If you want to help your loved ones keep track of their belongings, this Chipolo Black Friday weekend sale has you covered.
Jeff Butts
Jeff Butts is a seasoned tech aficionado with deep roots in the Apple ecosystem. Starting his journey in the early 1980s by experimenting with hardware, Jeff has always been driven by a desire to get the most out of technological devices. His expertise has led him to prominent roles in the industry, including a nearly three-year stint as a Reporter at AppAdvice and an impressive seven-year tenure as a Writer/Editor for Byrnes Publishing, LLC. More recently, Jeff lent his technical insights to HotHardware, Inc. as a Tech Editor. With his extensive experience and unwavering commitment to providing valuable content, Jeff continues to be a trusted voice for readers keen on Apple products and innovations.
Articles by Jeff Butts
Caviar Melts Down Tesla Model 3 to Make iPhone 13 Pro
Caviar, a Russian luxury boutique, is at it again. Their latest product, after the Tyrannosaurus rex iPhone, involves melting down a Tesla Model 3. The company has taken one of the electric cars, melted it down, and used the materials to craft a new iPhone 13 Pro design, the iPhone 13 Tesla Electro. The body is manufactured from titanium with black PVD coating, and the central aluminum insert comes from the Tesla Model 3. An artistic collage, etched into the aluminum insert, features a portrait of Elon Musk, the outline of an electric car, and the Tesla Motors logo. This run is limited to 99 pieces, and you can choose either an iPhone 13 Pro or an iPhone 13 Pro Max with any memory configuration. It’ll set you back $6,760. If you’d prefer to spend a bit less, you could also get an Elon Musk bust made from the same materials, for $3,220.
TwelveSouth Offers Up to 75% Off for Black Friday
Whether you want a wireless charger, Apple Watch ActionBand, or a new iPhone case, TwelveSouth’s Black Friday sale has a deal for you.
MobyFox Apple Watch Bands Black Friday Sale
MobyFox, which holds official licenses to just about every geek favorite brand you can imagine, has a site-wide sale. Using the promo code “BF2021,” you can score 20% off any Apple Watch band plus get free shipping. You’ll find officially-licensed Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics watch bands, plus plenty more. The company also features Hello Kitty, Power Puff Girls, Stranger Things, Arsenal, and Willy Wonka. There’s plenty more, so check it out for yourself. The nicest thing about MobyFox isn’t just the amount of geekery you can find. Their Watch bands all come with connectors for all series and sizes of Apple Watch, along with 22mm pins for many Android smart watches. On top of that, they provide a number of free Watch faces to match your chosen band. I’m looking forward to the Beskar Armor band, from The Mandalorian, that I’ve got coming my way.
Eve Black Friday Deals to Up Your HomeKit Game
If you want to up your smart home game, this is the time to do it. These Eve Black Friday deals can save you up to 30% off retail prices.
Animoog Z Available Now on iOS and macOS
Animoog Z improves on the best features of Moog’s original app, and then brings them not just to the iPad, but to your Mac and iPhone too.
Receive Signal Messenger Notifications Just From Certain People
Little known fact: you can allow Signal Messenger notifications from specific contacts in Focus Mode. You add the person, not the app.
Build a DIY Raspberry Pi Magic Mirror
Forget about a magic mirror that tells you what you want to hear. This DIY Raspberry Pi magic mirror can update you on the news and weather while you prepare for your day. All3DP‘s Jackson O’Connell has just published an excellent walkthrough on building your own smart, or magic, mirror using Raspberry Pi, common building materials, and a code repository that’s just waiting for you to make the most of it. It’s hands-down one of the coolest and most useful Raspberry Pi DIY projects I’ve come across.
Twitter and Walmart Partner for First Livestream Shopping Event
On Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021, shoppers will be able to view the first-ever Twitter livestream shopping event, featuring Walmart Cyber Deals.
The Journey of a Swallowed AirPod
The number of swallowed AirPods is higher than you’d think. The latest episode was recently disclosed on video sharing site TikTok.
