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Happy Thanksgiving from AppleWatch

Happy Thanksgiving from AppleWatch.

As a holiday gift from me to you there will be updated content here.


Apple Posts iPhone Job on Facebook

An Apple employee has posted a listing on the Facebook Marketplace for a job on the iPhone team. The listing starts:

“Software Engineer iPhone Mail Application #2988020

Apple Computer iPhone Technology is looking for a proactive, highly motivated Software Engineer for Software Design and Development on the iPhone Mail Application.”

Source: the facebook listing, the Apple.com job listing

Better Security Coming to Mac OS X Leopard

Mac OS X Leopard will add a few new layers of security to OS X with memory randomization, application sandboxing, a better firewall, signed applications, and more. Here I have put a few of them together. The memory randomization and application sandboxing are some of the big new ones that will help secure OS X. Because by default it wasn’t very secure. (Pre-order Leopard now at Amazon and save $20!)

Memory Randomization
This security technology, known as ASLR (address space layout randomization), randomly arranges the positions of key data areas on the hard drive to prevent malware authors from predicting target addresses. It means that the bad guys will not know where everything is on your hard drive because each computer will have things moved around randomly. It makes it a lot harder to attack.

Sandboxing
Apple plans to add Sandboxing (systrace) in Leopard to limit an application�s access to the system by enforcing access policies for system calls. The feature is aimed at restricting an app�s file access, network access, and ability to launch other applications.

Many Leopard applications � such as Bonjour, Quick Look, and the Spotlight indexer � will be sandboxed so hackers can�t exploit them, Apple said.

Application-Based Firewall
You will gain more control over the built-in firewall in Leopard. You can specify the behavior of specific applications to either allow or block incoming connections for those applications.

Signed Applications
A digital signature on an application verifies its identity and ensures its integrity. All applications shipped with Leopard are signed by Apple, and third-party software developers can also sign their applications. It adds another level of security.

Tagging Downloaded Applications
Protect yourself from potential threats. Any application downloaded to your Mac is tagged. Before it runs for the first time, the system asks for your consent � telling you when it was downloaded, what application was used to download it, and, if applicable, what URL it came from.

Stronger Encryption for Disk Images
Give your data even more security. Disk Utility now allows you to create encrypted disk images using 256-bit AES encryption.

Source: Apple Mac OS X Leopard Features

Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5 Leopard at Amazon for $109 (you save $20!)

Apple Profits Soar, Stock Pops After Hours

Apple reported fiscal 2007 fourth quarter results after the bell today. The company had net quarterly profits of $904 million, or $1.01 per diluted share, on revenue of $6.22 billion. Analysts were looking for 86 cents per share on sales of $6.07 billion. The stock was up $17.15 to $187.57 in after hours trading at the time of this report.

Apple shipped 2,164,000 Macintosh computers, representing 34 percent growth over the year-ago quarter and exceeding the previous quarterly record for Mac shipments by 400,000. The Company sold 10.2 million iPods during the quarter, representing 17 percent growth over the year-ago quarter. Quarterly iPhone sales were 1.1 million bringing cumulative fiscal 2007 sales to 1.4 million

Jobs was optimistic, looking for a strong December quarter with Apple’s “best products ever.” OSX Leopard being released at the end of October is rumored to be followed by a product line refresh. So the future looks bright.

Earnings results compare to revenue of $4.84 billion and net quarterly profit of $542 million, or $.62 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 33.6 percent, up from 29.2 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 40 percent of the quarter�s revenue.

Source: Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results

Mac Revisions after Leopard

Rumor is that the MacBook will see a speed bump after the Leopard release. The revision could mirror the speed bump earlier this year, or we could see Santa Rosa chips in the MacBook finally. We’ll find out soon enough, and Steve Jobs has been making comments lately that lead me to believe that we will see many of the Mac lines refreshed ahead of the holiday season.

Source: Think Secret

Posted 10/22/07 by Jason Schramm in:


Apple’s OS X Leopard to ship Oct. 26

Apple’s OS X Leopard will ship Oct. 26. If you buy a Mac without 10.5 Leopard after October 1 you can upgrade for $9.95 until December 29, 2007. Too bad I got my Macbook around June. Otherwise it retails for $129 for a single-user license, $199 for the family license. And I hear you can get a $20 discount if your preorder it from Amazon.

Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5 Leopard at Amazon

General requirements
  • A Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor
  • 512MB of memory
  • DVD drive for installation
  • 9GB of available disk space
  • Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.
  • Some features require Apple’s .Mac service; fees apply.

