Mr. Blair expects Apple to start production some time in July or August, and will build between 18 million and 21 million before the end of 2014, according to Business Insider. Apple hasn't done anything to confirm or deny that it is working on wearable tech gera for our wrists, although CEO Tim Cook has…
Jeff Gamet
Jeff Gamet is the Mac Observer’s Managing Editor, and co-host of the Apple Context Machine podcast. He is the author of “The Designer’s Guide to Mac OS X” from Peachpit Press, and writes for several design-related publications. Jeff has presented at events such as Macworld Expo, the RSA Conference, and the Mac Computer Expo. In all his spare time, he also hosts TMO’s Daily Observations podcast, co-hosts The iOS Show podcast, and makes guest appearances on several other shows, too. Jeff dreams in HD.
Articles by Jeff Gamet
Hands Off: Apple Blocks Female Masturbation App from iPhone
Sexual content is OK for Apple's App Store, but not masturbation HappyPlayTime built an iPhone app designed to teach women masturbation techniques and remove the stigma against taking matters into your own hands, but wasn't able to get through Apple's app review process. The company called the app an educational game, but the content apparently…
Unhiding Your Mac's Users Directory
Apple hid the Users directory with its iTunes 11.2 update… The Users directory is where the Home folders live for every user on your Mac. You can show your own Home directory in the sidebar for Finder windows, which does give you quick access to your own files. If you need to see your complete…
Adobe Creative Cloud Conks Out Around the World
Adobe Creative Cloud service failure impacting users around the world Creative Cloud is the subscription service Adobe introduced to replace the traditional perpetual license system it previously used to sell Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and its other design apps. With the Creative Cloud model, users download the apps they need — except for now because…
Switching from iPhone? Don't Expect Your Text Messages to Follow You
iMessage bug may eat text messages after you switch from iPhone to a different smartphone The problem crops up after switching from an iPhone to an Android phone if you also used Apple's iMessage service. Your phone number apparently doesn't unlink from iMessage, so texts from your iPhone using friends simply disappear into the ether,…
Rumor Claims iPad to get Split Screen View in iOS 8
iOS 8 may bring split screen app view to the iPad Users may be able to drag content between apps in split screen view, according to 9to5 Mac's unnamed sources, although developers will need to update their apps to take advantage of the new split screen features. If so, third party developers may finally be…
Yahoo Reverses Stance, Won't Honor Browser Do Not Track Requests
Yahoo to users: No more Do Not Track for you Yahoo said it decided to stop honoring DNT settings in Web browsers, even though it had been in support of the option for the past couple years, because there aren't any real standards governing the setting. The Internet search company said the change will also give…
Swatch Wound Up over Apple's iWatch Name, Files Formal Complaints
Swatch wants Apple to ditch iWatch name iWatch is the name Apple is expected to use for its still unconfirmed smartwatch device. The company has registered the name in several countries, although it hasn't officially said the device is coming or what it will be called. Simply registering the name was enough to get the…
Short Work Week: Angela Ahrendts First Day at Apple
Apple announced Ms. Ahrendts would be the company's new retail VP last October with the promise that she would start her new job this spring after transitioning Christopher Baily in as Burberry's new CEO. She has been credited with turning around Burberry's success in the Asian market, and she will likely be tasked with improving…
1Password Adds Watchtower Website Security Monitoring
1Password 4 adds Watchtower website security monitoring Watchtower is off by default, so you'll need to pay a visit to 1Password's preferences to enable it. Once active, it downloads a database to cross reference against your logins and adds a red alert bar to entries for potential problem sites. Agile Bits says all checking is…
Apple Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over iOS 7 WiFi Issues
Owners of older iPhone models sue Apple over iOS 7 feature issues The lawsuit focuses on an issue where the iPhone's WiFi settings are greyed out and disabled so users can't join wireless networks. Without WiFi, the plaintiffs say, they can't perform iCloud backups or install software updates, and they're forced to use their cell…
Microsoft Internet Explorer Zero Day Exploit Threatens 26% of Web Users
