After reading Zac’s opinion piece on how the iPhone SE could actually tempt him not to upgrade to the iPhone 7, I realized that I hadn’t even begun to think what Apple could do to get me to want to upgrade to an iPhone 7. Overall I’ve been happy with the iPhone since its iPhone 5 iteration. It was the device I felt Apple really hit its stride with the hardware. I only upgraded to an iPhone 6 because I wanted a better camera and needed more storage space, but the larger form factor was a serious drawback for me. So what could possibly make me even want to upgrade from my current iPhone 6 to another phone later this year?

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Filed under: iOS Devices, Opinion Tagged: Android, Apple, iOS, iPhone 7

Early adopters of Apple’s HomeKit home automation framework tend to notice one thing early on: there’s no real UI beyond Siri. HomeKit helps bridge functionality between various smart home accessories which tend to each have their own connected apps using Siri, but Apple hasn’t released a Home app in the same way it made Health for HealthKit.

Instead, users rely on a folder full of third-party apps from accessory makers, some of which are better than others, or a highly functional but somewhat pricey third-party app called Home to give HomeKit the UI it needs. Today there’s a new app on the market called Hesperus, which is free to use and has a friendly, customizable interface.

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Filed under: Apps Tagged: Hesperus, homekit

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:

Best Buy 4-Day sale: Apple Watch w/ Stainless Steel casing $200 off, deals from $349 shipped

MacBook Air: 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB $800 (Orig. $999), 11-inch 256GB from $875 (Reg. $1,099), more

Best Buy 4-day sale: Beats Studio Over-Ears $150 or Wireless $250, Powerbeats2 Active Collection $130, Roku HDTVs from $170, more

Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro 32GB Wi-Fi in all colors: $640 shipped (Reg. $799)

Apple iPad Air 16GB Wi-Fi in Space Gray or Silver $249 shipped (Orig. $399)

App Store Free App of the Week: Readdle’s Calendars 5 for iOS goes free for the first time in years (Reg. up to $7)

Upgrade Your Mac with 3 Great Apps: Scapple $9 (Orig. $15), STAMP Premium $5 (Orig. $10), Ghostnote $7 (Orig. $10)

Apple offers Day One 2 iOS journal app for free ($10 value)

The best accessories for Apple’s 12-inch MacBook: USB-C cables, hubs, flash storage, more

Apple drops the price on refurbished 12-inch MacBooks, now start at $929 shipped

Review: Are these third-party $11 Apple Watch Sport bands any good? Turns out, they aren’t too bad.

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Daily Deals: PNY 32GB Duo-Link USB Lightning Flash Drive $35, Lowepro Urban Reporter 250 Camera Bag $40, more

• Ultra HD 4K Displays: Panasonic 50-inch 60Hz Smart TV $500 (Reg. $600+), more
• Logitech MX Wireless Laser Mouse (Mac & PC) $46 shipped (Reg. $70+)
• Canon DSLR + Digital Camera Refurb Sale: PowerShot SX520 $102 (Orig. $330), more
• Games/Apps: BioShock Infinite for Mac $10, Mario Tennis Ultra Smash $31, more
• Smartphone: Jawbone UP3 Activity Tracker + Heart Rate $45 (Reg. $97), more
• Logitech 75 watts 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers (Refurb) $35 shipped (Reg. $60)
• Limited edition Moto X Pure designed by Jonathan Adler down to $300 (Reg. $475)
• Earth Day top picks: Eco-friendly, stylish home goods and fashion
• 5 things to help you go green on Earth Day: solar starter kit, wind turbine, Tesla and trees
• Amazon Gold Box – Magazine Subscriptions from $5: Sports Illustrated, Time, more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Save $10/month by owning your cable modem: NETGEAR DOCSIS 3.0 $47 (Reg. $60), more

• Audio-Technica ATH-M40X Over-Ear Headphones + FiiO E6 Amp: $82 ($105 value)
• Adonit Jot Pro Fine Point Stylus for iPad, iPhone & Android devices: $22 (Reg. $30)
• LG ChromeBase 22″ 1080p All-in-One Cloud Desktop: $229 shipped (Reg. $300)
• Simplehuman Stainless Steel Trash Cans: Semi-Round 30L Step $85 (Reg. $100), more
• Give Google Express a try with this $40 credit for $12 with email delivery (70% savings)
• Amazon adds new color options and storage to its insane $50 7-inch Fire Tablet lineup
• You can catch the ‘Game Of Thrones’ Season Six premiere this weekend live and for free
• Fashion- 20% off dresses by Adrianna Papell, Donna Morgan & more
• Green Deals: Miracle-Gro AeroGarden LED w/ Seed Kit $70 (Reg. $100), more
• Seagate 2TB USB 3.0 Expansion Portable Hard Drive $60 shipped (Reg. $84)
• Green Deals: Leviton 12-ft. 5kw Electric Vehicle Charger $350 (Reg. $400), more
• LeapFrog Reading and Writing System $17 Prime shipped (Reg. $27+), more
• Smartphone Accessories: Omaker M4 Bluetooth 4.0 Outdoor/Shower Speaker $19, more
• Home: Philips Electric Toothbrush w/ glass charger $170 (Reg. $200), more
• Sennheiser HD 600 Open-Back Pro Headphones + $150 Amazon gift card: $400 ($550 value)
• PSN Digital Games up to 60% off: GTA Trilogy for PS4 from $19, more
• Harman Kardon 7.1-Ch. 4K A/V Receiver w/ AirPlay: $298 shipped (Orig. $800)
• Green Deals: Philips 100W A21 Dimmable LED Lightbulb $13 Prime shipped (Reg. $22), more
• Fashion: Banana Republic 50% off sale items, more
• Gift Cards up to 20% off: Babies/Toys R Us, Old Navy, CVS, more
• DJI Phantom 3 Standard Quadcopter w/ 2.7K Camera: $399 shipped (Reg. $499)
• GoPro HERO4 Silver Action Camera w/ Accessories Bundle: $280 w/ .edu ($375 value)
• Amazon launches standalone $9/month Prime Video subscription, but it isn’t really a deal
• Grab a $5 Kindle eBook credit at Amazon w/ download of select free Android titles
• Green Deals: Anker’s new PowerHouse 400Wh Inverter $400 (Reg. $500), more
• Google Chromebook Pixel Touchscreen 1.8GHz/4GB/32GB: $400 (Reg. 650+)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

