Macs Are Great!

The latest Apple Mac related news from various sources

MacWorld News

MacNewsWorld

Why iPad Dominance Is a Lock for the Rest of 2012
There’s always a danger of reading analysis by others that matches your own personal experience and then simply using it to build up the foundation of what you know and believe. But hey, danger can spike adrenaline, and I like adrenaline, so check this out: Information technology research firm Gartner released a report about its worldwide tablet sales projections for 2012.


by Chris Maxcer
17 May 2012 at 12:00pm

The MacBook Pro’s Mystery Mix
With the expected unveiling of new MacBook Pros just weeks away, rumor mongers have begun to solidify their predictions about the new notebooks. Most Apple prognosticators seem to agree that the MacBook Pros will be thinner, run Intel’s new Ivy Bridge chip, and sport an eye-popping Retina Display.


by John P. Mello Jr.
16 May 2012 at 4:09pm

New MacBook, New Cloud, New Leaf
Apple computer users might soon have a thinner, lighter version of the MacBook, according to numerous reports. The new design will apparently still bear the “MacBook Pro” name but will more closely resemble an Ultrabook — thin, light and affordable PC laptops. It will supposedly feature a high-definition screen similar to the ones found on iPhones and iPads.


by Rachelle Dragani
16 May 2012 at 12:00pm

MenuTab Keeps Facebook Nicely Widgetized
Facebook’s march toward its IPO has put a harsh spotlight on the social network’s shortcomings, and one of the primary worries among prospective investors is that Facebook doesn’t have very sharp mobile chops. There are a million things it could be doing in mobile to draw in more revenue, they say, but it’s still an area in which the network moves painfully slowly.


by Paul Hartsock
15 May 2012 at 12:00pm

SynchroCam Sorely Disappoints
I very much prefer to write reviews only of apps and products that I appreciate, that I find useful, interesting, or just plain awesome. This is not one of those reviews. And the app? It’s not one of those apps, either. The makers of some products sometimes try hard to make them appear to be things they really are not.


by Chris Maxcer
14 May 2012 at 12:00pm

iTV: Not If but What
Terry Gou, chief of Foxconn, has confirmed that Apple has an iTV in the works. The news, which instantly sent the consumer electronics industry into a tizzy, came in an article focused on the company’s plans to expand into e-commerce and distribution. Yes, an iTV is coming, according to Gou, who dropped a few details about the product, even though neither development nor manufacturing has begun.


by Erika Morphy
11 May 2012 at 9:56pm

Proview and Apple: A Tale of Two Lawsuits
A Chinese company that claims it owns the rights to the iPad name reportedly refused to settle its claims against Apple for $16 million. The company, Shenzhen Proview Technology, was apparently offered $16 million by representatives of Apple to drop its challenge of Apple’s right to use the iPad trademark in China.


by John P. Mello Jr.
11 May 2012 at 12:00pm

iPad: Desperately Seeking Guest Mode
After you get over the worry that kids or grandmothers are going to drop your iPad and then accidentally trod on it or stab it with the leg of a walker, other problems quickly arise: For instance, what sort of iMessage or Reminder is going to pop up from your crass buddy and mortify your grandma? Which email from the friend who won’t stop sending the joke emails is going show up in front of a kid?


by Chris Maxcer
10 May 2012 at 12:00pm

Will Apple Take Root in Walmart?
Forbes released its annual list of the largest corporations in the U.S. this week, and Apple had the biggest increase. It jumped from the 35th spot in 2011 to finish 17th on this year’s list, which ranks companies on the basis of revenue. Apple still hasn’t climbed into the ranks of Exxon Mobil, Walmart or General Electric when it comes to cash flow, but in the tech world, only HP was ahead of Apple on the list.


by Rachelle Dragani
9 May 2012 at 12:00pm

AK-7 MIDI Keyboard Knows the Music but Mumbles the Words
Apple’s Garage Band for Mac is loaded with an array of virtual instruments. The application is capable of imitating brass, strings, winds and percussion, as well as a whole stable of fully synthesized noises with names like “Synchro Nice” and “Future Flute.”


by Paul Hartsock
8 May 2012 at 12:00pm

Macworld UK

MacAce launches MobileMe replacement, MacMate
Apple is set to discontinue MobileMe on 30 June, with iCloud taking its place. But if the recent iCloud outages have knocked your confidence in the service, or you need more from your cloud service than iCloud provides, MacAce is offering an alternative: MacMate.

