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Designer Marc Newson takes time away from Apple Watch for teapots and toasters

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Industrial designer Marc Newson designed a teapot and toaster for Sunbeam.
Industrial designer Marc Newson designed a teapot and toaster for Sunbeam.
Photo: Marc Newson

While working for Apple alongside good friend Jony Ive on special projects, like the Apple Watch, industrial designer Marc Newson found time to devote his celebrated sensibilities to two very simple objects.

Behold his take on the toaster and the teapot. Simple and clearly fitting for kitchens right now and 100 years from now.

Pay what you want for a complete education in iOS 9 development [Deals]

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Pay what you want for almost 100 hours of instruction in iOS 9 development and plenty more.
Pay what you want for almost 100 hours of instruction in iOS 9 development and plenty more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

iOS 9 is here and the development frenzy has begun. It’s not too late to get in on the action though, and right now may be the best time to start with this bundle of top notch lessons that can be your for whatever you want to pay. The almost 100 hours of instruction covers iOS 9, Swift, Xcode, WatchOS 2, tvOS, and more, and all proceeds go to Project HOPE, delivering medicine, supplies, experts and medical training in response to disasters and wellness needs around the world.

Google to follow Apple into building its own mobile chips

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Androids tend to me more affordable, but that doesn't mean they're cheap.
Androids tend to me more affordable, but that doesn't mean they're cheap.
Photo: Google
Will we see a Google chip inside one of these one day? Photo: Google
Will we see a Google chip inside one of these one day? Photo: Google

Google is in talks with chipset manufacturers with a view to designing its own processors and other components for future Android devices, according to a new report.

The company is said to be interested in following Apple’s footsteps in an effort to make Android “more competitive” at the high end of the market, and to “solve other major problems.”

Pro Tip: Get your Apple TV sounding just right

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Apple TV
Ultra HD is finally coming to Apple TV.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Pro Tip Cult of Mac bugYou know that Apple TV is a great set-top box that allows you to play games, watch TV shows and movies, and even listen to Apple Music streams.

What you may not have known is that you can connect Bluetooth speakers so that you don’t bother your roommates or family when you’re watching, enhance dialogue, and even change the audio language on supported media.

Here’s how to do all that, from the comfort of your couch with the new Siri Remote.

iPad Pro tipped to arrive later than expected

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Get ready to meet the iPad Pro's smaller sibling.
Apple's super-sized tablet won't keep you waiting too much longer, though.
Photo: Apple

Everything we’ve heard so far about Apple’s long-awaited iPad Pro suggests that it’s coming November 11th, but according to a source familiar with Apple’s plans, would-be customers can actually expect the plus-sized tablet to officially launch on Friday 13th.

Jason Voorhees would be proud!

5 must-play games for the new Apple TV

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Our picks for the 5 best games out on Apple TV right now.
Our picks for the 5 best games out on Apple TV right now.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Apple TV’s killer feature is the App Store. And with an App Store comes games.

I don’t care what near-sighted gaming sites are saying. Sure, Apple’s new box doesn’t have a whole lot of gaming content yet, but it has some great offerings if you poke around a bit. I’m finding games for the new Apple TV that never grabbed my attention when they were on my iPhone or iPad, but seeing them up on the big screen pulled me right in.

Which are the best games for the Apple TV to check out right now, though? Here are our five favorites, in no particular order. Note that the links below will take you to the iTunes App Store. If you purchase them with the same iTunes ID you have set up on your Apple TV, they’ll appear in the “Purchased” tab of the little black puck’s App Store. Alternately, you can search for the game name directly from your TV.

How to master the Apple TV remote’s new buttons

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Wonky Menu button? Try this weird trick.
Wonky Menu button? Try this weird trick.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Like all well-designed products from the Apple mothership, the new Apple TV’s remote, also known as the Siri remote, looks simple but contains a surprising amount of depth.

Sure, you might know that one press on the Menu button will take you back one screen, but what about all the other secret moves (like how to restart your Apple TV with the buttons)?

Luckily, we’re here to help you discover all the secrets of the Siri remote. Today, let’s look at the buttons and their hidden features.

YouTube is now showing virtual reality video

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youtube-is-now-showing-virtual-reality-video-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201511YouTube-VR-gif
You can now enjoy YouTube videos like never before. Photo: Google
You can now enjoy YouTube videos like never before. Photo: Google

It’s time to dust off that virtual reality headset that you’ve hardly used since the day it arrived, because the biggest video platform on the planet now supports VR video. Google CEO Sundar Pichai today announced that YouTube has begun offering its first VR video, which can be enjoyed with Google Cardboard.

