My father was a mechanic for Buick for a few years long before he even met my mother. Despite still wrenching on his cars to this day, I’ve inherited distressingly little of his mechanical prowess.

Basic car maintenance is all I can handle. Changing my oil, for example. I’m also capable of properly inflating my tires. I thought this was something everyone knew how to do, but in talking with friends and family lately, it’s becoming clear to me this common knowledge isn’t so common.

The above is the pressure rating on my tires. You’ll note it says the Max Pressure is 50 pounds per square inch. The key word here is maximum.

You should not be inflating your tires to this pressure.

The pressure shown on the tire is its maximum operating pressure. That’s a hint to you that you should never be filling your tire to that pressure. It’s the point of no return.

Instead, you should be looking for this:

In any car I’ve ever driven—American, Japanese, or German—this label is in the driver’s door jamb. On this label, you can see the recommended tire inflation, when the tires are cold, assuming normal load. In the case of my car:

Front tires: 36 PSI
Rear tires: 41 PSI

If I knew I was going to be loaded down really heavily, due to carrying lots of people, cargo, or a trailer, these pressures would change. In that case, I would consult my owner’s manual for the correct pressures.

You should always inflate your tires to the pressures in your driver’s door jamb or owner’s manual.

It’s also worth noting that as temperatures change, so will your tire pressures. Whenever you experience a large temperature swing, like the change between seasons, you should check your tire pressure. As the temperatures drop, your pressures will as well. As the temperatures rise, so will your pressures. Turns out PV=nRT does have a use, after all.

Remember that properly inflated tires are key for both safety and efficiency. Make sure you check your tire pressures periodically, and always inflate to what the car asks for, not the tire.

In a recent episode (Overcast Link) of Mac Power Users, Katie and David are joined by Todd Olthoff to discuss how to get started with Plex.

I’ve discussed Plex many times in the past. It’s a media manager that has some really awesome features:

• Automatic metadata discovery such as cover art, cast information, etc.
• Automatic on the fly transcoding for the device accessing the content
• Access from anywhere if set up properly (i.e., I can view my Plex library from my iPhone, iPad, Fire TV Stick, or the web from anywhere I have an internet connection)
• Ability to share libraries with friends and family, so you can easily browse and stream their media.

Nearly a year ago I wrote a primer on how to name files in a way that will best agree with Plex. That covers the most complex portion of setting up Plex, but only one part of it.

Episode 299 of Mac Power Users was a great walkthrough of why one would want to use Plex, how to get it installed, and the perks it provides. If you wanted a more in-depth look at why I love Plex so much, check it out. Katie, David, and Todd cover all the bases.

This Christmas, Erin went a bit crazy and bought me some goodies from Apple. The first I’d like to discuss is a new iPad Mini 4, with cellular.

An Aside: Why Cellular?

This iPad is my fourth. I had an original iPad, an iPad 3 (first with a Retina display), a “RetinaPad Mini” (first Mini with a Retina display), and now the Mini 4. Of those, the last two had cellular.

When I had my first two iPads, I frequently missed having an onboard cellular connection on them. I didn’t make the same mistake for the first Mini. However, between the first Mini and this one, I dropped my AT&T unlimited plan, and thus can now tether. I really considered going Wifi-only again. However, I didn’t want to regret it again.

In the first issue of the Six Colors Magazine, Jason Snell discusses making this call for his iPad Pro. Because he’s awesome, you can read his post here, but take it from a subscriber: you should really subscribe. I’m already in for a year and am glad I did after only one month. Anyway, to summarize, Jason’s justification was:

• Having the iPad on a different carrier is often useful—sometimes you don’t have service on one carrier but may on the other.
• Not nuking both the host and client batteries while tethering is useful

To prevent against future regret, I opted for a cellular model again.

The Apple SIM

Since the iPad Air 2, Apple has included a special SIM card in cellular iPads. This SIM, called the Apple SIM, has a couple of neat tricks up its sleeve. First and foremost, it allows you to bounce between carriers without having to swap physical SIM cards. Furthermore, one of the carriers—GigSky— is specifically designed for international travel.

