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How-To: Set up and use Bluetooth keyboards with the fourth-gen Apple TV and tvOS 9.2
Apple yesterday officially released tvOS 9.2 to the public. The update includes a variety of new features, such as folder support, Siri Remote dictation, iCloud Photo Library, and more. One thing that was added, however, that was originally expected to be included when the fourth-gen Apple TV initially shipped is support for Bluetooth keyboards. With tvOS 9.2 users are now able to pair Bluetooth keyboards with their Apple TV to more easily make search queries and the like. Read on as we tell you how to go about setting this up..
Filed under:
How-To, Apple TV Tagged: Apple TV, Bluetooth, bluetooth keyboard, how to, tvOS, tvOS 9.2
Security How-To: Enable two-factor authentication on iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan
Three years ago to the day, Apple added in two-step verification to help improve user security. The verification method relied on the user having another device readily available to help authenticate a sign-in. As of today, Apple has taken that security further by now offering two-factor authentication to all users running iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan.
Both methods strive to increase a user’s foothold in security practices, but both go about doing so in very different ways. Luckily, Apple has chosen to make sure that the end user experience is phenomenal no matter what method they choose.
Getting started, or switching to the new two-factor authentication is not without it’s questions. Let’s dive in and resolve them.
Filed under:
How-To, iOS Tagged: iOS, Security, two-factor authentication, two-step verification
DeskConnect file transfer app updated with share extension, 3D Touch support, and more
DeskConnect is a file transfer app from the makers of Workflow. It allows you to easily share files between your iPhone, iPad and Mac. DeskConnect isn’t an app that will replace a service like Dropbox or even iCloud, because it was designed solely with file transfers in mind.
We reviewed the initial version of DeskConnect back in 2013. Since then, a lot has changed — iOS has gained inter-app communication via handy share extensions, iCloud Drive has made it easier to move and manipulate files across a variety of storage solutions, and AirDrop can now easily transfer files between iOS devices and Macs.
In 2016, where does a new version of DeskConnect fit in? Does AirDrop make it redundant? Have a look at our overview for the details. more…
Filed under: Apps Tagged: AirDrop, DeskConnect, Workflow
Roundup: The best new 9.7-inch iPad Pro cases & accessories
Apple’s new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the same dimensions as the iPad Air 2 on paper, but the device’s new 12-megapixel camera means your old iPad case probably won’t cut it. That is unless you cut it yourself to accommodate the new larger camera and flash that will make a larger opening on cases necessary for the new device. So your iPad Air 2 case won’t be a perfect fit, but there is already a long list of notable case makers with products available to order. The only exceptions to that maybe are sleeve style cases that don’t have any camera openings.
But if you want a case that was truly made to fit your new 9.7-inch iPad Pro without any compromises, below we’ve put together a running list of the best new cases available now and coming soon.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Accessories, Apple, best cases, cases, Deals, Griffin, iPad Air 2, iPad Pro, keyboard, OtterBox, Pencil, pencil holder, size, Speck
9.7 inch iPad Pro includes 2 GB RAM, slightly slower CPU than 12.9 inch iPad Pro
Although the new 9.7 inch iPad Pro is superior to the 2015 12 inch iteration in some regards, including better cameras and display, it appears the raw processor is not as identical as Apple implied in its presentation. Although both models have an A9X processor, the 9.7 inch version actually has half the RAM and a slightly-lower clock speed CPU (via @panzer). Whilst the big iPad Pro has 4 GB RAM, the 9.7 inch iPad Pro has just 2 GB like the iPhone 6s.
Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS, iOS Devices, Tech Industry Tagged: Apple, Device, iOS, iPad Pro
Here’s how Apple’s new 4-inch iPhone SE compares to the rest of the lineup
Small iPhone fans, rejoice! Apple has finally updated its 4-inch iPhone for the first time since the iPhone 5s in 2013. Dubbed the iPhone SE, Apple’s 2016 4-inch iPhone could pass for the iPhone 5s if you weren’t looking too close (save for the rose gold version), but how does it compare to its predecessor as well as the rest of the current iPhone lineup? We break it down below:
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: iPhone, iPhone 6, iphone 6 plus, iPhone 6s, iphone 6s plus, iPhone SE
9to5Toys Lunch Break: Milanese Loop Apple Watch Bands from $16, Beats Solo2 $100, Nest 3rd Gen. $205, 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:
Third-party Apple Watch Milanese Loops in black for $17 (Reg. $37) or silver for $16 (Reg. $37)
Best Buy 2-Day Sale: Beats Solo2 headphones $100 (Orig. $200) or Studios for $150 (Orig. $300), more
Daily Deals: Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Generation $205, Stem Izon Wi-Fi Video Monitors two pack $49, more
Don’t jump on Apple’s $50 Watch price drop, you can do better! Deals from $249 shipped
Apple iPad mini 4 prices trimmed by $100, 16GB Wi-Fi models now start at just $300 shipped
Travel light w/ Apple’s 11-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB for $710 shipped (Reg. $899)
Save big on Apple’s newest laptops: Retina MacBook Pro $1,000 (Reg. $1,299)
App Store Free App of the Week: Sputnik Eyes puzzler goes free for the first time ($2 value)
Apple TV Deals: 4th Gen 64GB $175 (Reg. $200), 3rd Gen $49 (Reg. $69), more
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
iPhone 6/s/Plus and Galaxy S7/Edge cases in a variety of styles/colors: $6 Prime shipped (Reg. $13)
- eBay 5-hour sale extra $15 off $75 or more: $100 Staples gift card for $70 (30% off), more
- MFi Apple-Certified Lightning cables: iOrange-E 6-ft w/ aluminum conector $5, more
- Games/Apps: Rainbow Six Siege $30, LEGO Marvel’s Avengers $40, freebies, more
- Smartphone Accessories: Lumsing Bluetooth FM Transmitter $17, more
- Add Logitech’s Z333 2.1-channel speaker system to your setup for $48 shipped (Reg. $65+)
- Add remote control to five of your outlets w/ Etekcity’s best-selling kit: $21 (Reg. $30)
- Everything you need to shoot Estes rockets into the air: $20 Prime shipped ($5 off)
- Green Deals: Ohuhu 8-pack Garden Solar LED Lights $19 (Reg. $25+), more
Anker's Best Selling Premium Stereo Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker is on sale for $50 (Reg. $60) wp.me/p1xTlR-Pbo https://t.co/sd05xDUx1z
—
9to5Toys (@9to5toys) March 22, 2016
You can finally pre-order Sony’s PlayStation Virtual Reality kit wp.me/p1xTlR-OYx https://t.co/7eJ0JfXve0
—
9to5Toys (@9to5toys) March 22, 2016
MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:
HoverDock is a minimal upright charging stand for your iPhone or Apple Watch: $28 (Orig. $35, CA Tax only)
Amazon’s best-selling headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Over-Ears $100 shipped (Reg. $123+)
- Go hands-free w/ iOttie’s popular iPhone 6/Plus car mounts, now just $11 Prime shipped
- Smart 4K 3D 120Hz UHDTVs: Sony 55-inch $949 (Reg. $1,100), many more
- Mackie 5-inch studio monitor speakers w/ Bluetooth streaming (pair) $200 (Reg. $250), more
- Muffin Knight action platformer for iOS goes free for the first time in over a year (Reg. $1)
- Messenger Bags: S-Zone Canvas/Leather for 13-inch MacBooks $40 (Reg. $55), more
- Google OnHub Wireless AC1900 Router w/ hand gesture control $160 shipped (Orig. $220)
- Buy select $3 Android apps & get a $5 Amazon credit: Kingdom Rush Origins, more
- 2016 All-Star Mac Bundle brings together 11 high-quality apps: $20 (Orig. $263)
- Buy or upgrade Parallels ($49-$79) & get 7 Mac apps free: 1Password, Parallels Access, & more
- Affinity Photo is now matching its lowest price ever: $40 (Reg. $50)
- adidas training gear 50% off: Team Issue medium Duffel Bag $25 Prime shipped, more
- Treat yourself to a free order of chips & guacamole during your next Chipotle visit
