Quantcast
Channel: Apple | Simplemost Archives
Viewing all 122 articles
Browse latest View live

These Healthy Apple Oatmeal Muffins Are The Perfect To-go Breakfast For Fall

0
0

Eating a healthy breakfast every morning can be a major challenge. If you’re looking for portable breakfast ideas, muffins can be a great way to get a satisfying breakfast on-the-go. Now is a great time add an autumnal muffin to your rotation, such as apple oatmeal muffins. Oatmeal is a healthy breakfast staple, and apples are the fruit of fall, so this is the perfect way to combine them for a portable and yummy morning snack.

This recipe from Prevention only takes about 15 minutes of prep time and 20 to 25 minutes to bake, so they can easily be made ahead on the weekend to stock grab-and-go breakfasts for the week ahead.

In addition to the apples and oats, it also incorporates other signature fall flavors, including pecans, cinnamon and nutmeg. Prevention recommends using diced Granny Smith apples in the muffins.

granny smith apples photo
Flickr | sfllaw

These muffins should take about 20 minutes to prepare and another 20 to bake. Once you’re done, you’ll have 12 grab-and-go breakfasts for 225 calories a pop!

Looking for other nutritious, convenient and portable breakfast ideas? Check out these 10 muffin recipes that involve four ingredients or less each. These easy-to-make pumpkin muffins will hit the spot this time of year. Get the recipe from Kirbie’s Cravings.

Kirbie's Cravings

Or steal some of these breakfast hacks that will save you time in making popular breakfast foods like oatmeal, eggs and smoothies.

Make-ahead breakfast casseroles are another great option that allow you to snooze until the last possible minute and still have a filling, tasty breakfast waiting for you and ready to go.

What’s your favorite, easy breakfast solution?


This Cinnamon Applesauce Bread Makes Your House Smell Amazing—and It’s Super Tasty

0
0

Quick bread is a wonderful holiday treat. Perfect to serve as breakfast to overnight guests or to enjoy with a warm cup of coffee after a long day of Christmas shopping, nothing else hits the spot in quite the same way. It just tastes divine whether you enjoy it on its own or toasted with a swipe of butter.

Cinnamon apple bread is a no-fail flavor combo. You can either make it with fresh apples (baking apples like Winesaps or Braeburns are a safe bet) or save chopping time by using applesauce instead.

Over at Wishes and Dishes, Ashley uses one Granny Smith apples to make her Cinnamon Apple Pie Bread. She also uses white sugar, light brown sugar and cinnamon to increase the sweetness. You can opt to add in a pinch of nutmeg or cloves to give it a touch of Christmas cheer.

Wishes and Dishes

The Cookin Chicks, meanwhile, keep things simple by using applesauce instead of whole apples. You can opt to use sweetened, unsweetened, cinnamon or plain. You can even get extra-flavorful and use strawberry or raspberry applesauce, which would give it a nice rosy hue for Christmas time.

The Cookin Chicks also uses pumpkin pie spice to bring in those holiday flavors. Find the full recipe here. This bread is so simple to whip up and would make an ideal gift, whether you want to wrap it in festive paper and give to the neighbors or share it at a holiday brunch with coworkers.

Take your Cinnamon Apple Quickbread up a notch by topping it with a crunchy, sweet cinnamon sugar topping. All you have to do is sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top of the bread (opt for turbinado sugar to give it that flaky, crunchy bakery-like topping). Find the full recipe on Plated Cravings.

Plated Cravings

The beauty of these quick bread recipes is that you can really personalize your ingredients to your taste buds, whether you want to add chopped walnuts, dark chocolate chips or raisins. Yum!

Sam’s Club Is Having A Massive 1-Day Sale This Weekend—Here Are The Best Deals

0
0

With only two more weekends until Christmas, chances are you’ll be spending at least one of them checking items off your shopping list. Lucky for you, if you haven’t gotten gifts for everyone yet, Sam’s Club is having a massive one-day sale this weekend that is definitely going to save you some cash.

From 7 a.m. local time to close on Saturday, Dec. 15 — or all day online — you can score some amazing deals on sought-after gifts like Apple watches, Shark vacuums, gift cards and more.

While some deals are available online only, others are in-store, so be prepared to get there early and wait outside before the doors open. Take a look at some of the best deals we found in this one-day only sale.

Samsung And Apple Phones

You’ll receive a $250 gift card with the purchase of select iPhones and a $300 gift card with select Samsung phones. Not all phones are included, so be sure to read the fine print to see if the phone you want will get you a gift card. The gift cards can be used at both Sam’s Club and Walmart.

Sam's Club

$100 iTunes Gift Card

You’ll save $10 extra on this $100 iTunes gift card multipack, which is normally discounted to $94. So, you’ll technically be saving $16 if you purchase it during the one-day sale. A $60 multipack will save you an extra $7, for a total of $11 in savings.

Sam's Club

Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Vacuum

You’ll save $100 on this Shark DuoClean vacuum, which will be marked down to $199. The vacuum cleans carpets, area rugs and bare floors and has a HEPA filter.

Sam's Club

Save $50 On Select Apple Watches

You can save $50 on select apple watches, though the deal is online only and there is a limit of five per member.

Sam's Club

Sam’s Club Membership

You can even save money on an actual Sam’s Club membership during the sale. The membership, which is good for one year and can be given as a gift, will be $36 instead of $45 and a Plus membership will be $80 instead of $100.

