Apple is ready for iOS 4.2 appsiOS 4.2 was first shown off during an Apple media event on September 1st with the promise of a November release. The update will bring multitasking, app folders, and other improvements in iOS 4 to the iPad, and it will also introduce AirPrint to both iPhone, iPad, and iPod…
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
SmartBackup Update Improves WebDAV Support
The 3.1 update also improved handling of locked files when archiving and purging, added an option for speeding up analyzation speed by comparing just modification dates, fixed several bugs, and more.SmartBackup 3.1 is priced at US$27 and is available for download at the SmartBackup Web site.
HyperMac Rebranding as HyperJuice in Apple Patent Battle
Apple filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Sanho, the maker of HyperMac portable battery chargers, in late September. According to the filing, the HyperMac product line infringes on six different patents related to Apple’s MagSafe charger connector, the iPod and iPhone dock connector, and cables.HyperJuice: the new HyperMacThe HyperMac product line included several sizes of…
iPhoto 11 Update Fixes Data Loss Issue
Some users that purchased iLife 11, which includes iPhoto 11, reported that their photos were lost or corrupted when the application tried to update their image library. Just like previous iPhoto releases, the new version requires a different database format, and the application performs the update the first time it’s launched.The iPhoto 11 version 9.0.1…
Analyst: AAPL Lower Margins More than Just New Products
According to Mr. Um, Apple missed analyst expectations thanks in part to product warranties. “Based on our analysis, an ‘over accrual’ of product warranties of about $170 million (warranty accruals increased by $300 million quarter over quarter while warranty claims only increased $131 million) drove 90bps of the margin miss and impacted EPS by $0.18,”…
Apple Releases New Mac Pro Firmware Restoration CD
The Firmware Restoration CD is available as a downloadable disk image at the Apple Support Web site and must be converted to a physical CD before use. Here’s how: After downloading the Firmware Restoration CD disk image, launch Disk Utility. It’s in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder on your Mac’s hard drive. Select…
Verizon iPad/MiFi Bundle Hits Store Shelves
Since the MiFi supports up to four devices at once, users can take advantage of its Internet connection with more than just their iPad. Subscribers don’t need a contract to go along with their MiFi, and 1GB a month plans start at US$20.Apple raised eyebrows earlier in October when word hit that Verizon would start…
TSA: 11.6-inch MacBook Air is Bag-safe
The TSA’s policy kills the notion that electronic devices without hard drives can stay in traveler’s bags since the 13.3-inche version of the MacBook Air has to pass through X-ray machines outside of carryon bags. Like the 11.6-inch MacBook Air, the 13.3-inch model uses flash RAM for data storage instead of a hard drive.The 11.6-inch…
Pegatron Apparently Ramping Up for CDMA iPhone
Jason Chang, Pegatron’s CEO, also said he expects to see a sharp increase in revenue during the first quarter in 2011.Word that Pegatron will start building CDMA iPhones made its way to DigiTimes via parts suppliers, and not from within the company.Apple’s iPhone 4: Is CDMA on the way?Building CDMA-compatible iPhones would let Apple branch…
Hack Overcomes Middle East FaceTime Block
Want FaceTime in blocked regions? Try FaceTime HacktivatorApple blocked FaceTime support in several Middle East regions with the release of iOS 4.1 presumably as a preemptive measure to avoid running into problems with local laws.Since FaceTime Hacktivator requires jailbreaking, or hacking your iPhone to allow the installation of third-party apps that aren’t available through the…
Apple 10-K Filing Warns of Lower Margins
“The company expects its gross margin percentage to decrease in future periods compared to levels achieved during 2010 and anticipates gross margin levels of about 36 percent in the first quarter of 2011,” the report said. “This expected decline is largely due to a higher mix of new and innovative products that have higher cost…
Yahoo! Messenger Adds iPod touch Video Calling
Yahoo! Messenger 2.0.1 also supports video calls on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS, supports voice chats and SMS, supports iOS 4 multitasking, and more.Yahoo! Messenger 2.0.1 is free and is available at Apple’s iTunes-based App Store.
