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Review: LG’s 34″ UltraWide curved monitor is great for movies and video editing workflows

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As someone who uses timeline-based apps such as Logic Pro X and Final Cut Pro X on a regular basis, horizontal display real estate is incredibly important to me. When it comes to editing video and audio, the bigger the monitor the better.

With the recent popularity of extra-wide 21:9 monitors, I’ve come to understand that width can make a major difference in managing timeline-based editing workflows as well. The extra horizontal real estate is also a nice option for watching movies shot with a 2.39:1 aspect ratio.

With this in mind, I’ve been looking forward to going hands-on with a 21:9 display. LG’s 34UC98 UltraWide IPS monitor is not only extremely wide at 3440 x 1440, but it’s curved as well. How does this new display fit into my workflow? Does having a so-called UltraWide display make a difference? 
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SongShift lets you import Spotify playlists into Apple Music with incredible ease

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SongShift is a just-released app that lets Spotify users import playlists directly into Apple Music. In the past, there have been some roundabout ways to accomplish that task, but SongShift is one of the first apps that takes advantage of a new iOS 9.3 provision that makes it possible for third-party apps to access Apple Music.


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Video streaming race heats up, Amazon now offers its Prime Video service independent of Prime subscription for $8.99/mo

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Rumors of Apple’s entrance into the video streaming arena have been swirling for a couple of years now, with Apple wanting to launch a skinny bundle streaming internet cable TV service, however news on the progress of this project has died down in 2016. It is unclear if it is still on the cards, various outlets reports talked had stalled with the television networks. However, Amazon and Netflix continue to battle it out.

Today, just as Netflix customers are forcibly moved to more expensive monthly plans, Amazon has announced it will offer its streaming video service as a standalone monthly subscription for the first time. Priced at $8.99/per month, the plan is a dollar cheaper than Netflix’s most popular offering. Until today, the only way to get Amazon Prime Video through a $99/year Amazon Prime subscription, bundling video, 2-day shipping and other perks into one membership.

Sadly, there was no word on the status of an Amazon Apple TV app …


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How-To: Enable Night Shift and Low Power Mode at the same time on iOS 9.3.1

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Night Shift + Low Power Mode Again

When Apple released iOS 9.3.1, it removed the ability to keep Night Shift and Low Power Mode enabled simultaneously. The ability to turn on both features was already hidden and only possible by using Siri, but the iOS 9.3.1 update made it so that Siri would disable one of them before enabling another.

We’ve found a workaround that once again allows you to use both modes at once. It’s not as easy as it once was, but it’s still fairly straightforward for those of you who desire to use Low Power Mode and Night Shift mode at the same time.
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Review: SteelSeries Apex M800 mechanical keyboard with individual key LED illumination

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SteelSeries Apex M800

SteelSeries is well known around Apple circles for its iOS and Apple TV gaming controllers, but the company specializes in other gaming-related hardware ventures as well, such as mice, headsets and keyboards.

After browsing SteelSeries’ site to find some information on its popular Nimbus controller, I stumbled upon its keyboard line. Anyone that knows me understands that I have a special affinity for mechanical keyboards, and that’s exactly what I found on the SteelSeries website.

The Danish hardware manufacturer’s marquee mechanical keyboard, the SteelSeries Apex M800, is not your ordinary mechanical keyboard. It’s a fully customizable, gaming-centric experience that lets you assign an overwhelming variety of functionality and colors to individual keys. While the Apex M800 ships configured for Windows, it’s fully compatible with the Mac, and even comes with OS X key cap replacements.
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Apple shares new video ‘Dillan’s Voice’ highlighting technology’s effect on those with special needs

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Apple early this morning shared a new pair of videos on its YouTube channel highlighting the effect that technology has on those with special needs. As this month is Autism Acceptance Month, the video, called “Dillan’s Voice,” features a teenager named Dillan and shows how he uses Apple products to express his thoughts.


