Productivity Suite iUpdate?

There may be a refresh for the very long-in-the-tooth iWork suite, Apple’s productivity software (courtesy MacRumors). iWork has remained relatively unchanged since its 2009 introduction, although there have been incremental improvements over time- most recently the addition of iCloud storage and iOS versions of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. 

I’ve been a proponent of iWork from my first Mac. It offers a simpler, easer to navigate interface than the industry gold standard Microsoft Office equivalents. While not always as powerful, for a majority of the tasks I had in graduate school (and even more so in professional life) iWork has been a pleasant and productive experience. That being said, the software is long overdue for a refresh; time passes quickly in the tech world and with Apple focused on releasing iOS 7 on schedule, continuing the development of OSX, and the quick pace they release product hardware refreshes it seems only logical that such a small corner of the iWorld would go neglected. 

According to the MacRumors article, several new positions have been opened for engineers and developers on the iWork team. Until Microsoft recognizes the benefit of expanding Office to iOS, iWork is the best option for iOS productivity needs- and in my opinion the best cross-device solution as well 

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Saying goodbye to an old friend

And we’re back! The good folks at the Apple store have returned my iMac to me in the same pristine condition I dropped it off, potentially faulty hard drive swapped out. It’s a happy day; I love my iPad but there’s too much computerwise I want to do to confine myself to just iOS devices.

Now that the latest round of Apple device refreshes are out and the dust is beginning to settle; some quick observations: am I alone in feeling the creeping notion of update fatigue? It seems that almost every other month now we’ve had a new product launch from Apple, not to mention all of their competitors. I am almost afraid to covet the new razor-thin iMacs; if the current pattern holds up in a year they may release some new device that blows it out of the water. Take the iPad, for instance: the third generation slate (dubbed simply the New iPad) has already been upgraded with a more powerful processor and a swap out of the old 30 pin connector for a Lightning input. Some resale outlets are allowing customers that purchased their iPad within the last 30 days to swap it out for the newer, slightly more powerful model (I’m opting not to upgrade due to the breadth of accessories I have that would no longer work sans adaptor). While new products are always fun, Apple is firing them out at an almost dizzying pace.

As for the marginally updated NEW new iPad, it marks another quickly approaching point in Apple’s lineup- the absolute retirement of the original data cable. The only device in Apple’s lineup that still uses it is the venerable iPod Classic (not counting the pre-refresh third generation iPads and iPad 2 models still being sold). It is amazing to realize that Apple is the only company I can think of that innovates, then works tirelessly to make that innovation obsolete. The only new Mac that offers Firewire (once a mainstay of Macs) is the new Mac Mini (not counting the not-so-new Mac Pro). The click wheel, once another hallmark of Apple innovation, has also been quietly escorted out of the limelight thanks to touchscreen controls (although the current iPod Shuffle does pay homage to the once cutting edge input with the layout of it’s button controls). Even the mouse is a bit of an afterthought in Apple’s Mac lineup; the multitouch controls are more widespread and far easier to implement via Magic Touchpad.

So here’s to innovation, and to the devastating impact it has on both my checking account and innovation past.

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Mac + XBox 360 controller= awesome

One of the complaints about Macs for some time was their lack of gaming cred- anyone that cared about PC gaming in the slightest knew that you had to be running Windows to be able to play any of the worthwhile games available, from the days of DOS until the advent of consoles powerful enough to provide a PC-like gaming experience. Macs were great for graphic design, music, and photography, but gamers need not apply. 

This changed with the release of Steam for OSX. While not every title is available for Macs, Steam still offers an unmatched level of service for gamers: one stop shopping for everything from the latest cutting edge shooter to the simplest casual games, rolled in with cloud access (get a new computer? No problem- install the Steam client and redownload your purchases!) and good support for social networking.

Shortly after Steam made the jump to Mac, the then newly-released OSX App Store got in on the action as well. While the App Store can’t match Steam’s frequent sales prices, it’s a great resource for Mac enthusiasts looking for a new game (and a growing number of games are Game Center compatible, matching Steam’s social networking features).

The only thing lacking for some gamers is in the user interface. While I’ve been long conditioned to the keyboard/mouse combination used by first person shooters (all the way back to the original Castle Wolfenstein and Redneck Rampage) a lot of game enthusiasts prefer to use a game controller. Windows users can easily plug in one of a horde of USB controllers and get to fragging,but  Mac users weren’t so flexible. Thankfully a recent article from The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) offers some hope for those of you that aren’t as dedicated to traditional controls as I am.

