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Bradley C

Bradley C

Bradley started his career in telecommunications, working for the original IP TV provider in the US, and also was part of their fiber-to-the-home rollout. From 2009-2021, Bradley worked for a private school, running the information technology department and technology integration in the classroom. He manages a network of 15 switches, 100+ access points, hundreds of Macs and iPads, and multiple phone systems across four separate campuses across the city. He’s well-versed in enterprise Wi-Fi, macOS and iOS system management, school technology, and SaaS tools. Currently, he works at Cribl, where he runs content marketing, helping companies understand how to manage observability data best. At 9to5Mac, Bradley covers HomeKit technology, enterprise software, enterprise hardware, and how Apple fits into the enterprise environment.

If you have any tips, feedback, corrections, or questions, they can be sent to Bradley@9to5mac.com.

Connect with Bradley

Connect with Bradley C

HomeKit Weekly: Kasa EP40A sports double outdoor outlets with long-range Wi-Fi connectivity

Kasa EP40A

TP-Link is one of those brands that when you run across one of their product lines, you know you can count on it. I’ve used their switches in my home for as long as I can remember, and it’s as rock solid as you’d imagine. They’ve quietly been building out the Kasa product line, and in my experience, they’ve followed the same dependability as the networking hardware. The brand-new Kasa EP40A brings robust HomeKit control to outdoor outlets, giving you more control over how you use your outdoor lights and appliances than ever before.

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Apple @ Work Podcast: Building a healthy password management ecosystem

Apple at work podcast

Apple @ Work is brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that fully integrates 5 different applications on a single Apple-only platform, allowing Businesses to easily and automatically deploy, manage & protect all their Apple devices. Over 38,000 organizations leverage Mosyle solutions to automate the deployment,  management, and security of millions of Apple devices daily. Request a FREE account today and discover how you can put your Apple fleet on auto-pilot at a price point that is hard to believe.

In this episode of Apple @ Work, Bradley chats with Gary Orenstein from Bitwarden about self hosting, FIDO, open standards, the acquisition of Passwordless.dev, and the role of healthy password management in the enterprise.

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Apple @ Work: Apple said no to business email to say yes to more important initiatives

Apple Business Email

Apple @ Work is brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that fully integrates 5 different applications on a single Apple-only platform, allowing Businesses to easily and automatically deploy, manage & protect all their Apple devices. Over 38,000 organizations leverage Mosyle solutions to automate the deployment,  management, and security of millions of Apple devices daily. Request a FREE account today and discover how you can put your Apple fleet on auto-pilot at a price point that is hard to believe.

As Apple has continued to grow in the enterprise, one area where the company has never ventured into is business email hosting through iCloud. Unlike Google and Microsoft, which offer popular email hosting solutions for businesses with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, Apple has never attempted to compete in this market. In the past, I said they were wrong to avoid an iCloud Email for Business strategy, but as the years have gone on, I am here to admit I was wrong, and Apple was right.

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HomeKit Weekly: Wemo Smart Plug with Thread might be the best value for smart outlet adaptors

Wemo Smart Plug With Thread

Smart outlet adaptors, like the Wemo Smart Plug with Thread, are a great smart home device for newcomers looking to bing some basic home automation to into their lives. Wemo is Belkin’s smart home brand, and they’re actually the very first smart home product I bought nearly ten years ago. Version 4 builds upon previous versions, but brings a HomeKit only focus to the device. Smart outlet adaptors are great devices to have in every room in your home, and here’s three reasons why:

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HomeKit Weekly: The current state of HomeKit door locks

HomeKit Door Lock

Are you tired of fumbling with keys every time you want to enter your home? Do you worry about the security of traditional locks, especially when you’re away from home? If so, it might be time to consider a HomeKit door lock. HomeKit door locks are smart locks that can be controlled and monitored through your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. With HomeKit, you can unlock your door with the tap of a button, or even just by using your voice. You can also set up automation rules to unlock your door at certain times of day, or when certain events occur, such as your arrival home.

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Apple @ Work Podcast: 2023 Apple enterprise predictions

Apple at work podcast

Apple @ Work is brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that fully integrates 5 different applications on a single Apple-only platform, allowing Businesses to easily and automatically deploy, manage & protect all their Apple devices. Over 38,000 organizations leverage Mosyle solutions to automate the deployment,  management, and security of millions of Apple devices daily. Request a FREE account today and discover how you can put your Apple fleet on auto-pilot at a price point that is hard to believe.

