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  • Apple Maps recovers from multi-hour partial service outage affecting search & directions [...

    vmarksvmarks
    Dead_Pool said:
    Breaking: Jony Ive tripped over the power cord of Apple Maps’ main server, a mid-90s era Perfroma 6115. It has been plugged back in and Maps will be up and running again soon.
    It's hung up loading a font manager extension.
    Dead_PoolelijahglongpathgregoriusmAlex1Nmuthuk_vanalingamwillcropoint

  • Apple security chief Thomas Moyer indicted in concealed firearm permit bribery case

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    tylersdad said:
    vmarks said:
    tylersdad said:
    flydog said:

    mobird said:
    Is the Apple Chief Security Officer Thomas Moyer still employed at Apple?
    Why wouldn't he be?  Did he steal something from Apple?  Jerk off in his office? Not show up for work?   There's nothing here to suggest he committed any misconduct while in the scope of his employment. 
    He attempted to bribe a public official. I can't think of a single company that would allow someone to stay on their roster of employees after that. 


    “We expect all of our employees to conduct themselves with integrity. After learning of the allegations, we conducted a thorough internal investigation and found no wrongdoing,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement.


    The mind boggles at how Apple managed to clear them, while a Grand Jury chose to indict. If they are found guilty will Apple change their mind? I don't see how they could at this point, but this just looks like Apple protecting Apple employees who have clearly done wrong. 

    Bribing a public official is wrong. But Apple is somehow totally fine with that? 

    Grand Juries tend to go with what the prosecutor wants. "New York State chief judge Sol Wachtler was famously quoted by Tom Wolfe in The Bonfire of the Vanities that "a grand jury would 'indict a ham sandwich,' if that's what you wanted." - https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/indict_a_ham_sandwich/

    I think Apple would not be totally fine with an employee bribing anyone (public official, vendor, supplier, retail partner, you name it.) But perhaps Apple's internal investigation didn't reveal any bribery. Just because the DA files charges doesn't mean they're guilty, it just means the DA thinks they can win. That may be a bit too cynical for some.

    Some outlets are reporting this as a feud between the Sherrif and the DA, and Apple's security officer happens to be caught in between.


    ronnDogpersonrandominternetpersondewmelongpathjony0

  • How to use an NVMe drive to upgrade your Mac's SSD

    vmarksvmarks
    jdw said:
    The article doesn't provide enough specifics.  For example, I have a mid-2015 15" MBP with Apple 1TB SSD and I get 2057MB WRITE & 2815MB READ.  What would something like the WD Black give me for the same 1TB size?

    Obviously, if I ever upgrade my SSD, it's foolish to get a 1TB.  2TB or larger would make logical sense.  But again, the benchmarks are lacking!  Please provide more info, AppleInsider!

    I suspect you would see a 500MB/s ± bump in speeds. This image is for the WD Black 1TB drive. 
    jdw

  • Apple now blocking new installs of sideloaded iOS apps on M1 Macs

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    avs_htx said:
    alphafox said:
    Really Apple. When you buy a laptop you should be able to load whatever you want on it. 
    As a developer, I don’t want people to install my product on devices for which I did not license it to. Those apps were developed and licensed by developers for use on specific platforms. This is a valid scenario which Apple is right in blocking it. If you want something just get the right product for the device.
    Interestingly, Cory Doctorow has this piece he wrote about the act of "copying" and how that's what a computer does. This prevention of loading on the Mac is a violation of sorts. It goes back to Apple's question around the iPad, "what is a computer?" - evidently, not a Mac, anymore.

    As a developer, your greatest problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity. Only when you solve obscurity, do you even have to worry about piracy. And preventing people from side loading "your" (their, if they paid you something for it) - app on their computer contributes to your obscurity. Good going.
    elijahgMplsPgatorguywatto_cobra

  • How to revive an iPod with a hard drive using flash storage

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    hentaiboy said:
    Yeah, there’s just one problem with this idea though. The battery life on a device that old is going to be non existent.

    I did write, "If you choose to replace the battery with a new unit while you have the iPod open, you'll only stand to gain longer amounts of time between recharging."
    Batteries are cheap, at $7.24 for a 2-pack.

    Beatsbaconstangwatto_cobra

  • How to use an NVMe drive to upgrade your Mac's SSD

    vmarksvmarks

    jdw said:
    svanstrom said:
    jdw said:
    The article doesn't provide enough specifics.  For example, I have a mid-2015 15" MBP with Apple 1TB SSD and I get 2057MB WRITE & 2815MB READ.  What would something like the WD Black give me for the same 1TB size?

    Obviously, if I ever upgrade my SSD, it's foolish to get a 1TB.  2TB or larger would make logical sense.  But again, the benchmarks are lacking!  Please provide more info, AppleInsider!
    Silly AI writing an article about upgrading computers with too small to function SSDs when the whole thing should have been about your computer without a too small SSD, and about whether or not you personally would see a speed bump or not. Sometimes it's like they don't even realise that their target demographic is you, right?!

