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Poll: Preorders for the iPhone 7 & 7 Plus started last night, did you get what you wanted?
Staying up late or getting up early in the rush to get Apple’s latest devices can often be quite exciting. Unfortunately, finding out the product you wanted so much won’t ship until as far back as November…well not so much. Last night’s preorder fiasco saw orders quickly falling back into holiday shipping dates, and customers running into all sorts of issues with the iPhone Upgrade Program. Following our poll from yesterday, we wonder, did you end up getting what you wanted?
Filed under: Apple
The 9to5Mac team’s favorite wireless headphones for the iPhone 7
Without a doubt the biggest consumer-facing news from Apple’s September event yesterday was the removal of the iPhone’s headphone jack. This “courageous” move is seen to help push forward wireless audio technology, all the while giving Apple a few more millimeters to work with in the device’s internals.
Not without controversy, this decision does mean leaving a lot of wired headphones in the dust. Not everyone will find the AirPods, expected in October, the defect choice and we figured this would be a good time as any to roundup the 9to5Mac team’s opinions on their current favorite pair (or 2) of wireless headphones. Take a look through and be sure to share your current favorite wireless audio options in the comments.
Filed under: Apple
9to5Toys Lunch Break: Apple Watch (1st Gen.) $189, Bluetooth Earbuds $13, Case Logic MacBook Messenger Bag $13, more
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:
OG Apple Watch Sport now at $189 ($172 Open Box, $219 42mm, $249 Stainless)
Smartphone Accessories: Mpow Sweatproof Bluetooth 4.1 Running Sports Headphones $13 Prime shipped (Reg. $25), more
This Case Logic Messenger Bag will hold your MacBook + iPad for an Amazon all-time low price of $13
The 13-inch MacBook Air is Apple’s most popular laptop, pick it up today for $790 shipped (Reg. $999)
Apple’s 11-inch MacBook Air is a great laptop for everyday tasks, now just $690 (Reg. $899)
Save nearly $600 on Apple’s powerhouse 15-inch 512GB Retina MacBook Pro: $1,900 shipped (Reg. $2,499)
Apple’s 27-inch Retina 5K iMac rarely goes on sale, save nearly $300 on the entry-level model: $1,500 (Reg. $1,799)
Caseology iPhone 7/Plus cases in multiple styles & colors starting at just $4 shipped (Reg. up to $17)
tvOS 10 is slated to change the game, grab a 4th Gen. Apple TV for up to 20% off: 32GB $129 or 64GB $159
The stellar Blek puzzler goes free for the very first time on iOS (Reg. $3)
You can grab the Hitman Essentials iOS bundle (GO & Sniper) for just $1 right now ($8 value)
The stellar Blek puzzler goes free for the very first time on iOS (Reg. $3)
App Store Free App of the Week: Noodles! puzzler goes free for the first time (Reg. $2)
The best LED Desk Lamps with Apple-friendly designs, USB charging stations and more.
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
The Bose SoundLink III Bluetooth Speaker is one of our favorites, on sale today for a low $252 shipped (Reg. $300)
- Games/Apps: LEGO Marvel Avengers $29, Overwatch free-to-play, Bloodborne $13, more
- Daily Deals: Audio-TechnicaHeadphones $69, Logitech Keyboard and Mouse Combo $20, more
- Attention content creators! Grap a Lexar 64GB microSDXC card + USB 3.0 card reader for $34
- Sperry is taking an additional 30% off already reduced sale prices: save on shoes, clothes, more
- Make Lounging Great Again: Pick up an inflatable hammock for $40 (Reg. $60)
- The BUNN NHS 10-Cup Home Coffee Brewer just hit its Amazon low: $77 (Reg. up to $130)
Aukey’s new surge protector has 8 outlets + six USB ports: $29 Prime shipped (Reg. $35) wp.me/p1xTlR-VvE https://t.co/nHcAmyHXEy
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9to5Toys (@9to5toys) September 09, 2016
MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:
Always have storage on-hand w/ a 2TB Toshiba Canvio USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive for $68 shipped
T-Mobile offers free iPhone 7 w/ trade-ins, deal starts tomorrow alongside pre-orders
Filed under: Apple
Comment: Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program looks like the worst way to pre-order the iPhone 7
iPhone 7 pre-order day is here and two things are clear. 9to5Mac readers really like black whether its matte or glossy, and Apple can’t make enough of the new colors in time for launch day.