The post describes using what they argue is the best controller out there- the XBox 360 USB handset. Depending on what method of gaming you prefer, just plugging the USB controller in may be all you need do. The online streaming game service OnLive will apparently use the controller natively with no further software or drivers needed. While it wasn’t tested, they believe that Steam’s recent Big Picture mode (designed for those using a big screen TV as their display) would likely accept the XBox 360 controller just as OnLive does.

Sadly, for those playing games that don’t natively accept a controller the going might not be as easy. The article offers a link to a stable, free driver for the XBox 360 controller that will work with many games that support controller input, and other software to help should your game need keyboard input.

I’ll be sticking with my keyboard and ArcMouse for as long as Valve keeps me enthralled with first person perspective games like Half Life, Portal, and Left 4 Dead; but for those of you that want a more console-oriented experience without the console there are finally answers. Grab that game controller and fire up your favorite title- those zombies aren’t going to shoot themselves!

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Apple Quietly Pushing the Post-Desktop Era?

With the introduction of the iPad Steve Jobs announced the beginning of what he dubbed the “Post-PC” era; a phase of computing in which a full form computer was no longer the focus of all activity. His words have proven to be accurate as iPad sales have skyrocketed and competitors have scrambled to try to bring viable products to market. The iPad has practically killed the once-touted netbook, and with the right accessory for the task there’s little the iPad can’t do as well as a laptop.

There’s another, quieter trend evident in what was omitted from Apple’s recent WWDC Keynote- there was no coverage of Apple’s desktop line, not even the recently upgraded (albeit modestly) Mac Pro. Is Apple killing off yet another icon of computing?

Only time will tell, but intuitively I think the answer is both Yes and No. There are undeniably some tasks that are best suited for a desktop environment, ones that require more screen real estate, more varied inputs (camera, scanner, specialized audio equipment, etc.), better sound output, additional storage capacity and so on. The MacBook lineup provides powerful architecture to rival most desktop towers (even the latest MacBook Air has some muscle with its i5 and i7 “Ivy Bridge” processors), but how can they compete with the screen of the iMac? The answer lies in two new Apple offerings.

The first is the Thunderbolt port included in all new Macs. The new portal offers the fastest input and output speeds available and is fully bidirectional, providing a virtual two-lane highway for simultaneous inbound and outbound data. Apple is releasing a number of adaptors for Thunderbolt: ethernet (the new MacBooks lack a dedicated ethernet port), VGA, DVI, HDMI, even Mini Display Port. These last few provide a perfect way for all MacBooks, even the diminutive 11″ Air, to take advantage of whatever size display your heart desires. The Mac lineup is capable of running in “clamshell mode”, meaning they can closed and in effect operate as an ultra-thin PC tower. Should you need dual monitors just run your laptop with both the external and built-in display simultaneously. The MacBook’s Bluetooth offers an easy way to accessorize inputs, whether you need a full-sized keyboard or gaming mouse.

The second is Apple’s Thunderbolt Display. While you can use any monitor for extra screen space, the Thunderbolt Display doesn’t need an adaptor and provides some extra functionality- three USB 2 ports, a FireWire 800, gigabit ethernet, and an additional Thunderbolt Port so that you can daisy chain any other Thunderbolt accessories. The display also features Apple’s iSight camera and 2.1 speakers, further mimicking the functionality of an iMac. As with all other Apple products, the Thunderbolt Display was designed to work seamlessly with Macs: the Thunderbolt cable divides to include a magsafe power input so that one cord provides all the connection your MacBook needs. Toss in a stand like the Twelve South’s BookArc and you have all the benefits of a desktop with the ability to go portable at a moment’s notice.

Much like the optical drive, I don’t expect Apple to rush to the discontinuing of a platform that is still in demand. Instead, you’ll likely see the gradual transition from the existing to what Apple considers to be the future, much like their slow abandonment of traditional hard drives in favor of solid state ones. While the MacBook lineup can’t quite compete yet with desktops for graphical muscle, that may be changing soon too. The tech specs of Apple’s new Retina Display MacBook Pro (the base model has a quad core i7 processor, eight gigabytes of ultrafast RAM, and dual integrated Intel HD 4000 (for less intensive, power-saving rendering) and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M hardware graphics with 1 gigabyte of memory (for when you need some serious muscle) rival all but the most powerful consumer desktops.

