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iPhone 7 Migration: Apple Trusted Device

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While moving to a new iPhone, don’t forget to make this new phone a trusted device with Apple. By doing so, whenever you’re prompted to provide a security code, your new iPhone 7 is one of the choices to receive this security challenge. If you don’t make this update, then your security challenge will most likely go to your old iPhone that you probably don’t have with you.

Go to Apple ID to manage trusted devices. Check under Account – Security and look at Trusted Devices. Verify devices as needed or remove devices that are no longer valid.

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NYDC16 Observations

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So what other nuances did I observe on the East Coast in DC and NYC?

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Well, I already mentioned that Five Guys Burgers and Fries is nothing new. Unlike Hawaii where lines were constantly long, there were no lines at many of the Five Guys we passed.

Jordan Retros and Nike Foamposites

NYDC16-observations-4While Nike Roshes were very popular in DC, what surprised me in New York was the number of retro Jordans and Foamposites that I saw. Retro Jordans were everywhere. Even cleaning crews at Grand Central rocked the Jordans. The Jordan 8, the Jordan 6, and the Jordan 4 were pretty popular.

Unique Apple Stores

I only saw one Apple Store in DC, the one in Georgetown. On the outside and immediate interior, this location was similar to other Apple Stores. But in the back, there’s this spartan, sunlit area that’s distinctive compared to the rest of the store.

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However, in New York, Apple Stores seem to have their own unique identity. I mentioned the Grand Central location that is part of the station.

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This Apple Store is part of Grand Central

While riding the bus, I got to see the glass cube at Fifth Avenue and then later, the glass corner of the Upper West Side. On the way to the MET, we passed the classic architecture of the Upper East Side. Each has its own wow factor.

Apple Pay Is Expanding

Seemingly there’s a push for businesses to adopt Apple Pay. Many vendors had signs promoting the use of Apple Pay. Levain Bakery is one of those…that I used twice.

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White Earbuds

Back in the day when Apple introduced the game-changing iPod with white earbuds, who knew that the color white would be so distinguishable. Years later, white earbuds are still popular as seen on  a sampling of subway riders.

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Squirrels Are Aggressive

Some squirrels have gotten too accustomed to people and are even aggressive when looking for food. I thought this guy was going to launch himself at us and our food.

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Police Are Everywhere

In both DC and NYC, the police are everywhere and everywhere else. There’s a sprinkling of military personnel also. The amount of security in Grand Central was kinda surreal with armed police or guards at entrances and patrolling the area.

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With all that people and all there is to do at all hours in the city that never sleeps, I tip my hat to the NYPD.

Vineyard Vines

So apparently Vineyard Vines is a thing on the East Coast. Their clothes are just too bright and preppy for me, but this trucker hat on clearance beckoned to me. I doubt this brand could make it in Hawaii.

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NYDC16 Day 8: Rock, FF8, NBA, Grand Central, Body Painting

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Headed out to Times Square in the morning to see how many people never sleep in New York. Yes, it was crowded. Got discounted Broadway tickets from the already packed TKTS booth.

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Needing to get above the crowds of people, we walked to Rockefeller Center to ascend to the Top of the Rock. Overall, a much more enjoyable experience than the Empire State Building. Yes, the Empire is iconic, but the Rock is better planned. Scheduled arrivals make the crowds of visitors more manageable and distributed. Even the elevator ride is better with a see through ceiling that you can watch the animated ascent. At midday, everything went quickly, and we were atop the Rock in a matter of minutes. The views are much better with the less intrusive safety glass surrounding the observation deck.

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The only negative I could nitpick is the mobile connectivity. Although 800 feet up and all these rooftop antennas, I was still getting one bar of AT&T 4G service. Kinda hard to Instagram the awesome scenic pics with only one bar of service.

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After touring the top, down below has many options for dining and entertainment. From hot and humid on previous days, the weather became overcast and cool so a nice warmup came in the form of a mocha from Blue Bottle.

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With limited time to look around, we stopped by the Lego Store and saw the New York inspired skyline and the Flatiron building.

But I also liked the White House.

