This week Benjamin and Zac talk about one week with the new MacBook Pro and Touch Bar, Jony Ive’s Christmas tree design, Apple’s latest holiday ad, the surprise Apple Watch activity challenge, and the fate of AirPort routers. 9to5Mac’s Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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President-elect Donald Trump promised during his campaign that he would ‘get Apple to start making their computers and their iPhones on our land, not in China’ – and he has now said the same thing directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook. He told the New York Times what he’d said.

I got a call from Tim Cook at Apple, and I said, ‘Tim, you know one of the things that will be a real achievement for me is when I get Apple to build a big plant in the United States, or many big plants in the United States, where instead of going to China, and going to Vietnam, and going to the places that you go to, you’re making your product right here.’

Cook reportedly responded with a brief and non-committal comment …

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When Apple very quietly announced a new job title for Jony Ive last year, the company presenting it as a promotion didn’t stop speculation about what it might really mean. The fact that he was handing over management responsibilities and spending more time in his native England seemed to suggest that Apple’s design lead might in fact be taking more of a back-seat role.

Apple’s publication of a design book that focused on Ive’s designs, ignoring everything that went before, reignited that debate, with some suggesting that he was looking back on his life’s work. Ive himself said that he wasn’t focused on looking back, but noted Apple blogger John Gruber further fueled the fire with comments on a podcast …

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According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI Securities, the 2017 iPhone will add wireless charging for the first time. Instead of plugging in a cable, iPhone 8 owners will be able to charge their batteries using a conductive pad similar to how the Apple Watch charges. Although many Android phones support wireless charging with plastic and metal chassis, the report says Apple’s switch to a glass casing for iPhone 8 will enable wireless charging at fast speeds with minimum disruption from frequency interference.

The report says that Apple may not bundle a wireless charger with every model — it may be limited to the more expensive, higher-capacity SKUs — but expects Apple to adopt wireless charging aggressively through 2018.

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Strategy Analytics is today out with a new report dissecting the profits of the mobile industry during the third quarter of 2016. The report estimates that the mobile industry took in operating profits $9.4 billion during the quarter, with Apple capturing a “record” 91 percent share of those profits…

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Apple has recently signed a deal with Indian ride-sharing service Ola that will see Apple Music become available in some of the service’s cars The Los Angeles Times first reported on the partnership, explaining that Apple Music will come to some cars as part of a platform known as “Ola Play.”

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We already gave you the rundown on requirements for connecting your old DisplayPort and HDMI displays to the new MacBook Pro, and if you need a new monitor now, the best option going forward is probably to go all-in on USB-C. That goes not only for MacBook Pro or 12-inch MacBook users, but also anyone who wants to be future-proofed as Apple moves to Thunderbolt 3 on other devices going forward (most displays have HDMI and/or DisplayPort for your other Macs). 

These are the best 4K and 5K USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 displays available so far:

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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

The new Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones hit $200 shipped in this doorbuster deal

Best Buy Early Access Black Friday Sale: Nest Thermostat $200, Apple deals, Samsung 28-inch 4K Monitor $250, more

Perfect for Time Machine! Seagate’s 2TB Backup Plus Slim USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive is matching its all-time low Amazon price: $70 shipped

Grab the WD My Passport Ultra 1TB Portable Hard Drive for $48 + 3TB Toshiba portable for $80 shipped

Best Buy is offering $125 off iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi as it gears up for the holiday shopping season: 32GB $275, more

Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook Pro w/o Touch Bar is being discounted by up to $200 (tax in NY only)

Best of Black Friday – Apple: iPad Pro 9.7-inch from $449, Apple Watch Series 1 $198, iPhone 7/Plus w/ $250 GC, more

Best of Black Friday – Media Streamers: Apple TV 64GB $160, more

Best of Black Friday – Home: Nest Smart Thermostat/Cam $50 off, more

Best of Black Friday 2016 – TVs: Samsung 50″ 4K Smart $398, Toshiba 49″ 4K w/ Chromecast $200, more

Best of Black Friday 2016 – Gaming: PS4/Xbox One console bundles + $75 GC or add-ons, New Releases from $25, more

Black Friday 2016:

Walmart unveils its plans for Cyber Week 2016: Google Home $99, VIZIO 50-inch 4K UHDTV w/ SmartCast $380, more

Best Buy Black Friday 2016: Apple Watch Series 1 $219, iPad Air 2 $275, iTunes GC, 49-inch 4K UHDTV w/ Chromecast $200, more

Amazon’s month long Black Friday event starts today, get a sneak peek at some of the best upcoming deals

Walmart’s Black Friday 2016 Ad: iPhone 7 + $250 GC, iPad Mini 2 32GB $199, 55-inch 4K UHDTV $298, much more

Target Black Friday 2016: iPad Pro $150 off, iPhone 7 + $250 GC, Xbox One + $40 GC, iTunes, Beats headphones, much more

eBay Black Friday Sneak Peek: iPad Pro $150 off, iMac 5K $400 off, more

Final Fantasy Tactics War of the Lions for iOS hits its all time-low: $4 (Reg. up to $16)

App Store Free App of the Week: Tayasui Pro realistic painting and sketching (Reg. $5)

Call of Duty iOS sale: Strike Team, Zombies & Black Ops Zombies down to $2 each

Review: DJI’s OSMO+ makes your videos look beautiful with professional-grade stabilization [Video]

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Protect your gear and keep it running during power outages: APC Back-UPS 450VA System $28 shipped (Reg. $50)

• Night Light with Dual USB Wall Plate Charger $13, more
• Sony’s Ultra-Slim Soundbar w/ Wireless Subwoofer is a great buy at $198
• Enjoy two months of Hulu Plus for free with this deal ($16 value)
• Mr. Beams wireless LED spotlights are on sale for $20 (Reg. $30)
• iClever Surge Protector w/ 4 USB ports $12, iPhone 6 Case $12, more
• Dyson DC59 Cordless Animal Stick/Hand Vacuum hybrid for $250 (Orig. $500)
• Get two-day shipping w/ a free six-month ShopRunner Membership
• Meguiar’s Complete Car Care Kit for $40 Prime shipped (Reg. $50), more

MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:

Apple is getting rid of its Airport Extreme, get a better router for $59 shipped

Your Apple Watch would love to charge on Twelve South’s Aluminum HiRise Dock: $25 Prime shipped (Reg. $40+)

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Filed under: Apple

Instead of using Target Disk Mode, there is another way to quickly transfer files between two MacBook Pro machines using Thunderbolt 3. Thunderbolt networking provides a peer-to-peer connection at 10 GbE speeds for super fast local transfers. In the following brief step-by-step tutorial, we’ll show you how. more…

Filed under: Apple

Satechi has created a new multi-port charger than can simultaneously refuel multiple smartphones and even Apple Watch or Fitbit Blaze. Satechi’s new Smart Charging Stand retails for $34.99 and comes in three colors: gold, silver (pictured), and space gray. The real trick is how the lid can change to work with different wearables or smartphones while neatly tucking away cords within the base.

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