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How to Create an Editorial Calendar Using Google Calendar [Free Editorial Calendar Template]

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 2, 2016 | Marketing

One of the most frequent questions we get from aspiring and current inbound marketers is, “How do you manage all of that content?”

When we tell them we use an editorial calendar, the next question is often, “Oh, how much does that cost?”

… Nothing. Because, for the most part, we use Google Calendar.

Download our free editorial calendar templates for Google Calendar and Microsoft Excel here.

Surprised? There are a lot of great calendar tools out there you can choose from. (In fact, for those of you who are HubSpot customers, there’s a marketing calendar built right into HubSpot’s software.) But after trying a ton of other solutions, our team found that we really operated the best with just a simple Google Calendar. In fact, this has actually been the longest-running editorial calendar solution our team has ever seen.

Here’s how we set it up and why I think it works.

How to Set Up Google Calendar as Your Blog and Content Editorial Calendar

Step 1: Click here to download our free editorial calendar templates.

First thing’s first: Download the calendar templates. (For free.) By doing this, you’ll have three editorial calendar templates on your computer to use at your leisure: one for Google Calendar, one for Excel, and one for Google Sheets. In this blog post, we’ll be going over how to set up the Google Calendar template, specifically.

Step 2: Create a new Google Calendar.

Now that you’ve downloaded the templates, it’s time to set up your Google Calendar to accommodate them. First, go to your Google Calendar, and select “Create New Calendar” under the “My Calendars” dropdown arrow on the left-hand side of your screen.

Fill out the fields that appear on the next screen. For now, keep the sharing options blank. This way, people won’t receive an out-of-context email about an incomplete calendar. When you’re done filling in the details, click “Create Calendar.”

Step 3: Import the CSV file from the download.

Select “Import calendar” under the “Other Calendars” dropdown menu on the left-hand side of your screen.

Click “Choose File,” and then locate the CSV file entitled “Blog Editorial Calendar – Google Calendar” that was included in the ZIP file you downloaded with this offer. For the “Calendar” option, be sure to choose the name of the calendar you just created from the dropdown menu. Then, click “Import.”

You should see an Import calendar dialog box telling you that seven events were successfully imported. Click “Close.”

Now, navigate to January 3, 2016, which is the start of your calendar. Be sure all of your other calendars are temporarily hidden by clicking the colored box to the left of the calendar name. On the week of January 3, 2016, you should just see one “Blog TBD” calendar event on each day from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Step 4: Determine your publishing schedule.

Now that you have your calendar created, it’s time to fill it in with stuff. This is when you have to make some decisions about your blog publishing schedule.

While the CSV file you imported accounts for one blog post per day, this doesn’t mean you need to publish seven days a week. Maybe you want to publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Or perhaps you plan on publishing on just Thursdays. Remember, the key to successful blogging is quality over quantity. Don’t overcommit to a blogging schedule if the quality of your content will take a hit. (Read this blog post for some great benchmark data on how often companies should blog.)

If you decide to decrease the number of days you want to publish, click on the calendar event of that day and select “Delete.”

Even if you wanted to publish multiple times a day, updating this calendar is as easy as adding an event. Select a slot on your calendar to add another “Blog TBD” event and copy the default description from another one of the events you imported.

Next, it’s time for some minor adjustments. Currently, the “Blog TBD” events are set for 10 a.m. Feel free to move these events to whatever time your blog publishes during the day. (Curious about what time is best for you to publish a blog post? Read this how-to blog post to learn how to create a Custom Google Analytics Report.)

Step 5: Set up recurring events.

Now that you have your publish dates and times set, you can make these recurring events on your calendar. If you have a regular publishing schedule, like every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:00 a.m., for instance, then put that in as a recurring “slot” on your calendar. It’s okay if you don’t have a piece of completed content — or even a working title — to put there yet. It’s just a reminder that you want to publish something that day.

To add your recurring slot, click on your first “Blog TBD” event and click “Edit event” to be taken to the details of the post. Here, you can set the post up as a recurring post so it automatically appears every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:00 a.m. (or whatever days and times you want).

Once you’ve selected the recurring days, hit “Done” and “Save,” and you’ll have an editorial calendar framework to work with.

For now, keep the title of the event as “Blog TBD,” but feel free to customize the description with any extra details you want to be sure you include for each post. Wait to invite any guest, as we’ll use this to assign posts to an author once you begin filling in your topics. With everything complete, click “Save.”

If you don’t have a recurring schedule like this, you might not be in need of an editorial calendar just yet — but it is a good way to set goals for yourself. If you know you want to publish a certain number of posts each week, even if you don’t hit every single slot, it’s a good reminder for yourself and your team that this is something you should all be striving for.

Step 6: Fill your publishing slots.

Now that you know all of the slots you want to fill, you gotta actually … you know … fill ’em. (If you don’t have topic ideas yet, check out this free topic idea generator. It’ll give you some good ideas for content to put in the calendar.)

Let’s say one of the posts you want to write is “10 Surprising Facts About Tapirs,” and one of the posts you’ve already written and want to publish later is “Think You’re Cut Out to Own a Tapir? Read This First.” Cool! Just add ’em both to the calendar by clicking on “Post – TBD” on the correct date, choosing “Edit Event,” and then changing the “Post – TBD” text to the actual title of the post.

