All Apple All Day

It's been a long run here at AAAD. Six years! And yes, we've been waiting for HomeKit to take over the world for the better part of a decade. While things have been largely stagnant on THAT front, the rest of our tech world has changed dramatically.

Last year, we made a pretty momentous decision - we dropped DirecTV. I guess you could call us cord-cutters, but it really doesn't feel like that. Frankly, it doesn't seem like we made any changes at all. Our AppleTV-only setup is slightly more convenient, and somewhat cheaper.

Apple recently announced that it was making a number of changes to macOS Server . Specifically, Apple is deprecating (eliminating) a wide array of services - dramatically reducing macOS Server's functionality. HOT TAKE - I couldn't be happier.

We just spent 5 days in Iceland, which was a pretty great trip. We managed to get a photo of the Aurora Borealis, which is by NO MEANS a sure thing. I'll post a full "Iceland Tips and Tricks", or "Traveling Iceland with Kids" article later this week. But this post is all about the Northern Lights. If you've ever wanted to visit Iceland and see the Northern Lights, here are five things to keep in mind:

iDevices Switch Its been YEARS. But we finally got started with HomeKit. And I may not stop. HomeKit is exceeding my expectations, and gets better with every device we add.

We've been Verizon iPhone users for years - ever since the iPhone 4. On Black Friday, we switched to T-Mobile. Ultimately, their offer was just too good.

We've been talking about it for YEARS, but we finally did it - we added a home server. Specifically, we purchased a QNAP TS-451A network attached storage system. I'm only scratching the surface with this NAS so far. But already, it's one of the more exciting "IT" purchases we've made. Suddenly, we have near-infinite storage space. And it's always on. And when we upgrade our iMac, our data will still be right there . Here's what we've learned so far:

It's been a time of transition around AAAD. Most of our Apple gear is either for sale, recently upgraded, or in a holding pattern while we wait for new releases. And we're all STILL waiting for HomeKit to "arrive".

Our late-2009 iMac has been the best computer we've ever owned.  Before the iMac, we used to need a new computer every couple of years.  Even after all this time, the iMac still looks and feels state-of-the-art.  But is it powerful enough to run High Sierra?

After a week of searching, I finally found an Apple TV 4k on Friday. ( Which is good, because I put our 64 GB Apple TV 4 on eBay on Tuesday .) We've had the ATV4K up and running for 2 days now - is it worth the $179 upgrade? Or should you look elsewhere?

This summer, Apple discontinued the iPod Nano.  After 16 years, the iPod Era was over.  I've held out hope that the iPod would be re-booted as a cellular device - focused less on local storage, and more on streaming Apple Music.  After Tuesday's Keynote, an iPod resurrection seems unlikely.  Because the Apple Watch Series 3 IS the iPod we've been hoping for. 

And this one will be big. It's the first keynote in the new Steve Jobs Theater. It's will also introduce Apple hardware we've been waiting YEARS for.

Our 11-year-old shares our interest in technology. If anything, he's more enthusiastic. We'd probably prefer to channel that interest into school work... but it's summer. He's got a reading list for school... but he's making good progress there. Our boy's summer was primarily filled up with baseball games & video games. With one week at Scout camp... and a week at Apple Camp.

Sunday was my wife's birthday, so we loaded up the kids and biked from Glen Ellyn to Wheaton, a nearby suburb, for lunch. (Atomic Turkey sandwiches at Shane's Deli, of course.) And on the way home, my wife found an iPad. An iPad 2. With no case, but with no screen cracks... literally in the middle of a busy street. We took it home, charged it for a few hours, and it works. We don't have the unlock code, so this is as  far as we've gotten. And that is where YOU come in, internet - let's find the owner.

Well, THAT long road is finally over. Our condo is on the market! And now we play the waiting game. (Or Hungry Hungry Hippos.)