Jon Brown
The new Mac Pro Tower: Wheels optional
Dual sided Logic Board So happy to see that Apple is going back to its ability to allow users to upgrade and customize their Mac Pro tower experience. There was much much love for the old Cheese Grater style Mac Pro and many are still in use because of their overall upgradeability and customization. Not saying that the Trash Can approach was bad. It was in line with their motto, think different. Coming up with a new and unique approach to power computing. Unfortunately overall extensibility and the lack of...
Jun 3, 2019
Jon Brown
MacOS 10.15 Catalina Releasing this Fall
MacOS Catalina 10.15 Wow things move quickly from year to year. No surprise here. MacOS Catalina brings a whole new level of cool back to the Mac in my honest opinion. I am so happy that Apple has decided to break out iTunes into multiple apps. iTunes back in the day was so awesome, easy to use and simplistic. Now it tends to be a power hungry and semi confusing app to use as its the defacto app for everything. How about that annoying feature that automatically launched iTunes when...
Jun 3, 2019
Jon Brown
Thanks to our wonderful clients for a great 2018
What we learned in 2018 This year was a year of Growth here at Grove Technologies. Our company changed brand, re-defined its core strategy and competency. During this time of transition we learned a lot about what we want to accomplish moving forward and the new direction that we will be moving in. That said I want to thank all of the passionate and amazing clients that trust us with their technology. We are proud to be able to claim that we are helping further many social justice, climate and...
Jan 10, 2019
Jon Brown
Back Up Before Upgrading to Mojave or iOS 12
Back Up Before Upgrading to Mojave or iOS 12! Poll a room of Apple experts about the one topic they can’t stop talking about and many will launch into frustrated rants about how too few people back up. Backups are always important, since you can never predict when your Mac or iPhone will be lost or stolen, melt in a fire, or just break. But one time when backups are especially important is before you upgrade to a major new operating system. If you’re thinking “What could go wrong?” the...
Sep 26, 2018
Jon Brown
Top Features of iOS 12 to Take Advantage of Right Away
Top Features of iOS 12 to Take Advantage of Right Away Feeling left behind because you don’t have the latest iPhone or iPad? Don’t, because Apple has a present for you in the form of iOS 12. The new operating system promises to increase performance, particularly for older devices as far back as the iPhone 5s and iPad Air. But iOS 12 offers more than just a speed boost. Apart from adding fripperies like new animoji, text effects, and camera effects in Messages and FaceTime, iOS 12 helps you use...
Sep 19, 2018
Jon Brown
Seriously Cool Features of macOS 10.14 Mojave You Won’t Want to Miss
Seriously Cool Features of macOS 10.14 Mojave You Won’t Want to Miss With last year’s macOS 10.13 High Sierra, Apple made no sweeping changes, instead focusing on refinements and bug fixes. In keeping with the company’s alternating cycle of releases, this year’s macOS 10.14 Mojave boasts plenty of new features. Dark Mode and Dynamic Desktop In a major visual change, Mojave features a new Dark mode that reverses the standard black-on-white look with light gray text on a dark background throughout the interface—change it in System Preferences > General. If...
Sep 11, 2018
Jon Brown
When Should You Upgrade to macOS 10.14 Mojave, iOS 12, watchOS 5, and tvOS 12
When Should You Upgrade to macOS 10.14 Mojave, iOS 12, watchOS 5, and tvOS 12? It’s that time of year again, when an Apple user’s thoughts drift to new versions of macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Apple announced the new versions in June, and public betas have been available since. But once Apple makes macOS 10.14 Mojave, iOS 12, watchOS 5, and tvOS 12 available for free download, you’ll need to decide when to install each. (Note that we say when and not if. There’s no harm in delaying major...
Sep 10, 2018
Jon Brown
How to Deal with macOS Server Losing Many of Its Services
How to Deal with macOS Server Losing Many of Its Services For many years, Apple has sold macOS Server (previously called OS X Server) for those who wanted to run various Unix-based Internet services on a Mac. Server became popular because it put an easy-to-use graphical interface on top of the Unix apps, allowing Mac users to avoid complicated configuration files and reducing the need to work at the command line. At its peak, Server boasted 24 different Internet services, but since then Apple has pared down what it can...
Jun 19, 2018
Jon Brown
Sneak Preview of What’s Coming from Apple This Fall
At Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote on June 4th, the company unveiled the first developer versions of all four of its operating systems: macOS 10.14 Mojave, iOS 12, watchOS 5, and tvOS 12. They won’t be available until this fall, likely in September or October, but here is a glimpse of what you can expect. macOS 10.14 Mojave Adds Dark Mode, Enhances the Finder, and Gains Four iOS Apps With the update to macOS, which Apple is calling “Mojave” after the southern California desert, the company is beefing up the...
Jun 10, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple Pay Is Faster, Easier, More Secure, and More Private Than Using Credit Cards
You’ve probably heard of Apple Pay, but have you set it up so you can use it to pay for purchases at checkout? If not, give it a try, since it’s one of those living-in-the future Apple technologies that feels like science fiction every time you use it. Simply put your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch within an inch or so of a compatible payment terminal (look for an Apple Pay or contactless payment logo), put your finger on the Home button to use Touch ID (or double-press the iPhone X’s side...
May 2, 2018
Jon Brown
So long AirPort, been nice knowing you
AirPort products have not seen an update since 2012 & the Time Capsule has not had an update since 2013, In 2016 news sites had started to report Apple had moved its developers that were assigned to AirPort to other products signalling the coming of the end. Apple released a press statement to signal the end of AirPort development this week. “We’re discontinuing the Apple AirPort base station products. They will be available through Apple.com, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers while supplies last,” The Apple Store online has...
