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  • Optimizing Your Email Marketing To Survive Apple’s Ios 15 Updates

    What if your best marketing channel stopped working overnight?

    This is a reality for many businesses that rely on email marketing. While email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to boost your brand and increase sales, things like software changes can change how you do business overnight.

    One such change is the recent iOS 15 Apple update. This update adds Mail Privacy Protection for users. And while this is very convenient for consumers, it can create major obstacles for your own email marketing efforts.

    Fortunately, it’s possible to transform those obstacles into opportunities. Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about the iOS 15 update and how to optimize your email marketing accordingly!

    HOW DOES THE APPLE UPDATE WORK?

    Our guide is going to walk you through how to market with the Apple update. Before we go any further, though, we need to explore what this update is all about.

    For marketing purposes, the big deal is that Apple’s update now lets users opt into a Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) setting. The purpose of this setting is data security. Specifically, the privacy setting makes it harder for third parties to gather and use consumers’ private data.

    Consumers will see this setting as a good thing. But when businesses can no longer track things like IP data and open rates, they must adopt new strategies for email marketing.

    HOW DOES THE IOS 15 UPDATE AFFECT EMAIL MARKETING?

    Below, we have some of our best ideas for how you can optimize your email marketing after the Apple update. However, it’s important for you to first understand how this update affects the way you do business.

    The biggest issue is that with the privacy setting enabled, open rates are going to appear incorrect. This throws out your ability to track open rates as a metric for the overall effectiveness of your email marketing.

    Additionally, the update will throw off any automated workflows that you rely on due to the lack of data. For example, this update will disrupt your ability to use re-engagement workflows.

    Because the emails will read as having been automatically opened, you can no longer use live data. Many marketing emails rely on countdown timers and other engagement strategies that will no longer work on the majority of iOS users.

    That’s the bad news, and we won’t lie: there is a lot of it. The good news, however, is that there are easy steps you can take to optimize email marketing in the face of the iOS 15 update. Here are just a few easy strategies you can start using today!

    CREATE A NEW “ENGAGED” LIST

    A big part of email marketing is identifying your “engaged” customers. This helps you see who is likeliest to open and respond to your messages. But the iOS 15 update means you have to go back to the drawing board when figuring out who is engaged and who is not.

    That’s because you can no longer rely on the open rate as a metric for engagement. But that doesn’t mean you should stop tracking user engagement. You just have to get more creative about it!

    For example, within Klaviyo you can create a new list where you track who is buying products, who is subscribing, who is visiting your site, and who is clicking on your emails. It will take a bit of trial and error, but this should help you discover your most engaged users.

    COMPARING SEGMENTS

    It may sound daunting to come up with a new engaged list. After all, how will you know if it is accurate or not? Ultimately, the best way to do this is to compare your old data to your new data!

    Specifically, you need to compare your original engaged list with the new one you created. Your goal is to get the new list to look a lot like the old one. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different sets of data until you find the most accurate way to track engaged users.

    UPDATING AUTOMATIONS

    It’s fair to say that automation is the cornerstone of what makes email marketing so effective. Unfortunately, Apple updates mean that businesses must change how they approach automation.

    For example, you need to stop using automated workflows that rely on users opening emails. Because iOS will automatically open these emails, your old workflows could cause customers to receive emails they don’t want, souring them on your company.

    This doesn’t mean you have to stop using automation. But you should tether your workflows to things like clicks or time spent reading rather than whether the message was opened or not.

    CHANGE YOUR “ENGAGED” SEGMENTS

    We already talked about the importance of creating a new “engaged” list. On top of that, you need to change any user segments that rely on email opens.

    Many businesses track and sort customer segments based in part on which emails they open. Such businesses also rely on users opening emails to track the performance of particular marketing messages.

    Eventually, you’ll find newer and even better ways of tracking customer segments. But you won’t be able to develop a new approach until your own business stops relying on the data from email opens.

    STOP RELYING ON CLICK-THROUGH RATES

    It’s already bad enough that you can no longer rely on email open rates. Most companies that rely on email marketing have already begun to phase out open rates as a measure worth tracking at all. On top of that, you need to stop relying on click-through rates.

    That’s because we determine click-through rates by taking the number of clicks a message gets divided by how often it was opened. Before, this presented an accurate way of determining the effectiveness of a message.

    Click-through rates no longer work as a metric because we can’t rely on open rates. Instead, you should rely on click rates, delivery rates, and unsubscriptions as a metric for how well the marketing is going.

    CHANGE LOCATION-BASED STRATEGIES

    Chances are that you rely on at least one location-based strategy for your marketing emails. For example, you may have special email offers that rely on knowing users’ timezones. Or you may send out special sales emails based on a customer’s location.

    However, you no longer have reliable access to user IP addresses thanks to the iOS 15 update. And since there is no direct alternative to these location-based strategies, we recommend you experiment with other strategies.

    TEST SUBJECT LINES (FOR NOW)

    Even your customers know how important email subject lines are. The right subject line makes all the difference about whether someone opens a message or not. But since you can no longer track open rates, it is more difficult than ever to test the effectiveness of your own open rates.

    However, keep in mind that not all of your consumers using iOS will have made the switch yet. That’s why it’s important to do as much A/B testing of subject lines while you still can. The day will soon come when you can’t do such testing, but the data you collect about it here and now will be very valuable.

    UPDATE FLOWS RELATED TO UNENGAGED SEGMENTS

    Just as you have special workflows designed with engaged users in mind, you probably have workflows designed for unengaged users. However, it’s important to either disable or update any flows tied to your “unengaged” segments.

    These flows are often tied to whether or not customers are opening emails. But since we can’t rely on open rates, flows meant to go to unengaged customers may end up going to your most engaged customers!

    If you’re not careful, this can end up turning off your biggest brand ambassadors. But if you turn off things like Sunset Flow right now, you can keep that from happening.

    DISABLE OPENS FOR REVENUE ATTRIBUTION

    Many businesses have relied on open rates to calculate their email revenue. With the iOS 15 update changes, your own email revenue may look inflated and incorrect.

    It’s best to go ahead and disable email opens as a metric for your revenue. And this step is especially important if you know that more than half of your customers rely on iOS.

    It’s also never too late to find a better way to track this data. We recommend using Google Analytics to help determine whether you are getting the best bang for your buck when it comes to email marketing.

    YOUR NEXT MOVE

    Now you know how to optimize your email after the iOS 15 Apple update. But new updates are always around the corner. Ask yourself: do you know who can help you make the most of your email marketing year after year?

    Here at Upmkt, we specialize in all aspects of digital marketing and design. Email marketing is a particular specialty, and we’re ready to help transform your business.

    But are you ready to discover how successful your business can be? If so, all you have to do is contact us today!

  • Everything Advertisers Need To Know About Apple’s New App Tracking Transparency Update

    Apple’s highly contentious iOS 14 App Tracking Transparency (ATT) privacy update is on the cusp of being rolled out. If you haven’t heard about it already, well… it’s a pretty big deal.

    Apple is taking its anti-tracking agenda to the next level. Facebook in particular has been taking a very vocal stand against it, as you can see in articles like this one, titled ‘Speaking up for Small Businesses’.

    The reaction is understandable – Apple is setting an entirely new precedence in mainstream digital advertising and the implications will be far reaching.

    It will mean that businesses who advertise to consumers using iOS 14 devices will see the effectiveness of their digital ad spending drop. It might even limit their business growth. And the platforms that publish adverts will also be negatively affected. Naturally, there’s concern about maintaining their revenues when they can no longer provide the same quality of ad service.

    Some believe this is a concerning trend that could ultimately spell the end of the ‘free internet’, with in-app payments or subscriptions becoming a compensatory requirement.

    The crux of the update? Apple users will now get an ‘App Tracking Transparency’ pop-up message, asking them if they want to opt into or out of tracking:

    Apple’s new privacy pop-up asking users to opt-in to sharing their data.

    The AppTracking Transparency Framework is new with the latest iOS 14 privacy update, and will appear for all iOS apps.