Related Stories

Apple to ditch AMD for Nvidia graphics in MacBook ProRemains of the Day: Walk the walk, talk the talkApple issues update to Mountain Lion Developer PreviewRetina display MacBook is on its way, but could be pricey – analystApple: We’re preparing for ‘hardware specific special features’


by team@macworld.co.uk (Macworld Staff
17 May 2012 at 2:51pm

Get a free copy of Macworld’s commemorative Steve Jobs issue
The Macworld UK magazine app for your iPad and iPhone is now completely free. Plus, by downloading the app, you’ll receive a free special digital edition of Macworld’s Steve Jobs commemorative issue.

Related Stories

Android, Samsung top smartphone sales, topping Apple’s iPhoneMacworld Interviews: celebs share their iPad, iPhone and Apple momentsApple iPhone 5 to boost mobile market in second half of 2012, analystThe iPhone with a 4in screen could look like thisApple ‘in talks’ with China Mobile, could reach 667.2 million


by team@macworld.co.uk (Macworld Staff
17 May 2012 at 1:45pm

Apple: We’re preparing for ‘hardware specific special features’
Apple’s AppleSeed program allows a select group of customers to test out Apple software before it’s even released to Apple’s registered developers. These select customers received an email from Apple on Wednesday, informing them that the company is preparing for ‘hardware specific software updates’.

Related Stories

Apple to ditch AMD for Nvidia graphics in MacBook ProRemains of the Day: Walk the walk, talk the talkApple issues update to Mountain Lion Developer PreviewRetina display MacBook is on its way, but could be pricey – analystMacAce launches MobileMe replacement, MacMate


by team@macworld.co.uk (Ashleigh Allsopp
17 May 2012 at 1:02pm

Apple ‘in talks’ with China Mobile, could reach 667.2 million
Apple is in talks with China Mobile, according to the carrier’s chairman Xi Guohua, although an agreement is yet to be reached.

Related Stories

Android, Samsung top smartphone sales, topping Apple’s iPhoneMacworld Interviews: celebs share their iPad, iPhone and Apple momentsApple iPhone 5 to boost mobile market in second half of 2012, analystThe iPhone with a 4in screen could look like thisGet a free copy of Macworld’s commemorative Steve Jobs issue


by team@macworld.co.uk (Karen Haslam
17 May 2012 at 11:50am

Apple iPhone 5 to boost mobile market in second half of 2012, analyst
Worldwide sales of mobile phones saw a 2 per cent decline from the first quarter of 2011 due to a slowdown in demand from the Asia/Pacific region, but the launch of the Apple iPhone 5 will help drive a stronger second half of the year in Western Europe and North America, according to Gartner. The report also notes that Apple’s sales in China were “particularly strong”.

Related Stories

Android, Samsung top smartphone sales, topping Apple’s iPhoneMacworld Interviews: celebs share their iPad, iPhone and Apple momentsThe iPhone with a 4in screen could look like thisApple ‘in talks’ with China Mobile, could reach 667.2 millionGet a free copy of Macworld’s commemorative Steve Jobs issue


by team@macworld.co.uk (Karen Haslam
17 May 2012 at 11:16am

The iPhone with a 4in screen could look like this
Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple could be looking to increase the iPhone’s screen size from 3.5in to 4in. Here’s what the bigger iPhone could look like.

Related Stories

Android, Samsung top smartphone sales, topping Apple’s iPhoneMacworld Interviews: celebs share their iPad, iPhone and Apple momentsApple iPhone 5 to boost mobile market in second half of 2012, analystApple ‘in talks’ with China Mobile, could reach 667.2 millionGet a free copy of Macworld’s commemorative Steve Jobs issue
by team@macworld.co.uk (Ashleigh Allsopp
17 May 2012 at 11:12am


Retina display MacBook is on its way, but could be pricey – analyst
An analyst has said that the rumoured Retina display MacBooks are already in the supply chain, but could cost $100 (£63) more.

Related Stories

Apple to ditch AMD for Nvidia graphics in MacBook ProRemains of the Day: Walk the walk, talk the talkApple issues update to Mountain Lion Developer PreviewApple: We’re preparing for ‘hardware specific special features’MacAce launches MobileMe replacement, MacMate


by team@macworld.co.uk (Ashleigh Allsopp
17 May 2012 at 10:25am

Flashback Mac Trojan earned $14,000 from ad clicks, Symantec
Symantec originally thought that at its peek the Flashback Trojan was generating around $10,000 a day by hijacking ad clicks. Now, new research suggests the developers may only have earned $14,000 during the time that the malware was active.

