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ExoLens announces three premium Zeiss T* lenses for iPhone 6, 6s + Plus
ExoLens, a division of Fellowes, today announced a partnership with highly-respected camera lens maker Zeiss to release “ExoLens with optics by Zeiss,” a series of three new high-quality add-on lenses for the iPhone 6/6s and Plus models. Incorporating Zeiss’s T* anti-reflective coating, the lenses offer optical quality comparable to the Zeiss lenses found in Sony cameras, improving on already-released ExoLens systems for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Each lens screws into a machined aluminum mounting and tripod bracket that attaches to Apple’s devices. One even offers zoom capabilities…
Prominently found in Sony digital cameras, Zeiss’s optics are a photographic industry gold standard, relying upon high-quality glass and thoughtful optical designs to minimize distortion and chromatic aberration while preserving color and contrast. The “first three” Zeiss-developed ExoLenses for iPhone include Mutar-branded 0.6x wide-angle and 2x telephoto lenses, each in a black anodized aluminum housing with water- and dust-resistant coatings, as well as a Vario-Proxar macro lens that enables continuous zoom to capture subjects 3-12cm in diameter, and includes a detachable diffusor/spacer.
Fellowes promises that all three lenses offer “edge-to-edge image excellence and no discernible distortion or chromatic aberration,” a major difference relative to existing iPhone add-on lenses, most of which introduce at least a little distortion — sometimes a lot. Prices were not announced for the Zeiss lens kits, but the existing iPhone 6 kit sells for $130, with the iPhone 6 Plus version at $150, each bundled with one mounting bracket, two lenses, caps, and other items. The new versions are expected to ship late in the second quarter of this year.
More From This Author
Check out more of my reviews, How-To guides and editorials for 9to5Mac here! I’ve published a lot of different topics of interest to Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch users, as well as a personal gift guide for Apple fans, a great gift guide for iPhone users, a detailed gift guide for Mac users, and a separate gift guide for Apple photographers.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Camera, ExoLens, Fellowes, iPhone 6, iphone 6 plus, iPhone 6s, iphone 6s plus, lenses, Zeiss
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Apple releases OS X 10.11.3 El Cap beta 2 to devs and testers
Apple just seeded its second beta release of OS X 10.11.3 to both public beta testers and developers as it prepares for the upcoming public release.
Apple released the first beta of 10.11.3 on the Mac App Store mid-December following the public release of OS X El Capitan 10.11.2 earlier that month.
The company didn’t include any release notes with the first two pre-release versions of 10.11.3, which means the update should focus on performance improvements and bug fixes instead of major new features or enhancements.
As always, you can download the OS X 10.11.3 El Capitan beta 2 through the Mac App Store.
Filed under: iOS Devices
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PeoplePerHour – Hire Skilled Freelancers for Your Virtual Project Team
A 2015 HR article stated that based on new research, the freelance sector is growing faster than any other recruitment sector. Freelance work has been growing at least 3 percent a year. This may be alarming to recruitment firms but good news to small businesses and startups. Companies that need to stay lean have the option now to start with a small, full-time core staff and just hire skilled freelancers for project work. Online freelance market company PeoplePerHour provides the platform for businesses to find curated freelance talent easily.
Introducing PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour is a privately held Internet company based in London, UK. It was founded in 2007 by Xenios Thrasyvoulou, CEO, and Simos Kitiris, CTO. Xenios decided to start an outsourcing service with his friend and colleague to allow people to start their own business and build it up project by project, hour by hour through skilled people who dream of working for themselves. After several years of challenges, PPH is now helping people realize their dreams, with a community of over 64,000 curated freelancers.
Startups and small business owners who are cost-conscious can build and grow their companies without having to initially employ a large number of full-time staff but scale personnel size according to market demands and company growth. PeoplePerHour is an ideal platform because its freelancers are curated. It is more affordable than hiring the services of digital agencies or recruitment firms. From a central online site, employers can work with freelancers all over the world. A guaranteed payment system allows employers to keep their funds in escrow until they are happy with the finished product or task. A support team also helps users for issues.
How it Works
PeoplePerHour allows employers or buyers of services to find freelancers for their projects in a few steps. An option called Browse Hourlies is a good way to test candidates for quality of work from as little as one-hour jobs with fixed price. If buyers are satisfied with the freelancer’s work, the buyer can then submit a follow-on proposal. Another option is to post for free a job and let interested and qualified people bid for its completion. A third option is to actively search profiles and contact freelancers directly. A built-in management page called WorkStream allows buyers to organize their communication threads, pay and accept proposals, deposit payment in escrow, receive invoices for completed work, and release funds to the freelancer or seller.
Resources for Different Types of Projects
Several categories help buyers to quickly find the talent for their particular tasks and projects. Under the Design category, people can find experts in creating logos, wireframes, web pages, or icons. Under the Development category, there are experts in PHP/ASP, HTML, CSS, WordPress, Joomla and Magento. Under Content, buyers can find talent that can create marketing copy, sales collateral, SEO articles, blog posts and infographics. For those with Promotion projects, experts in Google Adwords, Facebook Pages, Twitter, link building, forum submissions and press releases can be hired in a few clicks. Other specific categories such as video, photo and audio or software dev and mobile narrow down the search for buyers, who can further filter results by country, local sellers and hourlies who already had previous sales or work done.
