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!
There are certain iOS tips that I feel everyone should be aware of and use on a regular basis. In this hands-on video, we take a brief look at 10 iPhone tips and tricks.
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PowerColor, a Taiwanese-based graphics card manufacturer, launched a brand new eGPU at CES 2019: The PowerColor Mini Pro — a pint-sized eGFX chassis powered by an included small-form-factor Radeon RX 570 graphics card.
Aimed specifically at Thunderbolt 3-enabled machines, the PowerColor Mini Pro provides a healthy graphics lift for GPU-starved Macs like the 2018 MacBook Air and Mac mini.
Should the PowerColor Mini Pro be on your radar if you’re looking for a smaller external graphics solution for the Mac? Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the details.
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If you’re a fan of Animoji, the latest iOS beta has a nice surprise in store for you: four additional animated characters. iOS 12.2 developer beta 2 comes with four brand new Animoji to choose from, adding a giraffe, shark, owl, and warthog to the ever-growing list of characters…
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The second-generation AirPods and corresponding wireless charging case are still missing in action, but when they do finally launch, a certain Santa Barbara, CA-based company will be ready. Nomad, maker of mobile accessories for the iPhone, released its all-in-one Apple Watch + iPhone + AirPods charger a few months ago, obviously anticipating an update to Apple’s popular wireless earbuds.
The Nomad Base Station Apple Watch Edition is currently sold out, but a source close to the company informed me that it expects units to be back in stock soon. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough inside as we explore the ins and outs of Nomad’s three-coil wireless charger.
Have you ever wanted to fix problems in a video similarly to how you fix problems in typical photo editing apps? Things like dust, blemishes, or other unwanted items are easy to remove in static photos, but prove to be more challenging in moving pictures.
Enter CoreMelt’s PaintX, an easy-to-use tool that allows you to quickly paint on video with nondestructive edits. Powered by the excellent mocha tracker, it makes fixing up small problems, like removing dust from an iPhone’s display, a simple affair. Watch our brief hands-on video as I demonstrate PaintX in action.
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Back in the summer we went hands-on with Pioneer’s budget-minded MVH-1400NEX CarPlay head unit (review). What we found was an excellent no-frills aftermarket head unit with a clean design.
The MVH-1400NEX with its ~$300 entry-level price point was nice, but it lacked wireless CarPlay capability, which made it a non-starter for users desiring a wire-free experience. Enter Pioneer’s ~$800 AVIC-W8400NEX, a truly wireless CarPlay aftermarket head unit. Is it worth paying more for wireless connectivity?
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The iPhone SE (hands-on), which is quickly approaching its third anniversary, was an amazing phone when it was released. It gave us a device with the timeless design of the iPhone 5s, with modern specs borrowed from the iPhone 6s.
With the news that Apple recently sold out of a clearance allotment of the iPhone SE, it got me really thinking about the device again. Are people crazy for buying a nearly three-year-old budget-minded iPhone in 2019? Watch our hands-on video as I revisit the iPhone SE, breaking down its current strengths and weaknesses.
Apple today released the first developer beta for iOS 12.2. The update is loaded with several new features and changes that are worthy of discussion. Watch our brief hands-on video walkthrough for a look at what’s new in this exciting iOS 12.2 beta update.
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After several delays, the Blackmagic eGPU Pro is now available for purchase at Apple’s online and retail store locations. The Pro version of Blackmagic’s external graphics chassis is an upgraded version of 2018’s initial release.
The original Blackmagic eGPU was a limited device for several key reasons: it was expensive at $699; it couldn’t be upgraded; and with Radeon Pro 580 graphics, it lacked the punch of higher powered cards. Some of those problems carry over with the release of the new Blackmagic eGPU Pro, but it’s unquestionably a better device than its predecessor. Watch our hands-on video review for the full lowdown.
Yesterday Apple quietly pushed an update to Final Cut Pro X, the first update since its big 10.4.4 update back in November. Final Cut Pro X 10.4.5 doesn’t add any new features, but includes several stability improvements.
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Does your iPhone have trouble making it through a full working day without dying? If so, then Apple’s just-released Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR may be the answer to your problem.
But with a better, yet still polarizing design, and a $129 price tag, the Smart Battery Case isn’t exactly an impulse buy. Do its smarts and new features like Qi wireless charging make it compelling enough to consider? Watch our new iPhone Smart Battery Case review video for the details.
