TechFriday: Apple filed patent for a smart ring device

| October 2, 2015

What do you think??? I think I need thicker reading glasses. Apple could be developing a new wearable device even smaller than the Apple Watch: an Apple ring. That is, if a recently filed patent leads to an actual product. The ring, which could be made with or without a touch display, would be linked […]

After watching the AppleEvent last week – posting belated

| September 15, 2015

I snipped a few screen shots while watching the #AppleEvent last week as Tim Cook and team unveiled the new iPhones, iPads and AppleTV. All in all the surprises were “non-surprises” so really there weren’t any shockers … not necessarily a bad thing. The normal expectation in the month of September is either upgraded iPhones […]

Apple sold ONLY 47.5 Million iPhones in the 3rd quarter

| July 22, 2015

Chuckling at the “miss” from Applefalling short of their guidance, but they continue to build their bankroll of cash … now above $200 Billion! Profit margins are so far above most tech equipment makers and they are still cranking out the iPhones (47.5 Million in the 3rd quarter). Unfortunately for shareholders use to $AAPL blowing […]

Contemplating an iOS9 install. On the other hand, maybe not?

| July 17, 2015

The Apple iOS 9 pre-release has been dangled in front of me for a little while now, but since I’ve been traveling the last couple weeks, the temptation to install while away was not all that powerful, so I decided not tempt fate. That probably a good thing since a few tech people I follow, […]

EAA 2015 Airventure app is available for smartphones

| July 11, 2015

For those aviation “nuts” who flock to Oshkosh each July for Airventure, EAA has a couple smartphone apps for you. I am told (thanks Bob) that version are in both iOS and Android so both major mobile operating systems are supported. I've just download myself so am not sure how helpful it will be, although […]

TechFriday: No FREE Windows 10 for Parallels on the Mac yet

| July 3, 2015

So much for “considering” Windows 10 on my iMac (Parallels). And here I was thinking that upgrading a couple of Windows machines wouldn’t be as expensive as in the past … with Microsofts FREE upgrad offer and all. (Parallels is working on a solution) Microsoft is making Windows 10 available as free upgrade for qualified […]

Twitter autoplay: Save bandwidth and data by changing settings

| June 16, 2015

By default, Twitter now plays video as you scroll through posts. This can both be a bit annoying and will use data, especially on you mobile device with minimal data. To turn off the “autoplay” feature, go to the setting menu on the mobile Twitter app (currently Apple iOS devices only) and “check” either Use […]

Debating the Apple Store App review process – Medium article

| April 13, 2015

An article in published in an online story on Medium this past week shared the growing discontent from software developers over Apple’s dominance and authoritative control over “app” reviews. Dave Kushal believes that the slow review process hurts the reliability as well as “impedes the pace of innovation.”  While I’m somewhat in agreement with Dave, […]

TechFriday: iCloud apps are not just for Apple users

| March 20, 2015

Although cloud based apps aren’t for everyone, they have made inroads over the past few years. Googles’ online Docs, Sheets and Slides have been slowly improving and many other players have entered the foray including Microsoft with their Office Online.   Apple has improve their iWorks online apps and offers their Pages, Numbers and Keynote […]

Impulse buy from Apple – refurbished AppleTV for $59

| March 11, 2015

The Apple event earlier this week had be jumping to pick up an AppleTV with the price drop to $69 (opted for refurb)… if for nothing else, a device to plug into the TV on the boat and play video from my iPhone or iPad. Also, it is possible I’ve was bitten by the “want […]

Apple announces new MacBook and more on the AppleWatch

| March 9, 2015

I ate a late lunch today and watched the live Apple product announcement events. The stock price moved up $3/sh to $129ish as the events were mentioned. Before the “main event Apple Watch” comments, Tim Cook and his team announced an HBONow ($14.99) exclusive tie to their devices as well as a lower price on […]

TechFriday: Magic Mouse Mac users and Google Calendar

| February 13, 2015

Judging from the suggestions complaints to Google from users making an accidental “mouse swipe” through their online Calendar app, it looks like I’m not the only one frustrated. The problem of scrolling to the wrong month has existed for years and is most noticeable when using the Apple OS and their Magic Mouse. The sensitivity […]