Related Stories

Latest OS X update ‘breaks’ some MacsGreenpeace infiltrates Apple’s Cupertino campusCompanies blacklist Angry Birds, Facebook, YouTube


by team@macworld.co.uk (Karen Haslam
17 May 2012 at 10:05am

Apple issues update to Mountain Lion Developer Preview
Apple has issued an update to its OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3, but has left developers using the mid-2007 MacBook Pro unable to run the new build.

Related Stories

Apple to ditch AMD for Nvidia graphics in MacBook ProRemains of the Day: Walk the walk, talk the talkRetina display MacBook is on its way, but could be pricey – analystApple: We’re preparing for ‘hardware specific special features’MacAce launches MobileMe replacement, MacMate


by team@macworld.co.uk (Ashleigh Allsopp
17 May 2012 at 9:45am

Children’s book asks ‘Who Was Steve Jobs’
It’s available on Amazon for £3.10, but not as a Kindle version, and it’s not on the iBook Store.

Related Stories

Sell Apple, buy Facebook, reportWozniak reveals why Steve Jobs loved secrecySupreme Court denies Mac clone maker Psystar’s appealApple’s Tim Cook heads to US House of RepresentativesMicrosoft tunes up Windows 8 multi-screen


by team@macworld.co.uk (Karen Haslam
17 May 2012 at 9:32am

Slashdot: Apple

Apple Tells Siri To Stop Recommending Nokia




judgecorp writes “Apple has changed the answer Siri gives to the question ‘What is the best smartphone ever?’ to prevent the voice-driven assistant from promoting the Nokia Lumia 900. Originally Siri trawled online reviews on the web, using the Wolfram Alpha search engine, to come up with the Lumia, much to Apple’s embarrassment. Now, Apple has intervened, replacing that answer with a joke: ‘Wait there are other phones?’”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

by samzenpus
16 May 2012 at 6:33pm

HTC One X Phone Held by Customs Due to ITC Ruling




zacharye writes, quoting BGR: “The launch of Sprint’s flagship EVO 4G LTE has been delayed indefinitely and supply of AT&T’s flagship HTC One X will be constrained as a result of ongoing patent disputes between HTC and Apple. HTC confirmed in a statement emailed to BGR on Tuesday evening that shipments of its new EVO 4G LTE and One X smartphones have been held up by United States Customs as part of an International Trade Commission investigation. Before the phones can clear Customs, the ITC will need to determine that HTC’s new handsets are in compliance with an earlier ruling…”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

by Unknown Lamer
16 May 2012 at 3:25pm

Mac Clone Maker Saga Ends As SCOTUS Denies Appeal




CWmike writes “The four-year-old saga of Psystar, a Florida Mac clone maker that was crushed by Apple, ended Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear its appeal of a lower court ruling. The decision to not consider the case (download PDF) upheld a ruling last September by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. That ruling confirmed a permanent injunction against Psystar that prevented the company from copying, using or selling OS X, and blocked it from selling machines with Apple’s operating system preinstalled. ‘We are sad,’ said K.A.D. Camera of the Houston firm Camera & Sibley LLP, in an email reply today to a request for comment. Camera represented Psystar in its bid to get its appeal heard. ‘I expect the Supreme Court will eventually take a case on this important issue.’ Last year, Camera had said, ‘This is far from over,’ after the Ninth Circuit’s decision. Apparently, it is.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

by timothy
15 May 2012 at 5:36pm

Geekbench Confirms Ivy Bridge MacBook Pro and iMac




An anonymous reader writes “It was inevitable that Intel launching the 22nm Ivy Bridge processors would lead to Apple using them in its laptops and desktop machines. While Apple never leaks details early, someone using pre-release hardware has managed to upload details of the new machine to Geekbench’s database. We can definitely expect a Core i7 Ivy Bridge MacBook Pro and iMac later this year.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

