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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Jan
29
iLife 09 Arrives
Filed Under Advice, Apple News, Apple Updates | Leave a Comment
One of the major announcements made at Macworld earlier in the month was that of iLife 09, Apple’s package of iMovie, iTunes, iPhoto, iWeb et. al. The new package just began shipping yesterday and although I haven’t had a chance or time to check it out yet, others have. One of the applications with the biggest changes is iMovie 09. When iMovie 08 was released last year a lot of users responded with much vitriol – they basically hated it. It was a radical departure from all previous incarnations of iMovie – some said it shouldn’t have been called iMovie. In fact, Apple was forced to release a free downloadable version of iMovie 6 HD for those who had purchased iLife 08 and were so unhappy. Well, Apple seems to have been listening to those complaints and the demo I saw of the new application in action in San Francisco was impressive. Gizmodo has a review of the new version which I suggest checking out.
Apple is shipping the new version of iLife 09 with all new Macs. Also, for those of you have a bought a new Mac in the last couple of weeks or are about to and don’t find the new version pre-installed Apple is offering a free offering of it through their iLife 09 Up-To-Date program.
Jan
28
iPhone 2.2.1 Update Released…
Filed Under Apple News, Apple Updates, iPhone | 2 Comments
When you next plug your iPhone/iPod Touch into your Mac don’t be surprised to find an update to the it’s operating system presenting itself:
iPhone 2.2.1 Software Update
This update contains bug fixes and improvements, including the following:
- Improved general stability of Safari
- Fixed issue where some images saved from Mail do not display correctly in the Camera Roll
Products compatible with this software update:
- iPhone
- iPhone 3G
Should you apply it? I always err on the side of caution with these updates – there will always be users who will apply this first so I suggest waiting to check out the experiences of others. It is unclear what other ‘hidden’ features may be part of this release – it’s 248MB in size!
Jan
25
The Mac Turns 25 – Part II
Filed Under Apple News, Fun | 1 Comment
For those who love nostalgia, this is a video of Steve Jobs introducing the Mac to the world in 1984. At the end are You Tube links to other firsts as well – introducing the first iMac, iPod etc…fun to watch.
When you watch these presentations you get why Steve Jobs has been so important to the growth of Apple. His enthusiasm, his way of communicating the technology so everyone can understand it – this cannot be replicated. It’s why everyone is so nervous about his absence. But his electrifying presence does cast a shadow on the team behind all of Apple’s great offerings. As I mentioned in my last post, Apple attracts the best and brightest who are really into what their doing. It’s their mission. To illustrate, here’s a bit more insight into the philosophy of Tim Cook who is basically running Apple at the moment:
We believe that we’re on the face of the Earth to make great products, and that’s not changing. We’re constantly focusing on innovating. We believe in the simple, not the complex. We believe that we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products we make, and participate only in markets where we can make a significant contribution.
We believe in saying no to thousands of projects so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us. We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot.
And frankly, we don’t settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when we’re wrong and the courage to change. And I think, regardless of who is in what job, those values are so embedded in this company that Apple will do extremely well.
And from the faithful – Macintouch’s 25th Anniversary Of The Mac Page.
‘Nuff said.
Jan
24
The Mac Turns 25! I Gush…And A Warning At The End
Filed Under Apple News, Rants, Views | 2 Comments
A Record sales quarter – best earnings ever! Microsoft lays off 1400 yesterday, 5000 in the next 18 months. A killer worm working it’s way through the internet – hey, Mac User, do you even know it exists? The coolest tech products on the planet – I mean they sold 22 million iPods in the last 3 months! Where are they finding these people? Obama is a Mac user! A happy cult that is open to everyone – yes you can be any denomination and be a Mac-head – there is no threat to your faith. Snow Leopard (10.6 – I encourage you to click on the previous link to get a sense of what’s coming) is on the horizon, embracing Open Source standards like Sproutcore and the coming ZFS file system – open standards which encourage and use collaborative solutions from all over the world while Windows 7 (Microsoft’s next installment of it’s operating system) continues to link it’s technology to a more proprietary platform tied to them.
