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Переслать - How-To: Create Custom CSS Email Signatures on the iPhone
Previously, I discussed how to create custom CSS email signatures for Mail in Mac OS X. This week, we’re going to look at what it takes to replicate the same signature on your iPhone.
What You Will Need
- Your Mac
- Your iPhone (it needs to be jailbroken)
- PlistEdit Pro (or another application capable of editing plists)
- Coda (or another application for editing HTML)
Before We Begin
To use a custom CSS signature, we will be modifying a preference file on your iPhone. Simply using copy and paste within the new 3.0 OS will not maintain the HTML and formatting of our signature. Your iPhone should already be jailbroken and capable of mounting as an Apple File Protocol (AFP) share on your Mac. For instructions on this process, see here.
Step One
Once you have logged into your iPhone over AFP, browse to the following location:
/private/var/mobile/Library/Preferences
Copy the file
com.apple.mobilemail.plistto your Mac. Go ahead and duplicate this file, appending "backup" to the end of the filename so you have a clean copy in case something goes wrong.Step Two
Open your email signature that we created (see the original post here) in your HTML editor and copy the contents to the clipboard.
Step Three
Use PlistEdit Pro to open the file you copied earlier in Step One. Towards the bottom of the list, you will see an entry called "SignatureKey." The value for this string will match your current iPhone signature.
Double-click this value to highlight the contents and delete what’s there. Now paste the HTML code for your email signature that we copied in Step Two. Save this file back to your desktop.
Step Four
Browse back to the Preferences folder on your iPhone. Copy our new edited plist file and replace the original on your iPhone.
Step Five
All done! Create a new email and you should see your HTML email signature at the bottom.
Limitations
Unfortunately, due to limitations in the iPhone 3.0 OS, Mail on the iPhone only supports one signature. There are third-party applications available on the App Store that address this issue, but I have not tested them with HTML email signatures. Hopefully in a future OS update, Apple will allow users to have unique signatures for multiple mail accounts.
This process and file location has remained the same since iPhone OS 1.1.4 and will likely remain the same, meaning as new OS updates come out, they should not break this functionality (unless Apple adds support for multiple signatures at some point). However, if an update does break your signature, the process outlined above should still work to put it back.
Переслать - More from Munster: This Time, it's an Apple TV (Set)
Remember Gene Munster? He's Piper Jaffray's Senior Analyst, and has been talking about tablets for most of this year. Well, now he's got a new string to his bow and is talking about an Apple TV. Not ‘Apple TV’. An Apple TV. An actual, hardware, big-screen television.
In an article from Philip Elmer-DeWitt over on Fortune's Apple 2.0 blog, Munster is quoted thusly;
"TV hardware is a challenging business if you don’t change the rules of the game, but we see potential for Apple to offer best-in-class software and hardware and charge a premium.”
“The argument that Apple will not enter the television market because prices have declined by ~70% in the past three years is a similar argument used to conclude Apple would not enter the cell phone market, given phones had seen similar price declines. The bottom line, 10 million HDTV’s sold in the US a year is a real market, and if history repeats itself, Apple will find a way to compete in a commoditized market with a premium priced product.”
It would be unforgivable for a Senior Analyst not to provide compelling supporting evidence for his predictions, so, accordingly, Munster mentions patents covering digital video recording and an agreement worth $500 million Apple made with LG to provide them with LCD screens.
Oh – and if that's not enough to convince the most hardened skeptics among you, Munster throws-in a quote from Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook from last July, when he stated the company will continue to invest in Apple TV because “we fundamentally believe there is something there for us in the future”.
And there's nothing more satisfying than a product roadmap, right? So here's the short version;
- A new Apple TV box "within the next few months" with TV-in and DVR capabilities
- An iTunes TV Pass within the next twelve months, costing $30-$40 per month – a service Munster thinks can "effectively replace a consumer's monthly cable bill".
- Finally, an Apple television set within the next two years.
Says Munster:
“Such a device would command a premium among a competitive field of budget TVs; we believe Apple could differentiate itself with software that makes home entertainment simple and solves a pain point for consumers (complicated TV and component systems).”
I don't know about you, but doesn't an actual television set seem a little… oh I don't know… over the top? Let’s keep our feet firmly on solid ground and invoke Occam's Razor; the precept that suggests, all things being equal, the simplest explanation is usually right.
What's more likely? Apple's deal with LG is to supply the manufacture of Apple-branded television sets for which there is no known physical evidence of any kind… OR it's for the manufacture of laptop and desktop computer LCD displays, products for which an active imagination isn't necessary because evidence is abundant. You decide.
What's more likely? Tim Cook's statement, "…something there for us in the future" is, for a traditionally über-secretive company, an uncharacteristically vocal "nudge-nudge wink-wink" from one of its top executives… OR it's a statement designed to reassure shareholders Apple's little hobby hasn't so-far proven to be an enormous waste of money and, yes, will see more aggressive development and sales success in the future? Again… I leave it to you.
I know analysts are in the business of making predictions, but the latest from Munster seems, to me, to be wishful-thinking at best, or else sheer unbridled fiction and link-baiting.
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Переслать - Apple Retail Deconstructed: Reports & Figures
It seems like Apple's retail initiatives are always shrouded in a dark veil of secrecy. Though we often hear how well they’re doing financially, what do those numbers look like on the inside? What figures does a typical Apple store track? Straight from the horse's mouth, here's a breakdown of a typical financial report that shows what metrics are important in Cupertino.