    This will be an additional layer of privacy on top of the current tracking privacy settings already available to Apple iOS 14 users:

    Existing Apple iOS Privacy Features

    Until App Tracking Transparency, advertising platforms like Facebook could readily track what Apple users do across  multiple third-party platforms, gathering very specific data at an individual level. This allows you, the advertiser, to run highly targeted and personalized advertising campaigns.

    However, after the update, ad personalization and performance reporting will become increasingly limited for both web and app conversion events. If you use using dynamic ads for retargeting, you may also see your retargeted audience size and conversion rate decrease.

    Needless to say, removing the functionality to serve ads to only those people who are most likely to need or want your services has big implications for the ROI of online ad budgets.

    The truth is, at this point in time, there are still many unknowns about how the privacy update will come into play and affect the wider digital ad ecosystem. The information provided by Apple has been rather vague, mostly focussing on the benefits from a user perspective. They’ve said in “early 2021,” iOS apps that collect data for “personalized advertising” will begin displaying the App Tracking Transparency prompt.

    Facebook has been by far the most forthcoming advertising publisher in sharing its preparations ahead of the update. As we probably all know, Facebook is the most popular social platform, absolutely dominating the US social media market share. Especially since Instagram’s acquisition.

    Credit: Statista, We Are Social

    Beyond the sheer number of regular users, Facebooks popularity with advertisers is also due in no small part to its Ad Manager product. The reason it’s such a strong advertising product is the immediate feedback on ad performance, powerful targeting, and superb click + view attribution tracking.

    Focusing in on just Facebook specifically, here’s an overview of the immediate impacts for you as an advertiser, and what action you need to take.

    We’re also going to focus on advertising that links to web domains. If you run app install campaigns, the implication are different. Facebook has provided information for app developers that you can check out.

    Immediate Ad Manager changes

    The iOS 14 update has triggered Facebook to implement the following changes across Ads Manager, ads reporting and the Ads Insights API:

    Delayed reporting:

    Real-time reporting will no longer be supported, and data may now be delayed up to three days. Web conversion events will be reported based on the time the conversions occur and not at the time of the associated ad impressions.

    Estimated results reporting:

    For web conversion events, statistical modeling may be used to account for conversions from iOS 14 users. We’ll get into that in more detail shortly.

    No audience breakdowns:

    ‍For both web and app conversions, breakdowns such as age, gender, region and placement will no longer be supported.

    Changes to account attribution window settings:

    The attribution window for all new/active ad campaigns will be set at the ad set level rather than the account level. (An ad set is a Facebook ads grouping where settings like targeting, scheduling, optimization, and placement are determined.) The new ad set attribution setting can be accessed during campaign creation. The default for all new/active ad campaigns (other than iOS 14 app install campaigns) will be set at a 7-day click attribution window.

    The impact on your unique customer base?

    Firstly, what percentage of your target audience are currently using Facebook on Apple mobile devices? Your audience demographics for Apple mobile device usage are key, as only mobile is affected.

    According to Statistia, 96% of global users access the Facebook app via a mobile device, and only 25% on a desktop.Statistia also reports that Apple’s smartphone market share in the US has been steady at 45% vs. 53% for Android for the last 4 years. However, the percentage of US users that access Facebook on Apple is higher than for Android, and also higher than the global average.

    Credit: Statista

    Depending on your own unique target audience demographics, the size of your customer base using iOS 14 will deviate accordingly. You’ll need to review your customer device and OS usage to assess the likely impact for your individual business.

    In terms of how many iOS 14 users will opt out of sharing their data with apps – well, we just don’t know yet. But to provide some context, when a similar prompt was introduced by iOS 13 for sharing geographic information, opt-in rates to share data “with apps when they’re not in use” nose-dived from 100% to as little as 20% in some cases.

    For your own target customer base, it won’t be possible to say precisely how iOS 14 users are responding to the App Tracking Transparency prompt. But how your conversion events fluctuate over time after the update will be very telling. Of course, you’ll now be receiving limited conversion event data in aggregated format with a time delay, and paired back attribution reporting.

    Let’s look at the new reporting in a bit more detail.‍

    The dawn of ‘Aggregated Event Measurement’

    The Facebook pixel is how users are tracked, assuming you’ve already activated this on your website domain. Facebook will now start reporting pixel ad conversion events from iOS 14 devices to website domains using a brand new framework called Aggregated Event Measurement.

    Aggregated Event Measurement will limit website domains to 8 conversion events that can be used for campaign optimization. Reporting on the 8 selected events will be provided in aggregated data sets rather than at the individual user level, lumped in 24 to 74-hour data sets after conversions have taken place.

    The 8 conversion events you select will be prioritized in order of value for reporting purposes. For example, if a user completes multiple conversion events such as clicking on an ad before watching a video and then making a purchase, it’s the purchase data you’d want to know about.

    Facebook will pre-assign conversion events for you based on what they think is most valuable for your business, although you are able go into your settings and edit the prioritization as you’d like.

    What happens if you have ad sets optimizing for events that aren’t among those primary eight? Those ad sets will be paused.

    Learn more about configuring your Aggregate Event Measurement settings, which you can do ahead of the iOS 14 changes coming into enforce without impacting your current optimization or reporting.

    (Note that for app install ads, there’s a different precedence.)

    So what’s the impact of Aggregated Event Measurement? Effective advertisers optimize for a specific conversion action so that Facebook shows their ads to people most likely to perform that action. If Facebook is tracking fewer events, it will be more difficult to effectively optimize your ad sets.‍

    How will attribution reporting be affected?

    Attribution reporting is when a user sees your ad without clicking but converts within a day, or clicks your ad and converts within 7 days. Facebooks ‘attributes’ these conversions to your ad.

    Unfortunately, 28-day click-through, 28-day view-through and 7-day view-through attribution windows will no longer be available. Only the following windows will be supported:

    • 1-day click
    • 7-day click (default)
    • 1-day click and 1-day view
    • 7-day click and 1-day view

    Facebook state that they’ll be compensating for a reduction in iOS 14 user data:

    • Statistical modeling will be used for certain attribution windows and/or metrics to account for less data availability from iOS 14 users. In-product annotation will communicate when a metric is modeled.
    • Certain attribution windows will have partial reporting and metrics will not include all events from iOS 14 users. In-product annotation will communicate when a metric is partial. This will launch in early 2021.

    To summarize, Facebook knows that total ad conversions will now be underreported. Modeling for iOS 14 users will help compensate for that. Read more about what Facebook have to say on upcoming changes to attribution settings.

    Actions you need to take now

    Open up your  Manager account and complete the following actions as necessary.

    Verify your website domain: This is especially important if you have pixel events owned by multiple accounts. It show which account owns the setup of the restricted 8 conversion events configuration. Read more about when to use domain verification to verify your business.

    Dynamic ads set up: If you use dynamic ads for retargeting, Facebook suggests using only one pixel per catalog, and avoid links in your catalog that send users to another domain.

    Export historic attribution data: If you haven’t done so already, export any historical 28-day view or click and 7-day view attribution window data that you’ll need. You’ll lose the ability to view this in Ads Manager once the iOS 14 update is implemented. Going forward, this historic data will only be available via API, so export this data now for ease of access.

    Note that automated rules will also change to a 7-day click attribution window. The option to specify a different attribution window for automated rules will no longer be available. To avoid unexpected changes, Apple recommends updating the attribution window for your automated rules to a 7-day click attribution window now.

    Calculate your Delayed Attribution Multiplier: Update your Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) benchmarks for when the reporting switches over. Working under the new model for attribution, what will your ROAS benchmark metrics be? If you don’t know how to calculate this, here’s a video to talk you through it:

    ‍

    Conclusion

    Given the size of the iOS 14 user base, your targeting capacity and ability to personalize ads will inevitably decrease to some extent.

    However, you don’t need to stop running ads on Facebook (or Instagram) quite yet. The steps you can take for now will mitigate some of the negative impact until you have a chance to fully analyze how your conversion events and attribution are affected.

    Longer-term impacts for the industry and how many other ad platforms will respond is yet to become clear. More emphasis on tracking your own user data, or employing email more effectively, for example, may be important strategies to help your business mitigate revenue losses from digital ads.

