The Sun is Starting to Peek Through iCloud

Anyone who takes more than a cursory glance at this site will know what an Apple fan I am. They would also know that I'm a professional technology consultant who regularly deals with a variety of hardware, environments and operating systems. What may not be as evident is my opinion that on-line services are making all that stuff less and less relevant.

For me, the "light bulb" moment was when I first installed Dropbox in 2008. The capability to save a file once and have it instantly available on all my devices was a nearly magical experience waaaaay back then. I instantly became a Dropbox evangelist and remain one to this day. Thanks to their referral plan and other special offers, my Dropbox folder is now 10 gigs (up from the initial 2 gigs included in their free service) and I've never given them a cent.

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How to Run iPhoto on an Original iPad (No Jailbreak Required)

iPhoto runs just fine on the original iPad.  I think Apple just wants to keep us motivated to buy new hardware. I've been running iPhoto for a few days now with no bad behavior or crashes. Installing it is simple and doesn't require a jailbreak. I put together a brief how-to here.

And So It Begins...

If you're like me, you spend a little time reading Apple news and listening to podcasts about our favorite company in Cupertino. Since Lion's release with its striking similarities to iOS, speculation in the press has run amuk predicting the death of OS X as we know it. Without getting into particulars, everyone knows about the many UI features Lion "borrowed" from iOS. Now, Apple has just released an update (ver. 6.0) to the AirPort Utility for OS X that looks like a port of the relatively new iOS app that bears the same name.

OS X Version

iOS Version

As you can see, the resemblance is uncanny. For those of us who love OS X for what it is (and has been for over ten years) this is more than just a little disconcerting. Make no mistake. I love iOS, but not so much that I want it to supplant my desktop goodness! Seeing things like this makes me more than a little fidgety. 

UPDATE (02/13/2012): I've gotten some questions from folks who updated their AirPort Utility to version 6. Doing so overwrites the previous version. That would be OK if the new version didn't omit some of the more advanced features like logging and statistics, SNMP and IPv6. Fortunately, the previous version (5.6) will co-exist on your Mac with version 6 and you can get it here.  If you want it, I'd suggest you get it soon. There's no telling how long Apple will make it available.

My "Girlfriend"

October 14^th, 2011. Mark that date. I believe history will treat it as the day we began using speech to interact with our computers. It is the day Apple released the iPhone 4S with Siri, the automated assistant built exclusively into the 4S. Before I elaborate, a brief disclaimer. I am an unapologetic geek and a huge Apple fan. Having said that, I honestly believe I'm being objective when I predict Siri will be viewed as a transformative technological innovation.

Apple describes Siri as an "intelligent assistant". After using it for just three weeks, I believe their description is accurate. We've been able to speak commands in varying degrees to our computers, cars and smartphones for some time now. So, what's new and/or different about Siri? A lot. First, Siri doesn't restrict what you ask or tell it. For example, my car is a 2006 model and uses voice input to dial phone numbers, set the A/C temperature or change the radio station...

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DON'T BUY 1Password 3.9!

I never thought I'd hear myself utter those words. I've probably been one of AgileBits' most boisterous proponents, recommending 1Password for the past four years in every medium I possess. This blog, our MacTexan podcast and the MacNoob blog have all had posts and segments dedicated to 1Password evangalism. With the Mac App Store release of version 3.9 I must rebut myself.

When I got the email notification from AgileBits announcing the release of version 3.9, I was all too happy to spend twenty bucks for the privilege of downloading 1Password from the MAS. While there are few visible changes from version 3.8.5 (the most recent non-MAS version), the promise of a free upgrade to version 4 and automatic updating was more than enough reason for me to spring. Turns out, IT WAS A BAD IDEA! Version 3.9 is a giant step backwards from the usual error-free, reliable releases I've come to expect from the 1P guys. After installation I soon realized I was working from a very dated keychain database and the Dropbox support, while advertized, wouldn't work. When I tried to point version 3.9 to my keychain file stored in my Dropbox folder, the button for doing so was greyed out and nothing I did would change that. I spent countless hours fighting failed imports and corrupted databases before finally surrendering and reverting to the 3.8.5 version stored in a Time Machine backup. In the process, the 1P data on each of my iOS devices was FUBAR. Thankfully, Dropbox and Time Machine saved my bacon but I still don't have the new MAS version of 1Password I paid for. If you want my advice, DON'T UPGRADE YET.

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