The Preferred Toronto Apple Reseller of MacMedics:
The Preferred iPod and iPhone repair shop in Toronto of MacMedics:
A Safe Way To Dispose Of Your eWaste – And Get A Tax Receipt Too!
My Preferred Canadian-Based ISP
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Sep
2
iPod-ATV Nation
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My oh my – lots of goodies announced today and if you’re a fan of the iPod then it’s a good day indeed – plus AppleTV goes from a hobby project to something more significant and a sign post to where Apple is heading.
So, what was announced?
AppleTV – reinvented
I’ve had an AppleTV for a while. I can stream music, pictures, rented TV shows and movies etc..to it. I can watch YouTube on it, peruse Flickr, MobileMe galleries and store these files on it as well. It can act as a remote speaker for Airtunes (now called AirPlay) and I’ve even hacked it a bit with a software offering called ATVflash. This has allowed me to play file formats not normally supported (like AVI and WMV files) as well as added interface functionality, web browsing – you get the picture. The new AppleTV is 1/8th the size, has no hard drive – it is basically an content streaming appliance.
The idea is that all content is downloaded or streamed either through the internet or through our deskops, laptops and soon mobile devices. It can peruse all the things the current model can and in the US (for now) it can even stream Netflix – which is awesome. Netflix is a DVD rental service that ships movies to your door and also offers streaming TV shows and movies for a monthly fee. So, no more owning of content – just rentals @ $.99 for TV shows, $3.99-$4.99 for movies.
Personally, I love this approach. If I wasn’t using a MacMini attached to my TV already I would go out and buy this $99 device today – yes, $99! At this price point this thing is very accessible to most users - goodbye cable. I am so tired of downloading and keeping hard drives full of movies and TV epsisodes I usually only watch once. I’ve been using Netflix through a hack for awhile now and I absolutely love the freedom of watching what I want, when I want for however long I want for a small monthly fee. We’ve given up cable for months now and don’t miss it a bit.
iPods For Everyone
Also announced were new iPod Touches, Nanos and Shuffles. The new Nano is tiny and sports a touch interface. The new Touch now sports front and back facing cameras for use with FaceTime, the new Retina display, HD video capture and more. It has the new A4 processor found in the iPad and iPhone 4 so it’s very fast. Now think about it: the iPod Touch has basically turned into an relatively inexpensive voice and video internet phone with the availability of Skype and now FaceTime – wow! All sport better battery life as well. Just follow the links for more in-depth details and pics.
iTunes 10
To take advantage of this streaming goodness you’re going to need the new version of Apple’s flagship application, iTunes. They’ve revamped the look quite a bit and I’m not sure I like it. Gone are the colours of the icons down the side to differentiate each process (Music, Apps, Books…). Instead it’s all gone grey. I find it a bit harder to distinguish what each area does and I’m not sure why the designers went with this approach. One major new feature it’s introducing is called Ping. Ping is Apple’s version of music social networking. You basically use your AppleID to allow others to know what music you’re listening to, are into etc..and let’s you know your friends preferences. You can post for the world or be selective. More than that, you can follow what your favourite musical artists are listening to, where they’re playing and what’s going on with them. There are feeds, updates and more than enough to overload our brains with stuff we don’t have time for!
iOS 4.1/4.2
Steve Jobs also introduced the upcoming update to the iOS 4 found on the new iPhones and downloadable on older phones. Many users with older 3G iPhones have reported serious performance hits with the current 4.0, 4.01 and 4.02 releases. The new 4.1 claims much better performance on these older devices as well as fixes for the proximity sensor on the new phones as well as:
HDR (high-dynamic range) photo support, so the device will shoot three times for each photo, grabbing underexposed and overexposed versions and combining all three for more highlight and shadow detail.
Also built into iOS 4.1 is support for Apple’s multiplayer iOS4 gaming platform, called Game Center.
iOS 4.1 will be available next week, free of charge, via iTunes.
Jobs also announced iOS 4.2, due later this year, with “everything for iPad”, including wireless printing.
Apple’s existing AirTunes will become “AirPlay” with iOS 4.2, expanding wireless media streaming beyond audio selections and taking advantage of multitasking in the latest iOS.
iOS 4.2 is due in November for iPad (bringing it up to par with the iPhone), iPod Touch and iPhone.
A big day indeed although it kind of sucks that the new iOS 4 isn’t coming to the iPad until November. The future seems to be streaming – and Apple went all out with a live stream of the event – a first! And the story continues and the river keeps flowing.