    It’s a very real possibility that digital ads will begin to cost less due to their reduced effectiveness. That could adequately offset reduced conversion events based on your own unique customer base, making less effective digital ads a viable proposition.

    If you’d like to read more, here are a couple of article’s on Facebook’s Business Help Centre to start with:

    Key concepts for iOS 14 effects on Facebook Business tools

    How Apple’s iOS 14 release may affect your ads

    If you need any help, just get in touch with us at Half Past Nine. We’ll be very happy to navigate you through the impacts of App Tracking Transparency for your social ad strategy.

  • 9 Incredible Benefits of Apple Pay

    Are you looking for convenient ways to make purchases through your smart device?

    Since its release in October 2014, Apple has seen the number of Apple Pay users grow to over 441 million people! Apple is known for its ease of use and reliable products, which makes the Apple Pay application a popular choice for consumers.

    Read on to learn 9 incredible benefits of Apple Pay to put to use in your daily life!

    1. Simple Payments

    Apple has simplified the payment process with its Apple Pay system. 

    This makes it an appealing option for consumers of all ages because of its ease of use. For example, after you’ve loaded your credit card onto your iPhone or Apple Watch, just look for the Apple logo at retailers you visit. 

    When a retailer accepts Apple Pay, you simply open the app and hold your phone up to the store’s device reader to charge your account. Learn how to setup Apple Pay to be up and running on your device in a matter of minutes!

    2. Sanitary Option

    With the continuing threat posed by the COVID-19 global pandemic, people across the world are looking for safer and more sanitary options in virtually every aspect of their life. 

    Apple Pay is a sanitary payment option for you to use at retailers across the country. Besides being easy to use, Apple Pay also gives you the ability to make touch-free payments. 

    You can have peace of mind that you are doing more to socially distance and protect you and the cashier from exposure to coronavirus. 

    3. Increased Security

    Apple is well-known in the tech world for being a company with its focus on giving users a safe and secure experience using their products.

    From Apple’s MacBook computers to its popular iPhone, the company takes extra steps to ensure users have a positive experience. The same goes for Apple Pay too!

    Once your credit card is loaded into the application, you don’t need to bring your card along anymore. Apple uses a device account number that it assigns to your credit card number so you don’t need to worry about someone obtaining it while using Apple Pay.

    4. Smooth User Experience

    Apple’s become the most valuable company in the world, in part by giving consumers a smooth user experience that’s unmatched by the competition. 

    Apple Pay complements the existing Apple products and services by being an easy-to-use product that can be used by people of all ages. For example, if you load many credit cards in Apple Pay, the application will allow you to choose the one to use with the mere swipe of a finger. 

    Apple uses the technology in its devices and software to load your payment options quickly!

    5. More Opportunities to Use

    Some consumers are wary of a new payment option because of the perception of limited merchants accept it. The same can’t be said about Apple Pay.

    Apple has put significant effort into increasing the number of locations where consumers can use Apple Pay. As of July 2020, Apple Pay is accepted by 65 percent of retail locations in the United States! 

    With the growth and popularity of Apple, it’s reasonable to believe that this figure will grow in the not too distant future. 

    6. Person-to-Person Payments

    Have you ever been somewhere with a friend or family member that’s forgotten their wallet? 

    Apple Pay gives you and your friends the opportunity to complete person-to-person payments through iMessage. For example, a friend owes you $20 for a dinner out, you can request the payment through Apple Pay. In a matter of seconds, your friend can read the message and process payment through Apple Pay.

    This person-to-person payment option is more secure than other payment applications because of the information encryption technology Apple uses to protect all users.

    7. Leave Your Credit Card at Home

    Using Apple Pay promotes your privacy and safety by allowing you to leave your credit cards at home.

    Instead of needing to carry many different credit cards or cash, you can choose to bring along your smartphone device with Apple Pay only. This means you’ve got less to keep track of and can avoid losing a credit card unnecessarily.

    It also makes you a less valuable target for a thief since you won’t have any cash or credit cards on your person when you are out.

    8. Protect Your Personal Information

    Unlike merchants that often collect a lot of personal information about you during checkout, Apple does not do the same. 

    Apple Pay protects your personal information by not providing it to retailers who accept it for payment in-store and online. Once’ you’ve uploaded your credit card information, you need to have other sensitive personal information to give your merchant.

    Apple Pay will give you the benefit of an easy-to-use payment system that keeps more of your sensitive information private.

    9. Recurrent Online Payments

    Apple Pay can be used online and in-person to make instant payments to retailers.

    While you may first think to use Apple Pay in a brick and mortar store location, you can make payments to online merchants and other creditors. Once you’ve used Apple Pay online, you can choose to make recurrent payments to a creditor on a weekly or monthly basis.

    This means you don’t need to worry about paying bills on time since Apple Pay will do it for you!

    Wrapping Up: The Best Benefits of Apple Pay

    The best benefits of Apple Pay are the ones that make your life more simple and stress-free.

    Before you decide to use Apple Pay, take the time to consider what you value in a payment application and how it will benefit your day-to-day life. By taking the time to review your options now, you will have peace of mind that Apple Pay is the right one for you when you pick it.

    Are you interested in learning about other tips and tricks to help make your life easier?

    Check out our blog posts to see other ways to start living your best life today!

  • Are Apple Cider Vinegar Pills Effective? Get The Scoop

    Are apple cider vinegar pills effective for weight loss? Are the benefits best garnered via consuming the liquid form? What other benefits does apple cider provide? These are questions I’ll be answering in this article.

    As technology progresses and the research is compiled it’s not surprising that we’re learning new and better ways to achieve our health and fitness goals. No doubt you’ve heard of the benefits from apple cider vinegar (ACV) by now. While some experts make some pretty outrageous claims about it, others chalk it up as a fad.

    Over the years I’ve seen many fad diets, tons of miracle pills and a garage full of latest and greatest exercise equipment come out. And the one thing they all have in common is, they don’t work nearly as well as the manufacturers claim.

    Will apple cider vinegar help with weight loss?ACV Pills

    You’ve probably noticed television ads pushing a tonic, pill, or exercise equipment, and on the bottom of the screen in tiny print, it usually says something to the effect of “these results are not typical” or “these results are in conjunction with a healthy diet”…or something similar.

    Are Apple Cider Vinegar Pills Effective?

    No, there currently isn’t any convincing evidence they are bad for you. I would put apple cider vinegar PILLS in the category of not a miracle tonic or cure-all. Similar to a multi-vitamin, they will provide a benefit but as you read below, they are not nearly as effective as the liquid form.

    To begin, any nutrients that are good for the body are best consumed in their natural state. Meaning it best to get them from the foods you eat vs a pill form. This isn’t to say that pills are bad for you or useless. For example, if you’re looking to increase your protein intake, eat more protein-rich foods like meat, quinoa, eggs, etc.. Whey protein powders are good, but they won’t be as good for you as getting protein from the foods you consume.

    This goes for ACV. The consumption of ACV via pills may help, but it won’t be as effective as consuming the actual liquid form. Bad for you, definitely not, but not as beneficial to the body as the liquid form.

    Is Apple Cider Vinegar A Superfood?

    The label of “superfood” is pretty hefty. That being said, with the number of benefits ACV provides, you could definitely make a strong argument that it IS a superfood. At this point, the research is very promising but preliminary. In a few years, we’ll be able to make a firm conclusion on the standing of “superfood.”

    So what kinds of benefits does ACV provide? Research shows they are numerous benefits to ACV so here are 10 advantages of ACV.

    10 Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

    ACV for diabetes – type 2 diabetes is caused by either the inability to produce insulin or insulin resistance. ACV helps regulate blood sugar levels which help with insulin responses. Because of this vinegar can be helpful for pre-diabetics, people with diabetes, or for anybody looking to regulate their blood sugar levels.