Bring the beat in and take it anywhere with this banging Bluetooth speaker [Deals]

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The UE BOOM Bluetooth Speaker brings room-filling, 360-degree sound in a device that's compact and built to last.
The UE BOOM Bluetooth Speaker brings room-filling, 360-degree sound in a device that's compact and built to last.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Now that we can basically all the music in the world anywhere we go, it’s up to us to make sure we’re hearing it at its best. Headphones are great, but when it’s time to share the noise you’ll want to pick up a UE BOOM Bluetooth Speaker. The critically acclaimed speaker will get any room moving with rich, balanced sound, and right now you can get one for just $149.99.

Jetpack daredevils take flight alongside Airbus A380

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A Jetman Dubai pilot soars to catch up with an Emirates A380 commercial jet.
A Jetman Dubai pilot soars to catch up with an Emirates A380 commercial jet.
Photo: Jetman Dubai

We were all supposed to have personal jetpacks by now. But keeping them in the air for any length of time has made them impractical, so to get our futuristic fix we have to settle for Buzz Lightyear or James Bond from the 1965 movie Thunderball.

But check out jetpack pilots Yves Rossy and Vince Reffet, of the Jetman Dubai team, who recently conducted a fantastic formation flight over the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai with an Emirates A380 commercial jet.

Xiaomi’s first smartphone with 3D Touch hits a snag

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xiaomis-first-smartphone-with-3d-touch-hits-a-snag-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads2015113D-Touch-iPhone-6s-jpg
3D Touch in action on iPhone 6s. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
3D Touch in action on iPhone 6s. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Xiaomi’s efforts to follow Apple into adopting pressure-sensitive smartphone displays has hit a roadblock, with the Chinese company struggling to source suitable components at a reasonable price. This almost certainly means that Xiaomi fans will have to wait longer for its first handset with 3D Touch.

Apple has already shipped almost 7 million Apple Watches

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apple-watch
On course to smash first-year Apple records.
Photo: Apple Watch

I wish I could have a failure like the Apple Watch!

Despite naysayers claiming the Apple Watch hasn’t taken off as Apple hoped, a new set of figures suggests that Apple has shipped close to 7 million Apple Watches since its launch — a figure which outstrips all other vendors’ combined smartwatch shipments in the past five financial quarters.

Pick up your Pebble Time now to save $50

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pick-up-your-pebble-time-now-to-save-50-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201511pebble-timepress-1-png
Pebble Time is cheaper than ever in the U.S. Photo: Pebble
Pebble Time is cheaper than ever in the U.S. Photo: Pebble

Pebble Time just got its first price cut since making its official debut on Kickstarter back in February, and it’s one worth taking advantage of. For a limited period, customers in the U.S. can save $50 — that’s 25 percent — on the black, white, and red models.

China’s secret shops can upgrade your 16GB iPhone to 128GB

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In China, a 16GB iPhone 6 can be upgraded to 128GB for $100 or less.
In China, a 16GB iPhone 6 can be upgraded to 128GB for $100 or less.
Photo: Imgur

China’s legendary black markets have goods and services for every need, from organs to counterfeit designer handbags. For cashed-strapped Apple fans in this communist country, there’s also a thriving market around iPhone upgrades.

For as little as $100 U.S. dollars, the 16GB iPhone can get upgraded to 126GB. That’s a big deal to Chinese consumers, who have trouble affording the 16GB iPhone 6 at just over $700, let alone any models with more capacity.

This headset turns your smartphone into a virtual reality gateway [Deals]

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Homido's VR Headset converts your smartphone into the processor and screen for fully immersive virtual reality experiences.
Homido's VR Headset converts your smartphone into the processor and screen for fully immersive virtual reality experiences.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The age of virtual reality is here, and you’re probably closer to taking part in this exciting new form of interaction and storytelling than you think. If you’ve got a smart phone, you’ve got most of what you need to drop into virtual reality today — the only other thing you’ll need is something like the Homido VR Headset. Simply slide your smartphone into the headset’s receiver and you’re on your way to another reality, all for $69.95 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Tony Fadell says Steve Jobs was considering an Apple Car in 2008

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Photo: Web Summit/Flickr CC
An Apple Car was one of Steve Jobs' big dreams.
Photo: Photo: Web Summit/Flickr CC

Steve Jobs was considering building an Apple Car as far back as 2008, the year after successfully launching the iPhone, according to a new interview with Nest CEO and iPod co-creator Tony Fadell.

