Beware of a phishing attempt to steal your Apple ID and passwords. An email that appears to come from Apple that says they are having a problem with your account. Apple would never ask you for your password in an email. The URL included takes you to and offer a Free Cheesecake Factory Coupons.
Facebook is set to allow users to subscribe to websites. Similar to Twitters follow feature users of Facebook will let you follow your favorite web site, personality or journalist.
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Apple and other carriers have been questioned about the use of Carrier IQ in our smart phones. The software gives the carriers and manufacturer information on how your smart phone is being used.
Apple says that they removed it in iOS5 and have been removing it in other code. Tsk Tsk!
Al Franken wasn’t laughing about it. Read More
Bloomberg reports on it as well. Read More
Last winter during an Apple Conference in Markham, a group of like-minded Apple consultants got together to produce a brochure highlighting our skills. If you are in the market for an Apple consultant in Canada take a look at the information.
You can find the brochure here:
http://www.meettheconsultants.com/
Find out more about us:
IronGate, iT Guy Technologies, MacMedics, MacTweek, Monkey Mac and Precursor
We’ve discovered a graphic bug in the app when run on the early iPhone 3G. We will be issuing version 1.01 which will correct the bug. The functionality is not affected – it is simply that the Play button is distorted.
Apple announced Final Cut Pro X, a revolutionary new version of its professional video editing application. Final Cut Pro X is a 64-bit app that takes full advantage of the latest Mac hardware and software for superb performance.
Final Cut Pro X also includes powerful tools for audio editing and color correction, and is complemented by Motion 5 for professional motion graphics and Compressor 4 for advanced media encoding.
All three apps are available on the Mac App Store: Final Cut Pro X for $299.99, and Motion 5 and Compressor 4 for $49.99 each. Volume licensing information will be available at a later date.
Final Cut Pro X is a revolutionary new version of Apple’s professional video editing application. It’s a 64-bit app that takes full advantage of the latest Mac hardware and software for superb performance.
Final Cut Pro X also includes powerful tools for audio editing and color correction, and is complemented by Motion 5 for professional motion graphics and Compressor 4 for advanced media encoding.
Oh! There is one more thing…
Greeted by a standing ovation, Steve Jobs took to the stage at the annual Apple WWDC 2011 to lead the keynote on June 6, 2011. The weeklong Apple Worldwide Developers Conference takes place in San Francisco’s Moscone Center and is main platform for Apple to make new product announcements to a gathering of 5,200 developers, 1000 Apple engineers and VIP guests. This year Apple spoke about three new software products to enhance their hardware lines. The upcoming Macintosh operating system, Mac OS X 10.7 aka Lion, the next iOS for it’s industry transforming hand held devices and the introduction, for most of us, to iCloud – which will transform how we work with, share and store or data, photos and music.
Steve Jobs, iCEO currently on medical leave from Apple, handed the task of introducing the new operating systems to his VPs, Phil Schiller and Scott Forstall. Schiller began with the Mac’s growth of the past few years pointing out that the Macs market had grown while the PC market actually shrank. He then went on to highlight the top ten, 250 new features in the Lion OS for Mac.
Building on the multitouch gestures available on all Macs, users can get a physical reaction to their work on the screen. Using pinch and swipe gestures users can zoom in and out and flick between photos, pages and even between apps. Having learned from the iOS devices, iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, Apple is doing away with user interface and give users full screen apps.
Also borrowing from iOS is the Mac App Store, applications bought on the App Store are available across all devices connected to your Apple ID. The Launch Pad app brings iOS look and feel to the desktop with its iPad-like presentation of all applications. Apple is also doing away with file management chores, like saving and backing up by automating the process. Additionally, Versions will allow users to keep previous incarnations of working documents. Applications will resume where the user left off re-opening documents, tool pallets and even highlighting selected text if that’s how the user left the app. Apple will provide even easier Peer to Peer networking and file sharing further enhancing the Mac’s legendary ease of use. The most phenomenal aspect of the aspect is that Lion will be available for $29 USD.
Scott Forstall then presented the top ten features iOS 5. One of most notable is that notifications are moved to the Notifications Center app. Currently notifications disrupt the operation of the iOS devices. Users cannot hang up a phone call if a notification opens during the call. In iOS 5, notifications simply pop in and auto-dismiss to the Notification Center for later follow up. Apple is also cutting the tether between the PC and the iOS devices so that updates can happen “over the air” using Wi-Fi and iOS devices will be able to be set up without first connecting to a Mac or a PC. Another highlight is that the Camera app is now accessible from the lock screen so users can immediately capture an image. Additionally the “volume up” button can be used as the shutter making captures even more convenient. Forstall joked that users can “turn the volume up by pressing the shutter button.”
Perhaps the most significant announcement was saved for Steve Jobs – the iCloud service that will be available for free to users of all iOS and Mac devices. Ushering in the post-PC era Apple has demoted the PC as the center of the “digital hub” that they introduced ten years ago. Now that user’s devices have changed trying to sync across all of them is crazy making. iCloud accounts will allow users to automatically sync, contacts, calendars, as well as documents between their devices. Building on the new features of Lion and iOS the iCloud service seamlessly connects and tracks users purchases and creates 5GB of space for data and automated backups.
Oh and there was one more thing. iTunes Match and iCloud adds an unprecedented feature for $29/year. Apple will automatically upgrade user’s own ripped music to a higher quality AAC 256 Kbps versions. This is a really interesting feature an perhaps will calm the nerves of the record industry as they will get something for content that otherwise is uncontrollable. iCloud automated syncing, backups and document storage could be the salvation of user’s data or could increase the costs of internet services in general. iCloud’s success could be a great boon to Apple as it will increase sales of hardware and could change they way the market deals with cloud services.
iWork productivity applications are now available for iPhone and iPod touch, as well as iPad.
Keynote, Pages, and Numbers allow you to create and share stunning presentations, beautifully formatted documents, and powerful spreadsheets on the go, using Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch interface.
All three iWork apps are available on the App Store for $9.99 each. Existing iWork for iPad customers can download them as a free update.
The new iMac features next-generation quad-core processors and the fastest graphics ever in an all-in-one computer. It also brings Thunderbolt I/O technology to the desktop for lightning-fast data transfer. And a new FaceTime HD camera lets you make full-screen HD video calls.* All from a beautiful widescreen LED-backlit display that takes up just a sliver of your desk. It’s everything you want in a desktop. Now more powerful, more advanced, and even more incredible than before.
*FaceTime requires a FaceTime-enabled iOS device with a Wi-Fi connection or a FaceTime-enabled Mac with an Internet connection and FaceTime for Mac software (may require separate purchase). Not available in all areas.
Key Features
Why Mac
Apple Updates MacBook Pro with Next Generation Processors, Graphics & Thunderbolt I/O Technology
MARKHAM, Ontario?February 24, 2011?Apple® today updated the industry-leading MacBook® Pro family with next generation processors and graphics, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology and a new FaceTime® HD camera. Featuring the very latest dual-core and quad-core Intel Core processors, the entire MacBook Pro line is up to twice as fast as the previous generation.*
“The new MacBook Pro brings next generation dual and quad Core processors, high performance graphics, Thunderbolt technology and FaceTime HD to the great design loved by our pro customers,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Thunderbolt is a revolutionary new I/O technology that delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second and can support every important I/O standard which is ideal for the new MacBook Pro.”
Starting at $1,249 the new 13-inch MacBook Pro offers amazing value and performance in a compact design. The highly portable 13-inch MacBook Pro features Intel Core i5 and Core i7 dual-core processors up to 2.7 GHz and Intel HD Graphics 3000. The powerful 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models feature quad-core Core i7 processors up to 2.3 GHz and AMD Radeon HD graphics processors with up to 1GB of video memory for high performance gaming, pro video editing and graphics intensive applications.
MacBook Pro is the first computer on the market to include the groundbreaking Thunderbolt I/O technology. Developed by Intel with collaboration from Apple, Thunderbolt enables expandability never before possible on a notebook computer. Featuring two bi-directional channels with transfer speeds up to an amazing 10Gbps each, Thunderbolt delivers PCI Express directly to external high performance peripherals such as RAID arrays, and can support FireWire and USB consumer devices and Gigabit Ethernet networks via adapters. Thunderbolt also supports DisplayPort for high resolution displays and works with existing adapters for HDMI, DVI and VGA displays. Freely available for implementation on systems, cables and devices, Thunderbolt technology is expected to be widely adopted as a new standard for high performance I/O.
The MacBook Pro now includes a built-in FaceTime HD camera with triple the resolution of the previous generation for crisp, widescreen video calls. With Apple’s innovative FaceTime video calling software, the new camera allows high definition video calls between all new MacBook Pro models and supports standard resolution calls with other Intel-based Macs, iPhone® 4 and the current generation iPod touch®. FaceTime is included with all new MacBook Pro models and is available for other Intel-based Macs from the Mac® App Store? for 99 cents. The MacBook Pro lineup continues to feature its gorgeous aluminum unibody enclosure, glass Multi-Touch? trackpad, LED-backlit widescreen display, illuminated full-size keyboard and 7-hour battery.**
As the industry’s greenest notebook lineup, every Mac notebook achieves EPEAT Gold status and meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements, setting the standard for environmentally friendly notebook design.*** Each unibody enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Mac notebooks contain no brominated flame retardants, are PVC-free and are constructed with recyclable materials.
Every Mac comes with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife®, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for creating and sharing great photos, movies and music. Snow Leopard builds on more than a decade of innovation and includes multiple features for portable computing such as Multi-Touch navigation, advanced wireless networking, easy file sharing, automated data backup and intelligent power management. The new iLife ’11 features iPhoto® with stunning full screen views for browsing, editing and sharing photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use tools to transform home videos into fun theatrical trailers; and GarageBand® with new ways to improve your playing and create great sounding songs.
Pricing & Availability
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro, 15-inch MacBook Pro and 17-inch MacBook Pro are available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.ca), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is available in two configurations: one with a 2.3 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 and 320GB hard drive starting at $1,249; and one with a 2.7 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 and 500GB hard drive starting at $1,549. The new 15-inch MacBook Pro is available in two models: one with a 2.0 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, AMD Radeon HD 6490M and 500GB hard drive starting at $1,799 and one with a 2.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, AMD Radeon HD 6750M and 750GB hard drive starting at $2,249. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro features a 2.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, AMD Radeon HD 6750M and 750GB hard drive and is priced at $2,499.
Configure-to-order options include faster quad-core processors up to 2.3 GHz, additional hard drive capacity up to 750GB, solid state storage up to 512GB, more memory up to 8GB DDR3, antiglare and high-resolution display options and AppleCare® Protection Plan. Additional technical specifications and configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at www.apple.ca/macbookpro.
*Testing conducted by Apple in February 2011 using preproduction MacBook Pro configurations. For more information visit www.apple.ca/macbookpro/features.html.
**The new Wireless Web protocol testing was conducted by Apple in February 2011 using preproduction MacBook Pro configurations. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings. For more information visit www.apple.ca/macbookpro/features.html.
***EPEAT is an independent organization that helps customers compare the environmental performance of notebooks and desktops. Products meeting all of the 23 required criteria and at least 75 percent of the optional criteria are recognized as EPEAT Gold products. The EPEAT program was conceived by the US EPA and is based on IEEE 1680 standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. For more information visit www.epeat.net.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
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