7 New Kickstarters to Treat Yourself With in the New Year

The iPhone 15

New iPhone

The latest iteration of iPhone is the iPhone 15, and it will also be available as the iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. They’ll come in 5 colors: white, black, pink (rejoice!), green, and yellow. The Pro models are fitted with a strong, lightweight titanium casing, and have a 6.1-inch screen, while the Plus models boast a 6.7-inch screen.

No More Lightning Cables

And yes, you read it right – the Lighting charging ports are no more for new Apple products, including the iPhone 15. From now on, users will only be able to use a USB-C cord (that, according to Apple, ushers in potentially faster charging times) for charging their devices. The change makes things fairly easy for cross-functional purposes, as USB-C cords are also compatible with non-Apple products.

Action Button

The Lightning port isn’t the only thing that Apple said they’re retiring. The new iPhone no longer has a ring silencer slider on the side. Instead, it’s now called an “action button.” The action button will still silence alerts, texts, and calls by default, but will also be capable of other handy commands you tell it to complete.

Sharper-Than-Ever Camera

As expected, the iPhone 15 variations boast an updated camera system. The company’s stepped it up so that the smartphones have a 48-megapixel main camera with a larger sensor than ever before. The back camera also has a new “nanoscale coating” for handling lens flares and lowlight with expert skill. The camera system reportedly has more enhanced color, better image stabilization, and a 4K cinematic video mode.

Improved Connection

The new iPhones also feature an ultra wideband chip, which expands the device’s connection strength. This chip allows iPhones to connect to other devices from up to three times farther away. It’s incorporated into the “Find My’ technology that you may already use to find your friends, devices, and more.

Apple made sure to address pricing for the new iPhone, as well as existing models:

• iPhone SE will start at $429.
• iPhone 13 will start at $599.
• iPhone 14 will start at $699.
• iPhone 15 will start at $799.
• iPhone 15 Plus will start at $899.
• iPhone 15 Pro will start at $999.

The new iPhones start shipping and hitting stores on September 22.

Store More With New iCloud+ Plans

Apple also announced that starting September 18, iCloud+ will offer 6TB ($29.99/mo) and 12 TB ($59.99/mo) storage plans, which expands their previous largest offering of 2TB ($9.99/mo). The new plans are ideal for large photo and video libraries, or users of Apple’s Family Sharing.

Apple Watch Series 9

Shout Out To Sustainability

The company introduced the Apple Watch Series 9, which is reportedly Apple’s first-ever carbon-neutral product. They’ll also be making another sustainability effort by eliminating leather materials from the Apple Watch. The wristbands will no longer be made of leather, but instead, a material called “fine woven,” which is made from 68% post-consumer recycled content.

With The Tap Of A Finger

The most notable news surrounding the new Apple Watch is the introduction of hand gesture controls. With the watch on, users can tap their index finger and thumb together twice to answer (or end) phone calls, play and pause music, or snooze alarms. Siri can also take commands via the watch now.

Apple Watch Tune-Up

The Series 9 watch is now made with a custom S9 chip for faster processing, according to Apple. The screen features a new edge-to-edge display that doubles the brightness levels, plus the model is available in a new pink color!

Apple noted these updated prices for the Apple Watch:

• Apple Watch SE starts at $249.
• Apple Watch S9 starts at $399.
• Apple Watch Ultra 2 is priced at $799.

TikTok is a central avenue for small businesses to promote their products and services, with special thanks to its algorithm, says Johannes Larsson, Founder and CEO at Financer.com.

“The platform's unique algorithm, which prioritizes content discovery and virality, has enabled many small businesses to reach and connect with potential customers in a way that wasn't possible through traditional social media platforms,” says Larsson. “Since its growth has been exponential throughout the years as a key marketing channel, the ban triggered the markets for sure.”

TikTok also masters the art of connection. Your For You Page knows exactly what you like to see. This gives small businesses the ability to get closer to their audience and reach more success that way, says saysLynzee Krohne, Founder of branding agency LEO + LAINE.

"On TikTok, brands have the freedom and space to be more casual and less branded," Krohne said. "Because of the nature of TikTok, it allows brands to let their guard down a bit and create content that may be a little more rough around the edges—which helps them appear to be much more authentic to their audience."

Jessica Tran, founder of @jtmobiledetailing, says 60% of customers choose her car detailing shop because they saw it on TikTok. Jaz and Sam Sears, owners and operators of@aztaco.king, grew their business from a food cart in a parking lot to two restaurants in less than 6 months, due to their success on the app. Megan Gersch, a web designer and brand identity creator, says around half of her client base comes from TikTok, which often turn into 4 to 5-figure contracts.

This positive growth for small biz is commonly attributed to the app’s distinctive features that connect creators with consumers, such as live video streaming, a virality-driven algorithm, and the ability for users to personalize their daily feeds.

In its absence, small business TikTokers would have no choice but to adapt and pivot their marketing strategies, which is not always easy when they’re doing it DIY-style, says Larsson.

“While small businesses may be able to find success on other social media channels, the competition for visibility and engagement is often more intense [than on TikTok], making it harder for them to stand out. The time and effort required to establish a new presence and create content tailored to the specific characteristics of other platforms could be a significant burden on small business owners.”

Small businesses pivoting to other platforms might face different struggles for exposure, due to consumers being very platform-specific, according to Krohne.

