General

You’ve likely seen mention of the dispute between Apple and Facebook. It revolves around App Tracking Transparency (ATT), a technology Apple released in iOS 14.5.

Apple’s new AirTag tracking device is an amazing bit of technology—it’s an elegant disc about the size of a stack of four US quarters that communicates its location with other Apple devices using Bluetooth and Ultra Wideband.

Have you heard the term technical debt? It’s what you incur whenever you delay upgrading software and hardware for too long. It’s like forgetting to brush your teeth regularly and putting off dental checkups.

Your technology has crashed and panic has set in. You are already thinking the worst. How long is this tech wreck going to shut me down — and how is this going to impact my business? That’s where Lisa Betarie comes in. One of the newest CranstonIT staffers, Lisa takes the important first steps on the fast track to your problem resolution.

He stares at a computer glitch much like the dreaded 7-10 split on a bowling lane. He knows it’s a problem. But he’s been there before and he knows just the right approach needed to solve the challenge.

For those who cook, the Apple Watch provides a helpful Timer app that ensures we don’t forget whatever’s in the oven until it’s burnt to a crisp.

Typically, we like to help you solve problems in these articles. But there’s one problem we all face that has no good solution: ads on Web pages.

Last quarter, Apple’s Services segment generated a whopping $15.8 billion in revenue, 14% of the company’s total—sales of apps, media, and subscriptions are a big deal to Apple.

Apple unveiled its latest subscription service: Apple Fitness+. It’s a “workout experience” that combines metrics from an Apple Watch Series 3 or later with studio-style workouts that you view on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV.

The holiday shopping season is fast approaching! Given the significant stresses placed on society’s fulfillment, distribution, and delivery systems by the pandemic, we recommend you start thinking about your holiday gift-giving sooner rather than later. Even Apple, which generally does an excellent job predicting demand and shipping products quickly, has been suffering from delays this year. But if you order in time, Apple has a wide variety of products that would make great gifts for your Apple-using loved ones.​

Ever since Apple introduced the Activity app to watchOS, you’ve been able to adjust your Move goal, which is measured in kilocalories, but your Exercise goal was locked at 30 minutes and the Stand goal at 12 hours. In watchOS 7, you can finally change these last two.

If you’re flying, driving, or biking to visit an iPhone-using friend or family member, you can reduce anxiety related to arrival time or pickup plans (and perhaps provide amusement) by sharing your location temporarily so they can watch your progress.

Whenever you view a document that’s longer than will fit onscreen, a scroll bar appears (often only if you’re actively scrolling). That’s true whether you’re using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Inside the scroll bar is a control called a scroller that you can drag to scroll more quickly than by swiping or using keyboard keys. But did you know its size and position are useful for orienting yourself within the page?

Need help with something? On occasion, we all need tech support. Speaking as the people who are sometimes on the other end of those requests for help, we have some suggestions on how to get the support you need as quickly as possible.

You know the drill—a friend comes to visit and wants to get on your Wi-Fi network. You’ve written the password down somewhere, but where?

Are you overwhelmed by email? Is your Inbox filled with promotions, special offers, and the like? These messages aren’t spam but that doesn’t mean you want to hear from them repeatedly.

Did you know that the word for the irrational fear of Friday the 13th is paraskevidekatriaphobia? Neither did we, but what that supposedly unlucky day is good for—whenever it rolls around—is reminding us to test our backup systems.

Brandon joined CranstonIT in October. He came to us from PureRED, a national marketing communications company with local offices in North Huntingdon.

Whenever Apple releases hot new hardware, it’s tempting to order the latest and greatest and then put your old Mac or iPhone® up for sale on a classifieds site like Craigslist. If you do that, be cautious about potential buyers.

Is your Apple Watch® failing to turn on its screen when you raise it, display notifications from your iPhone, or even update the time zone? Find out how to check your settings.

Save up to $158 with two free tickets to the Pittsburgh Business Show, the event created to help business owners connect to the people, products and resources they need to succeed. Simply visit us at cranstonit.com for more details and your free tickets for both days of the show. The Pittsburgh Business Show will be held May 14 & 15, 2019, at PPG Place, 1 Fourth Avenue in Pittsburgh. While at the show, be sure to attend one of the several presentations delivered by CranstonIT President Patrick Cranston.

One could say Jessi Reed’s career path is right on target. The new Scheduling Assistant for CranstonIT has transitioned from a stay-at-home mom to a chaotic business environment and, essentially, little has changed.

How to clear the clutter from your iOS device

We’re so pleased to announce the addition of Krista Craft to our team. Krista will manage Billing and Inside Sales for CranstonIT.

How would you capture a screenshot of a long Web page that requires scrolling? Rather than stitching multiple screenshots together, try this trick...

If you can't send or receive email, if photos aren't transferring via iCloud Photo Library, or if some other iCloud-related service isn't responding this is the first thing you should do.

As your business becomes more successful, your IT environment becomes more complex. And at some point, the concept of depending on tech support only when needed becomes inefficient and costly. There is a better solution — managed IT services with device-management software.

New from CranstonIT, the Datto Networking Appliance ensures your business remains connected and productive during Internet outages with fully integrated 4G LTE Internet failover. This single, compact device is now a part of our managed services commitment to deliver the latest in advanced network security.

They are questions potential clients ask CranstonIT all the time. So here are some foundational benefits for working with an Apple professional and why, ultimately, it is the right choice.

Datto Managed Power device changes the paradigm of what a power strip can be for IT infrastructures everywhere. It also means CranstonIT, as your managed service provider, can now remotely or automatically reboot virtually any of your non-responsive electronic devices and save you time and money in the process.

IT support has changed. Break-fix solutions no longer apply. As your IT environment grows and becomes more complex, the concept of depending on IT support only when needed is no longer sufficient.