Mini'app'les

the Minnesota Apple Computer Users' Group, Inc.

Article: iPad Air 2 Review: Why the iPad Became My Main Computer

by Tim Drenk

Federico Viticci at MacStories.net has an interesting article about how he uses an iPad Air 2 as his main computer for both work and fun.

I’m typing this article on an iPad Air 2 using Editorial in portrait mode. This has become my favorite way to “create and consume content” and it’s a good demonstration of the iPad’s raison d’être for someone who also owns an iPhone and a Mac…

…I can write blog posts, respond to emails, look up recipes, prepare for podcasts, and watch videos while I hold my iPad upright as a book and it feels great. This isn’t just a marvel of engineering – it’s a profound approach to truly personal computing. I have a 10-inch display that’s always connected to the Internet and can come with me anywhere. Isn’t that awesome?

There’s more, however, to the iPad Air 2 than its profile and heft (or lack thereof).

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iDevice Screens: These go to -11

by Jeff Berg

Do you use your iPhone or iPad after lights out? Are you, or your partner, disturbed by the light emitting from the screen—even on the lowest brightness setting? Justin Searles, writing at Medium, has the solution:

How-to make your iPhone Dimmer than Dim

I followed the steps in Justin’s simple tutorial and now my iPad is ready for bedtime with a simple triple tap on the home button. Come sunrise (or Jeff-rise—whichever comes last) another triple tap restores the screen to all its bright glory.

Now if I could just get the morons misguided folks using their phablets in movie theaters to dim down…

↬ Dave Mark at The Loop, How to make your iPhone dimmer than its dimmest setting

 

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Apple’s Quarterly Report

by Tim Drenk

Apple made their quarterly report on Tuesday and it was good, to say the least. Tim Cook announced that the Apple Watch will ship in April 2015, 74.5 million iPhones were sold, Apple Pay is still in the early days but makes up about 60% of all contactless payments, along with things.

AppleInsider.com broke it down by numbers:

$179 billion: Apple’s cash-on-hand.

$131.4 billion: The total cost of the Apollo program, adjusted for inflation.

$74.6 billion: Apple’s revenue.

$72.9 billion: The combined revenues of Microsoft, IBM, and Procter & Gamble in the same period.

$60.1 billion: Luxembourg’s GDP in 2013.

$18 billion: Apple’s profit. This is the most profit ever reported by a publicly-traded company.

$6.2 billion: The purchase price of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.

1 billion: iOS devices sold by Apple since the introduction of the iPhone.

500 million: Visitors to Apple’s brick-and-mortar and online stores.

474 million: Tourist arrivals to France, the U.S., Spain, China, Italy, Turkey, Germany, the U.K., Russia, and Thailand in 2013.

74.5 million: iPhones sold by Apple in the quarter.

25 million: Apple TVs sold since its release.

21.4 million: iPads sold by Apple in the quarter.

20 million: Copies of the game Skyrim sold since 2011.

5.5 million: Macs sold by Apple in the quarter.

$761,000: Apple’s revenue per employee.

$575,000: Apple’s revenue per minute.

$184,000: Apple’s net profit per employee.

$144,000: Average salary for an Apple software engineer, according to Glassdoor.

$687: The average selling price of the iPhone.

575: The number of iPhones Apple sold every minute of every day.

$45: The average selling price of phones from Microsoft’s handset unit last quarter.

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Not so big after all: Sizing up the Apple Watch

by Jeff Berg

Critics of the unreleased Apple Watch, many and legion, seem quick to call it big and clunky. I had a little time on my hands, and decided to so some investigative research.

Apple has released some sizing information and various Apple Watch sizing templates are available online. I downloaded one from Ryan P. Mack. Next I went hunting for my digital caliper (a device for making precise measurements) and failed to find it—must be in my toolchest at the Hack Factory. No worries, the analog caliper in my rigging bag sufficed. Finally, I pulled the (average sized) Bertucci field watch, my EDC (every day carry) timepiece, from my wrist. The Bertucci isn’t the smallest, thinnest watch I’ve owned, but it isn’t the bulkiest either. (Obviously) I find it to be an acceptable size for everyday wear.

Image comparing actual Bertucci watch to PDF print of Apple Watch Dimensions
Here’s my watch compared to the Apple Watch PDF. The caliper is set to the relevant dimension of the Bertucci watch

The larger Apple Watch case is 42mm tall. Using press images and videos, Ryan estimates that the width of the watch is 37.65mm and the thickness is 10.44mm + a 1mm “bump” for the heartrate sensor. My current watch case is 48mm tall, 39mm wide and 11-12mm thick in round, analog numbers.

Criticizing the styling of the Apple Watch is valid, that’s after all a matter of taste, but calling it “big” or “clunky” seems inaccurate. For all practical purposes, I’m wearing an Apple Watch sized timepiece today and (most) everyday.

I’m planning on ordering a 42mm model in Black Stainless Steel, watch band TBD—ultimately I’ll be tying my own. What’s your choice? Let us know in the comments.

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Mini’app’les Meeting, Tuesday Jan. 20 at 7:00 p.m., Q&A at 6:30 p.m.

by Tim Drenk

The next Mini’app’les meeting is Tuesday, January 20th, the third Tuesday of the month, at the HackFactory (3119 E. 26th Street Minneapolis, MN 55406). At 6:30 p.m., members of the board and other knowledgable people will be available if you have specific questions you would like answered. We will do our best to address your question and help you troubleshoot the issue.

A complete backup system has multiple parts such as a remote backup and a local backup. At 7:00 p.m., we will look at some of the software options for local backups. Aside from Apple’s Time Machine, we will look at some of the more “traditional” backup programs, cloning software, and syncing software and the pros and cons of each. 

We look forward to seeing you there.

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