David Pierini - page 48

Jeremy Martin vying to be iPad artist of the stars

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Steve Jobs, creator of the iPad and created on the iPad.
Steve Jobs, creator of the iPad and created on the iPad.
Portrait: Jeremy Martin

Pope Francis and Miley Cyrus have little in common. One is a spiritual leader who displays awe-inspiring compassion and the other is a hyper-sexualized pop singer who loves to display her tongue.

Each carry the weight of celebrity and thus share space in a growing gallery of portraits by New York artist Jeremy Martin, whose medium of choice happens to be an iPad.

Japanese helper-bot is as adorable as it is ridiculous

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This guy has traded in his smartphone for a RoBoHon.
This guy has traded in his smartphone for a RoBoHon.
Photo: Sharp/YouTube

Now if Cupertino really wanted to make Siri something special, they would give her a head, arms and legs, and make her dance when she plays music.

Sharp Electronics has either jumped ahead of Apple or jumped the shark tank with an animated robotic smartphone called RoBoHon. It does everything your current smartphone does but with moving appendages, an adorable, futuristic face and a sweet voice to make it a very personable sidekick.

With ‘go-go’ in the name, wireless chargers bring quick juice to your iPhone

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The PowerGo-Go magnetic charging starts with a bumper case that connects to a cable or charging cradle.
The PowerGo-Go magnetic charging starts with a bumper case that connects to a cable or charging cradle.
Photo: PowerGo-Go

The more your iPhone does, the more it draws from the battery – and that means more time spent hunting for an outlet to recharge.

Batteries will get better one day soon, but until then PowerGo-Go has a line of wireless solutions for the iPhone 6, 6 Plus and 6s models to charge, as the name suggests, on the go-go.

Scrap that bulky tripod for easy-to-use Pakpod

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The Pakpod quickly adjusts to any level with the turn of one knob.
The Pakpod quickly adjusts to any level with the turn of one knob.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Two things about me as a photographer: I hate tripods and I will never tell another photographer what they must carry with them. Both changed when the Pakpod arrived in the mail.

Weighing 15 ounces, the PakPod has legs that can quickly extend and lock in crazy asymmetrical positions with the turn of a single knob. Legs extend and lock with the push of a button or can be anchored to the ground or even the ocean floor with flip-out stakes at the feet.

This watch went to the moon (and now you can wear it)

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This Bulova watch worn by Apollo 15 commander David Scott will open at auction at $50,000.
This Bulova watch worn by Apollo 15 commander David Scott will open at auction at $50,000.
Photo: RR Auction

When work takes you to the lunar surface, even the smallest detail should have a Plan B.

Apollo 15 commander David Scott donned his personal Bulova watch for his final moonwalk in July 1971 after the crystal on his NASA-issued timepiece fell off during a previous walk. As an idea, it proved priceless. As a piece of history, it’s worth is expected to exceed $50,000.

Young app developer has caught the eye of Apple

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Connor Chung
Connor Chung, 14, of Bethlehem, NY, at the WWDC 2015.
Photo: Connor Chung

Few things could excuse a kid from skipping his middle school graduation. Connor Chung had a note from Apple.

It explained he would be needed in San Francisco for the WWDC. Once there, he would meet important people like Tim Cook, take part in brainstorming sessions with developers and engineers and lay the groundwork for an Apple Watch app that would be among the first in iTunes on the day OS 2 launched.

Kindness company tries to sell you on paying it forward

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The card inside the Random Act of Kindness Kit.
The card inside the Random Act of Kindness Kit.
Photo: Kindness & Co.

When a man in Australia created a service where you could pay him to send glitter bombs to unsuspecting enemies, his story went viral and a crushing number of requests shut down his website.

Jesse Weinberg wonders if what worked for vengeance might also work with kindness.

You can’t help but be attracted to this magnetic Lightning cable

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The MagCable works with an adapter tip and magnetic cable.
The MagCable works with an adapter tip and magnetic cable.
Photo: aMagic

From the 1st century to today, you could say the magnet is one component of technology that has stuck around.

With that bad pun out of the way (two if you count the headline), a Hong Kong company is using the simple magnet to make the charging of our smartphones easier and faster. The MagCable is a USB cable with a magnetic end that snaps into place thanks to an adapter tip that plugs into your charging port.

There is even a Lightning magnet adapter for iPhone and charging can be sped up by a button on the cable that shuts off data sync.

As you tune the music, SONOS speaker tunes the room

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The SONOS PLAY: 5 smart speaker analyzes the acoustics of a room and adjusts the sounds.
The SONOS PLAY: 5 smart speaker analyzes the acoustics of a room and adjusts the sounds.
Photo: SONOS

Something very old-fashioned is happening as technology continues to innovate music: We are listening to it out loud again.

