Who doesn’t love emoji? People with bad eyesight, that’s who. Everyone else, everyone everywhere, loves the little pictures of medals, flags, headphones, eggplants, and feces. What we don’t like is finding them by swiping around the keyboard section of an iPhone screen. In some ways it’s a metaphor for human existence. We love to manipulate the meaning of symbols through context and juxtaposition, the way a standup comic does, but we’re too lazy to spend the time to do it properly.

Happily for the future of the human race, there are shortcuts to great emoji if you’re using iOS. Let’s take a look.

Apple’s is pushing to make Face ID as ubiquitous as Touch ID with its latest video that shows how the iPhone X makes Apple Pay even easier.

Because Apple removed the home button, activating Apple Pay on the iPhone X is a bit different than other iPhones. In the company’s new how-to video, Apple guides iPhone X owners through to process of making payments in stores.

Here’s how to do it:

Apple’s celebrated iMac Pro is finally available to buy, but it’s gonna cost you! The “basic” model will set you back only $4,999. But if you decide to shell out for the top-of-the-line version, your wallet is going to feel a whole lot lighter.

How much lighter? Checking all the boxes to upgrade the machine to its full potential brings the total iMac Pro price to a massive $13,926.98.

Apple’s eagerly-anticipaed iMac Pro is finally available to buy, six months after Apple first showcased the new computer at WWDC.

The “most powerful Mac ever” can be purchased today in 8-core and 10-core variations, while 14- and 18-core models can be pre-ordered for shipping in 6-8 weeks. Prices start at $4,999.

If you use a variety of devices, you might be traveling with a backup battery or two, along with a variety of charging cables.

Now that you can edit 360-degree video in Final Cut Pro, you might get the urge to shoot your very own immersive videos. The iPhone can’t do that all by itself (yet), but it can if you add this tiny gadget.

It’s called Fishball, and it’s the world’s first 360-degree lens for iPhone. All you have to do is clip it on and you’re good to go.

If you’re planning on buying any Apple products for Christmas (whether that’s for friends and family or a sneaky Yuletide gift for yourself), Apple’s just announced a bit of good news.

For any in-stock items ordered up until 3pm local time on December 22 in the United States, Apple will guarantee next day delivery free of charge. Perfect for those last minute presents!

On the day that the long-awaited iMac Pro finally goes on sale, Apple has rolled out a big Final Cut Pro update. Its professional video editing software now supports HDR and 360-degree virtual reality content.

Expecting Android device makers to rip off Apple’s augmented reality technology any time soon? Not so fast, a new report claims.

Apple’s $390 million payday to TrueDepth sensor maker Finisar this week will reportedly help lock out rival companies like Samsung and Huawei from competing with its augmented reality ambitions, by giving Apple first dibs on the necessary components.

One of the iOS 11 features you may not know about is that Apple now offers indoor mapping support for a growing number of international airports and malls.

While the number of airports and malls covered is still relatively small — with 34 airports, mostly based in the U.S., and a handful of shopping malls — Apple has published a list of where these are located.

Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund to help U.S. manufacturing isn’t capped at $1 billion, according to chief operating office Jeff Williams.

The $1 billion investment was announced in May this year. At the time, Tim Cook said it was Apple’s “initial” investment, suggesting that there could be more money should things work out well. Clearly Apple has been impressed by the results because in a new interview with CNBC, Jeff Williams said the sum is “absolutely not” Apple’s final threshold.

In the world of watch straps, we think Ottm, a manufacturer of wooden Apple Watch bands, offers one of the best unboxing experiences.

The box itself is plain and simple, but the package is thoughtfully designed, containing extra links and a pin removal tool that makes it very easy to adjust your new band.

The bands are awesome, too. Made from zebrawood and/or sandalwood, each hand-finished strap is eye-catching, comfortable and unique.

We made a video to show you what to expect. Check it out above.

Hot on the heels of today’s iOS update for the public, Apple has come out with a fresh set of beta updates for developers with the release of iOS 11.2.5 beta 1, along with new betas for Apple Watch and Apple TV too.

