Category: Apple

Portable SSD drives

On By Rick McIn Apple, product endorsements, travelLeave a comment

Love ’em. 🙂

Currently I’m traveling with the Lexar® Professional SL100 Pro Portable SSD.

Don’t buy the Samsung version. One of mine was bricked, incompatible with the most recent Mac OS.

  • 500GB
  • USB 3.1 Type-C connects directly to my 2019 MacBook Pro
  • 70.5g / 0.155lbs plus cable

It’s tiny. Light. Durable. Perfect.

And I paid only CAD $100 at BestBuy in August 2019.

It replaces my Samsung T5 Portable SSD 1TB USB 3.1 at CAD $239.99 from Amazon.

A Samsung software update bricked my drive. There’s been no help getting that fixed.  #SamsungSUCKS

 

 

Anker PowerCore Fusion 5000

On By Rick McIn Apple, product endorsements, travelLeave a comment

When you plug your phone into this you know it’s charging at the fastest possible rate.

If you have to pull it out of the wall before your phone is finished, it’s also a 5000 mAh powerbank.

It can recharge an iPhone about 1.1 times.

With two USB ports I typically charge my AirPods and Apple Watch at the same time as I’m charging my phone.

Amazon

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I LOVE AirDrop for Mac

On By Rick McIn AppleLeave a comment

With AirDrop, you can wirelessly send documents, photos, videos, websites, map locations, and more to a nearby iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac.

And fast.

For example, I sent two huge Lonely Planet PDFs from my old Mac to my new Mac and my iPhone. It took seconds.

There is no easier way to share documents than AirDrop.

Next time you have to send a document to another Apple user, give it a try.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

my travel electronics 2019

On By Rick McIn Apple, cycling, travelLeave a comment

😕  Yeesh.

Here are all the devices I need to power for my upcoming bikepacking trip.

In fact, this photo is missing my EarPods and that dedicated cable.

For hiking I’ll carry only phone, watch, EarPods and one (of the 3) battery chargers.

 

mapping my hikes & bike trips

On By Rick McIn Apple, cycling, hiking, product endorsements, travelLeave a comment

For summer 2019 I’ll use the Relive app.

It generates Google Earth videos with the photos you too included.

Here’s an example from the FREE version of the software.

The free version adds a maximum of 10 photos. For up to 50 photos you must join the CLUB which costs US $60 / year.

Mapping works in conjunction with Strava, Runtastic, Endomondo, Garmin Connect, Suunto, Apple Health (Watch), MapMyRun, MapMyWalk, MapMyRide, MapMyHike and Polar Flow.

I might be using the free version of Strava. Otherwise I’ll use Apple Health.

New Macs NEED a hub for cables 😕

On By Rick McIn Apple, travel1 Comment

One of the main things I dislike about Macs (since 2015) is the lack of ports.

For my new 2019 MacBook Pro I had to buy a Sanho HyperDrive hub. (CDN$ 109.00)

  • HDMI and 4K HDMI
  • 40Gb/s USB-C
  • USB-C
  • SD and microSD
  • 2 x USB 3.1

It’s tiny (80gm) and looks super durable.

If interested, there are several different versions of the HyperDrive hub.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

my TRAVEL computer back-up system

On By Rick McIn Apple, travelLeave a comment

This is the best, smallest and lightest hardware I’ve ever used.

I splurged a bit on the Samsung T5 Portable SSD 1TB USB 3.1 for CDN$ 239.99 all in.

Only 50gms. Almost exactly the same weight as my EarPods & case.

Currently the most popular solid state external hard drive.

I use it as a Time Machine backup for my Mac. AND for additional storage of videos I want to bring with me traveling.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

my CURRENT travel camera system

On By Rick McIn Apple, gymnastics, photos, product endorsements, travel1 Comment

As of May 2019.

Two cameras. The iPhone can be remotely controlled by my Apple Watch 3.

I’m trying to use voice control as much as I can for the GoPro.

I have GoPro attachments on both bike helmet and bike handlebars as well.  All mounts can attach either GoPro or iPhone.

What’s lacking most is the ability to ZOOM with either camera. I MIGHT carry a small camera with zoom, as well. I like zoom for distant animal sightings. And for Gymnastics.

recording AUDIO with my Watch

On By Rick McIn AppleLeave a comment

If you don’t own a smart watch you probably wonder why ANYONE would pay hundreds of dollars.

One of my favourite apps is Just Press Record. It cost about CAD $7.

It’s considered the best app of its kind on iPhone bringing one tap recording, transcription and iCloud syncing to all your devices.

You can even start a new recording completely hands-free with Siri!

When I’m traveling, hiking or cycling and come-up with something I want to remember, this is the quickest, easiest way to remember.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysMNmHQKvgM

 

I love Apple warranty work

On By Rick McIn Apple, product endorsements1 Comment

Yes Apple products are WAY overpriced.

But if you ever do need shop work, they are fantastic. My laptop looks like NEW.

That’s a 3 year old workhorse MacBook Pro which had reached 1000 battery charge cycles. That’s the lifetime expectation.

The battery died died quickly.

Taking it to an Apple store in Wales the Genius recommended I pay for a new battery. And he would throw in a new display for free as the anti-reflective coating was peeling off … as it always does. The free display covered the labour for the battery replacement.

In fact I ended up with a new bottom (with battery) and a new top (with display). All new aside from the chips.

Cost 199€. (US$260)