SanDisk’s new iXpand Flash Drive for iPhone & iPad sports a fresh design and speed boost

Bang & Olufsen’s new A1 Bluetooth speaker brings 24-hour playback and USB-C charging

• Edelkrone wants to replace your tripod with its slick new camera stand
• VIZIO introduces the new M-Series with an updated design and 4K HDR displays
• DJI’s new professional-grade drone is incredibly powerful and intelligent
• Samsung goes big with the “world’s first” bezel-less curved 4K Ultra HDTV
• LEGO reveals a massive 1,600 piece Minecraft set loaded with zombies, more
• Improve your kitchen skills with the best under $10 utensils
• Some of the best SNES games of all-time hit Nintendo’s 3DS eShop
• Amazon’s new $290 Kindle Oasis is a slim, luxury e-reader with months of battery life
• The Lycan Powerbox is a robust solar generator with a swappable battery system
• Impossible Project reveals its Polaroid-style analog camera with iOS connectivity
• JBL’s new Reflect Aware C noise cancelling headphones are powered by USB Type-C

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon, app deals, Apple watch, Beats, Best Buy, Daily Deals, free apps, Gold Box, MacBook Air, video games

Apple is continuing its recent hiring spree from the automotive industry for its not-so-secretive car project, this time hinting at the company’s work prototyping car parts.

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Filed under: AAPL Company, Apple Car Tagged: andretti autosport, Apple, Apple Car, model maker, product realization lab, Prototype, Tesla

The KEF Egg digital wireless speaker system certainly lives up to its name. The shape of the speakers are a peculiar half-egg shape that make you question whether or not you should take them seriously.

A quick listen, and that question is answered with authority. Despite the peculiar look, these speakers mean business in the sound department.

Not only do these speakers sound good, but they also work well in a variety of different environments and with a variety of sources. KEF Egg is a Bluetooth speaker, a Hi-Fi USB speaker, and features traditional optical input as well. This means that the Egg works well in a bedroom, an office environment, or even in the living room.

At $499, these speakers are anything but cheap, but if you’re searching for a pair of flexible speakers possessing high-end sound, then the KEF Egg might be worth saving up for. more…

Filed under: Reviews Tagged: Accessories, Bluetooth Speaker, KEF, Mac, review, speakers, video

Apple is going all out to promote Earth Day this year. App Store WWF fundraisers, free iBook environmental lessons on iPads, green Apple Store shirts and logos, and last night’s iMessage and renewable energy video so far …

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Filed under: iOS Devices

Last week, we reviewed the SteelSeries Apex M800 Mechanical Keyboard. The review was largely positive, citing the keyboard’s Mac-centric keycaps, individual LED lights and tactile key switches.

The SteelSeries Apex M800 is one of the more unique keyboards that we’ve tried, as each individual key can be customized with key bindings and LEDs. With SteelSeries’ Engine 3 software, customization is only a few clicks away.

We’re giving away this $170 keyboard to one of our fabulous readers. Check inside to learn how to win. more…

Filed under: General, Mac Tagged: free, giveaway, keyboard, SteelSeries, YouTube

I love the concept of streaming music around the home. There are a lot of great wireless Bluetooth speakers for wireless music on the move, but it’s still unclear what to choose for a static home environment. Apple’s answer is AirPlay, but it has flaws: no multi-room support from iOS devices, limited adoption by speaker manufacturers, and spotty reliability at best.

I’ve been trying an AirPlay alternative, called Play-Fi, which is a competing industry technology for home Wi-Fi music streaming from DTS. Specifically, I tested the Definitive W7 wireless speaker which integrates Play-Fi. Read on for my review  ….

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Filed under: iOS Devices, Reviews Tagged: Airport Express, iOS, Music, Music Streaming, streaming, wifi, Wireless

Apple has cut the price of its iPhone lineup in Japan including the brand-new iPhone SE, by approximately 10% across the board. The price drop can be seen online on Apple’s Japanese storefront, via Macotakara.

A 16 GB iPhone SE was selling for 52800 yen (483 dollars). The new price from today is 47800 yen (437), representing an approximate $50 saving in dollar terms. Full list of price changes after the jump …

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Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS, iOS Devices, Tech Industry Tagged: Apple, cut, iOS, iPhone, iPhone 6s, iPhone SE, Japan, price cut

An update to Snapchat app today expands on the popular Face Swap feature in a big way. You can now use the face swap effect with pictures taken or downloaded into your Camera Roll. Until now, two people had to be side-by-side in the same photo to Face Swap.

Now, anyone can face swap with any face detected in their iPhone photo library. This opens up some new ‘creative opportunities’, as pictured above, as the face does not have to be in the real world.

Here’s how to activate the new Snapchat feature …

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Filed under: How-To, AAPL Company, Apps, iOS, iOS Devices, Tech Industry, Tips and Tricks Tagged: App Store, Apps, face swap, feature, how to, iOS, Snapchat