     

    ACV and weight loss – so while the jury is still out a bit on the significant effect of weight loss, studies do show that consuming liquid ACV can increase satiety, which can help you ultimately consume fewer calories. Fewer calories consumed lead to weight loss and fewer pounds on the scale. If you’re a person that craves a dessert or sugary snack after meals, try consuming some lemon ginger tea, with a bit of ACV. It’s no secret that drinking ACV plain is not the best, so try to add it to salads, tea, or whatever helps you consume it easily and without hesitation.

    ACV and acne – there is some evidence that ACV may help with acne due to its naturally high acidic content. ACV may help reduce the appearance of acne scars by getting rid of the damaged, upper layer of skin, and assisting with healthier skin regeneration.

    ACV and cancer – so this on I’m least convinced on, but some very preliminary research shows that it can decrease certain kinds of cancer. Some studies show that it can kill cancerous cells and shrink tumors. Keep in mind the amount of research, particularly human research is very small, so this benefit should be taken with a grain of salt. As always consult your doctor before making any significant lifestyle changes.

    ACV for lice – the naturally occurring acidity in vinegar can be successful in killing lice for both humans and dogs. The acidity can loosen the grip the lice eggs have on the hair, making it easier to remove. While this home remedy for lice can help, it’s best to use a medical treatment if readily available.

    ACV for dandruff – the natural bacteria-killing enzymes can be an effective remedy for dandruff. It has antibacterial and antifungal properties that can rid your head of dandruff. Since dandruff is usually accompanied by an itchy scalp, by using ACV it can also reduce the itchy dry scalp sensation.

    ACV and gut health – unfortunately, our diets have become more unhealthy these days due to the accessibility of fast food and pre-packaged foods. This can commonly lead to GI issues and heartburn. ACV before a meal helps relieve these symptoms by increasing the acidity levels in your stomach. It’s packed with prebiotics that can help balance your gut microbiome and keep the bad gut bacteria away.

    ACV and skin – as I mentioned above the acidity level of ACV helps with itchy dry skin. Taking an apple cider vinegar bath and soaking can help reduce the dry damaged skin cells and promote fresh skin cell rejuvenation. If you have eczema or other skin issues, that has proven to be a good home remedy. Additionally, ACV can help with sunburns and stings. Best relieved by soaking a cotton ball in the liquid and applying it to the affected area.

    ACV and candida – the antimicrobial properties are successful at fighting some fungi as well. Yeast overgrowth can be quelled by soaking the area with a diluted mixture.

    ACV and fleas – so this one might not help you personally, but studies do show that ACV can repel fleas. The smell is repugnant to fleas so a good mixture of soap and ACV is ideal for washing your dog. ACV is not harmful when used internally or externally. So get your scrub on.

    Tips On How To Consume Apple Cider Vinegar

    Apple cider vinegar recipes are abundant. ACV Recipes

    First, if you can consume ACV straight you must have a strong stomach or weak taste buds. It’s no secret that the taste is less than desirable. Second, the best way to consume ACV in your diet is to use it in your cooking. Others can dilute it in a glass of water, but as I mentioned above, when mixed with hot lemon ginger tea, you can barely notice it.

    When you are just starting out, I would recommend using just one tablespoon. As the days and weeks progress, you can up the intake to 2 tablespoons a day. Keep in mind the acidity level is high and drinking large amounts of ACV can wear away at tooth enamel.

    What Kind Of Apple Cider Vinegar Is Best

    If you’ve done any research you will probably have noticed there are a variety of ACV’s available. The Bragg brand is the most widely used due to it being raw, organic and with Mother. Here is a link to check it out.

    Conclusion of ACV

    Apple cider vinegar might be the best superfood available.

    The benefits that apple cider vinegar can provide are much more numerous than the list I’ve provided. There are tons of recipes, mixes, and ways of consuming this natural food with limitless benefits. To learn more about how to properly use it for every situation, exact recipes, tips, and tricks for the utmost best results, I recommend this ebook. It can be instantly downloaded for your access.

  • REVIEW: APPLE IPHONE XR

    REVIEW: APPLE IPHONE XR

    APPLE WANTS TO make it clear that it’s not trying to gouge you. Sure, when the iPhone X launched last year, Apple priced it at nearly $1,000. And yes, this year’s iPhone XS sells for the same amount. And of course, Apple killed off its smallest and most affordable handset, the iPhone SE, right as it was introducing the most expensive iPhone yet.
    But Apple wants you to know you have a choice. You get to pick from a very small pool of potential devices, but hey, at least you have options! Never mind that certain choices, like color, were predetermined for you by a room full of powerful tastemakers who decided to make coral or cerulean happen. Never mind that whatever you pay, it’s still a crazy amount of money for a phone. You are making the call. You, sir or madam, have your choice of new iPhones.
    PHUC PHAM
    The newest Phone is the iPhone XR, and it’s Apple’s attempt to convince you that you can buy a new phone without going broke. The iPhone XR starts at $749, a full $250 less than the new flagship XS. (Don’t get me started on the price of the iPhone XS Max—the larger handset starts at $1,099.)
    The iPhone XR is not the most technologically advanced iPhone; many of Apple’s superior components have been reserved for the costlier device. But the iPhone XR is still a moderately great phone. It’s great not in the way that super-futuristic, game-changing technology devices are. It’s great in the way that a bunch of already-possible things have been packaged together cleanly and nicely.
    Most people—those who don’t spend their lives comparing specs and staring at bezels on multiple models of new smartphones each fall—are going to be very happy with this phone if they buy it. Especially if those people are upgrading from an older iPhone, which I believe will be the case for a lot of people buying the iPhone XR. They’ll have a phone that’s running on Apple’s top-of-the-line processor. They’ll have FaceID, and they’ll experience the learning curve that comes with an iPhone without a home button, which feels like a small price to pay for an edge-to-edge display.
    The thing you have to think about before you choose this gentler whoosh of money exiting your bank account is how much you care about the differences. I can tell you, since I am a person whose job it is to compare specs and stare at bezels on phones, that there are differences between Apple’s best iPhone and the iPhone XR.
    Some of these are negligible. For example, the black border around the 6.1-inch display on the iPhone XR is thicker than the black border on the 5.8-inch iPhone XS. If you stare at the two phones side by side, you can see this. It’s not a huge deal. But the body of the iPhone XR is slightly thicker overall, due to the backlight panel that goes under the screen. And it’s a longer phone, too. By itself, the iPhone XR is a manageably large phone. Put it next to the iPhone XS, and the XR’s larger size is apparent.
    Here, in no particular order, are the other differences between the iPhone XR and the more expensive iPhone XS and XS Max. Also, where it’s appropriate, I’ve included my observations after using the iPhone XR for the past five days.

    Colors

    The iPhone XR comes in different color finishes that aren’t available on the iPhone XS and XS Max. You can pick from white, black, blue, yellow, coral, and red, which is being sold as a (Product) RED product. These colors are admittedly rich, which is apparently the result of what Apple says is a seven-layer color process. They’re also a nod to Apple’s history of making brightly-colored products, and a stark contrast to the gentle neutral tones that Google went with for the Pixel 3.
    I’ve been using the yellow iPhone XR, which looks more sunflower or cornsilk than lemon citrus. You might recall the iPhone 5C, which was released in 2013 alongside the iPhone 5S. That phone also came in bright colors. But it was plastic, and much less expensive. The XR feels like a premium iPhone, not a sacrificial one.

    Glass

    The glass on the back on the iPhone XR is not as strong as the glass on the back of the iPhone XS. The glass on the front of the iPhone XR, however, is the same glass as the kind used on the front of the iPhone XS. I haven’t dropped or scratched the new phone yet, which is good—but also bad because I can’t offer insights on whether or not this glass difference matters. Update: Hours after this review was published, the case-free iPhone XR was accidentally dropped on a concrete floor from about 3 feet up. The back is now shattered.
    One difference that longtime holdouts will be stoked about is that the iPhone XR’s glass back enables wireless charging. If you’re currently using an iPhone 6 or 7 and you haven’t experienced the convenience of wireless charging yet, you’re in for a treat.