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iPhone 6s vs iPhone SE iSight quick camera comparison

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iPhone SE vs 6s 4k

In theory, photos taken with an iPhone SE or an iPhone 6s should generally look the same, but we wanted to briefly pit both devices head-to-head just to make sure. Both phones sport the exact same iSight camera specs, although the iPhone 6s does have a camera bump where the iPhone SE does not. In this post we showcase several photos and a couple of videos from both the iPhone 6s and the iPhone SE.
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Instagram rolling out longer 60-second videos + multi-clip support on iOS

Instagram Video

Hot on the heels of Snapchat’s Chat 2.0 announcement, Instagram has officially announced support for sharing longer user created videos. Noting that viewership on Instagram videos has increased by more than 40 percent in the last six months, Instagram today will begin rolling out 60-second length videos to all.


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Snapchat update adds new voice and video features, stickers, and more for messaging

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Snapchat is changing how you communicate with friends in a major way through what it’s calling Chat 2.0. The social network says it focused two years ago on making chatting more like face-to-face conversation with features like letting you know when your friends were present and “listening” to what you were typing, and the latest Snapchat update refocuses on the 1-to-1 chat aspect of the app with new features around voice and video calling plus stickers and more. How you watch Stories is also getting a change in the new update.


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How-To: Set up and use password-protected Notes on iOS 9.3 [Video]

How to secure notes in iOS 9.3

Along with Night Shift mode, having the ability to password-protect notes in the default Notes app is one of the big new features in iOS 9.3. Individual notes within the Notes app can now be secured with a password, and Touch ID users can gain even faster access to password-protected notes.

Securing notes in iOS 9.3 is a simple exercise on the surface, but it’s not always entirely straightforward. Have a look at our full video walkthrough and tutorial for all of the details.
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Nintendo’s first iOS game Miitomo will launch in US & other countries on March 31

Miitomo iPhone

Update: The Miitomo app is now available on the U.S. App Store.

The game is already available in Japan— that’s how Jeff managed to go hands-on in our first look video earlier this month— but today Nintendo confirmed that its first iOS game, Miitomo, will officially arrive in the US on March 31st.

The game isn’t exactly bringing over any of Nintendo’s very popular first party franchises to iPhones and iPads, but it does feature known Mii characters and, as we noted in our review, the release feels very much like a Nintendo title:

When you first start Miitomo, it’s immediately recognizable as a Nintendo title. It feels like someone took my Nintendo Wii and shrunk it down to fit inside of my iPhone 6s. The music and sound effects, most notably, are of the characteristic Nintendo style. The Miis themselves look just like the Miis on the game-maker’s handheld and home consoles. The writing — witty, with just a hint of corniness thrown in for good measure — is classic Nintendo.

Nintendo noted in its press release today that Miitomo was downloaded over a million times in the first three days after launch in Japan and it also managed to become the #1 most downloaded free app in both the App Store and Google Play.

While Nintendo didn’t mention other countries by name today, it did say that “several other countries” will receive the title on the 31st alongside users in the US.

Check out our review of the game from earlier this month to get a first look before it officially arrives in the US and other countries on the 31st.

Review: Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter – a podcaster’s best friend

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Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter

In addition to Apple’s newly released USB-C to Lightning Cable, which allows for faster iPad Pro charging, Apple also released a new Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter. This new $39.00 adapter is geared towards allowing users to easily transfer photos and videos from digital cameras to the iPad Pro.

But it’s no secret that this adapter has other talents, such as being able to power USB microphones for applications like podcasting, song recording, and voiceovers. Apple says that you can also connect USB accessories like hubs, Ethernet adapters, MIDI interfaces, flash readers, and more.

12.9″ iPad Pro owners received an added bonus as well, that being able to take advantage of the iPad Pro’s USB 3 transfer speeds. All of this considered, is the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter a worthwhile investment?
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First look at gameplay from the upcoming Pokémon Go iOS game

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After announcing a deal in September to produce a Pokémon Go games with Nintendo and Alphabet-owned Niantic, the Pokémon people are today showing a little more about how gameplay will work and giving us a first look at the title coming to both iOS and Android devices.

The game uses augmented reality features to blend real world objects and locations with the gameplay, and the company today gave the run down and a look at how exactly that will work:


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How-To: Use Night Shift and Low Power Mode at the same time on iOS 9.3 [Video]

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Night Shift and Low Power Mode iOS 9.3

There are tons of new features included with yesterday’s release of iOS 9.3, and Night Shift — the new feature that automatically adjusts the screen’s color temperature to reduce blue light — is arguably its best new addition.

Unfortunately, Night Shift is automatically disabled when you enable Low Power Mode on your iPhone. Thanks to a clever workaround, however, it’s possible to use Night Shift in combination with Low Power Mode. In the brief tutorial that follows, we’ll show you how.
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How-To: Reduce iPhone screen brightness beyond what’s possible in Control Center or Display & Brightness settings

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Reduce Screen Brightness No Jailbreak Required

My iPhone 6s is not jailbroken, but there are still a couple of tricks that I employ that make it closer to that of a jailbroken phone. For example, getting rid of animations — a feat normally reserved for users willing to jailbreak — is now available to all iOS 9 users via the handy SpringBoard animations glitch.

Another trick, one that I haven’t been shy about sharing in the past, involves reducing iPhone screen brightness beyond levels that are possible with the standard brightness slider controls. Like the animations glitch, this too uses iOS’ deep accessibility features to pull off the job. If you’re someone who likes to use an iPhone or iPad at night, then your eyes will thank you for this trick.
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Apple confirms it will livestream March 21st event for iOS, Mac, Apple TV and Windows users

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Apple has confirmed it will be livestreaming its just-announced March 21st media event, expected to feature several product unveilings including a 4-inch iPhone SE and 9.7 inch iPad Pro. Although all recent Apple events have been streamed online (with varying levels of success), it is nonetheless reassuring that the trend will continue so everyone can watch Apple’s newest announcements live. Tune in here when the show starts at 10 AM PDT on March 21st.


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How-To: Disable iOS SpringBoard animations and make your Home screen feel faster [Video]

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Disable iOS 9 SpringBoard Animations

One of the things that makes iOS special is its SpringBoard animations. The animations help orient the user around iOS using 3D space.

But not everyone is a fan of iOS’ animations — some for purely aesthetic reasons and others for health reasons. With this in mind, Apple has provided a way to reduce the animations using the Reduce Motion switch found in the Accessibility settings. Even with that option available, some wish to take the reduction of animations even further and disable them altogether.

Up until now, many of the available options for disabling animations relied on jailbreaking. But a new iOS glitch found by a redditor makes it possible to completely get rid of SpringBoard animations until you reboot your iPhone. Watch our step-by-step video walkthrough inside to see how.
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Vimeo for iOS gains picture-in-picture video playback, new discovery features, more

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Vimeo is out with a new version of its iOS app today that adds support for iOS 9 features, improves content discovery, makes video sharing faster, and more. iPad users will be happy to learn that Vimeo now supports iOS 9’s picture-in-picture feature for video playback when using other apps. The video service has also tuned up video discovery features and recommendations in the latest version of their iOS app.


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Dr Dre said to be starring in Apple Music’s first original series called Vital Signs

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Dr Dre Apple

When Apple bought Beats back in 2014, it got a headphone/speaker line and the foundation for what became Apple Music. Now it appears that Beats co-founder and rap legend Dr Dre is going to be playing an even bigger role in the company. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Apple is currently producing an original series called Vital Signs with Dr Dre as the show’s star. It’s a new move for Apple, creating original video content, and one that is expected to be used to promote Apple Music.


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Apple quietly launches Mac Pro (Late 2013) Repair Program for graphics card/video issues

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Apple is launching a new Mac Pro Repair Extension Program to address complaints of video related issues with select models of its latest high-end desktop offering, 9to5Mac has learned. We obtained the notice (pictured below) that Apple this week sent out to its authorized service providers detailing the new program and those eligible for repairs or replacements. 


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This action-packed ski video was shot entirely on an iPhone … and it’s incredible

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With the advancement of compact camera technology, products like the GoPro have really taken off in terms of use in sports and other action-based activities. While the iPhone has almost always had one of the best mobile cameras, its adoption in those fields has been somewhat behind. Today, however, 25-year-old Nicolas Vuignier has shared an incredible video on YouTube showcasing himself skiing down a mountain in Sweden, with all of the footage being shot on an iPhone.


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