Still Waiting for Apple’s 2017 Back to School Promotion? Here’s When It’s Launched in Recent Years

For over a decade, Apple has offered an annual Back to School promotion, offering K-12 and college or university students, parents of students, and educators incentives, such as a free pair of Beats headphones or an Apple Store gift card valued up to $100, with the purchase of a qualifying Mac, iPhone, or iPad.

We’ve been receiving questions about the Back to School promotion for a few weeks now, but there’s still no sign of an imminent launch. Some have wondered whether Apple is canceling the program entirely, but it’s too early to say, as there are still several weeks remaining before students begin returning to classrooms.

Since 2006, Apple has launched its Back to School promotion in the United States and Canada as early as May 25, and as late as July 23. The promotion is usually extended to several European countries such as France, Germany, and Italy on either the same day, or no more than a few days later.

These have been the exact kickoff dates each year for North America:

• 2016: June 2
• 2015: July 23
• 2014: July 1
• 2013: July 2
• 2012: June 11
• 2011: June 16
• 2010: May 25
• 2009: May 27
• 2008: June 3
• 2007: June 5
• 2006: June 4

Apple’s Back to School promotion is highly anticipated because it’s one of the few times a year that Apple offers deals to customers, and many hold off on summer purchases until the event begins. Apple offered free Beats headphones in 2016 and 2015, free Apple Store gift cards in 2014, and free iTunes gift cards in 2013.

Apple launched a Back to Uni promotion in Australia and New Zealand in February, offering a free Apple Store gift card valued between $70 and $100 with the purchase of a qualifying new Mac or iPad Pro.

The Back to Uni promotion in Australia and New Zealand can sometimes foreshadow what Apple plans to offer in other countries, but not always. In 2015, for example, Apple offered an Apple Store gift card worth up to $100 in Australia and New Zealand, but the deal was free Beats headphones in the United States.

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Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest iOS app deals available from the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Knots 3D

Used by arborists, fishermen, firefighters, climbers, military, and boy scouts the world over, Knots 3D will quickly teach you how to tie even the most difficult knot. With more than 120 knots, Knots 3D will be your go-to reference.

Available on:

iOS

Videos in Video

Videos in Video is an easy video editor with fast editing features that allow you to place multiples videos, photos, and music within an existing video. The app promises to turn your videos into professional-looking edited movies.

Available on:

iOS

Therapy Buddy

Get the most out of your counseling or life-coaching sessions with Therapy Buddy. Developed by Thriveworks, this app provides users with tools they need to have a productive therapy session.

Available on:

iOS

iSchool

i-School is a study organizer and timetable schedule planner, both for schools and universities. Convenient class and study-schedule, textbooks, homework, and notes are attached to classes.

Available on:

iOS

Breathing Zone

Breathing Zone is a mindful breathing exercise that slows your breathing rate to calm you down and help you feel more relaxed even on your most stressful days.

Available on:

iOS

Top 26 Hip Hop Radio

Hip Hop Radio is for all hip hop music fans. Now you can listen to today’s greatest hits all day all in one place. The app is simple — just tap to play and tap again to stop the music.

Available on:

iOS

Xiaomi will unveil MIUI 9 in China on August 16

Next major version of MIUI will be showcased on August 16.

Xiaomi will unveil the next version of MIUI on August 16 in China. The company recently published a list of devices that will receive the Nougat update, but as of now, there’s no mention if the update will bring MIUI 9 or if Xiaomi will roll out a Nougat-based verison of MIUI 8, like what we’ve seen with the Mi 6.

A post on the MIUI forum mentions the August 16 launch date, and while the information is correct, the source doesn’t work for Xiaomi. We’ve learned that the company is planning to unveil MIUI 9 in China on August 16, but as of now, there’s no information on when the global ROM will be available.

If previous launches are any indication, the global ROM will roll out a few months after the launch of the China version. MIUI has over 200 million users globally, and Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun noted earlier this year that MIUI 9 will be much more fluid and powerful.

Xiaomi kicked off a public beta of MIUI 8 to give eager customers an early look at the skin, and it’s likely the company will do the same this time around. We’ll let you know once we know more.