by samzenpus
14 May 2012 at 4:54pm

Wozniak Calls For Open Apple




aesoteric writes “Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has voiced a renewed desire to see the company open its architecture to the masses, allowing savvy users to expand and add to their products at will. However, Wozniak qualified his desire for a more open Apple by arguing that openness should not impinge on the quality of the products themselves. He also sees any change of heart on openness as a challenge when Apple continues to rake in huge cash with its current model.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

by samzenpus
14 May 2012 at 3:05pm

Subdermal Magnets Allow You To Wear an IPod Like a Watch




Okian Warrior writes “Tattoo artist Jersey from Dynasty Tattoo (in New Jersey) implanted sub-dermal magnets in his arm to wear his iPod touch like a watch. From the article: ‘“Those magnets are actually called micro-dermal anchors, and in body piercing they are very common. The tops are actually just 5 millimetre magnetic tops,” he said. “I took the ends of magnets and actually adhered them to the back of the iPod, and that’s how they click into my skin.”

He added: “I can go for a run and it won’t come off. I’ve already taken it to the gym and jogged with it on.”’”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

by samzenpus
14 May 2012 at 2:48pm

Foxconn CEO Fuels iTV Rumors




An anonymous reader writes “Apple may soon begin production of a full-blown HDTV, dubbed iTV by Apple watchers, according to the Terry Gou, CEO of Apple’s main hardware supplier Foxconn, in a brief interview with the newspaper China Daily. The newspaper reports that the device will feature ‘aluminum construction, Siri, and FaceTime video calling’ and will be manufactured by a 50-50 joint venture between Foxconn and the Japanese manufacturer Sharp; other details, including the schedule, were notably absent. Apple’s spokesperson has declined comment. So it’s not clear how solid this ‘scoop’ is.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

by samzenpus
14 May 2012 at 1:37pm

Apple Gives In, Drops iPad ’4G’ Tag To Avoid Lawsuits




Back in March, Apple was sued in Australia and criticized in Europe over its marketing of the iPad as supporting 4G speeds when it only did so in the U.S. and Canada. Now, reader TheGift73 writes with news that Apple has given in and changed the ‘Wi-Fi + 4G’ label to ‘Wi-Fi + Cellular.’ From the article:
“In the U.K., a number of complaints by customers pushed the ASA into acting against Apple for its misleading advertisements. The regulator had received ‘dozens of complaints’ from customers, and had pushed for Apple to remove any mentions of ’4G’ from its websites. It should come as little surprise considering Britain has yet to see its mobile networks divide up its 4G spectrum without bickering furiously about it. Some networks had even opted to avoid litigation directed at them by including stickers to inform potential buyers that the new iPad will not work on existing 4G networks, or even 4G networks that don’t even exist yet. This should come as bittersweet news for consumers. Apple has already sold millions of iPads across the U.K., Europe and Australia, while the vast majority are unaware that they will not be able to connect to high-speed mobile broadband networks.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

by Soulskill
13 May 2012 at 3:13am

Objective-C Comes of Age




New submitter IdleThoughts writes “Sometimes it takes a long time to spark a revolution. Long the ugly duckling of programming languages, iOS’ Objective-C passed C# in the ‘TIOBE Programming Community Index this month and seems on a trajectory to overtake C++ in the next few. It was invented in the early 1980s by Brad Cox and Tom Love, with the idea of creating ‘Software Integrated Circuits’ and heavily influenced by Smalltalk — yet another legacy from Xerox PARC, along with desktop GUIs, ethernet and laser printers. It was adopted early on by Steve Jobs’ NeXTStep, the grand-daddy of all that is now OS X. It had to wait, however, for the mobile device revolution to have its day, being ideally suited to the limited resources on portable devices. It’s still being actively developed by Apple and others, sporting the new automatic reference counting and static analysis in the Clang compiler. It turns out it has supported dynamic patching of code in applications all along. What more surprises does this venerable language have up its sleeve?”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

by Soulskill
11 May 2012 at 5:43pm

Adobe Introduces the Paid Security Fix




Nimey writes “Adobe has posted a security bulletin for Photoshop CS5 for Windows and OSX. It seems there is a critical security hole that will allow attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the user running the affected application. Adobe’s fix? You need to pay to upgrade to Photoshop CS6. For users who cannot upgrade to Adobe Photoshop CS6, Adobe recommends users follow security best practices and exercise caution when opening files from unknown or untrusted sources.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

by timothy
10 May 2012 at 9:41pm

Mac Rumors

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin Shares Some Thoughts About Steve Jobs Biopic, Woz H…
Aaron Sorkin, the creative genius behind The Social Network, The West Wing, and upcoming HBO show The Newsroom was recently confirmed as the screenwriter for Sony’s upcoming movie based on Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs — though, Sorkin himself says he has a lot of work to do.