    Seriously, this is an article that fits great with students heading back to schools; with many of them in need of a "new" computer simply to have a functioning computer. Complaining about how it doesn't include benchmark data for the already functioning maxed out configurations from yesteryears gives of a bad feeling of being out of touch with reality; like, let the broke kids be the focus when your particular situation could be googled in like three minutes, ok?

      That remains true despite the present lockdown and study from home, knowing that when the lockdowns end, you will be totting that Mac around with you again.  

    Toting. Totting means to sum (total) up numbers. Toting is to carry.

    I apologize for not having "student" in the headline or lede, and hope you'll forgive me. Buying a used computer is a series of trade-offs: price, availability, and weighing what will have the greater longevity.

    If a 2017 MacBook Air has an i5 1.7 GHz processor and 8GB of RAM and a 2015 MacBook Pro has an i5 2.5GHz with 16GB of RAM, and the hypothetical price difference is about $100 between them, it's entirely possible the student will be carrying the extra weight and size, based on the idea that more CPU and RAM will make the computer usable for the duration of the next 3 or 4 years of school. It comes down to what's available at the time. 
    GeorgeBMacjdw

  • Porsche offering stylish CarPlay kits for its vintage automobiles

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    GG1 said:
    entropys said:
    GG1 said:
    vmarks said:
    rcfa said:
    The whole point of the DIN Form factor is, that with proper cable adapters these should fit into just about any car with DIN or double-DIN car radios.

    Yes, but DIN here just describes the form factor - it doesn't describe the wiring, and furthermore, no mfr uses the 2-DIN factor - they all integrate into their own fascias. Vintage Porsche owners are just lucky that the single DIN size they had used a faceplate for the 2 knob, versus having the holes for the 2 knobs in metal that would have to be hacked out, as early VW did.

    There is a DIN wiring spec, but manufactures don't really adhere to it - VW and Audi have used the connectors, but don't strictly adhere to the signals on the connector. GM has used the connector, but doesn't put the same signals in the same position -at all-.

    And wiring is another big issue: The infotainment system is integrated into the nav display on the gauge cluster, the heating and cooling are integrated, steering wheel controls... and even if none of those things are, CANBUS is, so there's no key-switched positive behind the dash, just negative and always-hot, with switching the unit and amplifiers controlled by serial data over CANBUS. 

    And wiring adapters don't help matters: they send signals over CANBUS, but don't respect the rest of the car network very well, sending messages when the ECU or diagnostic tool sends an all-quiet signal, for example.

    I've been making my own wiring harness adapters on my car (not a Porsche) to retain the stock radio board, have steering wheel controls handle volume for the stock board, amplifier, and aftermarket CarPlay, and audio provided by the aftermarket CarPlay. The point being, use the factory parts for CANBUS comms, use aftermarket for audio source.

    All this is to say, none of it is simple, or perfect, even if it's easy enough to wire up.
    Do you know of a single-DIN CarPlay radio similar to the Porsche one pictured above?
    That would be the first I have seen and it’s a great idea, if expensive. Aftermarket head unit makers (eg Alpine or pioneer) typically have a pop up screen in single DIN units, so it ends up covering other parts of the dash like air vents. 
    I've seen those, but that is not elegant IMO. That Porsche single-DIN radio is tastefully done and well-executed, given the small amount of area to work with.
    No one else (that I know of) is making a 3.5" display for the 2-knob vintage set, because that screen is veeeeerrrrrryyyyyyy small.

    Think about the common CarPlay taps - tapping at top of screen for a notification, tapping on the left side to switch between maps or music... the smallest I've used it on has been a 6 inch screen. 

    The nice news about this unit is, there wasn't complex wiring on a 1960s Porsche - Power, GND, switched power, antenna, and 8 audio signals. This radio should work in any single DIN car, if you can imagine paying Porsche prices for it.
    watto_cobra

  • AppleInsider podcast talks new iPads, Samsung, and Apple's end to 32-bit apps

    vmarksvmarks
    wa4321 said:
    probably the most painful episode ever. I had to turn off after 15 minutes. Both Victor and Mikey both seemed like they hated doing the show and could care less about it. Please find new host!
    Not hating it over here. I'm sorry it was painful for you. What would you like to do differently?

    What was difficult this episode was continued background noise interruption, which meant we did several takes of some segments and then had to creatively edit out others where we hadn't done enough extra takes, and I wasn't going to release it with background noise if I could help it.

    That you didn't hear that shows I was right to put in the effort. 

    elijahg said:
    It would be interesting to know how many people actually listen to these podcasts. Barely any comments on most of the podcast-advertising articles. I've listened to a couple, but they're really not too interesting, a severe lack of enthusiasm. Maybe if you didn't read the articles over the previous week it's a sort of roundup to hear on your way to work, but other than that, its just a couple of blokes droning on about questionable rumours. Sorry, nope.

    Comments aren't the only measure of interest in an article. We get listener email that we sometimes read from on the podcast, too.

    What format would you change it to, instead of covering the past week's articles with additional commentary?