Now let’s say you don’t actually want to write “10 Surprising Facts About Tapirs,” and you want your colleague to write it instead. To assign the post an author, you’ll invite them to the event as a guest. To do this, click on the event, hit “Edit Event,” then invite that colleague to the post by typing his or her name or email address into the “Add: Guests” box, selecting “Add” when their name pops up, and hitting “Save” on the event once you’re done.

Now, anyone can see who is responsible for writing the post that’s going up in that time slot.

You can take it a step further by adding details to the “Description” box of the event. You might include a quick synopsis, the keywords you plan to target the post for, the target audience you’re trying to reach, and the offer or CTA you will direct the reader to at the end of the post. Don’t forget a due date for the draft.

Before Google Calendar will let you save the event, you’ll see a dialog box asking if you would like to change just this event or all of the events in the series. Select “Only this event.”

Repeat these steps to assign each blog topic today and in the future.

Step 7: Share your editorial calendar with others.

Now that you have your calendar set up, you can start to invite people to see it. I’d recommend you start with your immediate team and regular contributors — as well as anyone who regularly asks you about publishing content on your company blog.

To share this editorial calendar with people, simply find your editorial calendar under “My Calendars,” click “Share this Calendar” when it appears in the dropdown arrow, and you’ll be taken to the same screen we saw in step one.

Then, you can add in the names of people with whom you’d like to share the calendar and set the right permission levels for each invitee.

It’s wise to keep those with the permission settings to manage changes and sharing to a minimum so there aren’t too many cooks in the kitchen — but I recommend you let everyone see all event details so it’s clear exactly what content is going up in each slot.

Under the “Share with specific people” heading, enter the email addresses of those on your content team and decide if they have viewing, editing, or admin privileges. Save your updated settings.

Why Using Google Calendar as an Editorial Calendar Works

I mentioned earlier that we tried a lot of different editorial calendar solutions, and this is the only one that’s stuck for more than a couple months. I think one reason for that is because we use Gmail for our corporate email, which means everyone on our team is already in Gmail (and their calendar, specifically) all day. As a result, it isn’t hard for people to form a habit of checking the editorial calendar, because it’s not difficult for them to find it.

Google Calendar also makes things really easy to move around and schedule because … well … it’s already a calendar. It has all the functionality you need to schedule stuff out and let the people who need to know about it know. When we were using other solutions for this, we were trying to hack a calendaring function instead of just relying on one that already existed.

Along those lines, adding people to view your calendar is simple, which makes it easy for multiple teams to collaborate, see what’s being published, and figure out when they might be able to launch content and campaigns.

Finally, this sets a precedent for other teams to coordinate with you in a really simple way. You can have a calendar for upcoming campaigns, offers, social media pushes, product launches — you name it. And you can all share those calendars with one another for a single-screen view of everything that’s going on so you can coordinate more easily.

Are there other solutions of there for maintaining an editorial calendar? Of course. But if you’re looking for a minimum viable product, and a free one at that, this ain’t too shabby. It’s kept our content team sane, agile, and transparent for quite some time — and I think it could do the same for you.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2014 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

download free editorial calendar templates

Apple eyes March 15 event for iPhone 5se, iPad Air 3 & Apple Watch updates

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 2, 2016 | Apple

Apple is currently aiming to unveil the new 4-inch the iPhone 5se, the iPad Air 3, and new Apple Watch band options at an event on Tuesday, March 15th, according to sources. We previously reported that Apple was on track to launch the new products during the week of March 14th. As the scheduled event is still a month-and-a-half away, the date could conceivably still shift or turn into an online announcement. The media event would be Apple’s first since September, and much like the fall event, is planned to touch on three major product categories for the company.

As we revealed last month, Apple is planning to reinvigorate the 4-inch iPhone screen size by relaunching replacing the iPhone 5s with an iPhone 5se that includes an A9 chip, improved cameras, support for taking Live Photos, and Apple Pay. While the internals are revamped, the 5se’s externals nearly mirror the 5s’s save for “less shiny” and possibly slightly curved edges. The 5se will be priced the same as the 5s, according to sources, starting at $450 for 16GB. A 64GB model will also be offered.

The launch of the new iPad Air will mark the first significant upgrade to Apple’s 9.7-inch tablet line since the Air 2 debuted in October 2014. The Air 3 is expected to include iPad Pro features like enhanced speakers and a Smart Connector, which could mean that a smaller Smart Keyboard is on the way. Unconfirmed drawings from case maker sources of the new iPad model also indicate the possibility of a rear-LED flash, and this addition would be a first for any iPad model.

Following up on September’s Apple Watch updates, this spring’s Apple Watch refresh will focus on new bands and software, according to sources. The new band lines will include multiple new colors for the rubberized Sport Bands, new Hermes bands, a Space Black version of the Milanese Loop, and an entirely new band line made of a new material. Supply chain sources indicate that Apple has been testing a series of “high-quality” NATO-style nylon bands for the Apple Watch, but we have not confirmed that this is indeed the new line launching in March.