The long-anticipated Blackmagic eGPU Pro, which became available to order last month, should finally be arriving soon to customers. Those placing orders for the RX Vega 56-powered external graphics chassis should receive the Blackmagic eGPU Pro this week.
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On its own, the 2018 MacBook Air is a downright terrible gaming machine. Connected to my LG UltraWide 5K2K Display, the MacBook Air averages around 1-2 frames per second in Rocket League, and similarly abysmal scores in Unigine Heaven and Valley benchmarks. That’s no fault of the MacBook Air, as it’s a thin and light portable laptop built around maximizing battery life. In other words, it was never intended to be a gaming machine.
But if you own a MacBook Air and are looking for ways to get more out of your laptop, then an eGPU setup within a Windows Boot Camp environment can go a long way towards making that a reality. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the step-by-step details.
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Today at CES AMD unveiled its next-generation GPU, the Radeon VII (pronounced seven), the world’s first GPU with a 7nm process. This news is particularly intriguing for Mac users, given the outright lack of support for competing Nvidia cards in macOS Mojave. It’s highly likely that macOS will gain future compatibility with AMD’s just-announced hardware in future releases.
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Thunderbolt 3 is in a much better state today than it was when it debuted on the 2016 MacBook Pro. Time has been friendly to the technology, with the majority of Macs in Apple’s lineup now equipped with the super-fast I/O. With its growing adoption in mind, watch our hands-on video as we consider some of the best Thunderbolt 3 accessories for the Mac.
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In a previous video, I showcased a 2018 Mac mini gaming setup using an AMD RX Vega 64 eGPU running Windows 10 via Boot Camp. Would a similar setup work for an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 GPU from EVGA? Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the answer.
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The G-Drive Mobile Pro SSD from G-Technology is a Thunderbolt 3 drive, featuring an impressive maximum read speed rating of 2800 MB/s. This puts it in direct competition with the Samsung X5 SSD, providing external storage that’s more comparable to your Mac’s internal storage from a speed perspective. Is G-Technology’s external SSD worth considering if you’re in need of high-speed external storage? Watch our video walkthrough for the details.
Can you game with the 2018 Mac mini? If you’re willing to install Windows 10 using our Boot Camp tutorial, and you have an eGPU at your disposal, the answer is yes. Watch our video showing you how to transform the 2018 Mac mini into a legit Windows 10 gaming machine.
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Blackmagic’s latest external eGPU release, the upgraded Blackmagic eGPU Pro, is now available via Apple’s online store for $1199 with orders shipping to customers next month.
The release, which was delayed from its original late-November scheduled launch, is the follow-up to the original Blackmagic eGPU (review). The upgraded ‘Pro’ version features additional I/O and a much more capable RX Vega 56 graphics card inside.
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Hyper, the prolific third-party Apple hardware maker, has created a new device that addresses one of the biggest issues with the 2018 iPad Pro — the sheer amount of dongles needed for basic connectivity to external devices.
Apple makes several dongles, including the USB-C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter, USB-C to SD Card Reader, USB-C to USB Adapter, and USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter. A single 6-in-1 HyperDrive USB-C Hub can replace all of those dongles, and look much better in the process.
Today marks the beginning of Hyper’s Kickstarter campaign to launch its USB-C Hub for iPad Pro. Early backers can score a space gray HyperDrive hub for $49. The company sent over a couple of units for some much-anticipated early hands-on time.
Is this the definitive peripheral that all iPad Pro owners should have their eye on? Watch our first look video walkthrough for the details.
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Apple’s long-rumored first-party clear case is now finally available. At $39.99, it’s pricier than many of the third-party iPhone XR clear case options out there. Is the iPhone XR Clear Case worth it? Watch our hands-on video review for the details.
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A day after the release of iOS 12.1.1, the Apple Watch received its last major software update of 2018 with watchOS 5.1.2. The anticipated update includes the ECG app that Apple demonstrated on stage in September for performing single-lead-style Electrocardiograms. In this hands-on video walkthrough, we take the ECG app for a test drive, and briefly discuss the other new changes and features that arrive alongside watchOS 5.1.2.
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iOS 12.1.1 was released to the public today, and it contains a variety of new changes, features and bug fixes. Watch our brief hands-on video walkthrough as we consider what’s new.
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