Steve Sande

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Apple has been sending emails to customers scheduled to receive their <a href="http://apple.com/watch">Apple Watch </a>today, urging them to schedule an online Watch setup with an employee. Apple has done <a href="https://idmsa.apple.com/IDMSWebAuth/login.html?appIdKey=7704646c39c1fbaaed331174bbb08fb43da2234ad12a5a3dd840d24e40031d15&rv=1&path=/services/login&language=US-EN">One to One sessions</a> for customers at Apple Stores, but this is the first I've seem offer such a service via live online video. It's pretty cool and I imagine a nice way to familiarize people with an altogether new product. </p>

<p>It's <a target="_blank" href="http://apple.com/watch" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple Watch</a> day! Many people will receive their shiny new Apple Watches today while many more will play the waiting game. Apple hit the April 24 delivery target for quite a few customers, while others still have weeks of waiting ahead of them. This post is for the latter group.</p>

<p>Apple today released three new advertisements - <a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/x4TbOiaEHpM)" rel="noopener noreferrer">Us</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/a8GtyB3cees" rel="noopener noreferrer">Up</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/qQcFvamzdno" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rise</a> - to coincide with the Apple Watch launch. Rather than focus on the underlying technology that powers the Watch, each ad has a different theme that showcases how the Watch can be used in everyday life. You can watch the three advertisements in the videos below.</p>

<p>The folks at FoneFox took their Apple Watch and subjected it to a variety of water torture tests to see how the Watch would fare. Apple says the Watch is water-resistant and only capable of withstanding water-based activities such as washing your hands, doing dishes and so on.  In their <a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/zW5CxZioIkk" rel="noopener noreferrer">almost 4-minute video</a>, the folks at FOneFox show that the Watch is much more capable than Apple claims. </p>

<p>The tight inventory of the Apple Watch had one unfortunate side effect — many Watch developers were unable to secure a unit for delivery on April 24th. Such is the case for <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/macbookjockey" rel="noopener noreferrer">Francis Dierick</a>, whose <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fysikal/id970402772?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fysikal app</a> has been ported to the Watch and released without being tested on the Apple Watch itself. This testing won’t happen anytime soon as Dierick lives in a country where the Watch is not yet available. </p>

<p>An Apple launch isn’t complete without iFixit traveling to Australia and tearing down one the fist publicly available devices. This time, the team <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Apple+Watch+Teardown/40655?" rel="noopener noreferrer">took apart</a> a Watch Sport model and discovered a few surprises under the hood. </p>

<p>We decided to pass on the Wearables Wednesday column yesterday since you’re all probably getting your fill of a certain wearable, but there’s definitely time for a Throwback Thursday.</p><p>Today, rather than showing you some of those old Mac magazine ads and articles, I’m showing you one of the favorite toys in my “Museum of Antique Technology” — the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_QuickTake">Apple QuickTake 100 digital camera</a>. </p>

<p><span>Now that the shipment notices have made it out to the pre-order crowd and we're all anxiously following the progress of our Apple Watches from Harrisburg, PA (or wherever...) to our homes and offices, it's time to set some expectations. Based on past rollouts of new, groundbreaking Apple products, this is what we'll probably hear a lot of this weekend on websites and social networks:</span></p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px"><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/06/hours-is-a-clean-useful-time-tracker-for-iphone/">I wrote about</a> <a href="http://www.hourstimetracking.com">Hours for iPhone</a> a few months ago and found it to be a useful, legible and easy-to-use time tracker. Now the folks at <a href="http://tapity.com">Tapity</a> have teased Hours for the Apple Watch. </p><p>The app simplifies the act of starting and stopping timers as needed. Instead of pulling your iPhone out of your pocket, you simply tap the timer you want to make active. Pretty darn simple. Changes sync instantly to the iPhone app.</p><p>It looks great and we'll have a look at it as soon as we can. </p>

<p><a href="http://ryancash.net/post/117092406765/the-story-behind-altos-adventure">Here's the interesting story behind the development of Alto's Adventure</a><span>, (</span><a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2015/2/17/altos-adventure-is-snowy-llama-chasing-fun">our review + gameplay video here</a><span>) </span><span>the </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/altos-adventure/id950812012?mt=8">delightful snowboarding game</a><span> that has been featured by Apple several times. The story starts when co-creators Ryan Cash and Jordan Rosenberg were just kids </span><span>playing in the snow, and ends some amazing fan art and other </span><span>accolades</span><span> recognizing their wonderful game. </span></p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">The last of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/watch/guided-tours/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple's Watch Guided Tours</a> are now available for your viewing pleasure. The trio of tours cover the standard Apple Pay, Activity, and Workout apps. </p><p>For those of us who use Apple Pay on a regular basis with our iPhones, the process appears to be a bit different. The Watch is brought up to the pay station, the user presses the button on the side of the Watch to display the Apple Pay app, then brings the face of the Watch down to the contactless reader until a beep is heard confirming the transaction. It looks way too easy, and not having to dig a phone out of one's pocket or purse will be a nice touch.</p>

<p>Here are some of the best free apps, app updates and new apps that have landed in the App Store recently. Today’s notable apps include a discount on Coinverter, the new Kayos game and a major update to Week Weather. All app prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly, so grab them while you can.</p><p> </p>

<p>Apple is committed to <a href="https://www.apple.com/environment/">environmental responsibility</a> on a corporate level, but what happens to its phones when they land in the hands of customers? Are consumers equally as committed to using and disposing of their devices in a responsible way? If you want to do something good for the Earth today on Earth Day (and beyond), then take a small step by recycling or reusing those old iPhones, iPads and Macs that are not being used. Below we present a few reasons why you should recycle and then explore several ways you can repurpose those older Apple devices.</p>

<p>By this point, you’ve probably read a number of reviews of the new 12-inch Retina MacBook. The first round were written by reviewers for the major newspapers and magazines, and this second wave is being provided by those of us who spent our own money to purchase one of the machines.</p>

<p><span>Unbox Therapy released on Tuesday </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORIQXujC2v8" rel="noopener noreferrer">a scratch test video</a><span> showcasing the Ion-X glass that'll grace the cover of the Apple Watch Sport. Unlike sapphire glass which was subjected to </span><a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2015/4/9/apple-watch-screen-test-shows-incredible-scratch-resistance-of-sapphire-glass" rel="noopener noreferrer">similar torture</a><span> and passed with flying colors, the ION-X glass material did succumb to the scratch pressure of materials such as sand paper.</span></p>