Name your Apple gear the right way

I get a new iPhone every year (for purely professional reasons, naturally), and every single time when I transfer my data from the old to the new, the name of the device is screwed up.

That’s because I name the device after the model number (Leander’s iPhone 15 Pro Max, etc.) to make it easy to identify in Find My, AirDrop, AirPlay and the like.

But when transferring data, the old name is brought along, too, so my new iPhone is always named after the old model, not the new one.

Yeah, first-world problem and all, but it’s a small thing I often forget to fix, leading to occasional confusion.

I also give my other Apple devices unique names to make them easy to identify. If you own more than one Apple TV, for example, it’s kinda essential to name them after the room they’re in (Living Room, Man Cave, etc.). Otherwise, it’s nigh impossible to identify the right one when using AirPlay.

If you haven’t given all your Apple devices unique, easy-to-recognize names, here’s how you do it.

Also in today’s newsletter:

• Portable battery packs — especially MagSafe ones — are one of the wonders of the modern world. But they are never charged up when you need them (in my household, anyway). SwitchEasy’s unique Portal charging stand with an integrated MagSafe power pack solves that, and it’s more than 60% off in the Cult of Mac Store — an exclusive deal for our readers.

• If you send in your iPhone for repair, you have to remember to turn off Find My and Activation Lock, steps that are often forgotten. Not any more, at least in the latest iOS beta.

• For just $40, there’s a ton of technology packed into these inexpensive earbuds, including spatial audio.

• With webAI’s Navigator, you can create complete AI apps with any Apple silicon Mac — no giant GPU cluster needed.

• We have a hands-on review of Edifier Comfo Run conduction headphones, which are designed for runners and cyclists who don’t want to stuff their ears with earbuds or regular headphones.

• This is an interesting smart thermostat that, unlike Nest or ecobee, is designed to work with window AC units, portable air conditioners, mini splits, heat pumps and more.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

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^{A message from the Cult of Mac Store}

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