In this episode of Apple @ Work, Bradley chats with Tom Bridge about their 2023 Apple predictions for the enterprise.

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Apple @ Work: How Apple could solve one of the biggest challenges with remote work

Apple Home Wifi

Apple @ Work is brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that fully integrates 5 different applications on a single Apple-only platform, allowing Businesses to easily and automatically deploy, manage & protect all their Apple devices. Over 38,000 organizations leverage Mosyle solutions to automate the deployment,  management, and security of millions of Apple devices daily. Request a FREE account today and discover how you can put your Apple fleet on auto-pilot at a price point that is hard to believe.

As I was setting up the technology in my new house, I was going through the process of configuring my new eero Pro 6E Wi-Fi network. I took the time to wipe away everything related to my existing HomeKit network, took the time to deploy a new SSID, a new password, and generally set everything up as new. As I was going through this process, I discovered eero now has an eero Internet Backup, and I again thought of how Apple could have provided a great home Wi-Fi solution and even include mobile device management integration.

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Yeelight Cube Lamp

Yeelight debuts a new Cube Smart Lamp that’s compatible with HomeKit through the Matter Standard

At CES 2023, Yeelight introduced a new product for the Matter Standard that will work inside Apple’s HomeKit: the Yeelight Cube Smart Lamp. This lamp, part of the Yeelight Fun portfolio, is the first Matter-supported product from Yeelight. It consists of three units – Spot, Matrix, and Panel – that can be assembled like bricks on users’ desks and offers multidimensional fun and flexible interactions, thanks to Matter.

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SwitchBot adds HomeKit support to multiple products through the new Matter-compatible Hub

Switchbot HomeKit Matter Hub

One of the promises of Matter is to create an open ecosystem of smart home products that you can use with your preferred platform, meaning products won’t have to be designed for HomeKit, but rather all Matter-compatible products will work with HomeKit. The SwitchBot Hub 2 is designed to work with Matter and will enable other products in the SwitchBot ecosystem to integrate with HomeKit. The first product to be released with this capability will be the SwitchBot Curtain. Read on to learn more about SwitchBot’s HomeKit integration.

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HomeKit Weekly: A beginner’s guide to your Apple smart home

HomeKit

Are you new to using HomeKit, Apple’s smart home platform, thanks to a well-timed Christmas gift? So, you’re in luck! In this article, we’ll be sharing some tips and tricks to help you get started with HomeKit and make the most of your smart home setup. From setting up your first HomeKit-compatible device to creating automations and using the Home app, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get started with HomeKit. We’ll also delve into some of the more advanced features of the platform, such as setting up HomeKit secure video and using the HomePod as a hub. Whether you’re a seasoned smart home user or new to the game, these tips and tricks will help you get the most out of your HomeKit setup.

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Apple @ Work Podcast: A unified theory of Apple device management

Apple at work podcast

Sponsored by Addigy: The ONLY real-time Apple device management platform that combines MDM with live agent capabilities to manage and secure your Apple ecosystem — regardless of your Mac-spertise. Visit addigy.com/9to5Mac for a free 14-day trial to see how Addigy helps you manage your Apple devices in real-time. Because IT problems can’t wait.

In this episode of Apple @ Work, Bradley chats with Rich Trouton and Charles Edge about their Apple device management book.

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9 apps to try to unlock the full potential of your new Mac

Best Mac Apps

Did you unbox a new MacBook Air or MacBook Pro for Christmas? As you unbox your shiny new Mac and set it up, you might be wondering what apps you should install first. Although Apple includes some great apps built into macOS, several third party options are worth checking out. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best Mac apps to help you get the most out of your new computer along with some helpful tips and tricks so you can get the most out of your new Mac.

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Apple @ Work: New survey from HP Teradici highlights the challenges and benefits of using virtual desktops at work

Hybrid Work

Apple @ Work is brought to you by Addigy, the ONLY real-time Apple device management platform that combines MDM with live agent capabilities to manage and secure your Apple ecosystem — regardless of your Mac-spertise. Visit addigy.com/9to5Mac for a free 14-day trial to see how Addigy helps you manage your Apple devices in real-time.

In recent years, the use of virtual desktops has become increasingly popular among remote organizations. This is because virtual desktops offer several benefits over traditional desktop environments, particularly for remote teams. As COVID-19 permanently shifted to shape the way we work, hybrid work models have become increasingly popular. This trend is set to continue well into 2022 and beyond, according to a new report from HP Teradici. HP Teradici is the inventor of the PCoIP remote display protocol used by companies like MacStadium.