Reuters reports that Sorkin held an interview with reporters and said he was still looking for something in Jobs’ life to hang the movie on.

Sorkin noted that “The Social Network” saw the Facebook story through the lens of an acrimonious lawsuit that pitted CEO Mark Zuckerberg against his Harvard friends over the creation of the social media network.



“Drama is tension versus obstacle. Someone wants something, something is standing in their way of getting it. They want the money, they want the girl, they want to get to Philadelphia – doesn’t matter … And I need to find that event and I will. I just don’t know what it is,” Sorkin said.He noted that it won’t be a “straight ahead biography” because a biography has a natural “cradle-to-grave structure” that is very hard to overcome.



Sorkin also disclosed that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has been hired as a consultant by Sony Pictures to advise the filmmakers on the technical aspects of computers and about Jobs himself.





Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories

• Physics Puzzler 'Feed Me Oil' Free for Today Only

• Comcast Dropping 250GB Data Cap In Favor of "Improved Data Usage Management"

• China Mobile Again Confirms iPhone Talks with Apple

• In Lawsuit Over Siri, Apple Says the Technology is "Cutting Edge"

• iPhone a 'Game Changer' for Customer Satisfaction





by Jordan Golson
18 May 2012 at 12:15am

Apple Board Member Mickey Drexler on Steve Jobs’ iCar Dreams, Apple’s Living …
Speaking at Fast Company‘s Innovation Uncensored conference earlier this week, J. Crew CEO and Apple board member Mickey Drexler shared his thoughts (via Business Insider) on several topics related to Apple, including Steve Jobs’ dream to build an “iCar” that would have revolutionized the automobile industry. While the idea obviously never developed very far, it is an intriguing glimpse into Jobs’ interests and ambitions.





Drexler also mentioned in passing that Apple will be making a push into the living room “in the near future”, fueling further interest in and speculation on an Apple television set and perhaps ultimately content deals that could remake how television content is consumed.Look at the car business ? it’s a tragedy in America. Who’s designing the cars? They talk about expense, they talk about this, and then you say ‘Who’s designing the cars?’





Steve’s dream before he died was to design an iCar. It would have been probably 50% of the market. He never did design it. In the fashion business, you know, Apple has ten products and then they leave alone…the living room they’re dealing with at some point in the near future.


Drexler closed with a quip about how difficult it is to take over a company that is doing well, comparing his move to take over struggling J. Crew nearly a decade ago with Tim Cook’s move to the CEO position at Apple.





(Photo via Flickr/juanpol)





Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories

• Physics Puzzler 'Feed Me Oil' Free for Today Only

• Comcast Dropping 250GB Data Cap In Favor of "Improved Data Usage Management"

• China Mobile Again Confirms iPhone Talks with Apple

• In Lawsuit Over Siri, Apple Says the Technology is "Cutting Edge"

• iPhone a 'Game Changer' for Customer Satisfaction





by Eric Slivka
17 May 2012 at 9:18pm

Verizon Clarifies Discontinuation of Grandfathered Unlimited Data: Applies to…
Verizon yesterday made headlines for comments from Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo revealing that the carrier is planning to discontinue its grandfathered unlimited data plans when the carrier rolls out new shared data plans this summer. Verizon dropped those unlimited data plans within months of introducing the iPhone early last year, but customers who had previously been on the unlimited plans have been allowed to keep them, even through handset upgrades.








Tim Cook and Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead introduce the Verizon iPhone in January 2011


Verizon issued a clarification to The New York Times today, noting that the loss of grandfathered unlimited plans will be limited to those customers purchasing new subsidized devices for use on the carrier. Users who do not upgrade their devices or who choose to upgrade at unsubsidized prices will be able to keep their unlimited data plans. Still, the change would appear to be set to affect the majority of Verizon’s current unlimited data customers, as most customers are interested in regular handset upgrades at subsidized prices.- Customers will not be automatically moved to new shared data plans. If a 3G or 4G smartphone customer is on an unlimited plan now and they do not want to change their plan, they will not have to do so.





- When we introduce our new shared data plans, Unlimited Data will no longer be available to customers when purchasing handsets at discounted pricing.