Apr 30, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple News could be boosted by digital magazine service “Texture”
Back in March of 2018 Apple stated it had set out to acquire a digital magazine subscription service called Texture which is run by Next Issue Media LLC, Texture is already available on the iPhone & iPad via the “Texture – Unlimited Magazines” App however this acquisition could bring the service in house to Apple News. The Texture service started in 2010 providing access to more than 200 digital magazines at a monthly subscription under $10.00. Magazines served via Texture can be accessed on five devices for each subscription. Titles...
Apr 17, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple to launch more of its own original programming
According to the New York Times Apple has outspent both YouTube & Facebook on original programming for the debut of its TV & movie platform, we could see the new platform launched in the spring of 2019. The New York Times reports Apple’s strong brand and ability to fund the project have made Apple attractive to both show creators and stars alike. Apple is also reported to have leased a 128,000-square-foot in Culver City, California which will house some of Apple Music and the new entertainment division of Apple. Indeed,...
Apr 13, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple has launched a 'Families' mini site on Apple.com
In recent years there has been a lot of talk about smartphone addiction among children and young adults, with investors applying pressure to smartphone makers such as Apple. Apple has reacted by creating the “Families” mini site on apple.com explaining how to use parental control tools in iOS as well as other useful information for parents, this information covers iPads, iWatches, Macs and iPhones although the information is mostly geared towards iPhones and iPads. The families section of apple.com is grouped into several sections that emphasize a range of child...
Apr 11, 2018
Jon Brown
WWDC 2018: AirPod, Siri and iOS 12 Updates
In just a little over three months, the World Wide Developer Conference will be underway again and auto-mation is a key update. Apple’s Siri is considered lagging behind Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Alexa in terms of voice recognition and executing commands. However, one key aspect that has been neglected in the news and in comparisons among the products is the fact that Siri leverages only your voice ca-pabilities and does not infringe upon your data like these other products do. Both Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Alexa use all the information...
Apr 4, 2018
Jon Brown
New $329 iPad offers Apple Pencil Support
New $329 iPad offers Apple Pencil Support, Powerful A10 Fusion Processor and Educa-tional Discounts Last week, Apple debuted its latest iPad model with powerful capabilities and keeping its promise of deliv-ering a budget tablet. At its “Let’s Take a Field Trip” event held last Tuesday at a local Chicago public school, Apple premiered its newest, sixth generation 9.7 inch iPad model. The new model starts at $329 for the 32GB model, but schools benefit from educational discounts to purchase at $299 each. Next level models include a second Wi-Fi +...
Apr 2, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple Introduces New iPad with Apple Pencil Support, Updates iWork
At a special education event on March 27th, Apple introduced a new 9.7-inch iPad that offers faster performance, support for the Apple Pencil, and a few new camera-related features. The company also released new versions of the iWork apps—Pages, Numbers, and Keynote—that let users draw, sketch, and write with the Apple Pencil. Sixth-generation iPad For the most part, the new sixth-generation iPad is the same as the fifth-generation model it replaces. Its physical dimensions are unchanged, so existing cases and accessories should continue to work. It comes in the same...
Apr 1, 2018
Jon Brown
Elementary my dear Watson
Apple and IBM are integrating IBM’s machine learning AI called Watson to iOS, Watson aims to make iOS enterprise apps smarter. Watson is referred to as ML or Machine Learning software so the software or app in this case learns from each time you use it. Currently to integrate Watson with an app you have to access it via IBM’s cloud services, what this integration with Apple’s iOS aims to do is to bring the core services of Watson onto apps for iOS even when offline. By Apple and IBM...
Mar 27, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple’s Self-Driving Car Test Fleet Grows to 45 on California Roads
Apple has given a boost to its self-driving car program, Project Titan, with up to 45 vehicles on the road in California, behind only General Motor’s Cruise subsidiary. According to a report from the Financial Times last Tuesday, pulling data from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, Apple’s self-driving program has expanded from 3 vehicles in April 2017 to 45 as of 2018, just behind GM’s Cruise with 110 cars. Car companies behind Apple are Tesla with 39 vehicles and Uber with 29. Uber had shut down its testing after an...
Mar 26, 2018
Jon Brown
10 Things You Need to Know about Apple’s New HomePod Speaker
After months of anticipation, Apple’s new HomePod smart speaker finally shipped in mid-February. Reviews of its audio quality have been positive, and for the most part, it works both as advertised and as you’d expect. However, there were some surprises, most good but some bad. Whether you have a HomePod on your credenza (which may be a bad spot for it!) or you’re still deciding if you want to buy one, here are ten things you should know: Furniture rings. Let’s get this one out of the way. The HomePod...
Mar 26, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple Expands Partnership with IBM to Integrate New Machine Learning
Late Monday, Apple and IBM announced an expansion to their existing partnership to allow customers to use advanced in-app machine learning capabilities using IBM’s Watson and Apple’s Core ML technologies. The new expansion allows users to develop machine learning tools using Watson technology, called Watson Services for Core ML and then to deploy those assets on Apple mobile devices via MobileFirst apps. These services include analyzing images, classifying visual data and training models with Watson services. Watson’s Visual Recognition capabilities provides pre-trained machine learning models for image analysis. This helps...