Optimize Your Hiring Experience
PeoplePerHour received fair reviews in many sites, both for buyers or employers and sellers or freelancers. Complaints come mostly from sellers about a high service fee and lengthy payment processing and transfer of funds. Buyers, on the other hand, are advised to take some steps to make sure their hiring experience becomes positive. Some of these steps are to do a trial run first with a freelancer before giving the big project, evaluate the tasks and projects that are cost-effective to outsource, keep records of freelancers hired, and expect a learning curve for both you and the freelancer. Clear and regular communication as well as online collaboration tools can also help make the experience smooth. Let us know what you think of this platform if you have used it.
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Cognitive Biases in Project Management
We all would like to think that we are able to make objective and rational decisions all of the time. But the fact is, that under certain circumstances, almost anyone can become biased in their thinking and decision making.
A good example of this is when emotions are involved. Rarely are good decisions made when we are angry and it’s hard to be fair anytime the situation involves a loved one. However, these biases that stem from strong emotions are easy to spot. In these situations we are often able to take appropriate action such as trying to cool down if we’re angry or let someone else judge a decision if it involves a family member. At the very least, the possibility of bias itself can be noted and acknowledged.
What is less obvious are biases in thinking that are not primarily caused by emotions but instead by human psychology, a cognitive bias.
Cognitive bias is defined as, ‘a systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, whereby inferences about other people and situations may be drawn in an illogical fashion.’
In project management, it is estimated that 75% to 90% of the time is spent is on communication. That is a lot of time spent dealing primarily with your team members and major stakeholders. Therefore, it would be helpful to recognize how judgements and decisions can be be biased, under certain conditions, so that we may better deal with it. Here we discuss a few cognitive biases that you may encounter when managing your projects.
Planning Fallacy
Planning Fallacy is the tendency to underestimate how long it will take to complete a certain task. This often happens during planning, when those who are going to do the actual work underestimates the time it will take to complete a task. Coupled by the pressure from sponsors to finish the project as soon as possible, is it any wonder why most project does not complete on time? Optimism and pressure from the management results in an unattainable datelines that will eventually lead to schedule delays. A better way to estimate how long a task will take is to look at similar projects from the past and see how long it took the team to complete the same task before.
Anchoring Bias
When making decisions, people tend to hold on to the very first information that becomes available (anchor). Once an anchor is established, all subsequent decisions and negotiations will center and be informed by the initial suggestion. For example, when negotiating a price for a particular product or service, the first price to be suggested by either party will often set the tone of the whole negotiation. So knowing this, if the situation permits, always try to make the first offer when selling and suggest a starting point way above what you are willing to settle for. By anchoring a price in this way, it will be more likely that the final negotiated price won’t fall too far away from the one that you will be happy with.
Confirmation Bias
Confirmation Bias is the tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions. We tend to only look for things that confirm our beliefs and are often blinded by any information that does not fall in line with our preconceived view. By doing so, we become less objective to any information being presented. For example, if a stakeholder hears and believes unwarranted negative things about a project and has already developed his own preconceptions before even hearing a single project briefing, by the time the project is formally presented to him, he will most likely only see what he already believes, that the project is a waste of time, and not give it a fair evaluation. All the while not even aware of the fact that he is already biased to not liking the project.
False Consensus Effect
The False Consensus Effect is a cognitive bias where a person tends to overestimate the extent in which others share their beliefs or opinions. For example, when conducting a project, you may feel that your project is an exciting one and is of great value. The false consensus effect will bias you into perceiving that others share your enthusiasm. If you are not aware of this tendency, you may overlook or not take the time to seriously gauge the actual attitudes and sentiment of your stakeholders towards your project. Never assume that everyone is onboard, always check to be sure. Being aware of this tendency will ensure that you secure buy-in from all your major stakeholders so that your project may run more smoothly.
Optimism Bias
Optimism Bias is the tendency for people to be overly optimistic about planned outcomes rather than believing that something negative will occur. Although it’s preferable to start out a project in an optimistic tone. Be aware that this should not blind us to the risks of things going wrong. Be careful not to brush off valid concerns made by the team members and try to plan accordingly for when things go wrong.
Déformation Professionnelle
Déformation Professionnelle is the tendency to view things in the context of one’s own profession or expertise. In the planning stage for example, it’s a good idea to get inputs from team members from all different disciplines to weigh in on any issues or problems regarding the project. This will ensure a more balanced view when planning ones project activities.
Nobody is perfect and everyone is bound to fall prey to these cognitive biases at one time or another. However, just being aware of these biases when thinking and making decisions is a big step in managing and guarding against them
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Hyper shows off USB-C hub w/ passthrough charging for 12-inch MacBook, Apple Watch accessories, & more
At CES 2016, Hyper is showing off both new and updated product lines, all of which are specifically designed with iPhone, iPad, and Mac users in mind. The highlights are a new USB-C hub for 12″ MacBook users, a USB 3.0 Lightning thumb drive, and a pair of slick Apple Watch accessories.
