How to move your entire User foider to an external drive or partition

OtherWorldComputing.com: ""

(Via.)

 

This is an Web post by M. Christopher Stevens of Otherworld Computing that I like to link to from time to time. Originally written for 10.5 Leopard (!), it still works for 10.10 Yosemite. 

I used it with my old 10.6.8 MacBook when its User folder grew beyond the limits of the paltry 80 Gb drive. The culprit was my Music folder, which had expanded to 60 Gb!

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

 

How to safely move your Mac's iPhoto library onto an external drive

How to safely move your Mac's iPhoto library onto an external drive: ""

(Via.)

 

Got a lot of pictures in iPhoto? Maxxing out your hard drive’s capacity. Here’s how to move them to an external drive. 

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

Apple's rumored 12" MacBook Air may aggressively target mobility with USB 3.1 Type-C

Apple's rumored 12" MacBook Air may aggressively target mobility with USB 3.1 Type-C: ""

(Via.)

 

This post from Appleinsider talks about Apple’s possible released of an ultra-slim 12” Retina MacBook Air with just two ports. This would be an audio port on one side and a new USB 3.1 port on the other. The USB 3.1 port would handle all non-analog audio duties such as power and external video and wired peripherals (?).

Considering how thin and light my own MacBook Air (it’s an 11” model), it’s hard to see how they could make it thinner and lighter without sacrificing performance

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

 

 

Senior Correspondent Arnold Woodworth's Weekly Web Roundup

How to access all the power of Apple's Fonts window, and when to step up to PopChar instead

http://www.macworld.com/article/2874488/how-to-access-all-the-power-of-apples-fonts-window-and-when-to-step-up-to-popchar.html



10 Of The Best iPhone 6 Accessories You Can Buy

http://www.businessinsider.com/best-iphone-accessories-2015-1



Press at the Windows 10 event also look like an Apple ad

First it was the State of the Union press gallery that looked like an Apple ad.  Next it was Microsoft's Windows 10 event.

http://www.imore.com/press-windows-10-event-also-looks-apple-ad



Bigger than Hollywood

Apple paid $10 billion to developers in calendar 2014.

Put another way, in 2014 iOS app developers earned more than Hollywood did from box office in the US.

http://www.asymco.com/2015/01/22/bigger-than-hollywood/



Steve Jobs Used This Simple Productivity Hack To Hone Apple's Focus

Jobs said, "This is how I do it. I take a sheet of paper, and I say, 'If my company can only do one thing next year, what is it?' Literally, we shut everything else down."

If I have 10 important things to do in a day, it's 100% certain nothing important will get done that day.

http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-productivity-hack-to-focus-apple-2015-1



Apple’s New Programming Language Is Growing Like Mad

Since it was introduced last summer, Swift just jumped from number 68 to number 22 in the language rankings from research and analyst firm RedMonk.

Java and Oracle aren’t going anywhere, but the growth of languages like Swift and Go and the rising popularity of alternative databases shows us that the days when one or two development platforms could completely dominate the industry are over.

http://www.wired.com/2015/01/redmonk-swift/



Google's Project Zero reveals three new zero-day exploits in Apple's OS X

http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/01/23/googles-project-zero-reveals-three-new-zero-day-exploits-in-apples-os-x



Google reveals Mac security holes before Apple's fix is ready

an upcoming Yosemite update (10.10.2) is expected to tackle these flaws.

http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/23/google-reveals-zero-day-mac-exploits/



Boy, 13, builds Braille printer with Legos, starts company

http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/health-fitness/article7666022.html



Want a reliable hard drive? Splurge for 4TB, study of 40,000-plus HDDs finds

That's one conclusion from cloud backup provider Backblaze, which has compiled a new list of its most reliable consumer hard drives.

Backblaze also found an interesting relationship between capacity and reliability. In the case of Seagate and HGST, their 4 TB drives were more reliable than any other storage option.

