Control-clicking a document to see the Open With contextual menu is a handy way to choose exactly which app you use to open a PDF, JPG, or any other file. OS X has a problem, however, where duplicate apps can show up and make the list grow longer and longer. You can fix that issue…
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
Samsung Unveils Passbook, er, Wallet
Samsung showed off its latest innovation for its Android OS-based smartphone lineup on Wednesday: An app that manages movie tickets, boarding passes and more, and bears more than a striking resemblance to Apple's Passbook. The app, dubbed Wallet, even relies on barcodes instead of NFC technology, just like Apple's Passbook. Wallet was unveiled during the…
iOS Kindle Update Deletes Stored Books
Amazon is warning its iPhone, iPad and iPod touch Kindle app users to skip the version 3.6.1 update because it deletes purchases from the app. Users that already installed the update can re-download their missing ebooks, and the company said a new update is on the way. Amazon's latest Kindle update clears ioS user's library…
Disabling Java in Your Web Browser
Java has been showing its security flaws a lot lately, pushing some OS X users to remove the platform from their Macs. Killing Java outright is great for some Mac users, but there are plenty that need it for apps like Photoshop and InDesign, so simply disabling it in your Web browser is a nice…
Judge Sides with Einhorn in Apple Stock Lawsuit
The Judge overseeing David Einhorn and Greenlight Capital's lawsuit against Apple over a proposal to allow shareholder voting on preferred stock options ruled on Tuesday that bundling together three issues into a single vote may violate U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules. Judge Richard Sullivan, however, stopped short of saying Apple proposal would cause irreparable…
Adobe to Patch Zero Day PDF Security Threat this Week
Adobe has acknowledged reports of an active security threat in Adobe Reader and Acrobat XI 11.0.1 and earlier that's being already being exploited by hackers, and plans to release emergency updates some time this week to patch the flaws. The exploit is highly sophisticated on the level of espionage cyber attacks, according to security research…
iOS Passcode Bug Fix Apparently Coming Next Week
A report surfaced Friday morning claiming Apple plans to release iOS 6.1.2 early next week with a fix for the passcode bug that gives access to a locked iPhone through a series of taps and swipes. The update will apparently also include a promised fix for a Microsoft Exchange-related issue that's causing fast battery drain.…
Apple Appeals iPhone Trademark Ruling in Brazil
Apple has filed an appeal in Brazil over a ruling that awarded the iPhone name to electronics maker Gradiente. The Brazilian company filed a trademark on the name about 10 years ago, and in December 2012 began selling its own iPhone-named smartphone running Google's Android OS. Apple appeals iPhone trademark ruling in Brazil Gradiente now…
Parallels Brings Mac Management to Microsoft System Center
Parallels unveiled its new Parallels Management plug-in for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager on Tuesday. The plug-in lets Microsoft-based IT departments manage the Macs and Parallels virtual machines on their networks without investing in additional hardware. Parallels Management adds Mac management to Microsoft's SCCM Parallels Management can auto-discover all of the Macs on a network,…
U.S. Kills Unauthorized Mobile Phone Unlocks
A change to the Digital Millenium Copyright Act means that come Saturday some smartphone owners will be considered criminals if they unlock their mobile device without carrier authorization. Once the new DMCA interpretation goes into effect, mobile devices purchased on or after January 26 must be unlocked for use on other carriers through official channels…
Pebble Watch Finally Shipping in Limited Capacity
As promised, Pebble began shipping its iPhone-connected watch on Wednesday, but in a very limited capacity. Only about 500 units are on their way to early Kickstarter backers, and only the black model is being manufactured right now. Palettes (or at least a palette) of Pebble watches are finally shipping The company promised during a…
Cook on Product Cannibalization: Don't Worry, Be Happy
Apple is facing the prospect of cannibalizing its own product sales, which has some analysts worried. Company CEO Tim Cook, however, doesn't see that as a problem and instead welcomes the idea. iPad sales may be cannibalizing other Apple products & that's OK When asked by BOA Merrill Lynch analyst Scott Craig about iPhone and…
