• apple,  mac,  mac mini,  mac os x,  macbook air,  macbook pro,  mavericks

    Apple Release Updates for Mavericks Mail, iBooks

    Yesterday, Apple released an update for their OS X 10.9 Mavericks Mail and iBooks applications.

    The update to the Mail application is a welcomed relief to customers who use the Mail appellation with Google’s Gmail email service.  With the introduction of OS X 10.9 Mavericks on Oct. 22, customers have been reporting a number of usability bugs with the Mail application.

    iBooks received a minor update to squash a few bugs an to improve stability.

    Both updates are available in the Mac OS X App Store’s updates section.

  • apple,  mac,  mac os x,  mavericks,  western digital

    WD Investigating Data Loss Issue with OS X 10.9: Mavericks

    Over the weekend, hard drive manufacture Western Digital, sent out an email advisory to some customers alerting them to a data loss problem according to ZDNet.

    Western Digital is “urgently investigating” customer reports “and examining a possible connection with its own software, notably the WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager and WD SmartWare software applications.”

    Western Digital customers using these applications on their Macs running Mavericks are urged to uninstall the suspect applications to mitigate the risk of data loss.

    Read the full story on ZDNet.com.

  • airport,  apple,  apple tv,  apps,  ios 7

    Briefly Noted: Apple Updates Remote, AirPort Apps

    Yesterday afternoon, Apple released updates to their Remote and AirPort Utility apps.

    Evident from the app descriptions, the AirPort Utility did not receive an iOS 7-like remake.  It still looks like it’s older iOS 6 version of the add.  The jump to 64-bit native code should make the app run smoothly on the new iPhone 5S, iPad Air, and the soon to be released, iPad mini with Retina Display.

    The Remote app, received a complete iOS 7 design make over.  While the functionality of the software does not appear to have changed, the UI has.  Remote now has the Help screen overlay that flies in when you tap the help question mark icon located at the top right of the screen.  The Menu button now appears a circle icon with a text label “Menu” at the bottom center of the screen, with additional playback controls on either side.  The large “track pad” area still dominates the majority of the screen, however, now appears as a frosted pane allowing you to “see” your wallpaper in typical iOS 7 blurred effect fashion.

    Both applications are available in the iTunes App Store for free.

  • apple,  mac,  mac os x,  review

    Briefly Noted: John Siracusa’s OS X 10.9 Mavericks Review

    If you like in-depth product reviews, and you just happen to be a Mac user, you’ll want to read John’s OS X 10.9 Mavericks review.

    John is well respected in Apple circles and his latest OS X review is smart, accurate and a great read.

    You can read it on the Ars Technica website, but I chose to purchase the iBooks version so I can not only get the iBooks features while reading the review, but to also throw some cash his way.

    If you haven’t read his review already, you should check it out.

    You can follow John on Twitter @siracusa, on the Accidental Tech Podcast, and on the Ars Technica website.

  • apple,  ipad

    iPad Air Unboxing Photos

    Here are some photos from my iPad Air unboxing and comparison with my iPad third-generation.

    My iPad Air arrives home from the Apple Store
    iPad Air and the beige Smart Case
    iPad Air in it’s box
    Boom! It’s and i
    Behind the iPad Air are the accessories
    iPad Air’s accessories
    The inside of the iPad Air Smart Cover
    iPad Air with Smart Case vs iPad 3 with Smart Cover
    iPad Air on top of the iPad 3 (face up)
    iPad Air on top of the iPad 3 (face down)

  • apple,  apple store,  ipad,  retail

    Purchasing My iPad Air

    Another Apple launch weekend is upon us and, after a long mental debate with myself about whether or not to get a new Apple iPad Air, I did make the decision to buy one, upgrading from my iPad with Retina Display (third generation).

    I chose to get my new iPad Air at the New Haven Apple Store.  I wasn’t disappointed.

    The Apple Store had ample stock of the 32GB Space Grey Wi-Fi iPad Air.  Stacey, sales associate who helped me, what polite, asked if I had any questions or if I needed help using iCloud to move my data from my iPad 3 to my new iPad.

    A major factor in my decision to purchase the new iPad Air was the weight of the unit as compared to my iPad 3 without its plastic back shell and Smart Cover on.  Being able to walk in and play with the new iPad Air without all of the security brackets and thick security cables was a major plus for me.

    Another major benefit of shopping at the Apple Store rather than a big box store like Best Buy, which I did visit on Friday afternoon, was not only being virtually guaranteed to get the device I wanted, but also having my pick of new Apple accessories too.

    In addition to buying the iPad Air, I also picked up a beige Apple Smart Case.

    I’ve become a bit of a frequent visitor to this Apple Store over the last few weeks, and the store was busy, but not mobbed.  Over all, it was a great shopping experience and I was in and out in 20 minutes.

    If you are on the fence about getting a new iPad Air this weekend, there is still plenty of stock available at your local Apple Store and online.  Third-party box stores inventory will vary.  (The Best Buy store I went to on Friday only received 22 Wi-Fi only 32GB Space Grey iPad Airs for example.)

  • apple,  itunes

    Reflections on the Apple In Store iPhone Upgrade Experience

    This is a blog post that I’ve been meaning to write for a while now.  The following are my thoughts and experiences with the upgrade process from my iPhone 4S to the new flagship iPhone 5S smartphone at a local Apple Store.  Overall, I was pleased with the upgrade process, but in my option, there is still room for improvements with iCloud and the restore process.

