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Opinion: Apple had a good year for product launches in 2015, despite unrealistic expectations from some
The view that Apple lost its innovative edge with the sad loss of Steve Jobs has been one of the oft-repeated criticisms of the company in recent years. But this idea is based on an entirely mythological view of Apple as a company that was constantly launching ground-breaking new product categories.
The reality is a little more mundane. The Macintosh, a truly revolutionary computer, was launched in 1984. We had to wait 17 years for the next groundbreaking product: the iPod in 2001. We had to wait six years after that for the next major product category: the iPhone in 2007. And a further three years for the iPad in 2010. (If you wanted to push things a little, you could argue that the MacBook Air was also so revolutionary that it deserves to be included; if so, we’re up to five new product categories in 26 years.)
Note, too, that none of the product categories were invented by Apple. Xerox, of course, invented the graphical user interface for personal computers. There were MP3 players before the iPod; touchscreen smartphones before the iPhone; tablets before the iPad. What Apple did in each case was what the company does best: take something clunky and used only by techies, and turn it into a slick product that will appeal to the masses.
So no, Apple never has churned out revolutionary new products on an annual basis. If we’re going to assess its performance today, it has to be against a realistic background. Zac recently reminded us of Apple’s product timeline for 2015. Looking at this in the context of a company whose true history is occasionally taking a new product category and doing it better than anyone else – and in between times merely refining its existing product ranges – how did Apple do this year … ?
Firstly, of course, there was the Apple Watch. Ok, Apple announced the product in 2014, but it went on sale this year, so I’d argue it counts as a new product category in 2015. As with the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone and iPad, Apple looked at an existing invention – the smartwatch – and figured out how to do it better. Much better.
It was so successful in this that even I – a techie who normally needs little excuse to buy a new gadget, but couldn’t see the point in smartwatches – was assimilated. When we asked you to name the Apple Product of the Year, the Apple Watch was the clear winner, taking more than twice as many votes as the second-placed iPhone 6s/Plus.
Granted not all of you were sold – a recent poll showed that some 16% of owners had abandoned the device, and a further 13% are not wearing it daily – but there’s no question that the Watch is a successful product. Admittedly, Apple has declined to reveal sales numbers – stating only that sales are strong and growing – and analysts have had to make wild guesses, but it’s abundantly clear that Apple has sold more smartwatches than every other manufacturer put together. Way, way more.
One could debate the status of the iPad Pro – new product category, or just a ginormous iPad? I can see arguments on both sides. While technically it is just a larger iPad, you could equally well have argued that the iPad itself was just a larger iPod touch. Sometimes size matters.
Although I concluded that the iPad Pro wasn’t for me, I did not in any way dismiss the device. As I said at the time, it’s a great device for many people. Brilliant for artists and designers (you easily chose the Apple Pencil as Apple Peripheral of the Year). A great tool for corporate warriors. Very handy for musicians. A better choice than a laptop for those with relatively basic computing needs. And a fantastic personal entertainment machine.
Importantly, the iPad Pro – together with all those enterprise apps – is clearly going to take the enterprise market by storm.
So, new category or not, the iPad Pro will, I’m sure, prove to be a hugely valuable product for Apple, and one which could very well help the company turn around those flagging iPad sales.
Oh, and the new iPad mini brought it into line with the design and capabilities of the iPad Air 2. Not unexpected, of course, but still a worthwhile upgrade.
The 12-inch MacBook doesn’t qualify as a new product category – it’s just the latest refinement of the MacBook Air concept – but again, as product evolutions go, it’s an impressive one.
It hasn’t yet sold itself to me personally. I’m still very happy with my 11-inch MacBook Air, and appreciate the fact that this can drive my 27-inch display to provide a full desktop experience when needed.
But it takes the MacBook Air concept to the next level. Its power will of course increase, and I’m confident that support for external monitors will come. Once it’s a little more capable, I have no doubt that this is the machine that is set to replace the MacBook Air.
Admittedly, we didn’t see anything else exciting on the MacBook side. The Retina MacBook Pro got Force Touch, and a refreshed MacBook Air just got a Broadwell CPU and faster graphics. We’re going to have to wait until next year for more significant enhancements there.
On the desktop side, there were the new 4K and 5K Retina iMacs. Sure, evolution rather than revolution, but it was clear from the reviews that the 5K iMac was blowing people away. At a time when almost everyone else has given up on desktops, Apple is still there launching new products that continue to wow people.
Apple also didn’t forget desk-based customers when it came to peripherals, launching the Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad 2 and Magic Mouse 2. Again, nothing amazing (despite the names), but still keeping things fresh.
The Apple TV 4 got a more mixed reception. Many viewed it as effectively giving non-gamers a games console in their living-room for the first time, and one which will at least keep the kids amused. Siri was also welcomed by most. Others complained that it was inexplicable that a TV box launched in 2015 omitted 4K.
Finally, we have a to give a more than honorable mention to the iPhone 6s. 3D Touch expanded the capabilities of the user-interface, and the camera functionality got a big boost with Live Photos, 5MP FaceTime camera, 4K recording and 1080p slo-mo at 120fps – even if the boost from 8MP to 12MP was something of a mixed blessing.
LTE Advanced will also be appreciated once it is more widely supported. For an S-year, it’s an impressive release.
Apple cannot, of course, please all of the people all of the time. I still grumble about the disappearance of the 17-inch MacBook Pro, and still cling to the hope that the 12-inch MacBook could lead to new even-numbered sizes that at least sees a 16-inch MacBook Pro in my future.
And we’re all techies, so we’re of course always impatient for new toys. But viewed in a sensible historical context, I think we have to say that 2015 was an impressive year for Apple. Do you agree? Take our poll, and please share your reasons in the comments.