Apple Dumps "Scotty Principle" for Financial Guidance
Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer raised a few eyebrows during the company's first fiscal quarter earnings conference call when he announced the company was changing how it offered guidance to what he said would be less conservative. The implication was that Apple had been under promising and over delivering, or in other words, employing the Scotty…
Steve Jobs Threatened Patent Lawsuits to Stop Employee Poaching
Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs apparently threatened Palm with patent lawsuits as a ploy to deter the company from luring away employees. The revelation came during a hearing for a class action lawsuit against Apple, Google, and Intel from tech industry workers alleging the companies agreed to not poach employees from each other. Ed Colligan,…
Suspect in Jobs Burglary Sentenced to 7 Years in Jail
Kariem McFarlin has been slapped with a seven year prison sentence for burglarizing several California homes including that of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Mr. McFarlin broke into the Jobs house in July 2012 and took several items, including Apple products that were used to track him down. Image credit: Santa Clara County Mr. McFarlin…
Analyst Sets Q1 iPhone Sales at 48M, iPad at 20M
When Apple announces its first fiscal quarter earnings for 2013 on January 23, Wells Fargo's Maynard Um expects the company to report selling 48 million iPhones and 20.2 million iPads. iPhone sales would've been even higher, according to his estimates, had cell service providers offered more flexible upgrade options for existing subscribers. Maynard Um predicts…
Analyst: Don't Worry, AAPL is Rebounding
Market analyst Tom DeMark isn't worried about the big drop in Apple's stock price, and even expected it. He also expects the iPhone and iPad maker's stock will rebound, at it appears it's already on the way back up. DeMark: Apple's stock isn't tanking Apple's stock dropped sharply following rumors that iPhone sales are weaker…
Analyst: Apple's 65M iPhone Figure was Unrealistic
Following news that Apple apparently cut its iPhone 5 parts orders by 50 percent from 65 million units for the March quarter, Wells Fargo analyst Maynard Um is advising investors to take a deep breath. He thinks the 65 million unit figure wasn't ever realistic and that Apple's parts orders are now more in line…
Third Party Lightning Accessories Arrive in Apple Stores
The wait is over for iPhone 5 owners hoping to walk into an Apple Store and buy third party accessories that are compatible with the smartphone's new Lightning connector. So far, only car chargers are available, but other compatible accessories are likely coming soon. Lightning-compatible car chargers now in Apple retail stores Lightning-compatible accessories with…
Internet Visionary Aaron Swartz Dies at 26
Image credit: Fred Benenson Aaron Swartz, one of the brilliant minds behind RSS and an Internet activist pushing for open access to public government and academic documents, took his own life on Friday at the age of 26. Mr. Swartz was facing the possibility of up to 50 years in jail on Federal charges for…
From Kickstarter to CES: The Pebble Success Story
LAS VEGAS – The Pebble team is living the startup dream. They unveiled their iPhone and Android-connected smartwatch on Kickstarter and quickly sold 85,000 units, have commitments from customers for thousands more, and just hosted their fist ever press event at CES. Despite delays that forced the company to push the watch's launch out be…
LEGO Announces iPhone-compatible Mindstorms EV3 Kit
Las Vegas — LEGO unveiled its new Mindstorms EV3 DIY robot kit at CES in Las Vegas on Monday. The kit's EV3 Intelligent Brick “brain” can be controlled through an iPhone, ending the lineup's requirement for a PC. LEGO Mindstorms EV3 is programmable from your iPhone The EV3 Intelligent Brick includes 64GB RAM, and SD…
Withings Intros New Connected Scale, Health Tracker
Las Vegas — Withings unveiled two new products in its personal health and fitness monitoring lineup at CES in Las Vegas on Sunday. The Smart Body Analyzer is a smart scale that tracks your weight, heart rate and air quality, and the Smart Activity Tracker logs your daily steps and other activities. Both connect wirelessly…
Analyst: Samsung to Grow, iPhone Goes Mini
Samsung's global smartphone sales are set to climb 35 percent in 2013, according to Strategy Analytics, and Apple's response will be the long-rumored iPhone mini. Samsung is expected to hold 33 percent of the world's smartphone market this year, compared to Apple's 21 percent and a less expensive iPhone model could help Apple keep that…