Backblaze is putting its drives through much more rigorous use than the average consumer, so you're unlikely to see the failure rates that Backblaze does.

http://www.citeworld.com/article/2873105/cloud-computing/want-a-reliable-hard-drive-splurge-for-4tb-study-of-40000-plus-hdds-finds.html



Do You Stare At A Screen All Day? Here Are 5 Things You Can Do To Save Your Eyesight

Blink often so your eyes don't get dry.
Increase the size of the text.
The 20-20-20 rule: After 20 minutes of work, take 20 seconds to look at something 20 feet away. Your eyes have muscles 
Limit blue-light exposure
Position your monitor 35 to 40 inches away.

http://www.businessinsider.com/tips-for-staring-at-a-screen-all-day-without-ruining-your-eyes-2015-1



95% Of Americans Risk Eye Problems By Staring At Screens All Day

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-staring-at-a-screen-hurts-your-eyes-2015-1



Cloud computing has a much more-limited future than the proponents are admitting to -- no matter which company is involved -- for two reasons:

1)Cloud computing is more expensive than running your own computer.
Exception:  running "peak computing loads' on the cloud, but that's mainly for businesses.
2)Your cloud computing provider will get hacked someday -- compromising your data

http://www.market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=229751



Dumb Password Use on the Decline

Millions of Net surfers use obvious passwords to log on to websites, but their numbers appear to be declining.

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/81615.html



Kim Dotcom launches NSA-proof MEGAchat with E2EE to take on Skype

Kim Dotcom has launched a video and voice chat service that is entirely encrypted (End-to-End Encryption aka E2EE) and will allow the utmost security throughout the entire chatting experience. The goal of Kim Dotcom is to kill Skype entirely.

However, not everyone is convinced that KIM will either kill Skype or is all that secure.

http://www.inferse.com/22065/kim-dotcom-launches-nsa-proof-megachat-e2ee-take-skype/

Five barriers that might hold Apple back from moving Intel Macs to custom ARM chips

Five barriers that might hold Apple back from moving Intel Macs to custom ARM chips: ""

(Via.)

Writers looking for an angle have speculated that Apple might want to ditch the Intel CPUs now powering its desktop and notebook computers. This article from Appleinsider examines the pros and cons of such a move. 

Bottom line: If we knew the future, we’d be gazillionaires!

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

 

 

Apple.com given over to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Apple.com given over to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: ""

(Via.)

 

Yes, he was a flawed man. We ALL are flawed people. The message, though, is what counts. 

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

Best of CES 2015: The gadgets and gear that wowed us most | PCWorld

Best of CES 2015: The gadgets and gear that wowed us most | PCWorld: ""

(Via.)

 

Okay, this is PC-centric; but it’s still interesting. That Fang computer caught my eye. Would it run 10.10?

Anyway, just drool over these pix, courtesy of PC World.

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

Printer won't print? Fresh Ink, No outstanding jobs? Hmmm...try this

I ran into this situation at a friend’s house. I had set a lengthy manual to print out when I had to leave the house for several hours.

The printer had run out of paper when I returned. I put more paper into it and it still wouldn’t work. 

I went to the Printer & Fax preference and cleared the printer jobs. But still no printing.

I had the sense to remember that OS X has a number of caches for various things. By rebooting the Mac and starting up again in SAFE mode by holding down the left SHIFT key, I cleared the caches. 

I then rebooted the Mac to put it back into normal mode so that I could print wirelessly. SAFE mode disables wireless communication.

Voila! The printer would now print. I finished the over 200 page job and my friend was very happy. 

 

Tom  Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

 

 

 

 

OS X Yosemite review: 3 months later | iMore

OS X Yosemite review: 3 months later | iMore: ""

(Via.)

Senior Correspondent Arnold Woodworth's Weekly World Wide Web Wrap-up!