    Body and Display

    PHUC PHAM
    The iPhone XR is made of aluminum, while the iPhone XS is made of stainless steel. On an aesthetic level, this means the frame of the iPhone XR has a matte finish that looks more like the iPhones of years past. The iPhone XS’s stainless steel not only looks fancier, it’s weightier than aluminum. However, the iPhone XR is made with 7000-series-grade aluminum, the strongest that’s commercially available, and I’ve seen no indication yet that this iPhone XR will warp or bend.
    The display material used in the iPhone XR is notably different from the display on the iPhone XS, too. Apple is calling the iPhone XR’s display “Liquid Retina”. This liquid crystal display is the largest LCD to ever ship on an iPhone, and it has the same edge-to-edge (well, minus those borders) design as the iPhone XS. You can tap on it to wake the display, and the display’s color balance automatically adjusts to match the lighting environment around you.
    In many ways, the iPhone XR’s display is functionally the same as the iPhone XS’s, but it’s not materially the same. It’s also not as high-resolution as the screens that have shipped on other flagship phones this year. While the iPhone XR’s display is quite nice, it’s no OLED. OLED is the pool of water you just can’t help but dip your toe into, approximately 80 times a day, or however many times a day you check your phone. On second thought, maybe LCD is not such a bad thing.

    Waterproofing

    The iPhone XS phones have an IP68 waterproof rating, while the iPhone XR has an IP67 waterproof rating. This means you can submerge the iPhone XS in water up to two meters deep for 30 minutes, and the iPhone XR up to one meter for 30 minutes. Just fish the darn thing out of the water as fast as you can, is the point.
    It’s also worth pointing out that Samsung’s high-end phones and the Google’s Pixel 3 have higher waterproof ratings than the iPhone XR.

    Camera

    Since the iPhone XR only has a single-lens rear camera (it has a wide-angle lens, but not a telephoto lens), it doesn’t capture as much depth information as the dual-lens camera on the iPhone XS.
    This means that when you swipe to Portrait mode in the Camera app, the background-softening effect will only work if you’re snapping a picture of a person, since Apple has decided to train the camera’s machine learning on human shapes. Try to snap a Portrait photo of your food, or your cat, or a pumpkin (because it’s pumpkin season) and “No person detected” will appear at the top of the photo frame. The iPhone XR also only has three lighting options in Portrait mode, versus five on the iPhone XS.
    Google has done something similar with the single-lens rear camera on the Pixel 3, relying on machine intelligence rather than hardware to produce photos with a bokeh effect. But as you can see in the photos below, the Pixel 3 applies this effect to objects as well as people.
    But, if you’re comparing the XR with the XS, the camera capabilities on the iPhone XR are nearly the same as those on the XS, both when it comes to capturing still images and recording video. It has that wide-angle 12-megapixel rear camera, a 7-megapixel front camera with 3-D sensors, and dynamic range that has been improved from the HDR in last year’s phones. Overall, it’s an excellent camera.

    Battery

    The iPhone XR’s battery lasted me almost an entire weekend, from early Saturday morning through Sunday evening. Granted, I use my phone a little bit less on the weekends than I do during the work week. But I was still taxing the phone. I scrolled through Twitter and Instagram, read the news, streamed music, watched YouTube, ran Google Maps, and captured photos and videos. I was seriously impressed with how long the handset lasted on a single charge, and have only experienced comparable battery life on a Plus-size phone. The XR’s battery life was even better than what I got on the iPhone XS Max.
    Apple won’t say exactly how large the iPhone XR’s battery is (though tear-downs will eventually reveal this); just that you can expect it to last 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 8 Plus. But the efficiency of Apple’s custom A12 Bionic chip is clearly helping here, along with the fact that there’s just more structural room within the phone to fit what is likely a larger battery. That extra space exists partly because Apple has removed 3D Touch from the iPhone XR.

    3D Touch

    Instead of 3D Touch, the iPhone XR has something called Haptic Touch. This is annoying because the name swap makes it seem like the iPhone XR has something equivalent, and the reality is that this is not like 3D Touch. It requires a light press and hold instead of a push. The haptic feedback doesn’t feel as satisfying.
    More importantly, the available interactions are limited, at least for now. You can still press on the flashlight from the home screen, press for shortcuts within the Control Center, and turn the space bar on the phone’s virtual keyboard into a mini-trackpad. But you can’t press on the native camera icon for quick access to the selfie cam, or press on an email within Mail to see a preview. And Haptic Touch on the iPhone XR doesn’t come with all the quick actions and “peeks” from third-party apps that supported 3D Touch previously—apps like Yelp, Flipboard, and Facebook. These may be updated in the future to support Haptic Touch. But who knows?
    Some people won’t miss these on the iPhone XR. But Haptic Touch doesn’t seem as powerful as 3D Touch, at least not yet.

    Software

    The iPhone XR has the same button-less UI as the iPhone XS and XS Max. That means if you’re one of those people upgrading from an old iPhone, you’ll have to get used to swiping and tapping your way around iOS rather than pushing a home button to wake the phone, switch apps, and so on. This also means the iPhone XR doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor for authentication, though it does have FaceID. The iPhone XR also supports split-screen mode, something that’s reserved for the Plus phones and the iPhone XS Max.
    When I first fired up the iPhone XR, I noticed that the Gmail app had a jarring gap between the top of the app screen and the top border of the iPhone XR—something I attributed to the phone having a larger, 6.1-inch display. I assume that some third-party app makers might have to optimize their apps for the slightly larger iPhone screen. However, the Gmail situation appears to have been fixed in the time since I first spotted it. This is not a deal-breaker, just something to keep in mind.

    Positives

    So there are some differences between the iPhone XR and the flagship iPhone XS that are positive. Like the fact that the iPhone XR’s battery life is better than the smaller iPhone XS’s. And, personally, I really like the colors tones offered with the iPhone XR. There are other differences between the two iPhones that show clear signs of cost-cutting in the XR. Apple wants to offer you choices, but it also wants to make sure it continues to make money selling smartphones.
    That’s probably not something you’ll think about all that much as you’re using your colorful new iPhone XR everyday. If you buy one on installments, you’ll be paying the equivalent of $43 dollars per month, as opposed to $56 per month for an iPhone XS with the same amount of storage. You’ll have a great smartphone camera. Your phone’s battery might last a whole weekend, the way mine did, and you probably won’t miss the OLED display, since you won’t be looking at the two different displays side-by-side every day like I’ve been. This iPhone was a steal, you’ll think to yourself. Well. Maybe. Sort of.
  • REVIEW: IPAD PRO (2018)

    REVIEW: IPAD PRO (2018)

    LIKE A COLLEGE graduate ready to head off into the workforce and start a career, Apple has graduated the iPad from tablet school. As he prepared to lift the curtain on the new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro last week, CEO Tim Cook explained that Apple sees the iPad as a personal computer now. Apple says that new designation makes iPad the top-selling line of PCs in the world.
    It’s a fair comparison. After using a new iPad Pro 12.9 for a few days, I can say that it’s most definitely a refreshing, positive step forward for the iPad. It could also be called a “computer.” Is it the right computer for you? That’s another story.

