Check this out, it’s a telephoto lens for smartphones called Telephoto PRO. It offers up to 8X optical magnification, and it connects to your device with a clamp. It’s compatible with iPhones and iPads, as well as Android devices from Samsung, HTC, Sony, and Nokia. It’s US$17.99 through our deal.
VPN.asia 3-Year Subscription: $24.99
We have a deal for you VPN.asia, a VPN with military-grade 256-bit encryption. It’s compatible with a host of devices, including Macs and iOS devices, and you’ll have access to 40-plus servers in 30 countries. The deal listing has other subscription options, too, so check it out.
LimeLens Universal Smartphone Camera Lens Set: $39.99
We have a deal for you today on the LimeLens Universal Smartphone Camera Lens Set. It works with iPhones, many Samsung devices, some Sony devices, and even some Chinese Android devices. It includes a dual macro/wide lens that’s 10x macro on one side and 0.67x wide angle on the other. It also has a fisheye lens with a 190° view. The set is $39.99 through our deal.
Pay What You Want for the 2017 Superstar Mac Bundle [Updated]
We have a new pay-what-you-want deal for you called the 2017 Superstar Mac Bundle. It includes 12 different apps—you get all of them by beating the average price, which is $12.17 as of this writing. But you can pay anything—as little as a dollar—and get two of the apps, Mac Screen Recorder and NotePlan. Beat the leader’s price and get an entry into a giveaway for a 13″ MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. Check out the details on the deal listing. [Updated with a new promo image. – Editor]
You Can Never Be Too Thin. Unless You’re a MacBook Pro
MacBook Pros have been getting thinner and thinner. From an aesthetic, handling, weight and evolutionary standpoint, thinner is better. However, when does an unhealthy obsession with thinness interfere with great engineering? Is a MacBook Pro that’s too thin get in the way of features, performance and adequate ports? Would two extra millimeters of thickness enhance battery life enough to make the pro customer smile with enthusiasm? When does the obsession stop? John elaborates on page 2 of Particle Debris.
Polaroid University 5-Year Subscription: $24.99
Did you know that Polaroid has an online university with hours of professional-led, professionally-produced videos for smartphone photographers, covering dozens of topics? Thanks to our friends at Stack Commerce, I do now, and they put together a deal for us on a 5-year subscription to Polaroid University for $24.99.
Swift Programming from Scratch Interactive Learning Platform: $10
We have a deal for you today on a training course to help you learn Swift. It’s called We ❤️ Swift, an ebook and interactive platform designed to teach you Swift from scratch. It includes more than a hundred exercises and custom made playgrounds. You can get it for $10 through our deal.
The 2017 Arduino Starter Kit and Course Bundle: $75
I love Arduino. It’s an open source electronics platform for making interactive projects, and we have a deal on an Arduino Starter Kit bundled with nine Arduino training courses. The Starter Kit has a bunch of Arduino electronics. The training bundles include: Arduino Step by Step 2017: Getting Started, Arduino Robotic Projects, Arduino iOS Blueprints, Internet of Things with Arduino Blueprints, Arduino Android Blueprints, Arduino Development Cookbook, Arduino Electronics Blueprints, Arduino Wearable Projects, and Arduino by Example. That’s a ton of training materials, letting you pick the areas that interest you. You get it all for $75.
UltraBright 500-Lumen Tactical Military Flashlight 2-Pack: $29.99
Check out the UltraBright 500-Lumen Tactical Military Flashlight. They’re intensely bright, and they have an adjustable zoom that provides up to one mile of range. That’s just crazy. They have an SOS mode, too. Our deal is on a 2-pack of these devices, including a case, for $29.99.
Plugies Magnetic Lightning Charging Cables: $27.99
Check out the Plugies Magnetic Charging Cables, Lightning charging cables with a magnetic connector. They’re designed to work like Apple’s on-the-way-out MagSafe, but for your iPhone. It has two pieces, one a Lightning plug that sits in your iPhone. The other is a cable that connects to that plug with a magnet. They’re $27.99 through our deal. There are also versions with Micro-USB and one with both Micro-USB and Lightning. Check out the details on the deal listing.
Apple's Tortoise Races Amazon's Hare for Home Automation Dominance
Apple has chosen to take a steady, if slow, approach to home automation focusing on licensing, security, and no high-profile, fixed device like Amazon’s Echo & Dot. As a result, Reuters author Stephen Nellis observes: “Still, it’s not clear whether Apple’s elaborate but slow-to-develop system will have enough advantages to overcome Amazon’s widening lead.” The discussion starts on page 2 of Apples Tortoise Races Amazons Hare for Home Automation Dominance.