Stores are given a basic set of goals, including a forecasted number of Macs to sell over the quarter, as well as a number for iPods and iPhones. Attach rate numbers also exist for One to One, ProCare and MobileMe.
In the stores, managers have access to real-time reports that show revenue and attach rates for their stores as well as the rest in the company, allowing for a quick comparative snapshot of how sales are doing.
Important Metrics
Beyond just sales of Macs, iPods and iPhones, managers are also focused on several other important sales indicators. Units Per Transaction (commonly referred to as UPT) is just what it sounds like, an average number of the units sold during each transaction. Typically this number is between one and two, as many customers will just buy one item, like an iPod or USB cable. When you experience a Specialist trying to sell you everything under the sun to go with your new iPhone or Mac, it's really an effort to increase the store's UPT.
The other metric that’s closely connected to UPT is the ADS, or Average Dollar Sale. This number represents the average transaction value for the day. Between selling a reasonable number of Macs (high dollar transactions) and a ton of accessories (low dollar transactions), this number typically ranges from $200-$500.
Another figure important to Apple is the conversion rate, or the rate at which people entering the store actually become paying customers. This number is often low, something that’s typically not given much thought. Some retail stores ask their employees to "slither" past sensors that count store traffic, but Apple has no official policy in place, so the volume of employees in and out can often affect this number. The system Apple uses to track visitors, however, called ShopperTrack, is extremely sophisticated, and can distinguish between something like a mom and the stroller she brings in with her, counting both as one person and not two.
Stores are also focused on EasyPay metrics as well as Personal Shopping metrics. As stores transition to less usage of cashwraps, some strive for as high as 60-70 percent of all transactions being completed via EasyPay.
All of these numbers are reviewed on a daily basis by store management in order to determine the proper direction and focus going forward. Many figures are compared to WTD (Week-to-Date) and QTD (Quarter-to-Date) numbers, as well as how the store fared in these areas on the same day in the previous year. Stores can also see how every other store in the company is doing.
Drilling Down Further, Individual Metrics
Individual numbers for Mac, iPod, iPhone and attach rate sales exist for employees as well, allowing them to see how they rank comparatively. Though the Apple Stores do not function on a commission basis, employees are given individual goals towards making the larger store goals for the quarter. These individual reports help provide feedback and focus as the quarter progresses.
Few stores put much emphasis on the accuracy of these numbers, as full-time employees work more towards helping up-and-coming part-time Specialists meet their sales goals. Regardless, it’s the responsibility of the cashier to assign "credit" for a sale to a particular employee. This can obviously become problematic when the stores are insanely busy, and Apple prefers cashiers not ask customers who helped them, as it implies they work on commission. With Apple's emphasis on EasyPay, whoever is logged into an EasyPay will automatically get "credit" for the sale.
All of these numbers are factored into an employee’s performance reviews, held every quarter, with a more focused annual review at which employees are rated based on individual performance as well as the store’s forecasts and goals.
This should give you a better idea of how store management uses financial figures to gauge success and set targets. As you can see, there’s a lot more to it than just selling a certain number of computers. The result is that, for some, it can become frustrating to focus on sales while managers also push the importance of these other numbers. Apple’s multifaceted approach must be getting something right, as their stores continue to be wildly successful from a financial standpoint.
Переслать - Palm Supposedly Rejected Employee Poaching Deal with Apple
Steve Jobs, Jon Rubinstein, Ed Colligan
According to Bloomberg, former Palm CEO Ed Colligan rejected an offer by Steve Jobs to refrain from hiring each other’s employees.
Similar allegations have been made regarding Apple and Google recently, though in that instance the policy was supposedly an informal and undocumented one, but with Palm there are “communications” involved.
"We must do whatever we can to stop this,” said Steve Jobs on the issue of “poaching” employees, the practice of hiring away highly-capable individuals from one company to another. In the most notable example of employees sharing between the two companies, Jon Rubinstein, SVP of Apple’s iPod division until 2006, later became Executive Chairman of the Board at Palm, and was a driving force behind the company-saving Pre initiative. This seems to have not sat well with Steve Jobs, hence his “communication” with Ed Colligan in 2007 about Rubinstein attempting to recruit more Apple employees. Colligan’s reported reply was short, but succinct.
"Your proposal that we agree that neither company will hire the other's employees, regardless of the individual's desires, is not only wrong, it is likely illegal."
It certainly would be a violation of anti-trust law, if it happened. Considering this incident occurred two years ago, it’s remarkable that the Department of Justice hasn’t been interested, which Palm claims it isn’t. Of course, it’s possible Colligan didn’t release details of a “likely illegal” offer until recently, but that seems odd, too. Also odd is the fact that no one knows what exactly Jobs wanted Colligan to do.
According to Bloomberg, the “exact details of what Jobs proposed to Colligan aren't known; Jobs didn't mention a proposal in the communications reviewed by Bloomberg.” So, to sum up, there is nothing written down, the “communication” was verbal, two years old, and originates from a company with an increasingly bitter relationship with Apple.
Don’t expect to see Steve Jobs doing doing a perp walk anytime soon over this one.
Переслать - MacBook Pro: The Perfect Computer?
My friend and Low End Mac’s publisher, Dan Knight, posted a nearly 3000-word essay recently positing a “what’s the perfect Mac” conundrum: MacBook Pro or iMac. I share Dan’s enthusiasm for examining and debating such hypothetical questions, and I thoroughly enjoyed the piece, but for me, the matter is much more open-and-shut.
