Julio Ojeda-Zapata
Julio Ojeda-Zapata is a technology reporter and blogger at the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minnesota. He has written books about Twitter, the iPad, and mobile productivity. Keep up with him at ojezap.com.
Apple’s iPad Pro models differ in far more than size and weight. Any number of other factors might influence your buying decision. Julio Ojeda-Zapata guides you through them.
The Sling TV service offers cable-style programming over the Internet at a lower cost, but a lack of Apple TV compatibility has kept many users away. Sling TV has now released an Apple TV app with a revamped interface. Julio Ojeda-Zapata reviews the app.
NASA has released an Apple TV app that is sure to keep space geeks busy for weeks. The app for the fourth-generation Apple TV has images, video, satellite tracking, and even a radio station with a pop soundtrack.
A fast and stable Wi-Fi network can be complex to create and maintain, and ensuring consistent coverage is an ordeal that often means putting an unsightly access point in the middle of your house. Now, a company called Eero has released a lovely wireless networking device that sets up easily and works in groups of three or more to blanket a residence in Wi-Fi.
Virtual reality is hot, with all manner of 360-degree content being created for fancy computer-connected goggles as well as for simpler smartphone accessories. And while iPhone users have no shortage of VR gear, apps, and Internet videos, Apple hasn’t released anything to compete with rival smartphone makers that are all over VR.
The tvOS 10 update won’t do much to change how you use your fourth-generation Apple TV, but it does add some nice features that will save you pain and suffering.
Google competes with Apple, but much of its technology also lives on Apple devices. So it’s not surprising that the Google I/O developer conference last week was jammed with technology announcements of direct relevance to Apple users. These include a Google Home voice-controlled device and two new messaging apps for iOS.
Long after adapting to phablet-sized iPhones, Julio Ojeda-Zapata revisits a classic design in the form of the iPhone SE, which looks like the iPhone 5s but has up-to-date internals. He found much to like (and a bit to dislike) about Apple’s new handset.
Apple goofed in bundling an anemic 12-watt power adapter with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which needs a brawnier charger. It has one in the MacBook’s 29-watt USB-C power adapter, which can be paired with a new USB-C to Lightning Cable to charge the big iPad more rapidly.
Apple’s 12-inch MacBook is terrific on the go but can feel limiting in an office where large display sizes matter. Acer’s new H277HU display addresses this by letting you connect to it from a MacBook via USB-C. It provides 27 inches of screen real estate along with two USB-A ports and power to the MacBook.
Motorized standing desks are all the rage, thanks to height adjustability and purported health benefits, but they suffer from high prices. Luckily, lower-cost alternatives exist. Julio Ojeda-Zapata tested a half-dozen adjustable platforms that perch atop regular furniture.
Google’s Nik Collection, a suite of seven photo editing apps for the Mac, once appealed primarily to advanced users willing to pay $150. Now the suite is free, potentially broadening its appeal, but its lack of compatibility with Apple’s Photos app could turn off many Mac users.
Apple’s minimalist ethos has struck again, causing the company’s 2015 MacBook to be equipped with just a single USB-C port. Most people agree this is not enough. Third-party port-expansion products are now available, though, with other USB-C accessories providing added features. Julio Ojeda-Zapata looks at a sampling of USB-C accessories.
Apple’s Smart Keyboard for the iPad Pro works reasonably well and is thin and lightweight, but its chiclet keys are an acquired taste for many. Fortunately, alternatives do exist. Julio Ojeda-Zapata looks at three third-party iPad Pro keyboards that take different approaches.
Touchscreens in select cars can now become iPhone extensions via CarPlay, Apple’s attempt to extend its influence into vehicle cabins. Alas, Julio Ojeda-Zapata found CarPlay to be a dumbed-down and glitchy experience.