Sam's Club

To see all the items included in the sale, visit Sam’s Club’s website. Will you be heading to Saturday’s sale to finish up your holiday shopping?

We were not paid to write this story. The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Ex-husband Came Along On Her Honeymoon

0
0

Apparently conscious uncoupling extends to life post-divorce.

Gwyneth Paltrow shared during an appearance on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” on Jan. 9 that her ex-husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, came along on her recent honeymoon with new husband Brad Falchuk.

The Oscar-winning actress said she, Falchuk, Martin, their children, Falchuk’s kids from his former marriage and some friends all took a trip to the Maldives over the Christmas holiday.

“It was a very modern honeymoon,” Paltrow said, laughing.

The actress and her ex are known to have remained on excellent terms since they divorced in 2016 following a decade of marriage.

She said the trip was “lots of kids” and a good time.

“We just wanted to minimize the pain for the kids,” Paltrow said of how the family has handled life since she and Martin split. “They just want to see their parents around the dinner table, basically, so we just try to keep that.”

The couple share two children, daughter Apple, 14, and son Moses, 12.

Paltrow married Falchuk, a television producer, in September.

paltrow falchuk photo
Getty Images | David Livingston

Written by Lisa Respers France for CNN.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

An IPhone FaceTime Bug Lets Other People Eavesdrop On You

0
0

A newly discovered bug in Apple’s FaceTime software lets Apple users listen in on the people they are calling, and even see through their front-facing camera, without them picking-up the call.

The bug, flagged by 9to5Mac on Jan. 28, was quickly recreated by people across social media. CNN Business confirmed the bug multiple times in its own tests.

Apple said in a statement that it has identified a fix for the problem and will release it in a software update later this week. In the meantime, Apple’s website indicates Group FaceTime is unavailable, and the company confirmed it has started disabling the Group FaceTime feature for all users.

The bug works on iPhones and iPads running iOS 12.1, and Apple PCs running macOS Mojave, which have the recently added Group FaceTime feature.

When the bug is activated, the person who initiated the call is able to hear the live audio on the other person’s phone, even though the recipient has not accepted the call. And their screen gives no indication that their conversation is being transmitted. In some cases, the bug can also show live video of the other person if they press a volume button to dismiss the call.

Adobe

CNN senior editor Brian Ries successfully used it on friends, family members and a colleague, and in one instance was even able to see video of the people he was calling.

To avoid falling victim to the bug, disable FaceTime on all your devices until Apple’s software updates have been released.

On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings -> FaceTime, and toggle off the green button at the top of the screen. To turn it off on a Mac, open the FaceTime app and go to FaceTime on top of the screen, then select “Turn FaceTime Off.”

Written by Heather Kelly for CNN Business.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

Apple Rolls Out Fix For That FaceTime Eavesdropping Bug

0
0

Apple has fixed the FaceTime bug that let people eavesdrop on unanswered group video calls.

The software updates — iOS 12.1.4 and macOS Mojave 10.14.3 — were rolled out to iPhones, iPads and Mac computers on Thursday, nine days after videos of the bug in action went viral on social media.

A person could exploit the glitch to hear live audio on another other person’s phone, even though the recipient had not accepted the FaceTime call. In some cases, the bug could also show live video of the other person if they pressed a volume button to dismiss the call.

iphone photo
Flickr | Witches Falls Cotages

Apple said it will compensate 14-year-old Grant Thompson and his family for flagging the bug more than a week before it attracted national attention. The company, which didn’t reveal how much the reward would be, said it will also contribute money toward his education.

While investigating the bug, Apple discovered another security issue involving Live Photos on FaceTime. The company did not specify what the bug was or how it worked, but the new updates fixes that issue. Apple disabled the use of LivePhotos in FaceTime on devices that have not yet been updated.

How To Install The New Updates

To install the software updates on iOS devices, go to Settings -> General -> Software Updates and tap “Download and Install.” On a Mac, open the App Store and go to the Updates section.

iphone photo
Getty Images | Carl Court

If you disabled FaceTime, you’ll have to turn it back on in Settings to resume using the feature.

Discovering The Bug

The bug was first reported by 9to5Mac on January 29 after people began sharing videos of it in action on social media. Apple disabled the Group FaceTime feature later that day for all users while it worked on a software fix for the issue. The bug worked on iPhones and iPads running iOS 12.1, and Apple PCs running macOS Mojave, which recently added the Group FaceTime feature.

“Today’s software update fixes the security bug in Group FaceTime. We again apologize to our customers and we thank them for their patience,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “In addition to addressing the bug that was reported, our team conducted a thorough security audit of the FaceTime service and made additional updates to both the FaceTime app and server to improve security”

Thompson, a high school freshman in Arizona, discovered the flaw on January 19 while trying to start a FaceTime group chat with his friends. His mother Michele Thompson tried to warn Apple about the issue by calling, emailing, tweeting at, and even faxing the company, but Apple did not publicly address the problem until was shared online by other iPhone users.

Written by Heather Kelly for CNN.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

Apple Is Getting Rid Of ITunes—Here’s What That Means For You

0
0

For close to two decades, many people have relied on iTunes to get their music. But on June 3, Apple announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference that it would phase out the longstanding music platform.

That’s right — Apple users should get ready to say goodbye to iTunes for good.

As part of the rollout of their new operating system, macOS Catalina, three new apps from the company are poised to replace iTunes: Music, TV and Podcasts.

Adobe

Worried about the disappearance of your carefully curated library? Well, it turns out, you don’t need to be.

