iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

Amazon keeps making its Echo devices better and better, but when it dropped the Tap line, customers lost the option of a portable battery-powered Echo device. The folks at NINETY7 have come to the rescue, with the SKY TOTE Battery Base for Echo 2 ($49.95). It adds a few inches of height to the Echo 2; but the Echo 2 is shorter than the original Echo, so it's fine. The exterior looks nice, next to the factory model, although Amazon offers a variety of finishes which will be hidden if enclosed in the SKY TOTE. The SKY TOTE's fabric lets the sound through and looks good at the same time.

We've probably all had the experience of finding a cool new restaurant or amazing bookstore, only to struggle to remember which block it was on when we try to go back. Apple Maps is a native iPhone and iPad app that I haven't come close to fully exploring, but I just learned that I can not only save a location in Maps but also share it! Now, when I find an art supply store or vintage boutique that I know a friend will love, I can easily send its exact address directly from my Maps app, so friends and family can find it too. Let's get started learning how to share addresses from Apple Maps on iPhone and iPad. 

Apple just sent out press invitations for the annual September event, so we now have an official date to look forward to; the action starts at 10 a.m. PT on Wednesday, September 12, at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. We've been anticipating this day, and the device announcements that will come with it, for months, so let's go over all the hints, rumors, and educated guesses about potential new products Apple might announce, including new iPhones, the Apple Watch Series 4, AirPods 2, and StudioPods. 

I love my dog, but getting her to sit still for a photo is tricky, let alone for a selfie with both of us in the picture. There's just too much to coordinate. The folks at Model Citizen had the same idea, but they did something about it! They created the Woofie ($9.50). It's not a selfie-stick, but rather a snap-on attachment for your phone.The idea is to insert a dog treat in the top of the device so it gets your dog's attention. And it works!

News doesn’t have to be overwhelming. While it’s important to stay aware and up-to-date, there is a better way to get your daily news briefing: the Quartz app. Instead of showing you a flood of articles, Quartz is focused on a single screen that looks very similar to any messaging app, except these messages give you bite-sized nuggets of news. With the Quartz app, you can get an overview of the news and choose which subjects you want more details about. Learn more on what this app does and why we love it below.

If you've been following the debacle at Chipotle, you know how important it is to measure the temperature of your food. And if you don't want to ruin an expensive piece of meat, you'll want to use the MEATER Wireless Thermometer ($69). The MEATER is to be inserted in the meat you're preparing and it connects, wirelessly, to your smartphone for accurate cooking time.

The media invites have been sent for Apple's 2018 September iPhone announcement, and we have an official date. Call in to work, set up your internet connection, check your favorite time zone converter, and buckle in for Wednesday, September 12, at 10 a.m. P.T.