Our party separated to watch different Broadway plays while I went exploring amongst all the other people. My first destination was the NBA Store. Right outside its doors, I spied these tricked out cars.

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Yup, you guessed it. Fast and Furious 8 was filming somewhere in the area. No actors were around, just the rides.

Inside the three-floor store, there were more people, oh, and all things NBA. I was going for a Derrick Rose Knicks tee, but despite being one day old, this new release was sold out of larges. Even mediums and XL were scarce.

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There were items from the 2016 Championship including a tee depicting LeBron’s rim defense.

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Dwyane Wade’s Li Ning kicks pack was there for $330.

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I got a chuckle from Kevin Durant’s clearance gear from Oklahoma City. His OKC jersey was down to $65 from $110, but I still passed. Unfortunately, KD’s Golden State gear hadn’t yet arrived so you could only custom make items at a higher cost.

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After the NBA and FF8 experience, Grand Central Station was my next stop. Yes, more people and armed guards strolling around.

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There’s an Apple Store inside of Grand Central but rid all your knowledge and experiences of other Apple Stores. Because even when you see this…

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You get this…over two city blocks of fruited goodness. This is not a small enclosed store. The expanse is the Grand Central Station. It’s actually integrated with the station.

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I made a Genius Bar appointment to check out my Apple Watch but had 30 minutes to wait. Headed downstairs to check out the dining concourse. Said no to Shake Shack.

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But yes to cheesecake from Magnolia Bakery.

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Back at the Genius Bar, I was told to reset my Watch and redo the pairing process to fix my software glitch. Satisfied with the simple fix, I had to make my way to Koreatown for dinner. Walking there, I saw more of New York. There were bridesmaids crossing the street.

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And nakedness at the public library for national body painting day.

Dinner brought endless ban chan and this curious sign.

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And the day wasn’t done with a trip to the largest Macy’s.

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Followed by a quick jaunt to Eataly.

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The Flatiron building is right outside.

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And that’s more than enough for one day. Good night!

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Would an iPod Prince Edition Sell?

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prince-logoThis goes beyond a royal purple aluminum exterior. This is more than Prince’s logo etched on the the back of the iPod. Listen with Beats by Dre headphones in either Purple Rain or a Diamonds and Pearls special makeups. This is more value than the limited edition Price iPod of 2009.

Think of Prince’s songs on an iPod (yes, that iPod of yesteryear). What if, what if Apple was able to get the rights to all of Prince’s available music and package them on a commemorative iPod? Since Prince had essentially removed all his songs from online services, finding them in a digital format isn’t easy or convenient. So if music fans are willing to purchase and listen to Prince’s music catalog, why not an iPod Price Edition?

Until then, it’ll be like this.

Loading up the CD changer with #Prince #throwingitback

A photo posted by @geewhy on

Siri, Zane Lowe, and December 14, 2015

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zane-loweI’m not sure why this is, but whenever I ask Siri to play songs curated by Zane Lowe of Beats 1 and Apple Music, Siri always brings up Zane’s playlist from December 14, 2015.

I’m not necessarily complaining about this choice since it is a solid playlist leading off with Coldplay and ending with lots of Taylor Swift. Everything else in between is good too – Kendrick Lamar, Grimes, Justin Bieber, A-Trak, CHVRCHES, Alessia Cara, and Lana Del Rey.

But I would like more variety of Zane Lowe’s selections in the future. Maybe I have to give Siri the “more like this” command.

iTunes Match vs Apple Music

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apple-music-for-youI’ve been a subscriber to iTunes Match since its inception. All my music in the iCloud available to all my connected devices. Not a bad proposition for $25 a year. But now there’s Apple Music which has similar features as iTunes Match but is different. Apple has had to explain the differences between iTunes Match and Apple Music as well.

While I’ve been satisfied with having access to my music ala iTunes Match, I admit that I enjoyed the free, three-month trial of Apple Music. I learned of and listened to several new songs thanks to Beats 1, but really, that “For You” musical suggestion engine is the appeal. Based on my personal music collection, suggestions were ear-opening as I discovered new tunes from new artists like this remix from Jon Hopkins featuring Lorde.