    As Thin As Can Be

    The first thing you’ll notice about the new iPad Pro is what it’s missing. Like the iPhone XR and its peers, the Pro has no home button. Instead, its screen stretches from edge to edge… to edge to edge. All four sides are rimmed with thin and equally-sized black bezels, making it easier to forget where the top of the device really is. Sometimes iOS will actually point out where the power button is on the edge because, rightfully, it thinks I may have forgotten.
    The back of the 5.9mm aluminum shell feels incredibly sturdy, and sheds the tapered edges that have defined the iPad for most of its existence. The back is now flat like the bottom of a box, right up to the side. The design looks like a refined version of the iPhone 5. The shape also feels like what the original 2011 iPad was trying to accomplish—this time with no bump in the back, except for the camera.
    The Liquid Retina LCD displays are huge, stretching 11 or nearly 13 inches, depending on which model you choose. They’re gorgeous and packed with pixels. Like the iPhone XR, the corners of the display are rounded thanks to precision-milled glass and a host of other tech treats. Color is vibrant and precise enough for Photoshopping and minute color tweaking if needed. (Apple tests the color accuracy of its displays in 160 different points.) The Pro also adapts the warmth of its display to the lighting in your room.
    The new iPad Pro also comes with Face ID, which uses a collection of cameras, sensors, and algorithms to identify your face in a way that it claims is more secure than fingerprint authentication or passwords. It works well, and doesn’t require that cut-out notch on the screen like the iPhone. It’s not quirk-free, though. We usually hold our iPhones in a portrait (vertical) orientation because that’s just how they fit in our hand. With an iPad like this, you almost always use two hands, and that means there isn’t really a “right” or “wrong” way to hold it. From time to time, my hands would sometimes accidentally block the Face ID camera when I held it in landscape (widescreen) orientation. And if I’m lounging around, my face may also be out of view. As I’ve gotten used to keeping my head in front of the tablet screen, and my hands away from its front-facing camera, Face ID evolved from a hindrance to a helpful, secure aid. I’ve never bothered to add a passcode or use Touch ID on older iPads. Now it’s easy enough that I just might.
    The 7-megapixel front camera is also pretty proficient at selfies, Animoji, and video chatting—-provided your hand isn’t blocking it. The 12-megapixel shooter is also up to iPhone standards, though I’ve found it a little too cumbersome (and embarrassing!) to use a 13-inch tablet as a camera while I’ve roamed around San Francisco this weekend. Apple did show me some impressive demonstrations of its augmented reality capabilities, made possible by that camera. I examined the inside of a plant to learn all about how it lives in an app called Plantale, and had fun bringing a Lego Ninjago playset to life as an iOS game. I grew up as one of those kids who hated damaging his beautiful Lego creations. I may have had more fun if I could have blown them up digitally.

    Yet As Powerful As a PC

    The inside of the iPad is just as impressive as the outside. The Pro has an A12X Bionic chip, which is kind of a turbocharged version of the processor that’s packed into every iPhone XS and XR. It has eight cores: four for super demanding work, like playing Fortnite, and four more for easier tasks, like perusing your email. This year, it can mix and match those cores more efficiently, giving it almost 2x better multi-core performance than before. The graphics chip also pumps out around 2x more power, all without compromising the 10-hour battery life every iPad has gotten.
    Apple claims the new iPad Pro is faster than 92 percent of all laptops sold in the past year, including some with an Intel Core i7 CPU, and compared its game graphics prowess to an Xbox One S. No apps or games I’ve used have been able to make the Pro break a sweat at all and benchmark numbers have been impressive.
    Photographers and video editors might like the new storage options. The Pro comes with 64GB of memory by default, but you can bump that number as high as 1TB. And since this tablet has a USB-C charging port, you can more easily connect it to a camera, external monitor, and other accessories. Yes, that is singular. There is only one port. Start shopping for dongles if you need more. Apple now sells a ton of them. And pick up some good wireless headphones while you’re at it. Though Apple’s redesigned quad speakers sound amazing for a tablet (or laptop), the headphone jack is gone.

    Pencil or Keyboard?

    Apple redesigned its two key accessories for the new iPad Pro. The new Apple Pencil ($129) and Smart Keyboard Folio ($179) each got noticeable upgrades this year. The one you choose may indicate how much you’ll like your new iPad Pro.
    No laptop can emulate the drawing capabilities of the Apple Pencil, or feel as natural to hold and use with touch.
    The Apple Pencil is my favorite. It now has a matte plastic design and comes flat on one side so it can magnetically snap onto the edge of either size iPad Pro—automatically pairing via Bluetooth and charging. It’s hard to stress how much of a game changer this simple magnetic charging is, but it eliminates a lot of needless steps. The Pencil is always charged, paired, and ready to go. (Just be careful; it can still snap off in your bag.)
    I’m a god-awful artist, but I found myself doodling on the iPad Pro. Three years after its debut, the refined Pencil is still the most responsive, accurate digital writing tool I’ve ever used. It’s fun to try out different virtual drawing tools, like colored pencils, and as a leftie, I love that iPad never thinks I’m trying to draw with my palm.
    The 12.9-inch Pro is still a huge tablet, but feels more manageable this year thanks to the thinner bezels. In fact, it’s now about the size of a magazine (or sheet of paper, as Apple likes to point out), which is a comfortable, familiar size for reading and writing.
    The Smart Keyboard Folio is also improved. It magnetically snaps onto the back of the tablet with an equally pleasant click and also just works. It now has two angles you can choose from and the keys are naturally spaced and have enough travel (depth) and click to them that it didn’t take me any time to adjust from my MacBook Pro. My only complaints? It would be nice to have even more angles, and the larger iPad can feel a bit unstable if you use it on your lap. Since the camera sits on the left side, it’s tough to frame yourself properly for a video chat.

    The Best Tablet

    By every measure I can think of, these are the best, most powerful, most capable iPads I’ve ever used. They put other tablets to shame.
    But Apple has begged the question: Can an 11-inch ($799) or 13-inch ($999) iPad Pro replace your need for a MacBook or Windows PC at work? It’s possible, but you’ll need the right kind of occupation, and a lot of patience and determination.
    No laptop can emulate the drawing capabilities of the Apple Pencil, or feel as natural to hold and use with touch. It’s not even close. The iPad Pro has a clear lead over PCs there.
    As a more traditional work PC, it sometimes struggles. In a pinch, the iPad Pro and its Smart Keyboard are usable. For example, I wrote this review on the Pro in Google Docs while also opening webpages on the right side of my screen, but it took me longer than normal to do research and collect links—and a good long while to figure out how to do other tasks. I wanted to use the normal web version of Docs, but I had to use the app. My office also uses a collaboration tool called Airtable that wouldn’t work in an iPad browser. It also tossed me to the app, which lacked key features. Attaching specific files was kind of a nightmare in the Gmail app, too. Some apps, like Spotify, don’t allow Split View multitasking (side-by-side viewing) at all yet. You have to use them full screen. Spreadsheets are also tougher (slower) to manipulate in the apps I’ve used.
    I found solutions to all of these problems, and I’m sure I can keep finding creative solutions to make the iPad Pro work as a PC, but the hassles will keep coming. The iPad’s web browsers are still treated more like their less-capable smartphone counterparts, and the apps that are supposed to work in their place also sometimes lack desktop features. Part of this is the fault of developers, but Apple bears responsibility, as well.
    It doesn’t feel like the world is ready to treat my iPad as an equal to a PC yet—even if that iPad is a lot more powerful and user friendly. Now that Apple has declared the iPad is a PC, it should take more of the guardrails off of iOS and strongly encourage developers to treat it like they do the Mac. It’s time for iOS to grow up and get a job.
    The iPad Pro is one of the most powerful computers you can own. It could be the best PC, too. Or better than a Mac. For now, it still has to settle for being the best tablet money can buy.
  • REVIEW: KINDLE PAPERWHITE (2018)

    REVIEW: KINDLE PAPERWHITE (2018)

    AMAZON’S KINDLES AREN’T quite as innovative as other new consumer electronics. This is a good thing. A Kindle shouldn’t have a Twitter app to distract you from the book you’re reading, nor does it need Alexa to squawk at you after launching an Audible book. Kindles have been rightly limited to an E-Ink display, the ability to buy more media from Amazon, and your own joy of reading.
    The new Kindle Paperwhite, available today, takes those essential features and makes them better. It’s the fourth generation of the Paperwhite, and it falls squarely between the less expensive Kindle and the pricey Kindle Oasis in Amazon’s e-reader lineup. The $130 Paperwhite is the best selling Kindle ever, and all signs point to this new one helping Paperwhite maintain its Most Popular status. It has a sleeker design, more storage, an updated processor—and now it’s waterproof.
    While Kindle hasn’t adopted the technologies we’ve seen creep into all of our other new gadgets (OLED displays! voice assistants! multi-lens cameras!), it has improved. I’ve been using the new Paperwhite for the past six days while traveling, and it has worked great. I haven’t been able to test Amazon’s “six weeks” battery life claim yet, but I can tell you I’ve been using it for days and it’s still 60 percent charged.

