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Greg Barbosa

@gregbarbosa

Review: Taking your iPhone 7/7 Plus photography further with Aukey’s Wide-Angle Ora Lens

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Without a doubt, my favorite feature on any iPhone has always been the camera. It serves as more than good enough as a daily shooter, and new apps and accessories are being released everyday that help take that experience further. The first iPhone accessories I really got into, back when I had my iPhone 4, were wide-angle lenses and I still love them to this day. Recently I’ve been on the lookout for a lens for the iPhone 7 Plus to recommend for those just starting out with iPhone camera enhancements. I think I found the right product with the Aukey 120° wide-angle Ora Lens. Let’s take a look at what the lens can do for you and your iPhone photography…


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Report details Apple’s ‘iPhone City’ in China and difficulties bringing manufacturing back home

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Workers are seen inside a Foxconn factory in the township of Longhua in the southern Guangdong province in this May 26, 2010 file photo. A broad and bruising downturn is sweeping through China's giant manufacturing sector, ensnaring thousands of factories already fighting for survival in the face of plunging profit margins. To match Feature CHINA-ECONOMY/FACTORIES REUTERS/Bobby Yip/Files (CHINA - Tags: BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT)

David Barboza takes an in-depth and investigative look into the many moving pieces that have and continue to help Apple maintain the foothold it has in China to this day. Combing through confidential government records and a swath of interviews, Barboza explores the complexities technology companies like Apple have to go through to make manufacturing a success overseas. At the same time, the piece highlights the difficulties companies will encounter when attempting to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.


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New holiday report shows Apple leading phone activations with Samsung trailing behind

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In a new report released today by Flurry Analytics, Apple has again once topped the charts this holiday season. Using a mix of phone and app activations, Flurry discovered that Apple saw more than double the number of smartphone activations as Samsung, and a noticeable increase in phablet device activations.


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Apple removes bank transfer payments from online store in Germany

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In a small change to their online checkout system, Apple has removed the support for bank transfer payments (also known as prepayment) from their online store in Germany. It’s unclear if any other countries are currently affected in the online store change but the change today leaves German buyers with the choice of using a credit card, PayPal, or financing as payment options.


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Apple announces annual Japanese New Year online and in-store sale, starting January 2nd

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Following in the tradition of previous years, Apple is preparing customers for it’s annual sale in Japan starting January 2.  In the past Apple used to hand out ‘lucky bags‘ to customers containing a multitude of different products, though that promotion appears to have ended back in 2015. This year’s sale isn’t quite clear as to what it entails.


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Best photography apps for your new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

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Christmas has come and gone, but for many the holiday celebrations will continue onwards for the next week. Apple’s latest flagship iPhone may just be sitting wrapped and tucked away for many of you, and we decided it was a great time to introduce some enhanced photography apps.

Here are some of the best photography apps in the iOS App Store that can help you take advantage of the best that your new iPhone 7 can offer…


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Comment: Apple’s AirPods show just how badly Siri needs an offline mode [Poll]

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A few days after having received my AirPods order, I’ve quickly come to realize how the lack of accessible audio playback controls can hinder the overall experience. In my previous reviews of true wireless earbuds, I’ve consistently brought up on-device controls as a positive or a negative. When you remove the wire and the controls so many of us have gotten used to, offering a new means of control is necessary.

With the AirPods, the main and only means of audio playback control is by double-tapping above the AirPods’ stem. Based on your settings this either activates Siri, allowing you to speak all of the basic playback commands, or controls play/pause for audio. Double-tapping and only being able to play/pause controls aren’t enough for daily usage, but relying on Siri, especially when internet connections are weaker, makes for a cumbersome experience at best. These issues highlight the need for Apple to introduce an offline mode for Siri.


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Jimmy Iovine & Larry Jackson discuss Apple Music’s artistic relationships, pirating music, and Taylor Swift’s treadmill fall

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In an new interview released today, Jimmy Iovine and Larry Jackson delve deeper into some of the finer points of their artistic relationships on the Apple Music platform. The pair go into details on why hip-hop and R&B artists have seen a surge in streaming, how they maintain their relationships with artists despite labels, and the impact of Apple Music’s platform on piracy.


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Apple rolling out macOS 10.12.3 beta 2 for developers

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Apple has begun rolling out macOS 10.12.3 beta 2 to developers. Sierra 10.12.2 brought in new emoji, wallpapers, graphics & System Integrity Protection fixes, and the removal of the system battery’s estimated ‘time remaining’ feature.

This second seed of macOS Sierra 10.2.3 beta is available on the developer center and rolling out to the Mac App Store now with a size of 1.04GB.


