Business News Holding

Tag: mac

  • Amazing iOS Features that will Benefit your Business

    Amazing iOS Features that will Benefit your Business

    Apple has announced several revolutionary measures stretching across enterprise IT, developer and consumer spheres.

    Among the features is an interesting one known as continuity. This feature allows you to start a given activity on one device and complete it on another. This means you can start working on a document on your iPad and finish it on a Windows PC. Any changes made from one of your devices are replicated on all the others.

    Other interesting features are he HomeKit and HealthKit platforms which depend on a range of technologies to incorporate personal data and functionality, that is, your health and your home. Although both do not have an instant enterprise impact, both make iOS devices, such as an iPhone, more personal than they have been in the past.

    The incorporation of the HomeKit and the HealthKit, though largely accepted, have their own fair share of concerns. For instance, users are more concerned on what information IT professionals or employees can access or see on a managed device. In view of this concern, Apple has designed features that protect user privacy as they have done with iOS 7. In addition, with iOS 8, the policy has to change from full wiping to wiping only the corporate data. This will prevent wiping off of the user’s personal data.

    The introduction of Mail Drop and iCloud Drive is big news to OS X, the iCloud interface, and iOS. The Mail Drop is a welcome addition to iCloud as it has the ability to load huge attachments automatically into your iCloud account.

    Other features that you stand to enjoy with the new iOS 8 include AirDrop, Auto-Hotspot, iOS app extensions, and Markup, among others.

    Apple currently dominated the enterprise mobility space and it seems it will remain so for a long time to come.

  • Apple Reports Record Q3 2015 Results

    Apple Reports Record Q3 2015 Results

    tim-cook-wwdc-2015

    Apple has just announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 third quarter (ended June 27, 2015). The company posted quarterly revenue of $49.6 billion and quarterly net profit of $10.7 billion. These results compare to revenue of $37.4 billion and net profit of $7.7 billion in the year-ago quarter.

    In the Q3 2015 Apple sold:

    • iPhone: 47 million units (35 mln in Q3 2014)
    • iPad: 10.9 million units (13 mln in Q3 2014)
    • Mac: 4.7 million units (4.4 mln in Q3 2014)

    Revenue by product:

    • iPhone: $31.3 b
    • iPad: $4.5 b
    • Mac: $6 b
    • Services (iTunes, AppleCare, Apple Pay, licensing and other services): $5 b
    • Other products ( Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats Electronics, iPod and Apple-branded and third-party accessories): 2.6 b

    Gross margin was 39.7 percent compared to 39.4 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 64 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

    According to Apple, “the growth was fueled by record third quarter sales of iPhone and Mac, all-time record revenue from services and the successful launch of Apple Watch.”

    “In the third quarter our year-over-year growth rate accelerated from the first half of fiscal 2015, with revenue up 33 percent and earnings per share up 45 percent,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO. “We generated very strong operating cash flow of $15 billion, and we returned over $13 billion to shareholders through our capital return program.”

    Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $.52 per share of the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on August 13, 2015, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 10, 2015.

  • A Number of Macs and iPhones are about to become ‘Vintage’ or ‘Obsolete’ in June, losing Apple Repair Support

    A Number of Macs and iPhones are about to become ‘Vintage’ or ‘Obsolete’ in June, losing Apple Repair Support

    Vintage-Apple

    Starting 9th June, 2015 a couple of Apple products will be classified as either vintage or obsolete in Europe, Canada, Asia-Pacific, United States, Japan, Latin American and Apple Retail Stores.

    According to Apple, vintage products are those that have been in production for more than 5 years and less than 7 years. Apple has discontinued hardware service for all vintage products apart from Macintosh products purchased in Turkey and Products purchased in California, United States.

    Obsolete products on the other hand are those that were discontinued more than 7 years ago. These products hardware service has been discontinued with no exceptions.

    Some of the iPhone models that are about to get the boot include the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G (China), iPhone 3G, and iPhone 3GS (China). These models will achieve the vintage status if they were bought in California.

    Other Apple products that are becoming obsolete come 9th include iMac (24-inch, Mid 2007), iMac (20-inch, Mid 2007, and MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid-2009). These products will no longer be supported for service or repair unless they were bought in Turkey. In addition, a few more Apple products lose the vintage status after they were marked as obsolete in the US and they include Xserve RAID (SFP, Late 2004), Xserve (Late 2006), AirPort Express Base Station, MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.4/2.2GHZ), and MacBook Pro (17-inch, 2.4GHZ).

    The above products will achieve their new status (vintage or obsolete) sometime next month and they will therefore no longer be supported for repair by authorized resellers or Apple Stores. However, Apple will continue offering support to AppleCare customers by phone.

    A comprehensive list of the vintage and obsolete Apple devices is available here.

  • Apple introduces iCloud Drive

    Apple introduces iCloud Drive

    icloud-drive

    At the WWDC 2014 Apple has introduced iCloud Drive that will be available this fall with the newly announced iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 Yosemite.

    What does iCloud Drive bring to the table?

