Jonathan Wylie - Exploring the Relationship Between Technology, Education & Everything in Between

How to Choose the Best Apple Watch Bands

person wearing silver aluminum case apple watch with white sport band

Half the fun of owning a watch, any watch, is the ability to give it a whole new look by swapping out the strap. The Apple Watch is no different. There are numerous official bands from Apple and hundreds more if you venture into third-party territory. In this post, I will round up some of the best Apple Watch bands you can buy. There is something here for every style and budget, so if you’re ready new look, you’ve come to the right place.

What Are Apple AirTags? Your Questions Answered

A collection of colorful AirTags in leather holders arranged neatly on a white table top. — Source: Apple

The Apple AirTag is a small, personal tracking device that you can use to help you find the things that you are most prone to losing. If you are familiar with Tile trackers, then you will have already have a pretty good idea of what these devices can do. You attach one to your keys or slip one inside your backpack, and if it ever goes missing, you can use your iPhone to see where it went. It’s not a new idea, but Apple has included some unique features that make the AirTag stand out from the competition. Here’s what you need to know.

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7 Free Premium Accounts for Teachers

an ipad sitting on top of a pile of books next to an apple, a google home mini and an apple pencil — Photo by Thomas Kolnowski on Unsplash

With education budgets being stretched further than ever, the pressure on schools to provide the necessary resources for teachers and students is never ending. Thankfully, there are a number of benevolent edtech companies that have created free premium plans for schools. These plans frequently include features that their business customers have to pay for. To help draw attention to these generous companies, I decided to write about seven of the best free education accounts that you can sign up for. Some of these services are just for teachers, but others include student accounts too, so make sure you read the fine print and see what you qualify for.

It’s Time to Convert Your Old Google Sites

A calendar sitting on a shelf displaying the month of September

In November, 2016, Google launched a brand new version of Google Sites. It featured a simple drag and drop interface and responsive designs that were better suited for the modern web. Today, almost five years later, some of those classic Google Sites still exist. They have still to be converted to the “new” versions of Google Sites, and sometimes with good reason. If you find yourself in that boat, your time is almost up. Google has extended the deadline more than once, but when September 1, 2021 rolls around, your classic Google Site will cease to exist. Here’s what you need to know.

How to Use a Clipboard Manager

A clipboard manager is a very handy utility to know about. It solves a problem that you probably didn’t know you had, but it also has the potential to fundamentally change the way you use your computer. Sounds important, right? Well, if you like to copy and paste text, it very well could be. By default, when you right-click and select the Copy command on your computer, it only remembers the last thing that you copied. If you copy something else, it overwrites your previous clipping. This is the problem that a clipboard manager solves. It remembers everything you copy and stores it all on a clipboard for when you need it. Here’s how it works.

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Your Tabs Are Not Your To Do List

nine post-it notes stuck to a fridge door arranged in a 3 by 3 grid

We all have our pet peeves. Things that we wish were different, but things that are unlikely to change any time soon. Towards the top of my list are tabs, or more specifically, those who use tabs as a to do list. Don’t get me wrong, I like tabs as much as the next person. I will often have 8-10 tabs open at one time as I navigate my way between multiple sites for the projects I am working on. However, my tabs are not my to-do list. They might be related to things I need to get done, but I close all my open tabs at the end of the day, and you can too. Here’s how.

Why I Started Wearing an Apple Watch…Again

An Apple Watch sitting on a table surface. The screen is on showing the app launcher.

About 18 months ago, I wrote a blog post called, Why I Stopped Wearing an Apple Watch. 18 months later, the Apple Watch has returned to my wrist. Why? I enjoyed wearing mechanical watches. I really did. I bought, (and sold), several different models as I explored the types of watches that I thought I might like to wear. I read blog posts, watched YouTube videos and joined online watch communities to learn as much as I could. However, I ultimately decided that the best watch for me is the Apple Watch. Ironic, right? Here’s why I went full circle and returned to the fold.

How to Use AirPlay Without an Apple TV

When iPads and MacBooks started to work their way into classrooms, so did the Apple TV. Why? It was an easy way for teachers to project their device wirelessly to a projector using AirPlay. The Apple TV could sit, unnoticed, on top of an LCD projector and remain idle until it was needed. The only problem, was the cost. At $149 for an Apple TV HD, it was not an insignificant outlay, particularly if you were buying 50 or more for all the classrooms in your school. However, an Apple TV isn’t the only way to use AirPlay in your classroom. You can use a Roku instead.

How to Edit Live Photos to Make Videos, GIFs & More!

Live Photos are a great way to add life to moments of joy that you capture with your iPhone or iPad camera. When a photo isn’t enough, but a video is overkill, the Live Photo is exactly what you need. They are enabled by default on all iOS devices, but they are easy to turn off by mistake. In this guide we will look at how to enable, edit and convert live photos so that you can take full advantage of this fun file format!

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How (and Why) to Use OBS.Ninja On Your Next Zoom or Meet Video Call

Laptop on a desk next to an iPad. There is a Zoom call running on the laptop screen. — Photo by Gabriel Benois on Unsplash

I had been doing some research recently around the idea of using an iPad as a document camera on a Zoom or Google Meet call. It can be a great option for showing books, manipulatives, worksheets, or other learning materials during a video call with students. Zoom has built-in functionality to help facilitate that process. Google Meet does not, but you can make it work if you join the call for a second time on your iPad. However, if you want an easy way to show a mobile device on Zoom or Google Meet call, you should take a look at OBS.Ninja.