Apple launched the next phase in its Apple TV ad campaign with a number of billboards going up around the country featuring the same color bars seen in the promotional videos.

The new signage has been spotted in LA, New York, and Columbus already (photos below).

Apple also recently published a new video featuring the Muppets promoting ABC’s app for the Apple TV.

If you happen to spot another of these billboards in your area, snap a photo and send them to us at tips@9to5mac.com.

Filed under: Apple TV Tagged: Apple TV

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T-Mobile has announced its latest “un-carrier” initiative, dubbed “Un-carrier Unwrapped.” Rather than a permanent addition to the company’s offerings, Un-carrier Unwrapped is a month-long event during which the carrier will gift its subscribers and new customers with special deals and benefits.

The first of those was announced today: unlimited LTE data for all subscribers on Simple Choice post-paid plans for the next three months.

The deal won’t take effect today, though. Customers will need to wait until December 1st to start taking advantage of the unlimited data. From that date T-Mobile subscribers will be able to use as much data as they want all the way through February.

For the next three weeks, T-Mobile will also be launching special offers (likely incentives to switch) for customers on each of its competitors, one per week. A few other deals, such as discounts on tablets and other devices, are being offered as well.

T-Mobile also announced today that its popular iPhone upgrade deal will be back on Cyber Monday. The offer allows customers to get a new iPhone at the price of the cheaper capacity model—a 64 GB phone for the price of a 16 GB, for example.

Starting at 2:01 AM PST on Cyber Monday, T-Mobile is bringing back one of its most popular offers of the year. Buy a new iPhone online at T-Mobile.com and the Un-carrier will give you a free memory upgrade. The following memory upgrades are available for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus on Cyber Monday only:

• Buy iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus 16GB and we’ll upgrade you to the same model with 64GB
• Buy iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus 64GB and we’ll upgrade you to the same model with 128GB

To take advantage of these offers, simply put the 64GB or 128GB model in your cart online and you’ll see the pricing reflected at check-out.

You can read the full Un-carrier Unwrapped press release below.

Filed under: Tech Industry Tagged: AT&T, Sprint, tmobile, uncarrier, Verizon

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Skype updated its iOS client today with support for several different data detectors in text chats.

Now whenever someone sends you a phone number, address, or date, you can tap that information to automatically start a call, bring up a map, or create a new calendar event, respectively.

The update also now shows a bar that you can tap from any chat or the contacts list to get back to your current call.

Skype 6.6 is available on the App Store.

What’s New in Version 6.6

Phone number, date and address detection in your conversations:
– Call a phone number (using Skype Credit) direct from highlighted numbers.
– Set up calendar events by tapping highlighted dates, days and times.
– Check locations in Maps directly from highlighted addresses.

Making it easier to multi-task in Skype:
– Quickly return to a call by pressing the Active Call banner in Skype.
– Use the unread counter to easily see how many unread conversations you have when in a conversation .

General improvements.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: Skype

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It’s been quite a while since Apple Watch came out (7 months!) and finally Apple has released an official dock accessory that might be worth a look. Maintaining typical Apple style, this watch dock is very simple…

There’s really not much to it at all. Inside of the box, you’ll find the dock itself and a 2-meter Lightning cable along with some simple documentation. The good news is that the magnetic charging puck for Apple Watch is completely integrated into the dock. You’ll use that Lightning cable and a power block, which does not come in the box, to hook everything together and charge your Apple Watch.

Check out our Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock review video below:

So what exactly are you getting for the $79 you’ll spend on this little dock? Well as far as build quality goes, the dock is weighted pretty nice, at least enough to where it won’t move when removing the Apple Watch. It’s off-white in color and seems to be made from the same material as Apple’s polyurethane iPad Smart Covers with a smooth top side and microfiber cloth lining along the bottom. Given the color and material, it may get dirty after a while, but only time and dirt will tell.

