Tag: Apple

Music and the Mac
18Oct By Bob BarcusNo Comments
Computers, Tech News, Tech Talk

Music and the Mac

The latest Apple event was clearly focused on two things - music and the Mac. In fact, that's exactly what Apple's Tim Cook said right from the get-go. It was also quite nostalgic to hear a traditional Mac startup sound mixed in at the beginning. Audio Stuff Apple has created a new Apple Music subscription called Voice Plan for $4.99/month. This will be the cheapest plan available to access Apple's music library.New colors for the Home Pod Mini in yellow, orange, and blue, priced at $99. All of the colors look fantastic.The third generation of AirPods is being released with spatial audio for $179. Lots of new features in these AirPods. MacBook Pro Apple is calling the new MacBook Pro a "beast of a machine" with an impressive set of specs and features. MacBook Pro has th...
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Apple Event Highlights from September 14, 2021
14Sep By Bob BarcusNo Comments
Tech News

Apple Event Highlights from September 14, 2021

Apple CEO Tim Cook presented the Apple Keynote on September 14, 2021. Like all Apple event openings, this one was dramatic and well-executed. This is just a brief overview of some of the things I took note of during the keynote. iPad The new iPad has a more powerful A13 Bionic chip. Apple says it's 3x faster than the closest Chromebook and 6x faster than the closest Android tablet. The new iPad has a better 12-megapixel camera with a wide 122-degree view and will get iPad Pro's Center Stage. The new iPad will ship with iPadOS 15. The new iPad starts at $329 with 64GB of storage (double the amount from the previous model). iPad mini Apple is giving the iPad mini an all-new design with a liquid retina display. It will come in several new colors: purple, pink, starlight, and ...
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Apple Security Updates and Event Announcements
14Sep By Bob BarcusNo Comments
Tech News, Tech Talk

Apple Security Updates and Event Announcements

On Monday, September 13, 2021, Apple issued an urgent update for its devices to fix two security vulnerabilities. The patch fixed two issues. The first was CoreGraphics, in which a PDF could execute malicious code on a device. The second problem was with WebKit, which could lead to malicious code on a website exploiting a device. Apple admits that both problems have been actively exploited. Both of these problems do not require any interaction from the user, which is a serious vulnerability (also known as a zero-click attack). Apple has recommended that everyone update their devices immediately to fix the vulnerability. In response, the company has issued iOS 14.8, macOS Big Sur 11.6, and watchOS 7.6.2. Apple Event Announcements Following on the heels of the unexpected securi...
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The New Apple M1 Processor Set to Change Everything
17Nov By Bob BarcusNo Comments
Computers, Tech News, Tech Talk, Technology

The New Apple M1 Processor Set to Change Everything

At Apple's event on November 10th, they unveiled the new M1 processor - a chip designed to replace the Intel processors previously used in their desktop and laptop computer products. The new M1 chip is debuting in new versions of the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. The first of these products are set to start arriving today. You can watch the whole video event below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AwdkGKmZ0I&ab_channel=Apple I have some take-aways from the event... First of all, you could tell that Apple was excited. In fact, it almost seemed like they were surprised by the power of their first Apple Silicon processor. These processors are fast, packed with features, and a step above anything else Apple has ever offered. Indeed, it may be one of the most...
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The New Apple Watch Series 6 is Here… and It’s Glorious!
23Sep By Bob BarcusNo Comments
Tech News, Tech Talk, Technology

The New Apple Watch Series 6 is Here… and It’s Glorious!

I'm no Apple fanboy... But full disclosure: I do have an iPhone X, still have my iPhone 5S in a drawer, and purchased by first (and only) Mac in 1993. So it's safe to say that I have been an arms-length fan of Apple products since back in the day. My first experience with Apple was in elementary school. I made my first program on an Apple IIe and spent an entire semester my senior year of high school in front of an Apple Performa 400. This eventually led to my purchase of an Apple Performa 450. Needless to say, I loved my Mac. But that didn't make me an Apple fanboy. I built my first Windows PC in 1996 and never looked back. But then I received my new Apple Watch Series 6 on Monday... This is my first Apple Watch, so I'm new to everything about it. I even had to look up how t...
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Tech Headlines for Tuesday, August 25, 2020
25Aug By Bob BarcusNo Comments
Computers, Internet, Tech News, Tech Talk

Tech Headlines for Tuesday, August 25, 2020

You can listen to Tech Talk on WTCA AM 1050 and FM 106.1 in Plymouth, Indiana, every Tuesday morning at 8:30 am. Join Bob and Rusty and they discuss the latest technology news and whatever else comes to mind. Zoom Service Disruption Many Zoom users experienced major disruptions on Monday, August 24, 2020, after the service went down. Given that many people are still working from home or remotely, a disruption of this type surely made plenty of people upset. According to an email sent to customers, Velchamy Sankarlingam, President of Product and Engineering said, "We always take very seriously our responsibility to keep you connected, and we know that you are relying on us during this particularly challenging time. We deeply regret this incident and sincerely ap...
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