Why I Love And Hate The Apple iPhone 6 Plus

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2015/01/15/best-and-worst-things-about-iphone-6-plus/



It's 8 Years Since The iPhone Was Unveiled — Look How Terrible The First One Was

You're not wrong to ask "So what?" The point here is that technology takes time to fully form. While the iPhone was a miracle when it was released, it still had a long way to go.

http://www.businessinsider.com/first-phone-anniversary-2015-1#so-what-you-may-be-saying---16



This Is Where Apple’s Money Comes From

http://www.slate.com/blogs/business_insider/2015/01/13/apple_the_majority_of_their_revenue_comes_from_this_product.html



46 facts about the new Apple campus

http://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/apple/apple-spaceship-campus-facts-pictures-video-info-3489704/



Here's How Apple Could Keep You Out Of The Doctor's Office

The iPhone and Apple Watch may upend how we take care of ourselves through do-it-yourself (DIY) diagnoses.

Video consultations will slowly replace visiting the doctor's office.

Phone attachments will allow people to test their blood, liver, kidney, urine, breath, and sweat, UBS predicted.

http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-apple-could-keep-you-out-of-the-doctors-office-2015-1



How An Indie Developer Makes Five Figures A Month On The App Store

This person wrote an app called "Hours Tracker".
He didn't think it would make much money when he first started selling it on Apple's App Store.
But when is made a few thousand dollars a month, he decided to keep improving it.
He now makes more money than he could from a job.

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-an-indie-developer-makes-five-figures-a-month-on-the-app-store-2015-1



Pink Floyd drummer blames Apple for music’s downfall

http://www.cultofmac.com/309196/pink-floyd-drummer-blames-apple-musics-downfall/



Google, Apple face trouble but remain must-own stocks

What's the next great Revolution? Wearables are a continuation of the App Revolution, and they are going to be even bigger than smartphones. So while I might be cautious about the broader markets for the near-term, I continue to stay all-systems go in the App Revolution.

I trimmed Apple recently when it hit a $700 billion market cap, but as it stands, Apple and Google are my two largest personal positions, as they have been most of the time for more than a decade now.

http://blogs.marketwatch.com/cody/2015/01/12/google-apple-face-trouble-but-remain-must-own-stocks/



A Teenager Finally Explains What Adults Just Don't Get About Facebook, Instagram, And Snapchat

Facebook ...... an awkward family dinner party we can't really leave.

Twitter: "To be honest, a lot of us simply do not understand the point of Twitter."

Snapchat has a lot less social pressure attached to it compared to every other popular social media network out there.

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-teenagers-think-of-social-media-2015-1



This Tiny Startup Has Figured Out How To Turn Twitter's Free Data Into A Goldmine

http://uk.businessinsider.com/twizoo-2015-1



Things People Say When You're A Blonde Engineer At MIT

http://www.businessinsider.com/things-people-say-when-youre-a-blonde-engineer-at-mit-2015-1



The Dangers of Your Automated Home Being Hacked

If you automate your home enough, hackers might be able to hack your air conditioner to never shut off -- and leave you with a huge electric bill.

Or turn on the water and flood your house -- causing catastrophic damage.

And your automated home will even let hackers know when you are away so that, when you return, it's too late to do anything about it.

Wait 'till hackers attack millions of homes via badly insecure internet connected devices.

http://www.market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=229726

Nine Finder tips for OS X Yosemite - CNET

Nine Finder tips for OS X Yosemite - CNET: ""

(Via.)

How to deactivate the MBA/MBP built-in trackpad and use a mouse instead-10.10.1 instructions

In my previous article, I wrote how to deactivate the built-in trackpad in an old MacBook and use a USB mouse instead. Those instructions applied to 10.6.8 Snow Leopard. For OS X Yosemite, 10.10.x, I had to change the instructions. 

I don’t know when or why you would want to disable the built-in trackpad in a MacBook Air, but who knows what abuse will occur to some MacBook Air or MacBook Pro that later goes up for sale? 

Step One: Turn on full access for the Tab key by pressing Control + Fn + F7. This enables it to move between all items on the screen.

Step Two: Begin opening System Preferences by pressing one of these two keyboard combinations: Control + Fn + F2 to access the Menu Bar and the  menu. Alternatively, you can press Control + Fn + F3 to access the Dock, where the previous owner hopefully left the icon for System Preferences. 