HyperDrive USB-C 5-in-1 Hub
The most exciting of the company’s CES offerings is a new 5-in-1 USB-C hub, which is one of the first on the market to offer passthrough charging. That’s a big deal for MacBook users who have been looking for the perfect hub to expand their I/O beyond the one USB Type-C port on the device. And unlike many of the other USB-C products being announced this week, Hyper’s hub was designed specifically for 12-inch MacBook users, sporting an aluminum enclosure in silver, space gray, and gold color options.
The HyperDrive USB-C Hub features USB-C for charging, an SDXC slot, a micro SDXC slot, and two USB 3.0 ports. It’s designed for Mac users, but it will also work with other USB-C devices including the Chromebook Pixel.
You can get the HyperDrive USB-C 5-in-1 hub now for $49 (Reg. $69), and take another $10 off with coupon code “9to5Mac” to drop the price down to $39.99.
HyperLink & Amber charging case
If you’re looking for a solid steel link band for the Apple Watch but don’t want to shell out $400 for Apple’s Link Bracelet, the new HyperLink band ($69) on show this week might fit the bill. Using the same 316L Stainless Steel as the Apple Watch, it doesn’t compromise on quality and style, yet it comes in at only a quarter of the price. There are a few of these on the market, but Hyper’s band is actually a convincing alternative to Apple’s own traditional steel link bands where the majority of others fall into the “get what you pay for” category.
It also comes in a Space Black version that has a “diamond like carbon (DLC)” coating, matching the darker model Apple Watches. Get 20% off for a limited time with coupon code 9to5Mac at checkout.
To accompany the HyperLink, the company was also showing off its new Amber Charging Case for Apple Watch. The aluminum protective case doubles as a charging stand for your Apple Watch with a 3800mAh battery and the ability to charge your iPhone, iPad or other USB device simultaneously off a built-in USB port. You’ll be able to charge your Apple Watch on the go up to 8 times. It’s available in silver, gold, rose gold, and space gray colors to match the various Apple Watch models. Available for $99, but get 20% off with coupon code 9to5Mac during CES week.
iShowFast
We currently have an exclusive 20% off for Hyper’s iShowFast too, a new Lightning and USB flash storage drive that adds faster transfers with USB 3.0 and much more.
With a standard USB connector on one side and Apple’s Lightning connector on the other, the product allows iPhone and iPad users to quickly and easily transfer files between devices (iOS and desktops), or stream content directly from the drive to the iOS device.
Normally, you can get iShowFast from Hyper online for $79.99 (16GB), $99 (32GB), $149 (64GB), and $249 (128GB), $399.99 (256GB). But we have a 20% off discount for readers bringing the prices down to $63.99 (16GB), $79.99 (32GB), $119.99 (64GB), and $199 (128GB), $319.99 (256GB), a solid deal on any model you want.
USB-C HyperJuice & Pearl
HyperJuice with USB Type-C ($169), the company’s extremely popular portable charging solution for MacBooks, has just received the USB-C treatment for users of the new 12-inch MacBook, with a $49 adapter available as an add-on. Available in four capacities, HyperJuice is one of the only products that gives the USB-C-only MacBook some extra battery life on the road, and you an also use it to charge your other devices using the built-in USB ports.
Last but not least, the company has another portable power product on show this week with its recently launched Pearl ($39), a battery pack in the form factor of a compact mirror with a built-in 3000mAh cell. It’s available in red, gold, silver, and purple. Get 20% off with coupon code 9to5Mac at checkout during CES week.
Filed under: iOS Devices, Mac Tagged: 12″ MacBook, AMBER, Apple watch, Hyper, HyperDrive, Hyperlink, iPad, iPhone, iShowFast, USB-C
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Retina MacBook Pro 256GB $1,250, DJI Phantom 3 $500, Super Hexagon free, 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:
Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro w/ Force Touch (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB $1,250 shipped (Reg. $1,499)
DJI Phantom 3 Standard Quadcopter w/ 2.7K Camera: $500 shipped (Reg. $699), more
Super Hexagon for iPhone and iPad goes free (Reg. $3)
Colorburn adds 1,000 photo filters to your iOS device for free (Reg. $1)
Lifeline 2 and Lifeline: Silent Night games for iOS/Android drop to $0.99 each
Apple is giving away Pixite’s Union image blending iOS app ($2 value)
Disney’s Castle of Illusion drops to its best price in over a year: $1 (Reg. $10)
Headphones: up to 65% off MEE Sport-Fi in-ears starting under $11, Sennheiser HD 558 over-ears $80 (Orig. $180), more
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Daily Deals: CyberPower 1,500VA UPS $138, Seagate 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $70, more
- Nostalgia runs high on Kodak’s modern take of the Super 8 camera
- Sony takes to CES 2016 with new 4K HDR Ultra HDTVs, multi-room audio, more
- Games/Apps: Shovel Knight (Wii U, PS4) $20, Turtle Beach Ear Force PS Headset from $30
MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:
Fitbit Charge Wireless Activity Wristband $90 w/ free shipping (Reg. $130)
Beats by Dre Powerbeats2 Wireless Active Collection Earphones from $120 shipped (Reg. $200)
Apple 27-inch Retina 5K iMac (Late 2014) 3.5GHz/8GB/1TB Fusion: $1,699 shipped (Orig. $2,499)
Best Buy Apple sale: iPad Air 2 $125 off, iPad Air $100 off, iPad mini 4 $100 off, much more!