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How to pair AirPods with Android, Apple TV, PC, older Macs, and more

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Apple’s new AirPods are out, and first impressions are rolling in. One of the common misconceptions that arose when the AirPods were originally announced was that they could not pair with other non-Apple devices. Luckily, this just isn’t true. Apple’s W1 chip makes pairing to Apple devices incredibly easy, but it doesn’t stop other systems from pairing. If you want to pair the AirPods to an Android device, Apple TV, PC, or even an older Mac that doesn’t have Handoff support, read below on how to pair your AirPods to other Bluetooth devices.


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Facebook Messenger update brings new interface, group video chat, and live 3D masks

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Facebook Messenger Group Video Chat

In posts shared today by David Marcus, Facebook Messenger’s team lead, Facebook’s Messenger application will be seeing two new major changes to the chat application. The most noticeable of which is a new interface to the messenger application, and the new ability to begin group video chats. The update brings the app to version 100.0 just before the year’s end.


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Deliveries package tracking app gains iOS 10 rich notifications & sticker pack, watchOS 3 and macOS Sierra support

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Just in time for holiday package tracking, Junecloud has released version the 8.0 of their packaging delivery tracking app Deliveries for iOS, alongside version 3.0 for macOS. Today’s update brings more support for iOS 10 and watchOS 3, with detailed notifications thanks to iOS 10’s 3D Touch features, and much more. On the Mac we gain Sierra support, and some new Touch Bar functionality.

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Apple offering AirPods battery replacements for free under warranty, $49 without

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Apple products may last a long time, but as we know, the batteries do not. For Macs, Apple provides a handy way to determine the battery’s cycle count, but for a product like the AirPods, that may not be possible. This means that when your AirPods batteries eventually degrade to a noticeable degree, you’ll have to get them replaced. Apple has recently updated their iPhone Service Pricing page with details on the AirPods’ battery replacement pricing, but there is still some clarity to be had in how it all works.


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1Password 6.5 for iOS introduces native Apple Watch app, and a better onboarding experience

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1Password, a longtime favorite password manager of the 9to5Mac team, has just released the latest update to their iOS apps. The usual bug fixes are included, but most importantly is the inclusion of the newly updated and native Apple Watch app, and an overall better first time experience. Previously 1Password’s watchOS app required the Watch and iPhone to be paired in the moment to view your stored passwords, but today’s update allows it to work separately.


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Apple rolling out macOS 10.12.3 beta 1 to developers now

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Just a day after the public release of macOS Sierra 10.12.2, Apple has begun rolling out macOS 10.12.3 beta 1 to developers. Sierra 10.12.2 brought in new emoji, wallpapers, graphics & System Integrity Protection fixes, and the removal of the system battery’s estimated ‘time remaining’ feature.

This initial seed of macOS Sierra 10.2.3 beta 1 weighs in at 1.04 GB, and is most likely a bug-centric release fix.


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Get prescription lenses for your Snapchat Spectacles for $29, no mail-in required

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When Snapchat Spectacles were first announced, the question of prescription lenses came up early on for anyone that already wears glasses. The Spectacles seemed great, but wearing regular glasses underneath them would just be absurd. Snapchat’s recommendation was to consult an optician to get the lenses replaced. Today, GlassesUSA.com is announcing the availability of Rx single vision lenses for the Spectacles, with no mail-in required.


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Missed Apple’s AirPods 20 minute window? Here are some great wireless alternatives shipping in time for holidays

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Here at 9to5Mac readers have a few different ways to stay up to date on our latest news. We strive to push out breaking news as fast as possible to make sure our readers are informed on the latest changes in the Apple environment, but there are some additional steps you can take to get that extra edge in the moments that matter. You may have missed your chance to get the Apple AirPods earlier, but read on to see how you can make sure you won’t miss out on any other future events…


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How-To: macOS Sierra 10.12.2 removes your battery’s estimated time remaining, here’s how to get it back

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One of the casulaties in today’s 10.12.2 Sierra update for macOS is Apple’s decision to remove the inaccurate time remaining on battery estimation built into the system’s battery menu bar icon. A feature long used by macOS customers all around, the removal of the time remaining may line up with the iOS battery experience but it will leave some users a bit frustrated. Let’s take a look at some alternative third-party apps that can bring this feature back and make you feel back at home in your own system.


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Instagram’s live video begins rolling out to everyone in the US today

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Following their original announcement, Instagram has begun rolling out live video to all their US users. To commemorate the occasion Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, Instagram’s CEO and CTO respectively are live streaming the event over at the official Instagram account. Instagram’s live video feature is another way the company is hoping to promote sharing freely and in the moment.


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