Galaxy S8+ with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage is getting a much-needed price cut in India

Samsung is rolling out its first price cut to the Galaxy S8+ variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage.

Samsung introduced the Galaxy S8+ variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage last month in India, and the company is now offering a 5% discount to those looking to pick up the phone. The device launched at ₹74,900 ($1,155), and is now available for ₹70,900 ($1,090).

The standard Galaxy S8+ is available in four color options, but if you’re eyeing the 6GB model, you’re limited to the Midnight Black color variant. The Galaxy S8+ is our pick for the best phone in India thanks to its bezel-less Infinity Display, 10nm exynos 8895 chipset, and class-leading QHD Super AMOLED display.

The standard model is still priced at ₹64,900, making the 6GB variant that much more enticing. Interested? Head on down to Samsung India ‘s e-store to get your hands on the Galaxy S8+.

See at Samsung India

Amazon Echo Look: Can it help the fashion hopeless?

Can this sausage-like Amazon Echo make me a better (OK — decent) dresser? It really depends on what you give it to work with.

Fun fact: Everyone cares what they look like. Even those of us who don’t admit it at least take a passing interest in the clothes we wear. Maybe it’s just a couple seconds of “OK, I think this looks good.” Or maybe it’s a couple minutes standing in front of the closet in the morning.

But do I really care enough to let the likes of Amazon help me dress a little better?

Enter the Amazon Echo Look. It’s the fourth member of the Echo line (including the not-actually-named-Echo Tap) and is the first (but not only) one to sport a camera. In fact, the camera really is the star of the show.

But let’s back up a bit. This sausage-shaped plastic doodad is, first and foremost, an Alexa device. It’s got four microphones and a rear-facing speaker and does all the stuff we’ve come to love from Alexa. It answers questions. (To varying degrees of effect.) It controls any of your connected devices. This isn’t as robust a device as the other Echoes. Don’t bother trying to play music through it — your smartphone might well do it better.

No, the Echo Look is all about going through your closet.

If you really care about what you wear and want to keep track of when you wore it, Echo Look can help.

Pair up the Echo Look app (it’s separate from the regular Alexa app) and you’re quickly walked through things. Stand in front of the Echo Look after dressing (or before — your call) and say “Alexa, take a picture.” It snaps the snap and logs your outfit. From there you can leave yourself notes about what you were wearing, if you wish. So you’ve got a good record of what you wore, when you wore it, and how you looked. You can shoot video, too, to see what the backside looks like.

The real fun starts to come in when you compare one outfit to another. Amazon says it’s using algorithms (middle-out, no doubt) and even human expertise to figure out what looks best on you. It also asks you to weigh in on what you think looks best, the better to learn your own personal style.

How well it works really depends on what you give it to work with. Color and style matters, of course. But I got the feeling the pose did as well. (It’s also smart enough to figure out when you’ve swapped in someone else.) I didn’t always agree with the conclusion, but I kinda dug the idea, at least.

More impressive was just how easy this all was. The four LEDs that ring the camera lens are ridiculously bright (seriously, don’t look right at them) and do a really good job of lighting the scene, even in my dark bedroom. (In fact, the camera struggled when I had things more properly lit while filming this video.) The app is nicely set up — it works exactly the same on iOS as it does on Android — and shows just how well Amazon has made its products for anyone to use. Not just nerds.

I didn’t always agree with the conclusion, but I kinda dug the idea, at least.

What it hasn’t done is made me want to care about fashion anymore. It’s just not my thing. And so Echo Look definitely isn’t the Alexa device for me.

And even if you are someone who cares about clothes as much as some of us care about computers, you’re still going to have to commit to using the Echo Look every day in order for its $199 price tag to make sense. It’s definitely a niche product, with a more limited use case than the newer (and only slightly more expensive) Echo Show.

But on the other hand, maybe that’s just the price we pay for fashion.

Enter to win this Echo Look

OK, so the Echo Look definitely isn’t for me. But that isn’t to say that it won’t serve one of you out there quite nicely. So let’s give it away!

Use the widget below to enter to win. Full details are at ModernDad.com/contest.