Anker ToughShell iPhone 6/s/Plus Case w/ built-in tempered glass screen protector: $10 (Reg. $18)
- Samsung 50-inch 1080p HDTVs: 60Hz $440, Smart 120Hz $500
- Hyper USB Type-C 5-in-1 Hub with Pass Through Charging: $40 + shipping (Reg. $50+)
- Fashion: L.L. Bean Winter Sale up to 50% off, more
- LG Watch Urbane Android Wear Smartwatch $200 shipped (Reg. $259)
- Media: Mission Impossible Collection $36 ($60+ value), more
- Add 75 classic films to your DVD collection for $105 (Reg. $330)
- Apogee Groove portable USB DAC/headphone amp $240 shipped (Reg. $295)
- LeapFrog LeapTV Educational Gaming System $45 shipped (Reg. $60)
- Get in shape this year w/ huge savings on home workout gear
- Free PS Plus Games for January: Grim Fandango Remastered, Medal of Honor, more
- Lightning 3600mAh Aukey Portable Battery Pack + MFi cable: $10 shipped
NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:
Nikon jumps into the action camera fray with its new Keymission 360
LG drops new ultra-slim OLED 4K UHDTVs at CES that focus on HDR capabilities
- DJI introduces new 4K drone with a more affordable price, updates Inspire 1 PRO
- Harman Kardon releases a new HD audio multi-room speaker line with outdoor functionality
- Jaybird slates Freedom, X3 Bluetooth 4.0 athletic headphones for Q2 2016
- Parrot’s new DISCO drone hits the skies with 50MPH speeds and extended flight times
- Altec Lansing’s new Bluetooth earbuds are completely wireless and have built-in GPS
- Samsung’s newest ‘Family Hub’ refrigerator sports a Tesla-like 21-inch 1080p display
- Roku announces fresh 4K UHDTVs w/ HDR as 1080p models hit all-time low prices
- Altec Lansing’s new Bluetooth earbuds are completely wireless and have built-in GPS
- Microsoft unveils new Xbox One Bundles: Rainbow Six Siege & pick your own game
- LG goes after Amazon Echo with its new SmartThinQ hub
- This astonishingly detailed LEGO Millennium Falcon took 7,500 pieces and over a year to build
Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys Lunch Break
For more information about Tips and Tricks and 9to5Toys Lunch Break continue reading at 9to5Mac.
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How to Disrupt the Fashion Industry: Inside Everlane’s Branding & Growth Strategy [Podcast]
Everlane isn’t like many other contemporary fashion brands.
While others’ pricing and supply chain information is shrouded in mystery, Everlane’s is completely transparent. On their website, you can see exactly how much money it takes to produce each of their products — and how much money they’re profiting. The fashion startup even devotes a whole section of the website to showcase detailed information and photos of their factories.
Everlane also embraces cutting-edge marketing tactics to reach their customers. For example, they’re experimenting with Facebook Messenger to communicate order details for customers and Snapchat Stories to engage it’s already vibrant community.
How’d the company build such a different brand — and how is their brand fueling their growth?
In this episode of The Growth Show, our host, Kipp Bodnar, gets behind the scenes with Everlane’s Founder, Michael Preysman.
To listen to this episode in your browser, click the play button below, or click here to listen in your iTunes app.
Check out the latest recaps of The Growth Show episodes by clicking here.
It’s a new year, and time for the claimed iPhone 7 component photos to begin
Taiwanese site Apple Club has posted what it claims are leaked photos of iPhone 7 components. The photos appear to show the backlight of a new iPhone. The inclusion of a 3D Touch chip rules out the iPhone 6c, as Apple is expected to limit the feature to its flagship phones, hence the suggestion that this is for the iPhone 7 …
Apple Club did previously bring us a leaked schematic showing the protruding camera lens on the iPhone 6, so has at least some credibility, but in this case the photos don’t really tell us anything useful unless the position of ribbon cables is of deep personal interest to you.
As usual, we can expect to see a growing number of such photos as we progress through the year.
Rumors surrounding the iPhone 7 of course began circulating even before the launch of the iPhone 6s, with KGI suggesting then that the new model would be as thin as the iPod Touch. We’ve heard suggestions of a new casing material, offering water- and dust-proofing; Intel chips (though still with an Apple-designed A-series chip); and multiple rumors of Apple ditching the 3.5mm headphone socket.
Apple is also said to be testing models with USB-C, multi-touch 3D Touch, dual cameras and more – and there are the usual rumors of a switch to OLED screens, though not in time for the iPhone 7.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: iPhone 7, iPhone 7 backlight, iPhone 7 components, iPhone 7 leaked photos, iPhone 7 parts
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Unhappy with the Apple Watch battery life? The new Withings Go activity tracker offers 8 months between charges …
While I personally find that the Apple Watch comfortably gets me through a full day except when travelling between time-zones involves 20-hour days, some are vocal in their complaints about battery-life. There could be no such complaints about the Withings Go, the company’s latest activity and sleep tracker: the company says that it can last for up to eight months between charges.
