Connecting Point will be closed Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016 for inventory
We’ll be back on Monday at our usual time (we open at 9am).
HOLIDAY HOURS: Connecting Point closing at 5pm New Year’s Eve
Connecting Point will remain open until 5 pm today (December 31st). This includes both sales and service departments.
If you’re a business owner, that means you still have time to take advantage of the IRS‘ Section 179 deduction…
What is Section 179, anyway?
When your business buys certain types of equipment, it usually writes them off a bit at a time through depreciation. In other words, if your company spends $50,000 on a machine, it gets to write off (say) $10,000 a year for five years (these numbers are for illustrative purposes only).
Now, while it’s true that this is better than no write off at all, most business owners would prefer to write off the entire equipment purchase price for the year they buy it.
That’s the purpose behind Section 179: To stimulate the American economy (and your business) to move in a positive direction. For most small businesses, the entire cost can usually be written off on their 2015 tax return. In fact, this year Congress raised the ceiling on the Section 179 deduction limit to $500,000.
So don’t miss out – talk to your financial advisor right away. If it makes sense, pick up the computer systems, devices, and peripherals your business needs to remain strong and competitive in the coming year. And Connecting Point will remain open until 5 pm on New Year’s Eve to help make that possible. We can even offer up to 18 months interest-deferred financing for qualified applicants.
For more detailed information about Section 179, visit the Section179.org website. We strongly advise talking to a qualified tax professional before making any decisions.
Apple updates iMac family; debuts new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2
iMac family revamped, including new 21.5-inch Retina 4K model
The iMac® family now includes the Retina® 5K display on every 27-inch model, and a stunning new Retina 4K display on the 21.5-inch model.
Both Retina displays now feature a wider color gamut that delivers more available colors so photos and videos appear even more true-to-life. More powerful processors and graphics, two Thunderbolt 2 ports, and new storage options that make the high-performance Fusion Drive even more affordable are also included.
Along with the Retina models, the 21.5-inch iMac models feature faster processors and graphics, and a 1TB hard drive. All iMac models come with the all-new Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2®. And customers can choose to configure their iMac with a Magic Trackpad 2® instead of Magic Mouse 2.
New Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2 input devices announced
The new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, and Magic Trackpad 2 feature all-new designs for increased comfort and capabilities, and rechargeable batteries that are more convenient and environmentally friendly. And the new Magic Trackpad 2 brings Force Touch to the desktop for the first time, adding a new dimension to the iMac experience.
The new Magic input devices pair automatically with your Mac as soon as they are plugged in via the Lightning® to USB charging cable, and can last about a month or more on a full charge.
Apple, the Apple logo, iMac, Retina, Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2, and Lightning are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Here’s the “TL;DR” version of today’s Apple event
Instead of wading through the vast seas of press and tech coverage for this morning’s Apple event in San Francisco, here’s the “Too Long; Didn’t Read” condensed version:
Apple Watch
- Announced new version of OS for its watches, WatchOS 2, available September 16th
- WatchOS 2 gives third party developers access to watch’s sensors, the Digital Crown, microphone, and Taptic engine, along with the ability to build more complex animations
- Announced new Apple Watch models, including those as a result of a partnership with Hermes, and new gold-and-rose and gold-and-anodized-aluminum finishes
- Now over 10,000 apps for Apple Watch
Apple iPad family
- Announced iPad Pro, a much larger tablet with a 12.9-inch, 2732×2048 Retina display
- First availability won’t be until sometime in November
- iPad Pro comes with new A9X 64-bit processor, claimed to have twice the memory bandwidth and storage performance of previous A8 processor, and to run 22X faster than the original first-gen iPad
- Graphics performance also drastically improved
- iPad Pro comes with a four-speaker audio system that automatically adjusts to screen orientation from portrait to landscape
- Announced new magnetic Smart Keyboard (doubles as a cover) for $169
- Smart Keyboard doesn’t use Bluetooth, but connects via new magnetic triple port on iPad Pro
- Announced new Apple Pencil pressure-sensitive stylus for $99
- iPad Pro available in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray finishes
- Wi-Fi-only 32GB iPad Pro is $799; 128GB is $949
- Only the 128GB iPad Pro will be available with cellular, for $1079
- Other iPad models shift price points around. Entry level is now the iPad mini 2 16GB for $279.