Jul
30
This Week In Appleland
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What a week it’s been (follow the links for details). New iMacs, MacPro’s, a new 27″ Cinema Display, a new Magic TrackPad offering, a strange Apple battery charger product and of course, the Canadian release of the iPhone 4! Whew! Given the recent drama of Antennagate and the poo pooing of the iPhone’s reception issues it’s interesting to note two recent thumbs up reviews (caveat: the Aussie recommendations make specific mention of and suggestions to use an approved ‘bumper’ case) from Australia and Norway’s largest newspaper. The Norwegian review actually states that it feels the antenna issue is a US specific problem as it’s testing did not find the same issues:
The paper suggested poor mobile networks may be the cause of the US reports of iPhone 4 antenna problems. It cited Amobil, a Norwegian mobile phone news site, as having ‘tested the iPhone 4 thoroughly, without finding any evidence that it is improperly constructed. All modern mobile phones have integrated antennas, and it is normal that they are affected by how the phone is held,’ VG said.
I’ve suspected this for a while as many people report awful cellular reception when visiting major US cities. Canadian carriers announced their data plans with Rogers/Fido and Bell both offering iPad 3G data plan sharing for an extra monthly fee. Of all the new products Apple released this week the one that caught my attention wasn’t the fancy new machines or even the Magic TrackPad (as cool as that may be). It was actually the new battery charger. This is a great add-on for most users as all Desktop Macs (sans the MacMini) come with the battery-powered bluetooth mouse and keyboard. The charger comes with 6 rechargeable batteries and an intelligent charging unit – a nice environmental touch and weird and unexpected new addition to the lineup.
I’m not sure I will be running out to get the new iPhone 4 just yet – partly because I think I want a white model this time and their release is delayed due to manufacturing issues – and partly because I don’t really need a new phone. My nephew will be getting his tomorrow so I fear subscribers to this blog will be subjected to another un-boxing video as he is keen to keep this new tradition alive (and it’s fun). Perhaps after I see his new shiny device my desire level will rise and the risk of succumbing to it’s purchase will overcome me. We’ll see.
Jun
21
iOS 4 Had Landed
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If you haven’t heard or noticed or attached your iPhone or iPod Touch to your Mac or PC today Apple’s latest and greatest mobile operating system is in the wild. Once you do you’ll be greeted with an opportunity from iTunes to upgrade your iPhone to version 4.0. Important Note:
OS 4.0 isn’t compatible with the original iPhone or the iPod touch. iPhone 3G and second-gen iPhone touch devices will get the update, but key features will be missing.
The 2009 iPhone 3GS and current generation iPod touch will gain all the new features, including multitasking, folders, wallpapers, unified inbox, multiple Exchange accounts and more
The iPad will get its turn in the fall. I’ve gone over some of what’s new in a previous post and there is lots of info all over the net and on Apple’s website. It is very important that you upgrade to iTunes 9.2 – either through Apple’s Software Update under the Apple Menu or through this link as it is required for organizing the new folders structure in the new OS. Below is an excellent 10 minute summary of all that’s in store after the update is complete:
Jun
18
First Base
Filed Under Apple Updates, MobileMe, Views | 1 Comment
Apple’s online service MobileMe just got a major facelift. Offline for a few hours last night it has returned with a new interface for Mail (borrowing heavily from it implementation of this service on the iPad), new navigation features, a new Find My iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch application and more. Details can be found here – MOBILE ME – WHAT’S NEW.
I really like the new Mail interface and hope they eventually bring this approach to the Mac OS desktop version. It responds and respects typical keyboard shortcuts like select-all, delete etc…I have to say that it’s not quite clear what to do when you hit the new page. Logging in takes you to Mail. Gone are the navigation tools/buttons to access each service. Instead, there is a cloud icon in the top left of the page. Clicking on this brings up a process-like pop-up window which offers up the different components – calendar, contacts etc…I’ve been using the beta of Mail for a while so I had figured this out quickly, but I suspect some users won’t know what to do right away. Also, one has to click on this cloud icon every time you want to switch between the different parts. This seems silly as it’s now added an extra mouse click to navigate. The service seems to remember the last component you were using and upon logging in after logging out takes you back to that area – potentially useful, potentially annoying. I’ve also noticed that my contact/calendar sync is totally out of wack on my various machines. The recent changes may be the culprit as the sync service had been very stable since the last major overhaul they made – which caused a major headache back then as well. Each component has gotten a slight make-over – Check out this post from 9to5mac.com for more screenshots. Not everything Apple does is perfect and I’m not sure this is a home run – more just a single at the moment.
