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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.

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Articles by Jeff Butts

Cool Stuff Found

The iPhone 13 Candy Catapult Case

Jeff Butts ·

I’ve been thinking about getting a 3D printer for quite some time, and now I may have the perfect excuse. While waiting for his iPhone 13 Pro Max to be delivered, Matty Benedetto designed and produced his own custom case. Benedetto, over the past two years, has “designed and fully prototyped over 280 new inventions that solve problems that don’t exist”. I think Benedetto has cited the problem of the boring phone case with this one, though. This case actually stores pieces of candy, which it dispenses through old-school pinball mechanics. If designing and crafting something like this isn’t a good enough excuse to buy a 3D printer, I don’t know what is.

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Study Shows VR and AR Are Now Mainstream Tech

Jeff Butts ·

The time may be ripe for Apple to go all-in with virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) products. What was once mostly fantasy is now mainstream, according to the sales data. There’s still plenty of room for growth. International Data Corporation “only” expects just shy of $2 billion in sales from VR and AR for 2021. That might sound like a lot of money. However, it pales in comparison to the $289 billion expected of smart home sales. Still, the increasingly popular VR/AR gaming genre should continue growing, IDC thinks. It may even grow faster than other parts of the new mainstream product categories. The analysts predict almost 68% growth over the next 5 years.

IDC expects AR and VR combined to show the most growth out of the three categories, thanks to both businesses and individual consumers. The latter is particularly interested in “robust gaming solutions,” IDC said. Businesses represent the bulk of AR spending today, but IDC thinks the market for AR headsets targeting the general public will grow. It predicted a 67.9 percent compound annual growth rate from 2020 to 2025 for AR and VR combined, which is more than 10 times the next competitor, smart home tech (10.1 percent growth rate).

 

Check Out Your iPhone’s User Guide
Cool Stuff Found

Check Out Your iPhone's User Guide

Jeff Butts ·

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran to the iPhone or a complete newbie, it’s nice to have some documentation to check out. This helps you learn all the features on iOS. It’s especially helpful when a major upgrade comes out, and things work differently. I’m looking at you, Safari. As luck would have it, your iPhone’s user guide is just waiting for you in iOS. One need only know where to look. In this case, just open your Bookmarks in Safari, and you’ll find it there. The current version of the iPhone’s user guide covers new features in iOS 15, setting up your iPhone, the basics of iOS, and quite a bit more. Yes, there’s even an entry on customizing Safari’s layout so you can return the tabs and search bar to the top of the screen. Another entry in the iPhone User Guide help you manage your security and privacy. You can also learn about using your iPhone with iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, and PC. There’s a ton more useful information, so be sure to at least give it a glance.