Jet black is already backordered into November unless you woke up at 3am ET and pre-ordered immediately. Matte black isn’t as bad with 2-3 week estimates for most models currently, but the low supply has presented an annoying downside to iPhone Upgrade Program customers.
Filed under: Apple
Verizon and AT&T are the latest carriers to launch free iPhone 7 promos
Verizon Wireless has joined rival carriers T-Mobile and Sprint in running a free iPhone 7 launch promo. The terms of Verizon’s deal pretty much mirror that of the other carriers.
You’ll receive $650 for a qualifying trade-in of iPhone 6/s and iPhone 6/s Plus as credit across 24-months when you purchase iPhone 7. The credit should show up on your bill within 2-3 cycles. To receive the full credit the line must be active for the full 2-years, which would come into play if you’re planning to upgrade next year.
Verizon isn’t too specific on device trade requirements, only saying that it “must be in good working & cosmetic condition.” No matter which iPhone 7/Plus you order, you’ll only receive a credit of $650 (effectively makes 32GB iPhone 7 free). Surprisingly, we haven’t seen an iPhone 7 promo from AT&T yet, despite all of its major competitors grabbing headlines with their pre-order offers.
After pre-ordering iPhone 7, your next move should be to pick up a solid case and a pair of Bluetooth headphones. I’d recommend Amazon’s iPhone 7 storefront as the best one stop shop for all accessories. Also, check out our recent roundup for even more iPhone 7/Plus case options.
Filed under: Apple
iPhone 7 reader verdict: What you thought, and which model you’re planning to buy
I gave my verdict on the iPhone 7 yesterday, and asked for yours. The majority of you – some 54% – said that the new iPhone was as expected. That’s not particularly surprising given than we’d previously reported almost everything we saw, but 28% of you were still impressed, while 17% were disappointed.
Impressed or not, though, the majority of those who took part in the poll are intending to buy the new iPhone. Interestingly, and perhaps influenced by the dual-camera, more than twice as many of you are opting for the larger iPhone 7 Plus than its smaller sibling …
Filed under: Apple
How-To: Create animated charts for Final Cut Pro X using Keynote [Video]
In our recent video about the upcoming dual camera feature on the new iPhone 7 Plus, we featured an animated graph charting iPhone camera improvements over the years. Instead of relying on Motion or a third party plugin to pull off the animation in Final Cut Pro X, we tapped into Keynote instead.
While it’s true that Keynote is primarily a presentation app in the same vein as Microsoft’s PowerPoint, it can also work as a handy Final Cut Pro X companion for producing quick animated graphs and charts. Watch our video walkthrough to see how it’s done. more…
Filed under: Apple
Happy Hour Podcast 084 | iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 event
This week Benjamin and Zac unpack Apple’s iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 event. 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.
Filed under: Apple
Headphone companies unfazed by Apple dropping the 3.5mm socket
Apple Watch Diary: Why the four things I do with mine mean I don’t need the Series 2
I’ve never been one to shy away from admitting when my first impression of a technology turns out to be wrong. I initially saw smartwatches as a solution in search of a problem, and didn’t think I would keep mine. It took just four days of use to make me think that maybe I’d hang onto it after all, one week in I was tentatively sold – and by the three-month point, I had to call myself a convert.
The only question this time around, then, was whether I was going to upgrade to the Series 2. The new fitness features sold it (and the Nike+ version) to Zac, but after almost 18 months of ownership, my usage patterns mean that I can’t see any benefit in upgrading myself …
Filed under: Apple
12 Clever Ways to Use Your Email Signature to Support Your Marketing Campaigns
You know that you’re a true email marketer if every single one of your emails includes a call-to-action. And I’m not talking about email marketing blasts here. What I have in mind are the individual, personal email messages you send on an everyday basis.
Yes, your personal email signature can provide a serious marketing opportunity.
