac 2.0 bugJake Harms was on his way to the warehouse when a supervisor asked him to take a cart full of garbage to the dumpster. On top of the cart was an old indigo blue iMac G3.

Crossing the warehouse floor, Harms needed to turn left toward the dumpster. Instead, he steered the cart right toward the parking lot so that he could offload the broken iMac into his car.

That rescued iMac would become the first of more than 700 to get a second life as an aquarium.