Looking to add some vintage vibes to your futuristic iPhone X?

The folks at Pad and Quill have you covered with the world’s first ever handmade leather bumper case for the iPhone X. The design for the case has been in the works for three years and was inspired by old school leather coin purses.

Take a closer look:

Most ad blockers block everything. You download the app, tell Safari to use it, and then no longer need to worry about sites serving bandwidth-burning scripts that leech your personal information.

But for many people, the blanket approach of nuking everything is too much. You may instead prefer to block some bad actors, but let most sites serve ads — the ads pay the writers who write for the sites, after all. That’s where the bluntly named Punish Website app comes in. The new app comes configured to block nothing, letting you add the sites you hate to your own personal blacklist.

This post is presented by Trend Micro, maker of Dr. Cleaner.

Your Mac is a complex machine. That means there are a lot of ways it can get clogged up. Whether it’s junk files or overused application memory, keeping a clean Mac is a lot like keeping a clean house. A little bit of regular tidying goes a long way.

That’s what Dr. Cleaner is. A little cleaning kit stored away for when you need it.

It might not seem like it at the time, but buying an iPhone for full price upfront is probably the cheapest option. Swallowing the $1,000 purchase price of an unlocked iPhone X isn’t easy. However, you won’t wind up tied to carrier contracts that trap you for a year or two. Plus, you can pick a cheap, $10-per-month prepaid data plan instead.

In the European Union, Apple sells unlocked phones from the get-go. If you buy a new iPhone from Apple on launch day, it will not come tied to a carrier. In the United States, SIM-free iPhones usually go on sale a few weeks after launch.

Today we’ll look at how and where you can buy a SIM-free, unlocked iPhone.

Apple released a brand new iOS 11 update for the iPad and iPhone this morning that makes some big fixes to HomeKit.

iOS 11.2.1 comes a little over a week after Apple dropped iOS 11.2 on the public bringing Apple Pay Cash and a host of bug fixes. The new update is being released along with tvOS 11.2.1 to restore some HomeKit functionality after Apple patched a bug server-side earlier this week.

One of Apple’s biggest competitors in the music streaming business is about to bite the dust.

Tidal, the music streaming service owned by Jay-Z, is allegedly facing some serious money problems. According to a new report, user growth has stalled too making the company’s cash problems even worse.

Writing at the computer and on a mobile device can feel like totally different processes. Usually, the tools on one aren’t available – or just work differently – on the other. Not to mention the awkwardness of writing with only two thumbs.

Microsoft Edge for iOS wasn’t packing iPhone X support when it hit the App Store late last month. But its latest update, available to download now, takes full advantage of that larger, sharper Super Retina HD display.

Nintendo might be delivering on its promise to bring original titles like Super Mario Run and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp to iOS, but it’s also concerned about the timetable it is able to deliver these on. Or not deliver them on, as may be the case.

According to a new report, Nintendo is looking to team up with new smartphone game developers after its partnership with current mobile dev DeNA “fell behind schedule.”

Given how much time we spend Googling things, analyzing the world’s top searches provides a pretty good insight into the people, ideas, products, and news we could consider to be important.

With that in mind, Apple’s got to be pretty happy at the news that iPhone X and iPhone 8 were two of the top three most popular search terms of the year, with the top search being for Hurricane Irma. Fourth and fifth places were taken by Matt Lauer and Meghan Markle.

Apple has invested a substantial sum of cash in TrueDepth sensor maker Finisar.

The $390 million fund will allow for increased research and development spending, and high-volume production of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). It will also allow Finisar to open a new production facility in Texas, creating more than 500 jobs.

With Christmas coming, it’s probably not the time of year to be spending a whole lot of money on yourself — knowing that there’s plenty of other things you may need to splash your cash on.

Which is why it’s great news that Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy, one of my previously recommended best games of the year, has slashed its $15.99 price tag for the holidays.