With the end of that year almost upon us, it only remains to say that I’ve had enormous fun writing these opinion pieces throughout the year, and have been very appreciative of the responses. I’ve very much enjoyed reading your comments, and look forward to doing so in 2016. Happy new year!
Filed under: AAPL Company, Opinion Tagged: 2015, 2015 review, Apple Inc, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Mac, Macintosh, Opinion, Steve Jobs
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This is how AAPL could prove pessimists wrong in holiday quarter iPhone sales – analyst
There have been a number of predictions that Apple will next year report a year-on-year decline in iPhone shipments for the current quarter, KGI among them. Most such reports are based on extrapolating from supply chain data which attempts to estimate production volumes.
These reports contrast with Apple’s own guidance for record revenue of $75.5B to $77.5B. Tim Cook argued in October that some two-thirds of existing customers are still using older phones, leaving plenty of room for upgrades this quarter, and that Apple is winning over Android owners in record numbers.
One analyst believes he knows how the conflict can be resolved…
AAPL has had a very close eye on being able to achieve what has become a Dec Q Street iPhone estimate of 76M – 78M; we think that the company can deliver this number by building 70M – 75M and shipping the balance from inventory.
In other words, while it may have made fewer iPhone 6s/Plus models this quarter (calendar Q4 2015, Apple’s fiscal Q1 2016), it can more than make up the difference from existing stocks of older models, reports Business Insider
Beating last year’s numbers would be quite an achievement. In 2014, the iPhone didn’t go on sale in China until the holiday quarter, meaning plenty of pent-up demand; this year, China was a launch country, so there’s no equivalent artificial boost.
The number to beat? 74.4M iPhones. We’ll find out next month.
Photo: William West/AFP/Getty Images
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: AAPL, Apple Inc, iPhone, iPhone sales Q1 2016
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23 Witty Grammar Jokes & Puns to Satisfy Your Inner Grammar Nerd
Have you ever cringed at a “Got Milk?” ad? Feel a strange sense of pride when you find a typo in a reputable book? Did you secretly (or not-so-secretly) love making syntax trees in school?
Then you might just love these grammar jokes as much as we do. Here are a few of our favorites — share yours with us in the comment section!
(Note: A few of them could be considered inappropriate in some work environments … )
Download our free writing style guide to learn how to eliminate grammar mistakes from your writing.
23 Humorous Grammar Jokes & Puns
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#Funny http://pic.twitter.com/uUbW7Kvrp6
— Grammarly (@Grammarly)
November 29, 2014
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Image from Bakersfield College Writing Center
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“This door is alarmed!” #funny http://pic.twitter.com/LqP9gJVhos
— Grammarly (@Grammarly)
December 7, 2014
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What are your favorite grammar jokes? Share with us in the comments.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in December 2014 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
SEC backs shareholder’s call for vote on accelerating diversity among Apple’s directors & senior execs
The Securities and Exchange Commission has said that a resolution submitted by an Apple investor to accelerate diversity on the company’s board and among senior execs should be included in proxy materials sent to shareholders. Bloomberg reports that proposal was prompted by a conversation the shareholder had with his teenage son.
The proposal for an “accelerated recruitment policy” was submitted in September by Antonio Avian Maldonado II, who owns 645 Apple shares. He said he was spurred to act after looking at photos of the directors with his teenage son, who asked him why nearly everyone was white.
Apple rejected the proposal, stating that it was an attempt to micromanage recruitment. Apple told the SEC that it was actively trying to attract minorities but “has no power to ensure that its recruits will accept offers.” The SEC, however, does not accept Apple’s position …
The SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance said in a Dec. 11 letter that the agency didn’t agree with the company.
While the Commission has no powers to force Apple to have shareholders vote on the resolution, it could potentially bring an enforcement action against the company afterwards if it fails to do so. Bloomberg says that Apple didn’t respond to emails and phone calls, and that the SEC declined to comment on the possibility of sanctions.
Apple publishes an annual diversity report, which this year showed small improvements across the company’s total workforce, with Tim Cook acknowledging that “there is a lot more work to be done.” However, Bloomberg notes that among senior roles – those classified by Apple as Leadership positions (click the tab) – white employees this year increased from 55% to 63%, while there were falls in the percentages of those classifying themselves as Hispanic, black or multi-racial. Among racial minorities, only those listed as Asian saw an increase. Six of Apple’s eight board directors are white.
Cook has repeatedly spoken about the company’s commitment to diversity in its hiring, stating last month that “the best companies in the world will be the most diverse.” Apple also supports the Code2040 fellowship program geared toward increasing diversity in the tech industry.
Photo: SeedInvest
Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple Inc, diversity, sec, Tim Cook, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
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2016 Social Media Marketing Predictions From the Experts
Are you wondering what marketers should plan for in 2016? Do you want to know where social media pros are focusing their attention? In 2015, new platforms made a big splash and several popular networks monetized. To get you ready for what’s coming next, we asked 14 social media marketing experts what to watch for […]
This post 2016 Social Media Marketing Predictions From the Experts first appeared on .
– Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle
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17 SEO Myths to Leave Behind in 2016 [Free Ebook]
SEO is an evolving science. While some of the core principles will presumably stick around forever, the nuanced aspects of it are subject to continuous change. And as a result, many of the “proven” tactics people have used in the past — keyword stuffing, link schemes, etc. — are now stuff of legend.
Unless your organization benefits from having a dedicated SEO person who can work on this stuff day-in, day-out, keeping up with the latest changes in the world of SEO can be a struggle.
But in the end, adjusting your strategy based on search ranking algorithm updates or changes in the way search results are displayed visually can benefit your business.
In our new guide, 17 SEO Myths to Leave Behind in 2016, we reiterate some of the best practices that should continue to guide your strategy through 2016, while also highlighting how SEO has changed over the course of 2015.
