Kibbles & Bytes Blog

With fall comes Apple announcements. This year was no different with the introduction of the new “*iPad Air 2*”:http://www.smalldog.com/iPads/ipad/iPad_Air, “*iPad mini 3*”:http://www.smalldog.com/iPads/ipad/iPad_mini, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. iPads got thinner, better cameras, faster processors and for the first time fingerprint sensors. As with all newly numbered iPhones, we saw a complete overhaul in design, new screens, and of course a thinner design. Maybe most importantly was the technological breakthrough of “* Pay*”:http://www.apple.com/apple-pay/?cid=wwa-us-kwg-features-com.

Lucky enough I was two years in on my iPhone 5 and long overdue for a new iPad. I have broken my iPad 2’s screen several times, and it currently can’t be removed from it’s case without glass falling out. I was excited to receive the “*64GB iPad Air 2 in Gold*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/86160/ipad-air-2-64gb-wi-fi-gold (’cause…why not?) and a 128GB iPhone in Space Gray.

Let’s first talk about giant leap the iPad has made, jumping from an iPad 2 to the new Air 2. The weight difference is phenomenal and the screen is truly something you have to see to believe. Crystal clear, less reflective, and as always very responsive to the touch. After restoring from my backup, I started to look through my favorite apps from the iPad 2. “*Flipboard*”:https://flipboard.com, updated for iOS 8 looked great, and has ruined me for magazines and newspapers forever. Like many smartphone owners I’m used to looking at photos on a small (be it hi-res) screen of my iPhone. Using “*Photo Stream*”:https://www.apple.com/support/icloud/photo-stream/ and looking at those same photos on the iPad Air 2, it was as if they were different photos.

This quickly encouraged me to download the new “*Pixelmator app*”:http://www.pixelmator.com demoed during the iPad keynote. This is the most comprehensive photo editing app I’ve used on an iOS device and, not being a Photoshop wizard, the best photo editing app I’ve ever used. The touch controls make it easy to select certain sections of the photo for enhancement or corrections. I always get my shadow when taking a panoramic shot and with a few swipes of my finger I simply removed my shadow form the photo. So far I couldn’t be happier with the upgrade.

On to the iPhone 6! To be frank, I was really nervous when I read the rumors that the phone was getting larger. I was a late adopter in the smartphone world; I received my first iPhone, the iPhone 5, just two years ago. I was a big fan of the Motorola Razr: small, compact and sleek. In reality the iPhone 5 was probably similar in size, which was good, but in the world of mobile phones I asked myself “is bigger really better?” I have an iPad, laptop, Mac mini, (I’m a fanboy!) so I have plenty of screen real estate to look at when I need to. The phone was the last place I needed more screen. Well guess what? I was wrong, Apple was right. I know shocking, but truly the iPhone 6 and even the few 6 Plus’s I’ve gotten to play with fit in my hand fine. The new bring down feature makes it possible to still operate with one hand, and the new rounded design just feels great in your hand.

This doesn’t mean I don’t have my gripes with it. The movement of the lock button to the side means retraining my muscle memory, not to mention I keep locking the screen when I try and take a photo. I realize it was moved for the  Pay sensor, or at least that’s what I tell myself to justify why they moved it. The Air 2 and the iPhone 6 are the first devices I’ve used with the “*Touch ID*”:https://www.apple.com/iphone-6/touch-id/ and I have a love hate relationship with them. I like not using a passcode, but I feel it takes away some of the nice features of iOS. For instance when you swipe to directly read a text/iMessage, you have swipe then unlock with your finger. I realize that’s trivial but since our new form of communication is primarily the text, it gets annoying. That’s it though, those are my only two gripes…well with these devices that is.

The other gripe I have is with Apple. It’s also trivial but annoys the heck out of me…there is no dock! Apple did this for iPhone 5 too, and didn’t make what I assume is a pretty easy accessory to create until the 5s was announced. So I guess I’m stuck waiting a year for whatever 6s, or iPhone 7 with 3D hologram projecting, that might be next.

In the meantime if you’re like me and want to display this beautiful device, there is a great option available from Twelve South. The High Rise for iPhone and iPad mini. This stand fits all lightning iPhones and iPad mini’s. Its sturdy and adjustable design also allows your phone or iPad mini to fit with a case on it. It’s not white, and does require some assembly, but it sure does make my iPhone look pretty!