    The Upgrade Experience
    Like many nerds, I upgraded my iPhone on launch day, September 20.  I don’t upgrade off contract every year, nor do I think I need to.  Surprisingly, this is my first iPhone upgrade.  When I became an iPhone owner, with the iPhone 4S, I was upgrading from the ill-fated Palm Pre.  I had to work on launch day so there was no waiting around for me in massive lines that are typical of an iPhone launch.  By the time I arrived at the store, the hoopla had died down to the normal flow of things and the overall shopping experience was a good one.  Luckily, the Apple Store I went to still had the iPhone I was looking for, a 32GB Space Grey iPhone 5S for Sprint.
    The upgrade experience went smoother than I expected and much quicker than the last upgrade experience from my BlackBerry Curve to Palm Pre at a Sprint retail store.  After a few short minutes of waiting for my iPhone to be called up from the back, the Apple Store employee verified my Sprint account status and the wireless contract portion of the upgrade was complete.
    While the backend “cellular” upgrade was happening with Sprint, I used iCloud to back up my iPhone 4S and when it was done, I powered it down.  The Apple employee seemed to be on autopilot and started to jump into the process of setting up my phone.  This is likely because the process was well rehearsed throughout the day, but again, being a nerd, I wanted to take over the upgrade.
    I powered on the iPhone 5S and ran through the welcome program and I was quickly setup and running.  The restoration of settings and data from my iPhone 4S came over easily enough and all of my installed applications began downloading and installing on my new phone without intervention.
    The restoration of my music and photos was a bit of a hassle, more so than I expected from Apple.  You see, hours later, after all of my apps reinstalled, the Settings app was still showing that the iCloud restore was underway.  I knew that a few photos were missing, but I couldn’t tell if any of my music was too.  Knowing that my photos were in Photo Stream and on my Mac in my iPhoto library, I killed the restore.  I really would like to see Apple clean up this process of iCloud backup/restore as this is not the first time I’ve seen this problem, and it was not unique to my phone.  I’ve seen the same issue on family and friends iPhone’s.  I never really liked killing there restore because I was never really sure, nor where they, that they had their photos backed up anywhere.
    To improve the process, I would like to see Apple add some kind of progress or status to the restore.  Additionally, if there where problems restoring data, what data it was, and then moving on to the next bit of data and then finally completing the restore.  I think there is more problems created when the restores are left open ended since you can’t start a new iCloud backup until the seemingly stalled iCloud backup completes.  In my experience, the restore never completes and the user is never notified.
    As a workaround to this issue, I recommend that if possible; backup your current iPhone to your Mac or Windows PC running iTunes and a sync cable.  I know that seems like crazy talk in some tech circles but it was save you the hassle at restore time.  Then, pick up your new iPhone, skipping the restore step and then sycing it with iTunes to reload your data.  An iTunes cabled back up/restore has never failed me upgrading my iPod touches or iPads.
    All-in-all, the retail shopping experience at the Apple Store, as compared to a wireless carrier or big box store, was far superior.  The actual transfer of service from old phone to new phone was pretty painless also.  I just wish that the iCloud backup and restore went smoother than it has been my experience in the past.  Results will vary and I hope you enjoy your new iPhone.
  • apple,  ipad,  mac os x,  mac pro

    Rumor: Apple’s Second Media Event Scheduled for Oct 22

    AllThingsD.com says to get ready for new iPads.

    “People familiar with Apple’s plans tell AllThingsD that the company will hold its next invitation-only event on Tuesday, October 22. The focal point of the gathering will be the latest updates to the company’s iPad line, but the new Mac Pro and OS X Mavericks will likely get some stage time as well, I’m told.”

    I am so ready for Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks and iPad 5.  Whether or not we’ll get an iPad mini with a Retain display this year is still the subject of debate, and frankly, would be disappointing, considering that Google is pushing the 2013 Nexus 7 with a hi-res screen.

    Check out the full article on AllThingsD.com

    [Via AllThingsD.com…]

  • apple,  ios 7,  iphone 5s

    Apple Releases iOS 7.0.2 for iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C

    Earlier today, Apple released the second iOS 7 update, iOS 7.0.2.

    This minor update for the newly released iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C is intended to address a vulnerability that was detected last week that could allow an attacker to bypass the security lock screen. If you happen to have the Greek version of iOS installed on your device, you can once again use the Greek language keyboard for passcode entry.
    The latest iOS upgrade can be downloaded via the Software Update control panel located at: Settings > General > Software Update.
    The iOS 7.0.2 upgrade weighs in at 17.4MB, which is practically nothing when compared to the over 700MB iOS 7 upgrade package pushed out on Wednesday, September 18.  Previously, Apple released iOS 7.0.1 for the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C last Friday, September 20 as a minor tweak for the new hardware.
    Apple is also working on an iOS 7.1 update that many people believe will be released on or around October 15 as part of what is rumored to be the iPad refresh event held ahead of the all important holiday shopping season.
  • apple,  ios 7,  iphone 5s

    Apple Posts iOS 7.0.1 Update for iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C

    As Apple began selling the new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C to customers this morning, iOS 7.0.1 was also rolling out to all the newly activated iPhones.

    The minor update, simply lists “bug fixes and improvements” as the payload for this update.  My guess is these are just last minute tweaks for the new hardware.  The update is just 17.6MB.
    Apple is also said to be working on iOS 7.0.2 and 7.1 already according to the usual “people close to the matter”.