Here’s an example of one those changes: Did you know that Google now favors and rewards mobile-friendly sites? Yep, it’s finally happening. This loose guideline turned into a legitimate ranking rule in 2015.
Check out the SEO Myths guide to learn more about what changes you’ll need to make with your SEO strategy moving forward.
Click to Tweet:
Separate SEO fact from SEO fiction with @HubSpot’s new free guide! http://bit.ly/1Bgpy0O
Editor’s Note: This post and offer were originally published in December 2014 and have been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
Top 10 Signs of Unhappy Employees
In the modern business environment, leaders find themselves in extremely busy schedules and often focus on just getting through myriads of obligations. They end up missing or ignoring the various signs of discontent from the employees. The signs that the employees are unhappy, if left unattended, can result to very serious impacts on the performance of the organization. Leaders, who focus on employees’ happiness on top of the productivity and bottom line results, have a greater competitive advantage. Happy employees will definitely deliver beyond the expectations. Knowing these signs will therefore mitigate the unwanted consequences in the organization. The following are the ten signs that your employees are unhappy:
1. Lack of Energy and Motivation
Lack of energy indicates a lack of interest, and when there is a tangible and collective energy in an organization, people are ready to share ideas, and the working atmosphere becomes lively. What follows is the success in every aspect of the organization.
2. Employees ‘Going Through the Motions’
This is a state whereby employees tend to perform the minimum of their duties just for the sake of it, without actually believing it is of great importance. This is an indication that something is not right.
3. Little or No Creativity/Innovation
Lack of creativity means no ideas are being shared, with little or no combined effort being put by the employees. This means no dynamics in the organization.
4. Increased Rate of Turnover
Many employees abandon their work just because they aren’t comfortable with their managers or the supervisors, meaning that even though they had a great passion for their job, their morale ends up getting diminished by the leaders, and they end up downing their tools eventually.
5. Increased Rate of Absenteeism
Employees do not want to work in a place where there is no opportunity for growth and recognition. People want to work in a place where they are motivated. Absenteeism means that the desire to be at work is long gone.
6. Employee Survey Continuously Yields Same Results
This simply means that the employees are not happy with whatever is going on, and do not have the belief that things can change when nothing has changed in the past.
7. Difficulties in Acquiring New Talent
Lack of new inventions in an organization means that the ideas will keep on being recycled, which brings no inspirations and leaves the employees totally unhappy.
8. Blame Game
When leaders put all the blame on employees, for every negative result, the employees get highly demotivated. An awesome leader always strives towards creating happy employees in order to achieve positive results.
9. Employee Not Caring About Customer Satisfaction
If this happens, it means that he/she is not engaged or is unhappy. In this case, training is highly recommended.
10. Stagnant Growth
Lack of growth means that something is missing. When the employees are engaged, they are happy and it applies to the clients, which in-turn makes the organization grow and yield better results.
The post Top 10 Signs of Unhappy Employees appeared first on Project-Management.com.
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6 Essential Nurturing Workflows For Every B2B Company
Not everyone is ready to buy your product or service the first time they come to your site and that’s okay. With the right amount of time and information they will warm up to your brand, assuming they’re the right persona for your product or service, of course.
Nurturing campaigns are essential for keeping these people who visit your site but aren’t ready to immediately buy engaged with your brand. Essentially these campaigns are a series of emails aimed at keeping you top of mind while building trust and moving your lead further along in the buyer’s journey.
There are various types of nurturing workflows based on who you are targeting and the length of each work flow (both in terms of numbers of emails and total days in between sends). Regardless of who you are targeting or the length of your workflow, there are four basic goals you want to accomplish with each nurturing campaign:
- Create brand awareness and establish a sense of trust through helpful content.
- Address one of their pain points and offer content that may help them solve this problem either through blog posts or an ungated piece of content.
- Offer a longer, gated piece of content, like an ebook or a guide, that relates specifically to you and your brand
- Get the lead to contact you to inquire more about your services/product or make the purchase online.
For companies in the B2B space, there 6 workflows that are essential for them to be using.
1) Subscriber Workflows
A subscriber workflow is when recent subscribers to your blog/newsletter recieve an emails which provides additional information about your brand or shares recent updates with them. This type of workflow is important because it makes subscribers feel welcomed to your brand, defines what to expect from you, and may even contain a piece of content that converts them to a lead.
This workflow is typically just one email, the ‘welcome email’ which should include a number of different components. First and foremost, it should thank subscribers for their interest and show them that they’re valued. It should also let them know what to expect from your company such as how many times will you email them? Will they be emailed every time your company publishes a new blog, or will it be in a weekly or monthly roundup? Let them know so they can update their preferences if they’d like.
Including a relevant CTA is useful- just make sure it’s subtle and not salesy. You already got them to subscribe to your blog where they’ll see plenty of your content; you don’t want to them to feel like the email is too promotional.
2) Lead Nurturing Workflows
A lead nurturing workflow functions with the end goal of converting leads into marketing qualified leads (or MQLs), which in turn brings them further down the sales funnel, and one step closer to becoming a customer. It’s important to have this be an automated email string because people want to know more about you and build trust before making a decision to purchase. You can set this workflow up to look something like the following once a website visitor becomes a lead:
- Email 1, TOFU Offer: Delay 3 days. Promote an offer that relates to the one that they became a lead from. Maybe they downloaded an infographic on Growth-Driven Design, so you would then want to send them another TOFU offer, such as a blog post. This should be a more high-level offer for someone just at the beginning stages of the buyer’s journey.
- Email 2, MOFU Offer: Delay 3 days. You should promote an, such as an ebook or case study, related to what they originally downloaded. This offer can get more specific as to the products and services you offer.
- Email 3, BOFU Offer: Delay 3 days. The last email to the workflow would be a BOFU offer such as a free Growth-Driven Design Consultation, or something that gets them talking to sales.
