Tag

Mac Pro

Technology

October 30, 2013

How HealthCare.gov Was Supposed to Work and Didn’t

The Obama administration has announced that the federal health exchange Web site, which has been plagued by software problems from the start, would be fixed by the end of November.

This is a well documented and visually pleasing piece by The New York Times. For America’s sake, I hope Obama gets this website up and running ASAP.

The Cost Of Internet In America Is Way Too High

The report found that, for U.S. consumers, the best price available for a 150 Mbps connection is Verizon’s FiOS, which goes for $130 per month in the small group locations where it’s even available. Most international cities were offering comparable service for about $50 a month. Over the summer, Verizon rolled out a new 500 Mbps service in select in American cities for the hefty price tag of $300 a month. By contrast, someone in Paris could get the same level of service for a mere $86. (All dollar figures in the report are adjusted for the cost of living in the cities measured.)

The price of Internet service in Canada is also way too high. Our “Big 3” Internet providers all pretty much charge around the same amount. We essentially get around 25 Mbps down with an 80GB bandwidth  for $54 a month.

Does Life End After 35?

His advice to me: Don’t be in so much of a rush. Be easier on yourself. Comparing yourself to what others are doing is a waste of time.

Life has a new chapter for us at any age.

Apple Makes Big Tablets Beautiful All Over Again

The iPad Air may be a lightweight device physically, but it’s a heavyweight when it comes to performance. Benchmarks tell only one side of the story, and the one that most users will be more interested in is around how the tablet work under normal, everyday usage conditions. Put simply, Apple’s latest iPad soars.

It’s unanimous. The new iPad Air is a clear winner. I will be picking one up this Friday.

Adobe: Hacker attach much bigger than previously disclosed

Adobe Systems Inc. said on Tuesday that the scope of a cyber-security breach disclosed nearly a month ago was far bigger than initially reported, with attackers obtaining data on more than 38 million customer accounts.

The software maker also said that hackers had stolen part of the source code to Photoshop editing software that is widely used by professional photographers.

This ongoing crisis at Adobe is heading even more south. Terrible news for industry professionals.

Mac Pro, Ara, and Modularity

Inevitability has caught up with us. We’ve pushed hard to keep modularity around as long as possible. I’ll certainly miss it, as I’m currently typing this article on a computer that’s quite literally a pile of parts on my desk.

But in the end, it’s the right step. I’d rather make improvements to speed, power consumption, size, and cost than keep the bottleneck of modularity around. Apple has made one of the first large steps away from modular computing, and while it’s certainly not their first time doing so, they’re going to have an uphill battle initially. At some point though, modular computers and devices simply wont be able to keep up with specs of closed systems. Precision factory manufactured machines will outperform what home builds are capable of.

Interesting perspective. I know people would prefer one or the other. One group is always fascinated with being able to tinker and upgrade parts of their computers when need be. On the other hand, I know professional photographers and designers who don’t know or want to know how to do these things. They just want to crush and push their computers to the limits as much as they can.

Technology

October 23, 2013

How Apple Makes the Mac Pro

Apple has elevated a relatively low-precision/low-tolerance process (deep draw stamping) used to make my dog’s water bowl and toilet brush canister into the creation of an aerospace grade piece of desktop jewelry.

So, there is a lot of talk about from yesterdays October Special Event by Apple. An unexpected iPad Air, the long awaited iPad mini with Retina display, updated MacBook Pros and the one I was most interested in, the radically new Mac Pro. I absolutely loved seeing their “how it’s made” video. It is a must watch. And for further in-depth analysis on how its assembled, check out the atomic delights link above. Brilliant.

OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review

There are many great improvements in the latest operating system upgrade from Apple. And it’s free! The major benefits are in power and memory management with even more security. Additional updates to the iWork and iLife suite are all free as the new Maps app.

Apple clearly realizes this, as it continues to pour resources into Safari in release after release. Safari 7 is a standard-bearer for many of the flagshiptechnologies in Mavericks, and its focus on stability, security, and energy-saving is a microcosm of the whole OS. I came very close to switching to Chrome as my default Web browser during the reign of Safari 6. Safari 7 has pulled me firmly back into the Apple camp.

To me, the entire system feels snappier. My MacBook Pro only gets better over time with these amazing software updates. I cannot say the same for any PC that I owned.

Angela Ahrendts: This is the entry into the brand

“I grew up in a physical world, and I speak English. The next generation is growing up in a digital world, and they speak social.”

Apple’s new SVP of retail and online stores defintely has the vision and attitude that the folks an Apple want in their culture. I would have hired her as well.

And before you think this it all good news Tuesday…

Hey Apple, where’s your 4K Thunderbolt display?

But at this point, Apple hasn’t even hinted at a 4K monitor, and the company’s even using a picture of Sharp’s 4K beast, the PN-K321 on its site. Apple’s last Thunderbolt display announcements were way back in 2011. The last non-Thunderbolt Cinema Displays were released in 2010.

In other words, they’re overdue for an update. And a 4K display to go along with the Mac Pro’s 4K-friendliness sounds like a perfect reason to do that.

Maybe it’s still because of pricing. That 4K Sharp display is about $4K USD (pun intended). So, one can imagine how much an Apple branded one will cost. I bet we will see one before this time next year. However, I hope its a non-glossy one. It better be.

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