Jun
15
(Sim) Free At Last!
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Another big day of announcements…
I don’t know about you dear readers, but I’m pretty excited about the just released news that the new iPhone 4 (and perhaps 3GS it seems) will be sold by Apple UNLOCKED!
The Apple iPhone is Sim Free - iPhone 4 FAQ
Canadian iPhone 4 News on Unlocked devices
Apple calls this the commitment-free iPhone. If you travel this is HUGE. You’ll be able to purchase a micro sim card in a country you’re travelling to and utilize a local phone/data (your phone number will change with each card so just keep that in mind – but you can always forward it…). This is another boon for people who don’t want to sign a contract with a carrier. It means you can buy a new phone and sign up and change a carrier without penalty because there won’t be a contract! The customer will finally have leverage – the fear of paying some exorbitant penalty for terminating an account over poor service, weak plans etc… is gone. I really dislike contracts. I’ve spoken with service reps from my current carrier many times to be told I can leave if I want to if I’m unhappy – but I’ll have to pay $500 or more to do so – no more!
With freedom comes a higher price tag. Commitment-free phones will cost a lot more because the carriers (Telus, Bell, Rogers, Fido) won’t be subsidizing it. However, for many people this may be worth the price of admission to a contract-free cellular experience. It also means that unlike last year, the carriers won’t/can’t turn down those users whose contracts don’t allow them to purchase the new iPhone (can you believe they even do that?). We can just buy them from the Apple Store. The iPhone is available for pre-order today (June 15th) in the US – Black models only (seems there’s a short supply of the White models). In Canada the pre-order date will be late June/early July. At the moment there is just a ‘Notify Me’ button on it’s Canada store page.
One More Thing…
Oh yeah, Apple also released a NEW MAC MINI. It just keeps coming. The new Mac Mini has been redesigned – it’s slimmer, sports an internal power supply that sips energy (10 watts in sleep mode), 4 USB ports, a Firewire 800 port and two new ports: an SD card slot for picture cards and even better – an HDMI port. This one is important as it will allow owners to attach the MacMini directly to their HD TV’s (if you have one). The processor speeds have come up as well the hard drive capacities. The price has gone up as well which won’t please a lot of people. Granted it has more features than it’s predecessors – the higher cost flies in the face of the trend for more affordable computers. Perhaps its price will fall in the next few months. For a full run down check out the links below.
First Impressions (care of 9to5mac.com)
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POST SCRIPT (5pm): My oh my – It looks like Mac OS 10.6.4 was released. This is a free incremental update for 10.6 users. As with any system update BACK UP YOUR DATA first! Also, remember, you don’t have to update.
Mar
29
Some News Of The Day(s)
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Some announcements to bring to your attention:
1. 10.6.3 was released today for both Client and Server. As usual – if you want to be an early adopter BACK UP your machine first. One never knows how the update will affect 3rd-Party applications or things in general. I suggest holding off until we find out about the bugs and fallout.
2. Even though we won’t see an iPad here in Canada until the end of the month our US brethren will be getting them in their hands this Friday! In anticipation of that Apple has released a slew of How To… iPad videos which are fun to watch:
3. I received numerous emails from clients and readers of this blog about a new iPhone Application called Line2 that allows users to make long-distance calls over a cellular connection. It was written about by David Pogue in the NY Times as well and has been receiving a lot of buzz. It allocates a second phone number to an iPhone and according to his article:
Line2 also turns the iPhone into a dual-mode phone. That is, it can make and receive calls either using either the AT&T airwaves as usual, or — now this is the best part — over the Internet. Any time you’re in a wireless hot spot, Line2 places its calls over Wi-Fi instead of AT&T’s network…
Turns out Wi-Fi calls don’t use up any AT&T minutes. You can talk all day long, without ever worrying about going over your monthly allotment of minutes. Wi-Fi calls are free forever.
Well, not quite free; Line2 service costs $15 a month (after a 30-day free trial)
From what I can tell as of today – they (Tokumi, the makers of this app) have suspended it’s download due to Denial Of Service attacks on their account creation servers. Also, from the feedback it seems only Ottawa numbers are supported at the moment – not 416 or 647 area codes. It may be the future of telephony, but it’s not quite here yet.
On a completely different front, my wife Dina sent me a link about a site called Wiki Leaks. This fascinating site is:
…run by the non-profit group Sunshine Press, that is devoted to exposing suppressed government and corporate corruption by publicizing many of their most closely guarded secrets….which aptly calls itself “the intelligence agency of the people” — has obtained and then published a wide array of secret, incriminating documents (similar to this CIA Report) that expose the activities of numerous governments and corporations
Salon.com just posted an article about Wiki Leaks called The War On WikiLeaks which is an interesting read and do check out the site itself.
