Flat panel display technology continues to evolve. A decade ago, we had Plasma and LCD TV sets. LCDs were adopted for use in iPhones and iPads, but they require backlighting. Then we had OLEDs (used in the Apple Watch). Now there’s Quantum Dots and microLEDs. John provides a primer.
John Martellaro
John Martellaro was born at an early age and began writing about computers soon after that. With degrees in astrophysics (B.S.) and physics (M.S.), he has worked for NASA, White Sands Missile Range, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Apple. At Apple he worked as a Senior Marketing Manager, a Federal Account Executive and a High Performance Computing manager. His interests include chess, science fiction and astronomy. John is the host of the TMO podcast Background Mode.
Articles by John Martellaro
iPhone 7 Sans Headphone Jack: The Debate Continues
Reliable sources are suggesting that Apple really will remove the 3.5 mm audio headphone jack from the iPhone 7 this fall. The community seems evenly split about the prospect, with some shrugging and one notable author declaring that this is a hostile and stupid idea. The notion that this isn’t really a worthwhile technical advance seems balanced with the prospect of better and enabling digital technology moving forward. Plus: a more waterproof iPhone. Particle Debris page 2 asks the question: has Apple gone too far?
TMO Background Mode: Interview With Symply Co-founder and President Alex Grossman
Alex Grossman is the co-founder and president of Symply, Inc. His new company makes high-performance storage devices for content creators. I asked Alex about his start in storage technology, and it goes back to his EE degree in college and his first job with the Digital Equipment Corp (DEC). Early on, he developed a passion to build great hardware and understand how data got stored. Years later, Alex ended up at Apple focusing on the small and medium business needs for easy to manage mass storage. He tells a great story about Apple giving him the go ahead to change the world with Xserve RAID. Today, Alex carries his years of experience with elegant, easy to manage storage into his new company, Symply, Inc. Alex told me one amazing story after another.
How to Display Calories or kJ on your iPhone/Apple Watch Health Apps
When monitoring your health and fitness, the Apple Watch and iPhone both have ways of setting your preference for either Calories or kilojoules (kJ) burned. Here’s a Quick Tip on how change the preference.
What We've Learned About Apple's New File System, APFS
It wasn’t discussed in the WWDC keynote. But Apple’s has been developing a new file system for all its devices called Apple File System. It’s been a hot topic of discussion over the last week. Here are some of the notable things we’ve learned since the first day of WWDC along with some context.
Lynktec Takes its Apex Fusion Electronic Stylus to the Next Level
Lynktec has continued to evolve the Apex line of electronic styluses. In late May, the company released a sleek, new version called the Apex Fusion. It's slimmer, better looking, and is available in black, silver, gold and rose gold. It's drop-dead gorgeous and features a fine point for accurate drawing and a rechargeable battery. Those…
Apple Adds Smart, Interoperable Features to macOS Sierra
Ever since the release of OS X El Capitan, there was some mild concern in the Apple community. If El Capitan was a bug fix and stability release, would Apple revert to its old ways, in the next release, and return the the evils of a massive set of questionable features that would introduce new…
OtterBox Hybrid Case For iPad Pro 12.9: Folio & Drop Protection With a Slender Design
The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 is a large piece of iPad hardware, larger than we've been accustomed to in the past. A good case for it has to meet many expectations. It has to protect, yet be light. It has to accomodate all the iPad Pro technology, including the Apple Pencil. It has to be…
OtterBox Hybrid Case For iPad Pro 12.9: Folio & Drop Protection With a Slender Design
The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 is a large piece of iPad hardware, larger than we've been accustomed to in the past. A good case for it has to meet many expectations. It has to protect, yet be light. It has to accomodate all the iPad Pro technology, including the Apple Pencil. It has to be…
OtterBox Hybrid Case For iPad Pro 12.9: Folio & Drop Protection With a Slender Design
The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 is a large piece of iPad hardware, larger than we've been accustomed to in the past. A good case for it has to meet many expectations. It has to protect, yet be light. It has to accomodate all the iPad Pro technology, including the Apple Pencil. It has to be…
OS X: Single or Double-click in Dock to Change Spaces
Mission Control Previously, I've written about a nice keyboard shortcut to manually change OS X Spaces quickly. That's optional, but a good tip as well. Also, if you're rusty on OS X Spaces, here's a tutorial. Even though I use a large Hewlett-Packard display, I still don't have enough room to display all the apps…
2013 Mac Pro Freezes Continue - Owners Have Little Recourse - Apple is Helpless
____________________________ The Problem The most often reported symptom is a lockup of the Mac Pro with a spinning beach ball. Audio often continues uninterrupted. The user is unable to recover control of the Mac Pro by any keyboard action, and holding down the power button until the Mac shuts down is necessary. Upon power up,…
It Could Happen - Universally Autonomous Cars Could Fail in the Marketplace
There's been a lot of discussion lately about autonomous car technology. We've seen a lot of testing going on, and there's a certain amount of buzz about the technology because it just seems so cool. See: “Self-driving Chevy Bolt arrives in San Francisco.” However, there are many questions to be asked and cultural issues that…
The Display You've Always Wanted For Your Mac: HP Z34c
1. Introduction Regular readers here know that I have been on a crusade for the ultimate (or at least an excellent) display for my 2013 Mac Pro. My quest started when I left my 2010 27-inch iMac behind. The new Mac Pro acquired in the summer of 2014 needed a proper display or pair of…
The iTunes App is Too Big and Needs to Fail
There are several problems here. There's a definite movement by Apple's customers away from purchasing and towards streaming music. While the article facts may be in question, you can see for yourself the projected trend in music downloads. Managing and backing up a music library in itself is a chore. iTunes bugs and opacity into…
The Explosion of Video Entertainment is Taking Us Into a Zombie State
There was a time, perhaps 20 years ago, when our computers didn't have a lot of supporting infrastructure. We knew they were powerful tools, and there was a sense that they would become instrumental in our lives. But lacking the Internet and modern video capabilities, we were left with the idea that as we prepared…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
How Can Apple Possibly Compete with the Tesla Model 3?
Image credit: Reuters, Tesla The lower price is enabled by economies of scale. Reuters reports: Tesla says scale from the massive facility [nearing completion in Nevada] will cut the cost of its battery pack by 30 percent to enable the lower-priced vehicle. A boatload of people stood in line yesterday to pre-order, coughing up $1,000…
How to Check the Battery Charge on a 4G Apple TV Siri Remote
If your Siri remote has enough charge left to operate, you can check the battery level by going to the Apple TV Settings app and selecting “Remotes and Devices” > Remote. Here's the visual sequence… Leads to… Leads to… I think it would have been a nice touch if Apple had included a few color-keyed…
How to Use Heresy to Ignite Apple's Mac Sales
________________________ Several things got me thinking about this idea. Of course, as always, I present it as food for thought. It makes no sense to insist that this is something Apple must do. They probably won't. But consider…. First of all, during each Apple earnings report, Tim Cook notes the fact that PC sales are…