- Customers who purchase phones at full retail price and are on an unlimited smartphone data plan will be able to keep that plan.





- The same pricing and policies will be applied to all 3G and 4GLTE smartphones.Sprint remains the only major U.S. carrier to offer unlimited data for iPhone users, and the carrier has indicated that it will continue to do so for the next-generation device, even if it supports 4G LTE networks that could lead to consumers using more data capacity.





Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories

• Physics Puzzler 'Feed Me Oil' Free for Today Only

• Comcast Dropping 250GB Data Cap In Favor of "Improved Data Usage Management"

• China Mobile Again Confirms iPhone Talks with Apple

• In Lawsuit Over Siri, Apple Says the Technology is "Cutting Edge"

• iPhone a 'Game Changer' for Customer Satisfaction





by Eric Slivka
17 May 2012 at 8:41pm

Apple Cutting Off Mac App Store Hotkey Apps as Sandboxing Requirement Goes Li…
TUAW reports that Apple will be scaling back on systemwide “hotkey” apps, which allow users to call up other apps and functions, in the Mac App Store as of June 1, the same date the company’s sandboxing requirements are scheduled to go into effect.Apparently, Apple will allow hotkey apps that are already in the Mac App Store before June to offer only bug fixes after that. New sandboxed apps and any apps that add features (i.e. non-bugfix releases) will not be allowed to support hotkeys.





TUAW has been told that Apple will be rejecting all MAS apps with hotkey functionality starting June 1, regardless of whether the new features are hotkey related or not. Basically, if you’re developing one of those apps, an app that assumes you can still add hotkeys, don’t bother submitting it to the Mac App Store.Various cross-scripting and macro apps will be affected by the change, which appears to be related to the sandboxing requirement that limits what applications can do on other parts of users’ systems.








With the sandboxing requirement set to go into effect two weeks from now after several delays, a number of developers are undoubtedly working to make sure their apps are in compliance with the new rules. Just today, Pixelmator announced that it has updated its image-editing app to meet sandboxing requirements, making it one of the first high-profile apps to make the move.





Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories

• Physics Puzzler 'Feed Me Oil' Free for Today Only

• Comcast Dropping 250GB Data Cap In Favor of "Improved Data Usage Management"

• China Mobile Again Confirms iPhone Talks with Apple

• In Lawsuit Over Siri, Apple Says the Technology is "Cutting Edge"

• iPhone a 'Game Changer' for Customer Satisfaction





by Eric Slivka
17 May 2012 at 7:20pm

Apple’s Data Centers to Be Powered by 100% Renewable Energy
Earlier today, we noted that Apple had received official approval for its 20-megawatt solar farm across the street from its data center in Maiden, North Carolina. But even more significant developments are also occurring today, with Apple posting a new page to the environmental section of its website touting that all of the company’s data centers will be powered by 100% renewable energy.








At the North Carolina site, the previously-annnounced 20-megawatt solar farm is being joined by a second farm of equal size a few miles away. Combined with the 5-megawatt fuel cell facility also being built at the data center, 60% of the data center’s power needs will be generated on site. The remaining 40% will be purchased through agreements with outside renewable power producers.We?re currently building two solar array installations in and around Maiden. These sites use high-efficiency solar cells and an advanced solar tracking system. A 100-acre, 20-megawatt installation on the same site as our data center will produce 42 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy annually. A 100-acre site located a few miles away will produce another 42 million kWh. Together that?s 84 million kWh of clean, renewable energy supplied annually. When our bio-gas-powered 5-megawatt fuel cell installation comes online later this year, it will provide more than 40 million kWh of renewable energy annually. This means Apple will be producing enough onsite renewable energy ? 124 million kWh ? to power the equivalent of 10,874 homes.Apple’s efforts in renewable energy will also extend to its other data center facilities, as the company previously disclosed that its upcoming Prineville, Oregon data center will be powered by 100% renewable energy. And the new page posted today reveals that the company’s original, smaller data center in Newark, California will soon be powered by renewable energy as Apple works to locate and purchase clean energy for the facility, with the capacity scheduled to be in place by February 2013.





Greenpeace last month bashed Apple using estimates it claimed showed that only 10% of the North Carolina data center’s power would be from renewable sources. Apple rebutted those claims, noting that at least 60% of the center’s energy would be from renewable sources. With today’s announcements, Apple has expanded its efforts even further to power all of its data centers with 100% renewable energy.





Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories

• Comcast Dropping 250GB Data Cap In Favor of "Improved Data Usage Management"

• China Mobile Again Confirms iPhone Talks with Apple

• In Lawsuit Over Siri, Apple Says the Technology is "Cutting Edge"

• iPhone a 'Game Changer' for Customer Satisfaction

• Google Chrome Browser Coming to iOS?





by Eric Slivka
17 May 2012 at 6:06pm

Apple Receives Regulatory Approval for 20-Megawatt Solar Farm at North Caroli…
The North Carolina Utilities Commission today officially approved (PDF) Apple’s proposal to construct a 20-megawatt solar farm across the street from its data center in Maiden, North Carolina.The Public Staff presented this matter to the Commission at its Regular Staff Conference on May 14, 2012. The Public Staff recommended that the Commission approve the application and issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity for construction of a 20 MW solar photovoltaic electric generating facility to be located at 6028 Startown Road, Maiden, North Carolina.





After careful consideration, the Commission finds good cause to approve the application and issue the attached certificate of public convenience and necessity for the proposed 20 MW solar photovoltaic electric generating facility.Previous filings with federal regulators have indicated that Apple plans to have the solar farm installed by November 1, with operation to begin by December 21.








Apple signaled its intentions to build a data center at the site last October, moving to clear and grade the land as it sought approval for the project. The company publicly unveiled its plans back in February, noting that the facility will be the largest user-owned solar array in the United States. A separate 5-megawatt fuel cell facility is also under development at the site and is proceeding through a parallel regulatory approval process.





The official proposal was filed with the North Carolina Utilities Commission on February 15, and was subjected to staff review of the plans, a public notice and comment period, and input from the State Clearinghouse on environmental and other issues. With that information in hand, the Commission offered its official approval this past Monday and finalized the certificate issuance today.





Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories

• China Mobile Again Confirms iPhone Talks with Apple

• In Lawsuit Over Siri, Apple Says the Technology is "Cutting Edge"

• iPhone a 'Game Changer' for Customer Satisfaction

• Google Chrome Browser Coming to iOS?

• Book Pricing Lawsuit Reveals More Details of Apple's Negotiations, Including Steve Jobs Email





by Eric Slivka
17 May 2012 at 4:25pm

Apple Censoring ‘Jailbreak’ in U.S. iTunes Store Listings [Update: Fixed]
Exploring an observation initially made by iOS hacker @planetbeing, Shoutpedia notes that Apple has mysteriously begun censoring the word “jailbreak” in the U.S. iTunes Store. While not all mentions of the word are affected, the vast majority of them across all content types are currently being censored to “j*******k”.








Apple has long objected to the jailbreaking process, which opens up iOS devices for installation of apps from non-Apple approved sources and other system tweaks. But it is unclear what the company is trying to achieve with its iTunes Store censoring, which affects such content as Thin Lizzy’s song and album of that name and an episode of the The Roy Rogers Show from the early 1950s.








The censoring appears to only affect the U.S. iTunes Store at the present time, but it has been in effect for over eight hours now.





Update: The censoring appears to be inadvertent. Searches for ‘jailbreak’ on the Apple Store now return results without any asterisks.





Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories

• China Mobile Again Confirms iPhone Talks with Apple

• In Lawsuit Over Siri, Apple Says the Technology is "Cutting Edge"

• iPhone a 'Game Changer' for Customer Satisfaction

• Google Chrome Browser Coming to iOS?

• Book Pricing Lawsuit Reveals More Details of Apple's Negotiations, Including Steve Jobs Email





by Eric Slivka
17 May 2012 at 2:21pm

Apple Takes Possession of iPhone5.com Domain
Earlier this month, we noted that Apple had filed a claim with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) seeking to gain ownership of the iPhone5.com domain, which had hosted a small independent discussion forum for the past year and a half.





The Next Web now reports that the case has been terminated, indicating that the dispute has been resolved without WIPO having had to render a decision. The domain is now under the control of brand protection firm Corporation Service Company, presumably on Apple’s behalf, and simply displays a blank page.








Apple’s move to take possession of the iPhone5.com domain naturally fuels speculation that it will use the name for its next-generation iPhone, although that is not necessarily the case. Given the popularity of the name within discussions of the future iPhone, Apple may simply be protecting its iPhone trademarks while also seeking to control content at what is likely to be a popular destination for those searching for information on the company’s products.