And the Mac is just fun. It comes with amazing software in every box:
Are you into video or movie editing? They provide iMovie. Are you a Muscian? How about a 64-Track recording studio that also teaches you how to play guitar or piano? Learn how to play Roxanne from…Sting! They provide Garageband! Into photography? iPhoto! How about creating a website or blog or a podcast? Check out iWeb. How about publishing and sharing your creations, your contacts, calendar and email? Use MobileMe (okay, that’s not free). Business oriented? Need a good Word processor or layout program? Want to create amazing presentations? Crunch some Numbers. Apple is now providing iWork in the box! Need to run Windows? The Mac can do it (Windows extra)! I’m a freaking advertisement for Apple, I know. It’s not hard. It’s why I love the platform – it generates passion. It’s the most compatible (generally) operating system on earth created by people who, yes, want to make money, but also create this stuff because they love to:
(Tim) Cook’s job (Apple’s 2nd in command) is simplified thanks to Apple’s “uncanny ability to attract and hire ‘fanatics’ who are entrepreneurial, work hard, and are looking to change the world,” said Wu. In other words, motivation is mostly built in.
On January 24, 1984, Apple premiered an advertisement, directed by Ridley Scott, during the Superbowl that still wins the Best Of Awards to this day. It unleashed a brave new world in computing ‘for the rest of us’.
I could go on and on. It’s an embarrassment of riches - noun; more options or resources than one knows what to do with – origins Mid-18th Century – literally ‘embarrassment of riches, or choice. So, Happy Birthday Mac. There are great things coming – some will be under the hood, some will be in plain site. It’s only going to get better.
P.S. Caveat And A Warning: The Mac isn’t perfect – I wouldn’t have a job if that were the case! In fact, there is a report just released by Intego concerning a current Trojan Horse infecting Macs in regard to Pirated copies of iWork 09 through Bit Torrent. Here’s an example of a potential problem brought on by users installing software from untrusted sources. Symantec considers this to be a low-level threat, but a threat none the less. Secure Mac (an excellent site for info on Mac Security) has released an iWork Packages Trojan Horse Removal Utility for anyone foolish enough to have downloaded this – I mean, Apple is allowing a free 30-day demo download!
Ultimately, however, I feel the Mac is a superior platform to work and play in. I deal with a lot of frustration and emergencies and crazy stuff happens that’s for sure, but it’s ultimately a more stable, secure system. I continue to trust the Mac with my own business and important creative projects and if you treat it right, take precautions (backup, don’t pirate software) you’ll be in good hands. Happy Birthday Mac! (this is worth clicking).
Jan
16
Multiple iPod (& iPhone) Personality
Filed Under Tips | Leave a Comment
So, I have been asked to provide a few more tips in the blog. I happened to be asked a question today about using two iPods with a single Mac, specifically, two iPhones. I came across this great ‘how to’ on the NY Times tech site. Some other links to using Multiple iPods/iPhones with one Mac can be found below. Enjoy!
Multiple iPods with one computer
Manually Managing content on iPod/iPhone
Jan
14
The Sky Is Crying…
Filed Under Alerts!, Apple News, Views | Leave a Comment
see the tears roll down the street… – Elmore James
So, after a tumultuous flurry of concern and then reassurance, Steve Jobs has announced he is taking a leave of absence from Apple until June:
Team,
I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.
In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.
I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple’s day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.
I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.Steve
I only wish him well. Tim Cook, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, has been overseeing the day to day operations for some time so not much will change there. At least Steve will still be involved and the fact that there will be no more keynotes means we don’t have to listen to another one by Phil Schiller. I was there, I felt for him, but on a charisma scale of 1-10, Phil was a 2. You do not want him introducing new products.
I’m sure many are concerned and will comment endlessly on what this will mean, but regardless of the final outcome – will Steve actually return – Apple is in good shape with products that have been in the planning stages for years. The sky isn’t falling, it’s crying and I hope Mr. Jobs actually gets better and returns to form. For more links to the news see the following:
The NY Times on the announcement
Appleinsider
There is an interesting article in the recent print version of Time Magazine as well and some links on their site too.
Late Additions from the chattering class:
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Jan
11
Who would have guessed it? The first major threat to the dominance of the iPhone has come from…PALM! Wow! The Palm Pre (I don’t really like the name, but that’s me). The talk of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the Palm Pre has made a big splash. Gizmodo gives a good rundown comparison of the Pre and the iPhone and also has a first look review of this new kid on the block. We’ll see what happens when it’s released to the public.
