Monthly Archives: July 2013

by Esther P., Pad & Quill Techster
 
Dreading your next workout session at the gym? Pop a couple of earbuds in, crank up your favorite tunes on the iPod, and you'll suddenly have a different outlook on life. That's what music can do...turn mundane activities into something you look forward to.
 
You can't get a better quality portable music player than Apple's family of iPods. But which one should you buy? Depends on your style and how you plan to use it.
 

For the minimalist

 
You can't get smaller than the iPod shuffle. It's so tiny and lightweight that you won't even notice it clipped to your t-shirt or shorts while you work out or clean the house. If you travel a lot, you'll love that the shuffle doesn't take up any room in your luggage. If you're prone to losing things, however, you might want to opt for a larger iPod model.
 
What's the downside? The iPod shuffle only holds up to 2GB, which

by Esther P., Pad & Quill Techster
 
I hate losing things. Especially something as important as my smartphone. But if you're like me, it happens sometimes. So all I can say is that if you're going to lose your iPhone, do it right. Be prepared before it actually happens.
 

Step 1: Enable "Find My iPhone"

 
Unfortunately, if you've already lost your iPhone without enabling this setting, you're out of luck. Back to the old-fashioned way of checking under the couch cushions, driving back to the restaurant where you ate dinner, and racking your brain to figure out when you last had your iPhone.
 
One of the first things you should do when you get a new iPhone is to enable the Find My iPhone setting.
 
Go to the Settings app and choose iCloud.
 
Scroll all the way down to the bottom until you see "Find My iPhone." Slide the tab to ON to enable the setting.
 
Click on

by Esther P., Pad & Quill Techster
 
If you're a traditional hardcover and paperback lover, it's understandable if you feel torn between the books on your shelves and the convenience of digital ebooks. The first time I read a book on an e-reader, I felt a little lost without physical pages to turn or a concrete sense of how far along I was in the book.
 
But there was something freeing about it, too. It meant being able to take multiple books with me wherever I went (without carrying the extra weight), being able to look up words in the built-in dictionary, and not worrying about losing my place in the book.
 
Reading a Kindle vs. reading a traditional book doesn't have to be an "either/or" decision. Picking up a Kindle doesn't mean you'll never pick your favorite book off the shelf again. It just means you have more options for reading whatever you want, wherever you want.
 

Why a Kindle?

 
One

A 'PSA' from Mrs. PQ.

There is a certain craziness in the air when retailers begin stocking back to school supplies next to the aisle of clearance red, white and blue bunting, patriotic frosting and leftover fireworks.  There isn’t a kid I know who wants to trade in the sun-tanned, mosquito-bitten, Kool-Aide-smile life of summer for the hard desk chair, homework every night, life of fall on July 5^th.   However, retail drives the rhythms of life at least for one mid summer afternoon at the Pad & Quill household because Mrs. PQ knows if you don’t jump on the school supplies in July you will be paying full retail in August.

With four kids to equip with pencils, notepads, and clothes, (god forbid we can’t forget the clothes), there are no greater phrases then “discount” and “sale” when it comes to shopping.  Except perhaps, “Mom, I need a new backpack, can we go to REI?”

by Esther P., Pad & Quill Techster
 
With iOS 7 getting most of the attention after Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference this year, there hasn't been as much fanfare about the new OS X Mavericks launching in the fall. But for Mac fans around the world, OS X will be a big deal, featuring more than 200 new updates. Here are a few of the ones we're looking forward to the most.
 

iBooks

 
For all the book lovers and students out there, this one's for you. iBooks is now available in OS X Mavericks, with books that you've downloaded on other iOS devices automatically available on your Mac. You can easily switch between multiple open books, navigate books just like you would on any other iOS device, and share notes, highlights, and bookmarks with iCloud.
 

Maps

 
Searching for directions and local businesses just got easier with the new Maps app on OS X Mavericks. The graphics are gorgeous, Yelp

Some thoughts from Mrs PQ.

"Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken by the wind."

-Johannes Brahms

So, here we've arrived at the end of the 3rd year of our little family company.  Even now it's hard to discern if the inspiration drives the craftsmanship or the craftsmanship drives the inspiration.  Brahms saw his inspiration flowing down as ideas from God that he would see take shape in his mind as harmonies and orchestration.  He then put Quill to parchment and penned some of the most beautiful scores of all time.

At Pad & Quill we are surrounded by inspiration that comes from multiple angles.  Whether it be the beauty of the Baltic Birch and leather we use in our iPad and iPhone cases or the dedicated and diligent work of our employees, or the

by Esther P., Pad & Quill Techster
 
I'll be the first to admit it. I hate getting my hopes up just to be disappointed. So when rumors about the new iPad mini coming out with a Retina display later this year suddenly got crushed by the same analyst who predicted it in the first place, I chalked it up to just another case of whiplash Apple rumors.
 
Truth is, no one really knows for sure whether the iPad mini planned for launch in late 2013 will have a Retina display or not. But the rumors are out there.
 

The Case for Retina in 2013

 
Some of the moves Apple has made recently, such as requiring that all screenshots in the App Store be optimized for Retina displays and putting pressure on app developers to only create apps compatible with the Retina display, point to the fact that Retina displays will be a staple across all Apple devices—and soon.
 
Also pointed out by Zach Epstein of BGR.com

by Esther P., Pad & Quill Techster
 
If you love the smooth, sleek design of the iPhone 5 and the slim, minimalistic appeal of the MacBook Air, Jony Ive is the one to thank for it. As the leader of industrial design at Apple since 1996, Ive is well regarded for his remarkable design aesthetic. And as the man responsible for determining the look and feel of each Apple product, he's known for the household product that he created more than he's known as a household name.
 

Apple Leadership Shuffle

 
After a recent shift in leadership at Apple, Jony Ive is now head of all design, including software and industrial design. What you see physically when you hold an iPhone 5, iPad Mini, or a MacBook in your hands is all the result of Ive's genius. What you see on your iPhone screen or other device when you actually use it is now also his responsibility.
 
The new iOS 7 platform—coming this fall, according to Apple's

by Esther P., Pad & Quill Techster
 
The new iOS 7 is almost here, and there's been plenty of talk from those who love it and those who don't. If you were hoping for a major overhaul to the functionality of Apple's iOS system, prepare to be disappointed. If you were hoping for a fresh design, new functionality, and an intuitive platform, get ready to party.
 

Design Facelift

 
Although the new iOS 7 looks significantly different from Apple's older operating systems, how it operates is largely the same. With the new iOS, you'll feel like you have a brand new phone, yet at the same time, it should feel intuitively familiar—like meeting a stranger who reminds you of a long-lost friend.
 
Probably the first thing you'll notice about iOS 7 is the flat design. Unlike the skeumorphic design Apple held on to for so long, the new iOS 7 is sleek, modern, and flat. The translucent layering of apps and the parallax effect