Bradley C

Did Santa drop off a new M1 MacBook Air under the tree last night? macOS Big Sur comes with many great apps, but there is a whole world of third-party apps that make the Mac even better.

Much has been said about the case that Apple included with the AirPods Max. Outside of putting the headphones into ultra-low power mode, it doesn’t provide much protection. The lack of functionality is an opportunity for third-parties, though. Today, WaterField Designs is announcing a new AirPods Max case that will also put the headphones into low power mode.

In this episode of the Apple @ Work podcast, Bradley is joined by Jason Dettbarn from Addigy and Ben Greiner from Ntiva.

Sponsor: If you’re a business of school looking to find a trusted repair partner for your Apple devices, check out 9to5Mac’s Apple Repair Services.

On December 10, my world changed in a flash as I went from having a normal day at work to following an ambulance to the emergency room with my five-year-old daughter inside. Read on to see how the iPhone 12 mini performed when we were stuck in intensive care overnight.

When I purchased the early 2020 MacBook Air, at the time, I said it was the ideal laptop for K-12. In a fashion that only Apple can do, they’ve topped their computer just a few months after its release. After switching to the M1 Apple Silicon MacBook Air a few weeks ago, it’s undoubtedly the best laptop ever built for education.

Sponsor: If you’re a business of school looking to find a trusted repair partner for your Apple devices, check out 9to5Mac’s Apple Repair Services.

Adaptive lighting in HomeKit was one of the new features from Apple in iOS 14. While it took a while for manufacturers to begin rolling it out, I’ve finally been able to spend a few weeks with it. It’s another way that HomeKit is providing experiences to automate your life for the better.

iMessage has become a popular way to communicate since its release with iOS 5 in 2011. In the following years, it’s added new features and been added to more devices. Today, you can use iMessage to communicate over LTE or Wi-Fi using an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or even an Apple Watch. iMessages boasts end-to-end encryption, so not even Apple can read your messages. It’s become one of the most comfortable and secure ways to communicate with friends and family. The problem with iMessage is it has become a business communication tool, and terrible at it. iMessage at work might also cause your company legal problems in the future as well.

Some HomeKit projects are about convenience, some are about security, and others are just for fun. The Philips Hue Play lights certainly fit in the last category of HomeKit products.

One of the industries I started paying attention to more in 2020 was the world of robot vacuums. After picking up a Neato D7 and Roborock S6 Max earlier this year, I’ve decided that I am finished with regular vacuum cleaners, and automated ones are the future for my family. Since August, I’ve been testing out the 360 S9 Robot acuum, so read on to see how it compares to the ones I already use.

With the release of the new M1 Macbook Air, the final parts of the transition to Wi-Fi 6 are beginning for Apple. Today, the iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, M1 MacBook Air, and the M1 MacBook Pro all support Wi-Fi 6. Lacking support is the low-cost iPad, iPad mini, and all of the Intel Macs.

One of the significant changes I’ve made to my HomeKit setup this fall is adding a “second home.” No, I didn’t buy a second home, but I added a new home in HomeKit at work. When the HomePod mini was announced, I took my full-size HomePod to work in favor of two of the HomePod minis at home. Once I added that HomePod, I started slowly taking a few HomeKit devices to work, and I have a full-blown HomeKit at work.

The holidays are upon us, and as usual, improving my home with HomeKit is always on my mind. One of the things I love about HomeKit is that it’s not just about making your life more comfortable to use or more fun, it can undoubtedly improve security as well. As you think about the best HomeKit gifts for 2020, here are some essential items to keep your home secure before and after the holiday season.

Apple recently updated its Clips app adding several exciting features. The new changes include a refreshed user interface, the ability to record in both vertical and horizontal aspect ratios, and is optimized to record and share in Dolby Vision HDR with the new iPhone 12 family of devices. What I don’t think most people realize is that Clips usage in K-12 has skyrocketed since its release. Particularly when many students are studying virtually, Clips has become a simple way to share what you’re learning if you’re a student. If you’re a teacher, it’s a simple way to share a quick lesson or reminder with your students.

It’s the Christmas season, so many of us are decorating our homes with Christmas trees, outdoor lighting, and other items to put our homes in the Christmas spirit. I’ve been using HomeKit to simplify the operation of our Christmas decorations for years, so read on for some tips, tricks, and essential gear to buy.

It’s Thanksgiving in the United States, and many of us are getting ready to spend time with family, watch some American football, relax, and get ready to hunt for Black Friday deals ahead of the Christmas shopping season. Even if you aren’t seeing all of your family this year, you might be spending some time with just a few people, so Thanksgiving “tech” tune-ups might be in order.