With “*AirDrop*”:http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT6510 you can share photos, websites, your location and more with people that are nearby with an Apple device. In order to use AirDrop both people will need to have an iOS device running iOS 7 or later or a Mac running Yosemite. iOS devices that work with AirDrop are iPhone 5 or later, iPad (4th generation or later), iPad mini or iPod touch (5th generation or later).

For AirDrop to work you need to have both WiFi and Bluetooth active and I would recommend that you sign into your iCloud account to share with your contacts. On the iOS devices, turning on AirDrop is simple: Just swipe up from the bottom of the screen to get to your Control Center and tap AirDrop. You will have three choices: Off, Contacts only (only people in your Contacts will see you) or Everyone (where all nearby iOS devices using AirDrop can see you). From there using AirDrop is simply a matter of choosing the content you wish to share (photo, video, contact etc.) and choose the Share icon and you will see nearby users available to AirDrop the content to. Your selected user will receive an alert and can accept or decline the content.

On your Mac it is a little different. AirDrop is available from the Finder, the Share menu, and in Open and Save windows. When you choose AirDrop in Yosemite your Mac will look for any nearby devices that are AirDrop ready. This includes other Macs or iOS devices. In the Finder, if you select AirDrop from the Favorites list on the left side of the Finder window, you will see any nearby AirDrop ready devices or Macs. To transfer a file you simply drag that file over the icon of the recipient and they will be notified of the file transfer. From other apps you can use the Share button and simply select the recipient from the Share sheet that appears.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind…First of all, you have to be close. AirDrop is designed to work with nearby devices and 30 feet seems to be the limit but I have noticed that it is best if you are about 10 feet or less apart. Make sure WiFi and Bluetooth are on and if you are using the software firewall you won’t be able to receive files if “block all incoming connections” is checked.

“*Mail Drop*”:http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2629 makes even the largest attachments small enough to email. When you are signed into iCloud, you can use Mail Drop with Apple’s Mail client in Yosemite to send large files like videos, Keynote presentations or even a folder of pictures without having to worry that you will clog your server, get bounced mail or simply be rejected by server limitations on file size. You simply drag your attachments, up to 5GB in total size, into your mail message and Mail Drop will take care of it by actually just sending a link. If your recipient is running Apple Mail in Yosemite they will get the attachment seamlessly just as if it were embedded in the message. If your recipient is using another mail client or webmail, they will receive a link to download the attachment. It works similar to “*Dropbox*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dropbox/id327630330?mt=8 but is more secure and easier to use.

AirDrop and Mail Drop are great new features that you might want to play around with – it makes sharing so much easier!

_Dear Friends,_

We had the first taste of snow in Vermont and more to come this weekend. I installed a “*WeMo Netcam*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/84786/belkin-netcam-hd-wi-fi-camera-w-night-vision at my house on Prickly so that I can watch the snow from afar. Grace has been busy planting some veggie raised beds here in Key West and trying to learn about tropical plants.

Microsoft upgraded their iOS Office apps today that allow users to create and edit documents without having an Office 365 subscription. Of course, with the subscription you have greater editing capabilities including more change tracking features, paragraph styles, etc. But this is a very welcome change and will give many people just what they need in these mobile apps. The apps for “*Word*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-word/id586447913?mt=8, “*Excel*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-excel/id586683407?mt=8 and “*Powerpoint*”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-powerpoint/id586449534?mt=8 are available for free at the Apple App store.

We got our 5k iMac demo for the Key West store and it is spectacular. We set it up right next to the regular iMac and you can notice the difference right away. The display on the “*Retina 5k iMac*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/86149/imac-27in-retina-5k-3-5ghz-i5-8gb-1tb-fusion-radeon-r9 has 7 times more pixels than your HD TV and almost twice as many pixels as a 4k. You will see details in your photos that you never knew were there and typing that new novel will be pleasant on your eyes as the text is so crisp. Apple didn’t talk about it very much but the 5k iMac is also one of the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly computers available. In sleep mode, the 5k iMac uses only 1.2 watts and has an Energy Star rating of 6.1. It is free of many commonly used toxins such as mercury, arsenic, BFRs and PVC. It is also made of recyclable materials, in fact, the aluminum base is made of 30% recycled aluminum and the speaker enclosure is made of 30% post-consumer recycled plastic.

This week’s Kibbles & Bytes exclusive special is a start for your home automation set-up. I am bundling the Belkin WeMo Light Switch with the WeMo Power Switch for $25 off at $74.99. This will allow you to control your lights or anything powered by the switch remotely or by a schedule that you set up.

“*See this great deal here!*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wagwag900001601