Steve Sande

<p><span>Here in the middle of the second decade of the 21st century, it shouldn't come as a shock to anyone that some of the more useful tools for fishing aficionados may not necessarily be found in a tackle box these days. There are many resources and tools available for the avid fisherman with an iPhone, iPad or Mac, so let's pull on the waders and take a look.</span></p>

<p><span>With a week to go until the official launch of the Apple Watch, Apple has updated its retail website to give potential buyers information about a new Apple Watch Basics workshop. The workshop doesn't appear to be something that is currently in the works for every Apple Store, but it's beginning to show up as a Concierge option at selected stores.</span></p>

<p>Apple Watch pre-orders should begin arriving next week with the first deliveries expected on April 24th. Before your package arrives, you should spend some time preparing for the Watch so your first-day experience with it will be smooth sailing. Below are some tips you can do now while you are waiting for the Watch to make its way to your doorstep. Please feel free share any additional tips in the comments below. </p>

<p>In today’s <a href="/blog?category=60-Second%20Tips">60-second tip</a>, we demonstrate how to use the <a href="https://www.apple.com/osx/photos/">new Photos app in OS X</a> to quickly improve your less-than-perfect images.  I'm using one of my bird photos, which has a white haze as I shot it through the front window of my house. In less than a minute, it will be ready for use in my family's nature journal. </p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px"><a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2015/4/6/preparing-for-apple-watch-guided-tours">Ten days ago we told you about</a> the first of a series of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/watch/guided-tours/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple Watch Guided Tours</a>. Now Apple has released four more tour videos, bringing the total to seven.</p><p>Added were Guided Tours for Phone Calls, Siri, Maps and Music. I personally found the Phone Calls and Siri demos to be instructive, as it seems logical that voice commands will be the primary input to a wrist-borne device. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nationalparks.org/national-park-week)" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Park Week</a> starts this weekend with free admission available on April 18th and 19th to visitors at at participating parks. The week-long event is meant to encourage people across the nation to get out and explore their national parks. To help you get up and get out, here is an assortment of park guides and outdoor-focused apps that’ll make your visit memorable. </p><p> </p>

<p><span>Last Friday, I visited my local Apple Store for my 11:30 AM Apple Watch Try-on appointment. </span><span>During the appointment, I confirmed a few facts that I had previously read about and discovered some new ones. Below is a list of the things you should know before booking your Apple Watch t</span><span>ry-on appointment if you are interested in seeing the watch's accessibility features in action:</span></p>

It's been a full month of Apple World Today's existence. Hooray! Steve, Kelly and I are fully into the swing...

Popular To-Do List app Any.do was updated today to version 3.0 which features an improved user interface, list sharing, theme...

<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 SimplePhysics, the new Vox Player and a major update to Wikipedia Mobile. All app prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly, so grab them while you can.</p>

The Wikipedia app for iOS was updated today with a handful of new features that make it easier to read...

<p><span>The Qi (pronounced "chee") inductive power standard is designed to make charging of electronic devices easy. By placing a Qi receiver that's either connected to a device or built into it near a Qi charger, induction provides a way to charge the device without plugging it in. The Apple Watch will work this way, although as far as we know it doesn't comply with the Qi standard. So how come we still can't charge our iPhones wirelessly? Well, with a Qi receiver from Fone Salesman and one of their Wood Puck chargers, you can.</span></p>

<p>Today I'm attending <a href="http://pro.mactech.com/dates-and-locations/boston/">MacTech Pro Boston</a>, an event for Apple techs who support small to medium-sized businesses, either as independent consultants or with a larger firm. This year's session covers a variety of helpful topics and, just as important, provides an opportunity to meet and talk with professionals who really know their stuff. </p>

<p>By the end of next week, the first Apple Watches will be embracing the wrists of some lucky early adopters. With all the hype surrounding the Watch, a number of crowdfunded projects have been launched in order to capture the imagination of those same early adopters. Sadly, most of these will never make it to market, and we’ll let you figure out why, starting with Kickstarter.</p>

<p>Sapphire has been the talk of the Apple community ever since the company partnered with GT Advanced in a failed effort to mass produce the material. While much is known about sapphire production, very little has been discussed about Apple’s ion-strengthened glass, which graces the front of the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus and now the <a href="https://www.apple.com/watch/craftsmanship/">Apple Watch</a>. </p>