What’s amazing is that Palm seemed to be on the way out – it’s aging operating system and device selection old and tired. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, they introduce a brand new device with a brand now operating system. There is no word on support for existing Palm applications – they probably won’t run on the new OS as is that’s for sure. No one has talked about how it will sync to various machines either or if there is a desktop companion application i.e. Palm Desktop. As far as a Canadian release I found this blurb on Engadget’s site declaring ‘probably, some time’. Is this enough to bring the Palm back from the edge? Click here for a view from the NY TImes Bit section and get their take. As I continue to say, the more competition the better in this field to fuel innovation.
Jan
10
Reflections on Macworld 2009
Filed Under MacWorld 2009, Views | 1 Comment
On the plane, back to Toronto, another, perhaps the last, Macworld, over. When I went to Macworld in 2006 I arrived at 7am to a lineup that stretched around the corner. There were so many people trying to get in. There were huge overflow rooms to take those of us who couldn’t get into the main hall. I didn’t make it to the main hall.
Steve Jobs took the stage that morning and announced that the Mac was moving to the Intel platform and had been running Mac OS 10.4 on PPC and Intel chips since it’s inception 5 years earlier. Everyone was aghast and excited about the changes. I watched it unfold on a big TV monitor a wall away from the happening. I walked the conference floor that week shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other Mac users and supporters of the platform. Kiosks were crowded – it was an amazing experience. I met my colleagues doing what I do from all over the US and Canada and I learned a lot that I took back and incorporated into my business.
Macworld 2009 has occurred in a totally different context. The economic downturns hitting the US, the announcement that this would be Apple’s last Macworld and that Phil Schiller and not Steve Jobs would, for the first time in 12 years, not being giving the keynote address.
I arrived at 9am – minutes before the keynote. I was hoping to catch the keynote in an overflow room. I encountered no line. I walked in, took the escalator and entered the main hall. I had made it! And there was Phil. And he was nervous. And there were no mind-blowing announcements, muted applause and, at the end, Tony Bennett and his band singing ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’ and “I Left My Heart In San Francisco’. It was all a bit depressing (Tony was great and a highlight, but still…).
As I reconnected with colleagues not seen for a while we all were feeling a bit sad. There was no real excitement on the floor. Vendors I knew were all aware of relatively poor attendance. That’s not to say there weren’t great products to get to know about. There were. I’ve come away again with some excellent ideas to implement and share with my clients and new friendships and opportunities for my business. But it was sad. It was sad because we all knew that without Macworld to draw us together it was going to be harder to connect with one another – and that’s what Macworld, at least good deal of it, is about for those of us that support clients and work in the field – and for users too – to connect, to share, to have fun, to learn.
There may yet be a Macworld 2010. Apple won’t be there. The ACN (Apple Consultants Network) won’t be there and a lot of vendors won’t be there either.
In the end, I am definitely glad I went. I accomplished what I set out to do, with or without an adrenaline boost from Apple – and they did announce some important things – the upgraded iLife 09 (Leopard only by the way – no support for earlier operating systems), iWork 09, iWork.com (jury is out on this one), DRM free music on iTunes which is actually a MAJOR change within the music industry – music purchased from iTunes can now be played on any device without copy protection. New battery technology in the new 17″ MacBook Pro which will hopefully make it’s way into the entire product line. And I’m sure we’ll see the upgraded iMacs and Mac Mini’s that were rumoured to be announced at the show – and much more. Even better, Steve Jobs seems to be on a path to a fuller recovery from symptoms left over from the cancer treatment he had a few years ago. That’s great news.
I have no doubt about Apple. Tony was right – the best is yet to come.
Thank you so much to Arjun and Seneca Gupta for putting me up and putting up with me through the week. They were wonderful hosts and great, dear friends.
And thank you San Francisco – I love this city – City Lights Books, China Town, Ocean Beach, the fog, insanely steep hills (especially experienced when drunk), Dotties Tru Blue Cafe, the best breakfast anywhere period!, Zushi Puzzle – the chef is a Master. I always leave a little piece of my heart in San Francisco too. It’s waiting there for when I come back.
Jan
7
Macworld 2009 Keynote Movie and more
Filed Under MacWorld 2009 | Leave a Comment
For those of you wanting to see the keynote for yourselves:
Apple Keynote 2009
Other Notable Announcements/links
iLife 09
iWork 09
iWork Online Free Trial Download
iWork.com
17″ MacBook Pro
Jan
6
Macmedics Live! At Macworld 2009
Filed Under MacWorld 2009 | Leave a Comment