Flux 6 Lifetime License: $49.99
We have a deal for you on Flux 6, a WYSIWYG HTML and CSS design tool. It features the ability to write and edit code, or use drag and drop controls. Our deal is for lifetime access and future updates on one computer for $49.99, 83% off retail.
MultiPoint Bluetooth Car Speaker Phone: $42.95
We have a deal on an interesting device called MultiPoint Bluetooth Car Speaker Phone. It’s a Bluetooth speaker, but it’s designed to be used in your car and attaches to your visor. It allows you to make hands-free calls, even if your car doesn’t have a built-in hands-free system. You can get it through us for $42.95, more than half off retail.
FitBit Flex (Third-Party Refurbished): $29.99
Our friends at Stack Commerce have put together a deal on refurbished FitBit Flex tracking bands. These dedicated fitness trackers let you track steps, distance, calories burned, active minutes, hourly activity, stationary time, and sleep. Set up goals, sync your data (but they don’t sync to Apple’s HealthKit), and more. They’re just $29.99 through our deal.
The Swift 3 Master Coder Bundle: $44
We have a deal for developers today on the Swift 3 Master Coder Bundle. You get lifetime access to 143 courses and 19 hours of content designed to teach you how to make apps for iOS 10. Check out the deal listing for more information. It’s priced at $44 through our deal, 92% off the regular price.
Private Internet Access VPN 2-Year Subscription: $59.99
Hey VPN fans, we have a deal for you today on a two-year subscription to Private Internet Access. With this plan, you get unlimited bandwidth on up to 5 devices, including Mac, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux PCs.There are more than 3,300 servers in 25 countries to choose from, and the subscription comes with a variety of services. Check out the details on the deal listing. The price through our deal is $59.99, some 63% off retail.
When Should a Robot just Say "No!"
Should there be occasions when advanced AI’s, especially robots or androids, refuse a command by a human being? Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics (mostly) dictate the rules, assuming the robot has been programmed with that in mind. However, there are nuances worth further discussion, and they depend some very sophisticated, nuanced thinking (and predictions) by the robot. It’s all on page 2 of Particle Debris.
MailButler Professional 1-Year Subscription: $14.99
We have a deal for you today on MailButler Professional, a collection of plugins for Apple’s Mail.app. With these plugins, you can mark your emails as to-do items, snooze emails, track emails to find out if recipients have actually opened them, schedule emails to be sent at specific dates and times, and more. You can get a one year subscription to MailButler Professional through our deal for $14.99.
Easily Capture Your Screen, Burn Digital Media & Edit Videos Seamlessly: $49
We have a deal for you on Roxio Toast Titanium for $49. This software lets you capture video directly from your screen, portable devices, or the web. It also has video editing tools and the ability to create a DVD. It will convert videos, rip DVDs and CDs, and much more. Check out the details on the deal listing.
FRESHeBUDS Pro Magnetic Bluetooth Earbuds: $29.95
Check out the FRESHeBUDS Pro Magnetic Bluetooth Earbuds. They’re water and sweat resistant, and automatically pair to your phone when pulled apart so you don’t have to go through any setup. They fully charge in 90 minutes, and offer up to 10 hours of playback. You can get them for $29.95 through our deal.
SelectTV by FreeCast 1-Year Subscription: $24
Our friends at Stack Commerce have put together a deal on a one-year subscription to SelectTV. This internet-streaming service gives you browser access to some 300,000 TV episodes, 200,000 movies, 50,000 radio stations, and 5,000 live channels. The price for a one-year subscription through our deal is $24. There are more details on the deal listing.
Kinkoo 3-Outlet Surge Protecting Smart Power Strip
You folks probably know how much I love clever devices—we have a deal on one called Kinkoo 3-Outlet Surge Protecting Smart Power Strip. It’s a power strip with three AC outlets, but it also has four USB charging ports. That’s three standard USB charging ports and one USB-C charging port, making it good for new and legacy USB charging. It’s $24.99 through us.
A Broad, Consensus Critique of Apple in 2016
At sixcolors, Jason Snell writes: “As we close the door on 2016, I thought it would be useful to look back at the year gone by and ask a panel of my peers who pay attention to Apple and related markets to take a moment and reflect on Apple’s performance in the past year.” What’s interesting about this report is that these are some of the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic writers covering Apple. And the consensus grades, except for the iPhone and Apple Watch, aren’t all that great. Check it out onA Broad, Consensus Critique of Apple in 2016
Next FlipBook Maker Pro for Mac: $39.99
We have a deal today on Next Flipbook Maker Pro for Mac. This software helps you make PDFs and images into HTML5 flipbooks. It does Flash, too, but seriously, HTML5. You can embed YouTube, local video, music, images, buttons, charts, and hyperlinks, and it has batch conversion abilities, too. It’s priced at $39.99, which is 86% off retail. Check out the details on the deal listing.