Speaking with Bloomberg TV’s Emily Chang, Fadell says that he and Jobs enjoyed “a couple of walks” (Jobs’ favored way of taking meetings), talking about a possible Apple vehicle.

Wikipedia’s founder thinks Apple should stop selling iPhones in the U.K.

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iPhone 6s
Bye-bye Britain?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has branded a new proposed law banning encrypted communications in the U.K. as “stupid,” and says that if it is passed, Apple should stop selling iPhones in the country out of principle.

“I would like to see Apple refuse to sell iPhone in UK if government bans end-to-end encryption,” Wales posted on Twitter. “Does Parliament dare be that stupid?”

4-inch iPhone 6s is coming soon, says top Apple analyst

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Is the 4-inch iPhone coming or not?
Is the 4-inch iPhone on its way?
Photo: ModMyI

A 4-inch iPhone 6s — resembling an “upgraded iPhone 5s” — is on the way in the first half of 2016, says renowned Apple prognosticator, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo claims the handset will come with an A9 processor and metal casing — although customers shouldn’t expect Apple to incorporate its 3D Touch technology into the handset, as a way of differentiating it from the premium iPhone 6s and 6s Plus models.

5 hidden remote touchpad tricks will make you an Apple TV expert

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Apple TV remote

The new Apple TV remote is a thing of beauty. It’s got six simple buttons, it’s rechargeable and it features a beautifully simple touchpad at the top to swipe across menus, app icons and letters to enter passwords.

But the simple joy of using the touchpad is very Apple-like. There are hidden secrets to the surface uses, with

Here’s how to get the most out of your Apple TV remote touchpad.

Master the mountain with these carbon-fiber ski boots

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Dynafit Khion Carbon goes up as well as it goes down.
The Khion Carbon ski boot goes up as well as it goes down.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: Dynafit Khion Carbon

It is never easy to design something that’s going to serve two distinctly different purposes, like a car that turns into an airplane or a fork that doubles as a spoon. Or, in this case, a ski boot that is helps you skin up a mountain or ski the downward slopes reliably, precisely and with some sense of ear-grinning enjoyment.

Become a web developer at your own pace with a lifetime of lessons [Deals]

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OSTraining offers a lifetime of access to more than 2,500 courses covering a wide range of essential web development skills.
OSTraining offers a lifetime of access to more than 2,500 courses covering a wide range of essential web development skills.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Web development skills are essential to many of today’s top jobs, but it’s a time-consuming process to learn, especially for those without coding experience. With OSTraining’s collection of lessons, you can take as much time as you need — literally your whole life. With over 2,500 video lessons covering the whole landscape of web development, it’s an invaluable source of knowledge that you can access now for $69 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Poop now at your fingertips with new emoji keyboard

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This keyboard from EmojiWorks is a quicker way to express your feelings via emoji.
This keyboard from EmojiWorks is a quicker way to express your feelings via emoji.
Photo: EmojiWorks

There’s now a faster way to flip the middle finger or display a steaming pile of poop – along with your other favorite emoji.

EmojiWorks has introduced what is probably the first portable keyboard with built-in emoji shortcuts. Each letter key displays two or three different emoji, which can be inserted into a message by pressing a dedicated emoji key.

How to use your old TV remote with your new Apple TV

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The smaller one is way better.
The smaller one is way better.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

The new Apple TV remote is a wondrous touch- and motion-enabled trackpad with a few simple buttons that lets you do everything on your new black hockey puck of joy, including playing games, swiping through apps, and, well, playing and pausing your movies and TV shows.

What happens when you lose it somewhere in the depths of your couch, though? The iPhone Remote app no longer works with the new Apple TV, and unless you have an Apple Store nearby, you’re gonna want to have a backup plan in place.

Might as well take a couple of minutes and set up your regular old TV remote to work with Apple TV, right?

Here’s how.

Two years on, Apple’s spaceship campus is taking off

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Screen Shot 2015-11-03 at 11.31.29
Apple's new campus looks like something out of Spectre.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

How time flies! This month marks two years since ground broke on Apple’s futuristic new “spaceship” campus, and — despite the odd hitch along the way — things are looking impressively together.

To show just how together the pieces all are, drone videographer Duncan Sinfield recently flew his DJI Inspire 1 drone over the building site to produce a stunning video of Apple’s forthcoming dream campus.

Check it out below. You won’t regret it.