You are most likely already using your own email signature to provide information about who you are and where you work. But you can take this practice to the next level by updating your signature to reflect the marketing campaigns you are running today.
Are you missing out on another opportunity to spread brand awareness or nurture prospective customers? Wondering what exactly you can promote through your email signature? Here are twelve awesome suggestions.
12 Professional Email Signature Ideas to Support Your Marketing Campaigns
1) Your Homepage
The least you should promote in your email signature is your company’s website. But in order for this tactic to be efficient, you have to make sure your homepage acts like a landing page.
In other words, it directs the visitor’s attention to the activity you want them to take. For instance, HubSpot’s homepage suggests that you receive a free product demo. Including your website’s homepage in an email signature also helps to expand awareness of your brand. Here’s an example (with help from our friend, Harry Potter):
2) Social Media
When it comes to the usage of social media in email signatures, you have two options. You can either include a link to your personal accounts on sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, etc., or you can include links to your company’s accounts. Both are good options. Check out how HubSpot’s Principal Marketing Manager Pam Vaughan promotes her social channels in the example below:
3) Your Blog
Your blog is one of the smartest things you can include in your email signature because it provides value to the community and gets updated on a regular basis. The fresh content on your blog is more engaging than a static homepage and will most likely retain the attention of the visitor for longer.
If you do shine light on your blog, don’t forget to include calls-to-action throughout your posts to encourage readers to take the next step and become a lead. Using our email signature tool, you can create a dynamic email signature that includes an RSS feed, which shows the title of your most recent blog article and automatically updates as new articles get published. Check out my editor, Carly Stec‘s:
4) Book
Have you written a book? Has your manager or CEO written one? Don’t be shy about it. Share a link to the book in your email signature. That will help you build authority and credibility among the people you communicate with. Here’s our own Aja Frost promoting her ebook:
5) Conferences & Events
Is there a company trade show coming up soon? Or maybe you are speaking at a conference? Change your email signature to reflect that. While your email signature might not necessarily help you generate more registrants, it will surely spread the word about the event and gain some awareness among your target audience. Here’s an event promotion signature from my colleague, Elijah Clark Ginsberg:
(P.S. – Are you registered to hear from Alec Baldwin, Serena Williams, and other marketing and sales professionals at INBOUND 2016 yet?)
6) New Marketing Offer
Have an offer that’s doing a great job of converting traffic into leads? (You can tell by looking at their corresponding landing pages’ visitor-to-submission rates in your marketing analytics). Identify your best performing offers, and then expose them to more traffic. Use your email signature to share a link to a popular ebook or a webinar. Or if you’re currently featuring a new campaign that highlights a particular offer, use that in your signature instead. Here’s an example of my own signature promoting this ebook:
7) Industry Research
Speaking of data, don’t underestimate the impact that facts and figures can have in a marketing context. People on the web are overwhelmed with information, which encourages them to look for specifics. If you publish an industry report based on proprietary research, as Mimi An does over at HubSpot Research, consider including a link to it in your email signature:
8) Case Studies
Salespeople love this one. If you’re talking to potential customers, what’s better than sharing stories of successful ones?
For instance, you can mention how your product or service increased the ROI of customer XYZ, or quote a customer in your email signature to boost your company’s credibility.
9) Free Tool
If your company happens to have a free tool, such as an ROI calculator, educational game, or blog topic generator, give it some marketing love. Free online tools have the power to engage readers and get them further interested in your product or service. Check out Eric Peters‘ signature promoting HubSpot’s free email signature generator (meta, we know):
10) Demonstration of Your Product / Free Consultation
When you are having a tough sales month, consider using an email signature that promotes a free consultation with your team or even a demonstration of your product. In that way, you’ll increase traffic to these middle-of-the-funnel marketing offers and show your sales organization that you’re taking advantage of every possible opportunity to help them out.
11) News about Your Company
If your team or company has received recognition for exceptional work, highlight the news article or press release in your email signature. News that your company is doing exceptional work will drive traffic to your blog and promote greater brand awareness for your organization. Here’s an example from HubSpot Senior Recruiter Emily MacIntyre:
12) Promotional Videos
Has your company ever produced a promotional video? (Here’s an awesome video about HubSpot’s culture, for example.) Add a link to your company’s video so recipients can learn more about you without navigating away from the email message. You can promote a campaign, an event, or an offer in a more engaging way than a hyperlink alone. Here’s an example from our own Angela O’Dowd promoting HubSpot’s Agency Partner Program:
Ready to rework your email signature? Simplify the process using this free email signature generator.