Mar 24, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple AirPower imminent
Don’t panic Apple is not about to launch B52’s against North Korea or anything like that, they just decided to call their wireless charging accessory “AirPower” they announced it with the launch of the iPhone X last year but said it would not be available until 2018. And according to some of Apple’s suppliers the AirPower charging accessory could be in shops by the end of March 2018. The Apple AirPower promises to be able to charge up to 3 devices at once that could be your iPhone your iWatch...
Mar 19, 2018
Jon Brown
The Apple watch is the most popular smartwatch on the planet
Research company IDC posted the market share results for 2017 wearables earlier this month announcing the Apple smart watch accounts for 1 in 5 smartwatches sold. It’s not surprising with the continued updates and the fact the iWatch can now be used stand alone with a sim card no longer relying on an iPhone for a cellular connection. When buying a smartwatch people are now looking for more sophisticated wearables that integrate with the smartphone they use to provide exercise tracking and even health monitoring with wristbands available for the...
Mar 14, 2018
Jon Brown
Repairing the keychain in High Sierra
Since macOS 10.11.2 (macOS Sierra) the keychain app has been updated for better security and the keychain repair utility has been removed to stop malware hijacking the repair utility and accessing your passwords. So, what can you do if for example you have a constant nag from macOS to enter your keychain password after logging in. The answer is you have to repair it yourself, it’s not as difficult as you might first imagine although more time consuming than pressing a button to repair the keychain. If your only problem...
Mar 9, 2018
Jon Brown
iPhone Captures 51% of Global Smartphone Revenue, Setting New Record
Apple’s iPhone sales garnered a record 51% of marketshare worldwide, dominating smartphone sales and outperforming the entire industry based on premium iPhone X sales. The global marketplace reached a high of $120 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017 led by Apple. Strategy Analytics, a global, independent research and consulting firm, pulled data from all sales last year. As Executive Director Neil Mawston said, “Apple iPhone is an ‘incredible money-making machine’ with the average iPhone sale reaching $800, almost three times the industry average.” While Apple’s selling price has increased,...
Mar 5, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple to launch a super-sized iPhone this year according to a Bloomberg report
This is part of Apple’s strategy to produce a model for everyone, in 2018 Apple is said to be planning to release 3 new iPhones. The three iPhones will include an upgraded version of the iPhone X with a screen size of 6.5 inches; the iPhone 9 will feature a 5.8-inch OLED and a cheaper iPhone will be made available with a 6.1-inch LCD display. All three devices are reported to come with Face ID and edge to edge displays, we can also expect all three devices to have the...
Mar 2, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple Park is Now Apple’s Official Address
This past week Apple changed its corporate address to One Apple Park Way, moving its entire workforce from One Infinity Loop to its new Apple Park campus that opened last year and is just down the road. Coinciding with the recent shareholder meeting that occurred in the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus this past Tuesday. The official change is evident everywhere, starting at the top with official documents such as the Form 4 statement of changes in Beneficial Ownership articles notifying the SEC of restricted stock units...
Feb 28, 2018
Jon Brown
The HomePod in the shops
The HomePod has been on the shelves for three days and the reviews and consumer tests are flooding in. So far it seems to be a hit on the audio quality with a shakedown from a reddit user that puts the sound quality from the Apple HomePod above that of a more expensive KEF speaker. However, on the flip side the HomePod is being marked down for its actual smartness as the features it has for SIRI are somewhat limited at the moment. This lack of functionality with Siri is...
Feb 17, 2018
Jon Brown
iOS 11.3 Arriving this Spring with AR Kit & More
Apple continues to update iOS regularly now beyond just major annual events with new features available on iOS 11.3, including power management for older iPhone models whose batteries are older. With iOS 11.3, Apple brings desired battery and performance settings so that iPhone users who have older batteries can make informed decisions about any CPU throttling. This update comes in response to outrage by some customers who were offended by the company’s process of throttling CPU performance on older devices as batteries deteriorate. The throttling process was put in effect...
Feb 11, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple to Invest $350 Billion Back in the U.S. with 20,000 New Jobs
Apple News: Apple’s Response to the New US Tax Act is to Invest $350 Billion Back in the U.S. with 20,000 New Jobs Just as Congress was finalizing the last details of the new US Tax Cuts and Jobs Act introduced by President Trump, Apple promises large investment back into the economy. Tax reform was long overdue in the United States. Many companies including Apple have held overseas cash to avoid paying the exorbitant business tax rate, at 35%, which was one of the highest in the world. The new...
Feb 5, 2018
Jon Brown
How to Fix Meltdown and Spectre Security Flaws for Older Macs
Apple has recently released fixes for older Macs running macOS Sierra and OS X El Capitan that also face critical vulnerabilities through the Meltdown and Spectre security flaws. Both Spectre and Meltdown allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to data on computers that have microprocessors running speculative execution. Modern micropro-cessors all use speculative execution to predict next steps and have faster processing speeds. This is common in chips made by Intel and AMD as well as Apple’s A series SoCs. If the predicted path is not required, the instruction set...
Feb 3, 2018
Jon Brown
Github link can cause crashes on Mac & iOS
A link to github sent to mac and ios devices via the messages app can cause restarts and crashes Don’t panic it’s not any link it’s a specific link to a github page “iabem97.github.io” if you received this link via the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad they can crash or restart, and the Messages app then becomes unusable. Interestingly the link can cause problems on both iDevices (iPads & iPhones) as well as Macs. Just receiving the link can cause issues due to the way the messages App...
