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iPhone, Reviews

Which iPhone Smartphone Offers the Best Value?

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Which iPhone Offers the Best Value?

With so many smartphones and iPhones to choose, deciding which iPhone offers the best value isn’t always easy. Apart from specifications and features, you should also consider the iPhone’s age, price, and re-sell value to find the best value iPhone. To help you out, we have selected three iPhones that tower above the rest in terms of the value for money they provide.

Best Value iPhone: iPhone 8 Plus

Iphone 8 Plus Best value smartphoneOut of the three new iPhones Apple released in 2017, the iPhone 8 Plus offers the best value iPhone. Even though it’s $200 less expensive than the iPhone X, the two smartphones share basically the same internal components.  We found them on Amazon starting from $915.

But the iPhone 8 Plus has the same design?

Yes, the iPhone 8 Plus still sports the same tired design as the iPhone 7 Plus, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For example, if you currently own the iPhone 7 Plus, all your current accessories should work just fine with the iPhone 8 Plus, including cases and car mounts. Some people may even prefer to stick with the familiar design instead of learning the several new gestures that are required for navigating the iPhone X.

Thanks to the A11 Bionic chipset, the iPhone 8 Plus is considerably faster than all older iPhones, so you can rest assured knowing that your smartphone is going to remain breezy for a long time. The iPhone 8 Plus also features basically the same rear dual-lens camera module that is present in the iPhone X. This means that you can take 12 MP wide-angle pictures with one lens and then capture 12 MP closeups with the telephoto lens. You can also record 4K video at 60 frames per second or Full HD video at 240 frames per second.

What about screen quality on the iPhone 8 Plus?

The only major thing that the iPhone 8 Plus sacrifices in the name of value when compared to the iPhone X is screen quality. The iPhone X has a beautiful, edge-to-edge OLED screen with 2436 x 1125 pixels and support for HDR. The iPhone 8 Plus, on the other hand, has the same Full HD 5.5-inch IPS LCD as the iPhone 7 Plus.

But because there’s no real reason to go beyond the Full HD resolution on a 5.5-inch screen, apart from virtual reality, we stand behind our opinion that the iPhone 8 Plus offers the best value for people who want an all-around excellent iPhone and can live without the latest and greatest design.

Best Value Iphone Alternative: iPhone 7

Since the release of the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X, the second-hand Iphone 7 Best value Smartphonesmarket with the iPhone 7 has exploded. For a very attractive price, you can get this one generation old performer, which looks almost identical to the iPhone 8, but lacks some of the bells and whistles of its younger brother.

Most notably, the iPhone 7 has the A10 Fusion chipset, which is not nearly as impressive now as it was when it was first released. While the chipset still has more than enough power for just about anything that you can find in the App Store, you may notice that it occasionally has trouble keeping up with heavy multi-tasking or bloated web pages.

As such, you shouldn’t buy the iPhone 7 brand-new from Apple. The smartphone only really makes sense if you don’t intend to use it for more than two years—but ideally just one.  A refurbished version is available on Amazon for a fraction of the price.


The iPhone 7 also lacks wireless charging support, only has up to 128 GB of storage capacity, and has a lesser camera than newer iPhones. That said, we don’t think that the lack of support for wireless charging is something to worry about unless you now own a smartphone that has this feature and don’t remember the last time you’ve charged it with a cable.

Photography with the iPhone 7

The camera is then perhaps the biggest weakness of the iPhone 7 because it doesn’t support the special portrait mode nor any other newer features, such as Face ID. But make no mistake, the iPhone 7 still takes stunning pictures. It’s just that flagship smartphones have evolved since 2016, but the iPhone 7 stayed the same.

Apart from its reliable performance and attractive price, the iPhone 7 also offers very manageable size as well as nearly all of the strengths of the iPhone 7 Plus. If you don’t feel like splurging a large sum of money on a brand-new iPhone 8, and you don’t like larger smartphones, you should definitely consider getting a second-hand iPhone 7.

Best Value Older Iphone: the iPhone SE

Best older smartphone Iphone SEReleased in March 2016, the iPhone SE is old. But despite its advanced age, this wonderful little ode to the short-lived era of 4-inch smartphones still has plenty to offer to people who need a smartphone only for the most basic tasks, including taking pictures and making video calls.

The price of the iPhone SE is the winner here.

Perhaps the best thing about the iPhone SE, apart from its adorable size, is its very attractive price of just $349. That’s right, $349 for a new iPhone straight from Apple. It’s true that you can find newer iPhones, such as the aforementioned iPhone 7, for better prices on sites like eBay and Craigslist, but you need to be willing to get a second-hand iPhone to begin with, and not everyone is.  Personally id check out Apple on amazon for a great deal (see here)

We think that it’s perfectly reasonable to spend $349 on a new iPhone SE, knowing that it doesn’t come with the latest bells and whistles and doesn’t have as much processing power to spare as newer iPhones do.

What it does have is a sharp 4.0-inch IPS LCD with 640 x 1136 pixels, the A9 chipset, up to 128 GB of storage space, 2 GB of RAM, 12 MP rear camera that can record 2160p video at 30 frames per second or 720p video at up to 240 frames per second, 1.2 MP front-facing camera with face detection and FaceTime support, and front-mounted fingerprint reader with Touch ID support.

 

Mac

Best Apple Mac for Students? What MacBook is good for College?