The secret? An e-ink display. E-ink screens use no power to display data, simply sipping tiny amounts of power when the display changes.
For walking and running, the device analyzes number of steps, distance covered, calories burned as well as the duration of the running session. Go is also water-resistant (5 ATM) and automatically recognizes when the user starts swimming. At night, Go analyzes and can distinguish between light and deep sleep cycles. Withings Go connects to the free Withings Health Mate iOS and Android application that acts as a personal coach to track and motivate users to achieve their own activity goals.
Of course, the Withings Go is no substitute for an Apple Watch, displaying only an activity percentage dial or analog watchface – and there’s no heart-rate sensor. But if you want a wear-and-forget basic activity tracker, this might be just the thing you’re after.
The Withings Go will cost $69 when it goes on sale sometime this quarter. If you can’t wait until then, you get a similar battery-life from the company’s existing smart-looking Activite Pop Smart Watch – which is an analog watch with a mechanical activity dial. This normally costs $149.95 but is currently on sale at Amazon for $99.99.
Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: Activity tracker, Apple watch, Withings, Withings Go
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CES 2016: Kanex shows 4,000mAh Apple Watch + iPhone battery, mega USB-C Retina MacBook battery
We are big fans of Kanex so we snuck over to their CES booth last night for an early look at their 2016 accessories. In short, they have a lot of goodies that they’ll be announcing later today (and we’ll update this post when they do). What stuck out for us were 2 products…
Kanex is one of the first to bring out a USB-C Battery specifically geared towards Retina MacBooks, with 3-Amp charging power and 15,000mAh of storage. That’s almost triple the Retina MacBook’s internal 5,263mAh battery. Even with some efficiency lost during the movement of electrons, Kanex GoPower will let you triple your normal Retina MacBook battery usage. And you can put your iPhone or iPad on it as well, since there’s an old-fashioned USB-A port which will charge any of your other Lightning accessories at a speedy 2.4A. It also comes with a USB-C cable. The final price and launch date are TBD, but we’re told “soon.”
We also took a quick look at Kanex’s new Apple Watch Battery charger. This is a little bit like Griffin’s 3,000mAh Apple Watch keychain charger, but it adds a USB port for charging your iPhone, and boosts the battery capacity to 4,000mAh.
If it’s only charging your Apple Watch, it will last a week to 10 days, and can give you a full weekend of iPhone and Apple Watch battery combined. Kanex is still tweaking the final design, but showed us a prototype that we’re itching to review.
Filed under: Apple Watch, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple watch, Kanex, MacBook 12″
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Insteon adds Sonos integration to control speakers from its iOS app & hardware
Users of Insteon’s connected home automation products will now be able to control their Sonos speakers directly from Insteon hardware and the company’s iOS app. The feature comes thanks to a new integration with Sonos that the company announced today at CES 2016.
With the integration, users will be able to control their Sonos speakers from the Insteon wall keypads, handheld remotes and sensors, as well as the company’s Hub app for iPhone and iPad. Instead offered some examples of how you can sync your Sonos speakers and music with lighting scenes and more:
Through this integration, music can now play a part in custom Insteon lighting scenes so that while the lights slowly fade on in the morning, gentle music resonates throughout the home and the coffee starts brewing. Alternatively, at dusk, the lights could fade on while users arrive home to their favorite dinner prep playlist.
You’ll also be able to make adjustments by assigning specific functions for Sonos (like volume up and down, for example) to the Insteon wall keypad. Sonos owners can easily control their speakers as they walk in and out of rooms or when they simply do not want the hassle of dealing with an app.
“It’s easy for homeowners to replace normal wall switches with Insteon keypads that can be used to control the existing light, while adding additional buttons for control of Sonos speakers or other lights and appliances throughout the home. Users can also pick up an Insteon wireless remote from the coffee table and instantly enjoy control at their fingertips. Insteon will be offering pre-printed keypad buttons specifically for Sonos related functions, which will make basic sound control even easier for anyone to use and understand.”
The Sonos integration for Insteon will go live some time this week via an update to the company’s iOS app on the App Store.
Filed under: Apps, iOS Tagged: App Store, CES 2016, Control, hub, Insteon, iPad, iPhone, Lighting, remote, Sonos, volume
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JBL debuts Charge 3 + Clip 2 speakers, Everest Elite 100 + Under Armour headphones
Building upon some of its most popular prior Bluetooth audio products, JBL has debuted the fully waterproof Charge 3 ($150) and Clip 2 ($60) speakers, as well as three in-ear headphones: the advanced active noise-cancelling Everest Elite 100 ($199), and two versions of the Under Armour UA Headphones Wireless ($180-$250), one with an integrated heart rate monitor…
Sequel to last year’s splashproof Charge 2+, the IPX7 waterproof Charge 3 speaker can now be submerged in water, and features a new design with a fabric grille and rubberized housing. Still built with stereo speakers and a bass radiator, Charge 3 now promises 15 hours of play time (up from 12) from the 6,000mAh battery, which can alternately be used to recharge a device over USB.