Step Three: On the Menu Bar, use your Arrow keys to move over to the Apple  menu and highlight it. Now press the down arrow key to move down to the System Preferences… selection on the drop down menu.

 

 

Or you can choose to go through the Dock as shown below:

 

 

 

In either case, once you highlight the System Preferences item or icon, press the Enter key to start it.

 

Step Four: You’re staring at the System Preferences  window showing all your installed system preferences. To move between them, press the Tab  key

Now I highlighted the General preference because I want you to notice the fuzzy blue outline around it. This is how OS X tells you which one the Tab key is on.

 

 

Now, as before, move between the items from left to right, then top to bottom, until-UNTIL!-you reach the Accessibility preference pane. Its icon is still a blue circle with an outstretched person in the center. 

Now press the Space Bar (and NOT the Enter key) to activate the Accessibility preference pane.

 

Step Five: You’ve reached the Accessibility preference pane…and there’s no Mouse & Trackpad option! Not to worry.

 

Step Six: Notice the vertical box on the left-hand side. Press the Tab key to highlight its border in blue. 

Step Seven: Now use the Arrow keys to go down the list of options. Mouse and Trackpad isn’t initially visible, but it’s there lower down.

Step Eight: There’s the Mouse & Trackpad option! 

 

 

Now use the Tab key to move between the various items in the window. When you get to the “Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present” item, STOP!

 

Step Nine: When the “Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present” button is highlighted in blue, use the Space Bar (Not the Enter key, it won’t work) to put a checkmark in the box. 

 

Step Ten: Plug in that USB mouse!

 

Step Eleven: Now to test it out. Run your finger over the trackpad and nothing should move on the screen. 

Now move the mouse. The cursor should move on the screen as you want it to move. Try out the buttons and the wheel. With the wheel, you should be able to move the contents of a window up and down. 

 

Step Twelve: If the keyboard sticks, too, you can use a cheap Windows USB keyboard in its place. Just remember to substitute the Windows/Super key for the Apple/Command key. Substitute Windows/Super + C for copy and Windows/Super + V for paste.

 

Conclusion

That’s the recipe for turning off the built-in trackpad in OS X 10.10.x Yosemite and substituting a USB mouse. 

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to deactivate a broken MacBook internal trackpad and use a mouse instead-Instructions for 10.6.8 Snow Leopard

You bought a cheap used MacBook running OS X Snow Leopard. The owner sold it “as-is” and told you it was in great shape.

Well, it wasn’t. Among the problems that developed with it, the internal trackpad’s button’s don’t work. You tried plugging in an external USB mouse, but it didn’t work that well, either. How in the world do you turn off the internal trackpad and substitute the mouse for it? Does it mean the MacBook needs physical disassembly to get to its guts? 

Well, I have a friend in that situation. They bought a used MacBook from eBay and its trackpad’s buttons don’t work. I plugged in a USB mouse and the cursor worked great! It’s just that the trackpad’s buttons didn’t work and overrode the mouse’s buttons. 

This is the recipe for solving that problem in 10.6.8 Snow Leopard on a used 2007 MacBook. I’ll post instructions for OS X Yosemite in the next article.

 

Step One: You need to turn on all keyboard access for the Tab key, so it can move from one element on the screen to another. You do this by pressing Control + F7. On a MacBook, you will need to press Control + Fn + F7. This is the crucial first step.

Step Two: You need to get to System Preferences. You do this from the Menu Bar by pressing Control + Fn + F2 to highlight one of the drop-down menus on the Menu Bar. Use the Arrow Keys to select the Apple () menu at the far left-hand side of the screen. 

With the Apple Menu highlighted, press the down-arrow key and go down to System Preferences… 

Note: If the Control +Fn + F2 combination doesn’t work, use this instead: Press Control + Fn +F3. This places the emphasis on the Dock, which should have an icon for System Preferences. If the previous owner totally rearranged the dock and took out System Preferences, press Control +Fn+F2 for the Menu Bar instead.

