July 2015 Edition - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Is it too hot for your iPhone? Your Tech and the Environment As you stand outside talking on your brand new iPhone 6 in a typical 115 degree day in Phoenix, you may not realize that you are pushing your little phone 20 degrees above it's approved operating temperature. Well, you are. The iPhone 6, for example, has an operating ambient temperature range from 32º F to 95º F. This also means that you cannot use your phone in Minnesota, ever -- except in August. All of your tech, whether it be your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, GPS, or digital camera, has a tested and verified environmental operating range. Using the iPhone 6 as an example, here are it's limitations -- I also included Celsius, because my teachers told me in the 70s that the US is totally going metric any day now: (From Apple https://www.apple.com/iphone-6/specs/) Operating ambient temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C) Non-operating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C) Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing Operating altitude: tested up to 10,000 feet (3000 m) Nice. But what does this mean in a practical sense? It means that if you exceed these tolerances there is a good chance that your device may flake out or shut down.  Should you worry? No, but be mindful not to leave your devices in hot cars in the summer, or in the freezing cold on the opposite end. Keep it out of the sun and treat it like the expensive piece of art that it is. Tech is fragile, and we count on it every day, so being aware of the operating ranges will help you extend the life of your device. You can read what Apple has to say about it here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201678 When Good Inkjet Printers Go Bad To Toss or To Clean It has happened to all of us at one point or another. After a wonderful excursion to Europe, a month in San Diego, an African Safari, or a surprising trip to Pluto, we arrive home only to realize that our inkjet printer now only spits out page after page of nothing. What are we to do? There are many unproven home remedies to deal with dried ink, but many don't work and some are downright dangerous. You can always try: Cleaning the Print Heads - Most printers will allow you to clean the print heads either on the console or through a utility. Change Inks - This may work, but it all depends on the design of the printer and the location of the clog. Having a plan to start is the best course of action, since often times the cost of getting the printer repaired is close to the purchase price of a new one. Here is our advice: Keep it Cheap - For home use, as a general guideline, we don't recommend spending over $150 on an inkjet printer. $125 is the sweet spot. That way if it fails, you don't break the bank trying to replace it. Print, Print, and Print Again - Keep the ink flowing. If someone is watching your house while you're gone, have them use the printer to keep it going. Also, print a couple of things before you hit the road. Consider Laser - If you travel a lot for long periods, then a laser printer may be better for you. They are more expensive to purchase and maintain; they don't have the resolution of inkjet printers; but they also don't clog up.  The bottom line is that if you come home from an extended absence and your inkjet won't print, and the cleaning and ink changing doesn't help, then it's unfortunately time for a new one. Apple watchOS 2.0 The Update that Makes It Awesome If you have seen either Wendy or I since May, you most likely have also seen our Apple Watches and been riveted by our stellar demos. Yeah, it's cool, but coming this Fall, Apple will be updating the watchOS (it's like iOS for the watch...) with all types of neat features. But the big news is that developers will now be able to create apps that run natively on the Apple Watch. If you recall back to 2007 and the original iPhone, the first iteration of iOS did not allow 3rd party developers to create apps for the phone. It was not until later that the App Store and the multitudes of iOS Apps came onto the scene. It's hard to remember the iPhone without them. Well, watchOS 2.0 is that watershed moment for the Apple Watch. This is the point it will really come into it's own by making the full suite of sensors on the watch open to other apps.  To find out more about watchOS 2.0, visit Apple's site here: https://www.apple.com/watchos-2-preview/