TechFriday: Clear your head by clearing the Mac desktop

| January 23, 2015

If you are an Apple Macintosh user and have been living with a cluttered desktop, give the free program Hocus Focus a try … if you like it, make a donation. The purpose of the small program is to automatically hide unused but opened applications and windows so it is easier to focus on the […]

iOS 8.1.1 update available for Apple mobile devices

| November 17, 2014

Hard to verify since Ino long using the iPad2 (now Air 2), but Apple has released an update iOS called 8.1.1. The update claims to “increase stability and performance” for those using older iPhones and iPads. This was a big complaint with the iPad 2 and will hopefully return performance to at what lease was […]

Apple computers dominate the White House press corps

| November 11, 2014

There was a day when being an Apple Macintosh computer user put one in the minority … but not anymore it seems. The photo below is of journalists in the White House press corps traveling in China … take a look at their desks. The number of Apple logos made me chuckle and I could […]

TechFriday: Apple iOS users have new free Microsoft Office apps

| November 7, 2014

Microsoft is offering standalone versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint for iPhone, giving users a much better productivity suite for the mobile devices. Prior to the new mobile apps, users who wanted to use Office on an iPhone had to use “Microsoft Office Mobile,” which really only allowed users to view documents and input text. […]

Update to Apple OS X Yosemite and all is well

| October 19, 2014

Against my better judgment I upgraded my iMac to Apple’s OS X Yosemite this weekend … bold move after my frustrations with iOS 8 and my older iPad2. So far all is well and it should be an easy to adopt upgrade … particularly since it was free. I’ve had my frustrations with both Apple […]

Market sell-off impacts Apple shareholders and market cap

| October 15, 2014

Will the Apple event on Thursday do much to ease the pain $AAPL shareholders are feeling in Wednesday’s afternoon sell-off? Share prices dropped over 3% in the last couple of days with today taking the biggest dive. The expectation is for an iPad mini 3 an improved iPad Air with the new A8 64-bit chip, […]

We switched our cell service to Ting.com this weekend

| October 6, 2014

After a few months of talking, we finally switch two of our phones to Ting. Hopefully the service won’t change and that with only two of us on the account we’ll be able to save a few dollars. As I mentioned before, my daughter made the switch a couple months ago after her move to […]

TechFriday: Apple special event scheduled – the new iPad Air?

| October 3, 2014

Rumors have been floated but Apple hasn’t announce the date for the new iPad until today. October 16th is scheduled for a "special event"… assumed to be the launch of its new iPad. Most expect an iPad Air 2 device with the new A8 processor and touch fingerprint sensor. It is also possible we’ll learn […]

TechFriday: Contemplating an iPad2 to iPad Air2 upgrade

| September 26, 2014

As a iPhone, iPad and iMac Apple customer, it is challenging to know what products to upgrade and at what time. As much as I would like an iPhone6 or 6plus, I’ve opted to stick with the current iPhone 5s (and 5) in order to save a few dollars on our cellphone plan as we […]

Video: The Apple iPhone 6 plus and #bendgate

| September 25, 2014

One can help but chuck at the excessive talk and coined term #bendgate regarding damage being hyped in the media regarding bending iPhones (there were 6 user complaints officially reported to Apple). The video below has been used around the world on news programs … who does this with their phones? Anyway, after the 23+ […]

Whoops! The first iPhone6 in Perth, Australia

| September 19, 2014

Apple’s much anticipated iPhone6 went on sale today as folks in line finally get a chance to own a blemish and scratch free smartphone their own … and here’s what happened to Jack, the first to walk out of the Apple store in Perth, Australia with one.

TechFriday: Date set for Ting welcoming the iPhone 5s and 5c

| September 19, 2014

Ting.com sent out an email blast update letting interested potential customers know that the new “older” iPhone 5s and 5c will be supported on September 29, 2014. I’m still weighing leaving Sprint, but they aren’t doing much to keep their long time customers in their Framily.They change their plans, promos, CEOs and marketing slogans way […]

A long evening with Apple iDevices and iOS8 software updates

| September 18, 2014

Most of Wednesday evening was spent backing up and cleaning up … and then downloading and installing Apple’s iOS8 release on a couple iPhones and an iPad (if full iCloud functionality is desired, then prepare for Mac OSX Yosemite install). Once finished, then the app update fun began and so as a reminder to those […]

The AppleEvent was successful, but the bar was high

| September 9, 2014

Tim Cook lead another #AppleEvent in the age of social media and I both watched and "tweeted" along with the tech interested across the country and world. The event was "as expected" in that Apple launched the new iPhone6 and 6plus … larger phones. They will be offering up their new iOS8 on September 19th […]

Watching $AAPL as the buzz is all about Apple today

| September 9, 2014

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Next week is a make or break moment for Apple CEO Tim Cook

| September 5, 2014

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook had a rough week on Wall Street as investors seemed a bit nervous ahead of next week’s “product offensive.” The tech giant will announce their updated iPhone 6 which will at minimum have a larger screen (rumored photo right). Secretly I’m more interested in what the operation software might bring to […]

TechFriday: My three favorite cases for the iPhone 5 and 5s

| August 22, 2014

After almost two year of using several different wraps and “powered cases” for my iPhones, I whittled my picks down to three … or 4 if you consider “no-case” as an option. In fact, using the iPhone without a case makes it very small and lightweight; slipping the tiny iPhone 5 and 5s in a […]

What are the chances for an Apple surprise announcement?

| August 15, 2014

Have you been wondering when the notoriously secretive Apple, known for innovative and culture shaping products, will have the next “one more thing?” We all suspect that TV is ripe for Apple-izing and that trendy wearables are ready for the iWatch, but besides those known in-the-works items, what else is up their sleeves? Will the […]

TechFriday: Google Sync workaround for the iPhone and iOS

| August 8, 2014

I am late to the game in addressing a workaround for a newer Apple iOS devices (recently updated my iPhone 5 to a “secondhand” 5s) and the changed Google Sync services. The changes happened in 2013, but since my old devices were still working it wasn’t a big deal … now it is! Initially, iOS […]

TechFriday: Contemplating an iPad upgrade

| August 1, 2014

Ever since I picked up a secondhand iPad2 a couple years ago, it has been my go-to device for traveling, reading and quick notes. I do miss the full computer experience, but it is hard to beat for day to day mobile computing. Truth be told though, I’m starting to have speed envy and wondering […]

The iPad2: One of the best tech purchases I’ve ever made

| March 27, 2014

Yesterday was the 2 year anniversary of my purchasing a second-hand iPad 2, shortly after playing with my friend’s new iPad 3 (that device has been out over 2 years, not sure about my iPad2 … 4 years?). I can’t believe how much I use this tech gadget — everything from email to web surfing […]

Tech Friday: Simple access to the iPhone scientific calculator

| November 29, 2013

Every once in a while we surprise ourselves with a “duh” moment. One where our eyes are opened to something we “should have” known about.  A few weeks ago while doing some electronics calculations in my Amateur Radio studies, I needed to use a scientific calculator. Using the advanced mathematical functions on any calculator is […]

Announcement from Apple on a variety of devices

| October 23, 2013

Yesterday’s Apple product event came on the heels of last months lackluster iPhone 5c and 5s announcement (I watched on and off on my iPad – Jony Ive in photo on right) . First off, there wasn’t anything earthshattering just as with the new iPhones, but the updates and upgrades will be “want to have” items. […]

Test driving the PixelPumper Mac app for blogging

| September 29, 2013

Untitled Blog Post Name I’m taking a look at the Apple Macintosh blogging app called PixelPumper after using the Windows-only  Live Writer for years. I know the day is coming when either I’ll upgrade my old clunky PC notebook computer for a lightweight Macbook Air or see Microsoft eliminate LiveWriter entirely (rumors). I’m still a […]

The new Apple iOS7: My impression after a couple hours

| September 19, 2013

Evening: After struggling to download the over-the-air install of Apple’s new iOS on both iPhone and iPad (should have installed iOS7 with iTunes), the new mobile operating system is finally up and running. My first impression was my usual “oh I miss my old familiar look and feel … and I want it back.”  Now […]

Are you excited about the new iPhone 5s and 5c?

| September 11, 2013

With all the pre-event leaks and lackluster comments from technology journalists, it is difficult for even Apple fans to get wound up about the new “same sized” iPhones. The non-surprise by Apple was reflected in a 2% decline in $AAPL shares on Wall Street and many wonder if the magic is gone? On the plus […]

Apple iCloud’s online beta for Pages, Numbers & Keynote

| July 23, 2013

Apple is testing a few new online iWork applications for those iCloud users accessing their cloud account. The addition of Apple’s document, spreadsheet and presentation software to iCloud will move the beloved computer company one step closer to Microsoft and Google went it comes to online “Office” productivity software. I’m reluctant to commit to one particular […]

Financial markets down and Apple nears $400/share

| April 17, 2013

Who is calling for Tim Cook’s head? Apple shares were down 4.7% to $406 this morning and nearing the psychological $400 mark. If it drops below that point, Apple executives better start circling the wagons if they haven’t already. The stock has not traded below the $400 mark since late December 2011 and have slid […]

Streaming HD feed from the iPad to my TV thru HDMI

| April 4, 2013

While setting up the iPad with my new (old 30 pin version) AV adapter and Kiosk Pro app, I decided to check out the new Slingbox on my workshop TV. Wow … it streamed from my HD cable box over WiFi just fine and improved the quality of the picture too. As for programing the […]

Tech Friday: A New iMac has replaced an old G4 and PC

| March 29, 2013

I’m still adapting to a new computer and trying not to burn out my eyes on this bright and large 27” monitor, but after the adjustment I think I’m going to enjoy using the new iMac for both OSX and Windows 7 chores (via Parallels Desktop 8). The new four cored 3.4 GHz Intel i7 […]

So what does Apple have in the pipeline?

| January 24, 2013

Hmm, not much in the immediate future to put a smile back on shareholders’ faces. If Tim Cook has something up his sleeves, it might be a good time to turn on the magic. ($AAPL trading at $450 down 12% Thursday morning)  Posted via email from RichC’s posterous

Apple ($AAPL) to report earning after the closing bell

| January 23, 2013

Apple Inc. (AAPL) will report results for its first fiscal quarter this afternoon. Investors are on pins and needles wondering just how business has been going with slowing computer sales and increased pressure from Android devices on iPhone and iPad sales. Apple stock has already been beaten down and if the numbers are lackluster could […]

Tech Friday: iOS Passbook, Eventbrite & RomneyRyan Rally

| November 2, 2012

I found an excuse to use the Apple iOS Passbook app on the iPhone 5 yesterday while adding tickets to a Romney Ryan Real Recovery Road Rally being held tonight just north of Cincinnati in my hometown of West Chester Ohio. The ticket distribution site EventBrite makes easy checkout and automatically adds the QR coded […]

Apple refreshes line of Macs and introduces the iPad Mini

| October 23, 2012

Watching the Apple news trickle in this Tuesday afternoon after munching down my small but FREE piece of pizza from Dominos (National Sampling Day) … and that’s a lot cheaper than the starting price of $329 for the 7.9” iPad Mini. Price aside, it looks like another great Apple product and leave a little room […]

When should you buy an Apple product

| September 28, 2012

A friend of mine is contemplating a computer upgrade and wants to look at an Apple Macbook Pro or Macbook Air this year, but the $2000 price tag is something to think seriously about. He asked me for my opinion since I have a pile of old Macintosh computers and hears that most users are […]

Smartphone photography with the new Apple iPhone 5

| September 22, 2012

The Apple iPhone 5 camera makes for a substantial improvement over my previous smartphone’s camera and so I was anxious to experiment with image quality and play with a few of the hyped features. Since I’m upgrading from the nearly “extinct” Palm Pre, running a rooted webOS install, any modern smartphone camera would have been an […]