This simple workflow will help leads move naturally through the sales cycle without looking to salesy or pushy on your end and leading to the dreaded “unsubscribe”.
3) Hot Leads Workflows
A ‘hot lead’ is someone who is frequently visiting your website, opening your emails and engaging with you on social media which indicates that you’ve clearly got their interest. Hold onto that interset by keeping them engaged with your company.
A workflow for someone who is actively viewing and sharing your content could be:
- Email 1: BOFU offer like a case study. This is a great offer to send someone who is almost-ready to make a sale and should be related to the topics they’ve been viewing most on your site
- Email 2: Offer your lead a free service, such as a consultation, demo or review for what they need help with.
- Email 3: If they took advantage of the free service, the next and final email should aim to get the lead on a call with your sales team.
4) Cold Leads Workflows
So, maybe your lead fell asleep on you… wake them up with a workflow! Maybe earlier in the process they weren’t in the condition to buy, but things have changed and now they’re ready but you haven’t followed up with them in a while.
Creating a workflow to remind them you’re still there and on their side is a great way to engage them again. To respark their interest you can send them some company updates or special offers, as listed below.
- Option 1: What’s new with your business? Is there an exclusive offer you can send them that’ll get them excited about your brand?
- Option 2: Email them a survey. What kind of experience did they have with your company the last time they interacted?
- Option 3: We’re thinking abot you.. are you thinking about us? You can get fun with this email. Talk to your leads like they’re people- believe me, they’ll respond better to this. Tell them about a product/service they may be interested in based off of their prior page views and downloads.
5) Customer Workflows
They’ve become a customer, but you’re not done with them yet! You want to encourage them to continue to interact with your brand. It’s an important workflow to use because it keeps customers thinking about your brand in hopes that they become repeat customers and evangelists. A simple customer workflow could resemble the following:
- Email 1: Delay one day after becoming customer. The first email in the workflow should thank customers for making their purchase. Be sure to include company news to keep readers in the loop about what’s going on. Invite them to add your company on social media. This will also encourage engagement.
- Email 2: Delay three weeks. In this email, you can ask your customer how their product/service they purchased from you is going. This makes sure you’re delighting them and keeping customers happy. If they aren’t happy, this allows you to fix it and make it right. Your customers will really feel taken care of if you include an email or phone number they can send questions or concerns to.
- Email 3: Delay 2-3 months. Use this as an opportunity to promote making an upgrade or another purchase. You can push this through promo specials and discounts.
6) Industry/specific Topics Workflows
If you know what industry one of your prospects is from- that’s a golden piece of information. By knowing this, you can send them content specifically for them. By sending the right content to the right people, you’re more likely to convert. Check out where this lead came from. Was it for an offer specific to a certain industry? What kind of tradeshow did you meet them at? Answer these questions to segment them for this workflow.
After discovering what industry a prospect is in, send them workflows in this progression:
- Email 1: Send them relevant blogs.
- Email 2: White papers, videos, checklists, guides, etc.
- Email 3: Webinars, case studies, ebooks, how-to videos, etc.
- Email 4: Demo, assessments, consultation, reviews, etc.
By basing these emails off of industry or specific topics of interest, you will provide your leads with valuable and relevant information.
The Key Takeaway
You know they’re interested in you; now it’s time to capitalize on it. By sending your contacts workflows based on their buyer persona and life cycle stage, you’ll decrease your sales cycle by 23% according to Market2Lead. That’s right– 23%! So start segmenting your contacts into lists and target them with those workflows!
Want to learn from BluLeadz? Download their guide on Email Marketing.
Happy Hour Podcast 047 | 2016 Apple Wishlist
This week, we have a special guest Greg Barbosa joining Zac to discuss our expectations for 2016 in the Apple world. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next year. The Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and through our dedicated RSS feed.
New episodes of Happy Hour are available every Wednesday. As mentioned, you can download this podcast via iTunes or plug in our RSS feed link into your favorite podcasting app. Send an email to listenermail@9to5mac.com (or click here) and your question/comment may be featured in an upcoming episode of Happy Hour.
Note: iTunes (web interface and app) may still be propagating the new episode which could take up to 24 hours. Subscribing to the podcast feed will guarantee the latest episode is downloaded.
Hosts:
Here’s what we discussed in this episode:
- The Beatles music reportedly coming to one streaming service on Christmas Eve
- Report reiterates Beatles catalog streaming from Christmas Eve, will include Apple Music & others [U: Now official]
- Apple Music hypes The Force Awakens with new Star Wars featured station
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens soundtrack now available in Apple Music and iTunes
If you missed our 46th episode last week, you can subscribe and find every episode or start off from the previous episode here.
Remember: Subscribe on iTunes to catch all of the episodes as they go live and send in your questions/comments to listenermail@9to5mac.com.
Filed under: Happy Hour Tagged: 2016, Apple, Happy Hour, rumors, Star Wars, tech
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Twitter’s overhauled Mac app with dark mode, GIF support, & more is now available
Earlier this year, Twitter promised a brand new Mac app with a fresh new look and a whole lot more. Today that new version is out now with a huge list of new features including a dark mode and GIF support. Twitter 4 also features a new round icon (that’s how you’ll know it’s the new version). The new version fits in much better with OS X Yosemite/El Capitan and includes a Notification Center widget in the Today view. It also includes many features that were previously only available on the mobile apps and third-party clients. Here’s everything that’s new:
What’s New in Version 4.0.0
Don’t call it a comeback!
Twitter for Mac is getting the update you’ve been asking for. Now it looks and feels more like the Twitter you carry with you everyday. We’ve built in some of the most-requested features so your Twitter for Mac experience combines what you love about Twitter with the elegance you expect on a Mac. Here’s what we’ve added:
• Inline video playback – You’ll see videos play directly in your feed.
• GIFs support – See animations without leaving your timeline.
• Group Direct Messages – Create and receive private notes with up to 50 people.
• Mute – Silence specific accounts so you no longer see them in your feed.
• Today Center Widget – Get your Twitter Highlights right on your desktop.
• Dark Theme – Now you can see the world in black or white.
• Updated design – Get the latest improvements to icons, buttons, and interactions.
• Quote Tweet – Add your two cents to any Retweet.If you have any suggestions or feedback you can email it to us at mac-feedback@twitter.com
The update still lacks some features like full-screen mode or Split View support as well as presenting Twitter polls, but it’s a step in the right direction for what previously felt like an abandoned Mac app. You may recall Twitter for Mac previously took an uncomfortably long time updating to Retina displays, then remained stagnant for quite some time afterwards.
Grab the new Twitter for Mac for free on the Mac App Store.
Filed under: Apps Tagged: Twitter
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Acer 20″ Display (refurb) $50, Transcend 1TB SSD $245, 10′ Lightning cable $9, 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:
Acer 1080P ultra-thin 19.5″ Display w/ DVI or VGA input (manufacturer refurb): $50 shipped
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Monoprice MFi Apple-Certified Lightning Cable Sale: 10-ft. in multiple colors $8.50 shipped (Reg. $13), more
Apple 12-inch MacBook w/ Retina display 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB: $1,400 or $1,350 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,599)
$100 iTunes Physical Gift Card for $80 shipped (20% off): save on apps, music, movies, more!
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Hundreds of iOS/Mac games & apps are on sale for the holidays, these are the best ones you can’t afford to miss
iTunes is hosting a rare sale on HD movies, including $5 titles + heavily discounted bundles
iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi: 16GB $250 (Orig. $399), 128GB $425 (Orig. $599)
Best Buy Apple sale: iPad Air 2 $125 off, iPad Air $100 off, iPad mini 4 $100 off, much more!
Apple TV 32GB (4th generation) w/ Siri remote + 6-ft HDMI cable: $126 shipped (~$155 value)
Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale up to 50% off: North Face jackets, Timberland boots, Nike Dri-FIT T-Shirts, more!
Fashion: Nike extra 25% off clearance – Vapor Jacket $82 (Orig. $130), more
- Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale up to 50% off: North Face, Timberland boots, more!
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- LG Music Flow P7 Bluetooth Speaker: $60 shipped (Reg. $90+)
- USB-C cables w/ Prime shipping: 3-ft for $6, 5-ft for $7, plus more
- End-of-Year Magazine Bundles w/ titles from $3.50/yr: Wired, GQ, ESPN, more
- Macbook Air 11.6″ Core i5 4GB/128GB w/.edu: $700 shipped ($750 without .edu or less)
- TurboTax 2015 for Mac/PC price drops: Deluxe $40, Premier $55, more
- Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard for iPhone/iPad/Mac: $30 (Reg. $40)
- No setup or batteries required! Belkin MFi Lightning iPad Keyboard: $34 (Reg. $60)
- Media: Burn Notice Complete Series $48 (Reg. $80), more
- Google Chromecast v1: $20 shipped (Orig. $35)
- CBS All Access: Free two-month trial for Chromecast owners ($12 value)
- Save 75% on any movie rental from Amazon, watch Marvel’s Ant-Man for just $1.50
- Year-End Android Game Deals: NBA Jam $.10, Goat Simulator $.99, more
NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:
This astonishingly detailed LEGO Millennium Falcon took 7,500 pieces and over a year to build
This $20,000 hoverboard can actually fly, brings 2015 to a close in spectacular fashion
- Thimble’s DIY robot subscription service launches on Kickstarter to great success
- Here are the Holiday Best Sellers from Amazon’s record-breaking year
- ShiftWear sneakers use flexible displays to showcase custom artwork on your shoes
- The new iOS-connected Hamwells e-Shower recycles your water
- Hult blends copper and concrete in a stunning modern take on the Bluetooth speaker
- Get Canary’s all-in-one home security system + air quality sensor for $179 (Reg. $200)
Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys Lunch Break
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Kevin Lynch details how Apple Watch keeps time, says 4x more accurate than iPhone
One of the more curious ways Apple has marketed the Apple Watch from the start is as an “incredibly precise timepiece” that “keeps time to within 50 milliseconds of the definitive global time standard.” Macs and iPhones generally don’t have issues with keeping accurate time, and luxury watches actually do have a reputation for needing adjusting occasionally.
Now in a short discussion with Mashable, Apple’s Steve Jobs-approved VP of Technology Kevin Lynch has shared new details about how exactly all Apple Watches stay in perfect sync, even saying the method makes it four times better than the iPhone it relies on at timekeeping …
Lynch actually told us that “as a piece of hardware, [Apple Watch is] far more accurate as a timekeeping device than the iPhone,” said Lynch. It’s actually four times better, he noted.
“Through the whole stack, we’ve really paid attention to the accuracy,” Lynch said, adding that Apple actually tests that accuracy with high-speed cameras that watch, frame-by-frame, as the Apple Watch second hand moves around, watching closely for even a hint of latency.
Lynch also described the method Apple uses to keep the Apple Watch time as accurate as advertised:
“First of all, we’ve curated our own network time servers around the world,” said Lynch. There are, by his count, 15 such “Stratum One”-level Network Time Servers (NTP) (one level down from an atomic clock), scattered around the world. They’re all housed in buildings with GPS antennas on the roof that talk, you guessed it, to GPS satellites orbiting the earth, which all get their time information from the U.S. Naval Observatory. In other words, those satellites are all getting their times from one, big orbiting system.
Lynch added that latency with handoff between the iPhone and Apple Watch means there’s necessary corrections for time-delay in the process as well. You can read the full discussion at Mashable; it all sounds very impressive and typically Apple.
So long as the Apple Watch doesn’t get hit with any major time-related bugs like the one that made iPhones stuck in Do Not Disturb mode on New Year’s Day as Apple advertised that feature with Serena Williams, I’ll be satisfied with my Apple Watch’s timekeeping.
Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: Apple watch, KEvin Lynch
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Desk Ergonomics: Posture Tips to Stay Happier & Healthier at Work [Infographic]
You may not spend much time thinking about your posture when you’re getting work done at your desk each day, but it can have a significant long-term impact on your health.
Just think about how much time you spend at your desk. Often, you’ll be sitting or standing in the same position, hour after hour, day after day, week after week. If your position of choice is hunched over, or puts a strain on your neck, or means you type in a way that stresses out your wrists … then you’re might run into some health issues down the line.
Turns out there are right and wrong ways to sit and stand at your desk. If you’re using a sitting desk, for example, then you should position the computer screen at your eye level to prevent neck aches. If you’re using a standing desk, you should stand 20–28 inches away from the screen and keeping your keyboard at or below elbow height.
For more desk ergonomics tips, check out the infographic below from Ultimate Mats. It covers how to relieve pain points at a standing desk and a sitting desk, as well as advice on the best hand positions for typing and other tips for a healthier office life.
Feature Request: Latest Apple Music ‘For You’ playlists auto-downloaded, and an official lyrics feature
Prior to the launch of Apple Music, I had a Spotify Premium subscription. Although I listened to my own music a good 80% of the time, I considered the equivalent of one album purchase a month to be decent value to have access to other music when I felt like something new.
But while Spotify didn’t much change the way I listened to music, Apple Music really has. Its ‘For You’ recommendations – especially the playlists – are so good that the 20% streaming I used to do has now grown to 50%. As I mentioned in my Apple Music Diary series, the service has introduced me to more new artists I really like than Spotify did in all the years I used it – despite my initial concerns that it wouldn’t do so.
But the very effectiveness of Apple Music in introducing me to so much new music has thrown up a couple of problems …
The first is that I miss having on-demand access to those playlists when I don’t have a data connection. I spent Christmas in Hong Kong, which involved two 11-hour flights. I’m not much of a TV or movie guy, so I listen to a lot of music when travelling. I’d saved a few For You playlists to my iPhone, but of course couldn’t access new ones.
I’d love it if Apple Music auto-downloaded the most recent For You playlists whenever I’m on Wi-Fi so that they were available to me when I don’t have access to mobile data.
It could work just like subscribed podcasts, where we specify the number of playlists to keep. Apple’s Podcast app, for example, lets us choose between the 2, 3, 5 and 10 most recent. In that way, we have access to them when we need them without taking up lots of storage. And by limiting the downloading to when we’re on Wi-Fi, it wouldn’t use any mobile data.
The other issue I really wish Apple would solve once and for all is lyrics. There have been a wide range of third-party solutions for adding lyrics to music on Apple devices, both for iTunes on the Mac and the Music player on the iPhone. MusixMatch, for example, displays lyrics in the Notification Center.
But third-party apps suffer from three issues. First, they don’t offer lyrics for every track. It depends on whether Apple includes the data in the track, or whether they can be matched from independent sources. Second, they sometimes have a clunky UI – like having to view the Notification Center rather than staying in the Music app. Third, it’s not unusual for an iTunes update to break a lyrics plugin on the Mac. I’ve had several over the years that worked well for a time but stopped working temporarily or permanently following a new version of iTunes.
Apple says that it cares deeply about music, and to me lyrics are fundamental to much of my favorite music. Apple is in the perfect position to solve the problem once and for all: agree with the labels that they provide embedded lyrics, and make lyric display a standard feature in both Music and iTunes.
Would either feature be of interest to you? Please let us know by taking our poll. If you have Apple Music feature requests of your own, please share them in the comments.
Image: TNT
Filed under: Apple Music, Feature Request Tagged: Apple Inc, Apple Music, Apple Music lyrics, iPhone, iTunes, iTunes lyrics, Music
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Apple offering creative iPhone photography and iPad art workshops worldwide in the new year
Apple will be offering two new workshops at Apple Stores in the new year, CNET reports, each designed to help customers bring out their artistic side. One is geared to creative photography techniques on the iPhone, while the other is about using iPads for sketching, drawing and painting.
“We’ll help you try out various accessories and techniques — like long exposure for light trails, using Time-lapse to show progression, or getting up close with nature using a macro lens,” Apple said in a statement. “Then, we’ll explore artistic ways to adjust and edit your photos, so you can create a work of art, find your style, or just improve your skills.”
Both workshops are part of Apple’s Start Something New campaign, first launched a year ago by using retail stores as temporary art galleries …
They are in addition to the introductory iPhone Photography and Videography workshops already offered in stores. At the time of writing, the new workshops were not yet listed on Apple’s website, but CNET reports that they will be offered at all Apple Stores worldwide.
If you’re in New York, Apple is also hosting a special art-themed event at its West 14th Street store on the evening of January 7th.
Join us for a special evening with artists Tiffany Bozic, Jake Sargeant, William Hundley, Greg Barth, and Bernhard Lang. Hear these talented illustrators, digital artists, and photographers discuss their work with moderator Evan Pricco, Editor of “Juxtapoz Magazine.” And see how they use iPhone, iPad, and Mac—along with great apps and accessories—to produce their art. Then get up close with each of them to ask questions and learn about techniques that can help you create your own amazing art.
The user-interface on Apple’s Start Something New campaign page is not for those still feeling a little queasy from over-indulgence over the holidays …
Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple Inc, ART, Creativity, drawing, iPad, iPad art, iPhone, iPhone photography, painting, Photograph, sketching
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Reader Brawl: Did Apple blow Apple TV 4 by leaving out 4K Ultra HD?
