Apple September Announcements start the Fall season off!

September 15th of this week - Apple held its usual September product launch. The one hour live presentation (streamed via the  TV App on all devices) was full of information and excitement as various Apple staffers presented and explained new products and services in a unique COVID-friendly presentation!

New hardware included  Watch Series 6, the brilliant  Watch SE (a basic Apple Watch with all the features that is also perfect for children, Seniors and those that do not have an iPhone!), the new 3rd Generation iPad Air (a gorgeous, high end and powerful iPad that now comes in 5 colourful finishes) and the launch of the 8th generation iPad. I was SUCH a fan of the 7th generation iPad last year and helped many of my clients purchase and set it up - the 8th generation version continues in this vein - it is in my opinion, a FANTASTIC and powerful new device at a really amazing price. The best value by far of any Apple product - ask me more about it, its not even in stores yet but I am a BIG fan!

The announcement also heralded the release of the new operating system iOS 14 for iPhone and iPad OS as well as TV OS - all with great new features that sync across all devices. Those new systems went live across the world Wednesday September 16th.

With rumours of new services, this announcement did not disappoint - introducing the new Subscription service   ONE featuring three different packages of Apple services bundled together to offer value and impressive savings. Instead of purchasing and paying for services like  Music, iCloud and  News+, the newly launched  ONE has a little something for everyone and is a “must have” for many households (like mine) that currently pay individually for a la carte services.

Apple also introduced a NEW subscription service that pairs perfectly with  Watch and the screens of an  TV, iPad or iPhone -  Fitness+ is a new subscription service that will be available later this year offering 12 (to start) different modes of workouts (like dance, weight, yoga, cardio etc.) to work out to WHILE wearing your  Watch and benefitting from real time fitness results and goals to beat! I am VERY excited about this new option and think that it will be very popular. Showcasing and offering crossover to other Apple products like  Watch and  Music, I think that  Fitness+ will be a runway success.

To catch up on and learn more about all the new devices and services, follow this link to the Apple Home page!

Apple Announcement Today!

So many things to be announced today! Tune in and see it live! I'll be watching on my 60 " TV via my (current 3rd Gen) Apple TV!

Announcing the new OS for Mac!

Announced at the World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco last week, "El Capitan" is the Californian name given to the newest Operating System for Mac!  Due out in the fall, OS X 10.11 includes streamlined systems, dual screen access and even more iCloud options.  Although not a significant upgrade, the preliminary reviews of whats coming are all very positive and I'll be watching my Apple Sources for updates and feedback.

To learn more about what's coming in the fall, follow this link to the Apple Website.

Christmas is over and ...

Now that Christmas is over and the marketing world is ramping up for Valentine's Day (the reindeer and Santa with gold, green and red have been replaced by hearts with red and white decor everywhere you look!).   What are you doing to organize your Christmas Card list for next year?

!?! You might say - but honestly, this is the time to ensure that you know WHO sent you cards this past season, to update mailing addresses and to ensure that you have everyone's correct contact information.  Then it's a snap to create an efficient Christmas Card "Group" within your contacts so that the 2015 Christmas Card process will run smoothly as you print off pre-addressed labels for your envelopes well in advance!

Just find that pile of Christmas Cards that you've packed away and sit down with any of your Apple Devices.  Go through each Christmas Card (and/or envelope if you still have it) and ensure that you have a contact card within your Contacts App (the icon looks like an address book) for each "sender".  Update, change and delete information as necessary.  Then - open up a new Group called "Christmas Cards 2014" in the left hand "Groups" column (by tapping in the "+" to "add" a group).  The next part can only be completed on your actual computer or on any computer via "icloud.com".  Find the name of the contact that you want to add to your new group, then select and "drag" the contact card over to that group.  Keep doing this until you have the group populated with everyone that you received a card from. 

Ten months from now, when you sit down to do your Christmas Cards - you will be able to select the "Christmas Cards 2014 received" list (and any other Christmas list you've created like 'Family Christmas" or "Christmas Cards Sent") and print out all the contacts on to labels.  Then address and sign the cards as usual.