Image via Getty Images

Filed under: iOS Devices

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Apple granted patent for detecting touch-free gestures at close-range, building on multi-touch

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 2, 2016 | Apple

proximity

Apple was today granted a patent for detecting touch-free gestures at close range, the patent language suggesting that the approach could build on the capabilities of multi-touch and 3D touch to respond to fingers hovering close to an iPhone or iPad display, as well as use on keyboards and trackpads.

The patent describes using sensors similar to the proximity detectors used to disable accidental touch input on the iPhone screen when you’re holding the phone to your face during a call. Unlike longer-range gesture technologies like Kinect, the system would detect ‘hover events’ just above the surface of the screen …

In addition to detection of touching events, the detection of fingers, palms or other objects hovering near the touch panel is desirable because it can enable the computing system to perform certain functions without necessitating actual contact with the touch panel.

Apple notes that some functions could be activated by proximity alone, while others could act on a combination of touch and proximity – effectively expanding the capabilities of a multi-touch screen to include non-touch gestures.

The patent notes that the proximity sensors could offer the same pixel-level coverage as touch sensors, or the display could alternate touch sensor rows with proximity-detection rows. Alternatively, it could be employed more selectively, covering only part of the display.

The patent doesn’t limit itself to touchscreen devices: it also describes ways of using the technology for things like creating a virtual keyboard on a trackpad. Part of the patent also describes more mundane uses, such as replacing the existing proximity detector in today’s iPhones.

As always, we note that Apple patents literally thousands of things that never make their way into products, and its patents for touch-free technology date back many years. In this case, though, the company does at least have a demonstrated interest in gesture interfaces, acquiring Primesense – the company behind the gesture-detection technology used in Microsoft’s Kinect – back in 2013.

Via Patently Apple

Filed under: iOS Devices, Mac Tagged: 3D Touch, force touch, iPad, iPhone, keyboard, Kinect, Mac, Magic Trackpad, Microsoft, multi-touch, Patent, Proximity sensor, Trackpad

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The Nonprofit’s Guide to Email Nurturing for Membership Retention

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 2, 2016 | Marketing

Many nonprofits fall victim to a common marketing trap: they pour efforts into acquisition, while ignoring the leaky bucket on the other side—the fact that existing members are churning out almost as fast as they’re entering the funnel. What gives?

There are many factors at play here. For one, digital audiences have short attention spans and have limited mental bandwidth to track the many moving parts of their interests and lives. Secondly, digital audiences have moved to a news feed style culture of passive information delivery. Just take a look at the widespread growth of Twitter, Slack, and other platforms.

Nonprofits need a way to engage and re-engage their members: data consistently shows that among companies, existing customers tend to be the most valuable. Given that they aim to reach the same audiences that companies do, why should nonprofits be any different?

If your membership retention rates are low, you’re dealing with an unnecessarily leaky engine. Here’s how you can use email marketing to fight this challenge head-on. (And if you need a refresher on email nurturing before you dive into the rest of this blog post, check out HubSpot’s Intro to Lead Nurturing Guide).

Here are are 5 tips that nonprofits should keep in mind when developing lead nurturing content:

1) Always Be Delighting

Don’t be the friend who only calls when you need help or money. Make sure that you’re consistently sending email updates with helpful and relevant information. In addition to talking about our organization, make sure that you share news and updates about the communities that you serve–stories from ‘in the field,’ news, and updates provide great reading material here. Imagine that your organization is an entertainer and educator. Focus on delivering value with every interaction and communication touchpoint. To accomplish this goal successfully, you’ll need to understand your audience personas. That’s where Step 2 comes in.

2) Segment Emails by Interest

Your subscribers want messaging that’s tailored to the interests and needs—not one size fits all content. In your email nurturing communications, make sure that you tailor your messages to the needs of your list. Tap into the pools of data that you collected about your members when they signed up. Supplement this information with website browsing data: what content are your different segments taking interest to and why? For instance, you may notice that your audiences are spending more time on pages related to membership, donation, or volunteering. Make sure that your marketing materials reflect this browsing intent.

Precision is key when developing email nurturing content.

3) Time Your Campaigns Right

Create campaigns that support key membership goals. Structure your automation around key events in your members’ lifecycles, paying close attention to renewal dates and events that your organization might be hosting. Your messages should ‘warm up’ your audiences a few months out, and always provide reminders about why and how your organization provides value. You’ll want to reinforce the great work that you do and why your members should want to stick around and keep being a part of it all. When it comes to lead nurturing, timing is key: make sure that you’re delivering the right messages at the right time in your audience’s’ experiences as members. Even better? You can automate this entire process.

4) Automate Emails with Workflows

Don’t just send emails for the sake of sending emails. Every message that you compile should lead to a concrete and tangible ‘next step’ that you want to take your members to take. Maybe you want to guide your audience to an event that you’re hosting, or maybe you’re fundraising for a campaign. Make sure that you always have an end goal in mind and that you specify a clear set of action for your segments to take. Pre-designed email workflows can help. Specify exactly what you want to take place after someone downloads a case study, ebook, or brochure that your organization releases. With everything planned, there will be no manual effort on your part.

5) Always Be Testing

Email nurturing and marketing automation campaigns don’t exist in a vacuum. You need to make sure that you’re refining your messaging continuously and always making sure that your emails make an impact.