Jan 31, 2018
Jon Brown
HomePod Preorders Begin, Smart Speaker Ships Feb 9
Apple has started preorders for its new HomePod as of yesterday. Priced at $349, the audio accessory focuses on premium sound, offers Siri AI support and taps into Apple Music’s 45 million songs repository. Positioned as a higher audio quality device to provide superior music streaming quality in the home or work, Apple’s HomePod is meant to differentiate from the popular Amazon Echo and Google Home devices that focus on personal assistant service via voice-driven AI. Apple’s HomePod does offer integration with Siri, supports AirPlay for third-party music services and...
Jan 29, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple is now the 4th largest PC manufacturer
Apple sold nearly 20 million Macs in 2017 which is great news for us Mac lovers as the platform becomes more popular more apps and games will become available. It’s also impressive that Apple has managed to grow the number of Macs sold again in 2017 making it the 6th year in a row of increased Mac sales. In an industry that has seen the total number of PCs sold shrink as users switch to tablets and smartphones, Apple’s increased sales of Macs for 6 years in a row is...
Jan 26, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple to Allow iOS apps to run on Macs in 2018
Apple is expected to allow iPhone and iPad apps from the very successful iOS App Store to now run on Macs in 2018, thus increasing software options on Macs. According to Bloomberg, this large change is expected to happen in early 2018 via a new project internally referred to as ‘Marzipan.’ This blurring of lines between macOS and iOS platforms is expected to help software makers start using the Mac App Store more and also most importantly allow for the creation of a single application that works with a touchscreen,...
Jan 22, 2018
Jon Brown
Update on Meltdown & Spectre
We have recieved many concerns and questions regarding the nature of the latest two exploits. Here is more information on what they are exactly, what they do and what you need to do about it. Two large security vulnerabilities, named Meltdown and Spectre, were revealed this month, when a research team unexpectedly shared the flaw publicly ahead of planned announcements. The security flaws were discovered a few months ago and privately revealed to chip companies, operating system developers and cloud computing companies who were all working to develop necessary security...
Jan 16, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple releases updates to fix Spectre vulnerability
On Monday the 8th of January 2018 Apple released macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 Supplemental Update. You may have heard about “Spectre” & “Meltdown” in the news in the last week of 2017 these are hardware-based exploits that exploit the way CPU’s process data, this could allow a hacker to gain access to your sensitive data. Meltdown was addressed in the macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 update in December 2017, for Spectre there is no hardware fix, instead Apple is addressing the vulnerability using Safari. When you update to macOS High Sierra...
Jan 15, 2018
Jon Brown
Apple’s $252 Billion Cash Repatriation
Apple’s $252 Billion Cash Repatriation Increases Odds of New Acquisitions With Apple expected to bring back over $252 billion into the country following the recent change in U.S. corporate taxes, the company is well positioned to buy high performing companies in industry sectors that Apple wants to expand into. Top of the list for Citi analysts is Netflix, the video streaming service. Citi analysts Jim Suva and Asia Merchant came up with a list of potential companies that Apple could acquire that they shared with clients this past December. “The...
Jan 11, 2018
Jon Brown
Protect your Mac from scam websites
How To Protect Your Files and Computer When A Scam Site Overtakes Your Safari Homepage on your iPhone or Mac Scam sites have been known to overtake Windows computers all time, but with increasing Mac adoption, there have been scammers now attempting to fool users with serious malware. Some scams have tried to convince users that something is wrong with their computer and list a fake phone number to call and demand unreasonable amounts of payment (some fake company that is never Apple). This is an example of a phishing...
Jan 9, 2018
Jon Brown
Our Top 5 free macOS App picks for 2017
It is the season for giving so here is a run down of our free Apps to install on your Mac. iBooks Author With its iWork like workflow if you are used to Numbers and Pages iBooks author will get publishing your eBooks in no time. It’s available free from the Mac App Store or the App store on your iPad or iPhone: https://www.apple.com/ibooks-author/ Wunderlist This productivity tools is fantastic and free for basic use. Not only is it useful to create simple lists you can easily collaborate on your...
Jan 1, 2018
Jon Brown
iOS apps running on your Mac
Earlier in December Bloomberg reported that Apple plans to combine Apps for the iPhone, iPad, & Mac. Although Tim Cook has previously stated that merging macOS and iOS won’t happen due to user experience issues, looking at the development of SWIFT which is Apple’s own programming language developed primarily for iOS this looks like a real possibility for third party Apps. Not so much merging of iOS and macOS rather providing the ability for the same Apps to run on both iDevices and your Mac using SWIFT. So Bloomberg is...
Dec 30, 2017
Jon Brown
Apple Pay Now Offers Cash Option
With the introduction of Apple Pay Cash, Apple makes it easy to have quick person-to-person money transfers, similar to apps like Square Cash or Venmo. The feature is now available for beta testers in the US via iOS 11.2 and watchOS 4.2. For the last two months, Apple has tested out the new option via its corporate and retail employees. While Apple Pay Cash did not ship out in iOS 11, it is now ready for iOS 11.2. Apple Pay Cash works through the Messages app allowing you to transfer...
Dec 20, 2017
Jon Brown
iMac Pro available to order
Apple has announced the iMac Pro will be available to order on the 14th of December 2017. Here at Grove Technologies we already announced the iMac Pro providing a run down the specs back in June of this year. The iMac Pro will start from $4,999 which sounds high but it would be no cheaper to build a Windows PC with the same specs! As of today’s announcement the only real downside we can see is that the iMac Pro will lack upgradeability, including the Memory as the opening a...