So quite a hodge-podge.
Nov
10
10.6.2 Update
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Apple released another update to Snow Leopard (10.6) this afternoon. I have bolded the very first line and as usual I concur. Among the many fixes is the one I reported on where a Guest account could erase a hard drive:
Updating your system
You should back up your system before installation; you can use Time Machine.
Do not interrupt the installation process once you have started to update your system. You may experience unexpected results if you have third-party system software modifications installed, or if you’ve modified the operating system through other means.
Choose Software Update from the Apple () menu to check for the latest Apple software via the Internet, including this update.
If your computer is not up-to-date, other software updates available for your computer may appear, which you should install. When Software Updates states “Your software is up to date,” you can be sure that all available updates have been installed.
Note that an update size may vary from computer-to-computer when installed using Software Update. Also, some updates must be installed prior to others, so you should run Software Update more than once to make sure you have all available updates.
You can manually download the update installer. This is a useful option when you need to update multiple computers but only want to download the update once. These versions of the standalone installers are available from Apple Support Downloads.
What’s included?General operating system fixes provided for:
- an issue that caused data to be deleted when using a guest account
- an issue that might cause your system to logout unexpectedly
- Spotlight search results not showing Exchange contacts
- the reliability of menu extras
- an issue in Dictionary when using Hebrew as the primary language
- shutter-click sound effect when taking a screenshot
- an issue with the four-finger swipe gesture
- an issue adding images to contacts in Address Book
- an issue in Front Row that could cause sluggish or slow frame rates while watching videos
- creation of mobile accounts for Active Directory users
- reliability and duration of VPN connections
- general reliability improvements for iWork, iLife, Aperture, Final Cut Studio, MobileMe, and iDisk
- overall improvements to VoiceOver performance
- this update addresses video playback and performance issues for iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009) and iMac (27-inch, Late 2009) computers that may occur in some situations while AirPort is turned on
Fonts fixes provided for:
- an issue with font spacing
- an issue in which some Fonts are missing
- font duplication issues
- an issue with some PostScript Type 1 fonts not working properly
Graphics fixes provided for:
- an issue when connecting monitors to DVI and Mini DisplayPort adapters
- an issue in which the brightness setting may not be remembered on restart
- addresses functionality with specific display models
- general reliability and performance improvements when using some applications
Mail fixes provided for:
- a situation in which Mail’s unread count may not update properly as messages are read on another computer
- an issue in which deleted RSS feeds may return
- an issue in which Mail cannot preview or Quick Look attachments when composing a new message
- an issue that can cause Address Book and/or Mail to stop responding when opened
- an issue in which email messages received from an Exchange Server are not formatted correctly
- an issue in which Mail reports “Account exceeded bandwidth limits” for some Gmail accounts
MobileMe fixes provided for:
- performance when accessing files from iDisk via the Finder and syncing iDisk files
- an issue in which syncing iDisk files does not proceed beyond “checking items”
- reliability and performance when syncing contacts, calendars, and bookmarks with MobileMe (syncing with iTunes and iSync are also improved)
- an issue that prevents some users from logging into MobileMe via the MobileMe System Preference pane
Network file systems fixes provided for:
- compatibility with third-party AFP servers
- file synchronization for portable home directories
Printing and faxing fixes provided for:
- automatic printer updates improvements
- Print dialog allowing you to enter and send to more than one fax recipient
Safari fixes provided for:
- a graphics distortion issue in Safari Top Sites
Safari plug-in reliability
Now, don’t feel compelled to do this – you can always wait and see how it affects others. Otherwise, Happy updating.
Oct
20
Forward and Further
Filed Under Apple News, Apple Updates, Very Very Cool | 2 Comments
Like the Merry Pranksters Apple keeps moving forward and further. The rumours were correct. With little fanfare the entire consumer line has been updated and upgraded.
iMac
New iMacs – 21″ and 27″ models (that’s a serious amount of screen real estate!) – replace the older 20″ and 24″ models. The larger model now houses a quad core processor – that means it’s really really fast. The ports are the standard 4 USB, 1 Firewire 800, network connections and a new SD card slot for memory cards. They now come standard with a wireless keyboard and Apple’s new Magic Mouse. Standard ram is now 4GB and the minimum hard drive capacity is 500GB in the entry level iMac 21″ ($1299 – lower prices too!) and 1TB hard drives in all other flavours.