That being said, you’ll want to run continuous A/B tests on your calls to action, subject lines, and offers, as soon as you get your campaigns up and running. Make sure that you double down on your email segments and make sure that you have the right messaging tailored to each individual member. If someone isn’t clicking on your ‘hard sell’ renewal emails for instance, try something a little softer and more engaging.

Focus on Relationships

When it comes to developing an effective lead nurturing program, there is no cookie cutter or blueprint: you need to focus on building strong audience relationships. Test out different types of content, gather feedback, and make sure that your email communications are spot-on. In today’s digital age, audience are overwhelmed with more information than they can process. Make every interaction count.

For more on using email to grow membership, check out our previous post 5 Emails Your Association Should Send to Increase Memberships.

Poll: What rumored 2016 Apple product excites you the most?

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 2, 2016 | Apple

MacBook 12" iPhone 6s Plus Apple Watch 16-9

If early indications are anything to go by, 2016 looks to be a relatively big year for Apple. After an ‘s’ year of iPhone upgrades, no new iPad Air model, and the original Apple Watch hardware going on two years of age, there is huge potential for the company to impress users and investors alike. We’ve already seen a handful of leaks and rumors pointing to possible releases for Apple this year, which makes us wonder: What rumored 2016 Apple product excites you the most?

The first product to come in 2016 will likely be the iPhone 5se. Mark Gurman reported last month that the iPhone 5se will likely feature Apple’s A9 processor, M9 chip for always-on Siri, updated cameras, Live Photos support, NFC support, and a 4-inch display. As far as the design goes, the device is said to closely resemble the iPhone 5/5s, which 60 percent of iPhone customers are said to still be using. The iPhone 5se, however, is said to feature “softer curves” like the ones on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s. The iPhone 5se will likely be debuted in March.

Furthermore in March, Apple is expected to unveil an updated iPad Air 3. Apple surprisingly did not update its traditional 9.7-inch iPad line in 2015, rather introducing the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a nearly unchanged iPad Mini 4. Leaked design schematics and case images have suggested that the iPad Air 3 will feature four speakers, support for Smart Connector, and rear-facing flash support. We also reported that Apple has been testing versions of the iPad Air 3 that support Apple Pencil.

space-black-milanese

Finally in March, Apple will likely introduce new Apple Watch models. While the actual hardware of the Apple Watch will likely remain unchanged, Apple is expected to introduce multiple new colors for the rubber sport bands, new colors for the Hermes bands, a black version of the Milanese Loop, and an additional band line made out of a new material.

Heading further into 2016, we can likely expect Apple to introduce new MacBooks. Ben Lovejoy did an excellent job of breaking down what potentially could be in store for Apple’s various MacBook lines in 2016. He suggested changes such as incorporating Intel’s Skylake processors, improving battery life, adding Touch ID, and closing the design gap between the 12-inch MacBook and other larger models. KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo even went as far to suggest that the new MacBooks could help Apple offset lower iPhone sales.

One idea that has been rumored for what feels like ages is that Apple will launch its own streaming bundle of TV channels for Apple TV users. Apple has reportedly had trouble negotiating the networks to meet the $30-$40 price tier it has in mind, but could 2016 finally be the year that Apple is able to launch the service? Doing so would truly help the fourth-gen Apple TV standout from the competition.

At Apple’s annual World Wide Developer Conference in June, we’ll likely see Apple introduce iOS 10 to developers, with a public launch occurring later this year. It’s unclear as to what Apple has up itself for iOS 10, especially with iOS 9.3 being a surprisingly feature-rich update. Nevertheless, we can certainly expect a handful of changes to come with the release of iOS 10.

Last but certainly not least, Apple will likely announce the iPhone 7 this fall. With many analysts suggesting that Apple has reached “peak iPhone,” there’s a lot riding on the iPhone 7 and what Apple can bring to the table. There are a variety of rumors circulating concerning what the iPhone 7 will feature. Perhaps the rumor with the most traction is that Apple will ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack in an effort to make the device even thinner. Rumors have also suggested that the iPhone 7 will be waterproof, feature a new casing material, and much more. Last month, we ran a poll and 24 percent of our readers stated that they were most excited about the possibility of the iPhone 7 being waterproof.

12-inch-macbook-deal

Personally, I’m most excited about Apple continuing to innovate with its MacBook lineup. Back in December, I wrote that the 12-inch MacBook was the 2015 Apple product that most excited me for the company’s future. I explained that in a time when many were skeptical of Apple’s design choices, the 12-inch MacBook showed that Apple still could innovate. I love my Retina MacBook, especially the ultra-light and thin design that it features. One thing I would love to see, however, is a 13-inch Retina MacBook with the same ultra-thin design and stunning display, but with a slightly larger display.

What rumored 2016 Apple product excites you the most? Let us know in the comments and by voting in the poll above!

