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Avatar for Dom Esposito

Dom Esposito

@macmixing

Writer at 9to5Mac and 9to5Google. Mostly handling reviews of smartphones, tablets, and accessories.

Email: dom@9to5Mac.com | YouTube Channel: youtube.com/dom

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Hands-on with the fully reversible Lightning to USB cable from Truffol (Video)

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Rumors have suggested that Apple is planning to release a new version of its Lightning to USB cable that would be reversible on both ends. Initially this cable was rumored to launch with the iPhone 6, but another report claims it will launch at a later date, possibly next year.

Third-party manufacturers have already taken advantage of the hype surrounding this rumored cable and put it into production. The result is exactly what you’d expect…


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Reports reverse stance on iPhone 6 including reversible USB cable

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Following the USB power adapter redesign rumors, we’ve now received word that Apple’s new reversible Lightning to USB cable may not be ready in time to ship with the iPhone 6. According to third-party Apple retailer Moca.co, Apple has yet to place orders for the reversible cable from its manufacturing partner…


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Makeshift Apple VR headset: How to use Google Cardboard with an iPhone (Video)

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If you’re not familiar with Google Cardboard, it’s one of the most affordable and portable VR headsets to date. It’s a very simple creation in terms of design and functionality, but provides a solid look into the future of technology without breaking the bank. Why? Because it’s made almost entirely of cardboard.

Google unveiled Cardboard at I/O 2014, but unfortunately, it was designed with Android devices in mind. The official Cardboard app is nowhere to be found on the App Store, but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Google may not care much about iOS as a platform, but stereoscopic 3D is nothing new. In fact, there is a good handful of apps available for iOS that are also compatible with Google Cardboard…


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Like opening an Apple product: Here’s what Uber sends new drivers (Video)

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Have you ever wondered what it’s like to become an Uber driver? It’s not a very magical transformation, but there’s a hiring process involved and they send out a pretty cool care package as well. Well, we were able to get a hold of an Uber driver starter kit and thought it would be neat to share the experience…


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Review: iHome’s iBN26 is a classy Bluetooth Speaker/speakerphone that won’t break the bank (Video)

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If you haven’t heard of iHome products before now, they manufacture a wide variety of home audio accessories for iOS and Android devices. If you’re into Bluetooth speakers, they’ve got you covered. You’ll find Bluetooth speakers in just about every shape and size on the company’s website.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been testing out iHome’s awkwardly named iBN26 Bluetooth speaker with built-in speakerphone. Yes, that is both the model number and product name. I know, it’s weird. Either way, if you’re in the market for a new speaker setup, you may want to give this one a closer look…


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Alleged iPhone 6 part images reveal circular True Tone flash component

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Apple’s iPhone 6 announcement is close, and that means the leaks are coming in at an even quicker pace. New photos reveal possible iPhone 6 components and may answer a burning question about the device’s camera setup. If previous rumors and leaked schematics are true, it looks like Apple’s next generation iPhone will still ship with a True Tone flash…


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Review: Blue’s Mikey Digital now has Lightning support, but is it worth the money? (Video)

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Blue Microphones is known for its high-end studio mics and, in recent years, iOS recording accessories. Not too long ago, I had a chance to check out Blue’s Spark Digital which is a USB/Lightning/30-pin microphone compatible with a wide range of devices. Today we’re looking at something a bit more portable.

Blue’s Mikey Digital is a stereo condenser microphone. It’s now available with a Lightning connection and will provide on-the-go high quality audio for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. So what makes Mikey Digital so special? Well, let’s find out…


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Review: uNu’s UltraPak portable batteries can be recharged up to 8X faster than the competition (Video)

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In my opinion, the worst part about having a portable battery pack to charge up your devices is making sure it actually has juice. I have a few battery packs around the house, but whenever I go to use them, they’re always dead. Sure, that’s my fault, but most of them take quite a while to charge. Thankfully, uNu has come up with a better solution…


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Alleged iPhone 6 housing makes another on-screen appearance, ugly antenna breaks still present (Video)

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YouTuber iCrackUriDevice has published a video featuring what could be the rear housing for Apple’s upcoming 4.7-inch iPhone 6. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this part appear on video, but this is definitely the best quality video so far.

There’s no solid proof that Apple is actually manufacturing parts with this design, but the part’s design does match up with other dummy units and rumored schematics we’ve seen up to this point.


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Hands-on with a functional 4.7-inch iPhone 6 clone, attention to detail is ridiculous (Video)

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A functional “Wico6” iPhone 6 clone has made its way into a detailed hands-on video published by YouTuber Danny Winget. This functional clone mimics Apple’s iPhone in almost every way possible, all the way down to the packaging and accessories. So what’s the big deal? Apple clones pop up all of the time. Well, the Wico6 is designed to look like all of the iPhone 6 dummies we’ve seen up to the point.