One of the main features with Apple’s official docking solution is the fact that it supports the new Nightstand mode added in watchOS 2. The puck in the center surrounded by a metal ring is supported by a hing that will allow you to lay the Apple Watch flat on its back or stand it up for the ultimate mini alarm clock. It’s easily pushed up through the recessed cutout on the bottom and can be pushed back down with ease as well. There aren’t too many Apple Watch docks out there that have hardware features to support Nightstand mode so if that’s what you’re looking for, this may be a good solution. And thanks to the circular design, it’ll support both open and closed band types and prevent them from scratching from the surface of a table top or nightstand.

To me, this doesn’t really look like an Apple product. It’s a very interesting design nonetheless, and doesn’t feel cheap by any means. I wish it was available in other colors as I’d definitely prefer a dark gray or black version.

At the end of the day, it’s yet another quality (and high-priced accessory) from Apple, but I’m not quite sure it’s worth the money. If you’re the type who needs all Apple everything, it’s a no-brainer, but I’d highly recommend checking out some of the other docking solutions available on the market.

On the other hand, if you consider the $29 price of a standalone 2m Lightning cable, the dock itself wouldn’t be horribly expensive if there was a version without it, but unfortunately that’s not an option. At $79, it may be more appealing to $550 and up Apple Watch owners than $350-$400 Apple Watch Sport customers.

There’s really not much else to say here though. It’s a simple dock that pretty much just works, but only if you’re willing to pay up the Apple Tax.

Filed under: Apple Watch, Reviews Tagged: accessory, Apple watch, charging dock, dock, review, video

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Heads up! During Black Friday/Cyber Monday you’re going to have to follow us on Twitter to get the best deals since many sell out too quickly to post.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Apple AirPort Extreme 802.11ac Wireless Router (refurbished): $100 shipped (Orig. $199)

Canon Pre-Black Friday Sale: T5 w/ 18-55mm lens kit (refurb) $200 (Orig. $549), more

Runtastic Mountain Bike PRO GPS for iPhone goes free (Reg. $5)

App Store Free App of the Week: Stackables ($3 value)

The Black Friday Mac Bundle offers 10 productivity-boosting apps including Drive Genius 4 for $34.99 (Orig. $533)

Best of Black Friday — Apple: deals on iPad Air 2, iPhone 6s/Plus, Apple Watch, Macs, more!

Amazon’s Black Friday deals go live later this week w/ mobile shoppers getting extra perks

Top 5 ways to score the year’s best online Black Friday deals

10 can’t-miss deals for the holiday season: HDTVs, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6s, more

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Herman Miller takes rare 15% off world’s best office chairs + desks, inc. award-winning Aeron, all shipped free

• Save 25% on Nike Gear: FlyKnit Lunar 3 Men’s Shoes $90 (Orig. $150), any NFL jersey, more
• Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit for iOS or Android: $199 shipped (Reg. $249)
• JBL Yurbuds ITX-3000 Signature In-Ear Headphones: $5 shipped
• Maker Architect 3D Printer $400 shipped (Orig. $600)
• SanDisk 200GB UHS-I Class 10 microSDXC Card $75 shipped w/ Visa Checkout (Orig. $250)
• Home Theater Audio: Bose Sound System $299, Sony soundbar w/ sub $198, more
• Daily Deals: Acer Home Projector $300, Samsung Level Wireless Headphones $30, more
• Games/Apps: Bayonetta 2 $35, Disney Infinity Star Wars $49, iOS freebies, more

BLACK FRIDAY AD LEAKS & NEWS:

Best of Black Friday – Streaming Media Players: Apple TV 64GB $180, Roku SE $20, 2-Pack Chromecast (2nd gen) $50, more

Best of Black Friday – Smart Home: Nest Thermostat $250 + $50 GC, Philips Hue kit $130

Best of Black Friday – HDTVs: 40-inch from $149, Samsung 55-inch Smart $580 (Reg. $1,200), more

Best of Black Friday – iPads, Tablets and e-readers: iPad Air 2 from $360, Amazon Fire $35 (Reg. $50), more

Best of Black Friday – Games: Xbox One/PS4 console bundles, deep discounts on games, more

Best of Black Friday – wearables: Fitbit Flex $59/Charge $90/more, $100 off Apple Watch, Android smartwatches, more

Best Buy’s Black Friday ad brings deals on Apple Watch, Macs, HDTVs, games & more!

