Jeff is the head of video content production for 9to5. He joined 9to5Mac in 2016, producing videos, walkthroughs, how-tos, written tutorials, and reviews. He takes pride in explaining things simply, clearly, and concisely. Jeff’s videos have been watched hundreds of millions of times by people seeking to learn more about today’s tech. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube to catch Jeff’s latest videos.
iOS Decoded is Jeff’s flagship video series that breaks down what’s new in iOS betas, including behind-the-scenes deep dives into undiscovered features and exclusive details on the iOS roadmap.
Jeff also produces a weekly podcast, alongside co-host Fernando Silva, entitled 9to5Mac Overtime. A video-first podcast, 9to5Mac Overtime airs weekly on our YouTube channel, but can also be enjoyed in audio form via Apple Podcasts, or your podcast app of choice.
Have a tip or exclusive? Connect with Jeff!
With the release of the new iPad Pro for 2020 and last year’s update to the entry-level iPad, it’s time to take another look at the entire iPad lineup to determine which iPad is best.
The iPad that’s best for me, isn’t necessarily the iPad that’s best for you, and vice versa. In this hands-on video, we discuss which iPad you should buy in 2020.
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Two days ago the Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch iPad Pro landed on my desk. I’ve been using it constantly since it first arrived, and although it’s not perfect, I absolutely love it.
It’s so good that I can easily say that this is the best iPad accessory in the 10-plus year history of the device, and that includes the Apple Pencil.
Watch our hands-on video as I walk through the top Magic Trackpad for iPad Pro features. I’ll talk about features I like, and things that I don’t like. If you want the details about the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, then this is the video for you.
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As with every iPhone launch, Apple has produced a variety of official cases to go along with its new iPhone SE hardware. Unlike the iPhone 11, which featured 17 unique official Apple cases at launch, the iPhone SE’s official case options are much more modest.
In total, there are just six new official iPhone SE cases to choose from. We were able to pick up all six for an early hands-on look at every color and case style that Apple offers for this year’s budget iPhone. Watch our brief hands-on commentary for the details.
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Yesterday I got my hands on the newest iPad 7 keyboard case offering: the Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard Case with Trackpad. This $149.95 case features a built-in trackpad to take advantage of the new cursor control in iPadOS 13.4.
If you own a 7th-generation iPad (review), this is one of the most useful accessories you can purchase outside of the Apple Pencil. Logitech also sells a version of its new keyboard case for the iPad Air 3. Be sure to subscribe to 9to5mac on YouTube, and watch our full hands-on review inside for the details.
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Months after the launch of the Mac Pro, Apple has finally made available the Radeon Pro W5700X MPX Module GPU option during the build-to-order process. The Navi 10-based GPU is a nice addition for video editors working with high quality 10-bit footage.
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Now that most of the US (and the world) is under quarantine, communication has largely shifted to live stream video services like Skype, FaceTime, and Zoom. And while it’s easy to initiate or join a live video stream while working from home, with just a little effort, you can make the quality of your WFH live stream setup look a lot better.
In this hands-on walkthrough, we’ll discuss some basic tips that you can use to improve your live-streaming setup while under lockdown.
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At the time of its release back in 2018, the Mac mini had the designation of being the most versatile Mac in Apple’s entire desktop lineup. With the release of the Mac Pro, that designation now belongs to Apple’s professional-oriented desktop machine with PCIe expandability.
But the Mac mini remains one of the most value-laden Macs that Apple currently sells, and it’s the second most versatile Mac next to the Mac Pro. Watch our latest episode of The Rewind as I take another look at Apple’s diminutive Mac.
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Let’s just cut to the chase: if you already own 2018’s refresh of the iPad Pro, you probably shouldn’t upgrade to the 2020 edition. That’s because this latest iPad Pro is more of an incremental update than its predecessors have traditionally been. In terms of specs, it’s probably the most lukewarm upgrade we’ve had in an iPad Pro since the often-forgotten 9.7-inch model was released in early 2016.
With that in mind, if you want a good idea of what to expect from the 2020 iPad, read our in-depth review of the 2018 model. Most of the hardware aspects still apply, but it’s the software updates that have really pushed the iPad forward over the last few years. The release of iPadOS 13, and now iPadOS 13.4 have transformed Apple’s tablet for the better.
If you held off on the 2018 iPad Pro update, this latest 2020 model should make you happy, as it’s an overall better value thanks to increased RAM and flash storage in the base configuration.
And thanks to the new embedded LiDAR Scanner, which ushers in impressive new AR capabilities, the 2020 iPad Pro also provides us with a sneak preview of what we might expect from Apple’s long-rumored augmented reality headset.
Watch our hands-on video as we discuss the top features and initial impressions of the 2020 iPad Pro.
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Slowly but surely, Apple is migrating its Mac laptops off of the horrendous butterfly keyboard switches, and back to the reliable scissor switches that most people overwhelmingly prefer. Although the keyboard is without a doubt the star of the show for this year’s refresh, there are other top MacBook Air features to talk about in this hands-on video.
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Today Apple officially released iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4. Although its version number indicates that this is an incremental release, coupled with the upcoming release of the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, it’s actually one of the biggest updates for the iPad that we’ve seen in quite some time.
The big news in iPadOS 13.4 is the arrival of advanced mouse and trackpad support for the iPad, features that 9to5Mac reported about in advance. Users can now pair a Magic Trackpad 2, Magic Mouse 2, or other third party pointing devices via Bluetooth, and instantly change the way they use their iPads.
