Categories
iOS devices Mac hardware Networking

802.11ac

Apparently we can expect 802.11ac wi-fi products coming from Apple soon. Hints of the protocol were found in the latest beta of Mountain Lion. While not unexpected, it would be great news to see 802.11ac this year. For low-end hardware, the protocol starts at 433 Mb/sec. Since this is Apple, we’ll probably be getting higher-end…

Categories
Applications

timeEdition free time tracking software

  For those of you in professions with billable hours (like myself), a time tracking application is very useful. There are countless applications for time tracking on the Mac and iOS. While many are feature-laden products, I use a simple open source application called timeEdition. It’s available on OS X, Windows, and Linux. Once you add…

Categories
iOS devices

T-Mobile announces iPhone 5 availability

On April 12, T-Mobile will carry the iPhone 5. This is a big deal because the phone will be offered contract-free. Under the Simple Choice plan, the service will cost $50 per month for unlimited talk, text, and 3G data, plus 500 MB of 4G (high-speed) data. 2GB of 4G data can be added for…

Categories
Miscellaneous

Free music from the New York Public Library

If you have a library card from the New York Public Library, you can download three free MP3s a week from the Freegal Music site. While the music selection isn’t as large as the iTunes music store, there’s still plenty to choose from. You’ll need your library card PIN in order to log in. Check…

Categories
Apple Customer service iOS devices

Apple lawsuit update

Back in November, I wrote a blog post about the SIM deactivation issue on Verizon iPads. In a nutshell, Apple’s web advertising is deceptive. Apple claims that the cellular data plan can be managed from the iPad at any time, when this is clearly not the case. What Apple doesn’t tell its customers is that…

Categories
Applications

Window Tidy

Windows 7 introduced a feature to keep your windows organized, called Snap. It allows you to quickly arrange two windows side-by-side, filling up the entire screen. This feature wasn’t critical to me until I starting using a 27″ monitor. With a monitor this size, you’ll want to use a dual window arrangement to take advantage…

Categories
macOS Server

OS X Server – NetInstall

  When you’re responsible for rolling out tens or hundreds of Macs in your company, an automated build process is necessary. Could you imagine having to configure each machine individually, and manually installing your company’s software packages? This might be practical in a small company, but it’s a huge drain of resources in a mid-sized…

Categories
Apple Customer service iOS devices

Verizon iPad SIM card deactivation

If you’re considering buying an iPad for use on the Verizon network, or already own one, the following is extremely important. Apple advertises that cellular service for the iPad can be purchased month-to-month, and managed directly on the device. Unfortunately, this isn’t true on Verizon iPads under the following circumstances: 1. If you cancel your…

Categories
Mac hardware

Memory options for 2012 iMacs

The 2012 iMacs are about to be released. Before you place your order, it’s important to know the memory options for each model. The memory is not user accessible on the 21.5″ model. This means that you’ll need to pick an 8 or 16 GB model when you order it. Once you own it, you can’t upgrade…

Categories
macOS Server Networking

VPN on OS X Server

Telecommuting has become a viable option for employees of many large companies thanks to the availability of remote access technologies. You might have heard of some of these technologies – VPN, remote desktop, VNC, and IPsec, to name a few. What you may not realize is that you can leverage these technologies for your small…