Thursday, September 18, 2014

September 2014 Edition – Monthly Mini-Bytes

It's Here: iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
Should you get one? Three Things to Consider

Tim Cook announced the big new iPhones last week, and the Internet has been abuzz ever since. Pre-orders have set new records, and I'm sure there's already a line at the Biltmore store for the release on Friday the 19th. The big question is: Should you get one? Well, we have it boiled down to three thoughts before you grab your camping equipment and head to the Apple Store.

Yes: If You Like a Bigger Screen
The new phones come in two sizes. The iPhone 6 has a screen that measures 4.7 inches diagonally, while the phablet-sized iPhone 6 Plus clocks in at a huge 5.5 inches. And despite the size, they have made the phones thinner. In fact the iPhone 6 with it's big screen is actually lighter than the iPhone 5c. If you have a 4 or a 4s, this is a huge step up in real estate. 

Yes: If You Like Taking Pictures
The cameras on both versions of the iPhone 6 are much improved. In addition to offering 240 fps (frames per second) Slow Motion, HD Video can be shot at 60 fps at 1080p. Both have image Auto Stabilization so you can leave the steady cam rig at home, and are packed with features like Exposure Control, improved Face Detection, and a Panorama mode where you can create 43MP photos of epic proportion. 

Yes: If You Like Longer Battery Life
The A8 processor in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus operates faster than the A7 in the iPhone 5s, but does so more efficiently. In essence, you get more power with longer battery life. And thanks to the physical size of the iPhone 6 Plus it's able to accommodate a bigger battery for even longer life than the iPhone 6.

There are many more features of the new iPhones, so click on over to Apple to read all about them and make the decision for yourself. https://www.apple.com/iphone/

iOS 8 is Here!
A Couple of Things to Know Before Upgrading

The new operating system for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch was released on Wednesday. It doesn't look that much different than iOS 7, which you are running now (most likely), but is an improvement and a worthwhile update. You can learn more about it here: https://www.apple.com/ios/ and from our friends at CNET here: http://www.cnet.com/how-to/the-complete-guide-to-ios-8/

Before you upgrade, here are a few tips:
  1. Do A Backup of Your Device
  2. Sync Your Photos and Videos to your iPhoto on Your Computer
  3. Charge Your Device to 100% or Plug It In During the Update
  4. Be Patient - The update takes a while. Don't do it if you need your phone or are about to run out the door.
  5. Clean Up Your Device - The iOS 8 update needs about 5.7 GB of free space to run.
And one big piece of advice: Hold off on converting to iCloud Drive. You will be prompted to convert your iCloud account to iCloud Drive. If you do, documents and other stuff on iCloud Drive will not be accessible by your computer, unless you have the next operating system - OS X 10.10 Yosemite, which has yet to be released.

The Apple Watch
I'm Already in Line

One of the biggest surprises at the September 8th Apple Event, was the announcement of the upcoming Apple Watch. I'm a runner and loved my Garmin 305. I had two that I practically wore out. The Apple Watch is right up my alley.

They announced Sport, Dress, and Casual editions. They will even have a gold model, if that's how you roll.

To learn more about the Apple Watch, visit Apple's site at: http://www.apple.com/watch/