- Get a one-year Sam’s Club membership + $20 gift card, free food and more for $45
- Green Deals: ALLPOWERS 8W Solar USB Charger $18 Prime shipped (Reg. $27), more
- Gift Cards up to 15% off: Staples, CVS, Barnes & Noble, Sears, PlayStation, many more
- Dock and charge your iPhone + Apple Watch in one place for $8 Prime shipped
- Full 1080p 55-inch 120Hz HDTVs: LG $450 (Reg. $599), Insignia w/ Roku built-in $430
- Headphones: Sennheiser HD7 DJ Closed Over-Ears $119 (Reg. $150+), more
- LifeStraw’s drinking bottle w/ filter makes puddle water safe to consume: $21 (Reg. $35)
- LEGO Technic Remote-Controlled 2-in-1 VOLVO Wheel Loader/Hauler $200 (Reg. $250)
- Fitbit’s best selling Blaze smartwatch w/ HRM (multiple sizes/colors): $160 (Reg. $200), more
- Make sure you score free shipping and these discounts on your next Amazon Prime Pantry order
- This clever iPhone 6/s case packs 10 useful tools: $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)
How-to: Use your car and an inexpensive inverter to replace the need for a home generator
NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:
SpotCam’s latest IP surveillance camera offers records 24-hours of footage in the cloud for free
- You can now mow your lawn via Apple Watch w/ Husqvarna’s new Automower app
- Nike’s self-lacing prophecy finally comes true with the HyperAdapt 1.0
- This NES-inspired backpack is the perfect carryall for any gamer
- Sony’s PS4 Virtual Reality kit is finally ready for primetime this fall + exclusive titles announced
- Turn your paper airplane into a first person virtual reality experience with PowerUP’s FPV kit
- Philips introduces new ambient Hue Lights that automatically simulates the sun
- WD’s new internal hard drive for Raspberry Pi brings 314GB of additional storage
- LG releases a new line of 4K Super UHDTVs with HDR capabilities and big price tags
- Rule this summer’s BBQ with Mark Dredge’s new Cooking with Beer guide
- Canon’s best-selling DSLR steps aside for the new Wi-Fi-enabled Rebel T6
Filed under:
How-To Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon, app deals, Best Buy, Daily Deals, free apps, Gold Box, video games
YouTube for iPad gains Split View and Slide Over multitasking on iOS 9, still lacks PIP
The YouTube app for iOS sees an update today adding support for Slide Over and Split View multitasking. Even though iOS 9’s multitasking functionality has finally reached the app, picture-in-picture support remains to be seen. Users will note that background audio is available for current YouTube RED subscribers. The newly introduced multitasking functionality should help to appease those who’ve longed for the ability to catch up on their favorite YouTubers while also flicking through email or other apps.
Filed under: Apps Tagged: CornerTube, iOS, Picture in Picture, PIP, YouTube, YouTube Red
Apple reportedly set to introduce new, thinner, 13 inch and 15 inch MacBooks by July
Digitimes has a mixed track record of reliability with regard to Apple rumors, but its latest report gels with expectations. The report claims Apple is preparing new 13 inch and 15 inch MacBooks to launch in the summer, by July. Although the publication does not say this, it indicates that new MacBook Pros are on the horizon perhaps debuting at WWDC, Apple’s developer conference.
Given Intel’s CPU roadmap, Apple laptops featuring the new Skylake processors are due. Therefore, it is not that much of a stretch to believe this report. A key feature of Skylake is power efficiency, which would allow Apple to make dramatically thinner laptops.
Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices, Mac Tagged: 13-inch, 15-inch, Apple, MacBook, Thinner
Opinion: The iPhone SE is a smart, long-term move – and creates the prospect of a $299 iPhone
I argued a couple of months ago that ‘peak iPhone’ was likely a temporary phenomenon, but that Apple might have to be willing to accept lower margins if it is to continue to grow its sales.
I think it will also need to learn to be a little more flexible when it comes to its profit margins, especially in growth markets. That ~40% markup has served it well for a great many years, but I don’t think it can necessarily expect to maintain it indefinitely.
