Bradley lives in Chattanooga, TN where he manages Apple devices for a private school.
Tips, feedback, corrections and questions can be sent to Bradley@9to5mac.com.
November 13
Before I get into my Kindle Paperwhite Review, I want to give you some backstory on where my life has been headed over the past few weeks. I’ve been pondering the role technology plays in our lives. It all started when my wife and I spent a weekend away for our anniversary, and I purposely didn’t keep my phone with me for an entire day. I knew she had her cell phone in case of an emergency with our children, so I just left it at the hotel. One of the main reasons I didn’t want it with me is because it was the day of the Georgia vs. LSU college football game, and I didn’t want to know the score until it was over. For the first time in many years, I went 12+ hours without picking up a cell phone to check e-mail, respond to a text message, or visit a website. expand full story
November 2
October 16
TiVo is a brand name that is well known when it comes to recording TV shows. It was one of the original digital video recorders (along with ReplayTV). I purchased the Series 2 TiVo in 2003, and I used it for four years before retiring it for a Comcast branded DVR when I got my first HDTV in 2007. Even after switching to a non-TiVo DVR, I missed the familiar interface. Even to this day, I’ve used countless DVR solutions from various companies, and nothing touches the simplicity of the TiVo. Will the TiVo Bolt OTA for Antenna live up to the hype?
October 15
October 12
September 4
Football is back. We’re looking ahead to week two of the college football season here in America, and the NFL is quickly approaching. In the fall, I spend more time than I’d care to admit parked on the couch screaming at football games. It starts at 8:30 AM on Saturday and then ends on Sunday night with Sunday Night Football on NBC. Of course, tailgating is an essential part of football. Whether you are at the game or just in your backyard, having the right tailgating gear is a must-have for ensuring the best experience.
August 14
I was cleaning up my backyard one-night last week, and I felt it. There was a little bit of a breeze, and I knew that Fall was coming. Fall is the greatest season of the year. Football is back. Light jackets are back. Cornhole is back Cider is back. I’m ready to spend cool October days watching football, cooking out with friends, watching my kids play in the leaves.
August 9
July 23
I think back to when I was growing up, and my Dad knew how to fix everything. I feel like there was a home repair class I was supposed to take but never got information about. I was talking to my Dad recently about this, and he had two things to say:
July 18
It’s mid-July, so a lot of parents are starting to think about back to school supplies. One of the items that causes the most discussion in our house is the lunch box. For kids, it’s a lot of pressure. Do they go trendy with something like a Star Wars Solo one? It’s popular right now, but will that be lame come March?
July 17
Complaints about built-in TV speakers aren’t anything new. Soundbars have been around for a number of years, and new innovation is happening in that market as well. The Sonos Beam is one of the latest entrants in that market. It’s designed to be able to fit in more places as it’s only 25.6 inches, so it won’t hang off furniture or block the TV at all. But Sonos will face even more competition now from set-top box maker, Roku.
July 11
Trying to occupy small children during the summer can be a difficult task. In my part of the country, it’s hot and humid. The only outdoor activity I want to do from June to September is something water related. My kids feel the same way. Since we don’t have a pool, we looked for options to give them something in our backyard. We used the classic Slip N Slide – $27 for a few summers, but they quickly got bored with it.
June 28
The summer is upon us, and many of us are traveling for family vacations. Being on the move with family can often be stressful, but having the right gear can make it a lot easier. Whether it’s a device to charge your fleet of iPhones/iPads or having the right bag for the beach, having a plan prior to setting off on a vacation can make the entire trip go a lot smoother.
June 19
As a father of three small children, I’ll admit that parenting can be challenging. Even after having three, I’ll still argue that the first one was the biggest shock to our lives. It changes things so drastically that you sometimes are just wondering what has just happened.
June 12
A decade ago, home automation was something that required you to hire a home integrationist during the building process. It was an expensive process, and you probably ended up with products you barely knew how to use. On top of that, if technology advanced in a few years, you’d have to hire that company again to come out and upgrade it. It reminds me of when I see those old intercom systems wired into homes. How dated do those look in 2018?
June 7
It’s no secret that I am all in on Apple products. My house is full of Macs, iPhones, iPads, and even Apple TVs. I use Apple Music, iCloud Photo Library, and iCloud Drive. I’m all in on Apple. There is one exception, however. I purchased the NVIDIA SHIELD TV this past Christmas, and it’s become one of the favorite devices in my house.
May 30
During the summer, kids are out of school with a lot more free time on their hands. If your kids are like mine, after a long day of playing outside, they enjoy playing a few games, watching Netflix, and browsing YouTube Kids. They do all these things on an iPad. One of the things you’ll want to think about is how you are protecting your children from the not so nice parts of the internet. Another thing you’ll want to consider is how much time they are spending on the internet as well.
May 18
It’s warming up here in the southern United States, so that means it’s almost time for grilling season to move into full swing. As we get closer to Memorial Day and July 4th, you’ll want to make sure you have your grilling setup in tip-top shape. While I am not a grilling expert, I suspect you aren’t either. I’ve gotten better over the years, and I wanted to share some of my favorite gear with you.
May 15
I’ve been running since 2010, and it’s one of the best hobbies I’ve ever picked up. Outside of some essential gear, it’s free to run so that’s even better! I love running when traveling as it allows me to see a new city. When I was in Chicago for Apple’s last education event, I even ran with some of the 9to5Mac crew. When you are starting a running hobby, there is some essential gear that makes it easier, so I wanted to list some of my favorites. Do you have anything to add? List them in the comments if so! Head below for more.
May 10
A great home Wi-Fi connection is something that was nice to have ten years ago but wasn’t something most people put a lot of effort into (and certainly not money). The iPhone was only a year old, the iPad wasn’t even out, and we certainly weren’t cutting the cord for streaming services. In 2008, I had three devices in my home that used Wi-Fi. In 2018, I have 25 (iPads, iPhones, Macs, Nest thermostats, and HomeKit-enabled devices). A great home Wi-Fi connection is required for all of these devices to work well.