Win an Amazon Echo Look from Modern Dad!

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Slip this thin 10000mAh power bank into your pocket for just $15

Our friends at Thrifter are back again, this time with a slim portable battery that puts 10000mAh of power into your pocket for less!

We continue to demand more and more out of our phones these days, and that means battery life sometimes takes a hit. No one wants to sit attached to a wall all day to keep their phone charged, and luckily you don’t have to. Aukey has recently released a new 10000mAh dual-USB portable power bank that is super slim, and right now you can pick one up for just $14.99 with coupon code AUKEYPB8, a savings of $5. This power bank is 14mm thick, which is less than twice the thickness of a Google Pixel.

You can charge two devices at the same time using the cables of your choice, and at 10000mAh of capacity, you’ll be able to charge most phones and tablets anywhere from 2 to 4 times per charge of the power bank. The side of it has four LEDs to show you how much power is left at a glance.

See at Amazon

For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

Top 8 things to love about the BlackBerry KEYone

The BlackBerry KEYone is a workhorse, and it’s proving more popular than even we thought it would be. Here’s why.

Listen, I know you’re tired of hearing this over and over again, but there’s a reason so many people are excited about BlackBerry Mobile’s new phone, the KEYone. Yes, the keyboard is obviously the main selling feature, but it’s just part of what makes the phone so interesting. And after years of mediocre BlackBerry hardware, I’m truly excited about the future of the brand, even if it is under the supervision of another company entirely.

Here’s why.

The software is as clean as it gets

OnePlus and BlackBerry are the two companies developing Android software that mainly gets out of its own way and just lets Google’s vision for the operating system shine through. Better yet, the changes they do decide to make are thoughtful and congruent with their phones’ particular advantages.

The KEYone’s excellent Nougat software wouldn’t have been possible without the excellent work BlackBerry did with the Priv and the DTEK series, and BlackBerry proper — the Canadian company — is still in charge of building and maintaining the software for the KEYone. That’s good news for a bunch of reasons, especially when you think about the other parts of the software experience that the company contributes.

The included apps are actually great

BlackBerry Hub. Calendar. Contacts. Tasks. Boring apps done well. The truth is that BlackBerry needed to build out its own suite of productivity apps because it wanted compatibility and continuity with many of its existing backend services, and while these are very much Android apps, they’ll be familiar to anyone who’s used a BlackBerry device in the past.

I’ve said it many times before: BlackBerry is one of the few companies that puts care into the Android software it builds, and even though you may no longer use BBM, you’ll find yourself happy to spend some time in the company’s other apps.

The launcher is thoughtful

Icon packs and swipe-up widgets may be taken directly from one of our favorite third-party launchers, but I have to give BlackBerry credit where it’s due: it’s appealing to its core enthusiast user base over here. Not only that, but the launcher is extremely smooth, and it’s actually available through the Play Store, making it, like Hub, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and others, upgradeable over time. And BlackBerry has improved the launcher since its inception.

The BlackBerry Launcher also supports one of the most BlackBerry things of all: the classic red star symbol on an icon to indicate when there’s a waiting notification. It’s a subtle change and one that Google is implementing more cohesively in Android O, but BlackBerry’s version is robust and works really well.

The camera is better than I expected

I didn’t really think the KEYone would, for its price, have a flagship-level camera, but that’s exactly what you get. While it lacks the HDR+ mode of the Google Pixel, it shares the same Sony sensor, and it performs extremely well in almost every lighting condition. For a phone with a keyboard, you may think the camera would play second fiddle in importance, but even if you get the KEYone for its most notable feature, the excellent camera is a wonderful bonus.

The keyboard really is amazing

I had an opportunity to type on a large number of older BlackBerry devices for a TV segment recently and found the KEYone’s hardware keyboard to stand up pretty well. It’s not quite as perfectly sized and shaped as the Bold 9900 or the Classic, but it’s close, and easily the best on Android.

In fact, I thought I wouldn’t even want to type on a hardware keyboard again, but after a few days of using the KEYone as my primary device, touch typing became, once again, second nature.