Although the most outstanding things about this update are the aforementioned iPad changes, the iPhone gets some love as well. New features include the long-awaited release of iCloud Drive Folder Sharing, new Animoji Stickers, and more. Watch our brief hands-on video walkthrough as we discuss what’s new in iOS 13.4
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The long-rumored iPhone 9, which could be announced any time now, will fill a much-needed spot at the bottom of Apple’s iPhone lineup.
From a business standpoint it makes total sense. The release of an iPhone 9 will provide customers with a less expensive phone with modern internals, and at the same time can make a healthy profit, thanks to already established manufacturing and assembly processes.
Yet while the iPhone 9 will probably sell well, it won’t generate the same sort of love and cult following as the last budget-minded phone that Apple produced way back in 2016 — the iPhone SE. Watch our iPhone 9 preview video for the details as to why.
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If you’re in the market for an external GPU for your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, then you may be interested in the portable eGFX Breakaway Puck from Sonnet. Sonnet’s portable eGPU, which Apple started selling in its stores last April for $399.95, appears to have just dropped in price by 25%.
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It wasn’t that long ago when I had to ask myself the unthinkable question: Is it time to start looking seriously at Windows machines? Indeed, the state of Mac hardware was that bleak just a few years ago. What a difference a few years makes.
Thankfully I never had to follow through with such an unfortunate decision. That’s because the state of Mac hardware, just a few years later, is at its healthiest level in years. How did we get there? Watch our latest episode of Back to the Mac for the details.
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Nightfall is a free macOS utility by Ryan Thomson that allows users to quickly toggle Dark Mode with a keyboard shortcut, or by clicking an icon in the menu bar. Watch our brief hands-on walkthrough for a demonstration of how it works.
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Last year I had the opportunity to try the first iteration of the Galaxy Buds in order to compare them with the original AirPods. Today, I go hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ in order to compare them with the AirPods Pro. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the details.
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After yesterday’s release of iOS 13.4 beta 3, 9to5Mac spotted signs of a new feature called OS Recovery. Like Internet Recovery available on the Mac, this feature, if it ships, will allow iOS users to recover their devices over the air, bypassing the need to connect to a Mac or PC.
It’s been about eight months since I first reviewed the 7th-generation iPod touch, and since that time both iOS 13 and Apple Arcade, two releases that significantly affect the hardware, have been released. How well has the iPod touch 7 held up since that time, and should you still consider an iPod in 2020? Watch our latest hands-on episode of the Rewind for more details.
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Today Serif pushed updates to all three of its popular subscription-free creative apps, including Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, and Apple’s Mac app of the year winner, Affinity Publisher ($49.99 each). Versions 1.8 are available for download now via the Mac and iOS App Store.
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I have quite a few third-party apps installed on my iPhone, but there are several staple apps that I use regularly that I’d have a hard time doing without.
These apps include Apollo, the excellent full-featured Reddit client, NetNewsWire, a legendary RSS reader reimagined for modern day iOS, and more. Watch our brief hands-on video walkthrough for a look at all five apps, and be sure to subscribe to 9to5mac for future installments.
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On Monday Arlo released its version 2.7.13 update to add HomeKit support to its security cameras. Needless to say, this is a highly-anticipated feature that Arlo users within the iOS ecosystem have been waiting on for quite some time. Was it worth the wait? Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the details.
Today PolarPro launched its LiteChaser Pro photo and video kits for the iPhone 11 with special introductory pre-order pricing. The kits feature a specialized case that can accommodate a detachable grip, along with either a circular polarizer or variable ND filter.
If you currently use or aspire to use your iPhone for serious photography or videography, then these kits might come in handy. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for more details.
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Over the weekend I got my hands on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip smartphone. It doesn’t possess the type of flagship specs found on the recently revealed Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, but to me, it’s by far the more interesting phone, thanks to its ability to fold a 6.7-inch AMOLED display into a clamshell form factor that’s much more portable.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is not the first foldable smartphone, but it’s easily the most impressive foldable phone that the industry has seen thus far. While far from perfect, it makes me think that there is definitely a market for such a product, and I think it goes without saying that Apple has been experimenting with similar form factors behind closed doors.
Although we may or may not ever see an Apple “iPhone Flip,” I’m really hoping that we will. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip breathes some much-needed excitement into the typical stale smartphone “slab of glass and metal” form factor.
Watch our brief hands-on impressions, and be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videos like this.
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Today is a big day for LumaFusion users, as it marks the day that the app’s long-awaited FCPXML export compatibility for Final Cut Pro X goes live.
With version 2.2 of LumaFusion, users have the option to purchase FCPXML export compatibility for $19.99 via in app purchase. If you’re a video editor who likes to begin editing projects on the go, and finish those edits on your Mac, then this update might be for you.
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The iPad 7, the latest generation entry-level iPad for the masses, is one of the best deals in tech at only $329, and often found for much less on sale. It’s the first entry-level iPad to feature Smart Connector support, allowing users to conveniently connect a Smart Keyboard. It also features a larger display with more on-screen real estate.
In this hands-on review, I discuss why the iPad 7 is indeed the best iPad for most people, and why it’s $329 entry-level price point is a steal given the amount of features packed inside this slab of aluminum and glass.
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