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HomeKit Weekly: Why 2023 is the time for Apple to release its own smart home products

HomeKit

Google, Apple, and Amazon are three of the biggest technology companies in the world, and both have a strong presence in the smart home market. However, their approaches to this market differ in some key ways. After spending years fully in the camp of HomeKit, I’ve spent the last few weeks with some first-party Google products, and I think it’s worth asking the question: Why doesn’t Apple make its own smart home products?

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Apple @ Work Podcast: Not waiting on Apple

Apple at work podcast

Sponsored by Addigy: The ONLY real-time Apple device management platform that combines MDM with live agent capabilities to manage and secure your Apple ecosystem — regardless of your Mac-spertise. Visit addigy.com/9to5Mac for a free 14-day trial to see how Addigy helps you manage your Apple devices in real-time. Because IT problems can’t wait.

In this episode of Apple @ Work, Bradley chats with Alcyr Araujo, founder and CEO at Mosyle about its new OneK12 platform.

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Apple @ Work: A look back at the release of Apple Configurator 1.0, and why the app is still important today

Apple @ Work is brought to you by Addigy, the ONLY real-time Apple device management platform that combines MDM with live agent capabilities to manage and secure your Apple ecosystem — regardless of your Mac-spertise. Visit addigy.com/9to5Mac for a free 14-day trial to see how Addigy helps you manage your Apple devices in real-time.

Apple Configurator 1.0, released back in 2012, did away with the need for thousands of iTunes accounts, but it also revolutionized the device management capabilities of supervised iOS devices. Previously, device deployments were limited to manual configuration and supervision by someone on-site, but Apple Configurator brought a new vision for mass deployment to educators and businesses.

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HomeKit Weekly: HOOBS Pro looks to simplify the multi-platform smart home in 2023

HOOBS Pro

One of the key themes we’re seeing with smart homes is compatibility. Matter technology aims to bridge the gap between the various smart home platforms. Outside of Matter, HOOBS is one of my favorite products to extend the usefulness of HomeKit. It’s built on top of Homebridge as a commercial product that’s well supported. In early 2023, HOOBS Pro looks like a heavy hitter for building the best smart home system.

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Apple @ Work Podcast: Tight-lipped on the vision

Apple at work podcast

Apple @ Work is brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that fully integrates 5 different applications on a single Apple-only platform, allowing Businesses and Schools to easily and automatically deploy, manage & protect all their Apple devices . Over 32,000 organizations leverage Mosyle solutions to automate the deployment, management and security of millions of Apple devices daily. Request a FREE account today and discover how you can put your Apple fleet on auto-pilot at a price point that is hard to believe.

In this episode of Apple @ Work, Weldon Dodd from Kandji joins the show to talk about the new Device Harmony platform and the plans for 2023 and beyond.

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Eve begins Matter rollout for Eve Energy, Eve Door & Window, and Eve Motion

Eve Matter

Eve, the popular HomeKit product manufacturer, has announced that it will be releasing an optional firmware update for its Eve Energy, Eve Door & Window, and Eve Motion products, making them the first Thread products available on the market for the new Matter standard. This update will allow customers to connect their Eve products to the Samsung SmartThings ecosystem and, coming soon, Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

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Apple @ Work: Why Apple was well positioned to support IT teams with remote and hybrid work

Mac at work

Apple @ Work is brought to you by Addigy, the ONLY real-time Apple device management platform that combines MDM with live agent capabilities to manage and secure your Apple ecosystem — regardless of your Mac-spertise. Visit addigy.com/9to5Mac for a free 14-day trial to see how Addigy helps you manage your Apple devices in real-time.

The Mac’s acceptance at work in the last few years is something many of us “old timers” are still amazed by. As remote and hybrid work has become a permanent part of our working society, it’s helpful to look back at what led Apple to its place at the top of the IT endpoint food chain.

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HomeKit Weekly: Using Google Nest Camera with Floodlight shows a glaring weakness in HomeKit Secure Video

Google Nest Cam with Floodlights

I mentioned a few months ago that I planned to use the Google Nest Cam with Floodlight at my new house because it offered 24/7 recording. For my outdoor cameras, it’s something I really wanted going forward. We’ve been in the house a few weeks, so I wanted to report what I’ve learned about the devices, how it compares to HomeKit cameras, and how it works with Starling Home Hub for bridging it to HomeKit. 

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