While I love my current iMac (easily the best desktop I’ve owned), I may follow Apple’s vision when the day comes to upgrade. My trusty iPad handles portable computing tasks like a champ, but there are times I’d love to be able to take my Steam game library with me. The combination of Thunderbolt Display and MacBook Pro are a very tempting duo, bank account permitting.

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Apple Sets the Gold Standard for Access

Apple has finally revealed what they have in store with the upcoming release of iOS 6. If you haven’t seen the video of today’s WWDC Keynote it’s available streaming from Apple- it’s a good presentation absolutely full of demonstrations of new products, iOS 6, and OSX Mountain Lion. One of the talking points was Apple’s new accessibility features: Guided Access, a way of limiting what inputs can be accessed (including deactivating the home button) and improvements to VoiceOver, Apple’s outstanding screen reader for users with impaired vision. Apple is also working in conjunction with manufacturers of hearing aids to create a line of Made for iPhone devices that can deliver better audio to users with hearing issues.

While these additions to iOS are welcome, Apple isn’t new to accommodating  users with disabilities. Initially a touchscreen-based device like the iOS lineup wouldn’t seem like a very useful device for a user with limited sight, but even before the improvements and new features of iOS 6 there are some key features that make current devices fantastic resources.

All iOS devices have VoiceOver, a screen reader that reads on screen text to users. For those that can’t see the screen VoiceOver is their portal to the device; the user can use gesture controls to interact with items on the screen. For instance, touch the screen and VoiceOver will describe what you are touching. The feature is already a powerful tool, and will be even more so when integrated into Maps and other features of iOS 6. While VoiceOver provides support for the on-screen keyboard, the new Dictation feature and upcoming improvements to Siri makes interaction that much more intuitive for those with limited sight. VoiceOver is even compatible with the iPhone’s Camera app, as illustrated by an article in TUAW (The Unofficial Apple Weblog).

While for most users incoming calls are easy to identify because of the on-screen caller ID and contact information that iOS displays, for the visually impaired these features don’t offer an advantage. Apple again has gone above and beyond by providing the ability to assign distinctive ring tones as an audible caller ID or a silent mode with different vibrational patterns for callers. Users can even create their own patterns to identify callers.

Beyond the features built into the operating system there are a host of iOS apps for those with limited vision. AppAdvice has a comprehensive list, from GPS to an app that identifies the denomination of paper money. Not all of the apps are specifically for those with limited vision but each provides something to make your daily life easier. Audible, billed as the “premier provider of digital audiobooks” is VoiceOver compliant giving users a choice of reading material beyond Apple’s built-in offerings. The Atlantic provides even more insight in a recently posted a story on two blind women who use the iPhone and a variety of apps in their daily lives.

I’m still relatively new to Apple’s access support in both OSX and iOS. For those with vision issues there are some great resources out there that can provide more in-depth information than my limited experience can. MacForTheBlind is a perfect starting point; the author does a fantastic job covering just about everything Apple and the site has a wealth of information. The Apple Support Community can often provide answers and insight as well.

I was very happy to read about the inclusion of accessibility tools Apple has developed into iOS (and the reviews of those using the accessibility features have been very positive). Accessibility features have been a part of OSX longer than I’ve been a Mac aficionado. While I haven’t had to face challenges like this personally, I have a longtime friend who has had to overcome the barriers of visually-centered computer use. He’s been using JAWS, a third party screen reader for his Windows-based PC, but the software is prohibitively expensive and prevents him from upgrading beyond Windows XP.  I’ve spoken to him about reviewing the accessibility features of iOS and am looking forward to sharing his opinions on the iPhone, iPad, and apps with all of you.

See you soon, Spencer!

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Set Parental Controls on your Mac

This handy tip for those of you that need to protect younger members of your household from the darker corners of the web comes to us courtesy of Macworld.

As any web-savvy person knows, the internet isn’t the most family-friendly place at times. Even a simple Google search can turn up plenty of sites you’d probably not have a child venture to. While many have turned to third party software like NetNanny or Cybersitter, Mac users have a native option.

The video leads you through the creation of a user account with parental controls and illustrates what those controls entail. The controls are fairly powerful and thorough, covering a surprisingly broad range of topics.

