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!
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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Yesterday Apple released the first beta of iOS 13.4, the first beta in a while to contain any notable new features and changes. New additions include the much-anticipated return of iCloud Drive Folder Sharing, new Photos app keyboard shortcuts, and more. Watch our brief hands-on video walkthrough for a first look at what’s new in iOS 13.4.
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Quite a few viewers and readers have asked me to do a behind the scenes look at my video editing workspace, so in this latest edition of Back to the Mac I’ve decided to do just that.
Although my setup is currently built around a Mac Pro + Pro Display XDR, a similar setup can be achieved with virtually any Mac machine and monitor combination. Watch our hands-on behind the scenes video for a look at the hardware on my editing desk.
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Glyph, perhaps better than any other external drive maker, has a knack for creating solidly-built SSDs that do a great job of passively dissipating heat. These factors are what made me a fan of the original Glyph Atom, and it’s what continues to make me a fan of the company’s latest external SSD offering: the Glyph Atom Pro SSD. Watch our hands-on video review for the details.
One of the great things about the Mac Pro, and the primary reason why I’ve been anticipating it so much, is its ability to accommodate PCIe expansion. With the Mac Pro we finally have a modern Mac that can be expanded, not only via external Thunderbolt 3 peripherals, but via internal PCIe cards like the OWC Accelsior 4M2 PCIe SSD.
OWC’s newest Mac Pro-friendly accessory allows users to add a significant amount of fast solid state storage to their machines in just a few minutes. But the Accelsior 4M2 may also a viable option for MacBook Pro users looking to add external external storage to their laptops via a simple Thunderbolt 3 enclosure.
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A couple of weeks ago during CES 2020, Samsung took the wraps off the latest iteration of its T-series portable SSD line, the Samsung T7 Touch. The newest portable SSD in the South Korean giant’s portfolio comes with embedded PCIe NVMe flash storage for the first time, resulting in faster peak speeds compared to previous entries in the lineup.
Additionally, the T7 Touch comes with a built-in solid state fingerprint security scanner to complement the password security that’s been present in previous generations of the T-series lineup.
With the entry-level 500GB model coming in at the same $130 starting price as its predecessor, should you consider the Samsung T7 Touch as the next portable SSD companion for your MacBook or iPad Pro? Watch our hands-on video review for the details.
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The Pro Display XDR landed on my desktop a few days ago, and I’ve spent enough time with it to gather some early first thoughts about Apple’s high-end monitor. As a former 27-inch Thunderbolt Display owner, I’ve been pining for a modern replacement for it for years, but is this the answer?
Watch our unboxing and overview as I consider the Pro Display XDR top features in our hands-on video walkthrough.
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Today Apple made the rack-mountable Mac Pro available for purchase, starting at $6499. The unit, which features the same build to order components as the regular Mac Pro, features rack mounting rails that ship in a separate box.
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As I alluded to in my initial Mac Pro top features overview, I don’t need a Mac Pro to get my day-to-day work done, but the benefit I receive from its expandability makes it a very appealing machine for me.
In this latest episode of Back to the Mac I discuss why I purchased the Mac Pro, my Mac Pro setup, how I currently use it, and talk about some of the upgrades: a 24TB SSD and 384GB of RAM. Watch the full video for the details.
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