______________________ When the original iPad came out in 2010, its was after there had been a lot of discussion about how a tablet would fit in between a notebook computer and an iPhone. Some thought there was no room, but then they were proved wrong. The tablet concept, as instantiated by Apple, was so brilliant,…
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Just How Does Apple Make its OSes so Desirable?
______________________________ In the days of the PC wars, in the early 1990s, Apple struggled mightily against Windows with a superior OS. But then Microsoft made a giant leap forward with Windows NT in the early-mid 1990s, leaving the technically inferior Mac OS in the dust. To make a long story short, that we know well,…
Digital Content: How to Avoid Paying for Everything
___________________________ The idea must be that if enough content is thrown out there, things like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, and a couple of million iOS and Android apps, people will just keep buying stuff and corresponding revenues will rise. The guiding principle I've always used to fight this assault is Sturgeon's Law. That is,…
Power Practical's Lithium 4400 Is a Battery Charger and Lantern
The Lithium 4400 Battery Bank is a handy, hand-size rechargeable battery from Power Practical. It also provides a white LED lantern with the flick of a switch. Lithium 4400 battery charger It charges an iPhone up to three times between charges and on average it can charge a smartphone in 60-90 minutes. Included with the…
Samsung Delay Tactics: Beyond Reason
Apple called out Samsung in court for over the top delay tactics Apple was handed a major win in August 2012 when a Federal Jury returned a verdict that Samsung was infringing on a long list of mobile device patents while at the same time finding that Apple wasn't infringing on any of Samsung's patents.…
How to Manage and Troubleshoot Touch ID on iPhone 5s
As of this writing, the iPhone 5s is the first iOS device that supports Apple’s new fingerprint identity sensor called Touch ID. With this novel approach to data access via biometrics, getting into your phone couldn't be faster and easier. Now that iPhone has been on the market for over six years, it comes as…
iPhoto 9.5 for OS X Shows Little Change but Still Shines
iPhoto is Apple's easy-to-use but essential and free photo browser, manager and editor. iPhoto helps you easily manage and edit your digital photos in exciting ways. You can easily share your favorite memories with family and friends. iPhoto has been with us a long time – since 2002, in fact. As part of the iLife…
How to Manage Your iOS Device Backups
Backups – some of us love them, many of us love to hate them, a good number of us don’t even bother. The fact is, most typical personal computer users (including those who use smartphones and tablets) are unclear about their own data backup status or consciously choose not to back up. Happily, with a…
Hackers Work Around iPhone 5s Touch ID Security
The iPhone 5s has been available for only three days and already a group has found a way to bypass the smartphone's Touch ID fingerprint-based authentication system. The group concocted an elaborate system to replicate a fingerprint that's associated with a particular iPhone 5s, and the hack requires physical access to the device. Apple's Touch…
iOS 7: Far More than Another Pretty Face
You know when someone says they remodeled and you show up expecting to see a fresh coat of paint and a new rocker chair from Ikea, but instead find a new kitchen, hardwood floors instead of shag carpet, and a bathroom with a heated floor that's been enlarged to take up that old spare bedroom?…
iPhone 5s: It Doesn't Make Sense to Steal Your Finger
The iPhone 5s includes Touch ID, Apple's new fingerprint recognition technology. You can use it to unlock your iPhone and authenticate for iTunes Store payments, but Touch ID is raising concerns that criminals will now cut off your finger when they steal your shiny new iPhone. The crooks that want your iPhone are better off…
Just Mobile's Gum++ Battery Charger Is Small And Solid
Just Mobile has added to its line of battery chargers with the introduction of the Gum++. This charger, which offers a 6000 mAh battery capacity, is encased in a glossy, “hard-wearing” ABS plastic shell and is available in black, silver and white. Gum++ battery charger The battery will recharge a smartphone up to three times on…
Canaccord Raises AAPL Target on iPhone 5s Expectations
Following the introduction of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley raised his target price for Apple's stock from US$530 up to $550. Mr. Walkley thinks Apple's aggressive rollout plans, plus the strong feature set on the iPhone 5s will drive up revenue during the holiday buying season. Canaccord Genuity: iPhone…
Which Media Event is More Important to Apple: USA or China?