I’ve been advocating for more than a decade that laptops are the logical Mac for most users, and in my estimation the unibody MacBook Pros — particularly the new 13-inch model — come as close to personal computer perfection as has yet been achieved.
As his top laptop candidate, Dan Knight leans more toward the 15-inch unibody model, with a particular nod toward the $1,699 configuration, which would be my second choice for ultimate Mac notebook value. First choice is the 2.26 GHz 13-inch MacBook Pro at $1,199, which gives you almost everything you get in the lowest-priced 15-incher, with the obvious exception of display acreage, and for $500 less.
However, for Dan, screen size and finish are much higher priority issues than they are for me. He developed his computing style and habits working as a professional book designer on two-page 152 x 854 and 1280 x 960 resolution screens, and finds smaller displays — say 1034 x 768 (SVGA) or lower resolutions — too restrictive for his tastes and work.
I, on the other hand, spent my first three Mac-loving years on a PowerBook with a 9.5″, 640 x 480, passive matrix grayscale display. After that experience, anything larger has seemed generously roomy, or at least adequate. The highest-resolution screen I’ve had in any Mac to date is the 1440 x 900 display in my 17″ PowerBook, which I like a lot, but adapting to the 1280 x 800 resolution of my 13″ unibody MacBook when I upgraded posed no real problem. Leopard’s Spaces feature has eliminated much of the inconvenience of working with modest display real estate.
Today, I would draw the line at 1064 x 768, which is what my two still-in-service Pismo PowerBooks offer. That’s also the highest resolution any of my desktop computer monitors have ever had, which sounds quaint when the entry-level $1,198 iMac today comes with a 20-inch 1680 x 1050 screen.
Dan’s current production rig is a dual-1GHz Mirror Drive Door Power Mac G4 driving a 1280 x 1024 a Dell flat panel display — hardware that befits the theme of his website, and ideal for a guy who isn’t yet willing to give up Mac OS Classic Mode. However, Dan says he’s excited this week because now that Apple has just added an “antiglare” display option for the 15-inch unibody MacBook Pro, he thinks it could become the perfect production machine for him, even going so far as to suggest that the 15-inch MacBook Pro is probably the perfect computer, period.
I won’t quibble overmuch with that, although I do still champion the 13-incher, since I’m more than satisfied with the glossy display. As Apple notes, with a glossy screen finish you get graphics, photos, and videos with richer colors and deeper blacks, which is better for most users who don’t have to work in print media. But if having an antiglare option helps persuade folks like Dan Knight to dismount the fence on the laptop side, I’m all for it, and let’s have it available on the 13-inch model as well.
So will Dan finally end up on a MacBook Pro, which would be his first production laptop since the original Titanium PowerBooks back in the early-to-mid ’00s? I think there’s a good chance he will, but he isn’t slamming the door on desktops by any means, noting that the perfect desktop computer would take the current iMac design, move some ports for easier access, and offer an antiglare screen option. Perhaps for him it will boil down to whatever Apple does next with the iMac.
How about you? Would you vote for either the MacBook Pro, the iMac, or something else entirely as “the perfect computer?”
Переслать - Apple's Official iPhone 3G Unlock
While most iPhone users are aware of unofficial unlock methods, you may be surprised to discover that it’s possible to legally unlock your device, courtesy of Apple.
The above image is the not-often-seen official unlock notification, as displayed in iTunes. The dialogue succinctly confirms that the user’s iPhone, in this case a 3G, has been unlocked and can now be used on any carrier. Note the Apple logo at the top left — this is a result of an official unlock sanctioned by Apple.
Read on to find out how I legally unlocked my iPhone 3G.
In June, while over 1 million early adopters in the U.S. picked up their brand new iPhone 3GS devices, I was anxiously waiting for the official launch in my current country of residence, Finland. I picked up my iPhone 3GS in Helsinki just two weeks ago, when it was finally launched by Sonera.
Regarding Sonera, think of it as a less-repugnant version of AT&T. As the exclusive distributor of the iPhone over in Finland, Sonera has turned out to be a somewhat benevolent carrier. The carrier’s unlimited data plan is reasonably priced, and home hacking your iPhone to tether to your Macbook is positively encouraged.
And now I’ve discovered that Sonera is also happy to lend a helping hand in unlocking your old iPhone 3G. When the 3G was released last year, Sonera customers had to sign up for a two-year contract. When upgrading to the iPhone 3GS, those same customers are given the option to pay off the remainder of their original 3G contract. Paying off the contract, and thus completing the two years prematurely, entitles the customer to have their iPhone 3G unlocked.
The helpful assistant at the Sonera store made a note of my IMEI number and then passed it onto his boss — after that there’s a special piece of software that only his boss is authorized to use. This mystical application submits the IMEI to Apple, which in turn authorizes the device for unlocking.
I was advised that when the iPhone 3G was next synced with iTunes, it would be unlocked. Minutes later, back at home, I connected the iPhone 3G to iTunes and received a new carrier settings update. After downloading and installing the update, Apple’s official iPhone unlock screen appeared.
Going the legit route was a much more painless process than using a proxy SIM or the Dev Team’s unofficial unlock. Also worth noting is that, unlike some of the illicit approaches, this unlock is permanent: I’ll be able to keep updating the iPhone’s OS without losing the ability to use any carrier SIM in the device.
It was a surprisingly quick, easy and free unlock for me, although I’d be very interested to find out if any of our readers around the world have had similar success in unlocking their iPhones.