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Best Apple Mac for Students

Whats the best Mac for Students, which is good for College?  Even though it’s entirely possible to get through college without a laptop, college students and professors alike know how helpful a good laptop can be. From taking notes to research to communication with other students to writing papers and completing various assignments—no other item in college student’s backpack is as versatile and often as indispensable as a laptop.

Apple Macs have always been a favorite for students

Visit just about any lecture hall, and you’ll immediately notice the overwhelming presence of Macs. Yes, it’s true that some college students are attracted to Mac computers simply because of their popularity, but most choose a Mac because they want a reliable machine they can depend on and which can get them through a long day without a charger.

Some college departments have specific software requirements their students should be able to meet, and Macs are the only computers that can run macOS, Windows, and Linux without a hitch thanks to Apple’s Boot Camp.

But the fact remains that Macs are not cheap. When buying one for a student, you want to pick the right model, one that can last for several years and still offer satisfactory performance and battery life. To help you out, we’ve narrowed down Apple’s current line-up to just three models, which we consider to be the best Mac computers for students.

 

Best Mac for Liberal Arts Students: 12-Inch MacBook

Best mac for Students 12 inch MacBook

Most liberal arts students use their laptops predominantly for writing—lots and lots of writing. Because inspiration likes to come unannounced, and often far away from the nearest electrical outlet, it makes sense for liberal arts students to choose a laptop with a long battery life, small size, and fast Wi-Fi connectivity.

The 12-inch MacBook is the smallest and lightest laptop in Apple’s line-up, weighing just 2 pounds, and it also offers an excellent battery life of up to 10 hours and the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technologies.

Instead of traditional scissor switches, the 12-inch MacBook features a comfortable keyboard with Apple’s second-generation butterfly switches, providing superior responsiveness and crispness when typing. Below the keyboard is a large trackpad with support for Force Touch, which allows it to detect slight differences in pressure.

What Mac features are best for students?

The 12-inch MacBook has an edge-to-edge Retina display with 2304 × 1440 pixels, energy-efficient backlighting, and wide viewing angles. The fine resolution makes text very easy on the eyes, and its IPS display technology guarantees professional-grade color accuracy.

You can get the 12-inch MacBook either with a 1.2 GHz dual-core Intel Core m3 for $1,299 or with a 1.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 for $1,599. Both versions start with 8 GB of RAM and Intel HD Graphics 615, but the more expensive version has a 512 GB PCIe-based onboard SSD, instead of just a 256 GB PCIe-based onboard SSD.

Unless you need as much processing power as you can get, we recommend the less expensive version of the 12-inch MacBook. Intel Core m3 processors are so energy-efficient that they don’t require any cooling whatsoever, yet they are fast enough for just about anything apart from professional software applications such as Adobe After Effects or AutoCAD.

 

Best Mac for STEM Students: 13-Inch MacBook Pro

Best for STEM Students 13 inch Apple MacBook Pro

It’s only natural for STEM students to require more processing power than students of liberal arts do. A laptop is suitable for a STEM student only if it can run computationally expensive software simulations, compile software, and handle applications such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver, or Microsoft Visual Studio, just to name a few.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro offers a 2.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz even in its most basic configuration, which costs just $1,299. The laptop is also available with Touch Bar for either $1,799 or $1,999, depending on the amount of storage space, but you should stay away from these versions because Touch Bar isn’t really all that useful.

Instead, get the 256 GB version without Touch Bar, which costs $1,499 and is configurable up to 1 TB SSD. The basic version only comes with 128 GB of storage space, and that’s just not enough for anything beyond basic tasks. The 256 GB version additionally has Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 onboard graphics card, 8 GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory, and a beautiful 13.3-inch Retina display with 2560 × 1600 pixels, wide viewing angles, and up to 500 nits brightness for comfortable outside use.

Another Apple Mac option for Students

We should also mention that there’s a 15-inch MacBook Pro. While not exactly huge, the 15-inch MacBook Pro is slightly too bulky and heavy for hauling around campus, but, above all, it’s just way too expensive for most college students, starting at $2,399 for a version with a 2.8 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7.

 

Honorable Mention: 13-Inch MacBook Air

13 inch macbook air best for students

Despite its advanced age, the MacBook Air is still an excellent choice for all students who have other things to spend money on besides a laptop. Starting at just $999, the MacBook Air is by far the least expensive Mac on this list, yet it has the longest battery life (up to 12 hours between charges), and some even swear by its keyboard, which has much longer vertical space below each key compared to the 12-inch MacBook (1 mm versus 0.5 mm).

The MacBook Air is also the only Mac on this list with regular USB 3.0 ports. While it seems that virtually all Mac users will have to eventually embrace the dongle life, the owners of the MacBook Air should be able to get by without adapters for a few more years.

When it comes to the downsides of the MacBook Air, the outdated CPU and display are probably the two biggest ones. Yes, the laptop is still fine for writing documents, chatting with friends, or browsing the web, but things do slow down noticeably if throw too many tasks at the laptop at once.

What’s worse, the 13.3-inch display of the MacBook Air is so behind modern laptops that Apple even doesn’t mention it in the laptop’s overview on the official website. It has only 1440 × 900 pixels and covers just 66 percent of the sRGB color gamut.

iPod

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

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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.

iPhone, Reviews

10 Best Wireless Charging Mats for iPhone X and iPhone 8

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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.

 

Mac, Reviews

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

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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.