For those curious about iPhone6.com, the domain has changed hands several times, having first been registered in 2007 by an individual in Dubai who later transferred it to an owner in South Korea. But since mid-2010, ownership information for the domain has been kept private and there is currently no site associated with the address.





Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories

• China Mobile Again Confirms iPhone Talks with Apple

• In Lawsuit Over Siri, Apple Says the Technology is "Cutting Edge"

• iPhone a 'Game Changer' for Customer Satisfaction

• Google Chrome Browser Coming to iOS?

• Book Pricing Lawsuit Reveals More Details of Apple's Negotiations, Including Steve Jobs Email





by Eric Slivka
17 May 2012 at 1:33pm

Time Warner Cable and Viacom Settle Lawsuit Over iPad Television Streaming
Time Warner Cable and Viacom have settled their legal entanglements regarding Time Warner’s streaming of Viacom video content on its iPad app, according to the New York Times.


The breakthrough comes as a result of a settlement between Time Warner Cable and Viacom, which owns cable channels like Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV and others. For months there had been a heated dispute over whether the cable company should have access to Viacom programs through its TWCable TV app.





On Wednesday, Viacom said that the companies had agreed “to resolve their pending litigations” and that “all of Viacom?s programming will now be available to Time Warner Cable subscribers for in-home viewing via Internet protocol-enabled devices such as iPads.”The companies have been fighting over streaming rights for more than a year. Time Warner argued that its existing agreements give it the right to provide video streams on any screen, rather than just the television. Viacom said the app was “unlicensed distribution of Viacom’s programming.” Viacom still has a pending lawsuit with Cablevision over its Optimum live TV app.





Viacom’s programming will roll out on the Time Warner Cable app over the next few weeks.





Time Warner’s app, TWC TV, is available free on the App Store for its cable customers. [Direct Link]





Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories

• China Mobile Again Confirms iPhone Talks with Apple

• In Lawsuit Over Siri, Apple Says the Technology is "Cutting Edge"

• iPhone a 'Game Changer' for Customer Satisfaction

• Google Chrome Browser Coming to iOS?

• Book Pricing Lawsuit Reveals More Details of Apple's Negotiations, Including Steve Jobs Email





by Jordan Golson
17 May 2012 at 5:38am

Security Firm Symantec Analyzes the Profitability of the OSX.Flashback Botnet
Security firm Symantec previously estimated that the authors of the Flashback malware that affected hundreds of thousands of Macs at its peak could have been generating up to $10,000 per day by hijacking users’ ad clicks. Further analysis from the company suggests that the developers may have only earned $14,000 over the three weeks the malware was active.


From our analysis we have seen that, for a three-week period starting in April, the botnet displayed over 10 million ads on compromised computers but only a small percentage of users who were shown ads actually clicked them, with close to 400,000 ads being clicked. These numbers earned the attackers $14,000 in these three weeks, although it is worth mentioning that earning the money is only one part of the puzzle?actually collecting that money is another, often more difficult, job. Many PPC providers employ anti-fraud measures and affiliate-verification processes before paying. Fortunately, the attackers in this instance appear to have been unable to complete the necessary steps to be paid.





It is estimated the actual ad-clicking component of Flashback was only installed on about 10,000 of the more than 600,000 infected machines. In other words, utilizing less than 2% of the entire botnet the attackers were able to generate $14,000 in three weeks, meaning that if the attackers were able to use the entire botnet, they could potentially have earned millions of dollars a year.Symantec notes that the malware developers displayed more than 10 million hijacked ads and could have delivered many more if the developers had been more successful in their attacks.





Some security specialists have said that the Mac OS is “really vulnerable” to further infections, though these claims should perhaps be taken with a grain of salt — those security specialists make their living off vulnerabilities and it is in their best interest to promote awareness of them.





Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories

• China Mobile Again Confirms iPhone Talks with Apple

• In Lawsuit Over Siri, Apple Says the Technology is "Cutting Edge"

• iPhone a 'Game Changer' for Customer Satisfaction

• Google Chrome Browser Coming to iOS?

• Book Pricing Lawsuit Reveals More Details of Apple's Negotiations, Including Steve Jobs Email





by Jordan Golson
17 May 2012 at 5:18am