Links we like
Need help?
Support.Apple.com is where you can start.
User Groups
The iPUG (this group) is free and open to all -- there is no membership fee and anyone can join, young and old, new users and experienced ones. We cover iPhone, iPad, iOS, Apple Watch, cloud, data privacy & security, and more on Cloud and mobile technology. We are based in Tucson, AZ.
Looking for a Mac users group? The Tucson MacIntosh User Group (TMUG) is also in Tucson, AZ. Apple has info on User Groups across geographies.
News about iOS and more
iMore.com is one of the best resources for news, guides, how-to, and much more.
9to5Mac.com covers daily Apple-related news: iOS as well as Mac.
Macworld.com covers all things Apple.
MacRumors.com covers iOS and Mac news, plus reasonable rumors (!), not the crazy hype.
Tidbits.com provides a wide variety of Apple news, covering both iOS and Mac topics.
Cult of Mac covers breaking iOS and Mac news.
Apple Insider covers iOS and Mac related news, product reviews, app reviews and buying guides.
Loop Insight is an eclectic blog with iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple opinion and news.
WatchAware.com focuses on Apple Watch.
Podcasts
Mac Power Users is a free bi-weekly podcast for power users (or users who want to become more savvy), covering Mac and iOS topics.
Typical Mac User is a podcast and website for the less tech-centric Mac users. The website provides screencasts.
MacBreak Weekly is a free weekly podcast, hosted by Leo laPorte. The associated website with show notes is MacBreak Weekly Show Notes.
You might be interested in several podcasts on the 5by5.tv network. They are all free. The 5by5.tv network bills itself as “an Internet broadcast network for geeks, designers, developers, gamers, entrepreneurs, sysadmins, technophiles, and people like you.”
Books, eBooks, and other references
The Wirecutter and The Sweethome provide excellent reviews for electronics and home appliances, respectively.
For excellent and authoritative guides on a wide variety of iOS and Mac topics, the Take Control Books are unbeatable. They come in ebook (or PDF) format, and they provide free samples for download.
Ever wonder what hardware and software various techies use? The Setup profiles a variety of people from the technology industry, answering 4 questions: Who are you? What hardware? What Software? What is your dream setup?
Education and Tutoring
Skillshare has a wide variety of online courses for creatives. Many are short and free.
Udemy offers high quality online learning on a wide range from yoga to programming.
Coursera offers a broad spectrum of online courses, partnering with institutions and universities.
Screencasts Online is a high quality video tutorial online source for iOS and Mac related topics.
PluralSight.com is an online training service offering courses on development and IT. You can try it for free for a limited time. You can pay by month or by year. This gives you unlimited access to their course library. The quality is top notch.
ArtStudyOnline.com offers online courses for all abilities an ages. They focus mostly on iPad art courses.
Lynda.com provides online courses and training on a very wide variety of topics, including but not limited to Apple-related topics.
Lost iPhone or iPad?
What to do If your iPhone or iPad gets stolen. Lessons learned by iMore.
Buying, Selling, or Fixing
Mac Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy your Mac, iPod or iPhone, is a very useful resource by Macrumors.com. As we know, Apple does not announce exactly when there will be updates, unless there is a special media event. This page tracks past history of releases to help you estimate if an update should be expected soon. Excellent resource.
How to Prepare and Sell your iPhone, by iMore. Comprehensive and excellent advice.
Apple offers Apple Recycling which buys back hardware for instant credit or recycling.
Apple lets you trade in your old Mac, for up tp $2,500. Get a quote online.
Swappa makes it easy to sell or buy used mobile devices. You can expect to sell at roughy 2x the price Gazelle will offer you, and to buy at roughly the same price that Gazelle will offer.
Also consider Gazelle.com because it's quick and convenient.
If you want to sell at a higher price and are willing to do more legwork, consider Craigslist and eBay.
Another option for selling old(er) technology such as iOS devices or other personal computers is the National Christina Foundation which promotes the reuse of technology to enable people with disabilities, students at risk and economically disadvantaged persons to be given the opportunity, through training, to lead more independent and productive lives.
iFixIt.com provides free repair manuals for iPhones, iPods, iPads, and Macs. It includes step-by-step info, visual guides, troubleshooting info, and even provides information on any special tools you might need to take things apart.
Sometimes you need to refer to older models for specifications or release dates. This comes up if you are wondering about, say, how many DIMM slots your old Mac has, or when the iPad 2 was released because you are tracking warranty info, or you want to look up the exact model number because you considering buying a used model on eBay. Mactracker is regularly updated to reflect all the latest models, new and old. It is not a website, it's a standalone application that runs on Macs. It's free.
Apple's Downloads page is a support page that gives you access to the latest downloads from Apple.
Stores and Resources
This list does not attempt to be exhaustive. It is a list of stores that many of our iPUG members have used and can vouch for.
The Apple Store at La Encantada is an excellent place to get Apple products and (free) help at the genius bar. They also provide free workshops. The store can get extremely busy, and we recommend making an appointment if you need tech help. You can do this online, from home, or at the store, when you arrive.
Simutek is `Southern Arizona's First Apple Specialist', a store that has been around decades before Tucson got an Apple store. Simutek is friendly, knowledgeable, and their repairs are fast and reasonably priced. They also buy and sell used equipment. You do not need an appointment to get advice or help.
SWS computers is not Apple-related. However, it's an excellent store for electronics parts at excellent prices. Their staff knows much, much more than other `big box' electronic stores around Tucson. Our iPUG members have used them for hard drives, batteries, and other components.
If you are in Education, the Apple Store at the University of Arizona campus and the online store will give you iOS devices and Macs at discounted prices.
Rise is an equipment recycling center. It provides recycling services to Tucson and Pima County residents. The Recycling Center recycles and refurbishes unwanted computer and electronic equipment. They donate or sell equipment at a reduced price to non-proft organizations, their clients, and low income families.
Other World Computing is an online store that sells components for Macs and PCs, used or new Macs. For example, an iPUG member used them to buy a refurbished Airport Extereme at 67% savings, another member bought 2 SSDs and had them installed in an iMac and a Macbook by Simutek (above). They guarantee their refurbished equipment.
Looking to buy more memory for your Mac? There are countless resources online, of course. One that we have found very reliable is Crucial (they also sell DIMMs for PCs, as well as SSDs fro Macs and PCs). You can buy the parts and do it yourself using their guides.
Digital Life, Security, Privacy
DigitalPassing.com is a blog devoted to estate planning for passwords and digital property, by estate planning attorney Jim Lamm. Even though he does not discuss Arizona laws, this is an excellent resource.
Got more links to recommend? We'd love to hear from you, let us know!