• Walmart’s Black Friday ad leak hits with 4K UHDTV deals, iPad Air 2 $100 off, more
• Target previews its top Black Friday deals, launches surprise one-day sale
• Staples Black Friday Ad Revealed: iPad Air 2 from $374, mini 4 $300, more
• Amazon plans dramatic Black Friday discounts for its Kindle, Fire TV Stick & Fire tablet
• Amazon’s Black Friday Deals store is now open for business
• ShopRunner’s 2-day shipping service may be your best friend this Black Friday
• eBay’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday will deliver deals on MacBooks, iPhone, iPad Air 2
• GameStop Black Friday ad leak: PS4/Xbox One bundles $300, new Nintendo 3DS XL $180
• Costco’s Black Friday ad includes deals on Chromecast (2nd gen), Fitbit Flex, more
• Microsoft launches its Black Friday promo early for Xbox Live Gold Members
• Toys R Us Black Friday ad leak: Xbox One/PS4 bundles $300, more
• Sam’s Club Black Friday ad leak: iPad Air 2 Cellular $175 off, Google Play $100 GC $80
• Kohl’s Black Friday ad leak: more PS4/Xbox One $300 bundles, home goods, clothing
• Sam’s Club One-Day Sale: iPhone 6s/Plus $100 off, iPad Air 2 64GB/128GB $150 off
• HHGregg Black Friday: Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless Headphones $100, more
• Sports Authority Black Friday Ad: Free gift cards w/ footwear, FitBit Charge HR $120
• McDonald’s offer nets you a free Big Mac or Egg McMuffin per week for 1 year
• eBay calls on Black Friday shoppers to decide which products will get discounted this year
• BJ’s Warehouse Black Friday ad hits with Samsung 4K UHDTV deals, fitness trackers
• Sears Black Friday Ad: deals on Samsung 4K UHDTV’s, more
• Black Friday ad leaks drop for Lowe’s, Menards, Cabela’s, and more
• Grab 2 free ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ tickets during Black Friday at Kohl’s
• The Office Depot & OfficeMax Black Friday ad doesn’t bring much to the table

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Save on the new Apple TV: 32GB $130, 64GB $180 or 3rd Gen (refurb) for $40 + free shipping

Apple iPod touch (6th gen) in multiple colors: 16GB $159, 32GB $199, 64GB $239 + free shipping

