MacBook Air

This article has been updated for the iPhone here: How to Protect Your iPhone in Cold Weather. For many people in the United States, winter is quickly descending as the mercury keeps dropping everyday. But along with keeping yourself bundled up and warm, make sure to keep your Apple gear safe from the freezing once the thermometer starts to hit 32F. And don't miss out on a new leather iPhone case to keep your phone warm and happy!

The latest MacBook Pro was released this past Tuesday and the verdict is in: it's lighter, thinner, faster, and cheaper than its predecessors. It's also got a battery life of up to 9 hours and Wifi that's three times faster. Pad and Quill takes a look at all the details.

A post from Mr. PQ

Really Brian, Part Deux?  Yes, really.  After Mrs. PQ's last post we got a wee bit of feedback from our French loving friends.  Surprisingly they were not that excited that she placed the French language and swearing in the same category.  So I thought maybe pay tribute to French in the title of this post (aka damage control).

This is the second post about why Kari, myself and the team are really passionate about the word 'Crafted'.  In my previous post I mentioned our hard fought battle to find Buckram cloth that was not butt ugly.  We finally did and could not be more proud of the Cartella Linen Case for the Macbook Air that utilizes a gorgeously strong linen buckram cloth.

by Esther P., Pad & Quill Techster
 
It's that time of year again. The smell of freshly sharpened pencils and the satisfaction of slipping a stack of crisp folders into a brand new backpack are back to haunt school-age kids and instill nostalgia in those of us without a 3-month summer vacation anymore. For students headed to college, however, getting ready for back to school means a lot more than just pencils, folders, and backpacks. Dorm bedding, laundry baskets, and bath towels are also on the list…along with a laptop or tablet for doing homework outside the computer lab or taking notes in class.
 
With tablets gaining in popularity, college students are now faced with the decision of choosing whether to buy an iPad or a MacBook Air for college. One is ultra-mobile and fun with a long battery life, while the other is more powerful for bulky software (like Adobe PhotoShop) and easier to use for multi-tasking.
 

Why an iPad?

From Mrs. PQ

The other day I saw a book entitled "How to Learn French in a Hurry", and after checking my credit cards to make sure none of the quills were covertly planning to wing their way to France, chucking their education to follow their muse,  I began to ponder how one might "learn french in a hurry".  Teaching a teenager to drive your new car with manual transmission immediately came to mind.  There was a whole lot of "french" *that evening, coupled with the smell of a grinding clutch.  Opening a report card to discover the kid was serious when she decided to "just give up on school" spring semester.   As I confiscated her iPhone some sort of language accompanied the fire blazing from my eardrums, that, while indiscernible, was mutually understood.

One other way to learn french in a hurry is to go to an e-commerce site, find a product you love, and then become foiled by technology, unable to make a purchase.

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

That's a word I really love.  Crafted.  It lends to what Kari and I are all about. When your really thinking about what drives you, motivates you to get up and look through new designs and products I'm finding I can't get this awesome word out of my head!

Terms like 'handmade', 'designed', 'curated' are all great descriptions that we both have used in the past to describe our products.  But c'mon!  Crafted.  I mean, that says it all about what drives us and where we want Pad & Quill to go.  We love crafting the old with the new and we think when you do, something really amazing comes out on the other side.

Some examples you ask?  Sure!

We love crafting old with new regarding materials.  When we pick a material, we really think it through and drive our vendors crazy.  I assure you I've had some serious eye rolling because I don't pick the standard material, it has to be just right.

With Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference coming up next week, rumor has it that one of the product launches announced at the conference will be a new MacBook Air model.
 
Signs like dwindling stock often point to an imminent product refresh of an Apple product, and the MacBook Air is no exception to this trend. Retail stock for the 13.3-inch MacBook Air with 1.8GHz processor is scarce, although Best Buy is reported to have available inventory still in stock.
 

Improved Processor

 
Although Apple never reveals too many details before the actual launch, insiders believe that the new MacBook Air will feature the next-generation Haswell processor from Intel.
 
Unveiled for the first time in late May, Intel's Haswell processor boasts a 50 percent power savings over previous generation processors. The improved efficiency allows for slimmer profiling and longer battery life—especially as improved graphics such as

Although a screen protector is one of the most invisible ways to protect your MacBook Air while preserving its sleek design, installing a screen protector can be a challenge, especially if you've never done it before. Thankfully, the pros at Zagg have divulged some of their best secrets for getting a screen protector installed perfectly. Here are some of the tips they have to offer:
 

1. Wash your hands first.

 
Sounds a bit like your mom telling you to wash up for dinner, but Zagg's first tip is to wash your hands before trying to install a screen protector. The skin oils on your hands can leave fingerprints on the device and the screen protector, which can make for a frustrating process of do-overs.
 

2. Line it up correctly.

 
What starts out as a slight misalignment at the top of the screen can turn into a lopsided installation