Step Three: How do you maneuver between the various System Preferences? You use the Tab key. You will start on the top row from left to right and then the second row left to row, the third row left to right, and finally the fourth, System, row.

 

 

 

 

As you move from item to item with the Tab key, each item will glow slightly with a blue border. The figure below shows the Appearance preference with a blue border around it, while the Desktop & Screensaver preference to its right lacks the blue border.

 

 

 

When you get to the Universal Access preference, STOP! Use Shift + Tab if you overshot and need to back up.

 

To start the Universal Access preference, press the Space Bar. You’d think the Enter key would do it, but no, it’s the Space Bar. 

 

Step Four: You’ve arrived at the Universal Access preference. Notice the four buttons across the top: Seeing, Hearing, Keyboard, Mouse & Trackpad.

Step Five: Press the Tab key once to highlight any one of the buttons in blue with a blue border. Now use the Arrow keys to move between the buttons to Mouse & Trackpad. The window’s content will change as you move between the buttons. No need to use the Enter key or the Space Bar to select something.

 

Step Six: In the Mouse & Trackpad window, use the Tab key to move down to the item you want, the button next to the text “Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present” I assume you will use a garden variety 2 button USB mouse and not an Apple Magic Trackpad. 

Step Seven: Almost home! With the button next to “Ignore built-in trackpad…” highlighted, press the Space Bar (not the Enter key!) to turn it ON. You will see a checkmark as shown above when you turn it ON.

Step Eight: Just to make sure, use the Tab key to go down to “Enable access for assistive devices” and “Show Universal Access status in the menu bar” Use the Space Bar to turn these two buttons ON.

Step Nine: Plug in that USB mouse!

Step Ten: Time to test it out. Run your finger over the built-in trackpad to see if it moves the cursor. Nothing should happen. Now try the mouse. You should be able to move the cursor. Test out the  mouse buttons to see that they work. 

If all went successfully, you can use your MacBook now.

Step Eleven: If the keyboard is frozen as well, then just plug in a cheap Windows USB keyboard. My friend uses an old Dell Windows keyboard. Just substitute the Windows key for the Apple/Command key.  Instead of Control + C for Copy, you will press Windows/Super key + C for copy and Windows/Super + V for paste.

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LA Unified School District's defunct 'iPad-for-all' plan botched from start, federal report says

LA Unified School District's defunct 'iPad-for-all' plan botched from start, federal report says: ""

(Via.)

When no one thought to ask, “Hey,  you gonna include physical keyboards with these magical devices?”, that makes you wonder.

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

Supremely wrong: Getting the iPhone wrong at its birth | Macworld

Supremely wrong: Getting the iPhone wrong at its birth | Macworld: ""

(Via.)

This is a just a fun link to quotes about the impending doom (DOOOOM!) of apple due to the iPhone’s design departing from the previous ones. 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog/iPhone user

 

 

Rumor: Apple's new 12-inch MacBook Air with Retina display to launch this quarter

Rumor: Apple's new 12-inch MacBook Air with Retina display to launch this quarter: ""

(Via.)

 

An interesting story in Appleinsider quoting Taiwan’s Digitimes. Digitizes is of dubious reliability. One commenter noted that DT had a 10% reliability record.

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

 

How the MacBook Air could change everything (again) | Macworld

How the MacBook Air could change everything (again) | Macworld: ""

(Via.)

This is an interesting story about a possible new MacBook Air.

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

 

Senior Correspondent Arnold Woodworth's Weekend Web Wrapup

The iPhone Turns 8 Years Old Today

The iPhone changed our idea about what a smartphone should be.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3040700/fast-feed/the-iphone-turns-8-years-old-today



Apple is making world travelers -- and some domestic customers -- happy this New Year by selling unlocked iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones to the masses. That means customers can use the device on any wireless carrier without signing on the dotted line of a two-year contract.

http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/Apple-Unlocks-Its-iPhone-6-Models/story.xhtml



The many superpowers of Apple's Preview app, part 2

http://www.macworld.com/article/2865527/the-many-superpowers-of-apples-preview-app-part-2.html



Apple 2014 Mac mini isn't as good as the 2012 model

http://www.macworld.co.uk/review/mac-desktops/best-apple-mac-mini-late-2014-review-3592891/



Apple won't let EFF release a DRM-free app

EFF has released its mobile app to help people join in important, timely struggles, but you can't get it for your Iphone or Ipad, because Apple insists that EFF use DRM, and this is contrary to everything it stands for.

