Jordan manages the internal Partner Program for sponsorships and partnerships across the 9to5 network’s media brands including 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, Electrek.co, SpaceExplored and DroneDJ.com.
Jordan also writes about all things Apple as a Senior Editor of 9to5Mac. He covers Google for 9to5Google.com, the best gadgets and deals on 9to5Toys.com, and EV and solar news on Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series and makes music sometimes.
Contact Jordan with partnership inquiries and long-winded complaints:
USA Today reports that civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson met with Apple CEO Tim Cook yesterday ahead of a rally scheduled for Thursday outside Apple’s headquarters to raise awareness for a growing income gap and diversity issues in Silicon Valley. Apple also issued a statement and said Cook’s meeting with Jackson was “productive” and that it remains “deeply committed to diversity” and human rights issues:
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eBay announced today that it’s releasing a completely redesigned experience for iPad that introduces a new layout, larger images, redesigned notifications, improved search and much more.
The completely redesigned iPad app is available globally in the Apple App Store, and features a more consistent, simplified design that puts sellers’ products at the forefront and creates an engaging shopping experience for buyers. “Our aspiration is to make eBay the most inspiring place to shop,” said RJ Pittman, chief product officer at eBay. “This new experience is aimed at giving sellers the best platform to showcase their products and make it effortless for buyers to discover and engage with their inventory.”
Other new features include a new “Today” screen with featured collections, Google and Yahoo ad integration, redesigned seller profiles, and a enhanced search that Yahoo says will now “show you what you asked for, and also other items related to your search.”
To celebrate the launch, eBay is also offering a number of exclusive deals on iOS and Apple accessories through the app:
eBay for iPad Exclusive Deals
None of these prices are earth shattering, but decent enough if you’re currently in the market for one of these items. Keep tuned to 9to5Toys if you want to score Apple and other tech gear at all-time low prices.
The new eBay iPad app is available on the App Store now. A full list of what’s new in version 3.4.0 below:
Apple appears to have finally dropped Google Maps from iCloud.com, replacing it with its own in-house maps almost two years after removing Google Maps from iOS and most of its other products. Apple started slowly rolling out the feature to its iCloud beta site for select users earlier this year before pulling it, but it now seems to have replaced Google for all users of iCloud.com’s Find My iPhone feature (pictured above).
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Apple was today awarded a patent for touch-free, motion sensing gestures within 3D GUI concepts just as the company reassigns a patent related to 3D mapping technologies that it picked up through its acquisition of PrimeSense.
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Google announced today that it’s rolling out updates to its Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides iOS apps that add a few new editing features and enhanced iPhone 6 and 6 Plus support.
All of the updates are available from the App Store now for the iOS versions of Docs, Slides, and Sheets (links below). In addition to support for vieing and editing text in tables, the Docs app also adds several new accessibility features.
A full list of new features for each app below:
* Support for viewing and editing text in tables
* Revamped accessibility support to use system standard text editing controls.
* Enhanced support for reading and editing when using Braille displays.
* Enhanced VoiceOver support when using Bluetooth keyboards.
* Enhanced support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
* Bug fixes and performance improvements
* Insert, move, resize and rotate textboxes, shapes and lines
* Enhanced support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
* Bug fixes and performance improvements
* Enhanced support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
* Bug fixes and performance improvementss
Apple is looking to hire a new Head of Social Media and Content that will lead and expand on its current social media strategy. The job will be based out of Culver City, which could hint at Apple’s plans to align its overall social media strategy closer with its recently acquired Beats Electronics division which is located there. The West LA office is also in close proximity to its lead global Ad/Marketing agency Media Arts Lab.
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Tim Cook shows China’s top internet regulator Lu Wei the Apple Watch
Apple CEO Tim Cook alongside Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and other tech executives recently met with China’s Cyberspace Administration ministerLu Wei while the government official was in the US, according to a report from China’s government-run china.com.cn (via Bloomberg).
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Yahoo announced today that it will be hosting its first ever developer conference, The Yahoo Mobile Developer Conference, early next year in February. Yahoo confirmed it plans to use the event to unveil a new suite of developer tools for mobile apps that will “help developers better understand their users and improve, grow and monetize their apps.”
Today, Americans spend more time on their smartphones than watching TV – making the mobile experience, and the job of mobile developers, more important than ever. Join us as we announce a suite of tools that will help mobile developers better understand their users and improve, grow and monetize their apps… Breakout sessions will help developers solve some of the biggest issues they’re facing in today’s crowded app market.
Yahoo didn’t give many clues regarding what exactly those tools will include, but it did say that VP of Flurry products, the mobile analytics and advertising company that it acquired earlier this year, will appear at the event with a “State of Mobile address.” It’s likely we’ll see the latest solutions from the Flurry team since joining Yahoo. Currently the company offers analytics services for tracking app performance and a mobile app advertising platform for both advertisers and publishers.
Developers and others interested in learning more about The Yahoo Mobile Developer Conference scheduled for Feb. 19, 2015 in San Francisco can sign up here for updates.
I prefer leather, wallet-style iPhone cases, and if you’re reading this you’re likely on the hunt for one as well. I’ve had a lot of cases arriving for review this time of the year following the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launch, so below I’ve put together my thoughts on the best leather wallet cases around (and in some cases vegan leather), to guide you through your purchase and show you some of my favorites after going hands-on.
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Apple is looking to expand its efforts in crowdsourcing data to improve its Maps app for iOS and OS X, according to hints in a new job listing on the company’s site.
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Sonos is today rolling out software update 5.2, previously in beta, and with it includes an updated Sonos Controller iOS app that brings multi-account support and other new features.
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After adding support for several new banks last month, Apple today updated its list of supported banks and card types with the addition of L&N Federal Credit Union, UW Credit Union, and new card types for others.
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Update: Apple removed the job listings, but we have screenshots below.
Following our discovery that Apple was looking to hire app engineers to build virtual reality experiences, new job listings give us more insight into its interest in building VR gaming experiences and “cinematic user interfaces” for future Apple products.
Over the last week or two Apple Stores started stocking these new app-enabled Christmas lights from Lumenplay both online and in retail stores. Similar to other app-controlled lighting systems, Lumenplay comes as string lights perfect for Christmas trees or outdoor decorations as we move into the holiday season, opposed to the traditional lightbulbs from Philips and others.
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The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has announced an updated Bluetooth spec, version 4.2, that introduces a number of new features alongside enhancements to speed and privacy. The update also allows for Bluetooth over IPv6, which along with an upcoming update will allow devices to have a direct connection to the Internet and open up new possibilities for Bluetooth sensors and other accessories.
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Chinese smartphone maker Digione is claiming Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus copy the design of its own smartphone line.
Macworld reports that the company published a letter online yesterday that was originally sent to Apple back in September in order to make them aware that the latest iPhones might infringe on a patent it was granted in July by China’s State Intellectual Property Office.
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Following a report late last month that creditors of bankrupt sapphire supplier GT Advanced Technologies won a court order to get a look at sensitive Apple documents, now GT’s creditors are requesting a deposition of Apple executive Jeff Williams. The Wall Street Journal reports:
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American Express updated its Amex Mobile app today with one notable new feature: the ability to login into your account using Touch ID.
Log-in securely with the same user ID and Password you use on americanexpress.com. And now, enjoy quicker access with Touch ID, available for supported devices with iOS 8.
The new features utilizes Apple’s Touch ID finger print sensor, which in iOS 8 was opened to third-party apps for logins after previously being reserved for unlocking the device itself and authenticating App Store and iTunes purchases. For that reason the new feature is only supported on devices with TouchID running iOS 8. Devices with Touch ID include iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 Plus, and iPad mini 3.
The updated Amex Mobile app, version 4.6.4, is available on the App Store now and also includes other “bug fixes and enhancements.”
What’s New in Version 4.6.4
•Enjoy quicker access to your account with Touch ID, available for supported devices with iOS 8
•Bug fixes and enhancements
It looks like a MacBook Air until you get close and realize it’s HP’s new Elitebook Folio. Embarrassing. (via Verge)
Improving on the last generation Elgato Thunderbolt dock (review), today the company is announcing a refreshed model that includes Thunderbolt 2 technology and more at the same $229 price point of the last-gen model.
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It doesn’t take much to get up and running recording music on your Mac, iPad, or even your iPhone. With a few pieces of additional hardware and the right software, it’s easier than ever to have a home recording setup that, thanks to iOS and some great third-party apps, is as simple and as intuitive to use as iOS itself.
Head below for our latest guide to the essentials for making music with your iPad, iPhone, and Mac, many of which are currently discounted for Cyber Monday:
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Dropbox announced today that an incoming update hitting the App Store today will offer the ability to rename fils and folders and more.
Today’s update to the iOS app includes a new “more actions button” that will let users rename files, folders and access other functions: We’ve added an easy-access more actions button next to the sharing icon in the upper right-hand corner that leads to a set of file options so you can quickly do things like rename or move a file…To rename files straight from the Dropbox, simply choose Rename from the more actions button as you’re previewing. Rename folders by swiping to the right from the file list view and tapping the rename icon.
Dropbox also points out that the latest apps have a new disappearing toolbar that provides more screen real estate when viewing files and folders in addition to a few other new features. Our new toolbar disappears (and reappears) as you need it, leaving valuable screen space for a full view into your photos or important files. Simply tap once anywhere within your photo or file to toggle between the toolbar and full screen.
That new disappearing toolbar (which was present in the last version of the app as well) includes an edit button for Microsoft Office files as part of the company’s recent integration with the Office mobile apps.
The updated Dropbox app for iOS, version 3.6, will be arriving on the App Store today.
• You can now rename your files and folders!
• Swipe right on a folder to see more actions, including rename.
• We’ve moved a few things around – there’s a new more actions button (⋯) when viewing files
• On iPhones, the more actions button (⋯) also includes the full file na
A ton of great deals on accessories for iPhone, iPad and Macs have gone live today for Cyber Monday in addition to the many Black Friday deals still running from the weekend. Today is your last chance to get in on most of these discounts and in some cases might be your last chance to get your hands on these products before the holidays.
Head below for our roundup of the best deals available today on cases and accessories for your Apple device.
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T-Mobile just announced a few special iPhone deals available for Cyber Monday. For tomorrow only, the carrier is offering discounts on the iPhone 6, iPhone 5S, and iPhone 5c, allowing users to upgrade to a higher capacity model at no additional cost.
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