• Bose SoundTrue On-Ear Headphones (multiple colors): $75 shipped (Reg. $90+)
• USB roundup: Anker MFi 3ft Lightning cable $4 Prime shipped, Power Banks from $6, more
• Seagate Backup Plus External Desktop Hard Drive: 5TB $120, 8TB $200
• Portable Solid-State Drives: SanDisk 120GB $60, 240GB $80 + more
• Samsung Chromebook 2 2.16GHz/2GB/16GB SSD: $149 shipped (Reg. $190+)
• Twelve South BookBook for iPhone 5/5s: $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $60)
• NETGEAR DOCSIS 3.0 High Speed Cable Modem: $80 shipped (Reg. $100)
• Toys 20% off – NERF, Melissa & Doug, more + Buy 2 Get 1 free Board Games
• Amazon Kindle e-Reader deals from $50 shipped, Paperwhite $100 (Reg. $120)
• APC Back-UPS 450VA Network 8-Outlet UPS $28 shipped (Reg. $55)
• MacPhun offers up to 85% off Creative Kit 2016 for Black Friday: $89 (Reg. $630)
• Pebble Time iOS/Android Smartwatch: $130 shipped (Reg. $200)
• Home Theater: Samsung 55-inch Smart 4K LED UHDTV $900 (Reg. $1,200), more
• Verizon launches freebies promotion: 1GB of data, $5 iTunes credit, more
• Stocking Stuffer Alert – Anker 31-inch Bluetooth Selfie Stick: $6 Prime shipped (Reg. $17)
• Samsung Bluetooth Soundbar w/ Wireless Subwoofer: $148 (Reg. $228)
• Japanese interactive dictionary app goes free for the first time in years (Reg. $7)
• Download Michael Jackson’s Thriller album for free (Reg. $10)
• JBL Clip or Micro Bluetooth Speakers in multiple colors for $25 shipped (Reg. $40)
• Expansys pre-Black Friday deals: Nexus 5 $200 (Reg. $350), Chromebooks $120, more
• Networking: TP-LINK Archer C5 802.11ac Router + Wi-Fi Extender $105 ($135 value), more
• MacBook felt portfolio style sleeve: $12 Prime shipped (Reg. $17)
• Get your wings and a free can of Red Bull today at 7-Eleven stores
• Monitors: Dell 24-inch $240 (Reg. $275+), LG 34-inch UltraWide $400 (Reg. $460)
• 2-Pack SONOS PLAY:1 Starter Set for $349 shipped ($400 value)
• Media: Holiday classics on Blu-ray/DVD from $4, more
• Decorative Holiday Solar lights: 17-Meter White LED Lights $17 (Orig. $36), more
• Implosion – Never Lose Hope for iOS goes free for the first time ($10 value)
• Apple MFi Certified 3.1A 4ft Coiled Lightning Car Charger $12 (Reg. $20)
• LG 43-inch HDTVs: Smart 4K + $150 Dell Gift Card $600 (Reg. $800+), more
• Adobe Elements 14 w/ download: Photoshop as low as $40, Premiere $60
• Sony 7.2-ch. 4K AV Receiver w/ AirPlay and Bluetooth: $298 shipped (Reg. $400)
• LEGO locations to offer free build sets in-store with registration

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Leica introduces a new low-cost M series camera, but don’t expect bargain pricing

• D-Link takes all the smart things and puts them together in one Komfy light switch
• Curate With Me, Win A Prize: 2015’s Most Coveted Holiday Tech Gifts List!
• The ultimate 4K set-top box battle [Video]
• GENII’s CAST streaming box skirts copyright rules to beam your content to friends
• Pryme Vessyl skips the 8-cup rule for a user specific iPhone-connected recommendation
• Mass Fidelity tries to solve virtual stereo sound with its new Core wireless speaker
• What Watch uses Bluetooth connectivity to tab the memorable moments of your life
• Pulse brings Bluetooth LE + iOS connectivity to a slew of Canon and Nikon DSLRs
• Roku surprises with a new “special edition” streaming media player
• Nintendo announces Zelda Twilight Princess HD remaster, more

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon, app deals, Apple AirPort Extreme, Best Buy, Canon Pre-Black Friday, Canon T5, Daily Deals, free apps, Gold Box, new Apple TV, video games

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Today online publishing platform WordPress, which powers approximately 25% of websites on the Internet (this site included), is getting a major redesign with a completely rebuilt wordpress.com and the introduction of a new Mac app. We’ve been getting a taste of the improvements incrementally over the last year, but today is the company’s official launch.

I’ve been using the app for a few days leading up to the launch and, for what it is, I quite enjoyed the experience, which essentially mirrors what you get from the new wordpress.com. My enthusiasm, however, is keeping in mind that the app essentially feels like the web app in a wrapper, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing once you see how the wordpress.com web app experience has improved with the revamp.

Both the new wordpress.com and Mac app can be used for publishing to sites hosted by WordPress, self-hosted blogs using the open-source WordPress platform, and WordPress VIP customers (like us).

