iPhone

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the nerd or geek in your life? No matter what kind of tech your friend or family member is into, we've found a present for them. We've selected a range of products at a variety of manageable price points, so you can find something for everyone on your list, old, young, and everywhere in between. Here are our top picks for geeky gear in 2019!

If you've been looking for the best gifts for kids or teenagers in your life, look no further. Our 2019 Buyer's Guide has four options for all sorts of interests, from science and programming to stories, music, and of course, the ever-popular LEGO franchise. You'll find a smart toy or tool for every budget and every age; even adults will want to get in on the fun! Let's jump into the kid's section of our annual buyer's guide now.

Ever lost a precious memory because you forgot to back it up? With these two major photo management solutions, Apple Photos and Google Photos, those concerns should be a thing of the past. But which one should you pick? In this article, I'll go in depth to find out. I'll compare cost, file formats, upload quality, and a number of other factors in order to help you make an informed decision.

One of the main reasons I enjoy writing about technology so much is the significant advances made by innovators and manufacturers in such a sort time span. A perfect example of this is the breakneck pace of wireless earbud development. A year ago, I heaped praise on what I subjectively proclaimed at the time were the best wireless earbuds on the market, Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless Earbuds. While that product still holds up well today, the competition hasn't been idle. One manufacturer that has made significant strides in the wireless earbud market is Jabra, a company that has been in the phone headset business for decades. Does their latest recently released Elite 75t ($179.99) wireless earbuds exceed last year's top headset in my assessment?  Read on to find out.

High-Key Light Mono, for the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, is a gray-scale portrait effect that whites out the background and turns up the highlights on your subject. To use this effect, open your Camera app and use the Portrait Mode lighting wheel to select High-Key Light Mono. Here’s how to use High-Key Light Mono in the Photo app on your iPhone 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max.

As a native of Rochester, NY, home of Kodak, I always have a soft spot for Kodak gear. The company created the photography industry but then watched as competitors like Polaroid and later smartphones took over. It looks like Kodak is back in the game with its new Kodak Smile Classic ($149.99) which the folks there sent to me to try. I own the latest Fuji and Polaroid instant cameras so I was pleased to see several enhancements that those devices don't match.

It always amazes me that, despite Apple’s reputation for secrecy, new iPhone cases are designed, manufactured, and shipped by case makers before the phones are even announced. Maybe Apple is loosening up, or they can’t control every worker in their Chinese factories, but the result is I have received dozens of cases to try before my new iPhones arrived. Now that I have been able to test the cases with actual iPhone 11 models, here are my impressions, in alphabetical order.

Even though I have three DSLR cameras and a variety of wide and telephoto lenses sitting on my shelf, I still prefer to shoot videos with my iPhone X. I used to do it to prove a point—that you can make quality videos with just your iPhone. But nowadays I shoot with my iPhone for other reasons I’ve discovered along the way.

One of the biggest reasons I enjoy using my iPhone is that it lends itself better to intimate storytelling, which is important for the types of videos I like to make. I’ve found that when shooting with my iPhone versus a DSLR, my subjects act more natural. That’s because most everyone is familiar with iPhones. It’s like ordering mac and cheese at a restaurant. You’ve had it before, and you’ve made it yourself at some point. It’s not a mystery. It's also easier to carry three iPhones than it is to haul three DSLRs with a variety of lenses. And if the impact of the story is going to be the same regardless of the tool used, then heck, why not shoot with an iPhone?

With the Files app, you can use your iPhone to view notes, images, documents, and files that you've saved from your computer or iPad to iCloud and other storage services like Dropbox and Google Drive. To view saved items using the Files app, you'll need to go to your Apple ID in the Settings app and enable iCloud Drive. Let's get started with how to use the Files app to access documents saved to iCloud Drive.

I go to a lot of trade shows, not just technology ones like the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas but also the NY Toy Fair, hoping to find smartphone-related gadgets that would be of interest to iPhone Life readers. That's how I discovered BLOCKERZ Camera Covers ($13.99) from Zorbitz. They are a wholesaler but you can find their products at Amazon, Urban Outfitters, and other retailers. They gave me a sample to try and it turns out, it's not just for iPhones.

Decluttering my physical surroundings changed my life. Getting rid of the things I didn’t need or that brought me down gave me space to breathe and feel more peaceful. I knew that this would become a lifestyle for me and that I could never go back. Once my physical possessions were under control, I realized that although I had taken the time to clear out my closet and my bookshelf, I had let myself hang on to digital possessions long past when they served a purpose. And just like with physical clutter, removing digital clutter reduced stress and gave me peace of mind. So even if you’ve used the KonMari method on your wardrobe and narrowed down your books and files, you’re not done if you haven’t decluttered your phone and computer. That’s where I come in.

Apple has finally unveiled its new iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 5, and even a new seventh-generation iPad. But whether or not you’re planning to upgrade to any of the new devices Apple just announced, you’ll still want to update most of your existing Apple devices and start enjoying all the newest features of iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS as soon as possible. Here’s when you can expect to start updating the software on your Apple devices and which iPhones are compatible with iOS 13 and which Apple Watches, and iPads can run the watchOS 6 and iPadOS.

Apple's September 10 event is over and, as expected, the tech giant revealed three new smartphone models shipping later this month: the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max. So, what sets these phones apart from their predecessors, and who might want to purchase these new devices? Let's go over the pre-order and shipping dates, pricing, and specs of the new iPhone release. We'll discuss how the 2019 iPhones are similar, how they differ from one another, and what that means for your iPhone upgrade this year.

Whether you're a music maker, a music lover, or both, you're probably on the lookout for the best apps to record songs or find new favorites. We've rounded up ten free and paid apps; some, like Pandora, YouTube, and Amazon Music are well known, others are more obscure. Whether you'd like to learn a new instrument or improve your skills, listen to favorites or discover new artists, we have the app for you.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, in January 2019, I got a sneak peak at the Pivo Tracking Photography Mount ($179). The Pivo is a slick automatic phone or camera mount that can rotate via Bluetooth controller. The free companion app allows the mount to automatically track a user by face or action. I was really impressed, and now that the Pivo is real and I've tested a sample unit, I can finally vouch for it. 

If you’re looking for the latest in iPhone upgrade gossip, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got all the latest rumors surrounding Apple's fall iPhone event, including the latest renders, details about the A13 chip, camera upgrades, and potential names of all three expected models (iPhone XI, iPhone XI Max, and iPhone XIR).

In March of 2019, Apple quietly released the new iPad Air 3 and iPad Mini 5. Since then, Apple fans have wondered when we can expect the release of the 4th-generation iPad Pro and the 7th-generation iPad. Rumor has it the upgrades won't be available in time for the September 2019 announcement, but that hasn't stopped us from speculating about what's to come. Read on to learn all the recent iPad-related gossip.

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