Remember: any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you, and won't give you the key, that lock is not for your benefit."

http://boingboing.net/2015/01/09/apple-wont-let-eff-release-a.html

http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/08/the-effs-new-app-is-android-only-as-organization-calls-out-apple-for-outrageous-developer-terms/



Is Apple's quality slipping?

http://www.tuaw.com/2015/01/05/is-apple-slipping/



Apple's Software Is In A 'Nosedive' That Is Deeply Concerning, Longtime Apple Supporter Says

Respected developer Marco Arment is worried about Apple's future. 

In a blog post he writes: "Apple's hardware today is amazing — it has never been better. But the software quality has taken such a nosedive in the last few years that I'm deeply concerned for its future."

http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-software-is-in-a-nosedive-says-respected-developer-2015-1



Apple Has Patched A Hole In iCloud That Let Hackers Access Anyone's Account

iDict was a hacking tool released online on New Year's Day. It used a hole in Apple's security to repeatedly guess user passwords, allowing hackers to access any account given enough time.

http://www.businessinsider.com/icloud-hack-idict-patched-by-apple-2015-1



New Apple malware is undetectable, unstoppable, and can infect any Thunderbolt-equipped device

The exploit, dubbed Thunderstrike, currently can’t be detected or removed by any known process without using specialized hardware.

The exploit package is injected from the infected Thunderbolt device’s Option ROM.

http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/197005-new-apple-malware-is-undetectable-unstoppable-and-can-infect-any-thunderbolt-equipped-device

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/11335810/Apple-laptops-vulnerable-to-virus-that-cant-be-removed.html



New York Prosecutor Calls for Law to Fight Apple Data Encryption

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-06/new-york-prosecutor-calls-for-law-to-fight-apple-data-encryption.html



The Conventional Wisdom About Android Has Just Been Destroyed By iPhone 6

http://www.businessinsider.com/android-market-share-taken-by-iphone-6-2015-1



Almost Nobody Is Using The Latest Version Of Android

http://www.businessinsider.com/android-lollipop-adoption-is-abysmal-2015-1



Android Still Has A Massive Piracy Problem

UsTwo Games, the developer behind the wildly popular mobile game “Monument Valley,” revealed an interesting fact: Only 5% of Monument Valley installs on Android are paid for, vs. 40% on Apple's iOS.

http://www.businessinsider.com/android-piracy-problem-2015-1



New ‘Super Cookies’ Can Track Your Private Web Browsing — And Apple Users Can't Get Rid Of Them

A security flaw means that users of almost every modern web browser can be surreptitiously tracked online without their knowledge, Ars Technica reports, even when they make use of “private browsing.”

http://www.businessinsider.com/super-cookies-hsts-security-private-2015-1



95% Of Americans Risk Eye Problems By Staring At Screens All Day
To counteract them:

• Blink. When we stare at screens, we forget to blink, which dries out our eyes. It's hard to remember, but trying to make sure you keep blinking can help.

• Increase the size of text when needed. Staring at small text can make you squint and put your face closer to a screen, leading to fatigue and headaches, among other issues — so boost text size and color contrast to make things easier to read.

• The 20-20-20 rule: After 20 minutes of work, take 20 seconds to look at something 20 feet away. Your eyes have muscles that help them move and focus on different objects, but if we stare at a screen the same distance away for hours at a time, those muscles have a hard time adjusting once we move again. This is what can cause that end-of-the-day fuzziness, so prevent it by looking around every so often.

• Limit blue-light exposure in the first place. This can be a tough one, but there are a few things that can help. Simply taking breaks from the screen is useful, by scheduling meetings or organizing some of your work so that it can be done on paper. In some cases, anti-glare filters, computer glasses, and apps that block some blue light can help as well.