"If [TikTok] brands begin to focus their content efforts on Instagram, they’re up against multiple types of content, and competing in a more content-saturated world," Krohne told us. "TikTok mostly has one content offering, and that’s why it’s insanely popular. There’s a difference between platforms. Brands must diversify their content and show up in other places to keep a steady stream of touchpoints to remain top of mind and memorable."

Though Gersch is no stranger to restrategizing, a potential TikTok ban would still impact her business as a web designer and brand creator.

“I've been a marketer for 16+ years, and one thing that I have learned along the way is that you need to constantly test, look at your analytics, and create where the attention is,” says Gersch. “If TikTok goes away, there will be a huge gap in the market that will need to be filled.”

TikTok recognizes the work that small business owners take on in order to find success, which is why the platform has committed $1 million each to the Hispanic Heritage Foundation to elevate entrepreneurship in the Latin community, and Black Girl Ventures to support Black and Brown women entrepreneurs.

“Five million US businesses turn to TikTok to take us inside their world in a fun, authentic way, and as a result, they are reaching new customers, hiring more employees and growing their business,” says Becca Sawyer, Global Head of SMB for TikTok. “By partnering with HHF and BGV and launching virtual workshops, we're strengthening our commitment to build an inclusive and supportive platform where small business owners and entrepreneurs can share their story, find their audience and drive real business results."

We can’t make a solid prediction for the destiny of the beloved app for now, but we do know that it’ll be dearly missed by small businesses and consumers alike if bans (at any capacity) go through.

“I don't want Tiktok to be banned - not only is it an integral part of my business, but I have also been able to connect with so many incredible people that I wouldn't have met otherwise,” says Gersch. “It's my go-to source for inspiration, learning, and even a good laugh.”

Do Lorelai and Max get married on Gilmore Girls?

Lorelai and Max are engaged during Gilmore Girls season 1, but Lorelai ends up calling off the wedding. But while we're over the moon when Lorelai and Luke finally get together, some GG fans wish Max had stayed in Rory's life.

"I’m just going go say it — if Lorelai had ended up with Max, Rory would have been a much more successful adult," Reddit user @StregaCagna says. While Max wasn't Lorelai's perfect match, his particular mix of honesty and kindness would have been so good for Rory. "Those traits, combined with his background as an English teacher, would have meant he absolutely would have been straight with Rory on so many things. Like, can you just imagine how he would have reacted to Jess? Logan? Her dropping out of Yale? Her floating around in her 30s?"

Honestly, if the Gilmores (Richard and Emily included) didn't tiptoe around so many issues, and felt comfortable being vulnerable and honest with each other about the hard stuff, I think a lot of the characters' problems would have been solved. And Max's ability to tell the truth in love would have been a breath of fresh air! He wouldn't have let Rory get away with anything (remember how he doesn't let her take the Shakespeare test when she's late to school?), but that also means she'd develop an insane sense of trust with him.

"I think she would have written her book when she did, but instead of being the Editor of the Stars Hollow Gazette, she would have been, like, the most popular English professor at Wesleyan who had a strong professional network and also wrote for The Atlantic and The New Yorker," @StregaCagna continues.

Of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with small town papers — I love my small town paper! The root of Rory's issue is that she just completely stopped chasing her dreams, which seems to lead her to an unhappy adulthood. She's dating Paul (whom she can never remember), she's having an affair with Logan (who's engaged to someone else, ick), and she's become the kind of journalist who falls asleep on the job and doesn't have pitches prepared. I can't help but wonder if some structure during her teenage years would have set her up on a different path.

"I will never forget the scene where she’s interviewing [Max] and says she really wanted him to be her step father," user @StruggleDesigner8307 says. "She wanted that father figure and Max was so great."

I do think Rory's friendship with Paris (one of the greatest TV choices of all time) gives her some of that structure and drive, but it doesn't really balance out the way that Richard, Emily, and even Lorelai spoil her. And when you're not used to loving constructive criticism, unloving criticism hurts all the worse. Yes, I'm talking about Mitchum Huntzberger.

"I’ll always be sad that Rory lost out on yet another great father figure when she was saddled with Chris," user @wrenhawkeye says of Max's exit from the show. "A lot of people don’t understand that her spiral to Mitchum’s words wasn’t just because Rory’s 'weak' or whatever misogynistic BS. It’s because Rory has real problems with male validation since her father abandoned her. It also doesn’t hurt that Mitchum was a titan in his field."

GG fans know about THAT Gilmore Girls season 5 arc like the back of their hand, but this whole discussion is giving me more compassion for Rory than I've felt before. Because to be 20 and to hear you're supposedly not good enough for your life's one dream is hard — and to spiral to that degree after a man who has no stake in your life criticizes you just proves Rory put her entire identity into being a journalist. But you know who would have given Rory encouragement while reminding her she's more than just a writer? Max.

I can totally see a Gilmore Girls where Max stayed in Rory's life and offered her guidance on basically everything: boys, college applications, her career aspirations, and even drama with Paris. And I'm not the only one.

"I think they would have stayed in touch past high-school and college," @synalgo_12 says, "and he would be one of the people she'd thank in her work or would be part of her list of mentors or 'influenced by' had she ever gotten her own Wikipedia page or biography."

Somebody call Amy Sherman-Palladino because this is the Gilmore Girls spinoff we need!

​Why did Max Medina leave?

Max ends up leaving Gilmore Girls after Lorelai calls off their wedding. While he sticks around through seasons 2 and 3, and still has an insane amount of chemistry with Lorelai, the last time we see him is in season 3 episode 19 (coincidentally, right before Rory's life really goes off the rails in my opinion).