Skip the space gray Magic Trackpad 2 with your iMac Pro? Here’s how to fix that
A few weeks ago I purchased a base model iMac Pro in store, so of course it came without a space gray Magic Trackpad 2. In my excitement to get the new machine, I totally forgot about the Magic Trackpad 2, and it didn’t fully dawn on me until later that there was no real way to acquire one from Apple after purchase.
In fact, Apple explicitly states on its website that space gray accessories [including the Magic Trackpad 2] are available only at the time of your iMac Pro purchase. So what’s a person who bought an iMac Pro without a Magic Trackpad 2 supposed to do? Does it mean that you’ll have to go through the annoying process of returning it and buying it again online in order to get one? Apple’s excellent customer support may be able to help… more…
Logic Pros Review: Apogee’s next generation Lightning & USB MiC+ for iOS/Mac
Apogee has been one of the top names in digital audio in the music production world for years. It successfully jumped into the mobile game with its iOS friendly interfaces among other things a few years back, and recently launched the second generation MiC+ USB/Lightning Microphone. Apogee rarely opts for affordability over quality, but we had to give it a run for its money anyway.
We have now had a chance to go hands-on with the company’s latest portable mic over the last little while. Apogee has certainly stepped its game up here, but is it still worth the world-class price tag? Head below for our full review… more…
Pixelmator Pro adds new cropping features alongside numerous bug fixes in latest update
The Pixelmator team has today released an important update to Pixelmator Pro (currently $60), adding new cropping abilities that didn’t quite make the cut for the 1.0 release. Other changes include tweaks to selection and text tools and many more bug fixes. Pixelmator Pro is available exclusively in the Mac App Store.
Comment: Nokia scale shows us a third risk of today’s gadgetry
Buying a gadget can be a risky business these days. We’ve already seen two ways things can go wrong. The first and most obvious is when a company takes your money and then goes bust before it can deliver. Otto locks was just one recent example – crowdfunding sites are littered with others.
A second risk is a company discontinuing support for a gadget that relies on an app or a server. When the app is discontinued, or the server goes offline, you can be left with a useless hunk of metal. A recent example of that was Logitech discontinuing its Harmony Link remotes, informing owners that the products ‘will no longer function’ beyond March 16 of this year. (Consumer and media pressure did at least result in a solution.)
But Nokia has just shown us a third way for a gadget purchase to go wrong after the event …
Apple Pay donations now accepted in philanthropic app Elbi
Apple Pay is now an accepted form of payment for donations made through Elbi. The philanthropic app created by model Natalia Vodianova lets users “love” charities and causes which prompts micro donations.
Spoiler: DJI Mavic Air revealed a day early with 4K, 21 min flight time, 3 colors
From DroneDJ
Today we discovered the first photos and specifications of the DJI Mavic Air drone, which will be officially released tomorrow morning at a special DJI event in New York City. One of the photos is a banner showcasing the new drone highlights some of the main features of this new unmanned aerial vehicle from DJI, such as the 4K video, 32-megapixel camera, and 4 foldable legs.
VPN Unlimited protects your online activity with a lifetime subscription for $18 (Reg. $40)
Now through Tuesday night, 9to5Specials is offering a lifetime subscription to VPN Unlimited for $18 when promo code VPN18 is applied during checkout. Originally $50, but typically going for $40, today’s deal is over 50% off. Subscribing to VPN Unlimited delivers a secure connection over public or private Wi-Fi, the ability to bypass geolocation restrictions, and dedicated 24/7 support. Better yet, VPN Unlimited just added support for Netflix, Hulu and BBC iPlayer, which is great for accessing locked content.
Report: iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X accounted for 61% of US iPhone sales in Q4
Apple’s new 2017 iPhone models – iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X – made up for about 61% of iPhone sales in the United States, according to a new consumer study from CIRP. This is lower than the 72% share iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus took in the same quarter a year ago.
Comparisons to the 2016 cycle are difficult due to the staggered debut of the (higher priced) iPhone X in November, but it seems like older iPhone models sold better than usual during the holiday season.
Smart Home Diary: Ending up with iPhone-controlled blinds after all … [Video]
Once you start down the HomeKit route, the convenience of having everything controlled from a single app is pretty addictive. So these days I view HomeKit compatibility as a pretty non-negotiable item with any smart home tech.
But there are limits. And paying £16,500 ($22,000) for a Lutron system was definitely well beyond them!
However, the thing about having a lot of windows – especially floor to ceiling ones – is that good-quality blinds are expensive no matter what. And in the winter garden (glazed balcony) in particular, which is where we spend a huge amount of our time, we wanted really nice ones.
So when we found that we could have great blinds with iPhone control and promised HomeKit support for a little under half that price, we gulped and went for it …
Consensus view now appears to be to guide children’s screen-time, not limit it
British academics last month argued that previous guidance to limit the screen-time of children to 1-2 hours is now outdated. A new report says that the same conclusion is being reached by childcare professionals in the U.S. also …