    Read Between the Lines

    The new Kindle Paperwhite’s looks are still largely uninspiring, but the design has been refined. The previous Paperwhite had a recessed display, which meant there was a tiny cliff leading from bezel to screen. On the new Paperwhite, the bezel is flush with the display. It has a smooth, unobtrusive front design.
    Pool lovers and bathtub readers will greatly appreciate the addition of waterproofing to the Paperwhite.
    It has the same 6-inch, black-and-white, 300 ppi (pixels per inch) display as the previous generation, but the new Paperwhite adds an additional LED light. Owners of the previous Paperwhite complained that it had obvious shadows when you popped up the display’s brightness, and they were right. This was especially noticeable near the bottom of the device, where there was a gap in the LEDs. As I look at the new Paperwhite right now, with the display brightness set to 100 percent, I see no noticeable bruises on the display.
    Most Kindles are infinitely holdable, but this one is even more so: Amazon says it’s 10 percent thinner and lighter than the last Paperwhite. I was only able to do a brief side-by-side comparison of the two models, so I can’t say whether this makes a huge difference over a long period of time.
    But I can say that the new Paperwhite, on its own, is comfortable to hold in the hand for an extended period of time. If you opt for a model with both WiFi and LTE radios, it will be slightly heavier. Amazon’s fabric-and-plastic accessory case also adds more weight, and extracting the Kindle from the case is still a nail-breaking activity, but a case is worth it for the extra protection.
    Speaking of protection, this new Paperwhite is waterproof, up to two meters for 60 minutes. It took Amazon a decade to waterproof the Kindle; the second-generation Kindle Oasis, which came out last fall, was the first Kindle with this claim. Now that Kindles are waterproofed, there’s no turning back. Pool lovers and bathtub readers will greatly appreciate this addition to the Paperwhite.

    Balanced Books

    The Paperwhite now ships with a minimum of 8 gigabytes of internal storage, double what it shipped with before, and goes up to 32 gigabytes of storage if you’re willing to cough up $160 (that’s for a version of the Paperwhite that shows you ads). Amazon says this means you can download “thousands of books,” for those who want to attempt such a thing.
    While the new Paperwhite features the same amount of low-power RAM as previous Kindle models, its processor has been updated. But here’s where the Kindle stutters, and would make those used to reading on a tablet frustrated. Page turning on the Paperwhite is fine, but waking up the device can take five seconds or longer, which feels endless. Typing in a WiFi password on the Paperwhite’s “experimental” browser, so you can download an Audible book, is painful. The Paperwhite froze up entirely—twice—when I encountered the photo-filled middle section of the book The Wave.
    This Kindle also offers the option to listen to Audible, following suit with last year’s Oasis. Based on my relatively brief experience using Audible (I prefer to read text than listen), it works fine. It doesn’t have any speakers, though, so you’ll need Bluetooth headphones to listen to books.
    The software experience has also been improved with the release of this new hardware, and includes new features that will roll out to all Kindles. Amazon’s long-standing Whispersync feature, which ensures your page location, bookmarks, and highlights are synced across all of your devices with the Kindle app, is there. But Amazon has now found more ways to recommend books to you on the home page (Amazon gonna Amazon).
    One of my favorite new features is the ability to custom name a preset with a certain font type and size. So when I read the Kindle while running on a hotel treadmill this week, I could go into the Page Display dropdown menu, tap on the “Treadmill” preset I created, and pop the font up to a larger size. Actually creating the preset is a little klugy—you have to set the font first, and then name it and save it rather than indicating you want to create a preset and then creating it—but you can set up to five of these.
    The real question, of course, is how the new Paperwhite compares to the top-of-the-line Kindle Oasis. Should you even consider the Oasis? It’s pricier, yes—but the Oasis has the largest and brightest display with the most LED lights, and its back is made of aluminum. In addition to its touchscreen, it has page-turn buttons; the Paperwhite only has the touchscreen. The Oasis also has built-in ambient sensors that automatically change the display’s brightness as you move into different lighting environments.
    But the new Paperwhite, with its lighter design, waterproofing, and support for Audible, has caught up to the Oasis in some key areas. As I was using the new Paperwhite, I had no sense of FOMO or thoughts of wanting to upgrade to the Oasis instead. And again, the new Paperwhite costs a lot less. You can use the extra bucks instead to buy more stuff on Amazon, which has always been the most clever part of Amazon’s hardware design.


  • IPHONE TERBARU AKAN DIJUAL DENGAN HARGA 15 JUTA

    Cnnteknologi.net – Seperti sudah diberitakan sebelumnya, Apple kabarnya akan memberikan nama iPhone terbarunya dengan sebutan iPhone X. Dan sebagai penggemar perangkat buatan Apple, tahukah Anda berapa harga yang harus ditebus untuk memiliki iPhone X?


    Rumornya, iPhone X versi 512 GB akan dijual dengan harga US$1.199 atau sekitar Rp15 jutaan. Desas-desus harga tersebut terungkap beberapa minggu setelah Samsung merilis Galaxy Note 64 GB yang akan dipasarkan dengan harga US$929,99 atau sekitar Rp12 jutaan.

    Menurut survei dari KGI Securities, seperti dilansir dari Phonearena, harga yang dibayar Apple untuk panel OLED Samsung adalah salah satu alasan utama mengapa banderol harga iPhone X terbilang tinggi.

    Diperkirakan, Apple perlu menggelontorkan koceknya sebesar US$120 hingga US$130 untuk setiap panel OLED yang diperoleh dari Samsung. Tentu saja, harga tersebut jauh lebih mahal dibandingkan harga layar LCD yang hanya US$45 hingga US$55.


    Harga yang begitu mahal juga menjadi alasan bagi Apple untuk mencari pemasok panel OLED lainnya, seperti LG misalnya. Pemasok kedua ini nantinya tidak hanya membantu pasokan layar OLED bagi Apple, tetapi juga memungkinkan untuk menciptakan persaingan harga.

    Kabar lainnya menyebutkan, layar OLED dari Samsung rupanya tidak bisa mendukung 3D Touch. Hal ini dikarenakan layar tersebut tidak bisa merespon perbedaan tekanan seperti layar LCD. KGI juga menegaskan, inilah mengapa Apple menyerah untuk menanam Touch ID di bawah layar.

    KGI juga menuturkan bahwa layar OLED tidak mampu bekerja optimal saat mencoba membaca sidik jari yang dipindai. Alhasil pada iPhone X, Apple akan mengganti Touch ID dengan sistem pengenal wajah atau 3D face recognition yang menggunakan kamera depan.

    Jadi hanya iPhone X yang akan mengadopsi OLED. Untuk seri iPhone lainnya, yakni iPhone 8 dan 8 Plus yang juga akan dirilis pada tahun ini hanya akan menggunakan panel layar LCD. Namun besar kemungkinan, semua seri iPhone di tahun depan akan menggunakan layar OLED.

    (sumber: droidlime.com)

  • APPLE KENA HACK. IPHONE, IPAD DAN PC MAC TERKUNCI SECARA SERENTAK.

    Cnnteknologi.net – Para pengguna Apple mendapat kejutan yang tidak menyenangkan di minggu kedua Agustus 2017 ini. Bagaimana tidak, piranti mereka mendadak terkunci dari akses ke perangkatnya. Untuk mengakses perangkatnya, mereka harus memasukkan PIN yang tidak mereka ketahui. 

    Seakan belum cukup kejutan yang diberikan, ada pesan pada layar blokir tersebut bahwa jika ingin mendapatkan PIN akses ke perangkat kerasnya, mereka harus menghubungi alamat email yang telah ditentukan. 

    Dan dari beberapa korban yang mencoba menghubungi alamat email tersebut, ternyata cracker yang memblokir perangkat Apple tersebut meminta uang tebusan dalam bentuk bitcoin sebagai tebusan memberikan PIN untuk mengaktifkan perangkat tersebut.

    Pemblokiran perangkat tersebut terjadi secara cukup masif dan serentak. Dan satu hal yang membuat geleng-geleng kepala adalah akun Apple ID/iCloud yang sudah mengaktifkan Two Factor Authentication (TFA) juga mengalami serangan yang dikenal dengan istilah serangan ‘Lost Mode’.

    Fitur Lost Mode

    Lost Mode fitur baru yang tersedia pada iOS 6 ke atas. Ia akan mengunci perangkat, menampilkan pesan yang bisa dikustomisasi dan mengaktifkan tracking GPS sehingga Anda bisa melihat lokasi perangkat Anda. Sekalipun GPS belum diaktifkan. (lihat gambar 1).


    Salah satu persyaratan untuk mengaktifkan Lost Mode atau Find Your Device adalah pengakses harus mengetahui kredensial secara lengkap. Username dan password akun iCloud/Apple ID.

    Database iCloud Bocor?

    Lalu, bagaimana serangan ransom yang menggunakan Lost Mode bisa terjadi Sebagai catatan, serangan yang terjadi cukup masif dan terjadi di banyak negara dan bukan hanya Indonesia saja.

    Karena untuk mengaktifkan Lost Mode memerlukan kredensial username dan password. Jadi berarti, pihak penyerang harus mendapatkan kedua data tersebut terlebih dahulu baru bisa melakukan serangan Lost Mode. Adapun metode yang digunakan bisa macam-macam, seperti:

    • Phishing
    • Malware/keylogger
    • Bruteforce
    • Database pengguna iCloud/Apple ID yang bocor

    Melihat besarnya skala serangan dan beberapa wawancara dengan korban serangan Lost Mode ini dimana ada pengguna yang sejak pertama kali mengaktifkan iCloud tidak pernah mengunjungi situs apapun atau memasukkan kredensial iCloud-nya di situs apapun, maka kemungkinan serangan phishing bisa dikesampingkan. 

    Sedangkan kemungkinan serangan malware dan bruteforce bisa menjadi kemungkinan tetapi biasanya serangan ini bersifat targeted attack dan bukan masif. Karena itu, kemungkinan yang paling besar adalah adanya kebocoran database pengguna iCloud. 

    Kebocoran ini bisa saja dari pihak Apple atau pihak ketiga sekalipun dalam rilis resminya pihak Apple menyangkal kebocoran database/kelemahan sistem pengamanan database penggunanya.

    Eksploitasi Lost Mode

    Lalu, bagaimana teknis serangan Lost Mode ini dilakukan? Dengan asumsi pihak penyerang sudah mengantongi kredensial iCloud, cracker hanya perlu mengunjungi situs icloud.com dan memasukkan kredensial yang diminta dan mengaktifkan Lost Mode. (lihat gambar 2)


    Namun ada satu pertanyaan yang menggelitik dan dipertanyakan banyak pengguna Apple yang menjadi korban Lost Mode.

    Pada akun yang otentikasi dua faktor sudah diaktifkan, mengapa masih tetap bisa terserang oleh Lost Mode? Padahal penyerang jelas tidak bisa mengakses OTP/one time password yang dikirimkan.

    Setelah diteliti lebih jauh, ternyata pada akun yang telah mengaktifkan TFA, Lost Mode bisa diakses tanpa perlu memasukkan OTP (lihat gambar 1 di atas) dimana ketika layar permintaan OTP muncul, cracker sudah bisa mengaktifkan Lost Mode dan mengunci perangkat keras akun iCloud yang bersangkutan.

    Menu yang muncul saat Lost Mode diakses adalah seperti pada gambar 3 di bawah ini:


    Jadi cracker bisa memasukkan pesan pada saat layar pengunci muncul, dan hal ini digunakan untuk menampilkan alamat email yang perlu dihubungi yang kemudian meminta uang tebusan jika korban menginginkan PIN pembuka Lost Mode.

    Setelah pesan dimasukkan, maka akan muncul layar untuk memasukkan PIN pengunci perangkat, di sini hanya cracker yang mengaktifkan Lost Mode yang tahu PIN yang dimasukkannya. 

    Catatan Penting

    Sebagai catatan, jika perangkat yang dikunci adalah iPhone/iPad yang sudah diamankan dengan PIN oleh pemilik perangkat, maka secara otomatis PIN pengunci Lost Mode adalah PIN pengunci iPhone/iPad. 

    Berbeda dengan komputer Mac yang kemungkinan besar tidak diamankan dengan PIN pengunci, maka perangkat Mac tersebut tidak akan bisa diakses tanpa PIN Lost Mode kecuali melakukan Factory Reset. Namun perlu diketahui, jika melakukan Factory Reset, maka semua data yang tersimpan pada komputer Mac tersebut akan hilang.

    Solusi dan Pencegahan

    Bagi yang sudah menjadi korban Lost Mode, jika Anda pengguna iPhone/iPad yang sudah mengaktifkan PIN pengunci, Anda bisa login ke iCloud dengan kredensial Anda, dan nonaktifkan Lost Mode, lalu segera ganti password Anda dan aktifkan TFA.

    Jika Anda pengguna Mac dan memiliki data berharga pada komputer, Factory Reset akan menghapus semua data berharga Anda. Ada kemungkinan data bisa Anda backup dengan melepaskan harddisk/SSD komputer Mac yang terkunci dan salinkan data dari harddisk tersebut ke komputer lain sebelum melakukan Factory Reset. 

    Jika anda tidak mengerti bagaimana melakukan hal ini, harap hubungi Apple Store terdekat atau teknisi yang mengertai melakukan hal ini. Bagi yang belum menjadi korban Lost Mode, Vaksincom hanya mempunyai satu saran: ganti password iCloud Anda segera, dan simpan dengan baik.

    Bila Anda belum mengaktifkan TFA, silakan aktifkan segera untuk meningkatkan keamanan akun Anda, dan backup data penting anda dengan baik dan benar. Sekalipun anda sudah mengaktifkan TFA, Anda tetap harus mengganti password iCloud karena serangan Lost Mode dapat dilakukan tanpa perlu memasukkan OTP dari TFA.

    (sumber: inet.detik.com)


  • Cnnteknologi.net – Bulan September menjadi bulan yang ditunggu-tunggu para penggemar gadget, dimana sejumlah perusahaan besar dunia meluncurkan produk terbarunya, salah satunya Apple. Tentu Anda sudah tidak asing lagi dengan smartphone selanjutnya dari Apple yang akan diluncurkan bulan depan, yakni iPhone 8. Bocoran mengenai perangkat tersebut sudah menghiasi jagat maya selama beberapa bulan ini, namun ada perangkat lain yang terkesan jarang tersorot, yakni iPhone 7s Plus.

    Ya, iPhone 7s dan iPhone 7s Plus diharapkan bakal meluncur bersama dengan iPhone 8 pada bulan September mendatang. Ngomong-ngomong soal iPhone 7s Plus, baru-baru ini telah muncul bocoran foto yang diduga memperlihatkan wujud iPhone 7s Plus.


    Bocoran iPhone 7 Plus ini menampilkan wujud handset tersebut dari beberapa sisi. Sayangnya kita tidak disuguhi penampakan dari sisi depan. Kita bisa melihat jika desain iPhone 7s Plus masih terlihat mirip dengan pendahulunya, namun perangkat tersebut menggunakan cover belakang dari bahan kaca, bukan bahan metal yang diusung beberapa generasi iPhone sebelumnya.


    Penggunaan cover belakang dari bahan kaca juga sejalan dengan bocoran sebelumnya, dan penggunaan bahan kaca pada iPhone 7s Plus juga ditujukan untuk mendukung fitur wireless charging yang kabarnya bakal diusung oleh duo iPhone 7s dan 7s Plus. Penggunaan bahan kaca ini juga menghilangkan ciri khas iPhone, yakni hilangnya garis antena karena sinyal dapat menembus bahan kaca dengan mudah.


    Kendati demikian, bocoran foto ini belum isa dipastikan kebenarannya. Semoga saja muncul lagi beberapa bocoran yang lebih jelas mengenai iPhone 7s dan iPhone 7s Plus dalam beberapa pekan mendatang, menjelang peluncurannya.

    (sumber: beritateknologi.com)

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