Dec 15, 2017
Jon Brown
Pixelmator Pro Launch
The popular app Pixelmator recently launched a Pro version Nov 29, Pixelmator Pro for the Mac. With an updated editing workflow and easy to use editing tools, image editing features that are now powered by machine learning, Pixelmator Pro also features a convenient single-window interface. Designed for the Mac, Pixelmator Pro uses the Core ML framework in macOS High Sierra to power a variety of features including automatic horizon detection, a repair tool to quickly remove objects from photos and a faster selection tool. Watch the film here. In addition,...
Dec 14, 2017
Jon Brown
iPhone Sales Beat Samsung in Last Quarter of 2017
Apple News: iPhone Sales Beat Samsung for Favorite American Smartphone in Last Quarter of 2017 Recent detailed sales report via Strategy Analytics shows that Apple took the top sport for most smartphone shipments in the United States during Apple’s fiscal Q4 for 2017, beating out Samsung. While overall smartphone shipments have gone down 2% from 40.1 million in 2016 to 39.5 million in 2017, Apple has shipped 12 million iPhones during this period, down 2.1% from its prior 13 million sales in 2016. Nonetheless, Apple still led the market, cornering...
Dec 12, 2017
Jon Brown
Apple Pay Cash
Apple today announced the release of watchOS 4.2 now supports Apple Pay Cash, Apple’s peer-to-peer payments service allowing users transfer money between themselves. Apple Pay Cash is already available in iOS 11.2 and can be used to send or receive money through the Messages app on the Apple watch and the iPhone. Apple Pay Cash works by accessing one of the debit or credit cards you already have in your wallet and sending the payment from your device to the receivers device and the Apple Pay Cash card which is...
Dec 5, 2017
Jon Brown
Apple News: Revenue Up 12%
Apple News: Revenue Up 12% and EPS Up 24% Reaching New Records On Nov 2, Apple announced financial results for the fourth quarter of 2017 ending September 30, 2017 with strong earnings and profit. Apple posted $52.6 billion in quarterly revenue, increasing 12% from last year at the same time and quarterly earnings of 24% for diluted share of $2.07. International revenue accounted for as much as 62% of revenue. Apple had the highest earnings in its Service division this past quarter. Apple has accelerated growth year on year. As...
Dec 1, 2017
Jon Brown
Mac OS High Sierra password bug
Apple is working to fix a major bug within macOS High Sierra. The bug in macOS High Sierra (version 10.13) means it is possible to gain access to a Mac running High Sierra without a password, and most worryingly to access the machine as the Root user with full administration rights. The bug exists in all versions of High Sierra, including Beta 5 which was released earlier this week. In the meantime Apple has said to follow these instructions to set a root password: “Setting a root password prevents unauthorized...
Nov 29, 2017
Jon Brown
Apple: Special Black Friday Deals
Black Friday offers some of the best Apple deals of the year both at Apple and select retailers. Today is Black Friday and that means big sales and discounts at retailers all over the country and online. Many brick and mortar stores reopened last night, offering significant discounts to waiting throngs of people ready to buy. Apple too is offering special deals on Black Friday with a one-day Black Friday sale. Retailers selling Apple products are offing discounts throughout the four-day holiday weekend. Apple's direct sale does not discount existing...
Nov 26, 2017
Jon Brown
Managed App Updates for Macintosh Computers
A brave new world I have been using Macintosh computers for a long time. As long as I can remember its always been said. Macintosh computers are not vulnerable to malicous intent. While malware, spyware and now ransomware plaque the Windows and Linux landscape, Mac had always been a trusted alternative. In fact Apple themselves highlighted this very sentiment during their, “Im a Mac” commercial campaign, which ran many years ago. We live in a very different world now. Macintosh computers are just as vulnerable to malicous attacks. Spyware and...
Nov 21, 2017
Jon Brown
iMac Pro's coprocessor to be an A10 Fusion chip
So what right? Well this means Siri could always be on, and working seamlessly inside the new iMac Pro. This could make the iMac Pro the first Mac to feature an A series Microprocessor, which are the same chips found in iPhone’s. “Looks like the iMac Pro’s ARM coprocessor is arm64 Seems to handle the macOS boot & security process, as expected; iMac Pro lets Apple experiment with tighter control without the rest of the userbase freaking out. More info & download here” It’s exciting as the level of integration...
Nov 21, 2017
Jon Brown
Apple has been referred to the ACCC
Apple has been referred to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). This could have repercussions across the board if the case is successful as currently if you have your iPhone, or iPad fixed by a non-Apple authorised repairer such as the Apple Stores, Apple can and does refuse to repair them. In many countries including Australia this is seen as unfair trading however is by no means illegal. The main complaint the ACC is looking to uphold is… If the iPhone, iPad, iPod etc has been previously repaired by...
Nov 14, 2017
Jon Brown
iOS 11.1.1 is here
Predictably ;-) Apple has released an iOS update to iOS 11.1.1 , this quickly follows on from iOS 11.1. This latest iOS update fixes the keyboard bug that can cause the letter “I” to be mysteriously replaced with another character. See (our previous blog) You can find the update in the Settings app in General > Software Updates. We went over this bug last week, however there was another bug with Siri that we did not report on as we were unaware of the bug at the time of writing....
Nov 14, 2017
Jon Brown
I am therefor ¿Æ am
At the end of last week Apple’s support forum was lit up by users complaining of the letter “I” mysteriously being replaced with another character. This bug affected iPhone’s , iPad’s, and the iPod touch. If like myself your fingers are too large for the visual touch keyboard on iDevice’s already then this is another Typo hell waiting to happen. Embarrassingly for Apple it also affects their flagship iPhone X, coming in at $999 it’s a bug you would not expect after buying such an expensive piece of tech. Interestingly...