So I switched (for now). I let my iTunes Match expire and jumped on the Apple Music bandwagon for $10 per month. Instead of buying Kid Cudi’s latest, Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven, for $15, I’ll stream the tracks instead (and wonder what happened with this album???). And I’m relying on My Music to uncover more great hits.

AppleWatch Works for Lefties

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When Apple made the AppleWatch available to public viewing on April 10, 2015, I was at the Ala Moana Apple Store learning more along with fellow tech geeks, Ryan and Burt. Besides the questions about specs, performance, and apps, Burt asked a simple question that stumped the Apple Store staff. Does the AppleWatch work for left handed people? Can the digital crown and touch screen operate when the axes are reversed?

The answer is yes. All the controls “flip” just with the physical crown oriented on the lower half of the watch. Apple itself visually confirmed this left-handed operation on their video Rise as a lefty answers a call from some guy named Tony Rivas. Hmmm, this is the same guy in that Siri demo for the iPhone 4S and iOS5.

Take a look at the 0:47 second mark.

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Fifteen Minutes with the Apple Watch Is Not Enough

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No, I didn’t pre-order an Apple Watch, wanting to see it in person first. So I scheduled a fifteen minute appointment to try on Apple’s newest wearable at the Ala Moana Apple Store, but those fifteen minutes are woefully short. Other than making an appointment, there’s no way of actually putting an Apple Watch on your wrist. The demo units are either behind a case or mounted in a display.

Burt Lum checks out the Apple Watches

The appointment runs through an educational demo of the Apple Watch. It’s kinda cool, but kinda lame since you’re standing there bed to your Apple concierge essentially watching a tutorial about the Apple Watch. The fun begins when you try on the different sizes and bands.

42mm or 38mm?

Guys definitely need the 42mm model. The 38mm looks too small and the band itself will barely fit. I could not slip my wrist through the 38mm Milanese Loop band.

A quick physical comparison to my Kickstarted Pebble watch, the 42mm Apple Watch is actually smaller. However, the craftsmanship and feel cannot be compared with the Apple Watch.

About the Sport Band

I’m not totally digging the Sport’s fluoroelastomer band. Yeah, it feels good, but I had a hard time putting it on single-handedly. It doesn’t align easily since you have to insert the pin first then tuck the excess band on the inside of the band. When taking off the Sport band, it comes off too readily, making for accidental drops.

The watch bands are easy to interchange, but personally, I don’t think all the bands match with the aluminum finish of the Sport model in case you’re thinking of “upgrading” your Apple Watch.

A Tiny Screen

The display of the Apple Watch is clear and crisp if not tiny. Looking at watch faces and well-designed activity monitors is fine. But trying to use Maps is too difficult for aged eyes. I guess the point is to use audio or haptic feedback to guide your directions.

Which Watch?

The general consensus is to buy the most inexpensive Apple Watch Sport model to minimize your investment in a first generation device. That’s very sound advice. Heed that advice and don’t try on the stainless steel Apple Watch. Otherwise, you very well may disregard that logical advice. I’m not sure what it was, but when I tried on the steel Apple Watch, it simply resonated with me. It felt heavier, making me more conscious about wearing it, but it wasn’t a burden. The leather strap definitely projected sophistication, and the magnetic closures felt more sure than the pin-and-tuck Sport band. Maybe I was imagining things, but I thought the steel itself felt cooler. Touching the sapphire crystal face, it felt smoother than the Ion-X glass of the Sport. And the stainless steel finish simply has an elegance missing from the anodized aluminum Sport. Trying on the Apple steel will only make your buying decision harder.

Initially, I was leaning to the Sport model in silver with a white band. But space gray with the black band is now my preferred Sport model. Seeing the gray/black combo stands out next to its colorful family members. But yes, the steel outshines all the Sports.

And there went my allotted 15 minutes. In fact, my appointment went overtime, nearly at 25 minutes, and it still wasn’t enough to adequately comprehend and assess the Apple Watch. I still haven’t figured out which watch to get.

Bonus Content

While at the Apple Store at Ala Moana, I ran across Ryan Ozawa and Burt Lum there for their try-on appointments. Here is Ryan’s Apple Watch post, and watch Burt’s video entering the store.

