Snapchat just got a pretty noteworthy update. And while the first bullet point in this update’s change log — on-demand geofilters — was introduced at the end of last month, a few of these features are entirely new. Among them are the ability to add links to your snaps, Backdrops, and Voice Filters.

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Serif’s Affinity Photo for iPad received its first big update today, headlined by its support for native resolution on the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. The iPad-only release, which now clocks in at version 1.6.3, brings many new changes and features to the popular image editing app. Have a look at the full change log inside for the entire summation of the updates. more…

Apple has released the sixth iOS 10.3.3 beta for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Apple has also released the sixth macOS 10.12.6 beta. The beta version only includes new wallpapers for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and no other visible changes, although the release may be the last bug fix update for devices not able to run iOS 11.

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The popular Little Snitch utility for the Mac is out with a new version that includes Touch Bar support on new MacBook Pros, a redesigned Network Monitor, and much more.

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Apple is reportedly considering overhauling how it lets publishers use advertising as revenue for content in its News app, according to AdAge. The shift would allow publishers to use the same proven ad technology that they already use on the web rather than the Apple-controlled system used now.

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Jay-Z’s new ‘4:44’ album has officially reached platinum status after arriving as an exclusive on his own Tidal streaming service late last week. more…

If there’s one category of gadget likely to cause a tech-lover to yawn, it’s portable power banks. Sure, they can be useful, and many of us throw one in a bag just in case any of our devices run low on power before the day is out, but they aren’t exactly … interesting. In general, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ’em all …

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I’ve used a few third-party keyboards with the iPad Pro in the past, but for some strange reason I’ve never opted to give Apple’s very-own Smart Keyboard a fair shake. In hindsight, that was a huge miscalculation on my part, as I’m quickly learning since I received the 10.5-inch iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard in tow.

It’s now my opinion that you should strongly consider pairing the 10.5-inch iPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard, because it fundamentally changes the device for the better. It’s not perfect, but the amount of convenience that it brings to the table makes it highly worth considering. Have a look at our video commentary for 15 reasons why I think the Smart Keyboard is a must-have iPad Pro accessory. more…

There’s an old maxim that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, meaning that anything which appears to be free will have a hidden cost somewhere.

In the tech sector, ‘free’ services generally operate using one of two different business models. The first is ad-funded, where – as the more recently-coined saying has it – you’re the product, not the customer. Some cheat the system by using ad-blockers, but most of us recognize that someone has to pay the bills, and accept exposure to ads as fair exchange for the benefit we receive.

The other model is the upsell, where you get a basic service free of charge but the company hopes to persuade you to pay for access to more features or storage. This again can be fair enough, but one company has just taken a particularly underhand approach to this …

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