The company gave us some background on the rebuilt wordpress.com and Mac app experience, which is also going open-source today with the launch, noting that the redesign “shifts WordPress.com from being primarily PHP-driven to primarily JavaScript- and API-driven”:

These products were all powered by a project internally codenamed Calypso, and Automattic is now releasing the code open source on GitHub under the GPL v2 license. More than 140 people worked for the past 18 months on Calypso, which shifts WordPress.com from being primarily PHP-driven to primarily JavaScript- and API-driven.

WordPress has more on specifics of the behind-the-scenes changes for developers and open-source contributors on its website here.

And here’s a closer look at the Mac app in action:

You get a similar publishing experience to what you’d get on the web through wordpress.com, which is overall a vastly improved experience if you’re coming from using the latest release of WordPress on your self-hosted blog. The interface itself is a cleaner version of what WordPress has been slowly rolling out on the web in recent months, with access to all of WordPress’s main publishing and sharing features, a Reader mode for distraction free viewing, site stats, notifications, and settings. WordPress notes that users can use the Jetpack plugin to sync their site with the Mac app.

And while I was hoping to see more of a full-fledged Mac app than a mirror of the web app, it’s definitely the fastest and most streamlined WordPress experience so far. You’ll still get the benefit of using the app without a browser (although some features pull you out to a browser, for example, to view your website homepage or admin panel), and that means OS X features like full-screen app mode, system notification badges on the app’s icon in your dock, and navigating the app with OS X key commands, but that’s about it.

But you might not find everything you’re used to exactly like it is on the latest release of WordPress you have installed. Some features aren’t accessible yet like configuring and managing plug-ins. You can download the WordPress for Mac app now (direct link).

Filed under: Apps, Mac Tagged: API, Automattic, calypso, GitHub, JavaScript, Mac App, Open source, PHP, WordPress, wordpress.com

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Earlier this year around WWDC, Square announced that it would be selling new hardware that will allow small businesses to easily accept Apple Pay later this year. Now Square is setting up 100 small businesses around the US with their new Apple Pay-ready contactless card reader. These allow customers to pay merchants using Apple’s mobile payment service through iPhones and Apple Watches securely and without sharing credit card information.

While Square has provided 100 local businesses with the new readers, according to USA Today, several customers who signed up to pre-order the Apple Pay-ready devices earlier this summer were recently notified that some orders would not ship until early next year.

We’ve had such high demand for the new Square contactless and chip reader that it’s taking us longer than expected to fulfill every order.

In the meantime, Square has customers who reserved the new readers would not have to worry about the new liability shift around securing transactions.

The new Apple Pay-compatible Square reader works wirelessly through a rechargeable battery, or can optionally plug into a Square Stand USB hub for power.

Aside from Apple Pay and other NFC payment solutions, the new readers also can take payments from new debit and credit cards that use chip and pin (or EMV). Square Contactless + Chip Reader is sold at pre-order for $49.99. Swipe fees start at 2.75.

Earlier this year, Apple partnered with PayAnywhere to distribute a competing solution for small businesses. Similarly priced at Square’s solution, PayAnywhere’s Apple Pay reader is sold in Apple Stores for $39.95 with the first $5,000 in Apple Pay transactions free.

Filed under: Apple Pay Tagged: Apple pay, business, contactless reader, mobile payments, PayAnywhere, Small businesses, Square

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Apple seems to be working hard with its card company partners to promote Apple Pay in the UK. Alongside a MasterCard promo offering free travel in London, Visa Europe is today launching a two-month long ad campaign designed to emphasize the speed, ease and reliability of the service.

Featuring a central theme of anticipation, the campaign uses imagery that captures the pause before a primary action – the weightlifter before pressing the lift, the pianist before striking a chord, the chameleon before making a strike – the scenes then snap into the dramatic conclusions as an analogy to how fast, easy and reliable using a Visa card in Apple Pay is in everyday situations such as paying to use the Tube or in a café … 

The ads will be broadcast on TV and also shown as promoted videos on social media.

