On May 19th, the Apple Retail Store celebrates its tenth anniversary. Here’s a look back at the unlikely success Apple has enjoyed with its brick-and-mortar stores, and at where we might expect that success to lead future retail endeavors made by the company. Read more »
Most of the time what I say on iChat is unimportant and would bore any eavesdropper, but on occasion I need to communicate some sensitive info, and I feel uncomfortable doing that over an unsecured connection. Luckily, with MobileMe there’s a way to make it secure. Read more »
Apple is looking to start production of new MacBook Airs in late May, in preparation for a product launch in June or July, according to Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes. The new Air would feature Intel Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt ports, according to reports. Read more »
In a disc-less age, what is a disk burning platform to do besides re-invent itself? The challenge is which way to steer your product. In the case of Roxio and its market-leading disc burning tool Toast, that direction points down two different paths. Read more »
Twitter for Mac got an update Thursday morning that brings some significant changes to the official client. Many of the changes actually represent changes back to an earlier time early on in the life of the official Twitter app, when it was known as Tweetie. Read more »
Instagram has yet to officially crossover to any platform other than the iPhone, but that hasn’t stopped third-party developers from trying to fill the gaps. One app that does just that is Mobelux’s Carousel, a new Mac program that brings your Instagram stream to the desktop. Read more »
Karelia Software released Sandvox 2.0 Tuesday, a major upgrade to its website building software for the Mac. I had a chance to get a walkthrough of the new release from Dan Wood, president of Karelia Software, and the new capabilities are impressive. Read more »
With MacBooks getting closer and closer to desktop performance, some may find themselves in need of a docking station. PC docks abound, but there are few Mac options. One of those options is the Henge Dock. These docking stations are designed for MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Read more »
Apple executives told Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty that Apple “generally views product cycles as software driven.” Huberty met with Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer, SVP of Retail Ron Johnson and VP of Internet Services Eddy Cue Wednesday to discuss the company’s future outlook. Read more »
In light of recent events regarding the security of online password managers, it’s worth a look at some of the alternatives out there, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Here’s a look at the three best iPhone, iPad and Mac password managers money can buy. Read more »
Apple just released its new iMacs, and I ordered the stock, entry-level, 27-inch configuration to replace my main work computer, a late 2008 20-inch iMac. It arrived today, so I recorded my unboxing and early hands-on experience with the computer. Bottom line: it’s a beast. Read more »
Among those who have tried OS X Lion for the first time, there is near universal dismay at the “reverse scrolling” behavior in the Apple-provided applications. It’s a big change in the way we use computers, but has the scrollbar’s time passed? Read more »
Apple’s iOS (software and devices) is responsible for about 75 percent of Apple’s profits as of last quarter, while OS X is responsible for only about 20 percent, according to a new report from market intelligence firm Asymco. Still, the Mac is doing better than ever. Read more »
Apple proved today that it is firmly behind Thunderbolt as a standard for the future of Mac computing with its new iMacs. Some are hailing it as the FireWire replacement, but here are five reasons why Thunderbolt is actually a much bigger deal than that. Read more »
Considering purchasing a new iMac? Here’s a look at what the new models can do, compared to the previous generation, as per Apple in a call Tuesday morning with GigaOM. The key takeaway here is that these new iMacs are very, very fast. Read more »
The dual Thunderbolt ports on the 27-inch iMac are very exciting. Not only because it provides a lot of potential I/O transfer power, but more importantly because it also allows the new iMac to output to two external monitors simultaneously, Apple confirmed to me this morning. Read more »
The online Apple Store went down Tuesday morning, and when it came back, new iMacs came with it. As rumored, the latest revision to Apple’s all-in-one desktop computer brings second generation quad-core Sandy Bridge processors, the new Thunderbolt I/O port, and more. Read more »
Rumor has it we’ll see refreshed Apple iMacs as soon as Tuesday, May 3, including new Intel Sandy Bridge processors and new Thunderbolt ports. Even if the iMac isn’t something you’re terribly interested in, this is a release that all Apple-watchers should be excited about. Read more »
Come WWDC in June, we’ll likely see OS X Lion changing status from preview to official public release. That makes May a good time to look at the April report on OS market share from web-analytics firm Net Applications for some perspective on Snow Leopard. Read more »
There will come a time when you realize that you want to get something off of your iPhone, and yet you don’t have access to the Mac your normally sync with, or your Mac’s HD has failed. Don’t worry, you can still reach your iPhone’s data. Read more »