An Apple spokesperson told CNN that previous purchases and libraries will be maintained on the new apps on Mac computers. Though the company won’t get rid of any files you already have, it may reorganize where the files live.

Adobe

Users will also continue to have the ability to purchase and download songs through the iTunes Music store within the Music app, as well as buy movies and TV shows within the Apple TV app.

And iTunes gift cards will remain active.

Apple

For people who used iTunes to sync up their devices, that option will still be available. Apple has revealed that a tool will now be located via the sidebar in Finder on their Macs.

The move comes at a time when subscription services are increasingly the preferred way for people to access entertainment content.

“Apple had to put the pieces in place to make it all happen,” Ramon Llamas of IDC Research told CNN. “If you look at consumer behavior in which users are willing to pay a regular fee for unlimited content — and that’s what they can get from other services such as Spotify, Pandora and Netflix — Apple is smartly aligning itself against those competitors with its own approach.”

spotify photo
Getty Images | Spencer Platt

Apple Music will offer more than 50 million songs, playlists and music videos.

In addition to Apple TV channels, the Apple TV app has more than 100,000 iTunes movies and TV shows available to buy or rent. Coming this fall, the company’s video subscription service, Apple TV+, will be available in the Apple TV app.

apple tv photo
Getty Images | Justin Sullivan

Meanwhile, the Podcasts app has more than 700,000 shows and gives users the ability to be notified when new episodes are available.

Getty Images

In addition to the new entertainment apps, macOS Catalina will include Sidecar, which lets users use their iPad as an extended display for their Mac.

Apple Unveils New iPad Models
Getty Images | Justin Sullivan

The company is also rolling out new accessibility features, security measures and tools to give users greater insight about how they spend their time on their devices.

apple store photo
Getty Images | Spencer Platt

Catalina will be available in fall 2019 as a free software update for Macs from mid-2012 or later.

Customers with Macs that predate MacOS Catalina will still have access to iTunes, but it won’t be available once you make an upgrade to a newer product.

You Can Now Get Your IPhone Or MacBook Fixed At Best Buy

0
0

Best Buy has succeeded during the online shopping era by beefing up its customer service. Once again, the retailer will lean on its customer service chops by expanding its partnership with Apple to offer repairs on iPhones and MacBooks at all of its stores.

The two companies announced the agreement on June 19. Best Buy had offered Apple-certified repairs at select stores and will now bring repairs to its nearly 1,000 stores across the United States. Best Buy’s specially trained Geek Squad employees will fix customers’ Apple devices.

For Best Buy, the expanded deal with Apple will give its existing customers another reason to visit its physical stores and could help the retailer attract new shoppers.

“This will drive traffic to Best Buy stores,” said Michael Pachter, managing director at Wedbush Securities. “If the repair is something that will take an hour, the consumer will be captive in the Best Buy store and likely to purchase something.”

Best Buy has worked in recent years to improve customer service at its stores, a key advantage over Amazon and other online players. The retailer has positioned itself as the expert in a complicated consumer electronics market. It retrained sales workers so they could offer better advice to puzzled shoppers having trouble deciding which TV model or smart watch to buy.

“Our business strategy is based on offering superior levels of customer service,” Best Buy said in its annual securities filing.

Best buy photo
Getty Images | Kamil Krzaczynski

Best Buy’s relationship with Apple is also critical to its business. Apple is one of Best Buy’s largest suppliers, along with Samsung, Hewlett-Packard, Sony and LG. Last year, Apple expanded its distribution to Costco, a move many analysts believed was a blow to Best Buy.

Best Buy has around 900 Apple mini-stores at its locations that offer Apple products. Often, Apple mini-stores are placed at the front of Best Buy’s big-box stores.

“Apple would say that Best Buy provides the best retail experience for their products and services outside of their own home,” former Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly told analysts last year.

Best buy apple photo
Getty Images | George Frey

For Apple, the expanded deal with Best Buy gives customers new access points for repairs outside of Apple’s own store network. Apple said it has tripled the number of authorized third-party service locations in the past three years.

“We’re always looking at how we can reliably expand our network of trained technicians and we’re excited to partner with every Best Buy store,” Tara Bunch, Apple’s vice president of AppleCare, said in a prepared statement.

Written by Nathaniel Meyersohn for CNN.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


Top-Reviewed Products To Watch On Prime Day

0
0

It’s important that we know other people like a product before we buy. Market research shows that even during the lightning-fast deals of Amazon Prime Day, shoppers will slow down and read reviews to make sure they’re plunking their money down on a worthy product.

Ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2019, we’ve compiled a list of items that are highly rated and are already discounted ahead of the two-day shop-a-thon that runs July 15-16. Amazon doesn’t reveal what they’ll offer deals on ahead of time (though we can make some predictions based on past Prime Day sales), but these top-rated items are worth watching when the madness begins.

1. Intex Inflatable Water Float

Prime Days is a July event, after all, so you might be looking for some bargains on summer fun. This 53-inch Intex River Run I Sport Lounge inflatable water float could be the innertube you need in your life. It’s typically $41.99 but is discounted to $17.49 right now. It’s rated an average of 4.3 stars with 70 percent giving it a 5-star rating. One customer’s review said it could hold a heavier person without concern.

Amazon

2. Apple iPad in Gold

Have you been waiting to pick up an iPad at the right price? The original price of this latest-model 32-gig iPad is $329, but it is already discounted to $249 and includes free shipping. It’s rated an average of 4.7 stars with a whopping 89 percent giving it a 5-star review. Users leaving reviews said it has a “crisp” screen. Some said it is great for those who need it for producing digital art.

