Category Archives: apple

apple, macbook pro

MacBook Pro Oversight

Something just dawned on me.

I grabbed the MacBook Pro to collect and edit photos from a couple of cameras from last night’s Iron Maiden/Dream Theater concert while another computer was updating this web site.  When I went to stick the first SD card into get the photos, I noticed that this particular MBP doesn’t have any slots for SD cards or any kind of memory stick.  The MBP does have several USB connections, but that’s not quite the same.

I am, actually, somewhat disturbed by this discovery.  I’ve had this MBP for nearly two years now and never previously noticed the lack of memory stick slots.  The physical hardware to accomodate memory sticks can’t add that much to the price of an MBP.

The really surprising thing, to me at least, is that Apple did not see fit to include memory stick slots on this computer.  Apple prides itself on the capabilities of the Apple platform for editing digital media.  It seems such a gross oversight.  Every Windows laptop I have purchased for the last five years has come with a full set of memory card slots.

Lesson learned:  handling any item on a memory sticks will have to start on a Windows  system.  But that also means that I will be less likely to continue working with the item on the MBP as it means having to transfer the item to another medium that the MBP can access.

apple, macbook pro

Finder Crash

Interesting little event while using the Mac Book Pro today.  Finder crashed.

Finder Crashed
Finder Crashed

This is extremely unusual (for me).  I thought Mac’s didn’t have crashed applications?  I’m not really sure what to make of this.  Many other people seem to have had this issue since upgrading to Snow Leopard (which I did a week ago).  But since I don’t use the applications or external devices that seem to be associated with their reports of problems, I’m lost.

itunes

iTunes Doesn’t Like Outlook

I’ve been slowly rebuilding my main desktop computer for a few days now.  The process has been taking a while because I have to work around needing to use it for, well, work.  It has actually been going quite smoothly, especially considering I haven’t turned off UAC yet.

While installing iTunes I got the strange message below.

iTunes Doesnt Like Outlook
iTunes Doesn't Like Outlook

What puzzles me is why iTunes cares at all about Outlook?  What could Outlook possibly be doing that would cause iTunes a problem?  Is this some obscure Apple bashing on Microsoft?

apple, iphone

iPhone Image Formats

What is the iPhone image file format? When I work with the files that are on the phone I see some that are in jpg and png format. I understand the difference between the file formats. I’m just curiuous about when the iPhone creates which.

apple, iphone

iPhone Features – #2

One of the features of the new iPhone 3 OS that I discovered quite by accident is the ability to “undo” typing.  Just give the phone a quick shake when you’ve typed something you don’t want.  The “Undo Typing” dialog will slide onto the screen.

Undo Typing
Undo Typing

If you happen to shake the phone when there is nothing to undo then the “Nothing to Undo” dialog will slide onto the screen.

Nothing to Undo
Nothing to Undo

This handy feature isn’t available everywhere in the phone.  For example, the keypad used for actually dialing telephone numbers does not support undo.

apple, iphone

iPhone Features

I discovered a feature of the iPhone accidentally today. When a text message fails to send the iPhone helfully displays a warning sign next to the text message.

Text Sending Error
Text Sending Error

Clicking the exclamation icon brings up a handy dialog to ask if I want to send it again.

Try Again?
Try Again?

I don’t recall having seen this feature before, so it might be new with the iPhone 3 OS release.

apple, iphone

Adventures in Updating the iPhone – #3

The recent launch of the iPhone 3.0 OS was the smoothest of all of the major updates that I’ve had (read about those adventures here and here).  When I saw the prompt below, an enormous sense of dread swept over me.

iPhone Update Download
iPhone Update

I had no problems this time.  So, I figured I’d highlight some of the things that I find interesting.

Voice Memos

Apple added the ability to record voice memos.  I was a little bit peeved that they forced it on to the main screen, however, as they kicked one of my applications off to do it.

Voice Memos
Voice Memos

 

Searching

One of the long-awaited features is the ability to search the iPhone.

Searching
Searching
Finding
Finding

 

Text Messaging

Apple made one minor improvement in text messaging.  They changed the progress bar from an overlay that covered the entire screen to a little bar in the top of the screen.  This has the effect of allowing you to continue with composing your next message while one is sending.  That is particularly useful when you are trying to have a quick-witted conversation.

New Progress Bar
New Progress Bar

As an added bonus, you can now turn your iPhone sideways to send test messages.

Sideways Text
Sideways Text

I’m not sure how useful of a feature that actually as you don’t really get to see much of the conversation.  Of course, the text bubble could have all been placed on one line.  The keys are bigger, so it may help those who have difficulty hitting the correct one.

apple, macbook pro

MacBook Pro Temps

As I sit here working to takeover the world while wearing shorts from my Apple MacBook Pro, I just realized how freakishly hot and and uncomfortable the nice shiny case can get.

 

MBP Temps
MBP Temps

It’s interesting that the enclosure base is reported as 101F.  It sure seems hotter than that.  But on bare skin I suppose that is hot enough.

P.S.  The cool little app that reported the temperatures is iStatPro.

apple

Apple iTunes Update Issues

For some strange reason Apple iTunes refuses to update correctly.  It always helpfully offers to download and update iTunes (and usually QuickTime as well).  But it always fails for some reason.

The iTunes updater has a “download only” option.  When I tried that today and then tried to run the update separately I received this error message:

 

Failed iTunes Update
Failed iTunes Update

Google searches for the “A later version of Apple Mobile Device Support is already installed” weren’t very helpful.  None of the results addressed the problem (or even said what it really was) or provided any viable solutions.

I ended up having download the whole iTunes install package from Apple.

apple, macbook pro

Mac Finder Crash

I managed to crash Finder while copying files from one network drive to another.  Finder displayed an error message … which I forgot to capture.  Finder then stayed stuck on this screen until I killed it.

 

Finder Crash
Finder Crash

At least when Windows craps out during a file copy, the copy dialog goes away without having to kill the Explorer process.

The really crappy thing was that it happened at the end of an hours-long file copy operation.  

If it happens again, I’ll be sure to get the error dialog.