In my recent post about pairing SSD and HDD storage in a Mac, I used a little-known command line feature to redirect some of my user folders between the drives. I’m talking about symlinks, which can be a very powerful tool for Mac users. Read more »
Apple may be readying high res or “Retina” display Mac computers, according to resources discovered in the latest build of OS X Lion. The discovery of new larger wallpaper and high-res icons indicates Apple may be planning to double the resolution of current Mac displays. Read more »
While this week many people are searching for Easter Eggs or the Afikoman, here are 10 hidden settings you can find in your Mac apps and OS X. These are all small changes you can make that make using the applications and the system slightly better. Read more »
One of the biggest changes that came as a result of the introduction of the iPad and iPhone was in the way developers design and develop software. And this change appears to have a much farther reaching impact than you might have imagined. Read more »
Hunch.com offers a great visual snapshot of Mac users and their PC counterparts over on the site’s blog today. As you can see for yourself below, at least a good portion of the results are pretty much in keeping with prevailing stereotypes. Read more »
Coming in below expectations on iPads, down on iPod sales, but up big on iPhones and Macs, Apple announced record second quarter earnings today. Apple reported earnings revenue of $24.67 billion and a net quarterly profit of $5.99 billion, or $6.40 earnings per share. Read more »
If you have access to a server, FileShuttle is a free app for the Mac that makes sharing files, images and text a snap. Add your server’s FTP details, and uploading files is simply a matter of dragging them onto the FileShuttle icon in the dock. Read more »
Those of you out there with a vinyl collection may at some point want to preserve your collection digitally. I set out to capture the highest quality music my Mac Pro could provide. Here’s how I create 24bit 96kHz Apple Lossless files from my albums. Read more »
A lot of the time when you connect an external display to a Mac notebook, you’ll want to continue working on the large display and close the lid of the laptop. Here is a step-by-step guide to getting that working right every time. Read more »
With Apple announcing earnings next Wednesday, it’s bound to be good news for stockholders. But it’s good time to look at what that means for consumers, too. Could the earnings call provide hints about the future of Apple’s hardware and software plans? Read more »
Apple introduced Final Cut Pro X, the latest version of its professional video editing software, at the NAB conference Tuesday night. This new version replaces Final Cut Pro 7, and will be available for download via the Mac App Store for $299 beginning in June. Read more »
The first step post-capture in any digital photography workflow is getting the frames into your editing program. I like Aperture, because it’s powerful, cheap, easy to learn and easy to install from the Mac App Store. Here’s how to manage your photo importing using Aperture. Read more »
iChat is a great little chat client, especially considering it’s included in OS X. However, a common complaint is that it doesn’t support IM networks such as MSN or Facebook chat. Here’s a way to chat to friends on networks which aren’t technically supported by iChat. Read more »
As mobile apps become more sophisticated, they can be preferable over their desktop counterparts: fully functional, but faster and easier to use. Two major computer makers recognize what this means: the potential for huge disruption through a subtle merger of traditional desktop computing and mobile platforms. Read more »
You can lock down your devices, but that doesn’t mean your network is safe. There are some features of Apple’s AirPort networking technology that, if used properly, provide ample security for most households. The process is time-consuming, but it could pay off in the long run. Read more »
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a new patent that describes a system by which Spaces, Apple’s system for operating multiple independent desktops on one computer, might be brought to the iPad. Could this be a preview of the merger of iOS and OS X? Read more »
Today is Worldwide Backup Day, when we celebrate taking precautions so as not to lose data. The best backup strategies take a layered approach to provide different levels of protection. I’m going to focus on three layers for protecting your Mac: online, nearline, and offsite backups. Read more »
Apple made available a new update of Mac OS X Lion to developers late Wednesday. This is the second version of Lion to be released to registered Mac developers for testing. The new version is build 11A419, and presumably brings additional stability to Apple’s new OS. Read more »
Wouldn’t it be great if the movie would simply start playing as soon as the DVD was inserted? That’s exactly what remastering a DVD can do for you, allowing you to bypass all the trailers, menu choices and other things that prevent instant movie gratification. Read more »
Apple released its latest update for OS X, 10.6.7. The relatively minor software update for Snow Leopard brings bug fixes and general maintenance updates for a number of system components, and addresses issues with the Mac App Store, which shipped with OS X 10.6.6 in January. Read more »