Yesterday, the company indicated its willingness to do just that. For the first time, Apple’s entry-level phone is a brand-new device that offers close to flagship specs at a price level close to the previous-generation phone. That will hit Apple’s margins on the device for sure, but the company is looking to the long-term …
Filed under: Opinion Tagged: Android (operating system), Apple Inc, iPhone, iPhone SE, Xiaomi Tech
Nomad expands its Apple Watch band lineup with two new rugged Italian leather Straps
Apple isn’t the only strap maker expanding the Apple Watch band lineup with new leather colors this week. Nomad is introducing two new Strap colors for its leather Apple Watch bands: amber gray and rustic brown. The two new Nomad Straps join classic tan which debuted last fall, and all three Apple Watch bands come in 38mm and 42mm versions with either silver or black stainless steel lugs and buckles. Check out the new rugged Italian leather bands below:
Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: Apple watch, Nomad, Strap
How-To: Use Night Shift and Low Power Mode at the same time on iOS 9.3 [Video]
There are tons of new features included with yesterday’s release of iOS 9.3, and Night Shift — the new feature that automatically adjusts the screen’s color temperature to reduce blue light — is arguably its best new addition.
Unfortunately, Night Shift is automatically disabled when you enable Low Power Mode on your iPhone. Thanks to a clever workaround, however, it’s possible to use Night Shift in combination with Low Power Mode. In the brief tutorial that follows, we’ll show you how. more…
Filed under:
How-To, iOS, iOS Devices Tagged: how to, Night Shift, Night Shift mode, Siri, video
All use of customer data by Apple requires sign-off by three ‘privacy czars’; debates can take a year
With Apple making very clear how strongly it feels about the privacy of customer data through the FBI case, it’s no surprise that the issue is a hot-button within the company. A Reuters piece shows just how serious Apple is when it comes to guarding personal data.
Any collection of Apple customer data requires sign-off from a committee of three “privacy czars” and a top executive, according to four former employees who worked on a variety of products that went through privacy vetting […] The trio of experts […] are both admired and feared.
One former employee said that debates over whether or not customer data can be used to improve a service usually take at least a month to settle, and some privacy issues are debated for more than a year before a final decision is reached. Key privacy issues are escalated all the way to Tim Cook.
It was a refusal to compromise on privacy that killed one of Apple’s products, says the piece, while others needed to be substantially reworked to achieve privacy sign-off …
Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple Inc, Data, Encryption, IAd, privacy, Privacy tsars, Siri
Comment: Dissing owners of older PCs, even accidentally, may not be the best way to sell them an iPad
One remark Schiller made during yesterday’s launch event raised a few eyebrows. In noting that the majority of 12.9-inch iPad Pro customers had actually switched from Windows PCs, he pointed to the huge potential switchers market still out there for Apple. There are, he said, over 600 million PCs more than five years old.
What he said next generated laughter in the room, but may not have gone down quite so well with those owners.
This is really sad. It really is.
Now, he may be right. A Windows PC more than five years old is going to be creaking somewhat by now. But it seems to me that there are three types of owners of old PCs, and the remark may well offend all of them …
Filed under: AAPL Company, Opinion Tagged: 9.7-inch iPad Pro, Apple Inc, comment, iPad, iPad Pro, Opinion, Phil Schiller, Post-PC, Post-PC era, Post-PC world
50 Free Call-to-Action Templates to Design Clickable CTAs in PowerPoint [Free Download]
Want to earn money for your business? Want to generate leads for your sales team? Want to accelerate sales for your online store? Want to do anything for your business that actually matters?
Well then you need calls-to-action. Without them, we wouldn’t be converting our website visitors or social media fans into actual leads for our sales team. Without them, we wouldn’t be calling on our audience to take any action in their lifecycle that actually benefits them or the growth of your business.
Download your 50 free call-to-action templates in PowerPoint here.
But just because they’re important doesn’t mean we all have a professional designer at our disposal — whether due to budget limitations, resource restrictions, or just lack of design skill. That’s why we created 50 free call-to-action (CTA) templates in PowerPoint for you to customize and use. The template will teach you how to customize your new CTAs effectively, so don’t let fear of DIY design stop you.
This post will give you a sneak peek into a large set of designs available in the template. Download it now and follow along.
1) Basic Calls-to-Action
Sometimes you just need a quick and clean button that helps drive conversion. Building a landing page that needs a customized submit button? Working on a website page that needs to drive visitors to a coupon? Drafting a blog post that needs a “read more” button after the summary? We’ve got you covered. The first set of 22 CTA designs in our set of templates are basic buttons. Here’s a sampling of six:
2) Social Media Share and Sentiment Calls-to-Action
Data from Dan Zarrella shows that specific diction in your social calls-to-action help drive engagement, but another great way to drive social engagement is through social CTAs on other assets of your website, landing pages, blog posts, and so on. This set of ten templates provides you with two types of designs: social share buttons and social sentiment buttons. Let’s take a look at a sample of both.