Amazon

3. Compact 8×42 Monoculars

These Emarth 8×42 monoculars are waterproof, and the description says they’re also shockproof … though the price seems shockingly low. This item was originally priced at $33.66 and is currently $25.21. It’s rated 4.4 out of 5 stars, with 80 percent of reviewers giving it a full five stars. Buyers seem to like them for everything from wildlife watching to travel to observing planes overhead.

Amazon

4. Gas Fire Table

The original price on this awesome-looking Legacy Heating outdoor fire table is $464.99, but it is on sale for $284.99. The table is 56-by-21-by-42 inches, and it garnered an average of 4.3 out of 5 stars with 65 percent of reviewers giving it a full 5 stars. One reviewer noted that assembly was easy, and that it has maintained its shine, even after dropping a heavy metal tool on it.

Amazon

5. HGTV Magazine Subscription

A one-year subscription to HGTV’s magazine is typically $39.99, but shoppers can now find it for $9.99 if they sign up for auto-renewal, which happens two months before the end of the first year. It has an average rating of 4.4 stars with 70 percent of reviewers giving it 5 stars. One review says, “HGTV is full of content you can actually use.”

Amazon

6. Key Smart Garage Kit with Door Opener and Cloud Camera

Deals on smart-home tech were popular on past Prime Days, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see huge savings on this product. The Key Smart Garage Kit, which comes with a myQ smart garage door opener and an Amazon cloud camera, is going for less than $100. Prime Day shoppers may get an even better deal on this combo set, which was originally more than $187. It’s reviewed at an average of 3.7 out of 5 stars.

Amazon

7. Apple AirPods with Wireless Charging Case

AirPods are all the rage, and the latest model of these popular earbuds is discounted 10 percent right now. They are $179.99 and rated an average of 4.3 out of 5 stars, with 75 percent of reviewers giving the product 5 stars.

Amazon

8. Eight-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch

This D-Link eight-port gigabit ethernet solution was designed with small- and medium-sized business in mind. (Who says you can’t shop for deals for your business during Prime Day?) It was originally $44.99 and is now discounted to $29.99. The D-Link port has an average of 47. stars out of 5 with 86 percent of reviewers giving it a full 5 stars.

Amazon

9. Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition

Someone in your life (maybe you!) needs Amazon to offer a screaming deal on this during Prime Day, because the current discount isn’t cutting it. The wildly popular Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition was originally $556.27 and is currently discounted to $534.99, plus free shipping. It’s rated an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars with 79 percent of reviewers giving it 5 stars. Reviewer Elodie wrote, “Been a Smash Bros fan for a very long time, and I am very impressed. Everyone will know what you are playing when you’re out in public. Get ready to be challenged on the go!”

Amazon

10. SteelSeries Arctis 3 Gaming Headset

If you need an over-ear gaming headset that does it all — including not breaking the bank — this might be the one to look for during Prime Day. The 2019 SteelSeries Arctis 3 all-platform gaming headset works with your PC, Xbox One, Playstation, Nintendo Switch or your mobile device. It was originally $69.99 and is on sale at $49.99 on Amazon right now. It has an average of 4 out of 5 stars, with 57 percent of reviewers giving it 5 stars.

Amazon

Are you ready to shop Prime Day like a pro? Share your Prime account with family members, and don’t forget to sign up for alerts for items you’re watching for a Prime Day sale.

We were not paid to write this story. The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.

Disability-Themed Emojis Could Soon Be Coming To Your Phone

0
0

Apple will introduce disability-themed emojis in a move designed to “bring even more diversity to the keyboard.”

The emojis, which were unveiled to coincide with World Emoji Day, will include a guide dog, an ear with a hearing aid, wheelchairs, a prosthetic arm and a prosthetic leg. They will be available to use later this year.

“Celebrating diversity in all its many forms is integral to Apple’s values and these new options help fill a significant gap in the emoji keyboard,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement.

The tech giant submitted a proposal for more emojis that were inclusive of disability in a proposal sent to the Unicode Consortium — the nonprofit organization that sets the global standard for emojis — in March 2018.

Apple

“Currently, emoji provide a wide range of options, but may not represent the experiences of those with disabilities,” Apple wrote at the time. “Diversifying the options available helps fill a significant gap and provides a more inclusive experience for all.”

Apple said it chose options that are most inclusive of people in four main categories: blind and low vision, deaf and hard of hearing, physical motor disabilities and hidden disabilities.

Apple

 

The iPhone maker said it had consulted with top organizations for people with disabilities when submitting the proposal.

Apple noted that the new additions to the emoji keyboard are designed to be a starting point, not a comprehensive list of all potential disabilities.

Kristina Barrick, a spokesperson for UK disability equality charity Scope, said the move was a “positive step towards disability being well and truly represented in the world of emoji.”

“We’ve had ghosts, robots, a poo with a face and even 10 empty squares to choose from, so it’s about time emojis started to better represent the 15% of the global population who are disabled,” she added.

The emojis are being released as part of a package of 59 new emojis that will arrive in the fall.

Other new emojis include animals (a sloth, flamingo, skunk and orangutan), foods (waffle, falafel, butter and garlic) and gender-neutral characters, along with more professions and clothing types.

Written by Amy Woodyatt for CNN.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

This Apple Rosemary Fizz Cocktail Is Perfect For Fall

0
0

Pumpkin spice may be fall’s hottest flavor, but personally, I am all about apple. Apple cider, apple pie, apple doughnuts … I love it all. There is something about the smell of fresh or baked apples that is even more comforting to me than anything pumpkin-like.

It’s also fun to mix apples with other seasonal flavors like caramel, cinnamon or fresh rosemary — even in adult beverages. From sangria to caramel apple mimosas to hard cider, apple-flavored drinks are a must-have at any adult autumnal gathering.

And now there’s a new cocktail recipe to try out featuring apples, rosemary, orange and lime flavors. It may finally be time for pumpkin spice to take a seat!

cutting of fresh apples on a cutting board closeup

The recipe for this Apple Rosemary Fizz cocktail was created by Cointreau, a brand of crystal-clear orange liqueur. Along with Cointreau or another orange liqueur, you’ll also need fresh lime juice, apple slices, fresh rosemary leaves and club soda.

The apples and rosemary are muddled together and then the liquid ingredients are mixed in. You can also add a sprig of rosemary and a slice of apple to garnish the drink!

Here’s the full recipe:

Apple Rosemary Fizz

2 oz Cointreau (or another orange liqueur)

1 oz fresh lime juice

3 slices tart apple

7 leaves fresh rosemary

3 oz club soda

Muddle the apple and rosemary in the bottom of a glass. Add Cointreau and lime juice with ice and top with club soda. Stir briefly. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of apple.

Cointreau

If vodka is more your thing, you might want to try your hand at making this homemade apple pie vodka.

All you need for the recipe is Everclear, some apples, cinnamon, filtered water and simple syrup. You will need two days for it to infuse, but then it’s cocktail time!

Will you be trying Cointreau’s Apple Rosemary Fizz this fall?

You Can Take Great Photos Of Your Pets With The New IPhone

0
0

When Apple introduced portrait mode, anyone who had an iPhone 7 or newer received an instant upgrade in their photography skills. No longer did people require a fancy-schmancy DSLR with manual mode expertise to snap professional-looking photos with the tell-tale blurry background (called bokeh if you’re in the know) and crisp subject.

Now Apple has done it again — for pets!

The new iPhone 11 boasts an updated portrait mode, which is optimized for better photographs of people, pets and objects. According to the Apple website, this mode features additional lighting controls and new options for portrait types of both four-legged and two-legged friends thanks to a dual-lens camera.

Adobe

It’s all an update of the iPhone XR, which only had a single-lens camera. The previous portrait mode worked better with humans than with pets or objects. Now with the upgraded dual lens, the camera will “better detect” subjects and set the bokeh-style background better. The front-facing cameras also get an upgrade from seven to 12 megapixels, because you’ll want to up your pup selfie game too.

So how can you make the most of these new features? Follow a few pet photography tips from Theron Humphrey, who shares photographs of his dog, Maddie, and gained an audience of 1.3 million followers on his Instagram account, @ThisWildIdea.

1. Create weird moments and embrace the quirky in order to create more interesting photos. For example, his dog is well-known for her ability to sit on things, including backpacks, paint cans, flowerpots and even Humphrey’s back.

2. Set up your photo before adding in your pet. Check the shadows and light and arrange objects in and around the frame. Once the background looks the way you want it to, then you can add in your pet.

3. Give your pet time to get comfortable. They’ll get more photogenic with time, and moreso in spaces and scenarios with which they’re familiar.

4. Shoot in burst mode. He says to shoot a lot more photos than you think you need. This enables you to capture the “moment in between,” which is often the best.

iphone camera photo
Getty Images | George Frey

5. Always focus on the pet’s eyes when shooting. Humphrey’s trick for getting your dog to look at the camera lens is to hold a treat right above the camera.

6. Use Adobe Lightroom’s free app and shoot in Raw mode for maximum flexibility and better editing afterward. (That is if you’re not using the new pet portrait mode.)

BRB, grabbing the new iPhone and taking my pup out for a photo shoot.

The New Apple AirPod Earbuds Have Noise Cancellation

0
0

Apple’s AirPods Pro are the latest (and claim to be the greatest) in noise-canceling earbud technology. The new and improved earbuds from the tech giant now have two microphones for superior hearing and blocking of background noise, plus a vent that’s designed to alleviate the pressure that the silicone tips can cause.

AirPods Pro are available to order from apple.com and in the Apple Store app in the United States and more than 25 other countries and regions for $249. They began shipping on Oct. 30 and are now available in stores.

Though noise canceling is the flashy new feature, the new AirPod Pros also have a transparency mode for when you want to be able to hear what’s going on around you while still listening to your favorite music or podcast. You can use the force sensor on the stem to switch between modes as well as play, pause or skip tracks and answer or hang up phone calls.

Apple

According to the company, internal software adapts the sound based on the user’s particular ear canal shape and length as well as the noise level in the area. They come in three sizes. They’re sweat and water-resistant, making them safe for working out and outdoor adventures.

When you open the charging case near an iOS or iPadOS device and give it a tap, AirPods Pro will automatically sync to all devices signed in a user’s iCloud account. Their battery life provides up to five hours of listening time.

“AirPods are the best-selling headphones in the world,” Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said in a press release. “The one-tap setup experience, incredible sound and iconic design have made them a beloved Apple product, and with AirPods Pro, we’re taking the magic even further.”

Samantha Kelly, tech editor for CNN Business, tried out the AirPods Pro for herself, and found the noise cancellation feature to be “fantastic.” She said it successfully blocked out sirens and traffic just a few feet away from her. While she found the sound quality for music to be very good, she said it wasn’t quite as clear for phone calls.

As for the promised superior fit? Despite customized sizing, Kelly said one of the buds still flew out of her ear while she was on the subway.

PCMag.com gives the AirPods Pro a 4 out of 5 star “excellent” rating.

“For $249, these are actual earphones that seal off your ear canal, as opposed to resting against it like regular Airpods,” reads their review. “This makes for a tremendous improvement in fit as well as audio performance, with rich bass depth and crisp high-mid presence. The AirPods Pro also deliver strong active noise cancellation in a certified splash-proof build. They’re easily worth the premium over the standard model, and earn our Editors’ Choice.”

While the AirPods Pro have certainly made a splash, they’re not the only noise-canceling earbuds on the market. Sony’s WF-1000XM3 True Wireless Bluetooth noise-canceling in-ear headphones are $149.99, and according to BGR.com, they’re the superior pick.

Amazon

The Bose Quiet Comfort 20 acoustic noise-canceling headphones clock in at $249, the same price as AirPods Pro.

Will you give noise-canceling earbuds a try?

We were not paid to write this story. The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.

Share Your Best IPhone Night Mode Photos And They Could Appear In Apple Ad Campaigns

0
0

There’s no doubt about it: today’s smartphones are way more than just calling devices. On many models, the camera alone is the selling point. They’re so sophisticated that more and more people are ditching their digital cameras and using their phones to capture life’s memorable moments.

Knowing this, Apple has a new challenge aimed at smartphone photography enthusiasts. The company is inviting iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max users to share images taken with the all-new Night mode.

The contest runs through Jan. 29 and is open to users from around the world. A panel of international judges (including New York-based photographer and visual reporter Malin Fezehai and U.K.-based photographer Sarah Lee) will choose the five most stunning images on March 4, and these will be featured in a gallery on Apple Newsroom, on apple.com and Apple’s official Instagram page. They may also appear in digital campaigns, on billboards, in Apple Stores and even in a third-party photo exhibition.

Here’s a video from Apple’s Instagram page that explains exactly what to do:

To take part in the Apple Night mode challenge, share your images on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtags #ShotoniPhone and #NightmodeChallenge. If you’re a Weibo user, you can use #ShotoniPhone# and #NightmodeChallenge#. In your caption, state what model of iPhone you used to capture your image.

Not into social media? That’s okay, there’s an alternative for you. Submit your images in their highest resolution via email to shotoniphone@apple.com, using the file naming convention “firstname_lastname_nightmode_iPhonemodel.”

Visit the Apple Newsroom for full terms and conditions on entering.

For inspiration, check out the photo at the top of this page, which was taken by photographer Austin Mann on an iPhone 11 Pro. Or, check out this incredible series of nighttime images shot by photographer Delaney Allen (@delaney_allen) on an iPhone and shared on Instagram by Apple.

Night Mode ensures that low-light images are refined and well-lit and represent color in the most accurate, vivid way.

If you’ve just gotten your hands on a brand new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max and haven’t yet figured out the camera’s functions, Apple offers the following tips for using Night mode:

  • You don’t need to turn Night mode on; it comes on automatically in low-light environments. If the yellow Night mode icon is showing, you’re good to go.
  • If you tap on the Night mode icon, you can adjust the slider to Max to extend your capture time, rather than counting on the iPhone’s own determination based on the scene being viewed.
  • For an easier way to get great photos with a long capture time during the darkest part of night, use a tripod (or try propping up your iPhone).

Happy nighttime snapping!

Apple Just Launched New Pride-themed Watch Bands

0
0

June is LGBTQ Pride Month. And to celebrate, Apple has launched two new rainbow-hued bands for Apple Watch — despite the fact that many Pride events have been canceled this year due to the ongoing pandemic. The bands work with all versions of Apple Watch.

First up, the Apple Pride Watch Pride Edition Sport Band has a vertical stripe rainbow design, reflective of the rainbow flag that has been used as a symbol of LGBTQ pride and activism for decades. It looks similar to the brand’s Pride-themed bands that were originally released in 2016.

The product description says the color strips are die-cut and compression-molded, which results in variations that make each band unique.

It’s priced at $49.00 and comes in two sizes: 40mm (which also works with 38 mm watches) and 44 mm (which also works with 42 mm watches).

Apple

There’s also the Apple Watch Nike Pride Edition Sport Band, which comes in the same sizes and is also priced at $49.

“Made from a custom high-performance fluoroelastomer with compression-molded perforations for breathability, the Nike Sport Band is durable and strong, yet surprisingly soft,” reads the product description. “The smooth, dense material drapes elegantly across your wrist and feels comfortable next to your skin. An innovative pin-and-tuck closure ensures a clean fit.”

Apple

The bands were supposed to match new rainbow watch faces that were just released with watchOS 6.2.5 featuring rainbow designs, but 9to5Mac reports people are having trouble finding them after updating their smartwatch’s operating system.

Apple supports a number of LGBTQ advocacy organizations with these Pride products, including Encircle, Gender Spectrum, PFLAG, SMYAL, The National Center for Transgender Equality, The Trevor Project, Gender Spectrum ILGA World and GLSEN.

Apple

Elle Smith is a 2020 high school graduate of Cedar Ridge High School in Round Rock, Texas, and has been named Student Advocate of the Year by GLSEN, an LGBTQ education organization that works to end discrimination, harassment and bullying in schools.

Smith restarted her school’s Genders and Sexualities Alliance Club to support LGBTQ students and leads it virtually now through weekly meetings.  Their commitment to community and advocacy earned them the award.

“Pride season is a time where it feels safer to be authentic,” Smith (pictured above) said in a statement. “It’s the ideal world where you’re able to be safe, you’re able to be yourself, and you’re able to be loud. I think everyone who’s involved with LGBTQ organizations has done a great job shifting our programs and outreach to a virtual format. We want to keep our momentum going and make sure everyone has access to resources just as they would have pre-COVID.”

These cute watch bands are the perfect way to support Pride! Will you grab one?


Baileys Is Introducing A New Liqueur That’s Perfect For Fall

0
0

When it comes to fall flavors, there’s no doubt about it — pumpkin spice is the clear favorite. From coffee to snacks and desserts, pumpkin seems to show up in everything this time of year.

There is another fall flavor, however, that may sometimes get overlooked in the rush to get our hands on all the pumpkin things: apple! From cider to pies, apples are my personal fall choice and I start craving cider long before pumpkin spice lattes.

And now, there’s a new way to enjoy apples — and this one is just for adults. New limited-edition Baileys Apple Pie is arriving just in time for fall weather. Served over ice, in chai tea or on ice cream, it has the taste of freshly baked apple pie à la mode blended with Irish dairy cream.

The new drink is available nationwide while supplies last, wherever spirits-based beverages are sold. It costs around $24.99 for a 750-ml bottle. You can also order it online as part of a Baileys Apple Pie Friendsgiving Kit from Cocktail Courier. The kit costs $84.99 and comes with everything you need to make 12 “Apple of My Chai” cocktails. The kit also includes a pack of Baileys apple pie cookies and other goodies, like a Baileys’ apron.

Baileys

Of course, if you really want to bring on the fall vibes, you’ll also need some apple-flavored treats to enjoy alongside your cocktail.

If you’re looking for an easy snack, Sam’s Club has a new apple pie trail mix that not only has dried cinnamon apples and roasted almonds, but also walnuts, pie crust cookies and cream cheese-flavored pretzel clusters.

For dessert, Hershey’s now makes an apple pie Kit Kat, Yoplait has a new Oui apple pie French-style yogurt and Pillsbury has new salted caramel apple cookie dough (which you can also eat raw!). If you’d like to try the Baileys Apple Pie over ice cream in an adult-only float, you could pair it with a flavor like Talenti’s caramel apple pie gelato to really go all out.

Of course, you could also make your own apple dessert, like these apple pie cookies or this caramel apple dump cake.

Adobe

Do you prefer pumpkin or apple flavors in the fall?

Captain Morgan’s New Rum Flavor Is Perfect For Fall

0
0

Pumpkin spice might make for a great fall latte, but when it comes to adult beverages, apple reigns supreme.

From caramel apple mimosas to hard apple cider slushies, you simply can’t go wrong when you add apples to your cocktail recipes. And now, there’s a new way to enjoy the seasonal flavor in a drink: Captain Morgan Sliced Apple rum!

According to the brand, the new rum has the flavor of Captain Morgan’s signature Original Spiced Rum, but they added a hint of ginger and fused it with the juicy taste of sliced-up apples. The brand says it is best served neat, on the rocks or as a chilled shot, but if you prefer cocktails, try their Apple Sour or Apple Mule.

You can find Captain Morgan Sliced Apple in stores across the U.S. and Canada for a suggested retail price of $15.99 for a 750-milliliter bottle.

Captain Morgan

If rum isn’t your go-to adult beverage, Baileys also has a new apple-flavored liquor that may be more to your liking.

The new limited-edition Baileys Apple Pie can be served over ice, in chai tea or on ice cream and has the taste of freshly baked apple pie blended with Irish cream. The new drink is available nationwide while supplies last.

It costs around $24.99 for a 750-milliliter bottle, or you can order it online as part of a Baileys Apple Pie Friendsgiving Kit from Cocktail Courier.

Baileys

You can also make your own apple-flavored booze, like this apple and cinnamon vodka, which I personally tried and can verify is amazing.

All you need is your favorite brand of vodka, cinnamon sticks, two apples and a mason jar. You simply put the ingredients in the jar, place a lid on it and store the jar in a cool, dark place in your kitchen.

You’ll need to allow for about five days for the flavors to fully infuse the vodka. You can test it each day, however, and if the flavors are to your liking, you do not have to let it sit for five days.

Tito's Handmade Vodka

If fall flavors aren’t your thing, wait for the holiday season to get closer and Captain Morgan’s Gingerbread Spiced Rum may be making a return, as it is still listed on the brand’s website.

What is your favorite cocktail to drink during the fall season?

Man Redesigned His IPhone Home Screen In The Style Of MS Paint

0
0

Apple recently released iOS 14, the latest version of its iPhone operating system. Beyond adding helpful informational widgets to your phone’s primary screen, the update allows savvy and creative iPhone owners to customize their app icons more than ever.

One tech artist/guru, Thomas Reisenegger, decided to take an old-school approach to his home screen design. He reached way back to Microsoft Paint to replicate his applications’ shortcuts.

Of course, you don’t undertake a creative endeavor such as this without sharing your masterpiece. Reisenegger posted the results of his redesign on Twitter.

The result? Let’s just say the final product definitely looks a little less sleek than when it sports the normal digital icons.

“iOS 14 lets you re-do app icons so naturally remade them all much worse in MS paint style,” he posted.

He even apologized to “all app icon designers that spent years making them nice.”

You might think that this guy left himself out there to get totally slammed on social media. But, in true viral age form, his work has been liked by more than 70,000 fellow Twitter users.

Some people, such as Tim Jarrell at @TimmyBuddy, commented that this feature is nothing new for Android users. His personalized versions of the usual app icons mostly modifies and enlarges their shapes:

Even if the technology isn’t exactly new, the hand-drawn icons are getting a lot of attention and lots of laughs. Even the financial app Monzo got in on the joke and called out Reisenegger on Twitter as it searched for people who may have redesigned their app icon with the updated iOS options.

Reisenegger used the new Shortcuts app, under Settings, to create the redesigned look. He told Mashable it took him around 40-50 minutes to do it, and that included the time he used to connect his Apple pencil and figure out how to make custom icons.

He also said he had a good time doing the little project and that it resonated so well with others.

“I thought it was quite funny and I’m very glad people seem to appreciate and honor the ancient legacy of MS paint,” he said. “Also, I’m of course very glad to see that it made people smile.”

Where To Back Up Your Smartphone Photos

0
0

The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.

Photographs are among our most precious possessions, with research showing that if our home was on fire, the majority of us would grab photo albums and photographs before dashing out the door.

Yet in today’s digital age, many of our favorite photos are not stored in albums but on our smartphones and computers. But if something were to happen to your hard drive or your data, you could lose some of your most priceless memories. This happened to users of Adobe’s Lightroom in August after an app update wiped out data including both user presets and photos.

“Did anyone else lose all your @Adobe @Lightroom photos and presets with their last update?!” wrote @llambert89 on Twitter. “This is literally the worst. I lost 800 pictures and all my paid presets (which were worth hundreds of dollars.)”

If you have beloved photos on social media and think they’re safe there, you should be aware that these images won’t have the same quality of the originals. Facebook and other social media sites will compress your pictures and decrease the integrity of the photographs. Terry Sullivan of the New York Times explains that you need to carefully choose how you store your images online because not all sites are created equal.

“But right now, most websites, including social media and even photo-printing sites, aren’t designed to truly store photos … when you back up your photos, you want to be able to retrieve an image file that is as close to, if not identical to, the original photo you captured on your phone or digital camera,” writes Sullivan. “That’s also why you want to carefully choose a backup solution, whether it’s online or an external hard drive.”

Adobe

Back Up Your Photos In Multiple Places

To avoid a catastrophic loss, store your photos in more than one way. That can mean using network-attached storage (NAS) or an external hard drive in addition to a cloud service, or using multiple cloud services. Whatever you choose, it’s a good idea to use a system that automatically updates in the background so you don’t have to think about it.

So what are your best options for backing up images online? Cloud services such as Apple’s iCloud are just the start. Amazon Prime members can store photos and videos on Amazon for free, but only up to a point. Prime members get complimentary 5 GB storage, but if you need more storage, you can upgrade to a plan that gives you 100 GB for $1.99 a month.

Adobe

Not a Prime member? Look into Google photos where you can get 100 GB of storage for $1.99 a month or 200 GB for $2.99 a month. Dropbox is another option, offering 2 GB free storage to users. After that, you will have to pay to upgrade for either 1 TB or 2 TB of storage ($9.99 per month for 1 TB).

Though some experts also advise saving photos on a NAS Box or an external hard drive, although others say you need two external hard drives, so you can back up your backup!

When it comes to protecting your most beloved moments with family and friends, you can never be too careful.

Get A $45 Discount On Apple AirPods For Amazon Prime Day

0
0

The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.

Have you really wanted to pick up a pair of Apple AirPods but just didn’t want to drop the big money? You’re going to want to check out this Amazon Prime Days deal, because AirPods are seriously discounted right now.

The regular list price at Amazon for Apple’s AirPods (with charging case) is $159.99. However, while supplies last, the Amazon Prime Days deal price is only $114.99. That’s a savings of $45!

The discounted price during Amazon’s big two-day sales event just might make you finally put the longed-for wireless earbuds in your shopping cart.

Amazon

This deal is only good for Amazon Prime members. Prime members also get free two-day shipping on the AirPods.

The Apple AirPods come with the charging case, which must be plugged in to charge your AirPods. The charging case holds power for up to 24 hours before it needs to be plugged in again. Once the AirPods are fully charged, they last for up to five hours on a single charge.

Pairing the AirPods with your iPhone is done with a simple, one-tap setup. After that, the AirPods will automatically connect with your phone whenever you put them in your ears. Plus, if you’re listening to music or a podcast, the AirPods will pause whenever you take them out of your ears, so you won’t miss anything.

Amazon

 

Apple AirPods have Siri capability to help listeners keep up to date on messages or to operate the smartphone wirelessly. Another fun feature: Songs can be shared from one smartphone between two different pairs of AirPods. You don’t have to share one of your AirPods with someone else to listen to the same thing!

Apple’s noise-canceling AirPods Pro are also on sale right now at Amazon, down to $199 from $249. They’re not marked as a Prime Day deal, though, so it’s not clear how long that price will last.

The Amazon Prime Days deal on AirPods is only good through Oct. 14. So, if you need a pair, don’t miss your chance to pick them up at a discount!

Viewing all 122 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images