Smaller and redesigned with an integrated triangular carabiner, Clip 3 is the sequel to last year’s Clip+. Like Charge 3, it has been IPX7-waterproofed with a fabric and rubber housing, offering 8 hours of play time. Both speakers can be wirelessly paired with other JBL speakers for amplified sound, or paired with multiple audio sources at once.
Everest Elite 100 is JBL’s latest fully wireless in-ear headphone, and is billed as the “industry’s first in-ear wireless headphones with NXTGen noise cancelling capabilities.” Built with Bluetooth 4.0, Everest Elite 100 allows you to dynamically control the amount of outside noise the earphones let in, using a free downloadable app that can adjust NXTGen noise cancellation independently for each ear. JBL is promising 6 hours of play time for this model.
Co-developed with Under Armour, JBL’s UA Headphones Wireless ($180) and UA Headphones Wireless Heart Rate ($250) have been designed as athlete-friendly Bluetooth headphones. Both versions are IPX5 sweat-proof and have a Twistlock design that’s “guaranteed never to fall out” of your ears, with Flexsoft tips. The basic model uses Bluetooth 4.0 and is solely for audio and calls, with up to 8 hours of playback time; the Heart Rate version has a heart rate monitor that measures from the ear, constantly streaming data during fitness activities. It uses Bluetooth 4.1, and offers up to 5 hours of playback time.
All five products are expected to be available by Spring. Prior-generation versions of JBL’s Clip and Charge are being discounted to clear inventory ahead of the new models’ release.
More From This Author
Check out more of my reviews, How-To guides and editorials for 9to5Mac here! I’ve published a lot of different topics of interest to Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch users, as well as a personal gift guide for Apple fans, a great gift guide for iPhone users, a detailed gift guide for Mac users, and a separate gift guide for Apple photographers.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Charge 3, Clip 2, Everest Elite 100, JBL, Under Armour
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Olloclip’s Studio transforms iPhone 6, 6s + Plus into mountable, accessory-ready camera
Best known for its iPhone lens accessories, Olloclip today unveiled Studio ($90), a rail mounting camera accessory case for the iPhone 6, 6s, and Plus models. Studio enables the latest iPhone models to transform into more fully-featured cameras, including a bundle of protection, mounting hardware, and basic grips. It works with Olloclip’s existing, popular lineup of iPhone lenses, which are sold separately…
The 7-piece Studio set begins with a ruggedized, device-specific case — the nicest yet debuted by Olloclip — and continues with 6 additional items: a two-finger grip that aids in stability and eases switches from portrait to landscape orientation, two tripod/grip clips, two cold shoe adapters for LED lamps or microphones, and a kickstand to prop the case up.
Initially available in jet black, the Studio case will ship in early February. Olloclip’s lens lineup starts at $70 and climbs to $120, based on the specific lens package you select.
More From This Author
Check out more of my reviews, How-To guides and editorials for 9to5Mac here! I’ve published a lot of different topics of interest to Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch users, as well as a personal gift guide for Apple fans, a great gift guide for iPhone users, a detailed gift guide for Mac users, and a separate gift guide for Apple photographers.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Camera, camera accessories, iPhone 6, iphone 6 plus, iPhone 6s, iphone 6s plus, Olloclip, studio
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Apple announces ‘biggest ever’ holiday season for App Store sales, over $1.1bn sales in 2 weeks
Apple has announced that the App Store had its best ever holiday season in 2015, setting records for Christmas and New Year’s Day. January 1st 2016 saw $144 million of App Store spending, the best day in App Store history. It beat the previous record set just a week earlier on Christmas Day.
In total, in the two weeks up to January 3, customers spent over $1.1 billion on apps and in-app purchases …
Apple Marketing SVP Philip Schiller said 2016 was ‘one for the record books’.
“The App Store had a holiday season for the record books. We are excited that our customers downloaded and enjoyed so many incredible apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV, spending over $20 billion on the App Store last year alone,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’re grateful to all the developers who have created the most innovative and exciting apps in the world for our customers. We can’t wait for what’s to come in 2016.”
2015 saw the launch of two additional App Stores, for Apple TV and Apple Watch. Coupled with continuing growth in iOS, App Store sales are skyrocketing. In total, $20 billion dollars was spent in the App Store in the last year. This means Apple paid out about $14 billion to developers over 2015. Since 2008, Apple has paid developers $40 billion with app and in-app purchase revenue.
Filed under: Apps Tagged: App Store, records
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The Best & Worst Times to Post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Other Social Media Sites [Infographic]
Social media is one of the best ways to amplify the great content you’re creating. But it isn’t enough to just post content to social whenever you feel like it. Some times are better than others.
So … When’s the best time to post content to social media?
Unfortunately, there’s no perfect answer. Different businesses may find different days and times work best for them. In fact, timing often depends on the platform you’re using, how your target audience interacts with that platform, the region(s) you’re targeting, the content of your post (e.g. funny or serious), and your goals (e.g. clicks versus shares).
That being said, there is ample data out there on optimal times to post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram. In the infographic below, we’ve pulled together data and research collected by the folks at CoSchedule from a variety of sources, including QuickSprout, SurePayroll, The Huffington Post, Buffer, TrackMaven, Fast Company, and KISSmetrics.