    There are a lot of features and benefits that comes with the drive, but one that is really dominant is the freedom. With iCloud Drive you can access, edit, and safely store your data across all your devices. You can also edit one of your documents and the changes reflect on all other devices, including iOS devices, Mac and Windows.

    iCloud Drive brings with it a next generation level of cooperation and collaboration between apps, enhancing the ability to work, edit, and access the same file across multiple apps and devices.

    How to Store

    The storage process of any file/document is as easy as promised. To upload, you just have to drag your item/s to your drive on your Mac, PC or any iOS powered device. You can also start a new document on any of the iCloud-enabled apps and they will be stored on your drive.

    With iCloud Drive, you can also open/start working on a document on one app and finish it on another. For instance, if you are creating a picture, you can start it on a sketching app and move it for painting on a paint app and so on.

  • AirPlay Mirroring Versus AirParrot

    One of the biggest perks of Mountain Lion, Apple’s latest operating system release, is that it gives Mac users the ability to mirror whatever is on their screen straight through to their HDTV with an AppleTV. It’s great for presentations, broadcasting the iTunes visualizer, or streaming online video and games right onto the big screen. But it won’t work correctly for everyone.

    As long as you have a Mac that was manufactured in 2011 or later, AirPlay mirroring will work perfectly. But what if you have an older device? For those users, a startup called Squirrels offers an app that successfully mirrors off of older devices. But does it work just as well?

    It’s incredibly easy to use AirPlay Mirroring with a modern device. With a couple of quick menu selections, you’ll see your Mac monitor on your HDTV in perfect 1920×1080 resolution. If you want to adjust it, you also have that option.

    According to experts testing the device, it worked very well. The streamed video was sharp and clear, and the frame rate was smooth enough for any type of viewed material. It’s basically a wireless extension of the computer’s display.

    If you’re running an older device, all you need is to pay Squirrels $10 for a license to their shareware called AirParrot. Download it onto your desktop, and after a simple install you’ll select the AppleTV option for mirroring.

    You can run AirParrot using Snow Leopard, Lion or Mountain Lion, and it will run on any Mac that is powered by Intel. If you do have significantly older hardware, you might occasionally notice choppy steaming. But AirParrot even has a version that runs on Windows, for those users who haven’t yet made the full switch to Apple.

    AirParrot also has some neat extra features. You can set up your HDTV as an additional monitor for your computer, instead of a straight mirror. You can still adjust the frame rate and resolution, and switch out audio if necessary.

    The bottom line is, either one is a great option based on your current hardware. Although AirPlay will work more seamlessly and AirParrot will significantly tax your device, either one will fit the bill for your mirroring needs.

    [source: arstechnica]

  • Skype Working Out Instant Messaging Bug

    Skype has long set the standard for both video conferencing and VoIP communications, as their products were one of the first to cross operating systems, and is now the VoIP option integrated with social networking giant Facebook. But many consumers have run into issues in recent weeks, as instant messages sent over Skype have been accidentally sent to the incorrect contact, creating a host of awkward situations. Luckily, Skype is moving quickly to address the problem, so their millions of customers can rest easy that things should soon go back to normal.

    Skype first became aware of the glitch on a user forum. The misdirected IM’s became an issue any time Skype crashed in the midst of an instant message session. The last IM sent would accidentally go to a different contact once the user logged back into his account. Although Skype was incredibly apologetic about the bug, they announced they didn’t feel it has affected a large number of users, and shouldn’t dissuade anyone from trusting their VoIP needs to the service.

    VoIP-List.com: extensive catalog of voip providers, available software and hardware resources.

    Not only is the situation rather unique, but it also only impacted particular iterations of Skype. The versions in question seem to be Skype 5.8 for Mac, Skype 4.0 for Linux, Skype 5.10 for Windows, and Skype 1.2 running on Windows mobile devices. Customers were asked to upgrade to the latest version, which should solve the issue. Skype also took the opportunity to fix the File Sending option on their desktop software, so that users with a FAT32 hard drive can now save files consistently.

    Skype has risen swiftly in the VoIP world, further buffered by their purchase by Microsoft last year. Skype will come built-in on Microsoft’s newest Windows release, Windows 8, and will integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Office 2013 when it heads to market next year.

  • EMC Releases New Version of Retrospect


    EMC has launched a new version of its Mac backup software Retrospect.

    As well as adding back support for PowerPC-based Macs, Retrospect 8.1 also improves performance on Intel-based Macs.

    Eric Ullman, director of product management for Retrospect, said the product, which underwent a significant user interface rework in version 8, debuted initially without any support for PowerPC-based Macs.

    But he said such systems still make up approximately 50 per cent of Retrospect users, so it was important for EMC to make sure to release a version of the software that ran on them.

    "Apple doesn’t make PowerPC-based Macs anymore, but plenty of people still use them," he said. "Whether they’re hand-me-downs from other users who have upgraded to Intel-based Macs, or people who are just trying to extend the lives of otherwise useful systems."