Filed under: iOS Devices, Mac, Opinion Tagged: 2016, Apple, Apple watch, iPhone 7, MacBook

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Alphabet has surpassed Apple to become the most valuable company in the world

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 1, 2016 | Apple

google

Alphabet’s just-released Q4 earnings has seen its stock price rise in after hours trading, resulting in the Mountain View-based company passing Apple to become the most valuable company in the world. The company’s market capitalization was $517.6 billion at close, and while the price is still fluctuating after hours, Alphabet’s market cap will be over $540 billion tomorrow if these prices hold…

At market’s close, GOOG Class C stock was trading at $752, but immediately shot up to $813, an 8% jump. It is currently trading just shy of $800. Apple has held the title of most valuable company in the world since taking over Exxon Mobil in 2011. In the weeks leading up to earnings season, however, many speculated that Alphabet could take the mantle with strong earnings.

When the markets closed today, Google had $517.6 billion market capitalization while Apple was at $538.7 billion. With the after hours valuation of more than $540 billion, though, this marks the first time since 2010 that Google has passed Apple in market cap.

In its Q4 2015 fiscal report, the company reported revenue of $21.3 billion, up 18%. Net income for Q4 2015 was $3.97 billion. Of its total revenue, advertising consisted of right about $16.3 billion, with Google’s own websites accounting for about $12.4 billion. Advertising revenue is up 17 percent year over year, while that of Google’s own sites are up 20 percent year over year. Aggregate paid clicks rose 31 percent year over year, while cost-per-click rates fell 13 percent compared to Q4 of 2014.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai also noted during Alphabet’s earnings call that Gmail now has more than 1 billion active monthly users.

As part of the Alphabet reorganization, the company now reports earnings from the core Google business and its “Other Bet” companies. To learn more about the company’s earnings check out the livestream of the call happening now.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple, GOOG, Google, market cap, most valuable company, stock, valuable

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How-To: Keep up with the 2016 U.S. presidential election from iPhone, iPad, and Mac

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 1, 2016 | Apple

2016

Today marks the official kick off of Americans deciding who will be the next President of the United States with the Iowa caucuses taking place tonight. So without stepping into partisan territory, I wanted to share a few helpful tips for keeping up with the whole election season using your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Calendar

First up is a classic calendar tip for following exactly when and where everyone will be voting across the country. Some states hold caucuses while other states hold primaries, different parties often vote on different days, and U.S. territories (not just states) make the calendar.

The easiest way to keep track of when everyone votes and where is to subscribe to a calendar that already has all of this information. The New York Times has a page where you can view 2008 and 2012 winners, delegate counts, and this year’s results as they’re counted.

There’s also a full 2016 primary calendar put together that works with Google Calendar as well as Apple’s Calendar app on the Mac. You can’t subscribe from iOS, but subscribing on the Mac syncs with iPhone and iPad if you’re using iCloud. Here’s how:

Launch Calendar on the Mac, and click File > New Calendar Subscription:
Copy and paste this URL: http://ift.tt/1Sz0adl

I keep track of my calendar on iPhone, iPad, and Mac using Fantastical, and subscription calendars work just fine there too. Of course you can unsubscribe at any time, or just hide the calendar until you need it, but it’s especially useful if you want an easy way to track the election schedule.

Podcasts

While subscribing to a calendar can tell you when people vote, subscribing to the right podcasts can help you learn why and how people vote. Because I ready and write about technology daily and record a weekly Apple podcast, the majority of podcasts I subscribe to are about politics so I have a few recommendations here.

iTunes Podcasts

First up, the Sunday morning TV shows — in podcast form — where you’ll often hear interviews with presidential candidates:

If you’re really interested in government, campaigning, and politics, these podcasts offer historical storytelling and wonky discussions that are worth a listen:

Personally, I use Apple’s Podcasts app on iPhone and iPad to listen to shows (iTunes on the Mac stinks as staying in sync), but Overcast for iOS is a popular alternative with Smart Speed features to make subscribing to way-too-many podcasts like I do more manageable. Downcast has an iPad and iPhone app (with CarPlay and Apple Watch versions) and Mac app as well if you want the same experience across platforms.

Apps

Finally, I’ll recommend three election season apps for your iPhone.

Breaking News is my go-to app for receiving push notifications for any major news story. You can easily find a dozen news apps from different sources, but Breaking News works for me as a single app to reliably serve up need-to-know headlines in real time.

If you follow enough people on Twitter that frequently share political news stories, Nuzzel can be a particularly useful app. You set a threshold for how many times friends should share stories on Twitter and Facebook, the Nuzzel alerts you with a push notification. Personally, I follow a lot of tech-focused accounts as well so there’s a fair mix for me.

And I’ll leave you with this wild card app from The Washington Post: Floppy Candidate. It’s a ridiculous take on the Flappy Bird game phenomena that came and went a couple of years back, only you play as presidential candidates “Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Ben Carson, Bernie Sanders, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, Martin O’Malley and John Kasich” plus 2020-candidate Kanye West because why not. It’s completely silly but somehow still feels historical and useful with candidate quizzes and campaign references that political buffs like me will appreciate.

Have you own tips for keeping up with the election cycle with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac? As ever, let us know in the comment.

Filed under:
How-To, iOS, iOS Devices, Mac, Tips and Tricks Tagged: how to, iOS, Podcasts, tutorial

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Latest Apple Campus 2 flyover gives up close look as exterior nears completion [Video]

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 1, 2016 | Apple

AC2-2016-Feb-1

Apple’s under construction Campus 2 building in Cupertino is rapidly taking shape as this latest flyover video from Duncan Sinfield shows.