Source: Technical Requirements, Update Program

Apple Introduces iPod Touch

Apple today introduced the iPod Touch. It looks remarkable similar to an iPhone, with a large touchscreen, single home button, and built in Wi-Fi. The built in Wi-Fi is what excites me. I have been wanting something like this for a long time, and now I have to find a way to justify the purchase when I already have an iPod nano.

The iPod touch is an unbelievable 8 mm thin, and is priced starting at just $299. It has a 3.5-inch widescreen display, built-in accelerometer that automatically senses when you rotate it into its landscape position, it automatically switches to Cover Flow so you can browse your music collection by album cover artwork with just a flick of a finger. iPod touch also has a built-in ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the display�s brightness. iPod touch features up to 22 hours of audio playback and up to five hours of video playback.

The new iPod touch is scheduled to be available later this month. The 8GB iPod touch model is $299 (US) and the 16GB iPod model is $399 (US).

Source: Apple Press Release

Apple Cuts iPhone Price by $200, removes 4GB version

Apple today discontinued the 4GB iPhone and lowered the price of the 8GB iPhone $200 to $400. This is very good news as it simplifies their iPhone line and makes it much more affordable.

Source: Apple Press Release

Apple Media Event Could Bring New iPods

Tomorrow Apple is having a media event. Rumors are swirling that we may see some new iPods. Specifically an iPod that mirrors the iPhone with a wide touchscreen. Or an iPod Nano that plays video. And the iPods might even run Apple’s mobile version of OSX. So there are some exciting possibilities, and we will find out tomorrow whether any of them pan out. In the evening I will have a roundup of any announcements that come out of tomorrow’s Apple event.

I’m hoping for a wi-fi iPod, but that could just be wishful thinking. What are you hoping for?

Sources: Think Secret, AppleInsider

Drobo Update Fixes High CPU Load On Mac

I own a Drobo and I found that when connected to my Macbook the Drobo Dashboard would sometimes use up over 90% of the CPU and cause the fan to stay on indefinitely. The only solution was to close the program (Dashboard) that monitors the connected Drobo. The latest Dashboard and firmware for the Drobo fixes this mysterious problem.

Drobo Firmware and Drobo Dashboard 1.0.2 Release Notes

And now you can get a Drobo at a reduced price:
August sees the Drobo discount increased to $50. The discount goes back to $25 after August 31, so hurry. Go to the Drobo Store and use the coupon code EVJASONS


Apple Unveils New iMac

new iMacApple today unveiled an all new all-in-one iMac line featuring 20- and 24-inch widescreen displays encased in aluminum and glass enclosures. The entire new iMac line features the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors and a new, ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard, built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing and iLife �08. The 20-inch iMac now starts at just $1,199, $300 less than the previous 20-inch model, and the 24-inch iMac starts at just $1,799, $200 less than the previous 24-inch model.

The new iMac features highly recyclable and durable materials including scratch-resistant glass and professional grade aluminum. The power-efficient iMac also meets the stringent new Energy Star 4.0 requirements.

Source: Apple PR
Great pictures from AppleInsider

iPhone Impressions

I recently spent some time in an Apple store and it was the first time I personally used an iPhone. I was impressed with how small and sleek it was. Turning it to the side to switch to the widescreen mode wasn’t as smooth as I would like, but that could have been specific to the display model I was using. Also, typing with my big hands was nearly impossibly since I couldn’t get it to delete any characters I mistyped and I couldn’t type some other letters. I would need a larger typing area if I was to buy an iPhone, or a system that worked better. But I did enjoy flipping through music albums and zooming in on photos with my fingers.

I must have spent a half hour checking it out and listening to the eclectic selection of music they loaded onto the display iPhones. I was impressed, but not enough to switch to AT&T/Cingular. I would love a phone that worked on Verizon and let me make free calls from a WiFi connection.

Posted 08/4/07 by Jason Schramm in:

AirPort Extreme Update 2007-004

Apple has released an update for OSX 10.4. This update is recommended for all Intel-based MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini computers and improves the reliability of AirPort connections. It should show up in Software Update.

Source: About AirPort Extreme Update 2007-004

Lower Cost iPhone

There could be a lower cost version of Apple’s iPhone, according to AppleInsider. The model would potentially be released by this holiday season, possibly in a few months. It would combine an iPod with a cellphone’s base features, and not have email or web browsing.

This would definitely make sense, since the iPhone is too expensive for many people. A lower cost version would give choices like the iPod line does. And we all know that is doing well.

Source: AppleInsider

iPhone Stories

The iPhone is now available for sale, and stories abound. Do you have a good or bad story about your experience with the iPhone? Then post a comment here about it.

Posted 06/30/07 by Jason Schramm in: