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Report: iPhone 8 to feature iPad-like Dock, redesigned multitasking and new gestures to replace home button

The thin-bezel iPhone 8 is going to be unveiled in under two weeks, and will be the first iPhone not to feature a physical home button.  A report from Bloomberg provides fresh details on how Apple plans to replace the button with new gestures and navigational elements for the iPhone 8 user interface.

At the bottom of the screen, the display will show a ‘thin bar’ where a physical button normally resides. Users will be able to pull this bar upwards to unlock the phone. Inside an app, dragging upwards opens a redesigned multitasking experience. It sounds a lot like the new multitasking gestures for iPad we’ve seen in iOS 11 …

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How to Improve Your LinkedIn Engagement

Want your LinkedIn posts to attract more viewers? Wondering how to increase views and shares of your LinkedIn content? In this article, you’ll discover five simple tactics to improve engagement on your LinkedIn posts. #1: Write Text-Only Posts You’ve probably heard that people engage more when a social media post shows an image or video. […]

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How to Create 30 Days Worth of Instagram Posts in One Day

Did you know that 50% of Instagram users follow a business, and 60% actually use Instagram to learn about a product or service?

In fact, there are currently over 700 million Instagram users, and that number is expected to reach the one billion user milestone by the end of 2017. How’s that for a potential audience for your business?

Instagram is one of the fastest growing social networks out there — and with good reason! Businesses and individuals alike love connecting with each other through the image-dedicated platform by sharing inspiring images and videos with their communities.

For the marketers behind those brand Instagram feeds, it’s important to keep your audience engaged and loyal to your brand to really take advantage of the expanding network.  

Unfortunately, keeping your audience engaged is no easy feat. It requires constantly coming up with new ideas and creating a variety of content pieces to post every single day. 

At HubSpot, our social media team works on our Instagram content schedule well in advace, making sure to keep a stock of posts handy to schedule out everyday. If you’re a marketer wearing lots of different hats at your company, though, you may find it difficult to work far as far in advance.

But wouldn’t be great if you had your whole month of Instagram posts ready so you can have one less thing to worry about?

Not sure how? Don’t worry. We have a few tips to share.

How to Create 30 Instagram Posts in One Day

Creating a bulk of content for any channel requires a few hours of focused energy, some inspiration, and the right tools. 

Before we dig in, be sure set aside time to focus energy on your Instagram content. Start by blocking off time on your calendar to create all of your posts. Start with two hours. We promise: creating 30 posts at once will be easier than you think. 

Once you’ve found your focus, it’s time to look for inspiration.

1) Look to your favorite brands for inspiration. 

The best way to create variety is to get outside of your own bubble. Don’t just look around your office or at your past Instagram posts to draw inspiration for new posts.

Instead, start your creative process by looking at the brands you personally follow. Look at brands you admire (or even your friends) and look at what types of posts people tend to engage with. 

Getting inspiration from other people is one of the quickest ways to come up with new unique ideas. Or, if you want to even get out of the Instagram feed, check out Designspiration. It’s a great collection of designs to get your creative juices flowing. 

2) Start jotting down your ideas in one place.

As you look around Instagram and elsewhere for new content ideas, make a list of things you like and dislike. It can be anything — colors, quotes, images, types of posts, etc. 

Even if you don’t use some of your ideas right away, it’s important to keep a running list of the thoughts that flit through your mind when you’re getting inspiration. After all, you never know where that idea might eventually lead.

3) Use a mixture of phone pictures and created pictures using a tool like Spark Post.

While many Instagrammers spend tons of time each day taking new pictures on their phones, you aren’t limited to just posting photos that you actually go out and take. Instead, mix it up by having a stock of images you design alongisde those you take. 

Pro Tip: Not a great designer? No problem. Use a free design tool like Adobe Spark Post. With their free templates and easy-to-use interface, you can make beautifully designed images in no time. To get you started, we have 30 free exclusive Spark Post templates to offer you in our 30 day Instagram guide.

To get you started, we have 30 free exclusive Spark Post templates to offer you in our 30 day Instagram guide.

4) Use our 30 Day Instagram Guide and Free Instagram Templates to easily create 30 unique posts.

One easy way to come up with 30 unique Instagram posts is to focus on a new idea or aspect of Instagram each day. That’s why HubSpot teamed up with Adobe Spark and Iconosquare to create this full 30 Days of Instagram guide.

Each day is focused on a different aspect of Instagram marketing. From different content creation ideas to promotional tactics to reporting and analysis, the guide is jam packed with ideas and examples from the best of the best. 

The guide also includes 30 exclusive Adobe Spark templates for you to use to help you create your 30 days worth of Instagram posts. Check it out and get cranking!

5) Use a scheduling software like Iconosquare to schedule your content for the next 30 days. 

Once you’ve successfully created 30 (or more) Instagram posts for the month, don’t forget to get scheduling! Use a software like Iconosquare to schedule out a whole month’s worth of Instagram posts, then let yourself relax!

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iPad Pro: Smart Keyboard vs Magic Keyboard – which one should you choose? [Video]

I’ve been using the Smart Keyboard + iPad Pro combination since the updated versions launched a couple of months ago. This combination has outright replaced my MacBook Pro for work on the go, but I still use a 5K iMac as my main work machine while in the office.

As an iMac owner who wields a Matias Wireless Aluminum Keyboard, the Magic Keyboard that came with the 5K iMac has remained tucked away in its original box up until recently. Since it was collecting dust in the closet, I decided that I should give the Magic Keyboard + iPad Pro combination a try to see how I liked it. Is it better than the Smart Keyboard? Here are a few of my observations. more…

Hands on: Koogeek launches multicolour HomeKit light bulb that doesn’t need a hub

The HomeKit ecosystem continues to expand with new accessories coming out all the time. Koogeek has now released the first hub-less HomeKit light bulb ($36) that can display more than 16 million colors. Existing solutions like Philips Hue require running a bridge hub in additional to buying the special multicolor bulbs.  The Koogeek solution is simpler and easier to recommend as a gift item — just replace your current bulb and you are pretty much good to go.

The Smart Bulb integration with HomeKit enables users to toggle the light on and off, change color and set the brightness level; everything is accessible from the Home app on iOS or with Siri voice commands. The hub-less approach has some tradeoffs, but on the whole it is a great accessory that adds smart home features to a room with very little fuss. Read on below for my full hands on …

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2018 iPhone growth variously predicted to be 9.1%, 13% or 23% on back of iPhone 8

While analysts can’t agree on numbers, all the latest predictions are for extremely strong iPhone growth in 2018 – with growth estimates ranging from 9.1% to 23%.

IDC is projecting 9.1% growth for iPhones in 2018, following 1.5% year-on year growth this year.

From there, things only get better for Apple as IDC anticipates the arrival of the iPhone 8 will spur a major upgrade cycle come 2018. Despite the new device launching later this year, IDC expects a majority of the shipments are likely to land early in 2018. IDC projects 9.1% growth in 2018 with the iPhone 8 and the new 7S/7S+ models playing a pivotal part in the near double-digit growth next year.

While IDC’s forecast is for the calendar year, analysts are focused on Apple’s fiscal year, which includes Q4 2017 with its iPhone 8 holiday quarter sales, leading to more optimistic projections …

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Apple announces IBM-style iOS app partnership with management consultants Accenture

Apple has announced that it is partnering with management consultancy Accenture to create iOS apps for businesses. The deal is similar to the one reached with IBM back in 2014 and follows others reached with SAP and Cisco.

Apple and Accenture are partnering to help businesses transform how their people engage with customers through innovative business solutions for iOS. The partnership will take full advantage of the power, simplicity and security of iOS, the leading enterprise mobility platform, and Accenture’s capabilities as a leader in industry and digital transformation to help companies unlock new revenue streams, increase productivity, improve customer experience and reduce costs.

The companies shared a little information about how they will work together …

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