Переслать - Apple Issues Fixes for Nagging Bluetooth, Hard Drive Issues
People with MacBook Pros who opted for the speedier 7200RPM HD customization option can hopefully rest easy today, since Apple yesterday released a software fix to resolve reported problems related to odd noises being made by the drives. It was accompanied by a second update to resolve ongoing Bluetooth quirks.
Back in July, users started posting on support forums and message boards about audible clicking and beeping noises being made by the faster, optional 7200RM drives. While the update seems intended to fix these issues, reading Apple’s official blurb, it would seem like resting easy might actually be a tad premature. Apple Support claims that it “reduces certain infrequent noises.” Just “reduces?” We’ll have to wait and see what effect the update actually has, but it doesn’t sound to me like it will provide a total fix.
The other update released yesterday affects a wider selection of Mac owners. It’s a Bluetooth firmware update designed to eliminate connectivity issues with Apple-branded peripherals (didn’t 10.5.8 address the same issues?), including the Mighty Mouse and the Wireless Keyboard. It also includes bug fixes — standard practice for any Apple update. Mac owners who have computers that include Bluetooth on a built-in Broadcom chipset will be prompted to install this update.
So far, I’ve installed the Bluetooth update on my Mac mini, and it does indeed appear to lessen the frequency of “Connection Lost” messages related to my Apple Wireless Keyboard. I don’t use a Mighty mouse for reasons of extreme dislike, but if you’ve got one, let us know how performance is affected by the new update, if at all. Both fixes are available now via Software Update.
Переслать - What AT&T Has to Fear From Google Voice
Lately, Google Voice is perhaps one of the most widely discussed products in the Apple blogosphere besides Apple's own native devices. With its rejection from the App Store and people pointing fingers at Apple, AT&T, Steve Jobs and just about everyone and everything else in between, new evidence put forth by Andy Kessler and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) directs blame squarely at AT&T. Rightfully so.
Is anyone really surprised?
We know that AT&T and every other cell phone carrier overcharges for service, taking into account the sheer volume of users and how long cell phone technology has been around. Considering how much providing basic cell phone service costs, and how relatively inexpensive it is to add text messages and data support, it's clear that companies like AT&T stand to make a pretty penny.
I mean, honestly; it costs an extra $20 a month for unlimited texting in addition to $30 a month for "unlimited" iPhone data usage. Really? Text messaging costs two-thirds the price of always-on, feature rich email? Emails that support video, audio and images; something iPhone users still aren't getting because of a lack of MMS support. There’s just no way the pricing structure is based on the product.
Looking at the Big Picture
The WSJ report reveals that AT&T's profit margin for its wireless services are considered high at 25%. It makes sense, considering many people likely pay extra for hefty plans (data, text, video, etc.), when the actual impact on AT&T's network is marginal. Granted, sometimes coverage is spotty and "crowded" but the fact is, that’s not because we’re causing too much strain on the network, it’s because AT&T should be investing in making these networks more interoperable with others and capable of carrying more users, but is instead price gouging customers for increasingly horrible service.
Are they taking advantage of us? Yes. We know that. (Even David Pogue agrees with his "Take Back The Beep Campaign") So why on earth would AT&T quietly stand aside and allow Google Voice, since it represents such a dramatic shift from the norm? Google knows that voice calls and text messages are very easy on bandwidth. AT&T knows that allowing Google to steal its profits marks the end of an era. Landlines gave and continue to give ground to cell phones, and customers are switching to VoIP services or other mediums like Twitter or Google Voice for communication. Cell service might be next on the chopping block, if something like Google Voice is allowed to take root and grow.
The Future
Can AT&T reinvent itsefl and survive? The economy is tough, so now is the perfect time to be daring and really focus on your customers. Or will AT&T continue to overcharge and stifle innovation like Google Voice and other services? I personally hope that we will move towards a better future where carriers will play nicer with each other, with other services, and with other emerging technologies. For example, wouldn't it be great if when I was at home, my iPhone routed calls over my Wi-Fi connection instead of over the "crowded" network? It might alleviate some of AT&T’s service outages. Things like this are possible, but only in consumers wield their power and demand that carriers provide them.
Переслать - Sequel Pro 0.96 Released
The open-source project team that released Sequel Pro 0.95 three months ago has just released 0.96. The update adds polish to the application, making working with it more pleasurable — if you can ever call working with databases pleasurable.
They’ve also added some new core functionality and optimized the backend. To me, this feels like more than a 0.01 update. With every update of Sequel Pro, the open-source project continues to close the gap between itself and commercial competitors such as Querious.
New Features
Sequel Pro now includes full SSH tunnel support built into the connection manager (which has also got a UI facelift).
There is a new Relations screen that lets you view and edit foreign keys for a table.
Enhancements
By far one of my favorite new enhancements is the ability to filter the database’s table list. When the list gets larger than the displayed area, a filter box appears at the top, enabling you to quickly find the one you’re looking for. I’ve been using this a lot already.
When running custom queries, the results used to be presented in a static table. Now you can sort the results on the fly by clicking the column titles. Even better, for supported queries you can edit the results directly.
Browser-like table history navigation has been added, allowing you to go back to previous table views, which is great for flicking back and forth.
Significant Update
There are also plenty of smaller enhancements. Another favorite is the ability to select a record (either in the content view or after running a custom query) and then select “Copy As INSERT Statement”. This is so handy, I don’t know why it wasn’t there before. There are plenty of small changes like this, and almost every part of the application has had numerous bugs fixed.
