The September Apple Event

Apple's latest event was on September 7th. I watched the keynote on their live streaming feed (on my aged big screen TV connected to my aged Mac Pro).

I would prefer to keep a steady, first week of the month blog schedule. But I needed to wait to write about it. I waited partially due to the work load of the Ashfield FilmFest and the Old Deerfield Arts & Crafts Festival both happening on the same week. But I also wanted to absorb what I could, before presenting my thoughts here.

Cutting to the chase

My takeaway from the Event was that while it wasn't what I was hoping for, namely: NEW MACS, there were still some interesting introductions. 

The Apple Watch Series 2 was introduced. This is the first major revision since the first Apple Watch. This version is more attractive to me since it is waterproof and has built-in GPS. I did not get the first Apple Watch primarily because you needed to have an iPhone to use it. (Thats right, I don't have an 'active' iPhone. Can't justify it when I don't have cell service at my house). But with built-in GPS, that makes it a viable option as a fitness tracker. I still won't buy it though, as you need an iPhone 5 or better in order to set it up. I am not clear on the decision making behind this. You'd think if you have a cellular enabled iPad for instance, you should be good to go. Unfortunate.

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were introduced and they are now waterproof as well. HUGE! So many folks have dropped their phone in the toilet... The dual cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus are intriguing as well. There isn't a heck of a lot of difference in this year's model and last year, but with the sum total of improvements, this years model is turning into a huge hit.

Of course it doesn't hurt Apple that Samsung's competing Galaxy Note 7 is exploding all over the place...

Airpods: the death knell of the headphone jack. With the iPhone 7, Apple has killed off the audio port. This was due partially to waterproofing requirements, and partially to needing the space that the internal components take up. I am ok with this. You will be able to use your existing headphones with a lightning adapter. They say that they have a better way of pairing the headphones via Blutooth, and that the audio quality is better. I say bring it on!

Mac Tips: Use Airdrop to share files quickly

This feature was introduced with iOS7 and Os X Yosemite. Basically it's a super easy way of sharing files, photos, weblinks, etc. with someone near you. It works between any combination of Mac, or iOS device (iPhone or iPad). 

It's a simpler way to share files without setting up File Sharing. On iOS, you don't even have to be on the same wifi network. You can be on a beach somewhere with a friend and trade photos if you like.  On the Mac, wifi needs to be turned on.

I urge you to check out this page at Apple's website to get set up and instructions on how to share. All your questions will be answered there. But if you need a quick way for instance to get a file off an iPhone and onto a coworker's Mac, this is a great way to do it. I resisted this feature at first, but I now see its utility. 

The one thing that wasn't immediately apparent to me about this feature on the Mac was where to find the files that people Airdrop to you. Look in your 'Downloads' folder. Duh! :-)  On the iPhone, look in the appropriate app. If it's a photo, look in Photos.

-MYMS!