The engineers and music geeks at SONOS appreciates personal listening but exists to get us to pull out our earbuds once in a while. It’s latest smart speaker, the SONOS PLAY: 5, is an unassuming package that delivers a vibrant sound with the help of software and the microphones in your iPhone or iPad, which analyzes room acoustics and adjusts the sounds.

Pistol grip helps get your photography on target

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The Grip&Shoot steadies a smartphone photographer's shaky hand.
The Grip&Shoot steadies a smartphone photographer's shaky hand.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Best List: Grip&Shoot Bluetooth smart grip for photographers

Nobody likes a blurry picture. And while smartphone snappers might think they don’t miss a viewfinder, holding an old-school camera close to the face allowed photographers to use their arms against their torsos to steady things.

With a smartphone, which is held out in front of our bodies, there’s far more risk of shake and blur. Luckily, the Grip&Shoot is a simple solution that will steady the hand.

This bike light puts on a show while you pedal

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The Balight brings animation to the bike wheel with 376 LED lights.
The Balight brings animation to the bike wheel with 376 LED lights.
Photo: Balight

Cyclists go to great lengths to let motorists know of their presence in traffic, especially at night. No one wants to hit or get hit.

Cycling enthusiast Leo Liu got an idea that goes beyond reflectors and light clothing. He has created an LED bike wheel display that turns a spinning wheel into to a flashing animated picture capable of millions of colors.

XTRON power bank is futureproof thanks to USB-C

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The XTRON from Maximas has a USB-C port and is capable of charging multiple devices.
The XTRON from Maximas has a USB-C port and is capable of charging multiple devices.
Photo: Maximas

It may look like a flask, but the contents of the XTRON pack more of a punch than your favorite bourbon.

It’s a portable power bank from Maximas with a whopping 13400mAh. Its best feature is the USB-C port, the up-and-coming USB standard, and it is capable of charging any laptop with this port, especially the newest MacBook.

Virtual reality on your iPhone is just a Shot away

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Shot aims to bring virtual reality recording and viewing to the iPhone.
Shot aims to bring virtual reality recording and viewing to the iPhone.
Photo: Shot

For all that is written about virtual reality, most of us have never donned a funky headset to experience it. The sensation behind the VR viewer might be cool, but it remains to be seen if the hardware will find its way into every home.

The founders of a startup company called Shot might have an idea that could bring VR to the masses with an iPhone lens attachment and app that lets your record, share and watch virtual reality photos and video.

Outdoor battery charger saves you from having to completely rough it

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The goBAT 6000 can charge your smartphone up to three times during your outdoor adventures.
The goBAT 6000 can charge your smartphone up to three times during your outdoor adventures.
Photo: SCOSCHE

The whole point of rustic camping or any outdoor adventure is to unplug from the world. But your iPhone and all its apps are so darn useful to your active lifestyle, your idea of rustic still needs a place to recharge the battery.

SCOSCHE Industries has a portable battery pack to help keep things primitive, well for 2015 anyway. The goBAT 6000 can handle mud, water and dubious weather, and has the power to charge your smartphone three times.

You’ll (One) Love this House of Marley Bluetooth speaker

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The Sport Chant is a water-resistant Bluetooth speaker with 360-degrees of sound.
The Sport Chant is a water-resistant Bluetooth speaker with 360-degrees of sound.
Photo: House of Marley

Music doesn’t always have to be tightly funneled into our ear canals for us to enjoy it. Audio companies are finding ways to bring a big sound to an open space from a portable package.

Add House of Marley to the growing list of Bluetooth, water-resistant speakers currently vying for our listening attention. The eco-friendly audio company created by the family of Reggae legend Bob Marley unveiled the Chant Sport Tuesday, a 360-degree sound chamber about the size of a water bottle.

Marvel at these marble-ous Apple skins and cases

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This protective skin from UNIQFIND has the look of marble in white and black.
This protective skin from UNIQFIND has the look of marble in white and black.
Photo: UNIQFIND

Sometimes purchasing an Apple device can feel like you are shelling out for Italian marble. So it might as well look like it.

Design company UNIQFIND has developed skins and cases for MacBooks, iPads and iPhones that have the look of black or white marble.

Tiny Polaroid ZIP is a selfie printer for your smartphone

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The Polaroid ZIP printer instantly makes prints from your smartphone or tablet.
The Polaroid ZIP printer instantly makes prints from your smartphone or tablet.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

If the fear of loss doesn’t persuade you to print the pictures on your smartphone, perhaps your curiosity about cool gadgets will. In this case, consider the Polaroid ZIP photo printer.

It is a tiny ink-free printer slightly bigger than a deck of cards that, with an easy-to-use app, lets you make small prints from your phone or tablet. The photos are the size of a business card, adding charm and fun to the photo sharing experience.