Apple’s iOS 6 is available for download to many devices

| September 19, 2012

Ahead of the “hopeful” Friday delivery of a new gadget, the iPhone 5, I figured I’d give the new Apple iOS 6 a try on my iPad2. The download was made available this afternoon, but was a bit slow … which is no double due to it being 561 MB and that a “couple” other […]

Have iPhone 5s actually left the warehouses?

| September 18, 2012

Call me anxious or just curious to know if I should be keeping my eyes open for an iPhone 5 on Friday. Hmm … what does “shipped and/or” mean in checking the Sprint status page? If it is shipped, how about a tracking number?

Placed an Apple iPhone 5 order with Sprint this morning

| September 14, 2012

I’m not sure when my new iPhone 5 will arrive, but ordered the smallest 16GB version as an upgrade to replace my aging … but much loved … Palm Pre. Unfortunately the Apple website wouldn’t take my order this morning so switched to the Sprint.com site. Unfortunately Sprint also has a glitch in their online […]

Apple unveils their newest iPhone … finally the iPhone 5

| September 12, 2012

I followed the Engadget liveblog and listen to the Leo Laporte’s TWIT gang during Apple’s launch of the iPhone 5, and it only seems appropriate that I chime in (I tweeted too much already). I’m sure there will be a few other blogs commenting today (chuckle, chuckle) and some will offer far more intelligent insight […]

Android and Apple iOS devices to be less similar in the future

| September 9, 2012

After Samsung’s recent lost to Apple in federal court, Android users will start to see a few changes to the look and feel of their phones and tablets and those being designed by Apple. One would assume that the individual manufacturer’s tweaks to Google’s Android — skins –will be modified from the current attempt to […]

One thing is for sure, Apple knows how to make money

| September 7, 2012

I read a simple article reviewing where Apple ($AAPL) makes their money … product mix, not geographic location. Anyway, I thought it was interesting that they make over 70% of their total sales (trailing 12 months) on the iPhone and iPad … that in comparison to Macintosh computers, software and services and even their Music […]

Anticipation heightens for Apple’s new iPhone 5 announcement

| September 4, 2012

I do enjoy the hype and speculation surrounding a new gadget release in the tech world … and few do it better than Apple. Last year’s iPhone 4s announcement was expected by most of us to be the iPhone 5, but it was not to be. This year everyone again expects them to adopt the […]

Jury says Samsung infringed on six patents held by Apple

| August 25, 2012

It’s no secret that I’m a long time Apple user and have done my part in supporting the company as computer and gadget buyer and as an $AAPL shareholder, but I’m also rebellious when their eco-system boxes out competitors. I dislike Apple telling me what software I can and can’t install on my computer devices […]

In Apple iPhone 5 anticipation, iPhone 4 and 4s prices drop

| August 13, 2012

If you really want an iPhone, this could be the time to buy … although prices could go even lower towards the end of the year? It seems the older iPhone 4 and 4s are selling slower than most retailers (and by assumption, Apple) would like and so retailers are doing what they can to […]

Investors are expecting strong sales and profits from Apple

| August 6, 2012

At this point I’m still happy to be an Apple shareholder, although worry the current two week 10% stock price rise could be a little much for $AAPL. That said, the demand for their superior technology products coupled with their above industry profit margins … and devoted buyers … should keep the company flush with […]

Video for WordPress and embed issues for multiple browsers

| April 23, 2012

Here’s what works and what doesn’t work when using the Hana Flv Player plug in with my WordPress install in an attempt to figure out the best way to post video that will play in all browser/hardware combinations. Embedding test video with the Kodak Playsport Zx5 1. Safari on the iPad 2 only post description […]

A test to see how well the Hana video plug-in works

| April 22, 2012

Testing the Hana plug-in with H.264 mp4 files. This first is with the Kodak Zx5 at the lowest setting. (iPad compatible) HANA PLAYER REPLACED in 2019 ADD — Test 2: Palm Pre raw video upload test

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog