How do I make my child’s iPod touch safe?

How do I make my child’s iPod touch safe?

We have already discussed what is the best iPod for Kids, now let think about making your child’s iPod safe.  Technology has helped us with many options, giving us gadgets that are handy and easy to carry around. I am sure I am not the only one who has asked how do I make my child’s iPod Touch safe.  The problem however is the safety of these devices, especially when they are being used by our children.

Children can often be  careless about the way they carry these gadgets.  With the growing need for a slimmer device and more functionalities, these devices have grown to become more prone to damage caused if dropped by mistake. The question however is how to make your Child’s iPod Touch safe.  We are going to go through some of the key points you need to consider for the safety of the iPod Touch.

Screen Protector for the iPod Touch

The most fragile thing on the iPod Touch is that of the screen. Whether it is safety against scratches or breaking, a screen protector can help you against that. The glass protectors are readily available and they sit right on top of the screen and provide all the protection without looking like there is anything on top of the screen.

Set Up Find my Phone on the iPod Touch

Having an iPod Touch can possibly reduce several things that we would use on a regular basis earlier, such as a phone book, a photo album and a multimedia device. Think of losing a device where you have all your data stored, data that you most certainly want to keep away from the reach of anyone but yourself.

Find my Phone is a built-in application on the iPod Touch that uses the location services and the GPS module on the device in order to track the device in case you lose it. Children tend to forget their things more often and therefore there needs to be a mechanism for recovering it, find my Phone is the most appropriate application for that. If you are unable to track or recover the phone, the application provides you with the ability of deleting all the data on the phone remotely.

Get a Protective Case for your child’s iPod Touch

Kids have a habit of treating things rough, with a device as expensive as that of the iPod touch you need to ensure that there is sufficient protection against any kind of damage.

A Protective case is just the right place to start. The case is not going to save the iPod touch from falling but it will most certainly keep the body of the device from taken up any significant damage or scratches. The cases range from $20 up till $100, there are a bunch of options to choose from that can actually revamp the entire look of the iPod. Pick the most suitable one which is a combination of looks and safety.

Apple’s Extended Warranty

Apple offer a pretty decent warranty if you purchase the iPod Touch from the Apple Store. If you are thinking of purchasing the device for your child, you most certainly need to consider the probability of the device being damaged or broken.

Apple offers something known as Apple Care which is an extended warranty that costs around $100 and extends a full technical support and repair coverage for two years. The basic warranty coverage is just for 90 days.

Purchasing the iPod Touch with extended support is not a requirement, but if your child breaks things very often then you should definitely consider investing in the warranty. It keeps you covered for a longer period of time without worrying about the authenticity of parts purchased from outside of an apple store.

10 Best Wireless Charging Mats for iPhone X and iPhone 8

Top 10 Best Wireless Charging Mats for iPhone X and iPhone 8

In September 2017, Apple introduced wireless charging on its iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus smartphones. Whereas Android users have been enjoying this feature for half a decade, with the 2012 LG Nexus 4 being the first Android device to support the technology, Apple is so late to the party that the bar has already closed and there are no untouched alcoholic beverages left to celebrate its arrival.

Knowing that there’s an established wireless charging market, Apple has made the wise decision to meet current industry standards, known as Qi standards. As such, iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus can be charged with any wireless charger that supports the same standards—and there’s no shortage of such chargers. We have selected 10 wireless charging mats that deliver an excellent charging performance at affordable prices.

1. Samsung Wireless Charge Pad  for iPhone x and 8 / Plus

Samsung Wireless charging pod for iphone x iphone 8 iphone 8 plus

It may feel strange to you to charge your iPhone with a wireless charging pad made by Samsung, but we can assure you that the two will get along great. This popular Qi-certified wireless charger from Samsung offers reliability and rock-solid charging performance while giving you a choice between five colors to match your home décor. The charger has a multi-colored LED that indicates the current charging status to let you know when your phone is fully charged and ready.

2. Belkin Wireless Charge Pad for iPhone x and 8 / Plus

Belkin wireless charging pad for iphone x iphone 8 iphone 8 plusBelkin is a well-known American manufacturer of smartphone accessories and consumer electronics. The company has been in the smartphone charging game long enough to know how to design a wireless charger that can deliver up to 1 A output while looking stylish and being affordable. Included with the charging pad is an AC adapter, but Belkin also sells the same pad without the adapter at a lower price.

3. RAVPower Wireless Charging Mat for iPhone x and 8 / Plus

RAVPower Wireless Charging Pad for iphone x iphone 8 iphone plus

If you want the maximum wireless charging performance achievable, this wireless charging pad from RAVPower is an excellent choice. When connected to the included Quick Charge 3.0 power adapter, the RAVPower Wireless Charging Pad can charge your iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus at up to 7.5 watts, provided you have the latest version of iOS. Compare this to standard wireless charging pads, which charge only at up to 5 watts, and it becomes obvious why it makes sense to pay extra for a fast wireless charger from RAVPower.

4. Seneo Wireless Charging Stand for iPhone x and 8 / Plus

Seneo Wireless Charging Stand for iphone x iphone 8 iphone plus

The biggest downside to wireless charging is the fact that it works only if your smartphone lays flat on the wireless charging pad. Once you get a notification and pick it up to look at the display, the charging interrupts. And if you’re someone who keeps getting notifications all the time, the charging progress might slow to a crawl. This wireless charging stand from Seneo has been designed specifically to solve this issue. It features a vertical charging coil that lets you keep your smartphone at such an angle that you don’t even need to pick it up to look at the display. Besides being convenient, the Seneo Wireless Charging Stand is also well made and works with all standard wall adapters.

5. SurgeDisk Bamboo Wireless Pad for iPhone x and 8 / Plus

SurgeDisk Bamboo Wireless Charging Mat for iphone x iphone 8 iphone plus

This ultra-slim wireless charge pad is made from bamboo, which gives it its own unique style that’s a welcome departure from the standard, and rather uninspired, design of most wireless charging pads. With all products that use their design as a selling point, there’s always the danger that their performance will leave something to be desired. Fortunately, the SurgeDisk Bamboo Wireless Pad is approved by FCC, RoHS, and CE, offering reliable wireless charging to all Qi-compatible devices.

6. TOZO Aviation Aluminum Wireless Charging Mat for iPhone x and 8 / Plus

TOZO Aviation Aluminium Wireless Charging Mat for iphone x iphone 8 iphone plus

If natural materials are not your thing, perhaps this aluminum wireless charge mat from TOZO will be more up your alley. At just 5 mm, it’s one of the thinnest wireless charging mats on the market, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t deliver the same or even better charging performance as mats that are twice as thick. The second you place your iPhone on the TOZO Aviation Aluminum Wireless Charging Mat, a soft LED light starts to breathe, letting you know when your device is fully charged.

7. Rioddas Wireless Charging Stand with a Built-In Fan for iPhone x and 8 / Plus

Rioddas Wireless Charging stand with built in fan for iphone x iphone 8 iphone plus

Wireless charging produces a lot of residual heat. This is usually not a problem, but it can become one if you charge your phone in a room without air conditioning. If you don’t want to risk overheating your expensive iPhone, you should consider buying this handy wireless charging stand from Rioddas, which has a built-in cooling fan. Apart from protecting your smartphone from damage, the cool air from the fan also makes wireless charging up to 1.2-times faster compared to traditional wireless charging stands.

8. iOttie Wireless Charging Car Mount for iPhone x and 8 / Plus iOttie Wireless Charging magnetic car mount for iphone x iphone 8 iphone plus

With the iOttie Wireless Charging Car Mount, you can enjoy the convenience of wireless charging even when driving your car. This charging car mount has a strong suction cup that allows you to easily install it on most windshields, and the telescopic arm with a ball joint at the end makes finding the right viewing angle effortless. The iOttie Wireless Charging Car Mount can fit all devices that are between 2.3 inches to 3.3 inches wide, which includes iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus.

9. Thiatoo Wireless Charging Magnetic Car Mount for iPhone x and 8 / Plus

Thiatoo Wireless Charging magnetic car mount for iphone x iphone 8 iphone plusThis charging car mount features a strong magnet that makes charging while driving much easier. To use this mount, you need to stick an inconspicuous metal ring on the back of your smartphone so that the magnet inside the mount has something to hold onto. With the metal ring installed, you can simply place your smartphone on the Thiatoo car mount, and instantly enjoy fast wireless charging. Because this wireless charging car mount uses a magnet instead of a spring-loaded clamp, it works with smartphones of all sizes.

10. Apple AirPower wireless charger for iPhone x and 8 / Plus

apple airpower iphone x iphone 8 iphone 8 Plus wireless chargerApple has recently unveiled their upcoming wireless charging mat for the latest iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. Called AirPower, this elegant wireless charging mat can charge multiple devices simultaneously, and it works with all Qi-compatible devices. The AirPower is the only charging mat on this list that uses a Lightning cable, making it perfect for Apple fans, who most likely already have several Lighting cables and wall adapters laying around. Unfortunately, the AirPower is not yet available. It will launch in 2018, according to Apple, but we don’t know exactly when.

 

The Definitive Guide to 2018’s Best Mac & Apple AirPrint Printers

Just 7 – 10 years ago, finding the best printer for a Mac Pro laptop wasn’t about choosing a laser or inkjet printer with the best printing resolution. Instead, Apple Mac users were severely restricted in regard to which desktop printers on the market were compatible with their hardware.  Apple airPrint, has changed a lot for mac pro laptop users.

Thankfully, all this has changed. 

2018 & near Ubiquitous Apple Airprint Printer Support

From budget-friendly Brother and Canon printer models to the latest Dell Color Smart Multifunction Printers, Apple currently supports just as wide a variety of desktop printers as regular PC’s do. In fact, as well as wider product support, new features like Apple AirPrint now make using almost any printer easier than even on Windows.

Why Choosing the Best Printer for a Mac Pro Laptop or Desktop is Easier than Ever

Ask Mac users what they love most about Apple, and most will cite how easy Apple makes it to create rich multimedia. As well, however, as just superior multimedia creation, one of the biggest pros of being a Mac user now rests with the inclusion of Continuity in all Apple devices after OS X Yosemite.

Largely taken for granted, continuity releases Apple users from the burden of having to manually sync accounts and software across different devices. Start typing an important work document on a Mac desktop and you can finish it later effortlessly on your iPad. Much more importantly, though, it is Apple’s push for wireless computing experiences which has seen continuity and Apple AirPrint put an end finally, to the perils of limited peripheral device support for printers especially.

How to Choose an Apple Supported Printer

With Apple AirPrint, Apple users can print from almost any in-range wireless printer with minimal device set up. There are, however, still a number of things which Apple users need to consider when choosing the best printer for their needs.

When creating visually rich print media on a regular basis, Apple users will almost always be best served by PostScript desktop printers like the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-6090. This is because leading Adobe design software uses its own PostScript print language. – (One which when not supported by printers can lead to slightly reduced print quality).


Always Check Device Websites & Manuals Prior to Purchase

As a rule, not all desktop and commercial printers support Apple AirPrint or even Apple devices out of the box. In fact, this is especially true for heavy duty PostScript printers and slightly older Canon printer models.

Thankfully, even when printers don’t provide out of the box Mac support, many will make drivers available for download. All consumers need to do is remember to thoroughly check whether devices are supported in advance.


 3D Apple Printer Support

Because many Apple users choose Mac computers because of their richer multimedia design capabilities, it is no secret that 3D modeling apps like uMake are becoming hugely popular in the App Store. What many Apple users aren’t aware of, however, is just how well 3D printers themselves are supported by Apple.

With leading 3D printer models like MakerBot and Replicator+ offering support for Apple users, it is now easier than ever for Apple users to unleash their full inner creativity. Just remember when buying any kind of printer, to always purposefully check full support specifications in advance in order to avoid disappointment.

Macs for Video Editing, our favorites for Overall, Portability & Budget

Top 3 Best Macs for Video Editing. Macs have always been favored by professional video editors for their reliability and performance in video editing. These days, you can choose from a number of different Mac computers. iMacs and MacBook Pros, all of which have something unique to offer to anyone interested in video editing. But how do you know which one is the best for you? To help you make a good purchase decision, we have picked three categories and selected one best Mac for each.

Best Overall: iMac Pro (Upcoming)

In June 2017, at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, the company announced its most ambitious professional Mac computer to date. Called iMac Pro, this beastly computer is not only the most powerful Mac ever created, but it’s also the first entry in a brand-new tier of ultra-high-performance machines designed for the virtual reality era.



The iMac Pro will arrive this December, and we already know what it will offer. Whereas previous iMacs had up to 8 cores, the new iMac Pro will have 18 cores—yes, that’s not a typo. With Turbo Boost speeds up to 4.5 GHz, a Radeon Pro Vega graphics card, and up to 128 GB of RAM (again, not a typo), this stunningly powerful Mac computer makes no compromises, especially for video editing.

iMac Pro for video editing?

If you spend a lot of time editing 4K video footage and long for a computer that would allow you to accomplish more in less time, look no further—the iMac Pro is the video editing machine you need. Yes, the prices will be high, but we can guarantee that you won’t feel the need to upgrade for many years. In fact, you might even like the price of the iMac Pro as it has a built-in 5K display with support for the DCI-P3 color space and up to 500 nits of brightness. A display like this is usually expensive, but it never comes with 18 cores and a chassis so beautiful that only Apple could have designed it.

Best for On-The-Go: MacBook Pro 15-Inch with Touch Bar

There’s a lot to like about the current MacBook Pro range, but the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is definitely the most appealing for video editing. No, it doesn’t offer the same portability as the 13-inch model, but it offers something even more important—processing power and plenty of screen real estate.



The 15.4-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology has 2880 x 1800 native resolution and support for the DCI-P3 color space.  The American film industry even commonly uses RGB color space for their digital movie projection. The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar comes with a powerful Intel Core i7 processor clocked at either 2.8 GHz or 2.9 GHz.

Most powerful MacBook for Video Editing

We recommend you choose the more powerful model because it also comes with a 512 GB SSD (as opposed to only 256 GB), 16 GB of RAM, with graphics card being the Radeon Pro 560,  and GDDR5 memory 4GB. With automatic graphics switching to the less battery-hungry Intel HD Graphics 630 integrated graphics card.

Best Value: Early 2013 MacBook Pro 15-Inch

If you’re on a budget, the early 2013 15-inch MacBook Pro offers an unprecedented value, regardless of whether you buy it refurbished or used. The most powerful version of this laptop (which is the one that you should get considering the laptop’s age) has an Intel Core i7 processor clocked at 2.7 GHz, 16 GB of 1600MHz DDR3L memory, 512 GB of flash storage space, and the Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics card.

The vivid 15.4-inch Retina display with 2880 x 1800 resolution makes video editing enjoyable even without a larger monitor to connect the laptop to, and the large battery offers up to 7 hours of work time on a charge.

Best Mac Video Editing Early MacBook Pro 15 Inch

iPhone video tips – How To Shoot Like A Pro

iPhone video tips. How To Shoot iPhone Video Like A Pro

It appears that iPhones have replaced standalone video cameras. There is no doubt that smart phones are still quite far from the quality offered by DSLR videos & cameras.

It is often said that the best camera is the camera you have with you at the time.  Although there is often a real distinct difference in the quality between smart phone models and devices. Whilst the gap in quality is due to lenses and technology issues within iPhones, the biggest issues is often bad user habits.  In this article we hope to give you some tips to improve your videos with your iPhone or smart phone.

iPhone video Apps

One of the first tricks to shooting on your iPhone like a pro is not using the stock standard camera app from Apple. Apple’s camera app lacks important controls that are vital when shooting footage at a professional level. iPhone 7 limits the bit rate of a 4K video down to 47 Mbps.  This limitation will keep the file sizes low, but will also  impact the quality of your iPhone video.



Using a third party application is the way forward if you want to record higher quality of recording. These apps have the ability to turn your iPhone into a pocket DSLR video. Additional options like white focus control, custom pre-sets and control exposure.

Eliminating the white balance is another tip.  The white balance often makes the iPhone footage look amateur.  This is quite simple, to start with, change the settings on the white balance and exposure before you press play. Some of these apps may seem like pricey purchases, but they are worthwhile if you find yourself shooting a significant amount of video content.

Who wants shaky footage?

Unless you’re watching cloverfield, shaky camera work is a tell-tale sign that something has been filmed by a hand held device.  It’s also fairly easy to tell that the device was a phone. We understand not everyone wants to use Steadicam rigs or tripods, but without them your viewers might feel a sense of nausea.

You don’t need to splurge on expensive professional grade accessories, although the make things easier.  You can go for low cost alternatives, which if used well can offer similar results. The best DIY option, although simple, is leaning on an object.  This can cut the amount of camera shake while filming, and of course can limit your movement too and range to video. If you can afford a small investment.  Its worth putting some cash towards a iPhone tripod. Tripods can range from $7 upwards, a simple and small piece of equipment can not only hold your iPhone steady but make a huge difference to the overall quality of your video footage.

Even better again, a gimbal could also be a useful contraption for keeping your iPhone camera steady, it will reduce shakes and vibrations caused by movements.


Should you use the iPhone Zoom for videos?

A lot of iPhone users go wrong when they starting using the zoom whilst filming the videos. This ruins not only just the quality but the clarity of the video. If you start using the zoom your footage results will be grainy and stretched. Instead of using the zoom, try to move closer to the object.  Moving closer will retain the quality and give your footage of depth of field.  Lighting plays a very important role in your video quality, any good selfie taker will know this. Take care when choosing the location to film in, and how it is lit.