Apple Pushes White iPhone 4 to Spring 2011
The phantom white iPhone 4When Apple unveiled the iPhone 4 the company showed of both black and white versions. By the time the next generation iPhone shipped, however, only the black models were available along with a promise that white models would be available soon.So far, the only explanation Apple has offered for the delay…
Apple Offers Custom iPad Engraving
Pricing for the iPad starts at US$499. Apple is offering free shipping, and orders with engraving will ship within three business days.
China Factory Workers Claim Poisoning from Apple Products
The employees that are suffering from n-hexane exposure have been receiving treatment in Suzhou’s Number Five People’s Hospital for the past six months.Sick workers in China think Apple is to blame.The workers claim they were building products for Apple and even had some of the Apple logos they had been gluing to product cases. Apple,…
Apple Store App Improves Reservations, More
The version 1.1 update added the ability to check in for reservations, add reservations to iCal, request help in Apple retail stores, and more.Apple Store 1.1 is free and is available at Apple’s iTunes-based App Store.
Firefox Plug-in Snatches Facebook, Twitter Account Info
“When logging into a website you usually start by submitting your username and password. The server then checks to see if an account matching this information exists and if so, replies back to you with a ‘cookie’ which is used by your browser for all subsequent requests,” Firesheep developer Eric Butler said on his Web…
Teen Model Sues Apple Over Stolen iPhoto Pics
While Ms. Battino is remaining tight-lipped over how the pics made the jump from her personal iPhoto library into eXtreme Cam Girls, she’s more than happy to express her anger over not getting compensated for the shots.“I was just upset that I’m not being paid for my pictures,” she said. “I’m not embarrassed.”Apple Store guidelines…
Apple Preps for Data Center Launch, Possible Expansion
Local officials claim the data center should go into operation “any day now,” according to Data Center Knowledge. Apple executives have said they planned to bring the facility online before the end of the year, although they haven’t confirmed exactly what the facility’s purpose will be.Even though the data center hasn’t gone into action yet,…
iFixit Strips Down 11.6-inch MacBook Air
Most of the new MacBook Air’s body is filled with six lithium-polymer batteries, leaving just a small space near the back for the tiny circuit board that includes the processor, system memory and solid state storage. This laptop doesn’t have room for an internal hard drive, so Apple when with flash memory, just like the…
Flash Player Missing from New MacBook Air
There’s no word on why Apple chose to leave Flash Player out of the new laptop’s factory software installation, which will no doubt lead to speculation that the company is beginning to distance itself even more from the current Internet media playback standard.The new MacBook Air: Flash-free. Sort of.Flash isn’t supported on Apple’s iOS devices…
Analyst: New MacBook Air Won’t Eat iPad Sales
“We believe the iPad is a ‘magical’ content display device, [but] our experience has been less than stellar when actually trying to create content on it,” Mr. Marshall said. “Enter the hardware refresh… it is our view the updated MacBook Air will be a phenomenal ‘mobile content creating’ device and not cannibalistic with the iPad.”Apple introduced…
Starbucks Launches Digital Network with Yahoo!
Starbucks Digital NetworkStarbucks Digital Network will offer six different “channels” such as health, entertainment and business, along with access to social networking services. To help personalize the service a little more, Starbucks will also offer a local channel that includes Zagat listings, Foursquare’s location-based service, and Yahoo!’s own Patch news service.To help kick off Starbucks…
Microsoft’s Ray Ozzie Calls it Quits
Mr. Ozzie was instrumental in pushing Microsoft into cloud-based services on the Internet. Mr. Ballmer said he “helped catalyze our drive to the cloud.”Microsoft’s Ray OzzieMr. Ozzie will help with the transition as he moves on, and he’ll spend some time “focusing his efforts in the broader area of entertainment where Microsoft has many ongoing…