To keep on top of this new habit, create a new "Christmas Cards Received 2015" list and keep it ready so that it is easy to add contacts to it as the cards are received.  You'll be ahead of the trend and feeling so organized!

This entire technique can be addended in many ways of course - if you are actually in the habit of sending out a "Electronic Holiday Greetings" via email - create a Group for this purpose.  Then next year, when you go to send that card, you won't be picking and choosing the email addresses of the people to include in your "BCC" for the card, you can just pick the "Electronic Holiday Greetings" list and ALL the contacts listed on it will automatically be included.

A little basic I know, but so many people don't think of setting this system up until they're in the middle of the holiday mayhem.  I'm suggesting you work a bit ahead of the curve AND allow your Apple computer and/or devices to assist you in feeling organized and on top of the process!

Olympic watching made easy with Apple TV and an iOS Device!

Do you have an iPhone, iPod Touch or an iPad?  Do you have an Apple TV?

Have you, like so many other fans of the Olympics downloaded the great CBC Sochi Winter Olympics App (also recommended in a previous blog post)?

If so - you have the perfect combination of Apple software and hardware to have the perfect Olympic TV watching experience!  The App is amazing - allowing you to drill down and focus on anything that you are interested in - Olympic News, Figure Skating, specific athletes, Olympic weather and locations etc.  There is SO much to peruse and swipe through!  But wait - you're watching it on your "small screen", aren't you?   It's hard to share in the excitement when you're all peering over each other or sharing the device when you're watching it on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch ... when across the room, across the house or down the stairs is a large screen television with an Apple TV attached to it!

Don't wait a moment longer!  Turn on the Apple TV, open up the app on your device, swipe "up" (from the bottom edge of your device" to bring up the main control panel and select "Airplay".  Then select the Apple TV and choose "mirroring".  Anything and everything that you are looking at on your device is now on your big screen and you can gather friends and family to watch the exciting final days of the 2014 Winter Olympics with you.

Easy!  (And VERY cool!).

(Please note that this combination of instructions will only work with a current 2nd or 3rd Generation Apple TV and an iOS Device that has been upgraded to iOS 6 or later.)

Finding and opening the Steve Jobs Time Capsule

This article just came across my desk and I was fascinated and wanted to share. 

The reason that we are all so in love with our Apple Technology is due in large part of course to Steve Jobs - his vision and attention to detail helped to make Apple and it's unique products like the iPhone, the iPad, the iTunes Store and Mac computers what they are - products that I LOVE!

So this article about opening up what came to be known as "The Steve Jobs Time Capsule" is fascinating. 

Read on! 

Following the Olympics in Sochi !

I love the Olympics.  The 2014 Winter Olympics started yesterday in Russia and even though I have been busy and away for the weekend, I feel totally connected to what is going on across the world.  

I know that I'm always saying it but technology is amazing.

The level of expectation that we now have for "staying connected" is truly unprecedented.  Using the CBC "Sochi 2014" App from the App Store on both my iPad and iPhone, I have been able to set notifications so that I am alerted whenever Canada is involved in an event or doing well in some way.  I have also been able to check in to the App and browse the many "live" and recorded highlights and events.  I especially enjoyed scrolling through the "#sochiselfies" section in the App last night - apparently athletes, coaches and families have been getting in on the act and taking photos of themselves with their cellphones as they are traveling to, experiencing and participating in the games - once posted to Twitter or Instagram, they have tagged their photos with "#sochiselfies and the feed exists for us to enjoy.  Such a great evolution of technology, apps, location based services and tagging.

Make sure that you download and use the CBC Sochi 2014 App to get the most out of the Winter Games ... you'll be able to go behind the scenes and experience more of the event (from a Canadian perspective) than has ever before been possible!  While exploring useful Olympic apps, make sure to check out the other 5 or 6 official Sochi Apps in iTunes or the App Store for iOS Devices - they have many different ways to connect with and explore the venues, purchase tickets, keep track of every medal and medal winner and more!