appleJAC Users Group

President's Place: October 2014

by Tom Piper

This has been an exciting month as we've witnessed the introduction of Apple's new products. Of course, this will probably put a little dent in many of our budgets, but what great joy, functionality and utility most of them will bring. Meanwhile, we mourn the loss of Macworld Magazine which helped debut the new Mac 30 years ago, and had been a steadfast reporter of all related progress since then.

Many of our members joined us for our last meeting in Fulton's Callaway Rural Electric administration building for "Magic Pix and Officer Opportunities". Dan Walsh revealed many little-known features of Apple's Previews and Adobe's Photoshop which helped him create a "layered" image of himself in multiple poses on a single photo -- cool stuff, indeed. Many of our officers shared their descriptions, experiences and enthusiasm for time they've volunteered . . . we encourage others to also participate to diversify our leadership and enjoy the rewards of serving (its fun and not very time-consuming). Door prize winners included:

    * Charlie Bland     $10 iTunes card
    • Winnie Krause    Keychain photo display
    • Dan Walsh          Belkin Bluetooth iPad keyboard

Our next meeting is all about "New Apple Products & Operating Systems" with presentations by Joe Mertzlufft and George Kopp. You will have an opportunity to learn much about features of the new iPhone 6, 6+ and Apple Watch, plus the innovations of the new iOS 8 for our iPhones, iPads and iPods. This promises to be an exciting introduction to Apple's newest advances.

We will also describe the latest changes being proposed in appleJAC's Bylaws to reflect the streamlining of many officer duties. You can review this 4-page PDF by clicking on Download appleJAC Bylaws. As we seek nominations for officer elections in December, you are welcome to review their duties by clicking on Download aJ Officer Job Descriptions.

Based on the success of the last two MacBasics Classes, we will describe the upcoming iWorks classes featuring the new Pages and Numbers on the iPad (and computer) on October 22 and November 12. A minimum of 8 pre-registrations are needed, so you are welcome to signup at our next meeting.

appleJAC continues to offer educational and entertaining sessions for our members. We look forward to seeing you (and your friends and family) on October 7 . . . 

 

Wacom Bamboo Stylus Fineline: Search Rewarded

by Marian Petrides, MD

 

After many years searching for a stylus that works as well on the iPad, or as well as the stylus on Windoze tablets work on their Wacom digitizers, I have finally found one—the new Wacom Bamboo Stylus Fineline.

 

It’s a bit pricey at $59 bucks, but it enables me to make handwritten notes as easily as if I’m writing on paper. And replacement styluses for HP Tablets cost as much, so the price really isn’t that far out of line.

 

It connects to supported apps via Bluetooth, but even before I paired it to Bamboo Paper via BT, it was working pretty well. Once I paired it, palm rejection kicked in and eliminated stray marks and the stylus worked a tad better (it was working nearly fine except for stray marks right out of the box). One other benefit of pairing is that, in supported apps, you can program the button on the stylus to activate a shortcut—in my case, I have it programmed to function as an eraser.

 

I haven’t tried pairing it with other supported apps yet, since I primarily use Bamboo Paper for handwritten notes anyway. I AM looking forward to how it works in PDF Pen, although the shortcuts function evidently is not yet implemented in PDF Pen, so I’ll likely have to select the eraser manually instead of just clicking the button. Using it in PDF pen should enable me to more easily highlight and annotate PDFs like journal articles. Not that I read many medical journals any more, but for those of you who do read journals in digital form, it should prove handy.

 

All in all, I’m very pleased with the Wacom Bamboo Stylus Fineline. It’s pretty much everything I’ve been looking for for years! For more information, visit wacom.com/bamboo-stylus-fineline.

Audioengine B1 Receiver: The Sweetest Bluetooth Music

by Tom Piper

I enjoy music from my iPhone and iPads when I’m working or relaxing, but want more quality and fidelity than my earbuds (which I can get with over-the-ear headphones), but don’t want to be tethered to a cord. One great alternative to AirPlay (using Wi-Fi) is via Bluetooth connected to quality speakers (my terrific Vanatoo Transparent One Powered Stereo Speakers).

The Audioengine B1 Premium Bluetooth® Music Receiver is a high-fidelity audio component that easily integrates into my music system and plays sound directly from my library and streams from any app. This B1 streams high-quality audio from my iPhone 5S (soon 6+), MacBook Pro 15” retina or 27” iMac computer, plus the iPad 3 and iPad mini retina to my powered speakers. This is a simple way to get great-sounding wireless music from my devices.

Setup and pairing is really easy with no special software needed . . . just plug in the included cables, connect to an electrical outlet, turn on the device’s Bluetooth, select “Audioengine B1” to pair, then play any music. If I want to pair with another device, I just press the Bluetooth indicator light on the front, and enter my device’s Bluetooth setting to select the B1. 

The B1 solves audio quality problems by implementing the aptX codec (A2DP and AVRCP also supported), which is a high-quality audio converter. Features also include special circuitry and a precision-tuned antenna to extend the wireless range, providing extensive versatility.

This results in stunning audio with Bluetooth 4.0, 24-bit upsampling DAC, and extended range. This unit’s aluminum case reflects traditional excellent Audioengine design with high-quality components and audio fidelity. The bottom line is that music just sounds better!

I found this device to be exceptional in its immediate ease of setup (stereo 3’ RCA cable included), and ability to use within minutes after unboxing. The connectors on the back include either a Toslink 24-bit optical output or traditional right/left analog audio output. The pairing process to my iPads and iPhone was simple since the unit immediately enters pairing mode when the power is turned on. Thereafter, all control was on my iDevice and available when and where I needed it. The range is very impressive allowing me and my iDevice to leave the room up to almost 100 feet away without interrupting the music.

Audioengine has created a product with the sound, looks, and overall quality of systems priced much higher. If you purchase the Audioengine B1 receiver ($189 US, free shipping) from their online store (http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Wireless/B1-Bluetooth-Music-Receiver) to try it out, if you're not completely satisfied, then contact them (for return instructions and ship the product back in the original packaging in like-new, undamaged condition) within 30 days of purchase for a full refund of your purchase price.

This is the best Bluetooth receiver I’ve ever used, which produces reliable, consistent, high-quality sound from all of my iDevices. It also allows me (on my computer) to simultaneously use multiple stereo output devices (such as Bluetooth and USB) via Audio MIDI Setup (part of MacOS) to create true surround sound!

MacBasics Productivity Apps Training Class