In addition to all the new features, enhancements and fixes, this release is significantly snappier, and very noticeably so. The memory overhead is also greatly reduced. The developers have done some serious optimizing, and the results have paid off. See the full release notes for Sequel Pro 0.96 for a complete list of changes since 0.95.
Переслать - Lack of Netbook, Price Hurting Apple in This Year's Back-to-School Market
There’s more evidence that Apple is missing the boat on a substantial market opportunity due to its stubborn stonewall of the small, inexpensive netbook phenomenon. Steve Jobs may have expressed his dismissal of the device category last fall, and acting Apple CEO Tim Cook took the same line by contending that the netbook experience suffers due to “cramped keyboards, terrible software, junky hardware, [and] very small screens,” but millions of consumers worldwide disagree — with their wallets.
There are elements of truth in Cook’s critique, but it’s nowhere near as cut-and-dried as he implies. Some netbooks are hopelessly mediocre, but the category also includes very nice machines with “chiclet”-type keyboards (inspired by the MacBook), respectably sized 11″ and 12″ displays, decent hardware quality, and better I/O connectivity than some Apple notebooks. Linux builds (especially Ubuntu) are getting better all the time, to say nothing of the forthcoming netbook version of Windows 7.
In a commentary last April, Computerworld’s Scot Finnie questioned whether any computer maker, even 900-pound gorilla Apple, can afford to ignore the netbook trend. Confirmation seems to be growing that it can’t.
Earlier this week, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Retrevo, a consumer electronics search engine/portal, released a new “Gadgetology” study indicating that 34 percent of students buying laptops are planning to purchase small, lightweight netbooks. Another 49 percent will buy full-sized PC notebooks, but the majority of student laptop shoppers will not consider buying a Mac.
With the rumored Apple iTablet looking more and more like it won’t materialize until the first quarter of 2010, at the earliest, Apple has already missed out on the 2009 back-to-school buying surge, and probably the holiday sales season, too, at least as far as the low-cost market is concerned. Of course, it continues to do very well in the premium, $1,000-and-up laptop category, having just recorded the best non-holiday quarter in its history, selling 2.6 million Macs — most of them laptops.
“While Apple has done well historically in the education market, 2009 marks the dawn of the netbook,” commented Retrevo CEO Vipin Jain. “Students told us they wanted longer battery life, smaller size, and a lighter laptop. Fifty-eight percent of them plan on spending less than $750. All but 18 percent have a budget under $1,000. Netbooks are affordable — some costing only $170. In contrast, Apple laptops start at $949. At a time when many people are experiencing economic hardship, having a new Apple laptop isn’t a necessity.”
Personally, I think the iTablet will have a shot at competing with the netbooks and cheap PC laptops only if it:
a) Includes support for using a real keyboard and mouse (e.g., via Bluetooth or USB) in addition to its built-in touchscreen.
b) Runs the full-featured version of OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and not just the stripped-down iPhone OS, and by extension, serious productivity applications.
c) Sells for significantly less than $800. A price of $679 being speculatively floated this week sounds promising.
What do you think? Has Apple missed the boat on this year’s back-to-school laptop-buying surge?
Переслать - Why Small Business Owners Need a Mac
Small business owners have it hard, especially in the current world economic climate. They have lots to do, not enough resources, staff, and time to get it done. For many small business owners, computers are only one more thing to worry about. It doesn’t have to be that way.
For the past few months, I’ve been in the process of moving from one side of the country to the other. Now that my family and I are settling into our new location, I thought I would share some stories of small business owner encounters I’ve had during my travels. From the end of April to the middle of July, I crossed the country twice by car, and three times flying. Each time, I was reminded of why a Mac is a great small business machine.
iPhones Everywhere, Not a Mac in Sight
During my travels, I met people from all over. Being a tech guy, I would immediately ask questions about what they did for a living, what types of tools they used, the problems their business faced, etc. Of course, for me, the most fascinating part was the software and hardware they used.
Generally, I would hear that they used Microsoft Outlook to manage their email and contacts, Microsoft Word or Publisher to manage their documents, and Microsoft Excel for spreadsheets. Basically, the standard issue PC purchase and Microsoft tools. Some were a little more advanced and used QuickBooks Pro or Adobe graphics tools.
The funny thing is that of the half-dozen or so folks I met, all of them (and yes, I mean all of them) had an iPhone to manage their information on-the-go. They would explain how they loved the user experience, the apps available (not to manage their business, just fun apps) and the cool factor.
Elevator Pitch
Of course, I would then ask why they didn’t use a Mac instead of their current PC. Most of the replies blamed a lack of initiative, the cost of switching, or a fear of change. The cost issue tended to be the less significant of the three. The biggest was the fear of change. Would their documents work? Would they have to change how they completed their daily tasks? What would they do without Outlook (other than have hours of their lives back instead of waiting for that molasses app to run)?
Generally, I would explain the standard Apple business proposition to them: premier/high quality hardware and software, simplicity and fun factor. I would then explain how their documents would migrate with minimal fidelity loss (not every file converts perfectly). I would then begin to sell them on how their data would be better managed.
I really enjoyed showing these business owners how powerful the iPhone can really be when you use it for business. I would demonstrate MobileMe sync and how changes made to their contacts/calendar on the iPhone would be waiting for them when they got home (this usually drew gigantic smiles).
Next, I would open the App Store and show them different Office Apps (QuickOffice and/or DocsToGo), CRM Apps (Daylite, Salesforce, Highrise) and more. I would also show how they can manage tasks with a variety of tools, too.
Support is Key
Before trying to really pitch the Mac, I would spend time understanding their workflow. It’s pretty amazing that regardless of how computer literate people claim to be, they’re often missing huge chunks of know-how. Literacy comes at many levels. So does hardware/software support. That’s why I really believe small business owners need a Mac more than a PC.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, small business owners are inherently busy. Because of their limited resources, they don’t have the money to afford onsite IT support. Hiring a consultant to come fix their software problems is expensive, and the service isn’t always consistent.
Once the discussion began centering on support, it was easy to pitch the Apple Store experience (Genius Bar, One to One, etc.). I mentioned how they could call an 800 number and get support from a technician here in the U.S., and how they also have potential access to a local user group for additional help. You could see them coming around. Everyone has heard the horrible PC software support stories. The prospect of something better never fails to impress.
If you’re a small business owner, I highly recommend looking at the Mac. It isn’t just about avoiding viruses and spyware. It isn’t about being the cool kid on the block with the new shiny device. It’s about having a solid, well-supported product so that you can conduct business without wasting your precious time on IT issues.
Please note, I am neither an Apple employee nor affiliated with Apple in any way. I just like seeing people successful in what they do, and to my mind, a Mac helps make that happen.
Переслать - Fix for Apple Bug Affecting Truphone and Other Apps in iPhone 3.0
Since updating to iPhone OS 3.0 on my iPod touch, the icons of some apps periodically get replaced with a faded version of another app’s icon, or with a strange combination of multiple images. Others don’t have an icon at all. I’ve grouped together a number of affected icons on my springboard in the screen cap to the right so you can see what I mean.
Apparently this is only affecting a small portion of users running iPhone OS 3.0. It affects my iPod touch, but my iPhone isn’t showing symptoms of it, nor is my girlfriend’s. Apple hasn’t yet commented on or released an update to resolve the issues. For those who are having problems, here’s a simple fix, courtesy of the good folks at Truphone, whose app appears to be one of those affected by the bug.
Step 1 – Go to the Applications section of iTunes on your iPhone/iPod touch and uncheck the affected application.
Step 2 – Sync your iPhone iPod touch.
Step 3 – Go back into the Applications section of iTunes on your iPhone/iPod touch and recheck the relevant application.
Step 4 – Sync your iPhone/iPod touch again.
My own quick and non-scientific testing indicates that this is indeed an effective way of resolving these bizarre glitches, although I haven’t had a chance yet to do any kind of long-term test, so whether or not this is a permanent fix remains to be seen. Likely an official fix is coming in iPhone OS 3.1 anyway, and the apps affected continue to work (at least in my experience), so for now the Truphone solution is plenty good enough for me.
Переслать - Sketch Book Makes Designing iPhone Apps Easier
There’s a new tool available that’s designed to make life easier for iPhone developers, and its surprisingly low tech. It’s called the iPhone Application Sketch Book and it looks like just the thing to keep all those notes and inspirations about a new app idea all in one place.
The spiral-bound book is around 8 1/2″ x 11″ so it won’t get lost in the bottom of a laptop bag. There are 100 pages of design templates with lines at the top for jotting the name and other important details of the app. A real-size image of an iPhone is centered on graph-style paper with ample room to make drawings and notes about every aspect of the development process.
I caught up with the sketch book’s creator, Dean Kaplan, and was surprised to discover the impetus behind the book’s creation.
“I happened to be auditing the Stanford iPhone Programming course,” says Kaplan, “and one of the guest speakers discussed how he went about creating his user interface designs. Paper was one option he mentioned. Almost instantly the notebook idea light bulb went off. Other options of various computer programs were mentioned, but it always got back to paper and pencil. Subsequently, I did my own online survey that revealed designers prefer paper 95% of the time.”
Kaplan says once he got the idea to create the book, it only took about nine weeks until it hit the shelves. Depending on its success, he may create similar sketchbooks for the Palm Pre and Android.
The sketchbook is already a hit with some application developers. David J. Hinson, creator of popular iPhone apps like Cheap Gas (iTunes link) and Amigo (iTunes link), says he sees immediate value in a tool like this. “You can keep your notes and preliminary wireframes all in one handy little notebook. I was really intrigued and I think it’s a great concept because I’m constantly writing things on the whiteboard and losing track of my notes. It’s simple in execution, but spot on.”
Interested developers can pick up the iPhone Application Sketch Book for $14.99 at Amazon.
Переслать - Canadian Providers Running Out of iPhones
The iPhone sells well, be it the iPhone 3G or the 3GS. And it appears that north of the border, it’s selling even better than Apple had predicted.
Canada’s exclusive iPhone service provider Rogers Wireless is completely out of stock of the iPhone 3GS and 3G, the Globe and Mail is reporting. Fido, its low-cost subsidiary, is also out of the 3GS, although according to the report it still has some stock of the 4GB 3G on hand in a few brick-and-mortar locations.
Canada’s not the first country to run out of phones, either. Australia exhausted its supply earlier this month. Phones are still coming in from Apple, but shipments have slowed to a trickle as Cupertino’s supply chain struggles to keep up with demand. The U.S. appears to be one place where iPhones are still relatively easy to find, which makes sense considering that it remains Apple’s cornerstone market.
If you’re looking for an iPhone in Canada, you aren’t totally out of luck. Apparently Apple Store locations, which only began selling the devices this year following the release of the 3GS, still have stock — which works more in Apple’s favor than selling the devices via a non-company-branded location anyway.
Apple’s probably looking at shortages because it underestimated the ongoing success of the iPhone. In light of the sales numbers for the iPhone 3G, and the general economic climate, the company most likely planned for a rapid sales spike quickly followed by a period of slow but steady market share growth. And since it’s unlikely Apple will place a large order at this stage in the game, for fear of getting stuck with massive stock overages, Canadians may not be spending their loonies on new iPhones anytime soon.
Переслать - iPhone Apps Set to Appear as Downloadable PSP "Minis"
Those of us interested in the gaming community, as well as in all things Apple, are probably aware that Sony is set to introduce the PSPgo, a UMD-less follow-up to its PlayStation Portable handheld gaming device. The PSPgo will rely on downloadable, rather than disc or cartridge-based media, like a certain phone/media player from our beloved Apple. One might say they’re poised to compete with one another.
According to news released today, that assumption appears to be right on the money. Sony announced 15 launch titles for its PSP Mini line, with Minis being the equivalent of the iPhone’s apps. Minis will be available to all PSPs, not just the new PSPgo, but the downloadable titles are clearly designed to bolster sales of the new hardware. You’ll recognize at least a few of those titles, including Fieldrunners and Hero of Sparta, from the App Store.
Tetris and MiniGore round out the list of iPhone apps that will be getting the direct port treatment. Sony handpicked all the titles because of their success in the App Store. 50 more titles are promised for inclusion in the Mini line by the end of 2009, and I’m assuming that a good number of those will likewise be App Store success stories.
First of all, let me just say that as a gamer, this announcement excites me greatly. I love many iPhone games, including all of those announced today as PSP Mini titles, but I hate iPhone controls (Rolando being the exception). Ninety-five percent of the games I’ve played on the iPhone would’ve been infinitely more enjoyable on the DS or PSP. And now it looks like Sony is going to pick the cream of the crop and make that a reality.
Will it affect Apple’s App Store sales? Yes, because I (and gamers like me) will probably wait for a PSP Mini release of most titles, even if it’s available for both platforms. Will it kill the iPhone as a gaming device? No way, because the PSPgo will have a much smaller audience than the iPhone, and casual gamers will continue to play on their phones, mostly because many of them won’t buy a handheld gaming console.
In the end, the user wins. Being able to target multiple platforms will prompt more and better development efforts from studios, and Sony will shoulder the arduous task of filtering through the thousands of throwaway apps to bring avid gamers quality content via the Mini platform. If Minis are a success, and Sony sees the wisdom of putting a phone in its PSP, then we’ll see some sparks fly. Until then, sit back and enjoy the fruits of a little mutually beneficial jostling for attention.
Переслать - Apple Releases iPhoto 8.1
Apple today released iPhoto 8.1, a free update to its consumer photo application. The update brings several new features for print products, including new themes and a larger book size. Consumers can now order “extra large” photo books, that start at $49.99 USD for a 13×10 hardcover.
This update for iPhoto also includes three new travel-related photo book themes: Old World Travel, Tropical Travel and Asian Travel. Each is based on the existing travel theme, but includes several unique backgrounds. Apple has also provided additional greeting card themes.
This free update is 161MB and can be downloaded automatically via Software Update or through Apple’s Support Downloads website.
Переслать - How-To: Making The Most Of Apple TV With XBMC And Boxee
The Apple TV, as envisioned by Apple, is truly a very niche market device. You’re basically paying money for something that lets you pay more money to buy or rent music, movies and TV shows from the iTunes store. Sure, you can also stream content from iTunes on a computer, but when trying to stream from a central generic media device, the out of the box software just doesn’t cut it.
It is, however, possible to customize your Apple TV with unauthorized third party software (much like a jailbreak for iPhones/iPod touches) to transform it into a fantastic cheap media player (with certain limitations).
Suitable For Your Needs?
Now I have a Mac mini downstairs connected to my HDTV with EyeTV USB tuners and I think this is the ideal setup. However, upstairs in my bedroom I have an old SD TV that was paired up with an old HP laptop running windows with XBMC. The HP’s lack of stability finally became too frustrating, so after researching my options, I spent AU$330 (~US$276) on an Apple TV box and put XBMC on it.
My SD TV has component plugs so Apple TV works fine with it, and I’ve not had one hiccup while streaming .avi files from my file server over my wireless network. Its important to note, however, that some 720p HD playback can be a bit jerky, due to XBMC not having hardware acceleration support — but if you’re like me and wouldn’t want to watch 720p downscaled this doesn’t matter. I’ve finally got a totally stable (and completely silent) wireless TV streamer upstairs that I can control with my iPhone.
Here’s a complete guide on how to load XBMC and Boxee on to your Apple TV to make it much more useful.
Required Tools
*A USB Memory stick with at least 512MB that can be formatted.
*A PowerPC or Intel Mac. The procedure can also be done from a windows box, but since this is TheAppleBlog, this guide is exclusive to Macs.
*An AppleTV device with firmware version 2.3 (the most current at the time of this writing).Preparing
Head over to http://code.google.com/p/atvusb-creator/ and download the OSX version of the atvusb-creator. This will let you boot your Apple TV from the USB stick and install the required patches to your device.
First, you should remove all USB drives from your computer as a safety precaution to prevent accidentally picking the wrong USB device to create your patchstick. Insert your empty USB stick and run atvusb-creator.app:
The default options as above are suitable for most, so you can go ahead and click the “Create Using ->” button (assuming your usb pathstick is the only usb drive connected as recommended). This will partition and format the patchstick and then copy all the required files to it. With this done, it’s time to go to your Apple TV.Patching Apple TV
Unplug the power cable from your Apple TV and put the USB stick in the port at the back.
Plug your Apple TV back in and watch the custom Linux OS do its work. This will take a few minutes and you will see lots of lines of text:
When you see the text “Please unplug your Apple TV to reboot/reset the device” you can unplug your USB stick and reset. When it boots up again, you will now see a slightly altered menu:
You now have both XBMC and Boxee installed on your Apple TV — however its best to update your system to the latest releases. From the new XBMC/Boxee menu on the left, go into the “Updates” menu on the right. Then select the Launcher 3.1 download:
This will be a quick download and update process. You should then also turn off Apple TV’s ability to automatically update itself. This is to prevent any new updates from Apple breaking your ability to use XBMC or Boxee. This can be done in the “Settings” menu by toggling the “ATV OS Update Enabled” option to “No”:
You can then download the latest stable release of XBMC and/or Boxee in the newly renamed “Downloads” menu. The standard Apple TV Remote works fine in both XBMC and Boxee. There are also a number of iPhone/iPod touch apps that let you control these directly.
Running the Latest Bleeding Edge XBMC
If you’re brave (or some may say foolish), you can also run the latest nightly builds of XBMC. To do this you’ll need to telnet into your Apple TV and set a preference via the command line to make this option appear in Launcher’s Downloads menu. From a command line tool (such as Terminal that comes with OSX) type:
ssh frontrow@appletv.localWhen prompted for a password, enter
frontrowand then type:defaults write com.teamxbmc.xbmclauncher XBMCAdditionalDownloadPlistURLs -array http://www.sshcs.com/xbmc/Info.aspThis will then enable the option in Launcher to download a latest nightly build of XBMC:
Restoring to Factory Settings
If you want to restore your Apple TV to its vanilla settings, simply follow these steps. From a command line tool type:
ssh frontrow@appletv.localWhen prompted for a password, enter
frontrowand then type:sudo rm -rf /Applications/{Boxee,XBMC}.app/
sudo rm -rf /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/PlugIns/XBMCLauncher.frappliance/
rm -rf /Users/frontrow/Library/Application\ Support/{BOXEE,XBMC}/
sudo rebootIt’s a shame Apple doesn’t seem interested in unlocking the power of their home media device themselves, but at least doing it on your own isn’t as difficult as you might expect.
Переслать - Does Apple Still Need Microsoft Office?
On August 6th, 1997, Steve Jobs stood on a stage in Boston and announced that Microsoft had purchased $150 million in non-voting stock and promised to continue to develop Office for five years. While the crowd reacted as if had he announced his love of Pabst Blue Ribbon, it’s one of the moves that’s widely regarded as having helped Apple recover as a company.
Microsoft recently announced its plans for Office 2010 — although the scant details make me think this was really just a “No, no, don’t go use the Exchange features in Snow Leopard; we’ve got you covered” move. Which begs the question: Does Apple still need Office for the Mac, like they did 12 years ago?
No, of course not. They have iWork and online services like Google Docs and Zoho. But I need it.
I can imagine myself staying in Apple’s Romper Room, only using iWork and iLife, only as long as I never, ever need to exchange files or collaborate with another person. Like it or not, Office and especially the .doc file structure has become the industry standard. The better I can adhere to that standard, without jumping through a ton of hoops, the easier my life is. Sure, I can print to PDF, but that’s hard to collaborate from.
That’s not to say I’m a slave to Microsoft. For simple layout I use Pages; Numbers is an acceptable spreadsheet; and Keynote is a totally kicking presentation program. When I write fiction, I use Scrivener. For my work at TheAppleBlog, I can use any sort of text editor I want. However, when I need to exchange files with other people — especially if I want them to make in-line comments or changes — I will default to the Office suite for the sake of simplicity, even for complicated files transfer without any noticeable issues between the PC and Mac versions of Word.
As much as I love hearing about Apple’s plans, and its commitment to OS X at keynotes, as a frequent user of Microsoft Office, in many ways I look forward to the affirmation that Office for the Mac’s development isn’t lagging too far behind its PC counterpart.
Переслать - Rumor Has It: Apple Event Sept. 9; Music to Take Center Stage
Details regarding the fast-approaching Apple iPod event in September are beginning to firm up, as is the norm when we draw closer to the anticipated date of these kinds of Cupertino media circuses. By firm up, of course, I mean that various online sources appear to agree, but that’s often as close as we get to confirmation before Apple opts to spill the beans.
The date of the event is set for Sept. 9, according to AllThingsD, and the rest of the blogosphere seems to have accepted this as solid fact, despite the deviation from the usual pattern Apple has of holding press events on a Tuesday. Sept. 9 is a Wednesday, but 9to5Mac points out that it also happens to be the day Beatles Rock Band ships. They don’t see that as a coincidence, and instead suggest that the Beatles catalog could finally come to iTunes at the event.
More definite rumors include the much-publicized iTunes 9 update, which is expected to be bringing a lot of new features to the Mac media workhorse. One of those improvements is the “Cocktail” music format, which could be poised to be the album of the digital age, and includes lyrics, photos, and video in addition to music.
On top of iTunes 9, expect to see new iPod models introduced. The iPod touch is well overdue for a refresh, and with cases, pictures and videos popping up all over the place purporting to show a new, camera-toting model, it’s unlikely this event will pass without an unveiling of at least that device and a new iPod nano with similar features.
Less than likely is the possibility that Apple will unveil its tablet device at the event. Its existence at this point is not often debated among the blogging community, but release timelines continue to be fuzzy, and seem more likely to extend into 2010.
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