This is a brand new product from Apple. Basically, it’s a wireless mouse with support for all the new gestures/wipes found on their new laptop trackpads.
Very cool.
The entry level MacBook at $1099 also received a face lift today. The MacBook Pro line remains untouched, but this baby now sports a uni-body design, the new longer life battery technology, the newer trackpad etc…It’s unclear whether it still has the firewire 400 port. The picture on the site shows it, but the tech specs make no mention of it.
The venerable little Mac just more powerful – larger hard drives, more ram capacity, faster processors and a special edition Server edition. The Server version is very interesting – a great product for offices not needing a powerhouse server. Instead of a DVD drive it comes with two 500GB hard drives. It’s ideal as a business file server, calendar and address book server as well as a website and FTP host. In addition it can be a great secondary server to a larger more powerful Xserve to ease it’s load burden and can also act as an inexpensive host for Apple’s new Mobile features in Snow Leopard Server for iPhone syncing which requires two servers to act in conjunction with one another.
Airport Extreme and Time Capsule
Tweaks to Apple’s wireless/wired routers allows for a claimed 50% better performance and 25% better WiFi coverage
Even the venerable Apple Remote got a make-over – an Aluminum one!
All in all a HUGE day. More commentary from the designers themselves:
Sep
10
Evolution with a little help from his friends
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Today was a big day. Why? On the surface there were the announcements. iTunes 9, new iPod Nanos with cameras, updated iPods and iPod Touches and an iPhone/iPod Touch OS update (3.1). And of course, Steve Jobs. Yes, Steve was there introducing some of the new innovations himself. Propped up with the assistance of a donated liver, an incredible senior team of managers, designers and engineers Apple continues to innovate. What I love about all of the recent updates – today’s announcements and Snow Leopard 10.6 (which you can read about and view via the links provided) – is the way the user interface (UI) is evolving. Just when you think everything is pretty great it gets better.
Take iTunes 9 for example. We can now share songs, movies, TV shows and applications amongst multiple machines. Well of course we can – it makes sense and it’s simple. Organizing iPhone/iPod Touch screens is a hassle. Wouldn’t it be great if this could be on the computer? Well, it can now with iTunes 9 and the new 3.1 update. It’s obvious and now we can do it.
10.6 and it’s feature set are understated yet powerful. Simple UI enhancements like the way the Dock works or Exposé make working with our computers on an everyday basis a better experience. It’s all in the evolution of the User Interface. Apple is listening and it’s engineers and designers are really thinking and using their intuition. I love these updates because I can really see the brain and the creative process at work. This is why I love the Apple platform. It’s smart, intuitive, fun, beautifully designed and it just works (most of the time). It’s amazing to reflect on the minds at work at making the user experience better. Steve is excited to be back at work. Why? Because Apple is everything I just described. It was great to see Steve back at the helm – still a bit frail – but back.
On another note – there were no Beatles-Apple related announcements – but the new Beatles Stereo and Mono box sets are out along with Beatles Rock Band – and I hear the re-mastered versions of the albums are terrific. And one day, soon perhaps, we’ll see all of it on iTunes.
Aug
5
Apple posted Mac OS X 10.5.8, a collection of security and bug patches that’s available in 10.5.8 Combo and Server Comboversions, as well as incremental updates for Macs running 10.5.7. Apple’s advice:
You should back up your system before installation; you can use Time Machine.
Do not interrupt the installation process once you have started to update your system. You may experience unexpected results if you have third-party system software modifications installed, or if you’ve modified the operating system through other means.What’s included in this update:
*Upgrades Safari to version 4.0.2.
*Improves the accuracy of full history search in Safari 4.
*Resolves an issue in which certain resolutions might not appear in the Display pane in System Preferences.
*Dragging an Aperture image into Automator now invokes an Aperture action instead of incorrectly invoking an iPhoto action.
*Resolves an issue that could prevent importing of large photo and movie files from digital cameras.
*Improves overall Bluetooth reliability with external devices, USB webcams and printers.
*Addresses an issue that could cause extended startup times.
*Improves iCal reliability with MobileMe Sync and CalDav.
*Addresses data reliability issues with iDisk and MobileMe.
*Improves overall reliability with AFP.
*Improves overall reliability with Managed Client.
*Improves compatibility and reliability for joining AirPort networks.
*Improves Sync Service reliability.
*Includes additional RAW image support for several third-party cameras.
*Improves compatibility with some external USB hard drives.
*Includes latest security fixes.
Please heed the warning!