The video gets us as close to the site as we’ve seen yet with the video showing a ton of progress made on the main circular building that will house a large portion of the total 13,000 or so employees the campus will hold.

Evidence that Apple is nearing completion on at least the exterior of the main building can be seen at around 45 seconds in the video where Sinfield notes you can see the roof being lifted in place, and we also get our best shot yet at the large glass panels Apple has been installing on the main building as of a few months back.

AC2-2016-Feb-1-02

In addition, the flyover also gives us a tour of progress on the surrounding campus including the parking structure, auditorium and other buildings now nearing completion. As noted in the full video below, Apple can be seen putting the finishing touches on the entrance to its large underground auditorium located on-site but away from the main building. We previously got an up-close look at inside the auditorium before Apple recently put the roof on, as can be seen in the video below.

We’ve been keeping track of the project since before Apple broke ground at the site, and we’ve compiled a timeline of the progress that we’re continually updating with the latest drone flyovers, official shots from the City of Cupertino and Apple, and news surrounding the project.

The company plans to start moving in sometime after completion currently scheduled for the end of the year.

Head below for the full flyover video:

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: 4k, Apple, auditorium, campus 2, Cupertino, drone, exterior, flyover, glass panels, roof, video

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Perspective: iPad Pro blew past Microsoft Surface as soon as Apple could make enough of them, IDC says

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 1, 2016 | Apple

iPad-Pro-IDC

IDC is out with its latest report on worldwide tablet shipments following Apple’s Q1 2016 earnings and in the report shares a nugget about iPad Pro sales.

It may not surprise you, but Apple’s new 12.9-inch iPad, which many would have you believe is the company’s first to compete directly with detachable and hybrid tablets/laptops, outsold Microsoft Surface and other detachable tablets, according to the report:

This quarter was unique as we had new detachables in the market from all three of the major platform players,” said Jitesh Ubrani, Senior Research Analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers. “Despite lukewarm reviews, the iPad Pro was the clear winner this season as it was the top selling detachable, surpassing notable entries from Microsoft and other PC vendors. It’s also important to note that the transition towards detachable tablets has presented positive opportunities for both Apple and Microsoft. However, Google’s recent foray into this space has been rather lackluster as the Android platform will require a lot more refinement to achieve any measurable success.”

IDC claims Apple “was able to curb the decline in iPad revenues as its model mix shifted towards higher priced iPads” with a successful iPad Pro launch, but it doesn’t share any of its specific data on iPad Pro sales versus iPad or Surface sales in general in its report.

The win for iPad Pro, IDC notes, comes as worldwide tablet sales are down -13.7% year over year to 65.9 million units in the last quarter of 2015 and to 206.8 million for 2015 from 230.1 million in 2014. Apple, however, holds its lead in the tablet category overall despite a -24.8% year-over-year decline. Apple sold 16.1 million iPads in the last quarter of 2015, putting it in the lead ahead of number two Samsung with 9 million units shipped (as highlighted in IDC’s chart above). And here’s a look at the outcome for tablet shipments for the year based on IDC’s data, which puts Apple in first position with 49.6 million units shipped (-21.8% year over year), followed by Samsung, Lenovo, ASUS, and Huawei:

IDC-tablet-sales-2015

The iPad Pro is the first to come with an Apple-made detachable keyboard and a screen size in the territory of hybrids like Microsoft’s Surface, which is presumably why IDC puts it in the “detachable tablet” category, but some would argue the Pro isn’t exactly a direct hybrid competitor — since it doesn’t come with a keyboard, still relies on Apple’s iOS mobile operating system, and doesn’t pack in as much processing power as the true laptop/tablet hybrids like Surface.

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices, Tech Industry Tagged: detachabe, hybrid, IDC, iPad Pro, Laptop, Microsoft Surface, sales, tablet

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Purported iPad Air 3 blueprint adds barely thicker design to flash & Smart Connector rumors

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 1, 2016 | Apple

iPad Pro speaker system

With Apple expected to hold an event next month, iPad Air 3 rumors are continuing to trickle out with various degrees of reliability. The latest is yet another schematic claiming to show the upcoming iPad Air refresh courtesy of Engadget, which cites a “reliable source”. While the blueprint appears to build on existing rumors like the presence of a camera flash, Apple’s new Smart Connector, and a quad-speaker design, the illustration claims to show that the iPad Air 3 will have just barely thicker dimensions than the current 9.7-inch iPad that it replaces.

While the screen size will remain the same, the purported schematic leak claims the iPad Air 3 will be 6.15 mm thick, 169.60 mm wide and 240 mm tall. The iPad Air 2’s official tech specs put it at 6.1 mm thick, 169.5 mm wide, and 240 mm tall, so we’re talking about a 0.05 mm increase in depth and a 0.1mm jump in width. For good measure, the iPad Air was 7.5 mm thick with the same height and width as the current iPad Air 2.

