PixelmatorWhirlwind

My daily Apple blog for Computerworld

• The global tech cycle depends on iPhones, IMF claims April 19, 2018
  Apple’s iPhone has become a key factor for global economic growth, claims the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — but the boom times may be over, it warns.'An iPod, a phone, Internet Communicator and economic saviour' Noting that in 2017, global smartphone sales reached 1.5 billion units (one smartphone for every five people on the planet), […]
• Is Apple about to kill the SuperDrive on Macs? April 18, 2018
  Apple has decreed death to 32-bit apps on Macs, but DVD Player is now the only remaining 32-bit application included within macOS High Sierra’s already 64-bit default software stack.What is Apple planning? You can check which of your apps run in 32-bit in About This Mac>System Report>Applications where you’ll find a column called 64-bit. Click this, and you’ll […]
• 10 super useful Mac Finder tips April 17, 2018
  Short, sweet and useful — here are 10 helpful Mac Finder tips you can use to get the most from your Mac.Open in work mode Do you keep all your work in a specific folder? If so, do you get a little frustrated when Finder opens in default view? Change this in Finder>Preferences in the General pane, […]
• 12+ things you can do with a locked iPhone April 16, 2018
  With so much focus on staying productive, it may surprise you to realize just how many things you can do with a locked iPhone. What can you do and how can you switch these features off?Wake it up The Raise to Wake feature available since iPhone 6S/SE means your iPhone can tell when you pick […]
• Everything you need to know about Apple's GDPR privacy upgrade April 13, 2018
  Apple is updating its products and services to bring the company in line with the EU’s forthcoming privacy protection rules, General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Among other improvements, customers will be able to download all the information Apple keeps about them.What is GDPR? The GDPR rules are designed to bring existing data protection laws into the […]
• What is the 'not optimized for your Mac' warning message? April 12, 2018
  Mac users running the recently released macOS 10.13.4 update may see a new alert message when they log in and launch apps this morning, as Apple begins keeping its WWDC promise to push developers to upgrade their apps to 64-bit.What is this alert? Starting around midnight local time April 11 and 12, Macs running the […]
• Private by design: Why Apple’s iOS meets the needs of healthcare IT April 11, 2018
  Relative to health-focused innovations across history, iOS, iPhones, iPads and other mobile devices are very recent additions to the medical care arsenal, but they seem to be good for you, fresh research claims.Mobile solutions boost patient satisfaction Apple has been investing deeply in mobile healthcare. A global survey published today suggests that investment is not misplaced. […]
• Mac, iOS: How to check if Cambridge Analytica used your Facebook data April 10, 2018
  The Cambridge Analytica/Facebook story continues to evolve, and the general consensus seems to be that in order to tweak a close election a little targeted behavioral modification goes a long way. Were you or your friends impacted? Here’s how to find out.What happened with Facebook and Cambridge Analytica? Facebook is reportedly preparing to let 87 […]
• Master multi-tasking on your iPad April 9, 2018
  Apple offers valuable multi-tasking tools to help you get productive on your iPad. What are they, how do they work, and how do you use them?The what and the why of iPad productivity tools Slide over, split screen, picture in picture, improvements to the Dock, and a variety of gesture enhancements (along with support for […]
• Apple’s Siri, HomePod and the voice assistant showdown April 6, 2018
  The battle of the smart assistants continues, and while people seem to want to get more from using Siri, others seem to want to figure out how to turn Cortana off, and Google Assistant isn’t far behind. How can Apple exploit its advantages to push HomePod higher?Voice assistants face-off I’ve been digging through the latest […]