Nov 11, 2017
Jon Brown
How to Preorder the iPhone X
Apple’s widely anticipated iPhone X is now available for purchase as a pre-order and will be available in stores Friday November 3rd. The most innovative iPhone since the original iPhone debuted in 2007, iPhone X heralds the start of a new era with groundbreaking technology such as Face ID and an edge-to-edge OLED display with remarkable color resolution. iPhone X also features a glass and stainless steel design with its all-screen display. Today you can order the new iPhone X via many outlets - direct from Apple’s online store as...
Nov 3, 2017
Jon Brown
iOS 11.1 released
This week we talked about the fact over 50% of iDevice users have updated their devices to iOS 11. Well this Tuesday the 31/10/2017 Apple has released iOS 11.1 which fixes a security concern know as a KRACK attack. The KRACK attack is a hack on wireless networks allowing hackers to decrypt Wi-Fi traffic which means the hacker can: eavesdrop on communications, perform man-in-the-middle attacks, hijack connections, and more. This is not a fault specifically with iDevices or one caused by Apple but an industry wide security flaw with any...
Nov 2, 2017
Jon Brown
iPhone users are quick to adopt the latest iOS 11
iOS 11 is reported to have been installed on nearly 55% of iOS devices after only one month of being launched. So what? Well it makes the platform more secure as Apple can focus it’s team on supporting the latest version(s) of iOS instead of providing patched to older versions. It makes Apps better quicker as App developers do not need to make as many versions of their Apps to support outdated versions of iOS. Apple has already released several small updates to iOS 11 , addressing bugs discovered since...
Nov 1, 2017
Jon Brown
Augmented Reality, where does Apple stand?
With the tech industry getting hot under the collar for Augmented Reality where does Apple stand in this exciting new sector for the tech world? We touched on the possibilities of Augmented Reality in our news of the Apple Watch 3 and Apple is in a very strong position to provide "AR" tech with ARKit framework being rolled out by Apple back in 2016. Tim Cook the CEO of Apple has already been talking widely about "AR" and it's clearly something he wants to position Apple in as an industry...
Oct 28, 2017
Jon Brown
Apple Promotes Launch of Chicago Michigan Avenue Store
On Thursday, Apple announced the launch of its new Chicago store on Michigan Avenue and new events to be hosted at the new Apple store. Apple’s latest Apple Store is one of its most ambitious. Located on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, the store is designed with community in mind and connects North Michigan Avenue, Pioneer Court and the Chicago River. Apple worked closely with the city of Chicago, reviewing historical records, to develop the store design on the riverfront in the heart of the city. Launching Friday Oct 20th Apple...
Oct 20, 2017
Jon Brown
Edge is coming to iOS
Not being a massive Microsoft aficionado I cannot say that I am a major fan of what has been called the Wintel environment. However it is a necessary evil and if you purchase your hardware from a good manufacturer such as HP or Dell, and do not but the cheapest offering Windows machines are not the glorified food trays they once could be. The main reason for Microsoft bringing Edge to iOS will be to integrate the “Continue on PC” feature of Windows 10. This has been available on iOS...
Oct 16, 2017
Jon Brown
Apple Opening Up Ecosystem to Allow Third-Party Development Offers New Growth Potential
While initially it made sense for Apple to keep strong limitations on third-party access, the company has moved towards relaxing standards in the past year and open up platform for third-party development. Apple is known for having stricter standards than other companies and associated software platforms, both for security reasons and maintaining the company’s standards for product development. However, in recent years, the company has opened up its platform and ecosystem increasingly to third-party developers while still maintaining high standards. HomeKit Integration At its most recent WWDC event this past...
Oct 13, 2017
Jon Brown
Apple Watch Series 3
The original Apple watch was launched with great expectations from the Apple faithful back in April 2015. However most owners have bemoaned the lack of functionality such as making calls from the Apple WATCH, or streaming music to the WATCH. Well not any more with the Series 3 Apple WATCH these things are now possible and their is a good chance Apple will have a new customer for the WATCH although I hate wearing things on my wrist! Unlike many companies making wearable Tech such as Pebble, which arguably started...
Oct 7, 2017
Jon Brown
Prepare your Mac for High Sierra
High Sierra is now available in the App store for most Macs from 2009 onwards, if it’s not available to you in the App Store it is likely not an available update for your Mac, you can check manually the models supported here. Most Mac users cannot wait to install and get running with the most elevated macOS so far. Follow these 6 steps for a Happy High Sierra! Make a backup with Time Machine, don’t rely on an out of date backup make a fresh backup right before you...
Oct 5, 2017
Jon Brown
Apple’s iPhone X is the first Major Redesign in 3 Years
Apple’s iPhone X is the first Major Redesign in 3 Years with an OLED Super Retina Display The new iPhone X is the most technologically advance d smartphone in the world, with its A11 Bionic Chip, TrueDepth camera, facial recognition software and OLED screen. As expected, Apple’s new iPhone X is a premium luxury model offering new features and capabilities unlike any other smartphone previously. CEO Tim Cook called iPhone X “the future of the smartphone.” Members of the press who got to test out the new iPhone X during...