Visa has prepared two versions of the first ad, a London-centric one with a commuter and a rest-of-UK one substituting a cafe for the tube.

Filed under: Apple Pay, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple pay, Apple Pay ad, Apple Pay ads, Apple Pay UK, Visa, Visa Inc.

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Welcome to 9to5Mac’s iPhone Holiday Gift Guide. Bookmark it or send it to your favorite people, because either you or someone you care about is going to find the ideal iPhone holiday gift inside!

I’m genuinely excited to present this collection to you, because the iPhone is the one Apple product I take everywhere — and couldn’t give up. Since I’ve been using iPhones and their accessories since the first iPhone debuted in 2007, I have a lot of experience sorting the good and great stuff out from the junk.

My iPhone Holiday Gift Guide picks are all best-of-breed options, selected for their combination of reasonable pricing and excellent performance. Whether you’re looking for the perfect case, great headphones, a smart car mounting solution, a battery pack, or a way to improve your iPhone’s camera, you’ll find the smartest iPhone gift picks below…

Cases

Over the years, I’ve become highly partial to a specific iPhone case, because every version has successfully kept my iPhones free of dents and shattered glass. That case is Speck’s CandyShell, and the just-released CandyShell Clear ($35-$40) is the best version the company has ever made. Still built with a hard plastic outside and a soft TPU inner layer, CandyShell makes iPhone insertion and removal super easy, while completely protecting any model against drops. The Clear version is the first one to let your iPhone’s color shine through, and I’ve been using and loving it for months. Consider it the best investment you can make in a practical iPhone case.

The only other case I would recommend as a “more protective” alternative would be Lifeproof’s Frē ($70-$80), and then only if you need waterproofing. Frē is around twice the price of a CandyShell, but if you’re concerned about dropping your iPhone in a pool, ocean, bathtub, or snowpile, it offers additional screen and port protection that will keep your iPhone alive.

Car Accessories

The one car accessory that has become a major part of my daily life is Spigen’s inexpensive Magnetic Air Vent Mount ($9). It includes a strong, circular magnet that attaches to your car’s air vent, plus circular and rounded rectangular metal plates that can be attached to any iPhone case. (If they fit inside the case, great; if not, they have adhesive to attach to the back of the case.) Mounting your iPhone in your car becomes a 1-second process, as easy as touching it to the magnet; GPS still works, too. Spigen makes a very basic case called Thin Fit Hybrid ($14, shown in pink above) with an internal slot to hide the metal plate; I keep the metal plate inside a CandyShell, instead.

Car chargers are a dime a dozen now, but some are better than others. I continue to use and like Just Mobile’s aluminum-barrelled Highway Max ($27-$34) as a dual-port car charger, though I’ve recently been alternating it with Nomad’s unique combination battery pack and car charger Roadtrip ($60). Highway Max has twin 2.1A ports that can charge any iPhone or iPad; Roadtrip has twin 1.5A ports and a 3000mAh battery that are best-suited to iPhone use.

Batteries + Battery Cases

I spent a great deal of time this year compiling a comprehensive guide to the best iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus battery cases, most of which remain compatible with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. But the short “what’s best?” answer when it comes to batteries is “pretty much anything from Anker.” Anker’s Ultra-Slim Extended Battery Case for iPhone 6/6s is only $40 and delivers an over 110% recharge to either of those models with a 2,850mAh battery. Most of the iPhone 6 Plus battery cases out there have issues of one sort or another, but Tylt’s Energi ($80) and Mophie’s Juice Pack ($88-$100) are options; I’d suggest looking below instead.

You can save a lot of money if you don’t need to keep a battery strapped to the back of your iPhone all the time, and as with battery cases, Anker’s standalone batteries have come to lead the industry in quality, capacity, and value for the dollar. The PowerCore 20100 ($40, shown above) offers 7 times the capacity of the Ultra-Slim Case for the same price, while the larger $60 Astro E7 (reviewed here) offers nearly 9.5 times the capacity for $20 more. Either of them can charge an iPhone many times, with juice left over to charge an iPad.

