All Apple All Day

If you're upgrading to an iPhone XS, you're probably considering the exclusive "gold" version. After all, it's the only phone that announces  that it's the latest and greatest.  BUT... if you're going to the trouble to get a golden iPhone, do you want to cover it up in a case? Which one?

All good things come to an end. And while we've owned (and loved) almost every Apple Airport product, the line has been discontinued. And it was becoming clear we'd been left behind.

Apple announced a new Mac Mini today! It's been four years since Apple last updated the Mac Mini, and a full six years since they introduced a Mac Mini worth owning.  The 2012 Mini was the last to have user-upgradable RAM, or quad-core configurations. UNTIL TODAY.

It's been four years since Apple updated the Mac Mini. (And six years since they released a Mac Mini worth purchasing.) If rumors are to be believed, our long wait is almost over. Apple seems set to announce an updated Mac Mini, with "pro" specs, this fall.  But is it simply too little, too late?

We finished our basement during 2016. And in doing so, we added a bedroom. (Because, theoretically, adding a bedroom will provide more return on investment for the basement remodel.) But, we never put a BED in that bedroom, until last week.

We recently added a HomePod to our iOS-connected home - replacing a SONOS Play:1.  As a music player, it's an improvement. But that's really only the tip of the iceberg. Adding a HomePod brings HomeKit into the mainstream. It's a major leap forward. 

Technology is designed to make our lives simpler. That's what it is for. However, we've come to expect that certain tasks get MORE complicated as technology advances. Especially when it comes to computing, we have come to expect that more tech = more complications.  I'm happy to report that migrating data from one Mac to another is not one of those complicated tasks.

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".