Grell Audio Makes Audiophile-Grade Listening Accessible
Audiophiles love the terrific sound quality great headphones offer, but not the expense. Grell Audio has the answer to that dilemma.
Roomba Delivers On Its Promise to End Pet Poo Disasters
We’ve seen the videos, those tragic tales of robot vacuum cleaners leaving a trail of puppy poop behind. For all of their AI technology, they simply don’t recognize one fact. Some messes just won’t vacuum up neatly. Your robotic cleaning device ends up doing more harm than good. Roomba maker iRobot says they’ve nipped the problem in the bud. A writer at Daily Paws put this to the test. In her testing, the latest Roomba j7+ really does have the digital smarts to avoid pet messes.
I came home late from work one night to see that my elderly Chihuahua had missed the wee pad by a good bit and left her own dollop of poop on my kitchen floor. I had scheduled the Roomba for a run that was set to begin in a few minutes, so instead of cleaning up the accident myself, I decided to see what the j7+ would do.
It expertly avoided my pup’s poop. I was absolutely in awe. Once again, after the clean, the iRobot app asked me if this was a temporary obstacle, and I confirmed.
Cher Scarlett, #AppleToo Mobilizer, Resigns
One of the founders of the #AppleToo movement, Cher Scarlett, is leaving Apple. She’s not abandoning her fight for equity in tech, though.
Apple Revises Return to Office Hybrid Model
Apple’s return to office hybrid model is to begin February 1, 2022. Employees will ease their way back, allowed four weeks of remote work.
Enjoy an Ice Cream Flavor-Inspired iPhone Case
One lifestyle label has decided to take inspiration from popular ice cream flavors for its latest iPhone cases. Urban Sophistication is a clothing and accessory boutique. It “reinterprets everyday objects to offer a unique experience of the ordinary altogether creating a portrait of us”. The boutique’s latest product announcement consists of five new Puffer cases. Different ice cream flavors inspire each of the cases in the new “Flavors” drop. You can choose from Bubblegum, Frozen Sun, Green Tea, Peach Sorbet and Cotton Candy. Urban Sophistication first thought up the Puffer case after photoshopping a picture of a puffer jacket onto an iPhone case. The idea proved so popular that Urban Sophistication designed a new line of cases incorporating the puffiness of the jacket. Dua Lipa, Rosalia, Madelaine Petsch and J Balvin have helped popularize the Puffer cases. These cases fit all models of iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13.
Apple-Designed 5G Modems Could Debut in 2023 iPhones
Apple has been successful designing its own processors. Now, the tech giant appears ready to develop its own 5G modems, too.
Amazon to Stop Accepting UK-Issued Visa Credit Cards
Responding to growing transaction fees, Amazon has announced it will no longer accept UK-issued Visa credit cards after Jan. 18, 2022.
macOS Monterey Includes Network Quality Test
For troubleshooting slow connections, macOS Monterey now provides a built-in network quality testing tool. Jeff Butts explains how to use it.
Sleep Technology Meets the Smart Home with ReST
Sleep technology has really taken off, and we even have smart beds now. Let’s see how well the ReST Smart Bed performs for this techie.
Apple’s Home Services Head Leaves, Destination Unknown
Apple’s head of Home Services, Sam Jadallah, has abruptly left the company. Apple has not yet announced his replacement.
Does Apple Need to Get More Into HomeKit Hardware?
Is a lack of Apple-branded HomeKit hardware a death knell for the smart home ecosystem? Jeff Butts explains why he doesn’t think so.
PopSockets Announces New MagSafe Mounts
Fans of PopSockets will be glad to see the company’s latest MagSafe mounts. The new mounts are available for your car or home.
Background Sounds Makes Your iPhone a White Noise Generator
If you need to tune out distracting sounds, white noise generators can help. An iOS Accessibility feature, Background Sounds, gives you that.
Real Wireless Charging Coming from CES 2022 Award Winner
If you’ve wondered when we’ll get real wireless charging for our technology, it might be coming sooner rather than later.