I knew the Apple SIM was a great idea, but I hadn’t yet read a really solid summary of what one needs to know about it. What follows is my crack at providing exactly that.

My first curiosity when it came to the options the Apple SIM would offer: what carriers would be available?

In the United States, here are my options:

Will the Apple SIM Get Locked?

Another thing that was unclear is whether or not the Apple SIM is locked once a carrier is selected. It didn’t seem too obvious to me until I checked out the options AT&T offered:

No other carriers showed such a warning.

Thus, it seems only AT&T locks your Apple SIM.

T-Mobile’s 200MB Plan

I’ve evangelized T-Mobile’s 200 MB for life data plan for a long time now. In short, they offer 200 MB of data per month, for free, for tablets, for the life of the device. I have a T-Mobile SIM I was using in my RetinaPad Mini, and I loved it.

Would that same SIM work in the new iPad?

I removed the Apple SIM, and inserted the T-Mobile SIM. It worked, no problem.

Next, I couldn’t help but wonder:

Does T-Mobile offer their 200 MB for life plan on the Apple SIM?

Yup.

Switching Carriers

Once I activated my T-Mobile 200 MB for life plan, could I simultaneously activate another plan?

Seems so. Once I tap the Add a New Plan button, I am presented with the same dialog shown in the first image above.

Wait a Second, What About Verizon?

Verizon has chosen not to jump on the Apple SIM bandwagon; to get your iPad on Verizon, you have to get a Verizon SIM card.

My RetinaPad Mini was a Verizon model, thus, it came with a Verizon SIM. I popped that SIM into my new Mini 4, and just like the T-Mobile SIM, it worked no problem.

I received my Apple Watch in early May. I was anxious, but in retrospect, a lot of what drove my purchase was a severe fear of missing out. I definitely wanted the watch, but I also wanted to be a Cool Kid™.

My first impressions were positive. The screen wasn’t as finicky as I had expected it to be. The battery life was not an issue. I was quickly hooked by the activity rings. I wanted to fill all three every day, and went out of my way to do so.

I was left wanting, more than anything, third-party complications and improved responsiveness from Siri.

I’ve worn my watch every day since I received it. The only times I haven’t had my watch on are when I’m going to a formal event. Then, I wear a Citizen that Erin got me as a gift. Unlike some friends, I haven’t given up on it.

I am not, however, using my watch in the way I expected.

The things I generally do with my watch are:

• Check the time
• Check incoming notifications
• Use a very limited set of third-party apps; generally:
  • Carrot Weather (including their complication)
  • Fantastical (including their complication)
  • Deliveries
• Send text messages with Siri
• Mess with the Now Playing glance
• Ensure I hit my stand goal every day

On the surface, that’s not a long list of operations. They are, however, more useful than the short list would lead you to believe.

If nothing else, at least I’m standing at least a minute at least twelve times a day. I’m ashamed to admit, I’ve largely given up on the move and exercise goals.

Siri has also gotten a lot better, in combination with me getting more used to just soldiering on with my queries before the screen actually catches up. I dictate far more text messages than I’d care to admit to Siri.

The thing that I love most about the watch is notifications. My iPhone has been silent since May. I’ve never had the ringer on since I got my watch.

Insignificant as this may seem to be, it actually isn’t. The Apple Watch has allowed my iPhone to transition from being a personal device to being a private one. That’s a really profound change. More so than I expected.

I really like my Apple Watch. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I love it, but I like it enough that I don’t plan to stop wearing it anytime soon. I’m very curious to see what the next revision brings to the table wrist. I don’t suspect I’ll be itching to upgrade… until I hear how much thinner and faster it is. (In this case, Apple should be trying to make things thinner.)

Overall, I can think of many ways to spend $400 that may suit someone better than an Apple Watch would. However, I am very glad that I got one, as it really does improve my life, at least a bit.

This past week, when Myke and I would have recorded Analog(ue), he was in my favorite city on vacation holiday. This is not entirely unusual, and I’ve asked guests such as my friend Stephen Hackett to sit in if Myke has to miss the show.

This week, I had an apostrophe epiphany.