Think of this data as a general guideline, and use it to help you find the optimal posting times for your business.
Download the free social media content calendar template here to plan and organize the timing of all your social media posts.
The Best Times to Post on Social Media
Below you’ll find the data and research on the best times to post to five popular social networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Which time zones do these refer to? For a United States audience, your best bet is to combine Eastern and Central time zones, as they represent almost 80% of the U.S. population. For audiences located outside the U.S., use whichever time zones your target audience uses. Finding your target audience’s location or locations should be a part of your buyer persona research.
1) Best Times to Post on Facebook
People log in to Facebook on both mobile devices and desktop computers, both at work and at home. How it’s used depends heavily on the audience.
The best time to post on Facebook is 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Other optimal times include 12:00–1:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and 1:00–4:00 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. [Tweet this!]
Engagement rates are 18% higher on Thursdays and Fridays, and weekdays from 1:00–4:00 p.m. tend to see the highest clickthrough rates. On Fridays, Facebook use spikes by 10%. Since people tend to be happier on Fridays, Neil Patel suggests posting funny or upbeat content to match your audience’s mood.
The worst times to post on Facebook are weekends before 8:00 a.m. and after 8:00 p.m, according to SurePayroll’s research.
2) Best Times to Post on Twitter
Like Facebook, people use Twitter on both mobile devices and desktop computers, both at work and at home. How it’s used also depends heavily on audience — but people often treat it like an RSS feed, and something to read during down times like commutes, breaks, and so on.
The best times to post on Twitter are weekdays from 12:00–3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. [Tweet this!]
For B2B organizations, the best days to post are Mondays through Fridays, and clickthrough rate is highest on Wednesdays. For B2C organizations, the best days to post are Wednesdays and the weekends, when clickthrough rate is highest. According to CoSchedule, B2B content performs 16% better during business hours, whereas B2C content performs 17% better on weekends.
Some businesses have also had success with 2:00–3:00 a.m., 6:00–7:00 a.m., and 9:00–10:00 p.m. post times. Experiment with these times and others to see if they work with your audience.
3) Best Times to Post on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is used by professionals, and they tend to use it during the workweek, during working hours, just before the workday starts, and just after it ends.
The best time to post on LinkedIn is midweek from 5:00–6:00 p.m. Other optimal times include Tuesdays from 10:00–11:00 a.m., and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 7:30–8:30 a.m., at 12:00 p.m., and from 5:00–6:00 p.m. [Tweet this!]
Tuesdays tend to see the most clicks and shares, especially between 10:00–11:00 a.m. Mondays see lower engagement rates than the rest of the workweek, likely because people are catching up from the weekend. Friday may see lower engagement rates too, as people are wrapping up the week and even leaving early for the weekend.
The worst time to post on LinkedIn is during the night, between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
4) Best Times to Post on Pinterest
Pinterest users skew heavily female, and are most active in the evening.
The best time to post on Pinterest is in the evening any day of the week, especially Saturdays from 8:00–11:00 p.m. [Tweet this!]
Other optimal times include every day from 2:00–4:00 a.m. and 2:00–4:00 p.m., and Fridays at 3:00 p.m.
5) Best Times to Post on Instagram
Instagram is meant for use on mobile devices, and users tend to use the network all the time, any time — although many users engage with content more during off-work hours than during the workday.
The best times to post on Instagram are Mondays and Thursdays at any time except between 3:00–4:00 p.m. [Tweet this!]
Videos tend to perform best any night of the week between 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., according to TrackMaven’s research. Some businesses have also seen success with posting at 2:00 a.m., 5:00 p.m., and Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. Experiment with these to see if they work with your audience.
What Social Media Content Should You Post?
The content you post to each of these social networks depends heavily on your audience. To successfully engage with your audience, you’ll have to really get to know and understand your target audience by creating detailed buyer personas.
That being said, there are best practices for types of posts on each of these networks.
The most effective posts on social media have a clear goal, whether that’s to drive traffic to your blog, encourage comments, get shared, or something else. The general rule of thumb is to keep it real and keep it relevant. On Facebook and Twitter, your posts should be roughly 30% promotional content that link back to your website or blog, and 70% value-added content that includes relevant information your target audience would find useful or interesting.
On Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, the best posts use brief but compelling language. They also avoid click-bait phrasing, such as “You’ll never believe what happened next.” On Instagram, your captions can be slightly longer. The official character limit on Instagram is 2,200 characters, but you’ll want to cut it shorter than that to avoid losing readers along the way. Use your Instagram captions to tell a story, connect with your followers, promote an upcoming campaign, or sell a specific product pictured in your post. On all the social networks (especially Twitter and Instagram), use hashtags — but judiciously.
Finally, visual content will perform best on every social network — especially on Instagram and Pinterest, where it’s a critical part of each post. Engage your audience with photos, graphics, animated GIFs, and videos. (Check out our crash course in visual content creation if you need a hand.)