Apple TV
- Totally new fourth-gen box and set of features, with a 32GB model for $149 and 64GB model for $199
- Original third-gen Apple TV will remain available, and still sell for $69
- Only availability information for new Apple TV is “coming soon”
- Much faster A8 processor
- New remote has a glass multi-touch surface, volume control, and microphone for access to Siri
- Siri allows voice command of menus, pop-up overlays, video navigation, movie and TV program selection (including suggestions), and much more
- Remote also has motion sensitivity and a gyroscope to allow Wii-like control over games and other functions
- Apple TV now has Bluetooth 4.0 and 801.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO
- Onscreen menu now offers access to the App Store
- Debut of TV OS, an iOS-based operating system that is supposed to make things a lot easier for developers
Apple iPhone family
- Apple announced two new phones: the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus. Physically, they look practically identical to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
- But the new models’ screens come with a tougher “dual ion-exchange” glass
- The new phones also feature pressure-sensitive touchscreens that work like the new Force Touch trackpad on the most recent MacBooks. Apple calls this “3D Touch.”
- Both cameras have been improved, along with their flash technology
- The back-facing iSight camera now captures 12 megapixels, and can record 4K video
- The front-facing FaceTime HD camera now captures 5 megapixels
- Rose Gold joins the previously available three finishes (Silver, Gold, and Space Gray)
- A Live Photo feature has also been added, which automatically captures a few seconds of video and sound around still photos. Push firmly on a photo, and it plays the video.
- Prices start at $199 for the 6S and $299 for the 6s Plus, with contract, for 16GB models
- Jumping to a 64GB model adds $100, and to a 128GB model adds another $200
- For teh first time, Apple offers off-contract pricing starting at $649 and $749, again for the 16GB models of the 6S and 6S Plus.
- The new iPhones may be pre-ordered on September 12, and are slated to begin delivery September 25th
Miscellaneous
- The next major upgrade to iOS, version 9, will be available next Wednesday (September 16th). Any device currently running iOS 8 will be able to upgrade to the new version.
VIDEO: Apple posts ‘Backstage’ parody sketch from Monday’s WWDC keynote
To kick off this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday morning, Apple presented a video lampooning the lengths to which companies go to produce gala keynote presentations. The sketch stars SNL’s Bill Hader as the director “rehearsing” for the WWDC keynote – with disastrous results. It also features a number of celebrity cameos, shout outs to popular apps, and inside references to Silicon Valley culture.
Learn about this morning’s WWDC announcements in real time via Apple livestream, tech site liveblogs
Apple’s 2015 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) launches with a keynote this morning. Expect big announcements about the next versions of OS X and iOS, along with developer-centric news about the Swift programming language and a Software Development Kit (SDK) for the Apple Watch. You can read some educated guesses about additional announcements over on Ars Technica.
If you’d like to experience each technological bombshell as it lands, Apple will be broadcasting the keynote live on their site – but you’ll only be able to watch it in their Safari browser, running on either a Mac or an iOS device, or on a 2nd-generation or later Apple TV.
In addition, a number of tech and business sites will be liveblogging the event:
- Ars Technica liveblog
- Macworld liveblog
- 9to5Mac liveblog/news center
- C|Net liveblog
- MacDailyNews liveblog
- AppleInsider liveblog
- The Mac Observer liveblog
- Business Insider liveblog
- The Next Web liveblog
- Canadian Reviewer liveblog
- Stuff: New Zealand liveblog
- Houston Chronicle liveblog
- iClarified liveblog
- iMore liveblog
- Fortune’s Philip Elmer-DeWitt’s liveblog
- The Verge liveblog
- Forbes liveblog
- Computerworld liveblog
- TechnoBuffalo liveblog
- PC Magazine liveblog