Use Internet Explorer? There's a security flaw for that. Microsoft described the issue in a security alert saying, The vulnerability exists in the way that Internet Explorer accesses an object in memory that has been deleted or has not been properly allocated. The vulnerability may corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker…
California Rejects Smartphone Kill Switch Bill
California's smartphone kill switch bill is dead for now The vote was close, according to CNET, with 19 legislators in favor and 17 against. While there were more votes in favor of passing the bill, California requires a minimun of 21 votes, leaving proponents two votes short of the majority they needed. The now defeated…
AAPL Expands Dividend Program to $130B, Announces 7-to-1 Stock Split
The company bumped up its quarterly dividend for shareholders by about 8 percent with a per share payout of $3.29. The new dividend will be paid on May 15 for shares held on May 12. Apple also said in a statement, “The Company also plans to increase its dividend on an annual basis. With annual…
Judge Denies Rockstar Consortium's Bid to Move Google Patent Fight to Troll Town
Rockstar misses out on moving Google patent counter case to Eastern Texas The patent holding company filed its infringement suit in U.S. District Court in Eastern Texas, and Google countered by filing a patent invalidation suit in California. Rockstar Consortium then petitioned the court to move Google's suit to Texas, but District Court Judge Claudia…
Heartbleed Update: OpenVPN isn't Safe, Either
If your VPN server uses OpenSSL, like OPenVPN, it's a heart bleed target OpenSSL is a system for encrypting communication between your computer and Internet servers. Heartbleed takes advantage of a code flaw in OpenSSL to trick the server into transmitting random parts of its own memory. Since that memory can include the secret keys…
Analyst: Apple wants $100 iPhone Price Increase
Jeffries analyst Peter Misek says Apple is going to charge $100 more for the iPhone 6 Mr. Misek said the lack of differentiation among other smartphones is an achilles heel Apple can exploit, and that carriers will feel they have to offer the iPhone or risk losing customers. According to Street Insider he said, We…
3 More Tips for Protecting Yourself from Heartbleed
Not sure how to deal with the heart bleed OpenSSL bug? We have more tips for you. SSL Server Test The heartbleed bug takes advantage of a code flaw in OpenSSL that could let the less than savory Internet citizens get ahold of the server keys that keep your personal information — such as passwords…
Analyst: Don't Look for Apple's Custom Baseband Chips this Year
Apple may be designing its own baseband chips for future iPhones The baseband chip handles the wireless communication between smartphones and cell service providers. In essence, it's like a little radio packed inside your iPhone that knows exactly with frequencies cell companies use for voice and wireless data communication. Rumors claim Apple has been working…
Amazon Goes Deep into the Comics Game with ComiXology Purchase
Holy comic books! Amazon to buy ComiXology ComiXology is the go-to app on the iPad for digital versions of comic books with a wide library of current and back issues available. Comics can be read online via your Web browser, and it also offers an iPad app for reading on the go — arguably a…
Analyst: iWatch Sensor to Protect You from Sunburn
Analyst thinks iWatch will include a UV sensor In a note to investors, he said, Silicon Labs recently announced a family of products featuring the industry's first digital ultraviolet index sensors. These chips measure UV exposure to aid those with elevated risk of sunburn or just a general concern about excessive sun exposure, and we…
Dealing with Heartbleed: What You Need to Know
Heartbleed potentially exposes server encryption keys What is Heartbleed? Heartbleed is a code flaw in OpenSSL's hearbeat function that lets hackers trick a server into handing over its private encryption keys. With those keys in hand, hackers can decrypt information that's passing between servers and user's computers without any detection. They can also potentially use…
Judge Cote Gives Apple Ebook Antitrust Case Class Action Status
Consumer antitrust ebook case against Apple wins class action status The plaintiffs in the case claim they suffered some level of harm because they had to pay higher prices for ebooks the purchased, and Judge Cote felt their arguments met the legal burden to qualify as a class action lawsuit. “This is a paradigmatic antitrust…
Former Democratic Staff Director Now Lobbies for Apple
Amber Cottle, Apple's new lobbyist Image Credit: Forbes Ms. Cottle's experience and connections will come in handy for Apple considering the company has become more vocal in Washington. The company openly supports corporate tax reform, CEO Tim Cook has even met with President Barak Obama to discuss online privacy and NSA surveillance. Apple also recently…