House of Representatives bill reaffirms the Constitution is still here
Griffin's BreakSafe USB-C Cable Replicates MagSafe For the Apple MacBook
When Apple introduced the new MacBook in early 2015, with USB-C, the legendary MagSafe power connector had to go. Instead of innovating a replacement magnetic connector, Apple left the job to Griffin. It's called the BreakSafe, and it restores the MagSafe-like functionality to a MacBook. I was impressed. Almost, because it transports power only. The…
CareKit's Strong Suit may be Peer Support Apps
CareKit apps hit the App Store CareKit is an open source platform from Apple developers can use to create apps that let users track and manage medical conditions. Users can track medications, symptoms, and more, and share that data with their doctor—assuming your doctor has made the move to the digital age. Glow Nurture and…
3 Toolbar Icons to Make OS X Mail more Powerful
Afterward, you’ll find a ton of convenient buttons that you can drag into your toolbar for easy use. That’s…that’s a lot of possibilities. Today we’re going to be talking about three of my favorites—“Show Related Messages,” “Redirect,” and “Move.” I hope you think they’re as handy as I do! 1. Show Related Messages. Some…
Tim Cook Worked Hard to Sell Us on Apple's Future while CFO Luca Maestri Apologized
I noticed something interesting during Apple's quarterly conference call with analysts on Tuesday: during opening remarks, Tim Cook was working hard to sell the message that Apple is doing well despite turning in a “challenging” quarter. I've never noticed Tim Cook trying to sell it during a call, but then I heard something else that…
Despite Apple's Corporate Efforts and Optimism, iPad Sales Languish
_____________________ During Apple's 2016 Q2 Earnings Report, Apple reported iPad sales of 10.25 million. This can be compared to the most recent non-holiday quarter 2015 Q4 of 9.88 million. This was the last quarter before the iPad Pro (12.9-inch) was introduced in November, 2015. If there was a rush on the iPad Pro (12.9-inch) in…
Apple's Numbers: Using Data Formats
To set this up, first select the range of cells you’d like to apply your formatting to. Make sure the “Format” pane is open, but if you don’t see that sidebar on the right, click “Format” in your toolbar. Then under the “Cell” tab, you’ll see the “Data Format” drop-down. Under that drop-down, you have…
The Evolution of MacOS/OS X and Windows in Side-by-Side Animations
They make for a great trip down memory lane. More interestingly to me, they show both the remarkable refinement and relative lack of change in the paradigm of desktop computing. First, let's look at the Apple operating system image: The Evolution of Apple's Operating System[s] from BetterBuys Next, here's the Microsoft image. Note that it…
Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves
Episode #171 I’ve been hearing that virtual reality (VR) is going to be the next big thing for almost as long as I’ve been writing about technology, and I’ve strapped more than one VR contraption to my face over the years in the name of research. I don’t remember much about any of them…
Episode #171 I’ve been hearing that virtual reality (VR) is going to be the next big thing for almost as long as I’ve been writing about technology, and I’ve strapped more than one VR contraption to my face over the years in the name of research. I don’t remember much about any of them…
How to Change Your Apple Device Names (And Why You May Need To!)
Yuck. Let’s make that better! On the Mac, the place you’ll change that setting is within System Preferences > Sharing. At the top of that pane, there’s a box for you to type in. Then to change this on the iPhone or iPad, visit Settings > General > About. You can edit your device’s name at…
White House Commission on National Cybersecurity Launches With Distinguished Members
Backstory On February 9th, President Obama issued an Executive Order, the “COMMISSION ON ENHANCING NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY.” Section 3 describes the mission. Mission and Work. The Commission will make detailed recommendations to strengthen cybersecurity in both the public and private sectors while protecting privacy, ensuring public safety and economic and national security, fostering discovery and development…
Using EtreCheck to Diagnose Your Mac Problems
What this app does is a pretty thorough system scan, and it’ll report any problems it finds. To check it out, first download the program and launch it. Then it’ll ask you to choose which problem you’re having, if any. Pick from that menu, choose “Start EtreCheck,” and it’ll run. When the process is complete,…
On Being Skeptical of 'Textalyzer' Technology to Detect Smartphone Use Before Accidents
“Your papers and smartphone, please.” To say that I'm awash in a sea of mixed emotions is an understatement, but there's almost nothing I like about what we know so far. My biggest concern is that the makers of the Textalyzer technology itself—whatever the heck it is—are backing the bill, and the company is draping…
Smile Lowers Subscription Pricing for TextExpander 6
New pricing for TextExpander 6 is $4.16 per month if billed monthly, or $39.96, if billed annually (that's $3.33 per month). This compares to $4.95 per month/$47.52 per year at launch. That not only makes the half-off upgrade pricing just under $20 per year for those upgrading, Smile extended that offer to become a lifetime…
Technology is Enabling New Levels of Sexploitation
The “Mark 1” Android. Image credit: Reuters. The Particle Debris standout article of the week is from Wired. “The Scarlett Johansson Bot Is the Robotic Future of Objectifying Women.” For reference, here's the original article via Reuters Building a humanoid Hollywood star. One might think the Wired piece is a overly sensational article, but it's based…
Syed Farook's iPhone is a Bust for the FBI
FBI: Nothing to see here, move along Mr. Baker responded to questions about the San Bernardino mass shooting investigation this week at an International Association of Privacy Professionals conference where he said, “We’re now doing an analysis of that data, as we would in any other type of criminal terrorism investigation,” according to the Wall…
How to Reveal a Link's Actual URL in Both OS X and iOS
_______________________ 1. Mail in OS X. We're all very familiar with this and have been using it for years. Hover the mouse cursor over the suspect hyperlink and a rectangle will pop up showing the actual URL. 2. Safari in OS X. If you have Safari > View > Show Status Bar enabled, you'll see…
Subscription Pricing Isn't as Evil as You Think It Is
I think another, perhaps larger group are folks who aren’t happy about the net increase in price of Smile’s TextExpander with the new subscription model. Depending upon how you do the math, it’s reasonable to presume that the new version of TextExpander will cost you double what you paid before without offering you any new features…
Info to Pass On in Case You...Pass On
Before we get started, note that I don’t really recommend writing down your passwords. If you’re the type of person who feels comfortable putting those in your home safe, more power to you, but I prefer knowing my passwords and other critical data are in an encrypted database like the one 1Password offers. So when…
Is Blue Light Really Bad for Sleep?
Episode #169 Apple introduced iOS 9.3 a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been obsessed with Night Shift ever since. Night Shift, in case you missed it, is a new iOS feature that uses your device’s clock and geolocation services to determine sunrise and sunset at your location, then uses this information to gradually adjust…
iPhone SE More Fragile than iPhone 6s in SquareTrade Testing
As shown in the video below, iPhone SE bent at 160 lbs. of pressure, 10 pounds less force than it took to bend iPhone 6s. It suffered catastrophic failure at 178 lbs. of pressure, a narrower 2 lbs. less than needed to destroy the larger model.