If you are a Mac user, you have probably heard that Apple is updating their file system to the APFS. Ho hum, you might say, and do you even care? Yes, you do, and this article explains why.
What is not so clear at this time is how long it will take your Mac to upgrade to this new file system. This must be a daunting task for the program. I guess we will find out when we upgrade to Apple's new release: macOS High Sierra, which is coming later this year.
Jim Hamm
Here is an interesting article discussing Apple's new HomePod. At this early stage it appears the HomePod will be of interest to people that already subscribe to Apple music. Although conceptually it will be a competitor to Amazon's Echo or Google Home, the article implies it isn't now. No doubt Apple will continue to focus and improve on the HomePod after its release.
I was watching WWDC17 when Schiller introduced the HomePod. It is small, and full of electronic gadgetry, which presumably contributes to its high price of $349 -- plus, of course, a healthy profit margin for Apple. Will be interesting to hear the sound in person some day.
Zee has Alexa in our kitchen, and I occasionally use it to play music while I'm washing dishes (man's work!) or cutting up strawberries. I just read that 40% of the music coming through Alexa comes from Pandora, not Amazon music.
Jim Hamm
You are probably aware that Apple has introduced a 10.5" and a 12.9" version of the iPad Pro. What you might not be aware of is that Office 365 (for Word, Powerpoint, etc.) will no longer run free on these two sizes. Microsoft considers that any screen size over 10'1" to be commercial in size and requires a license. More info here.
However, there may be a way around this. If you should need to use Office 365, you can open up a free Microsoft account, then download and use Office Online, here. This gives you most of Office 365, and it's free.
Jim Hamm
Apple's new OS is coming this fall, and here are some of the new features you can look forward to. I watched the live streaming of the WWDC17, and VP Federighi demoed Apple's new file system, AFPS. It was impressive to see how much faster it will be than the very old file system Macs now use.
Among many other enhancements, Apple states that Safari has been improved and will be the fastest browser going. All in all, High Sierra will be a nice upgrade, and free to boot.
Jim Hamm
If you buy, say, an iPhone and it should need repair, should you have the right to have it repaired anywhere, and not just at an Apple store? Or, if you have a printer that needs an ink refill, should you be able to purchase and use a recycled/refilled cartridge?
Well, the Supreme Court says yes. Read here. In a laughable and ridiculous argument, read what John Deere argued:
"In 2015, the company made the case to the U.S. Copyright Office that individuals who buy their tractors don’t actually own them, but are licensing them from the company and thus don’t have the right to do their own maintenance."
How about the books and music you've downloaded? Do you own them, or merely lease them? Here's an article with more info on this subject.
Anyway, thank goodness the Supreme Court ruling is in the user's favor.
Jim Hamm
Here is a drone's short aerial view of Apple's new world headquarters -- Apple Park. Quite impressive, and so huge. From what I've read it is designed to be very eco-friendly.
Just think: by buying that iPhone, iPad or Mac, you've contributed to paying for this.
Jim Hamm
It's possible at some point you may need or want to buy another charger for your iPad or iPhone. As you do a bit of shopping you'll find quite a disparity between prices. The genuine Apple chargers are more expensive, but definitely worth the extra cost, in my opinion.
Why is this, you might ask? Read this aricle to find out why. Remember the old adage "You get what you pay for?" In this case this is really true. The article states: "Apple's charger is expensive compared to other chargers, but is a high quality product. You should definitely stay away from the cheap counterfeit chargers, as they are low quality and dangerous."
Don't buy the cheap, counterfeit chargers -- why take a chance on a fire or something worse?
Jim Hamm
If you may be in the market for a new iPad, here is an article comparing the different models. It's also rumored that Apple might release a new version of the iPad Pro sometime this year.
Now, to go with your new iPad here is an article with troubleshooting tips that will be helpful if your iPad should act up a bit. Might be a good idea to place an icon of this article on the screen of your iPad for future reference. That's what I will do.
Jim Hamm
No doubt if you have an iPad, you enjoy it for its versatility and lightness. I sure do enjoy mine. Then I came across this article asking if my iPad is obsolete? What? Not my iPad, for sure, I thought. Then I checked, and sure enough I'm using an obsolete iPad -- well, technically obsolete, at least according to this article.
You might check your iPad to see which one you have, then check the article for its status and what you can expect as far as updates go. Just open 'Settings' then click 'About' to find out.
Jim Hamm
If you recently downloaded the video program "Handbrake" on a Mac, it is possible it was infected with malware. For more information, read this article.
Jim Hamm
Yes, Apple's products are considered on the expensive side, and there are many reasons for that. Recently Apple invested $200 million in one of its suppliers. Can you imagine a company using its money to help one of its suppliers, to the tune of two hundred million dollars? For more information read this article.
Additionally, Apple has established a $1 billion fund to promote U.S. manufacturing. Article here. Ironically, although Apple has over $250 billion in cash, most of that is sitting overseas, and they had to borrow the $1 billion locally to establish the fund.
Jim Hamm
Although it has been about 4 years since it has been updated, here is a website that has some useful tips for the Mac.
Jim Hamm
For your possible interest, here is an article discussing Apple's second quarter 2017 financial results. One item of noteworthy interest is Apple's huge cash stash: $256 billion! A lot of this is still overseas, and Apple doesn't want to bring it home because of tax consequences.
Jim Hamm
Here's a helpful article from Computerworld on how to improve the battery life on all your Apple devices. Here's one example, which I wasn't aware of, and just now did, that reduces the amount of 'juice' drawn from your iPhone: switch off AirDrop. I never use this feature, and it has been just sitting there, hour after hour, sipping 'juice' from the battery on my iPhone!
There are other tips in the article that may help keep your devices from losing battery life so quickly. Read the article to find out more.
Jim Hamm
The following newsletter offers a tip on avoiding possible malware on updating Adobe's Flash Player.
Jim Hamm
https://soundsupport.biz/2017/05/07/beware-of-bogus-adobe-flash-updates/
If you might like to try another browser, here is an article with a review of the Opera web browser. I have it installed, occasionally use Opera, and I like it fine, especially the free VPN feature. Having said that, though, I must admit I'm not fond of having Opera's server in China.
Remember, by using a VPN, your data is encrypted until it reaches the VPN's server, where it is unencrypted before it is sent on. How much do you trust the Chinese not to peek at your data? Of course, this is true for any VPN, so use your own judgement.
Jim Hamm
Check out Apple's new $5 billion campus - employees have started moving in.
After looking at the pictures, be sure to take a Drone's view of the campus. And, from other reports I've read, this facility is really 'going green'.
Jim Hamm