Every time we post an Apple TV-related opinion piece, the comments show that some people are still really upset that Apple left 4K Ultra HD support out of the fourth-generation model when new Roku and Amazon boxes included it. It seems like merely mentioning the new Apple TV is enough to start fights, which commenters have spread from article to article without resolution. So we wanted to give everyone with opinions (strong or otherwise) a place to share their thoughts on this subject — hopefully to spark an intelligent, well-reasoned discussion.
Does 4K support matter at this point, given how many/few 4K TV sets are in use today? It’s been suggested by some that it really should have been included in the new Apple TV, given that 4K video recording was a major new feature for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. But there are also a few reasons 4K support might have made the set top box impractical to release this year…
If you just want to say “yes, 4K matters” or “no, it doesn’t,” take the poll here and register your opinion. But we’d really like to hear your personal reasons for caring or not caring. Share them with us below.
My perspective? I don’t yet own an 4K Ultra HD TV, so 4K support doesn’t currently matter much to me — and I like the new Apple TV just fine without it. But I am recording all of my iPhone 6s Plus videos in 4K so I can go back to them in the future and watch them in “Ultra HD” whenever I buy a 4K TV. Recent sale prices have been extremely tempting.
If I was guessing as to why 4K was left out of this year’s model, my suspicions would be:
- The uncertain state of 4K video codec licensing when Apple was finalizing the device’s specifications. An industry group called HEVC Advance was attempting to extort high licensing fees for 4K devices and streams using H.265 technology, which Apple seemingly dodged by using older H.264 technology for iPhone 4K recordings. I suspect Apple will switch to H.265 now that royalty disputes with HEVC Advance have been… sort of settled.
- That’s sort of how Apple TV rolls. Apple used 1080p support (and little else) to differentiate the third-generation Apple TV from the second-generation model. A “new” Apple TV with 4K could get a new launch and new publicity.
- It probably would have required a better A-series processor. It’s easy to say “come on, Apple, add 4K,” but not as easy to implement — assuming Apple follows tradition and “does it right.” Supporting 4K video streaming would have been fairly easy with the A8 processor. But since the Apple TV plays games now, Apple wouldn’t support 4K videos without also supporting 4K games, which (think back to the iPad 3) would likely require an A9X-equivalent chip just to deliver A8-like frame rates at 4K resolutions. If Apple had added 4K support without a suitable processor, developers and customers would have complained that perfectly playable 1080p iOS games were stuttering at 4K resolutions. Supporting only 1080p made iOS ports easier (and generally problem-free) until A9X or A10 processors are widely available and more affordable. That’s why I’d guess we’re at least a year away from Apple TV with 4K functionality; it would also explain the new form factor’s huge focus on chip cooling.
What are your thoughts?
Filed under: Apple TV, General, iOS Devices Tagged: 4k, Apple TV, Reader Brawl
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Apple has agreed to settle $347M Italian tax claim in full after profits were funnelled through Ireland
Apple, which was accused by the Italian government of failing to declare more than $1.3B of income when paying corporation tax in the country, has now agreed to pay the full €318M ($347M) claimed by the Italian tax office. The company has 16 Apple Stores in Italy.
Apple was accused of funnelling profits from Italian sales through its Irish subsidiary in order to benefit from the lower tax rate the company had agreed there. (Those tax arrangements are the subject of a separate EU investigation.)
La Repubblica (via The Local) reports Apple Italia was listed as a “consultant” for Apple Ireland, enabling the company to book profits through Ireland, paying just 2.5% tax under the terms of an agreement said to have first been reached with Steve Jobs back in the 1980s …
Apple channels most of its European profits through Ireland. It has been suggested that the agreement between Apple and the Irish government, exempting the company from the normal 12.5% paid by most companies, is illegal. An EU investigation into the arrangements has recently been expanded and extended.
Should that ruling go against Apple, the company would have to pay the difference for up to ten years. The company last year warned shareholders of this possibility, stating that the amount would be ‘material’ but that it was unable to estimate the amount. The Financial Times last year estimated it at $2.5B. Apple would not, however, be subject to any fines or penalties: the law would have been broken by the Irish government rather than by Apple.
Apple has always taken the line that it pays every dollar that it owes, Tim Cook recently describing claims that it avoids tax as “political crap.”
Photo: Apple (Euroma2 store, Rome)
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: AAPL, Apple Inc, Apple Italy, Apple tax investigation, EC, EU, Italy, Steve Jobs, Tax, tax investigation, Taxes
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20 Working From Home Tips to Boost Your Productivity
Working from home is awesome … right up until the cat throws up on your computer. And your neighbor — who you can only assume is building a time machine — starts firing up all sorts of power tools and noisy machinery across the street.
For many modern professionals, working from home every once in a while is a luxury that our respective companies afford us. But which environment actually allows us to be more productive: the home office or the office office?
In the office office, your coworkers often pose the greatest threat to keeping you from getting some real, heads-down work done. They drop by your desk. They engage you in conversation. They invite you to lunch. I mean, jeez, the nerve of these people.
At the home office, however, I find that it’s easy for you to become your own worst enemy. Because when you’re not surrounded by coworkers, you’re free to drop those pesky inhibitions. At the home office, no one’s watching. You don’t necessarily feel that same peer pressure or communal obligation to get stuff done. (Also: You don’t have to wear pants.)
Below, I’ve compiled a bunch of great work-at-home tips and tricks from some of my awesome coworkers.
Download our free guide here for even more work productivity tips.
How to Work From Home and Still Be Productive: 20 Tips
1) Get started early.
When I work from home, I wake up, put on a pot of coffee, and start working immediately — much earlier normal working hours. I only start making breakfast once I’ve hit a wall or need a break. I’m a morning person and find I can get a ton done in the early morning hours, so this works really well for me. “
2) Pretend like you are going into the office.