Headphones + Speakers

9to5Mac’s readers love Apple’s products, so it’s no surprise that the latest Beats Studio Wireless (shown above in “titanium”) over-ear headphones and Beats Solo2 on-ear headphones top my list of recommendations. Over the last year or so, Beats have improved in audio quality and become available at more reasonable prices, particularly through Amazon.com. I grabbed a pair of Studio Wireless when they dropped to $270 (down from $350), and the smaller, more basic wired Solo2 now starts at $130 (down from $200). If you’re looking for an Apple-built speaker, the new Beats Pill Plus can be had for under $240; the smaller Pill 2.0 now goes for $150.

If you want to step beyond Apple’s glossy plastic designs, Bowers & Wilkins offers truly luxurious headphones and speakers with higher-end sonics and materials. I’m personally a huge fan of the $400 P5 Wireless on-ear Bluetooth headphones (shown left, reviewed here), which are also available in a wired version called P5 S2 for $100 less. My favorite pair of in-ear headphones is B&W’s $179 model C5 S2 (shown center), which have the best ear stabilizers I’ve tested, and lush, detailed sound. On the speaker front, I just reviewed the company’s new Zeppelin Wireless ($700), which is a powerhouse all-in-one audio system with Bluetooth, AirPlay, and Spotify support — ridiculously powerful, sonically balanced, and aesthetically distinctive. It’s the priciest iPhone-related gift on this list, but worth the cost.

Chargers + Cables

High-quality iPhone wall chargers have come down in price and surged in power over the last year, making it difficult to recommend spending more for mere cosmetic improvements. Anker currently dominates the charging category with excellent options ranging from two to ten ports: for $40, the 10-port PowerPort 10 (shown above, reviewed here) can charge an entire household’s devices at once, though I personally use the more compact 6-port, $36 PowerPort 6 (reviewed here). Pair them with Anker’s surprisingly high-quality $6 Lightning cables, and you’re set to go. If you only need a two-port charger, RAVPower’s $10 Dual USB Wall Charger isn’t fancy, but works well to charge two iPhones (or even iPad Pros) at once.

Portable Video Projectors or Apple TVs

Apple made iPhone screens a lot easier to see with the introduction of 4.7″ and 5.5″ iPhone 6/6 Plus models last year, but if you want to share presentations or videos so everyone can see them, portable projectors or Apple TVs with AirPlay support are a great option. The best portable projectors I’ve covered this year are Sony’s tiny, $350 MP-CL1 (reviewed here, shown above left), which is small enough to fit in a pocket but creates a big-screen HD image, and AAXA’s $450 P700 (reviewed here, shown above right), using an iPad mini-sized footprint to perform videos and audio at 4X the power. Each has a battery and does a remarkable job of projecting video given its size.

The alternative, of course, is to stream your iPhone’s content to an HDTV using AirPlay — for that, you’ll need an Apple TV. Even the 3rd-generation Apple TV ($65 with free expedited shipping) includes AirPlay support, but the just-released 4th-generation Apple TV ($149 with free expedited shipping) adds apps, games, and Siri Remote voice control. Go with the one that fits your budget; I love the newer model.

Apple Watch

While the topic of Apple Watch accessories is worth a whole separate holiday gift guide, it’s worth mentioning that the Apple Watch itself ($349 and up) is expected to be one of the most popular gifts this year, and since it requires an iPhone, it’s technically an iPhone accessory. You can save $50 on any Apple Watch or Apple Watch Sport here; check out my guide to the best Apple Watch stands and docks, too (including Nomad’s Stand, shown above).

Apps

I’m only going to recommend three apps, but they’re all great. Fireproof Games’ The Room Three ($5) is probably the single best iOS game I’ve seen all year, a completely 3D adventure that takes excellent advantage of any iPhone’s graphics, sound, and touchscreen capabilities. Tapbots’ Tweetbot 4 for Twitter ($5) is the ultimate Twitter client, featuring a superb interface and full support for the Apple Watch. Finally, Silvio Rizzi’s Reeder 2 ($5) is the RSS reader I use to canvas over a dozen different news sources at once. All three of these apps are universal, running on iPhones, iPads, and iPods.

Photography Accessories

My 9to5Mac Holiday Gift Guide for Apple Photographers includes a ton of photo and video options for Apple users generally, including a bunch of iPhone-specific accessories. The ones that could make the most difference to you are Olloclip’s 4-in-1 Lenses, Eyefi’s Wi-Fi SD card Mobi, and extenders such as Spigen’s S520 Selfie Stick or Tiffen’s Steadicam Smoothee (shown above). Check out the entire Photography Gift Guide here!

Which iPhone To Buy, And iPhone Trade-Ins

If you’re shopping for an iPhone as a holiday gift, the question of which iPhone to buy isn’t a simple one, but after wrestling with the same choice a few months ago, I’m going to offer an answer. Controversial though this may be, I don’t think the differences between the iPhone 6 and 6s models are important enough (yet) to matter to most people. I personally upgraded from an iPhone 6 Plus to an iPhone 6s Plus, but in retrospect, I could easily have held off (and saved myself some money in the process). As compelling as they may be, features such as 3D Touch and Live Photos still need more third-party support.

As long as you’re not buying a 16GB model — it’s just too little capacity — you can’t really go wrong with any of the iPhone 6, 6s, or Plus models. I would suggest the 4.7″ 6 or 6s if the idea of having a “slightly too big” iPhone in your pocket or hand bothers you — even people who love the 5.5″ model’s screen concede that the device could stand to be a little more compact, tolerating the large size for the bigger display. Only go with an “s” model if you’re a photographer who appreciates the superior front and rear cameras, or if you’re hoping to record 4K videos. Otherwise, the regular 6 and 6 Plus are great, and will save you money.

Last but not least, if you’re looking for a way to raise cash to fund a new iPhone or gift purchase, I’ve put together a guide to trading-in your old iPhone for a new iPhone. The TL;DR version: unless you feel comfortable using Craigslist for a local transaction, save yourself the numerous hassles of online sales and go with Gazelle. You might get a little more from online auction sites, but between flakey buyers, transaction and listing fees, and the need to create and maintain listings, the dollars won’t matter as much as the peace-of-mind you get from just sending your iPhone in and getting guaranteed cash back.

More From This Author

Check out more of my editorials, How-To guides and reviews for 9to5Mac here! I’ve published a lot of different topics of interest to Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch users, as well as an earlier holiday gift guide for Apple photographers.

Filed under: Apple TV, Buying Guides, General, iOS Devices Tagged: Accessories, gift guide, iPhone, recommendations

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If you’re in London, have got a MasterCard and haven’t yet started using Apple Pay, today would be a great time to start. The card company has launched a promotion offering free travel in London on Mondays, starting today. Quite a neat way of persuading people to select a MasterCard as their primary card in Apple Pay …

The promo covers tubes, trains and buses. Just use Apple Pay with a MasterCard selected when you touch in and out, and all your fares for the day will be refunded to your card – up to a maximum of £27.90. The offer runs on Monday November 23rd & 30th, plus December 7th and 14th.

Apple has also been highlighting Apple Pay, recently adding a new Guided Tour video to its YouTube channel on how to use Apple Pay on the iPhone. The company already had one for the Apple Watch, but this is the first video how-to for the iPhone. The expansion of Apple Pay to new cards continues apace.

Via Engadget

Filed under: Apple Pay Tagged: Apple pay, London, London transport, MasterCard, tube

For more news on Apple pay, London, and Apple Pay continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “PSA: Got a MasterCard and Apple Pay? Travel for free in London today and the next three Mondays” with our community.