iPhone

Google Plus “Instant Upload” for iPhone Images: Two Warnings

March 2, 2012 by Stephen 2 Comments

My friend Brandon Carroll recently talked about Google Plus automatically uploading personal photos from the iPhone. His instructions are useful for those wishing to turn this feature off, I would like to add another caution: Although Google Plus’ “Instant Upload” feature is not the default, and it sets them private anyway, it’s easy accidentally to turn this feature on and end up in the same boat with Brandon. And the issue isn’t just privacy!

How to Legitimize and Upgrade Your Music Library Using iTunes Match

November 16, 2011 by Stephen 2 Comments

Although delivered a month late, Apple has finally shipped the complete cloud integrated version of iTunes. This includes iTunes Match, a much awaited feature allowing both online streaming of music and â€œupgradingâ€ library content from the iTunes Store. Here’s how to upgrade your old low bit rate MP3 files with high quality 256 bit AAC replacements from Apple’s server.

How To Update iPhone and iPad iOS Software Without a Computer

November 10, 2011 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Among the many new features in Apple’s iOS version 5 is the ability to update the operating system â€œover the airâ€ without attaching it to a computer. An added bonus of updating in this manner is a smaller (and thus much quicker) differential or delta download. Today, Apple released the first over the air update to iOS, 5.0.1. Here’s how to trigger an automatic over the air update.

Siri is AWOL After Upgrading to the iPhone 4S

October 15, 2011 by Stephen 2 Comments

One of the most important features in the new Apple iPhone 4S is Siri, the voice controlled â€œinformation assistantâ€. But folks like me who upgraded from a previous iPhone might not find Siri on our new Where did you go, searingphone. The reason: the upgrade process disables Siri! Here’s how to fix it.

Back From the Pile: Interesting Links, July 8, 2011

July 8, 2011 by Stephen Leave a Comment

This regular series features highlights from the week. Hop By Hop TCP What is a Switch Network Fabric ? Deal: 1800 mAh iPhone backup battery for a measly $13 Web-based jailbreak returns, supports iPad 2 and any other iOS device Rumor: Apple soldering MacBook Air SSD to motherboard (and why it’s a bad idea) (updated […]

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GPS Time Rollover Failures Keep Happening (But They’re Almost Done)

This is week “1111111111” in the GPS system. Tomorrow morning it will roll over to week “0000000000”. How well will various systems handle this change? Not well, judging by what we’ve seen so far!

Ranting and Raving About the 2018 iPad Pro

I remain enthusiastic about the iPad Pro, despite getting a scratched screen and my concerns about durability. It’s a worthy successor to the original and offers enough improvements that I’d recommend the upgrade for just about anyone who uses their iPad for serious work. It’s still not yet a laptop replacement, but this is due more to a lack of desktop-class software for iOS than anything in Apple’s control.

My 2012 Project: Improving Energy Efficiency

January 3, 2012

I am in the process of upgrading my own home to make it more energy efficient. I do this mainly as an exercise of faith and science, since my electric and gas bills are not currently all that expensive. But I just can’t countenance burning 10 times more electricity than I need to, even if I can afford it. It’s also an exercise in geekiness, since today’s lighting alternatives and appliances have an undeniable techno-cool factor about them.

Scaling Storage Is Hard To Do

June 4, 2013

Data storage isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially at enterprise or cloud scale. It’s simple enough to read and write a bit of data, but much harder to build a system that scales to store petabytes. That’s why I’m keenly focused on a new wave of storage systems built from the ground up for scaling!

Datacenter History: Through the Ages in Lego

October 22, 2013

Readers of my blog know that I love computer history. Therefore, I decided to focus my entry in Juniper Networks’ “Build the Best (Lego) Data Center” contest on the history of computing. Specifically, I would re-create key historic machines to contrast them with a modern view.

The Four Horsemen of Storage System Performance: The Rule of Spindles

August 25, 2010

Why do some data storage solutions perform better than others? Mechanical performance, RAM caching, I/O capacity, and the intelligence of the system all have a part to play. Today we examine the rule of spindles: Adding more disk spindles is generally more effective than using faster spindles.

A Watch Guy’s Review of the Apple Watch

April 27, 2015

Is the Apple Watch a personal communication revolution like the iPhone, a well-executed gadget like the Apple TV, or a total miss? Does it mark the end of the the world as we know it for watches? And what’s it like to use one? I’m a watch guy and a gadget guy, so perhaps my perspective will be of some value.

Why Buy a NEX-7? Why Sony NEX At All?

October 17, 2011

Your tweets about your NEX have intrigued me a bit…I get tired of lugging my Nikon D90 around with my kids, yet I find the quality of most point-and-shoot cameras terrible…so the NEX seems like an interesting compromise.

Microsoft’s Overlooked Innovation

February 15, 2010

It’s fun to bash Microsoft. It’s easy, too, with Apple solidly conquering the high end of the PC and mobile markets and Google’s command of the Internet. But how fair are these articles skewering Microsoft, such as “Microsoft’s chronic lack of innovation” published today at Techworld? I suggest that Microsoft innovates as well as, if not better than, any other massive company. But no one innovates like an outsider.

Review: 2013 Ford Flex

September 23, 2012

The 2013 Ford Flex exceeded my expectations in every driving and utility-related area, but the terrible MyFord Touch system really detracts from the vehicle. I would highly recommend buying a Ford Flex if you’ve got a family of 5 or 6, but try to get one with old fashioned buttons and dials!