The special guest on this week’s Analog(ue), in her podcasting debut, is Erin Liss. You may also know her as my wife. ☺️

Erin basically did this as a favor to me. She was really nervous about it, and I think I was too. Hopefully it doesn’t show too much in the beginning of the episode. Before too long, I think we both got our groove going, and I’m really proud of how well she did. I, however, am no Myke.

Having been an (almost-) professional podcasters since early 2013, it’s been odd to have something that Erin and I don’t share. Not bad, of course, but odd. This episode of Analog(ue) seemed like the perfect occasion to share the podcasting experience with her.

If you’re anything like my friends, or hell, even my family, you’ll end up liking Erin more than you like me. I wouldn’t blame you if you did. But no matter what, if you’ve ever wondered why I’m a reasonably successful and generally happy guy, it’s because of Erin. To find out more about Erin, check out the episode.

Thank you to Myke for being gracious and enthusiastic about my crazy idea. And thank you so much to Erin for being brave, being open, and being a wonderful guest.

I love you.

It’s the holiday season once again. While you are out looking at lights or enjoying some Christmas music, you should also be thinking about what to get for your loved ones.

I have a few ideas.

I’ve grouped by list price, but note that some of these items are actually on sale, so you may be able to nab them cheaper than I’ve indicated here.

Under $10

The Tom Bihn Mini Organizer Pouch is a great way to store the absolute essentials you need for your work bag. For some, that may be a tube of lip balm and some breath freshener. For others, it may be a power brick for your iPhone.

For me, it holds a Lightning cable to charge my phone, a HDMI cable to plug my MacBook Pro into a TV, and a Mini USB cable to charge my headphones.

Under $20

Speaking of a HDMI cable that lives in my work bag, I cannot say enough good things about these RedMere-equipped slim HDMI cables. They’re super small, which makes them great to carry. They work perfectly, and have never let me down.

Under $30

I have some pretty basic needs from work headphones: Bluetooth headphones that can last more than a day. The Arctic P311s I ordered in 2011 are still going strong, four years later. They’re certainly not the audiophile’s choice, but they’re more than enough for working in an office, and the battery lasts at least a couple of days at a time. These are the headphones that get charged by the aforementioned Mini USB cable.

Under $40

The Amazon Fire TV Stick is a super convenient way to get access to Netflix, Plex, and many other types of programming on any TV that has a HDMI port.

Under $50

Maybe I just keep inventing reasons to use this, but I love my Lightning Digital AV Adapter. It allows you to output video and audio from your iPhone or iPad to any device that has a HDMI input, such as a TV or a projector. Thus, any app that plays audio or video on your phone can now play audio or video on a TV. I use this thing constantly, particularly at relatives’ houses that don’t have Apple TVs. It’s spendy, but it’s super useful. It also pairs well with the RedMere HDMI cable mentioned above, and fits nicely with that cable in the Tom Bihn Organizer Pouch.

Also under $50 is my travel USB charger of choice, the Anker PowerPort 5. It allows Erin and me to charge one phone and one Watch each, as well as my iPad. All without any other charging bricks.

Under $75

Any self-respecting liquor drinker will appreciate a block of perfectly clear ice. Doubly so if it’s easy to make at home. The Neat Ice Kit, which we’ve discussed before, allows you to do exactly that. If you’re willing to break the $75 barrier, I recommend the two-mold version.

Under $100

I like to have a battery case available for my iPhone for when I’m traveling, at a football game, or generally not going to be around power for a long time. I use the Lenmar MAVEN for my iPhone 6, which is rated at 3000mAh. Many people tend to prefer the more expensive mophie juice pack Air. Either way, it’s a super useful thing to have around for when you need it.

Speaking of useful things to have around, you can never have too many MagSafe Adapters.

Under $200

If someone you know owns a home, the Chamberlain MyQ has also been discussed before. It’s super-convenient to be able to open our garage door from afar, using an iPhone app.

I’m living in the future.

I’ve experienced Amazon Prime Now. And it’s awesome.

Amazon Prime Now allows Amazon Prime members to order items and get free two hour delivery. For $8, you can get one-hour delivery on your items.