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Quake 4 coming to Mac App Store

MacRumors has reported that the latest rendition of the serial game Quake (first introduced to OSX in 2006) is coming to the Mac App Store at the lowered price of $19.99.
While I’ve confined my game buying to Steam, competition is always a good thing. The OSX App Store matches two of Steam’s advantages as a vendor- updates and fixes are automatically pushed out to clients, and new titles are at your fingertips providing immediate gratification. With the addition of an OSX-centered version of iOS’ Game Center Apple with be able to compete with the social aspect of Steam’s client as well.

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OSX Flashback malware withers after Apple issues updates

According to a release from Symantec today  the Flashback malware targeting Macs is rapidly on its way to extinction, with the estimated numbers of infected systems plummeting from a high of 600,000 units on April 9 to less than 99,000 as of April 17. Variants of the malware have already popped up but the trend has been consistently and impressively downward.

The credit for such a rapid resolution of the issue has been given to the expedient issuing of updates from Apple and tools from Symantec (the free Norton Flashback Detection and Removal Tool) and others to detect and remove the unwanted code.

Click through to see the posting at Symantec’s website for more in-depth information on the Flashback malware.

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Automatically add songs and movies to your iTunes library

Those of you that have been using iTunes for a while to manage your music and video libraries like I do have probably come across an issue that I’ve deal with from time to time: how best to add content to your library?

If you obtain content from iTunes this problem doesn’t arise; iTunes does a fine job of storing it away and managing it without you ever having to manually deal with the files. iTunes can be set to add content to it’s library when played, but while this is helpful I’d rather not end up with files scattered across various folders and volumes. What to do then with those downloads you pick up from all those non-Apple sources?

OSX Daily recently published an article advising users how best to solve the issue- create a folder that automatically adds anything in it to your iTunes library. The tutorial isn’t terribly complex and is much more elegant than my prior solution of manually copying downloads and rips to the appropriate iTunes folder. Bear in mind this tip is for Mac users- it IS from OSX Daily after all. Click through for the full article. 

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Apple treading new ground

For most of it’s existence Apple has produced computers that, fairly or no, have been labeled as good for a select few tasks. Macs were the choice for education and “creative types”- photography, video editing, and animation. While those labels faded over the past decade plus, Macs still have been a consumer product; built for and used by individuals for home tasks. They were perfect for everyday tasks, schoolwork, and home entertainment, but Macs weren’t judged as suitable for the business world.

Apple Insider has published a report today that illustrates a change in that pattern. Their article cites that approximately 46% of corporations are now issuing Macs to their employees, reflecting an increase of just over 50% in sales attributable to Apple’s business division (which in turn is almost 35% of the increase in sales of all Macs) in FY 2011. The article cites several possible reasons for the shift, such as the ascension of the MacBook Air as a lower-cost and more portable Mac alternative to the run of the mill Thinkpad or Inspiron associated with road warriors. While it’s a measurable change in the market for Apple computers, this increase is still a small fraction of the overall numbers of computers purchased by and for businesses. Click through for more detail; it’s well worth the read.

The article also cites a factor that I’ve witnessed several times in both healthcare providers and the sales forces of medications and equipment aimed at health care- the ‘wedge effect’ of iOS devices. The iPhone is everywhere; it’s adoption so widespread that the once-stalwart Blackberry has become a rarity amongst the physicians and support staff I see daily. This exposure to iOS eased many into iPad ownership, especially in vendors: it’s far easier to carry a 2 lb iPad loaded with proprietary apps for your company than a full laptop that can’t be used in as many settings. I’ve used my iPad at work for multiple tasks, from generating productivity spreadsheets, research, generating and sharing schedules, to data manipulation (the Canadian Society of Echocardiography’s Cardiomath app is particularly useful in my daily workflow). This adoption by physicians and support staff has generated a wave of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) that’s reflected in other fields as well; there’s a significant cost savings to be had by allowing employees to use personal devices instead of purchasing them (although proprietary data, IT security measures, and company policy may dampen your organization’s enthusiasm for this trend).

As the iPhone was a wedge device for the iPad, the iPad is to the Mac. This has been my path to iMac ownership, and has been echoed to me by others I’ve spoken to. There’s little more frustrating when trying to be productive that having to use a PC that runs like a ’76 Pinto with water in the gas tank. As Apple continues to innovate I think the trend of Macs creeping into the realm of the workforce will not only continue, it will trend up.

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