The home of a tech journalist, freelance writer, and content creator
Facebook is under fire for enabling a company called Cambridge Analytica to obtain information about more than 80 million Facebook users. Until recently there was no way to know if your data was included. Now there is. Here’s how to find out.
Continue reading “Facebook and Cambridge Analytica: Is Your Data Exposed?”
For decades, pundits have compared Apple’s Macintosh computers to Windows PCs. Recent articles about Apple’s Mac plans provide us with a look inside its hardware and software engineering efforts. They also reveal what Apple is doing to make such comparisons less relevant in the future. I’m going to read the tea leaves a bit to try to figure out what Apple has planned.
Chuck Joiner and I recently spoke on his MacVoices podcast. Our subject was social media and its impact. Some of the topics we discussed included protecting ourselves at a time when many of us are dangerously overexposed. I went deep on my specific experience with Twitter, which has a lot of value. But Twitter’s also become really toxic; I stepped away because of that and some other reasons which I go into. I even got a bit ranty. Chuck’s a very gracious host, so he let me spin my top.
Ian Schray, Kirk McElhearn, and Rob Griffiths were kind enough to invite me to talk with them on their podcast The Committed this week. We talked about the controversy over Apple’s design of the iPhone X (the infamous “notch”), the Apple TV 4K, and the new LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3. I had a great time with these three gents, I hope you have a great time listening in.
Is iOS 11 Apple’s first real attempt to turn the iPad and iPad Pro into a general-purpose computer? I think so. I also have strong opinions on proper backup methodologies and offer some tips for anyone looking for ways to improve the performance of their older Macs (hints: It has to do with memory and storage). If you’re interested in this and other issues including Apple TV 4K, iPhone 8s and the Apple Watch with LTE, and some High Sierra tips and tricks, please listen to this recent episode of The MacCast podcast. Adam Christianson and I had a great time talking! Thanks for having me on, Adam!
Apple has released High Sierra, a new upgrade to macOS that’s installable on most Macs built since 2009 and 2010. One of the key features of High Sierra is a new file system. There’s a hitch if you’re using a Mac with a hard drive, including Macs with Fusion Drives. File systems aren’t a sexy feature or even a visible one, but the last time the Mac’s file system changed, Bill Clinton was president. So it’s a big deal. Read on for the full story.
Continue reading “High Sierra, APFS, and your hard drive-equipped Mac”
macOS High Sierra is now available for download. If you’re upgrading or planning to upgrade, do a bit of advanced prep before you download and install the new operating system using the Mac App Store. Those steps include backing up your Mac and qualifying the apps and devices you depend on for use with the new operating system. Here are some helpful hints to keep you on the right course.
On this episode 429 of the Apple Context Machine podcast, Jeff Gamet and I talked at length about iOS 11, the new APFS file system change that’s already come to iOS and is coming to (some) Macs with High Sierra’s release, T-Mobile and LTE Band 71, backups and more. If you’re looking for an hour to fill with Apple nerdery, please tune in, or whatever the kids are doing with podcasts these days.
Apple’s iOS 11 is the newest latest major release of the operating system that powers the iPhone and iPad, and it’s a significant change. Here are a few tips to make that upgrade and transition as smooth as possible – what to do before you upgrade, when you upgrade, and what to do if things go wrong after the upgrade.
If you’re in the U.S., looking at a new iPhone 8 or iPhone X and you’re a T-Mobile customer, you may wonder if the new phone supports T-Mobile’s LTE Band 71, new 600 MHz spectrum the company is in the process of bringing online. The short answer is no. Apple’s new phones don’t support Band 71 and can’t be made to. You’ll have to wait until Apple’s next iPhone refresh to get that capability. The devil is in the details, so read on for more.
Continue reading “About the new iPhones and T-Mobile’s 600 MHz spectrum”