Have any other ideas for what your email signature can promote? Share them in the comments section below!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2012 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Steve Jobs effectively explains why Apple removed the headphone socket from the iPhone 7 [Video]
When Phil Schiller used the term ‘courage’ to describe Apple’s decision to remove the 3.5mm headphone socket from the iPhone 7, his choice of that particular word was probably not accidental.
It’s likely a reference to a comment by Steve Jobs when he was asked to explain another controversial omission of an established standard: the lack of support for Flash in the iPhone and iPad …
Filed under: Apple
PSA: AirPods seemingly don’t fall out like EarPods; work with older devices
How to Avoid the 15 Most Common Reasons for Shopping Cart Abandonment [Free Guide]
You’ve heard it again and again – more than 68% of shopping carts are abandoned before purchase. That’s four trillion dollars left behind in abandoned shopping carts in 2015 alone. What’s a storeowner to do?
Before you can start recovering those purchases, you need to understand the reasons behind shopping cart abandonment. Once you understand the triggers for abandonment, you’ll be able to identify what’s causing your own shoppers to leave their carts behind.
We’ve put together a guide to help you do just that – identify the common reasons for shopping cart abandonment, and then learn how to fix them on your own site.
We’ll cover common reasons for abandonment, including:
- Limited shipping options
- No social proof
- Lack of payment options
- Prices aren’t competitive
Download How to Avoid the 15 Most Common Reasons for Shopping Cart Abandonment to start plugging the holes in your conversion funnel and generating more revenue.
Starting a YouTube Channel: How to Achieve YouTube Growth
Do you have a YouTube channel? Want to optimize it to get more subscribers? To explore how to build and grow a YouTube channel, I interview Tim Schmoyer. More About This Show The Social Media Marketing podcast is an on-demand talk radio show from Social Media Examiner. It’s designed to help busy marketers and business […]
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– Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle
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The Ultimate Kit for Getting Started With Inbound Marketing [Free Download + Book]
You’ve read up about inbound marketing and have identified it as the best way to start attracting, converting, and closing more customers online, but what’s next?
Getting your inbound marketing strategy off-the-ground can feel like a mammoth task, but it doesn’t need to be. That’s why we’ve created the Getting Started With Inbound Marketing Kit, complete with all the templates you need to simplify and speed up the process of kick-starting your inbound strategy at the top-of-the-funnel.
We also worked with Robert Coorey, #1 best-selling author, to include a free copy of his book How to Feed a Starving Crowd. It’s filled with inspiration for your campaigns and features case studies from those who’ve already succeeded with inbound marketing.
In the Getting Started With Inbound Marketing Kit, you’ll find:
- A free copy of How to Feed a Starving Crowd by best-selling author, Robert Coorey
- SMART marketing goals template
- Buyer persona templates
- Content mapping template
- Blog editorial calendar
- A “teach your team inbound marketing” presentation
Ready to kick-off your inbound marketing plan and leave dated, outbound strategies behind?
Download your free Getting Started With Inbound Marketing Kit and get all the templates and inspiration you need to help you build out your strategy.
iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 2 are now available to preorder
Update: Shipping times are slipping across the board. Most black and jet black iPhones are now at 2-3 and 4-6 weeks shipping, respectively.
As expected, the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 2 are now available to pre-order via Apple’s Online Store. The store went down earlier tonight in preparation for the launch, while the new devices will be available in Apple retail locations next Friday, September 16th.
Filed under: Apple
iPhone pre-order day: How to get iPhone 7 & essential accessories
It’s almost iPhone 7 pre-order day, meaning tonight will be your first chance to get in line for deliveries of the device starting later this month on September 16.
Below you’ll find everything you need to know about how to order an iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, both online and in-store, as well as info on all the essential accessories you’ll need for when pre-orders go live later tonight.
Filed under: Apple