Social Share CTAs
As you can see in the sample of share buttons below, these buttons are helping drive social actions from your content. Making these buttons clickable is as simple as generating the right code to hyperlink it to. This blog post walks you through how to do so step-by-step.
Social Sentiment CTAs
Social sentiment CTAs are those that include public testimonials — often from social media users. As you can see in the example below, we built a CTA in PowerPoint and attached a screenshot of a publicly posted Facebook comment. Be sure to test the use of such social sentiment on your content and explore how their inclusion benefits your conversion rates.
3) Contextualized Calls-to-Actions
You’ve seen some basic CTA options thus far. The next set of nine options call on you to include more context. These designs are created with the intention of further explaining the value of taking action. Just be sure to keep the overall layout of the button simple so that users can easily see the action you’re calling on them to take. Here are two sample designs available in the template:
4) Photo and Mobile Device Calls-to-Action
Photos can serve as a great asset when creating your calls-to-action. Not to mention it’s super easy because all you have to do is overlay some text! Photos make it easy to humanize and customize your messages for your brand and audience. Similarly, mobile and desktop devices can help make your action “pop.” Rather than including a screenshot of your product, try putting that screenshot on a kindle to show it in action! If you have trouble locating copyright-free photos to use, you can download our set of 160 free photos. No attribution required, just download and use! Here are three sample CTA designs from the bunch.
5) Qualifying Calls-to-Actions
When you’re trying to nurture a lead further down the funnel, you want to ensure you’re presenting CTAs to qualify them for your sales team. For these CTAs, it’s important that they are welcoming and not pushy. Having a great design can help can help you naturally move your leads further down your marketing funnel. Here are two examples from the templates you could customize to help convert a lead to marketing qualified lead:
Not sure how to exactly save and use these templates? Don’t worry, your download of these 50 templates will include step-by-instructions on how to save and use these templates on your website.
What templates are you most excited to try? Share you thoughts in the comments section below.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2013 and has been updated and for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
Report: Apple in talks to acquire Imagination Technologies, likely to start developing its own mobile GPUs
ArsTechnica is reporting that Apple is in ‘advanced talks’ to acquire Imagination Technologies, makes of the PowerVR mobile GPU designs Apple licenses for its A9 and A9X SoCs. The company declined comment about any such acquisition of course. Apple began using Imagination Technologies GPUs since the Apple A4 chip. Rumors have been bubbling in recent years that Apple will eventually start designing its own mobile GPUs, in the same way it designs custom CPU silicon today. An acquisition of Imagination Technologies would be a clear signal the company is moving in that direction.
Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS, iOS Devices, Tech Industry Tagged: Apple, gnu, GPU, Graphics, Imagination Technologies, iOS
Applying March Madness Bracketology to Project Portfolio Management
Applying March Madness Bracketology to Project Portfolio Management
By Lindsey Marymont
It’s that time of year when the office is buzzing with talk of the NCAA tourney – boasting alumni, hometown favorites, and raw athletic talent. March Madness is full of predictions and hype, and while many people might stay loyal to their favorites, most people will […]
from Project Management Articles – PM Hut http://ift.tt/22BNG8C
via pmhut.com
Poll: Will you be buying the iPhone SE or 9.7-inch iPad Pro?
The new toys are official. The iPhone SE very nearly amounts to an iPhone 6 in an iPhone 5 casing, and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is effectively a smaller version of the 12.9-inch model.
While the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were Apple’s response to a large part of its customer base who were waiting impatiently for larger-screened phones, there were others who found them too big – either awkward to handle, or just too large to fit comfortably into some pockets. Those people were left with the choice between a 4-inch phone with out-dated specs, or a high-spec phone that was larger than they wanted.
The iPhone SE is a 4-inch iPhone with very few compromises. You don’t get 3D Touch, the front-facing camera is limited to 1.2MP stills and 720p video, and you don’t get the option of 128GB storage – but otherwise it has all the new toys: A9 chip, Apple Pay, Always-on ‘Hey Siri,’ 12MP rear camera, Live Photos, 4K video …
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: 9.7-inch iPad Pro, iPad, iPad Pro, iPhone, iPhone SE, poll