iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

All In on the Apple Watch Ultra 2

I’d never enjoyed wearing a watch—I didn’t like how it felt on my wrist. However, the idea of a wearable computer intrigued me, so in 2016 I bought an Apple Watch Series 2. I tried it for a few days and ended up reselling it. In 2019, hearing of the health benefits, I bought the Series 5. That watch met the same fate.

How to Organize Your Calendar in 2025

(Sponsored Post) By Amy Spitzfaden Both on Thu, 10/31/2024

Apple is pretty good about updating its products, but it seems to have forgotten about the Calendar app and its many downsides. The makers of Informant 5, on the other hand, do not forget to regularly improve their app based on user experience. The latest updates to this calendar and task-management app are a productivity game-changer.

I've reviewed a number of accessories from Nyrius before, so I was excited to see the company's latest item, ORION Home Wireless HD Video Transmitter & Receiver ($149.99), had arrived. I liked the previous model, but it used miniUSB and the newer model is microUSB-based, which is a step up. It's also easier to set up; indeed it is set up by default, out of the box. The Orion Home is two boxes that look alike, but one is a transmitter and the other a receiver. They are both similar in size to the Apple TV, but with a perforated top, which probably helps with reception.

I'll confess that when I first learned about the Apple TV, I thought that it was, well, a TV. I remember being surprised at the price; "Wow! $149 for an HDTV, that's so reasonable for an Apple product!" Clearly, I had no idea what an Apple TV is, let alone how to hook one up or use one. Things have changed, though (it was a steep learning curve), and now I actually know how an Apple TV works, what's needed to connect one, how to set up an Apple TV, and even how to pair the remote or use your iPhone as a remote. Let's get started setting up your Apple TV! 

We use the internet for just about everything; shopping, banking, communicating with friends and family, and storing music, photos, and videos. It's vital to safeguard all the personal data associated with these services with a different, strong password for each account. A password manager can help you generate and keep each password safe. There are lots of reputable, free password keepers to choose from, including 1Password, True Key, and LastPass. We'll go over the features of these apps so you can choose the best option for your needs. We'll also cover how to install a password app, and how to use it once you have. Let's get started.  

Our iPhone Life editors just returned from the tech circus that is CES where they discovered the most innovative and useful iOS gear you can buy in 2019. Watch this video to see CEO David Averbach and Editor in Chief Donna Cleveland round up the 26 best tech accessories they found this year for your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. 

I had been considering using an old iPhone as a car dash cam, but when Autowit sent me its Front & Rear Dual Dash Camera Recorder Mirror ($69.99) I gave up on trying to make my own! It's much nicer to have a device that is purpose-built for recording. And the price makes it attractive. Plus there are features an iPhone or even other dash cams can't match.

App Saturday: TripAdvisor

By Hallei Halter

Planning trips can go either way: you plan them to the minute or you have a general idea of what you want to do. TripAdvisor helps you to decide on the best travel ideas by finding local spots of interest based on reviews and photos by other regular people. This travel planning app features suggestions by travel magazines and famous personalities who you can follow in the app in order to find more travel destinations that appeal to you. You can also book transport, hotels, and restaurant reservations within this app, making it your travel-planning utility knife.

No matter what you're looking for in a speaker, the odds are pretty good that iHome has something that meets your needs. The company even has cosmetic mirrors that double as Bluetooth speakers. iHome sent me the iAV14 Alexa Bedside/Home Office Speaker ($99.99) to check out and I do indeed like that it has Alexa built in. Amazon has redefined what a speaker should be; and if you're going to spend $100 it should include a smart home assistant, which the iAV14 does. Another nice touch is that it supports Spotify, if you use that music streaming service.

If you ride a bicycle or walk outside and want to listen to music, but don't want to block out the outside world, try the Lucyd Loud ($99). Lucyd sent me their Lucyd Loud sunglasses which have built-in audio capabilities. They act as earbuds using Bluetooth 4.1, but you don't have to place anything inside your ears. They use bone conduction to transmit the sound, and they do so quite well.

Who says you can't print videos? The folks at Lifeprint sent me the Harry Potter Magic Photo Video Printer ($149.99) to review, probably because they know I'm a fan of Harry Potter, but they didn't know that I've been using ZINK photo printers and instant cameras for years. In fact, I've been using Polaroid cameras since they came out decades ago, and this new device brings back some of the magic, literally, from those early days of instant cameras.

Ever leave a Chrome tab open at home before work, and then want to find it again later from your iPhone? If you've ever wondered, "how do I open my tabs in Chrome on another device?" then you're in luck. The Google Chrome iPhone app lets you see the tabs you left open on your computer and open them on your iPhone. Just enable Chrome Sync in the Chrome settings menu, then tap the tabs icon at the bottom of your Chrome browser, and you'll find a desktop icon on your tabs list that will show you all the tabs open on other devices. Being able to switch from your Mac to your iPhone with minimal effort is a huge advantage. Here's how to view your computer's open Chrome tabs, Chrome bookmarks, and more on your iPhone.

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