Sep 25, 2017
Jon Brown
New iPhone 8 and iPhone X for Apple’s 10th Anniversary
Widely anticipated, Apple’s new iPhones launched last Tuesday, September 12 in the new Steve Jobs theater on the company’s new campus. Here we take a closer look at the iPhone 8 series. Apple’s new iPhone 8 series builds upon its popular existing model. The latest model iPhone 8 series is a premium series for its tenth anniversary. At the same time that Apple introduced its best and most expensive smartphone option, it also lowered the price on prior models, therefore making the iPhone 8 a compelling upgrade only for buyers...
Sep 21, 2017
Jon Brown
Crash Plan’s Unexpectedly Exits Consumer Market
Crash Plan’s Unexpectedly Exits Consumer Market to Focus on Enterprise and SMBs Many diehard CrashPlan users were shocked to find out that their favorite secure storage backup option Crash Plan is leaving the consumer market. CrashPlan for Home, owned by Code42, has provided secure storage backup options for consumers across the country since 2001. Code42, a privately funded software company based out of Minneapolis, made the decision to exit the consumer market and focus primarily on enterprise level and small business audiences as of August 22, 2017. The move came...
Sep 18, 2017
Jon Brown
Where does Apple’s cash flow come from?
Being predominantly known for its excellent hardware you would be right in thinking most of Apple’s revenue comes from selling hardware such as the Macintosh. With a total revenue predicted to be between $49 billion and $52 billion for the final quarter of 2017 Apple is one of the biggest Tech Giants out there with greater revenue than Facebook and Amazon. So if other manufacturers are selling their hardware a lot cheaper than Apple with hopes to make money on the downstream with App purchases, Music and Video sales why...
Aug 31, 2017
Jon Brown
Apple Park, Houses over 12,000 Employees
Apple Park Features a Steve Jobs Theater and is Powered 100% by Renewable Energy. Earlier this year, Apple announced that its new corporate headquarters was nearing completion and would be ready to house over 12,000 employees. First known as Campus 2, Apple’s HQ was renamed Apple Park and is officially open. Construction is still underway to finish the construction of adjacent buildings and parklands through the summer. View aerial drone footage here. Powered by 100% Renewable Energy Apple takes a dramatic leap ahead into the future by embracing renewable energy...
Aug 30, 2017
Jon Brown
Parallels 13 released
Parallels 13 has just been released by Parallels International GmbH, one of the major reasons to upgrade will be version 13 is Optimized for macOS High Sierra. Version 13 of Parallels promises faster access to your Windows files up to 47% faster compared with Parallels 12. With support for the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro’s using Parallels Touch Bar Wizard it will be possible to customize the Touch Bar to work with your Windows Apps when using them in a Parallels virtual machine. One of the better updates...
Aug 29, 2017
Jon Brown
The latest films straight into iTunes
Yes please! I can count on one hand the number of times I have been to the Cinema in recent years, while being able to get popcorn without making it myself is appealing I prefer the comfort of my own home to watch a film. And yes you can watch them on websites that are mostly illegal depending on the country and jurisdiction which you live under, however after you have spent twenty minutes finding the film and 10 minutes downloading malware you have lost valuable viewing time if not...
Aug 25, 2017
Jon Brown
Face Recognition Software Possible in the new iPhone 8
One of the most widely anticipated features in Apple’s new iPhone set to be released this fall is facial recognition, where the iPhone can recognize approaching people quickly. The advanced facial recognition technology is expected to replace existing Touch ID fingerprint scanner, approving quick log-ins and payments as well. The new software is also expected to work with third-party apps similar to TouchID and will recognize multiple faces. The new iPhone 8 has an OLED screen, which makes it difficult to embed a Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Apple is expected...
Aug 24, 2017
Jon Brown
Getting to grips with iOS 11
The World Wide Developers Conference from Apple did not disappoint when it came to software , with iOS 11 being rolled out in Fall of 2017 we are currently on the 5th Public Beta which if you are brave you can install and test on your iDevice now. iOS 11 brings great new features to the iPhone , iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV with closer integration with macOS High Sierra also due for release in Fall of 2017. As well as the usual refinements to the icons and graphics...
Aug 12, 2017
Jon Brown
Better Storage, Video and Graphics available in macOS High Sierra
The latest OS update offers refinements to popular apps such as Photos, Mail and Safari. Apple released macOS High Sierra, its latest version of its desktop operating system earlier in June at WWDC in San Jose, CA. The beta version of the software was available to developers to download immediately and now a public version will be available this month at beta.apple.com. The software will be available as a free software update from the Mac App Store this fall. Here’s a preview. Updates include the addition of a new filing...
Aug 9, 2017
Jon Brown
iPad prices cut, what that means for you
Apple has cut the price of iPads in a bid to increase sales, as such sales are now up over 10% on iPads in 2017 compared with the tail end of 2016. This tactic on reducing iPad prices is the oldest trick in the book with iPad sales flagging in comparison to growing iPhone sales in recent years, however this increase in iPad sales has not increased revenues greatly for Apple as the price cut has hit profit margins. Although Apple sells roughly three iPads for every Mac sold the...
Aug 6, 2017
Jon Brown
iPhone 8, What we think you can expect to see
As the September announcement of the iPhone 8 approaches here are some insights on what we may expect. The name You may expect “iPhone 8” to be the name as it follows all of the names Apple has given to previous iPhones however with some of the new nomenclature (naming convention) that is being used for other Apple products it would be reasonable to expect a name such as the iPhone Pro, you have to admit it has a nice ring to it. The features More cameras, if Apple follows...
Aug 5, 2017
Jon Brown
To Block or not To Block
Apple has blocked ad blocker Apps that work outside of Safari, this has always been in the App Store terms for developers as Apple has always recognised advertising as being one of the main revenue streams for App Developers. The review process on ad blocking apps seems to have changed recently with several ad blocking apps updates being blocked by Apple. This relates to 4.2 of the App Store Developer Guidelines: “Your app should include features, content, and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website. If your app is...