This “fully functional” device does work as a smartphone (SIM card slot and all), but it’s not running iOS. Much like Goophone’s i6 copycat device, the Wico6 runs a skinned version of Android that’s designed to look like iOS. There’s nothing fancy here as far as specifications go, but it’s surprising how far this company went in terms of design and user interface to make a functional clone…


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Review: Gravitas from Henge Docks is a premium dock that ‘stays put’…almost (Video)

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I don’t understand why Apple doesn’t sell a premium dock for iOS devices. There’s such an attention to detail when it comes to product design at Apple, yet they continue to sell a dinky plastic dock for select devices. I’ve never been a fan of these plastic docks and have been in search of something with a little more class for a while now.

Recently, I came across Gravitas from Henge Docks. This is a weighted dock crafted from zinc alloy that has interchangeable inserts for all of my iOS devices. It’s also advertised as having the ability to “stay put” when undocking your device thanks to the hefty 2.5lbs of weight it’s packing. This is definitely one of the best docks I’ve used, but it does have a few shortcomings…


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Alleged 4.7-inch iPhone 6 sapphire display meets sandpaper and Joe Rogan’s mean archery skills

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Last week, YouTuber Marques Brownlee got his hands on what is claimed to be a sapphire glass panel from Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6. The initial video (found here) put the panel through a variety of torture tests including, knives, keys, and even a flexibility test to show off the panel’s durability. While there were no scientific tests performed to prove the front glass is actually sapphire, the result of each test was very impressive. Well, apparently that wasn’t enough…


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Google launches YouTube Creator Studio app for iOS

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Following the release of YouTube Creator Studio for Android, Google has now made the app available for iOS devices. What’s the Creator Studio, you ask? Well, Google has finally created an all-in-one app hub for YouTube creators to access channel/video-specific information. Basically, it’s only helpful if you actually make (or plan to make) YouTube videos.


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New video compares iPad 6 mockup to iPad Air, showing slight design changes and Touch ID ring

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A new video published by TLDToday closely examines an iPad 6 dummy unit created around rumors and speculation. The video shows off some design changes and the notable addition of a Touch ID ring. At this point in time, there’s no official news on Apple’s plans to include Touch ID with the upcoming second-generation iPad Air, but it would definitely make sense.

In the video below, the iPad Air is compared to this rumored “iPad 6” dummy showing very small changes between the two. At first glance, the dummy appears to be thinner than the current generation iPad Air, but as we’ve seen in the past these dummy units aren’t exactly 100 percent accurate…


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5.5-Inch iPhone 6 mockup compared to iPhone 5s and other Android phablets (Video)

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Recent rumors have suggested that Apple’s upcoming 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will now launch alongside the 4.7-inch iPhone later this year. A larger 4.7-inch display may be the sweet spot for a lot of users on both iOS and Android, but 5.5-inches is definitely up there in phablet territory.

Unsurprisingly, mockups of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 have recently surfaced, and when compared to the 4.7-inch mockup or other 5.5-inch Android devices, it’s clear that this will be a massive iOS device. But how big is too big? If Apple plans to launch a device of this size, there are a few design changes that need to happen. Check out our comparison video for a closer look at the large 5.5-inch iPhone 6 mockup…


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How to jailbreak iOS 7.1 and 7.1.x with Pangu (Video)

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Pangu is a new untethered jailbreak tool for iOS 7.1 and 7.1.1 that was recently released for Windows. There’s no current ETA on an OS X version (OS X is now version available), but after some initial testing, we’ve determined this to be a legitimate tool for jailbreaking iOS 7.1 and up. The process does seem a bit shady, but we have yet to experience any issues with it. Pangu iOS 7.1-7.1.X jailbreak is compatible with all iOS 7 devices.

Keep in mind, this tool is from an unknown team and we’re unsure of the long-term reliability of the jailbreak and exploits used. Proceed at your own risk, but like I mentioned above, everything seems to be working as advertised…


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New lock screen bypass discovered in iOS 7, allows access in 5 seconds under certain circumstances (Update: Resolved)

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Update 6/30: It appears iOS 7.1.2 has resolved the issue: A state management issue existed in the handling of the telephony state while in Airplane Mode. This issue was addressed through improved state management while in Airplane Mode.

A new lock screen bypass has been discovered in iOS 7 that allows anyone to skip the default authentication method. The shocking part about this bypass is that it can be done in under five seconds. This isn’t the first time that lock screen security on iOS has been compromised, but this does require very specific conditions in place in order to work.


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Check out iOS 8’s Time-lapse camera mode in action (Video)

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As shown in our recent top hidden features article, iOS 8 has a new built-in time-lapse camera mode. This feature will allow you to explore the world of time-lapse photography and capture stunning visuals. This is definitely a nifty little feature, but thanks to a new video posted by YouTuber iTwe4kz, we now have a good look at what this mode is capable of on an iPhone 5s.


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OS X Yosemite: Top 5 features (Video)

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Now that we’ve had some time to get used to OS X Yosemite, it’s time to explore some of its top features. This is a big step up from Mavericks when it comes to iOS integration and design. Yosemite isn’t quite the drastic change we saw from iOS 6 to iOS 7, but there are definitely visual differences. It’s no surprise that iOS 8 has plenty of exciting features available, but the same can be said about OS X Yosemite as well…


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