Aching to learn more about what content to publish on each network? Here are a few helpful resources for what to post and how to post it:
- How to Craft Perfect Post on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn [SlideShare]
- The Anatomy of a Successful Facebook Post
- How to Tweet on Twitter
- How to Use LinkedIn
- An Introduction to Pinterest for Business
There you have it, folks. Happy posting, tweeting, and pinning!
What days and times have proven to be the most successful for your business? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2014 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Teenager blames Wi-Fi Assist for $2,000 bill as he racks up 144GB of data on his iPhone plan
One person who definitely didn’t read our PSA on Wi-Fi Assist last September is San Francisco teenager Ashton Finegold. CBS News says that he is blaming the feature on a mobile phone bill for $2,021.07 as he racked up 144GB of data.
It turns out Ashton Finegold’s bedroom is one such place with a weak [Wi-Fi] signal. So while he thought he was still connected to his home Wi-Fi while surfing the web in his room, his iPhone was eating up more than 144,000 MB of data.
The piece notes that Finegold did receive a text message warning from his carrier, which he ignored …
Wi-Fi Assist is an iOS 9 feature that automatically uses mobile data when you have a poor Wi-Fi connection. By default, it is switched on – leading to a $5M class action suit against Apple. Apple issued a support document explaining exactly how the feature works in October of last year.
Image: TekRevue
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: iOS 9, iPhone, mobile data, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Assist
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$12M govt subsidy to help Foxconn minimize layoffs fuels speculation of falling iPhone sales
The WSJ is today suggesting that Apple is scaling back iPhone orders, noting that iPhone manufacturer Foxconn has been laying off workers and has received a $12.6M subsidy from the Chinese government through a program designed to minimize unemployment.
The piece notes that the subsidy is for Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant, which is mostly devoted to iPhone production, and says that Apple has also reduced order forecasts for iPhone component makers.
Chinese iPhone factories had some idle capacity in the final two months of the calendar year, when they would typically be racing to chongliang, or “rush quantity,” for Apple, in factory-speak. Some workers at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou factory in inland China were let go on early holiday last month, one of the people involved in the supply said, although the typical new-year holiday season doesn’t start until February.
Foxconn is not the only company to receive government support to protect jobs in the Zhengzhou area, with 134 other companies also receiving support, but the WSJ says that the iPhone manufacturer received more than half of the total, with IDC analyst James Yan linking this directly to iPhone sales.
Zhengzhou is the largest base for iPhone manufacturing, so this should reflect iPhone sales.
Both Foxconn and fellow iPhone assembler Pegatron have seen their share prices fall amid speculation of falling demand for iPhones, as has camera module supplier Largan. Apple’s share price has likewise fallen, in part due to a claim by Japan’s Nikkei newspaper that the company is expected to reduce output well below its initial projections.
The shares are down 13% over the past month. The stock fell 2.5% to $102.71 on Tuesday after Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported that Apple is expected to reduce its output of iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus handsets by 30% in the quarter ending in March from its original projections.
There have also been reports of flagging sales of the iPhone 6s/Plus as price cuts and deals were offered.
As ever, it’s hard to tell signal from noise where supply-chain reports are concerned. Apple would always expect to see a significant drop in demand immediately following the holiday quarter, and its complex supply chain means that a drop in orders from individual suppliers do not necessarily reflect a reduction in product demand.
Predictably, none of the parties involved were saying much. Apple would only tell the WSJ that it never discusses sales forecasts; Foxconn made a generic comment that “the incentives were provided to Foxconn in recognition of our company’s contributions to maintaining our significant work force at our Zhengzhou facility throughout that year”; and the Chinese government didn’t respond to a request for comment.
We’ll need to wait until January 26 to get a real steer on the current quarter, when Apple will release revenue guidance alongside its holiday quarter earnings report.
Photo: Bobby Yip/Reuters
Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices Tagged: AAPL, Apple Inc, Foxconn, iPhone, iPhone sales, Supply chain
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Apple leaks new Space Black Milanese Loop Apple Watch band on Czech Apple Store site
Apple is readying the launch of a brand new Apple Watch band, a 42 mm Space Black Milanese Loop, suitable for Space Black steel watches. Third-party aftermarket black Milanese loops have been on sale for a while, but this is Apple official — assumedly matching their Space Black Link Bracelet in color and quality.
Despite no official announcement, this new Apple Watch band appeared on Czech Republic Apple Store website earlier today (following the announcement that the Watch would launch in the region later in month). As of now, it does not appear to be listed in any other Apple Store region. More pictures after the break …
The store listing does not reveal much aside from the photos embedded. The Watch description mirrors the description for the normal Milanese band. The ship date suggests Apple will start selling these officially in a week’s time. Weirdly, the listing also lacks a buy button or price tag. Update: The product has now also been found on the Portugal and Hungary Apple Store websites.
It is unclear whether this band is scheduled to launch worldwide as the product cannot be found in other Apple Online Stores just yet. There is also a small chance that this is a clerical/Photoshop error of some kind. We have reached out to Apple PR for comment, to clarify what is going on.
Yesterday, Apple announced two new Apple Watch models would be available for Chinese New Year — Apple Watch Sports with red bands.
Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS, iOS Devices Tagged: 42 mm, Apple Store, Apple watch, band, Czech Republic, czech slovakia, space black milanese
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