Jul 28, 2017
Jon Brown
HomeKit Now Available To Demo in Apple Stores
Apple continues to unveil interactive HomeKit demos at Apple retail stores worldwide, for free customer testing. Recently, Apple started sharing interactive HomeKit experiences at 46 Apple retail stores so that customers could try out the smart home platform and get familiar with HomeKit. New stores keep being added and having HomeKit available to test out with different devices and environments, makes it easier for customers to understand how it could work for them. With just the one Home app, you can control all your home accessories from one place, simplifying...
Jul 19, 2017
Jon Brown
So long 32 bit, nice knowing ya
High Sierra the new macOS being released later this year will be the last macOS to support 32-bit apps. This year you will need to look at which apps you cannot live without if you want to continue upgrading macOS after High Sierra, making sure you have versions of the apps you need that will run on a 64 bit system because as of macOS 10.14 32-bit apps will no longer be supported. You can see which apps you have that are 32-bit by opening the Activity Monitor which you...
Jul 16, 2017
Jon Brown
Your Apple Watch is More Intelligent than you think
With watchOS4, you’ve got smart activity coaching, proactive Siri watch face, GymKit and more. Earlier last month, Apple previewed watchOS 4 at WWDC. The new watch software features a proactive Siri watch face that contains information you find relevant every day and a new way of experiencing music. The update also offers an updated Workout app and introduces GymKit, that helps you connect your workout to existing cardio equipment. View Apple’s Preview here. Siri Intelligence Siri intelligence available via the new Siri watch face helps you stay up to date...
Jul 12, 2017
Jon Brown
High Sierra is nearly here
Apple launched the first public beta of macOS High Sierra at the end of June, which means you can download and install it without being in the Apple developer program . This is beta software so it is not the best idea to install this on your everyday Mac as bugs will be present and your apps may not work. You might think that macOS High Sierra is not the most inspiring name for the latest macOS however Apple’s own marketing team said it is “fully baked”. And they’re right...
Jul 7, 2017
Jon Brown
HomePod the new Siri-powered smart assistant
The HomePod is powered by Siri intelligence and can interact with your messages, relay sports scores, the news, provide translations, and control your home. HomePod is being touted as the privacy focused smart assistant, which could be seen as a shot across the bows of the offerings from Amazon and Google which are known to be data hungry “they’re analysing what you do”. HomePod speaker comes with a seven-array, beam-forming tweeter, with directional control, and a bass woofer – and it’s powered by an A8 chip. The really clever touch...
Jun 30, 2017
Jon Brown
What to Expect for Apple’s 10th iPhone
Eagerly anticipated, the new iPhone 8 coming this fall is Apple’s 10th anniversary edition of the iPhone. For its 10th edition of the iPhone first, Apple is expected to have a dramatic redesign. Since 2012, Apple has unveiled new iPhone editions in the first or second week of September consistently. Expectations remain that Apple will follow this schedule, announcing its new iPhone 8 in roughly 80 days from now. iOS 11, Rich Graphics and Augmented Reality (AR) WWDC earlier this month offered a preview of iOS 11 as well as...
Jun 26, 2017
Jon Brown
APFS: Apple's new file system for Macs
The new update to the ageing HFS+ file system will bring higher performance, better data integrity, and a vastly improved Time Machine. Don’t worry it is not a step into the unknown APFS is already running on your iOS device (ipad,iphone etc). When and if you upgrade your system to High Sierra (macOS 10.13), it will automatically during installation upgrade the file system to APFS on the system drive, the internal drive usually named Macintosh HD. External drives and non system drives must be upgraded manually, via Disk Utility. Select...
Jun 23, 2017
Jon Brown
New 10.5 inch iPad Pro May be Apple’s Best iPad Yet
Earlier this month at WWDC, Apple shared its new 10.5 inch iPad Pro model with larger display and ProMotion technology. Apple has improved upon one of its best-selling and well made products, the iPad Pro this year with the addition of 2 new models, the 12.9 and 10.5 inch iPad Pro models that offer larger displays by using smaller bezels. The 10.5 inch iPad Pro replaces the prior 9.7 inch model. Apple said that it chose the new screen 10.5 screen size because it allows for a full on-screen keyboard...
Jun 18, 2017
Jon Brown
iMac Pro Announced at WWDC 2017
For some time now Mac users have often opted for an iMac with all the upgrades for their workstation rather than the Mac Pro since it’s latest re-incarnation in the “dustbin” case has been shunned for it’s lack of upgradeability. Apple has caught onto this fact and has promised to revamp the Mac Pro line (watch this space), in the meantime Apple has decided to launch the iMac Pro range due to launch later this year in December. The iMac Pro Range will offer upto 128GB of RAM and up...
Jun 15, 2017
Jon Brown
HomePod, Apple’s new Smart Speaker Offers Superior Sound
Apple unveiled its new speaker, HomePod at WWDC, showcasing its superior sound as a differentiator from both the Amazon Echo and Google Home. Apple has forayed into the smart speaker world dominated by the popular Amazon Echo and Google Echo with the new HomePod, set to be released in December 2017. Apple’s device differentiates itself by focusing on superior sound quality that is both immersive and high fidelity. Reinventing Music for the Home Equipped with Siri and connected to Apple Music, HomePod goes beyond competing with just Amazon Echo and...
Jun 3, 2017