The takeaway here is that if these dimensions do pan out, the iPad Air 3 will still be worthy of its ‘Air’ name and won’t even approach the depth of the original iPad Air. The difference would actually be quite difficult to notice as 0.05 mm is even less than the 0.2mm gain in thickness between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, which went from 6.9 mm to 7.1 mm after gaining a 3D Touch pressure sensitive display. Admittedly, the 0.1 mm increased width and sketchy appearance of the blueprint overall make us a bit skeptical.

iPad Air 3 purported blueprint leak

Still, a very minor increase in thickness would not be surprising considering that Apple has been testing a version with Apple Pencil support currently only offered on the iPad Pro, as we reported last week. Apple’s digital stylus currently works exclusively with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is the model that Apple used to introduce the quad-speaker design and Smart Connector for powering peripherals like hardware keyboards. No iPad to date has featured a camera flash, which would be a first with the iPad Air 3 and certainly a standout feature.

Apple is also expected to introduce the updated 4-inch iPhone hardware, using the name iPhone 5se as we previously reported, next month alongside new Apple Watch bands and software updates.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple Pencil, Flash, iPad, ipad air, iPad Air 3, Smart Connector, Tablets

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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Mohu HDTV antenna $24, NAS systems from $159, Jaybird Bluetooth headphones $30, more

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 1, 2016 | Apple

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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:

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Time to chuck your cable bill, Mohu Leaf Paper-Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna is $24 today

Amazon Gold Box–Everything for your home computer network: SSDs from $40, NAS from $159, Wifi Range Extenders from $33

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JayBird Freedom Sweatproof Bluetooth Earbuds: $30, 66 Audio BTS+ Bluetooth Sports Headphones: $37 shipped

App Store Free App of the Week: Piloteer goes free for the very first time ($2 value)

Award-winning iOS platformer Thomas Was Alone is now available for just $1 (Reg. $5)

Highly-rated puzzler Osmos now 80% off on iPhone & iPad: $1 ea. (Reg. up to $5)

Best USB/Jump Start batteries for your car from Bestek, Aukey, more

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

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Streaming Media Players: Chromecast (2nd gen) w/ free $10 Gift Card $35, Fire TV Stick w/ Voice Remote $40 (Reg. $50)

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Prep for Valentine’s Day w/ these gift card deals: Applebee’s $50 for $40, Regal Movies $25 for $20, more

All-time low prices on Philips Hue Go: $80 (Reg. $100), Hue Tap Switch: $50 (Reg. $60)
UE Roll Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker in multiple colors: $70 shipped (Reg. $100)
SanDisk 32GB USB-C Flash Drive for 12″ MacBook & more: $34 Prime shipped (Reg. $50)
Rugged 10,000mAh Solar dual USB Battery w/ 2 USB lamps: $13 Prime shipped
Media: Amazon $5 Digital HD/Blu-ray Sale: How to Train Your Dragon, more
Daily Deals: Anker USB Solar Charger $40, Denon Soundbar + sub $400, more
Games/Apps: Minecraft Story Mode $20, iOS freebies, more
Kindle First Books for February: The Last Girl, North of Here, Winter Men, more

JBL Flip 3 Splashproof Bluetooth Speaker: $80 shipped (Reg. $100) wp.me/p1xTlR-N2z https://t.co/CoqhHg8Syw

—
9to5Toys (@9to5toys) February 01, 2016

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

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Amazon’s best-selling iPhone Virtual Reality kit $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)

Apple TV 32GB w/ Siri Remote and HDMI Cable $126 shipped (Reg. $149+), 64GB $176 shipped – also now available in refurbished condition via Apple

Samsung 850 EVO SSD: 1TB $289 (Reg. $325+), 2TB $586 (Reg. $618+)
1080p 60Hz LED HDTVs — RCA 46-inch: $250 (Reg. $300)
Anker’s reinforced MFi Lightning cables: 6-ft $10 Prime shipped (Reg. $12), more
DJI Phantom 3 Standard Drone w/ 2.7K Camera (refurb): $429 shipped (Orig. $1,000)
ALLPOWERS 10,000mAh Solar Panel Charger for $11 (Reg. $17)
Make the switch to reusable glass water bottles w/ this Aquasana 6-pack for $19 (Reg. $40)
Upgrade your home’s lighting w/ this 4-Pack of Philips LED Bulbs for $10 (Reg. $20)
Bluetooth 20W Speakers: Sony SRSX5 $80 shipped, TaoTronics $40 shipped
Give your Apple Watch and iPhone a home w/ this aluminum dock: $10 (Reg. $14)
Free Xbox Live Gold Games for February: Hand of Fate, Styx Master of the Shadows, more
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Prime Members: VIZIO Sound Bar w/ Wireless Sub $198 shipped (Reg. $218)
Moe’s Southwest Grill: Buy One, Get One Free burrito promotion
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Free eBook download: “IT Guide to Mac Backup for Business”
Aukey adapters: Bluetooth 4.1 Audio Receiver $11, Car FM Radio Transmitter $11
Several refurbished 12-inch MacBook w/ Retina display models are now available

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Game pre-orders for Amazon Prime members –Zelda, Far Cry Primal, FFXV: $48 ea (Reg. $60)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

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Build your own 1:5000-scale New York City with this incredible Kickstarter project

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The CrossOver from NextDesk turns nearly any setup into a motorized standing desk