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-staring-at-a-screen-hurts-your-eyes-2015-1



Technologies that have stood the test of time: in pictures

The original Macintosh computer is one of them.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/picture-galleries/11303109/12-technologies-that-have-stood-the-test-of-time-in-pictures.html

DuetDisplay 1.1.3 review

 

 

 

 

Appleinsider's review of Duet Display caught my attention last week. The developers seek to enable users of Retina Macs, particulary Retina MacBook Pros, to use their Retina iPads to display a second screen at Retina resolution. By using a wired connection, as opposed to Wi-Fi/Airplay, you can view video on this secondary display at close to or the same speed that the main screen displays.

 

Appleinsider reviewed the 0.3+ release of Duet Display and it still had some problems to work out. On Wednesday, January 7^th, the developers released version 1.0.0 of the Duet app for the iPad/iPhone and version 1.3.3 for the controlling Mac.

 

How does it work?

 

DuetDisplay, like many apps for both the iPad and Mac, consists of two parts. You purchase the iOS app through the iTunes App Store, just like other apps. It costs $14.99. (I paid for mine through iTunes Gift Cards from my relatives. Thanks again!)

 

The companion Mac app is free. You go to Duetdisplay.com to download it. On the first run, it will install the custom Apple-approved graphics driver

 

Use the cable that came with your iPad that you use to recharge it to connect to the desired Mac. Start it on your iPad. Start it on your Mac. Adjust preferences as desired.

 

Does it really display video at full speed without choppiness?

 

Yes, it does display video at full speed. I tested it using a Mac Mini 2012 running Chrome with a USB 2.0 connection between Mac and iPad. No dropped frames, no choppiness with The Tonight Show clips of lip-sync battles from YouTube.

 

What are the problems with Duet Display?

 

The initial connection can prove tricky. You may have to close the iPad app and open it again. You may have to reboot your Mac in order to initialize the custom graphics driver installed by DuetDisplay.

 

It also dropped out when I went away from the Mac and the lock screen came on. I had to restart my Mac to get it to run.

 

It has the obvious problem of tethering you to the USB to 30-pin/Lighting cable that came with your iPad. So if you want to pass the iPad around at a table to show something, you would have to add a USB extension cable. Having that snaking across the table might prove inconvenient, too.

 

What are the available options?

 

DuetDisplay (Figure 1) has a gear icon that drops a menu of selections. If you have questions, use the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). This takes you to the FAQ section on their Web site. I found the FAQ clear and understandable, written in laymen's terms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DuetDisplay actively develops its software. Check the app for an update. It will tell you when a new update becomes available.

 

This version of DuetDisplay lets you use touch to manipulate an OS X program. I could move iTunes radio stations around. Trying to click on a button proved problematic, though.

 

What versions of OS X does it work with?

 

It works with OS X 10.9.5 and 10.10.1. It doesn't work with the beta of 10.10.2 and the FAQ states so at the top of the page.

 

What is the competition?

 

The obvious competition is a hard-wired monitor. Now I tried DuetDisplay while I connected a second monitor to the MiniDisplayPort. (My primary display goes into the Mac Mini’s HDMI port) It worked! I had three monitors and I used the Display Preference Pane to arrange them.

 

Now what about other iPad/Mac apps? I tried Avatron's Air Display and it worked flawlessly. It is a more mature app combination using Wi-Fi/Air Display. Fast-paced video, though, shows artifacts. This is due to the speed of the Wi-Fi. As this improves with successive iPads and Macs, expect the performance gap to narrow.

 

I already have Air Display! Would I need to uninstall it to use DuetDisplay?

 

You can have both apps installed on your iPad and Macs. Just remember to turn off the one not used before starting the other one.

 

And DuetDisplay does come with its own uninstaller, just in case. No Terminal work needed.

 

Which is the better app?