More than that, though, the keyboard is smart, and even if you’re not really into the idea of typing on a physical keyboard, its other features, like flick typing for autocorrect and home screen shortcuts accessed by holding down one of the keys to launch an app or a shortcut. The whole system works really well, especially when you combine it with the flexible launcher. I didn’t think I’d use the shortcuts on a daily basis, but here we are months later and I have all of my favorites memorized and ready to go.

Battery life is ridiculous

This has come up again and again with this phone: the KEYone lasts seemingly forever. It’s not just get-you-through-the-day battery life either; it’s “I don’t have to think about my battery”, which is pretty astounding on a device that you use all day, every day.

Part of that is owed to the Snapdragon 625 in the phone, but other areas, like the seemingly well-optimized software (the stability and performance of which has improved immensely through a series of software updates) and the relatively low-resolution LCD screen, contribute to the lengthy uptime. And yes, the Snapdragon 625 may not be the most powerful chip on the market, but it has proven, at least on the devices on which I’ve used it — the KEYone, the Moto Z Play, the Huawei Nova Plus — to be more than capable of running your life.

It’s built like a tank

Yes, Zach from JerryRigEverything was able to dislodge the display from the casing pretty easily, but from what I’ve seen, that issue doesn’t affect the overall durability of this metal-clad workhorse. I’ve dropped this thing many times, by accident and on purpose, and it’s come through the abuse relatively unscathed. More than that, the soft-touch rubberized back has worn extremely well compared to many of the metal- or glass-backed phones I’ve used in recent memory, and I think BlackBerry Mobile made the right decision bucking the trend in this case. The phone may be a bit thick, but thanks to its relative narrowness, it’s still quite usable in one hand.

It’s just… different

Here’s, I think, one of the more divisive parts of the KEYone: it’s just different from anything else you’ll use in the smartphone space right now. If you’re tired of the same ol’ rectangle, moving to a more unconventional design will get you noticed — for better or worse — when you’re using this thing. And based on how difficult it is to find a KEYone right now, on either Amazon or Best Buy, where the company sells the phone unlocked for $549.99 USD, I’d say that the “distinctly different” tagline is working.

See at Amazon

BlackBerry KEYone

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OnePlus would prefer you use the OnePlus 5 with your eyes closed

Don’t look too hard.

I feel for OnePlus these days, despite the opaqueness with which it is approaching the latest not-scandal involving the OnePlus 5. Almost immediately after launching in late June, some people began noticing a “jelly” effect on the phone’s Optic AMOLED display while quickly scrolling through the phone’s various screens, such as on a web page or a Twitter feed.

OnePlus acknowledged the visual curiosity, but said in a quote to Android Central and other outlets that all was functioning normally:

The OnePlus 5 uses the same level of high-quality components as all OnePlus devices, including the AMOLED display. We’ve received feedback from a small number of users saying that at times they notice a subtle visual effect when scrolling. This is natural and there’s no variance in screens between devices.

XDA-Developers, for its part, began perpetuating a theory that due to a lack of space near the top of the phone’s housing, thanks to its newly-installed dual camera system, the AMOLED display was actually inverted, which causes this “jelly” effect. OnePlus denies that this is a problem, and has instructed its customer service representatives to reinforce that claim at every opportunity.

This is one typical response:

This is natural and there’s no variance in screens between devices. 3/3

— OnePlus Support (@OnePlus_Support) July 2, 2017

But more recently, one OnePlus CSR gave a bit of a different angle to the story.

The screen so called jelly effect is caused by the user’ eyes persistence of vision (visual staying phenomenon or duration of vision).

— OnePlus Support (@OnePlus_Support) July 6, 2017

Indeed, what the person is implying is that it is not the screen, but our perception of the screen — nay, our physiological makeup entirely! — that is to blame here. In other words, you better get used to “seeing” the OnePlus 5 with your eyes closed. 😂

(Or, more likely, it is a poor translation and we shouldn’t take it, or this post, seriously. Just use your OnePlus 5 and love it, k?)

Happy Friday, y’all!