Through the Apple gauntlet for the #applewatch

A video posted by @bytemarks on

My Inevitable Journey to the Apple Watch

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I’ve come to rationalize realize that the Apple Watch is in my future. The journey to this latest in wearable tech started back in 2005 with the advent of the Nike+iPod Sports Kit. The alliance of Apple and Nike, two of my favorite brands, materialized the idea of data-driven workouts for the masses. With a sensor in my Nike+ shoe and a transmitter connected to my iPod Nano, data about my runs was collected on the Nikeplus web site. From this, I knew I hit 100 miles run in 2008 and surpassed 600 total miles in 2010. But even then, my stats showed me that actually I slowed down in 2010. In 2015 as I approach 1000 walks ands runs, I’ve traveled 2417 miles in all.

Related to the Nike+iPod Sports Kit, I was an early adopter of the Nike Amp+ watch. This short lived product acted as a remote control for the iPod which made it more convenient to control your tunes while running, and hey, the Amp+ even told time (albeit poorly).

In April 2012, I had my next interaction with wearables, pledging to the Pebble watch Kickstarter project. Not completely convinced this watch could be become a reality, I became a believer.

Later in 2012, I took another step in my journey supporting the Misfit Shine project. I intended this activity tracker to capture more of my life, thinking I would more conveniently wear this tiny monitor. But after close calls almost losing the Shine and it being washed, I became more conservative with it, not taking it everywhere.

Over the years, most of my wearable tech has gone by the wayside. My Nike+iPod Sports Kit sits idle with the malfunction of my iPod Nano. Even then, my GPS-enabled iPhone 6 has improved and integrated geo-tracking, making the Sports Kit obsolete. My Misfit Shine is still with me, battery-less eating up CR batteries much too quickly. My Amp+ was a poor timepiece, ate batteries, and was eventually stolen. Only my Pebble watch remains viable, even gaining functionality with updates and apps.

Now, here comes the Apple Watch. At the low end price point of $349/$399, the Apple Watch is cost comparable to the first iPod, going for $399 for a 5GB model. With its functionality and growth potential, how can I not get the Apple Watch?



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Checking Out Apple CarPlay

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Like me, you may have heard of Apple’s CarPlay “system” that links your iPhone with your vehicle but never saw CarPlay in action. Today, I got a first hand look at CarPlay via the Alpine iLX-007 in-dash receiver. An aftermarket car stereo replacement, the iLX is CarPlay personified. Connecting your iPhone to the iLX brings up the familiar iOS screen on the 7-in display. Everything looks and behaves similarly to regular iPhone interactions. The apps, the home button, iTunes music, maps, Siri – it’s all there.

I had to admit seeing CarPlay in action was pretty cool. The learning curve of operating the iLX is negligible since it is  the iOS that you’re already comfortable with using an iPhone. No need to figure out how to set music stations, make a phone call, or otherwise operate the unit. The Maps application for navigation was the most compelling since it eliminates the need for any other in-car navigation system. 

But there are some limitations with the fledgling CarPlay. For the iLX-007, you have to physically connect your iPhone to the receiver via a USB-Lightning cable. And if you’re ever without your iPhone, the iLX is essentially non-functional. There’s no real built-in capabilities since mostly everything resides with the phone. 

The one aspect of CarPlay that I found underwhelming is its overall implementation, or really, lack thereof. CarPlay seems like a literal translation of iOS from your phone to your car’s in-dash display. While there are some changes to the user interface to accommodate the attention of drivers, it still looks like and feels a lot like iOS.

I was hoping that CarPlay would do more like become the central processing unit of your vehicle, maybe even its soul. Currently, CarPlay doesn’t revolutionize or innovate the driver’s experience. It reminds me of the Motorola ROKR E1 aka the Apple iTunes phone. If you remember this iPhone precursor, the ROKR could play music by including iPod features. Useful? Yes. Innovative? No, not compared to the revolutionary iPhone. 

So while I’m digging the concept of CarPlay version 1.0, I’m already waiting for version 2.0.

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