Fluance mixes mid-century design with Bluetooth technology in its new Hi-Fi system
Aereo’s founder is returning with a new ISP that beams gigabit speeds into your home
This German eBike blends a minimalist design with serious battery power
You have to see NERF’s new Crossbow and Zombie Brainsaw that are coming out this fall
Upcoming 2016 LEGO sets focus on Marvel, Star Wars and City collections
Razor introduces two new electric-powered products at Toy Fair 2016
Netflix February Preview: Better Call Saul – Season 1, more
Check out Amazon’s Super Bowl commercial starring Alec Baldwin and Dan Marino
It took a year of planning and 18,000 pieces to create this custom LEGO Arkham Asylum build

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon, Amazon Gold Box, app deals, Best Buy, Bluetooth Sports Headphones, Daily Deals, free apps, Gold Box, Indoor HDTV Antenna, JayBird Freedom, Mohu Leaf Paper-Thin, Piloteer, QNAP NAS, SSD, video games, WD NAS

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How a teenage app developer helped support his family using the App Store

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 1, 2016 | Apple

Michael Sayman, known for creating the iOS game 4 Snaps, shared a story today on what it was like growing up in the world of iOS development at such a young age. After his first app’s major success at the age of 13, an app based on his Club Penguin blog, Sayman soon gained to media attention and began to travel the world sharing his story. In the profile, he delves into the irony of being paid to travel and tell this personal story on success, all the while his parents were struggling financially at home.

Sayamn also explains how he became the primary bill-payer for the household and what that was like for a teen in school.

All of my money was going to providing for my family. I didn’t think anything of it, because what was I going to do with $12,000 a month? I was 14! I didn’t need it for anything. I had already bought myself the highest-end Mac I could and the best iPhone I could. That was it for me. I didn’t want anything else.

But the pressure of paying the bills started to increase and my grades in middle school started to go down fast. I used to have A’s and B’s, and at that point started to get C’s and D’s.

Stories of app developers struggling in the App Store aren’t too uncommon, but to hear it come from someone who is so young is rare. Sayman describes the challenge of explaining to his parents what exactly it was that he was doing to pull in the amount of revenue he was each month. Now 19 years old, and a product manager at Facebook, he feels it is the time to “share what it’s like to succeed in a world where everything is falling down around you.” It’s certainly a standout, motivating experience worth reading about.

4 Snaps and the Club Penguin Cheats apps are available in the App Store for free with in-app purchases.

Filed under: Developers Tagged: 4Snaps, App Store, Club Penguin, developers, Facebook, iOS, iPhone, Michael Sayman

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Porsche CEO says ‘iPhone belongs in your pocket, not on the road’, dismissing autonomous car future

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 1, 2016 | Apple

Porsche CarPlay

As our sister-site Electrek covers so well, the automobile landscape is clearly changing with electric vehicles replacing gas-powered cars, autonomous features potentially replacing drivers, and Apple even developing an EV of its own. But Porsche wants no part in that future, says CEO Oliver Blume. Reuters reports that Blume told German media this week essentially that a Porsche is meant to be driven, and that an iPhone is meant for your pocket, not the road:

“One wants to drive a Porsche by oneself,” Blume said in an interview with regional newspaper Westfalen-Blatt published on Monday.

“An iPhone belongs in your pocket, not on the road,” Blume added, saying that Porsche did not need to team up with any big technology companies.

While Blume was using the iPhone line largely to explain away the need for computerized vehicles and embrace the nature of high-performance cars like Porsches, it’s a curious one as the new 911 features Apple’s CarPlay …

There’s also a mild dash of the classic Ed Colligan line in there with Blume clearly defining the place for real cars and the place for iPhones in a dismissive way. Frankly, if given the choice between a Porsche as-is or a Porsche with autonomous driving capabilities, I’d choose the latter hands-down (although, for the record, I am not declining the traditional Porsche if offered!).

And smarter, iPhone-like cars certainly seem to be the way of the future.

While ‘autonomous features’ can be loosely defined to include any feature that assists the driver and not just full-on self-driving cars, Reuters points out that research by Boston Consulting Group shows market penetration for these features will reach 13% and make up an estimated $42 billion market by 2025.

While the project has already had its fair share of expected turbulence, the rumored Apple Car could debut around that time with one reported target for introduction set for 2020.

And evidence shows autonomous vehicles are safer than human drivers (which isn’t hard to believe for me) with Tesla and Google leading the way forward in that arena for the time being.

What do you think? Is a Porsche not a Porsche unless you’re fully in control behind the wheel, or are autonomous features going to be a part of every car in the future?

Filed under: Apple Car, CarPlay Tagged: Apple Car, autonomous driving, CarPlay, Oliver Blume, Porsche

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Don’t Be a Project Management Lemming!

by Cristian De Nardo | Feb 1, 2016 | Project Management

Don’t Be a Project Management Lemming!
By Kiron D. Bondale
Given the progressive decline in oil prices over the past year, economic slowdowns in Asia impacting other global markets, and poor performance to date across multiple stock exchanges, it is not a surprise that many investors are tempted to sell their investments at a loss and make […]

from Project Management Articles – PM Hut http://ift.tt/1STwFnV
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