OnePlus 5

• Complete OnePlus 5 review
• OnePlus 5 specs
• Which OnePlus 5 model should you buy?
• Camera comparison: OnePlus 5 vs. Galaxy S8
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Google News & Weather app gets a Material redesign and some spitshine

Good news for Google News (& Weather)!

This week’s app update has given Google News & Weather an update that lets it better match the Google News website and better match other Google apps like Google Now and Google Home, brightening things up and cleaning the busy sections drawer a little. It’s not a huge overhaul, but it is a welcoming to see Google updating apps for consistency.

The new update does add a little more blank space to the layout, and it adds a tabbed nav bar at the bottom of the screen for easily switching between Headlines, Local, and For You. This bar matches recent updates to YouTube, though things here are significantly less crowded. The hamburger menu for Google News & Weather has also thinned out dramatically, consolidating from every news section you may or may not use to a much shorter section list. Shortening this list up also puts the dark theme toggle in easy reach. (Yay dark theme!)

The app update is rolling out to everyone at Google’s usual leisurely pace, so don’t be surprised if it’s not waiting in Google Play this morning, but it’ll come to everyone in due time.

Best Accessories For HTC U11

You have the phone, now gear it up with some accessories.

You may have some accessories from a prior phone that work with your HTC U11, but chances are you’ll need at least a couple to address this phone in particular. When you’re looking for everything to gear up your U11, start with this list and get the essentials before heading anywhere else.

Aukey dual USB port Quick Charge 3.0 car charger

You get a Quick Charge wall socket in your U11’s box, but if you don’t yet have a car charger with the newer fast charging tech you’ll want to snag one for topping up on the go. Aukey sells a sweet little car charger that can actually charge two phones at once using Quick Charge 3.0, giving you extra possibilities.

The USB ports are obviously backward compatible to previous Quick Charge versions, or will charge up non-Quick Charge phones at standard USB rates. A solid deal for $20, especially considering how long you’ll be able to keep it in your car and use it with future phones.

See at Amazon

Anker PowerCore Speed Quick Charge 3 10,000mAh battery

Just like the car charger, if you’re getting a new portable battery to use with your U11 you’ll want to get one that can charge it as fast as possible. Quick Charge 3.0 comes in batteries, too, and Anker makes an awesome battery to use with your U11 or any other phone. The PowerCore Speed battery has 10,000mAh in capacity — which is enough for over two full charges of the U11 — but stays super compact because it only offers one USB output.

There are bigger batteries and ones with many more USB ports or extra features, but if you need something that’s compact, easy to carry around and will charge your U11 quickly, this is a great choice at just $35.

See at Amazon

LG Tone Ultra HBS-820 Wireless headphones

Without a headphone jack on the U11, there’s a good chance that you’d prefer using Bluetooth most of the time rather than carrying around the USB-C to 3.5 mm headphone dongle. You can find Bluetooth headphones of just about every style, size and price, so we’ve picked a pair that are very middle-of-the-road and won’t set you back too much — the LG Tone Ultra HBS-820.

You may not be the “neckbud” type, but they do have a nice balance of comfort, size, sound and battery life that save you from having big over-ear headphones or always-dead little earbuds. LG’s been one of the leaders in this category for a while, and when it comes to an all-around set of neckbuds these are great. Give the LG Tone Ultra a look — at under $75 they’re a good value if you like the form factor.

See at Amazon

Spigen Liquid Crystal HTC U11 Case

The U11 comes with a case in the box, but it’s extremely basic and gets roughed up very quickly. If you want a case that you can actually use regularly for protecting your phone, you should pick something else up. This Spigen Liquid Crystal case is thin and clear just like the case that comes in the box, but shouldn’t get scratched up in the same way and will actually protect the sides of the phones as well. Even though it covers the sides this case won’t hinder your ability to use the Edge Sense squeeze feature on the U11.

Going with a clear case lets you show off that awesome glass back of your U11 while also keeping it protected — whether you use the case every day or just when you expect it to get bumped around. And it’ll only set you back $11.

See at Amazon

HTC U11

• HTC U11 review
• HTC U11 specs
• Manufacturing the U11: Behind the scenes
• Join our U11 forums
• HTC U11 vs Galaxy S8
• HTC U11 vs LG G6

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