There are some caveats:

• Prime Now is only in a handful of metro areas. As I write this, there are 20 areas that Prime Now serves.
• You must be an Amazon Prime member.
• Orders must be $20 or more.
• You must use the Amazon Prime Now mobile app (App Store) to order. You can’t order through the web.
• The items available are a subset of what’s offered on Amazon. It stands to reason only the items that are in your local Amazon depot are available for Prime Now orders.

A few weeks ago, Amazon Prime Now started service in Richmond. Tonight, I had a reason to use it. I needed something by tomorrow evening, and I didn’t want to worry about it during work hours.

I placed an order for 5 items, all of which were physically fairly small, at just before 4pm. When I placed the order, I was able to choose a two-hour window for delivery. For delivery between 4pm and 6pm, it was $8 extra. For delivery between 6pm and 8pm, it was free. I chose the latter.

Deliveries run from 10am to 10pm, and I had the option of selecting a delivery window tomorrow.

A tip is strongly recommended; it must be charged to a credit card. You can’t give cash, and you can’t use a gift card balance. However, you can change the tip amount even for a little while after delivery. The app defaulted me to a 10% tip, rounded to the nearest dollar.

I had the option of instructing the driver to just leave the package, which I checked. As it turns out, when the driver arrived, he rang the bell anyway. There was also a field where I could leave delivery instructions, such as “use code 12345”.

On the plus side, I knew exactly when he was going to arrive, because the Prime Now app allows you to track your driver in nearly real time. My experience was that the app would update the driver’s location every minute or so.

I also received a text message letting me know when the driver was on his way with deliveries. From what I can tell, it was sent before he was on his way to my house — he was simply on his way from the Amazon fulfillment center.

At around 6:15, the driver arrived with the order I placed at around 4. Amazing.

All told, the experience was really awesome. I didn’t like shopping on the iOS app; I’d much rather use a computer. However, to get free delivery 2¼ hours after I placed an order is magic.

What’s even cooler is, Amazon Prime Now also offers some grocery items as well. For example, I could order milk or orange juice for delivery. I could order toilet paper or paper towels.

For most essentials, I’m far more likely to go to the grocery store myself. However, even in a city the size of Richmond, it’s not quite so easy to get your hands on a XLR microphone in two hours flat.

The future is now.

My buddy Jelly is an illustrator, developer, and podcaster. He’s the co-host of the excellent Mobile Couch and Topical podcasts, as well as the author of one of my favorite iOS apps, GIFWrapped.

Much like Myke’s review, Jelly took the iPad Pro for a spin, doing so with a different set of needs than many of us:

My decision to purchase an iPad Pro was reluctant to say the least. I obviously have no love in my heart for the iPad, but the idea of the Pencil brings its own excitement, albeit a cautious excitement. My track record with iPad styluses so far has been lacking, so would this be any different? Is the iPad even capable of being a device for professional illustration work?

Kara Reeves on why she just rage-quit teaching:

Then, we started testing. And the testing was even more frequent last year. And now, three months into the school year, I’m certain we have tested more so far than we did all last year combined.

Coming into an election year, standardized testing is becoming somewhat of a trendy discussion. It seems anyone who has been paying any attention knows that the amount of standardized testing we put our children through is beyond egregious.

It was this quote, though, that really stood out to me. I had my wife Erin, a former high school biology teacher, read the article. She commented on this quote as well, saying it’s spot-on.

I recently saw a post where someone described teaching as an abusive relationship. You love it, but it makes you so unhappy. I get that. It does feel that way.

Link via Andrew Mulligan

My dear friend Myke Hurley is a huge pen and paper aficionado. One of his (many) podcasts is called The Pen Addict. He bought himself an iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil.

Sure, I like to doodle and scribble as much as the next person, but all I wanted to know was if the Apple Pencil would give me the digital handwriting experience I had wanted for so long.

As expected, Myke’s review of the Pencil is considerably different than most people like myself who just enjoy new gadgets. Myke has years of history with the exact implements the Apple Pencil is looking to mimic; the (often bespoke) pens and pencils that Apple is looking to improve upon.

The joy that we all feel when using our favourite combinations are unlikely to ever be matched by glass and plastic. But that’s not what this product is about.