    Ullman said Retrospect is particularly well-suited for small and medium-sized businesses that may have outgrown Time Machine – Apple’s backup system integrated with Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard".

    He added that the software is also useful for businesses that want to centralise backups.

    With version 8.1, a PowerPC system that might have otherwise been relegated to a closet can now be used to manage a Retrospect backup server.

    Other changes have also been made in version 8.1 to improve performance on Intel-based Macs. Backup, data verification and restore activities are all faster, and EMC says that local backup performance has been increased from 10 to 15 per cent over 8.0, 30 to 35 per cent over 6.1. PowerPC-based systems will also see a boost over 6.1 – faster, multiple G5 systems run 10 to 15 percent faster under 8.1.

    Some more user interface tweaks have been made to Retrospect 8.1, as well – icons have been updated, workflow has been improved, and the software provides better responses to user actions, according to Ullman.

    Retrospect 8.1 is available as a free upgrade for 8.0 users; Retrospect 6.1 users who bought their software after January 14, 2008 are entitled to a free upgrade. Upgrade prices are also available for other users.

    The new release is available throughout EMC’s distribution network both as a boxed software product and through download services.

  • WD Launches Dual-Drive Network Storage System


    WD has unveiled its newly redesigned My Book World Edition II dual- drive network storage system in capacities of up to 4 TB.

    The company said the double protection of two Mirrored (RAID 1) drives and continuous backup software, makes the storage system extra-safe for users to back up and store the data and digital media.

    The new dual-drive system joins the recently introduced My Book World Edition and is compatible with PC and Mac computers.

    According to a July 2008 report by research firm Parks Associates, the number of households worldwide with data networks will grow from around 170 million in 2008 to 240 million by year-end 2012.

    The firm also reports that the average broadband household will see its digital media storage need grow to nearly 900 GB by year-end 2012.

    In addition, consumers indicate that the most important feature for a network-attached storage (NAS) device is the amount of available storage.

    With its massive 4 TB capacity, WD is hoping the My Book World Edition II network storage system will serve this rapidly growing need for home data storage.

    The new network storage systems are available now in 2 TB and 4 TB capacities, MSRP with 4 TB is GBP £599.99 and 2 TB is GBP £369.99.

    The new My Book World Edition II network drive features:

    • Automatic, continuous backup for all the computers on your network;
    • Dual-drive system that mirrors valuable data for extra safe data
    • protection;
    • Centralised storage and sharing for all of your family’s digital
    • content;
    • Streaming to any connected PC, Mac or DLNA certified game console or
    • media player;
    • Easy remote access to all your data from anywhere, anytime;
    • Works seamlessly on networks with both Windows and Mac computers;
    • Ability to centralise and stream music collection to a Mac or Windows
    • PC using iTunes software;
    • USB 2.0 port to turn any USB drive into an instant network drive or
    • extra capacity for the My Book World Edition II;
    • Cooler, quieter, eco-friendly design with drives using WD GreenPower
    • Technology(tm) which run cooler, quieter and consume up to 33 percent less
    • power;
    • User serviceable;
    • Capacity gauge to see at a glance how much space is available on your
    • drive;
    • High-speed data transfer with Gigabit Ethernet; and,
    • 3-year limited warranty.

  • Aress Launches Unlimited Online Data Backup Service


    Aress Software has launched an online backup solution which gives 1GB of free space and also comes with an unlimited storage option.

    Called BackupandShare.com, the service is aimed at business and individual users, and has an ability to schedule backup for PCs and Macs.

    The India-based company said the solution offers 128 bit AES encryption for secure data storage.

    At USD $49.95 for and Individual plan and $150 USD for Business plan annually, the service provides unlimited capacity to securely store files and media collections remotely and automatically.

    Aress said data is stored in an architecture that’s isolated, multi-tiered and gated in a secure data center. It also provides 24/7 customer support.

    Other features include sharing files, photo album, maintaining playlists, remote access and mobile access.

    The BackupandShare desktop application is also available for downloading to PCs.

  • Skype Update With Screen Sharing – and Reinstated Extras


    Skype has released a beta version of its software for Windows which includes a screen sharing feature.

    The Skype 4.1 release also reinstates some extras that were removed in the previous update – much to the disappointment of many subscribers.

    With the screen sharing feature, which is view-only, users get the choice to record the full screen or a region.

    It is also possible to shift between full and partial screen modes. With one-way viewing, the "guest" sees only the screen selected.

    This addition moves Skype into the realm of low-cost international business communications, although it is limited to two users – host and guest.

    It would seem logical for the screen sharing function to be expanded in the future to group calls.

    Screen sharing was made available to Mac users in the last beta version of the Mac client in January – so Mac users now have the possibility of sharing screens with PC users.

    The Windows beta has also reintroduced two features dropped from the 4.0 version – birthday reminder alerts and contacts-sharing.

    The former simply send an automatic reminder on a contact’s birthday if this detail is available on their profile.

    Skype 4.1 also reinstated are a screen reader accessibility tool and a contacts import function from Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail, AOL and LinkedIn.