 

Which app works better for you depends on your circumstances. If only you intend to use your iPad to view videos as a secondary display and will use the iPad and Mac in close proximity, then DuetDisplay gets the nod. If you intend to display graphs or spreadsheets on an iPad you will pass around a table, then Air Display gets the nod.

 

I have a 3^rd generation iPad, the first Retina model. Is that too old?

 

You have to run at least iOS 7.0 to use DuetDisplay. I'm using a 3^rd generation iPad and it works fine.

 

Just asking...does it work with an iPhone? And what about Windows?

 

I tried with my iPhone 5C running iOS 8 and it worked like a charm. Unfortunately, you can't run multiple iOS devices as secondary screens-yet.

 

 

The usefulness of an iPhone secondary display was marginal for me. Maybe with an iPhone 6 Plus, though...

 

If you look in the FAQ, they say Windows compatibility will happen sooner than you think.

 

Summary

 

DuetDisplay gives iPad and MacBook Air/Pro owners additional screen space running at full speed and taking up less room than a regular hard-wired monitor. As it doesn't depend on Wi-Fi for the connection, you don't have to deal with the problems of hotel Wi-Fi.

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

Senior Correspondent Arnold Woodworth's First Weekend Web Wrap-up of 2015

Apple responsible for more than half of all mobile device activations this holiday season

Apple accounted for 51.3 percent of all activations during the week leading up to and including Christmas (which also includes other holidays like Hanukkah). Samsung finished in second place with 17.7 percent of device activations followed by Nokia, Sony and LG with 5.8 percent, 1.6 percent and 1.4 percent of all activations, respectively.

http://www.techspot.com/news/59257-apple-responsible-more-than-half-all-mobile-device.html



The First 21 Apps To Download For Your New iPhone 6

http://www.businessinsider.com/best-iphone-apps-2014-12



RANKED: The Best iPhones Through The Years

http://www.businessinsider.com/ranked-the-best-iphones-through-the-years-2014-12



Think Retro: When Apple's User Guides explained it all

I have a paper manual for desktop Macs from 1991, a fantastic, beautiful, ring-bound thing filled with elegant, simple line drawings, crisp, smart text, and best of all, clear and unpatronizing information on how to get started with your Mac.

There’s even information on just simply how to hold the mouse, with such rudimentary advice as to make sure the mouse cable is pointing away from you:

It’s easy to think that such drawn-out, plodding explanations—of a computer technique so basic most of us wouldn’t even think it needed explaining—are quaint. That they’re a relic.

http://www.macworld.com/article/2863942/think-retro-when-apples-user-guides-explained-it-all.html



Twitter Has A New iOS Analytics Feature — And I'm Obsessed With It

Twitter recently rolled out a new analytics feature for its iOS app that will allow anyone to check the engagement on any tweet they send.

If you have an iPhone and don't see it, check to make sure you have the latest version of the app.

http://www.businessinsider.com/im-obsessed-with-new-twitter-ios-analytics-feature-2014-12



Sony execs reduced to using BlackBerrys after hack

With computers down during Thanksgiving week, the Sony Corp. unearthed a cache of BlackBerrys, which still worked because they send and receive email via their own servers.

hackers hadn’t simply stolen data. They had erased it, rendering Sony's entire computer system unusable.

Sony’s film and television studio was the victim of one of the most malicious cyberattacks in history.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sony-hack-behind-the-scenes-as-the-crisis-unfolded-2014-12-31



Sony hack sparks countless conspiracy theories

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sony-hack-sparks-countless-conspiracy-theories-2014-12-30



A good commentary on the Sony hack

There are claims that the hackers stole some 100 terabytes (TB) of data.  You'd need to buy at least 25 new hard disks (at 4 TB each) for your computer to hold that much data.  That's a ****-ton folks, and it had to go through somewhere on Sony's network on it's way out, through the internet and to the hackers.  It wasn't detected and stopped, even though it takes a lot of time to transfer that much data over the internet.  That right there tells me everything I need to know about the competence, or rather the stunning lack thereof, of the people involved in so-called "security" at Sony.

http://www.market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=229700