Get fully ready for the day and pretend you’re actually going to work. Otherwise, you might find yourself back in bed.”
3) Structure your day like you would in the office.
Are mornings for writing while you’re in the office? Use the same schedule at home. While you probably will get tasks done faster at home than at work, this structure will help keep you focused and productive.”
4) Choose a dedicated work space.
Have a place you go specifically to work. It could be a certain table, chair, local coffee shop — some place that’s consistently your ‘work space.’ It helps you get into the right frame of mind.”
5) Don’t stay at home.
I get out of my home to work, and go to a Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, or other WiFi enabled establishment with actual tables, chairs, and people. It helps simulate the work environment for me — white noise, chatter, that kind of thing — that usually helps me work better than utter silence. It also removes the distractions I typically have at home like the urge to finally actually clean my room, do laundry, or watch TV.
I also refuse to play into the trope of being some jerk sitting at Starbucks not doing any real work, so I feel motivated not to mess around on Facebook all day to show there are still people who actually get stuff done at a coffee shop!”
6) Make it harder for yourself to mess around on social media.
I remove all social networks from my toolbar bookmarks. Even if I don’t mean to browse them, some uncontrollable impulse subconsciously clicks on them when I experience downtime. You can get sucked in without knowing it (or even intending to), so eliminating the gateway to those networks keeps me on track.”
7) Commit to doing more.
Our team has a daily standup meeting each morning where we share what we’re working on for the day. On days I’m working from home, I tend to slightly overcommit on what I’ll deliver that day. It helps keep me honest, so even if I get the urge to go do something else, I know I’ve already committed a certain amount of work to my team.”
8) Work when you’re at your most productive.
For me, the most productive times of the day are usually early in the morning or late at night. I recognize this and try to plan my day accordingly. Also, music that really pumps me up doesn’t hurt.”
9) Save calls for the afternoon.
Take advantage of morning hours to crank through meaty projects without distractions, and save any calls or virtual meetings for the afternoon.”
10) Find a distraction … like a baby!
When I work from home, my 20-month-old daughter is home with me, too. It seems counterintuitive, but because I have to manage taking care of her and keeping her happy and entertained while still getting my work done, the pressure helps to keep me focused. When she’s napping or entertaining herself, I go into super-productive work mode.
It’s the same idea for why some people work better when they have very busy schedules — you learn how to manage your time VERY efficiently. The ‘distraction’ of my daughter (I mean that in the most loving way possible) means I can’t possibly succumb to some of the other common distractions of home — putting in a load of laundry, turning on the TV, doing other household chores — or else I’d never get any actual work done.”
11) Plan out what you’ll be working on ahead of time.
If I’m planning on working from home on a certain day, I’ll make sure to get any work done ahead of time that requires me to be in the office — for example, if I’m working on a task that would be infinitely easier to complete with access to my large monitor screen, or need to schedule meetings with coworkers that are best had in person. Plan out your week in advance to optimize for the environments you’ll be in.”
12) Use technology to stay connected.
Part of what enables us to work from home so much more often now is the array of apps and tools designed to help remove distance as a barrier between team members. Finding the right tools to keep you and your team connected is important for staying productive at home.
At HubSpot, we use Slack to keep conversations going remotely, Trello to keep us organized around priorities, and Google Hangouts plus Webex to make remote meetings more productive. Getting the right stack of support tools to fit your work style makes a big difference.”
13) Match your music to the task at hand.
Find different playlists to match your different energy levels/required work throughout the day — and only use them when you’re doing those tasks. For example, when I’m powering through my inbox, I need some intense and catchy rap/R&B (like Nicki Minaj or Miley Cyrus) blasting through my headphones, but when I’m writing, Tom Petty is the trick. Finding what music motivates and focuses me for different tasks (and then sticking to those playlists for those tasks) has completely changed my WFH productivity.”
14) Use laundry as a work timer.
I usually do laundry when I work from home and I set mini-deadlines for myself corresponding to when I have to go downstairs to switch loads. If I’m working on an article, I tell myself I’ll get to a certain point before the wash cycle ends. Then I set another goal for the dryer.”
15) Communicate expectations with anyone who will be home with you.
If anyone else is going to be at home when you’re working, they just have to be clear that when you’re in your ‘office’ (in my case, my signal to the family is having headphones on), you’re working — even if it looks like and feels like you’re hanging out at home. It’s easy to get distracted by the many things that have to be done around the house during the day.”
16) Take clear breaks.
Breaks, like making and eating lunch, can recharge you to do better work. Don’t assume you need to be working 100% of the time while you’re home to be more productive.”
17) Interact with other humans.
Go outside and find a human to interact with — ordering your coffee, running an errand, whatever. It keeps you sane.”
18) Prepare your meals the night before.
When you’re in your own home, it can be tempting to spend time preparing a really nice breakfast and lunch for yourself, chopping and cooking included. But that’s time you wouldn’t have spent meal prepping if you’d been in the office that day, and I find the minutes can really add up in the end. To mitigate that, I try to cook and prep my meals the night before, just like I would for a day at the office.”
19) Pick a definitive finishing time each day.
If you work from home full-time (or on a regular basis), it’s really easy to let your work life bleed into your personal life. Maintaining a boundary is important for both halves of the equation.”
20) Keep the TV on in the background.
I spent my first two years out of college working from home as a freelance writer. Of all the tips, tricks, and secrets I’ve uncovered for being more productive at home, one stands out above the rest: Putting on the History Channel. No joke. Just keep the History Channel running in the background at a low volume, and I swear, you’ll get stuff done. (I’m not exactly sure why this trick works, but I can only assume it has something to do with ancient aliens.)”
– Me (Erik Devaney)
What tips do you have for being productive while working from home? Share with us in the comments.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2014 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.