Apple's dual media events—one in Cupertino and one in China—start on Tuesday. Most speculation has focused on what Apple will announce. The iPhone 5S and 5C? Yes. New Apple TV features? Likely. iTunes Radio? Duh. iOS 7? Double duh. A distribution deal with China Mobile and Japan's DoCoMo? Hopefully and maybe, in that order. Forget…
How to Check Your iPhone Upgrade Eligibility (Verizon)
With Apple's formally announced Media Event on September 10, the expectation is that Apple will be announcing one or more new iPhones. Here's a handy guide to help you determine if your current iPhone is eligible for an upgrade with Verizon. Method #1. Perhaps the easiest way to check is to call the number #874…
How to Check Your iPhone Upgrade Eligibility (AT&T)
With Apple's formally announced media event on September 10, the expectation is that Apple will be announcing one or more new iPhones. Here's a handy guide to help you determine if your current iPhone is eligible for an upgrade with AT&T. ______________________ Method #1. Perhaps the easiest way to check is to call the number…
Why Apple Will Deliver BOTH an HDTV and a Set-top Box
For a long time now, we've heard rumors that say Apple's new TV product will be a conventional HDTV with a 50 to 60-inch display. Other sources insist that it will be a next generation Apple TV set-top box and that competing in the cut-throat HDTV business makes no sense. However, there is an argument…
The Source of Craving for Apple's Next BIG Thing
“It is not so important to be serious as it is to be serious about the important things. The monkey wears an expression of seriousness which would do credit to any college student, but the monkey is serious because he itches.” — Robert M. Hutchins ________________________________ It's our technical life and times. A surfeit of…
Samsung EU Patent Abuse Settlement Talks Highlight Role of SEPs
South Korean electronics giant Samsung is in talks with European Union regulators to settle patent abuse charges. The EU charged that Samsung violated EU antitrust rules when it tried to win injunctions against Apple using standards-essential patents. The European Commission launched its complaint against Samsung in December of 2012. Unnamed sources told Reuters that Samsung…
How to Manage Your iPhone Cellular & Wi-Fi Usage While Traveling Abroad
Turning on Airplane Mode will generate a recognizable symbol in the Status BarTurning on Airplane Mode will generate a recognizable symbol in the Status Bar Our readers are a smart lot, and I suspect that most who delight in using their iPhones understand the difference between Cellular and Wi-Fi communications. Let's face it, though, there…
Kevin Hoctor at WWDC: People Need a Great Money App; I Made One
Each year at WWDC, TMO interviews a few Apple developers who want to tell their story. The result is usually a number of serious insights into the state of mind of the developer community. In our sixth interview, Dave Hamilton chats with Kevin Hoctor, creator of MoneyWell for Mac and iOS. _________________________________ Dave Hamilton: I’m…
Bruno Virlet at WWDC: Apple is Taking a Big Risk with iOS 7
Each year at WWDC, TMO interviews a few Apple developers who want to tell their story. The result is usually a number of serious insights into the state of mind of the developer community. In our fourth interview, Dave Hamilton chats with Bruno Virlet of The Grizzly Labs. _________________________________ Dave Hamilton: I’m here with Bruno…
Q Branch Triggers Release of Vesper, iOS App for Ideas
You have lots to do each day, and that's what lists and To Do apps are for. But when you get that brilliant bolt from the blue, or two, it needs a special place to hibernate while you fill in the details. Vesper does that with grace, focus, and simplicity. Vesper, named after the character…
How to Manage Your Photos When Traveling with an iPhone & iPad
I recently enjoyed an all too brief two-week vacation to my native Italy. Normally, I like going once every year or two. But this time, I let the years slip by; the last visit being in 2007, a month before the original iPhone was released into the wild. This time, I wanted to do something…