TV station shelves expensive gear to report the news with iPhones

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A reporter from Léman Bleu in Switzerland executes a live standup with an iPhone 6 on a selfie stick.
A reporter from Léman Bleu in Switzerland executes a live standup with an iPhone 6 on a selfie stick.
Photo: Léman Bleu/FTVLive

The Apple advertising campaign “Shot on iPhone 6” can now be a line on the closing credits of a Swiss news station, which now does 100 percent of its broadcasts on the iPhone.

During the summer, Léman Bleu gave each of its reporters an iPhone 6 kit to shoot their stories and use for live shots. That means a reporter with a mic in one hand can use the free hand to grip a selfie stick for live standup shots.

Hipstamatic lets rectangles be hip, too

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An expansive update by Hipstamatic gives iPhone shooters a broader range of controls and takes advantage of the new features on the iPhone 6s.
An expansive update by Hipstamatic gives iPhone shooters a broader range of controls and takes advantage of the new features on the iPhone 6s.
Photo: Hipstamatic

Hipstamatic, the go-to photo app for discerning iPhone photographers, rolled out an expansive update today that lets hipness venture outside the square.

In conjunction with the availability of the new iPhone 6s and its 12-megapixel camera, Hipstamatic 300 is free for a limited time and features a ProMode for greater control, a darkroom suite with a range of editing tools, multiple formats rather than just a square frame and syncing to your iOS Photo Library.

Drop test shows iPhone 6s is tough, but not unbreakable

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iPhone 6s drop test
The glass on this iPhone 6s Plus cracked when it was dropped on its face.
Photo: PhoneBuff

“Stronger glass on a molecular level,” blah, blah, blah. Drop your Apple iPhone 6s and the screen can still crack.

David Rahimi, host of the PhoneBuff channel on YouTube, flew to Australia to get his hands on an iPhone 6s and 6s Plus before the rest of the world to put both phones through a drop test. Like the take away from any drop demonstration, the video showed the importance of purchasing a durable, protective case.

Must have the iPhone 6s? These are your must-have accessories

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A lens attachment with case by Moment is a good compliment to the 12-megapixel camera in the new iPhone 6s.
A lens attachment with case by Moment is a good compliment to the 12-megapixel camera in the new iPhone 6s.
Photo: Moment

Your personal hero now has an S on its chest and, behind it, are some new superpowers. Behold, the iPhone 6s.

But wait: There’s still some money to be spent on a new suit of armor and some other accessories to exploit the talents of the latest hardware out of Cupertino.

Cult of Mac has drawn up a shopping list for you. You could probably squeeze the 6s into the same case and carry on with your current set of headphones, but hey — a new iPhone only comes around once a year.

iPhone case adds e-ink to its backside

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The InkCase i6 gives your iPhone 6 protection and a second screen.
The InkCase i6 gives your iPhone 6 protection and a second screen.
Photo: OAXIS

We want our iPhone case to look pretty and protect our investment. Beyond that, we ask nothing of it.

One technology company wants its case to do a little more, though. OAXIS is launching a case that also serves as a second screen, an e-ink display that gives you time, allows you to receive important messages and lets you read your favorite e-book.

App lets you keep shooting photos when your iPhone is full

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Avoid this message with the IceCream app, which quickly helps free your storage to continue shooting photos.
Avoid this message with the IceCream app, which quickly helps free your storage to continue shooting photos.
Photo: IceCream

You’ve got the perfect photo lined in your sites and so you push the button on your iPhone camera. Instead of a memory etched in pixels, you get a message saying “Cannot take photo. There’s not enough storage.”

An iOS app called IceCream lets you quickly free up space without deleting photos, instead saving them to a secure cloud server with the tap of a button.

All the phones at the party become one sound system with AmpMe

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No stereo? No problem. AmpMe app creates a sound system with all the phones at a party.
No stereo? No problem. AmpMe app creates a sound system with all the phones at a party.
Photo: AmpMe

The party is on, but there’s a problem: There’s no stereo or Bluetooth speaker for the music.

But a startup out of Montreal has developed an app that allows partygoers to create a DIY sound system. AmpMe is an app that syncs streaming music across the many smartphones at that party to create one powerful sound system. That means iPhones and Android phones can join forces to save the day.

ROBLOX games hit the big screen with an app for Xbox

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From the ROBLOX game Angels 15, which will be among 20 games coming to Xbox.
From the ROBLOX game Angels 15, which will be among 20 games coming to Xbox.
Photo: ROBLOX

ROBLOX, the popular user-generated online gaming platform, introduces kids to game building and even helps them earn a few bucks in the process. Some ROBLOX game developers have earned enough money to pay for college.

Now some of the more successful developers will raise their gaming cred even higher as ROBLOX launches a free app for Xbox featuring 20 of its top games.