64 or 32 - Does it make a difference?

Snow Leopard - Mac OS X - 64 or 32 bit

• Are you running your Mac in 64-bit Kernel mode?
• Are you utilizing all of your RAM?
• Can your Mac actually run FASTER than it currently is now?
• Is your current hardware & software capable of running in 64-bit mode?

The answers may surprise you.

Most users of Snow Leopard, with exception of Macbook Pro 2011 and the latest-gen Mac Pros users, are actually running in 32-bit Kernel Mode. The fastest way to tell if you are running in 64-bit Kernel Mode or not is to click on the Apple Menu, then choose About This Mac, then click More Info. Then on the left-hand side, scroll down to and click on Software. Finally, on the right, look for 64-bit Kernel and Extensions: Yes or No. If yes, then you are running in 64-bit Kernel Mode.

So, why does it matter? I don't know about you, but one of the new features of Snow Leopard, when it was about to be released, that I was really excited about was the fact that it was a 64-bit OS. Remember the promise of 64-bit processing and access to RAM above 4Gb? I don't have definitive proof yet, and the Apple Care (Senior Support Advisor) representative didn't have concrete documentation to confirm or deny, although he did agree with my theory, I suspect that my Macbook Pro (2010 model) was not using all of my 8Gb of RAM while running in 32-bit Kernel mode.

Everything, now that I'm running in 64-bit mode, seems to run much faster. And I have more free memory available after opening my usual (daily) applications, which includes a Win7 virtual machine running in Oracle / Sun Virtual Box with 1Gb of RAM. And opening and closing apps has become much faster as well. For example, when resuming the aforementioned Win7 virtual machine under 32-bit mode, it would take 1 1/2 minutes to resume OR suspend. Now, under 64-bit mode, it takes 8 - 10 SECONDS! Even boot-up / login time has decreased significantly. Makes me say, "Where has this information been? Why didn't I know about this a year ago?"

The question of compatibility always comes up when the discussion of 64-bit OS's come to the table. I'm not sure its even possible in Windows Vista or Win7, but in Snow Leopard you can make the switch to 64-bit, try out all of your hardware and software to determine compatibility, then if need-be, make the switch back to 32-bit without any major hassle. It's literally a 1 line command in the terminal window and a reboot to make the switch to or from 64-bit Kernel mode.

I had one piece of hardware, that has given me issues in the past anyway, that does not have 64-bit drivers and will no longer work. All of my software, so far, is working fine; even IF its only a 32-bit app.

Open the Activity Monitor application and sort by Kind. There you will be able to determine what apps and / or processes are 64-bit. More and more applications are being re-written to take advantage of the new 64-bit architecture in Snow Leopard. Well over 1/2 of all processes running on my Macbook Pro are 64-bit. 

So what are you waiting for? Give it a try and post your results here.

Just use the link below to the Apple.com support article for information regarding making the switch (doesn't have to be permanent) to 64-bit architecture.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3770

iPad2 - Bye Bye Home Button?

iPad 2 - Bye Bye Home Button?

Can you really use your iPad2 (and original iPad for that matter) without the Home button? Yep. It's true. You can. With a 4+Gb download @ $5 from the Mac App store and few clicks, you can enable great multi-touch gestures on the iPad 1 & 2.

1. Register your Apple ID as a developer. You can do this on Apple’s developer site, and this membership is free. This will give you access to the tools you need to put your iPad in development mode.
2. Download and install XCode 3 or 4 and the iOS SDK. You can download XCode 3 from Apple’s site or download XCode 4 from the Mac App Store for $5. The iOS SDK comes with both of these releases.
3. Plug in your iPad to your mac with USB, and Lauch the XCode app, which should be in the “/Developer/Applications” folder on the root of your Mac OS X install volume.
4. In the “Organizer” window of XCode, you should see your iPad in the list of devices. Click on your iPad, and then click the “Use for Development” button on the “Summary” tab of the device pane.
5. A popup will appear asking you to login as a developer. Simply hit “Cancel,” and your iPad will still be put into developer mode.

Then under General in the iPad settings, turn Multitasking Gestures to ON.

Then ENJOY!

iPad 2 - It's finally here!

Probably the biggest news of the event... Steve Jobs is at the event. Lots of applause.

Today's big announcement - iPad 2

• Front and Rear facing camera
• 33 % thinner (thinner than the iPhone4)
• A5 (faster - dual core) processor
• Available in black and white
• Available in 3G for ATT / Verizon
• 10 hour battery life
• Starting @ $499
• 1.3 lbs (lighter than iPad 1 @ 1.4 lbs)
• 16 / 32/ 64 Gb models available
• Available March 11
• 5 of the 6 models are under competitors $799 price point
• Dock connector HDMI mirrored video output
• 1080p output of what is on the screen - works with all apps (THIS IS HUGE - Kevin's comment)
• iOS 4.3
• Improved Safari performance
• JavaScript 2x as fast
• Stream music from iTunes on PC / Mac to iPad
• Better integration with AppleTV (streaming video from apps / Safari)
• Switch on side - mute or rotation lock
• Photo Booth on iPad 2
• FaceTime (between 2 iPads / iPhone/iPod touch / Mac
• iMovie for iPad available
• Precision editor
• Multi-track editor
• $5
• Garage Band for iPad
• Touch instruments. Plug in guitar and play real instruments if you want. Guitar amps and effects, 8 track recording and mixing, 250+ loops to add, and you can e-mail AAC file of your song, and it's compatible with the Mac version.
• Sampler built-in

Back to the Mac - Apple Press Event - Oct 20, 2010

Back to the Mac - Oct 20, 2010

In case you missed the live broadcast of the Apple live press event "Back to the Mac", here is a summary of the Apple news.

• New version of iLife - 2011
• iPhoto
• Better full screen views
• Better integration w/ social networking
• Improved Coffee Table book creation
• iMovie
• Improved Audio Editing
• Trailer creator
• Improved sharing to more video sharing sites
• Garage Band
• Groove Time added
• Flex Time (from Logic) added
• New & Improved music lessons
• FaceTime
• FaceTime for Mac introduced
• OS X Future
• 10.7 - Lion
• Bringing concepts back to the Mac from iOS
• Multitouch
• Mac App Store
• One-click downloads
• auto installs
• auto app updates
• apps will be licensed to use on all of your personal Macs
• Launchpad - app home screens
• Mission Control
• Release date of Summer 2011
• Macbook Air
• New version announced
• .68 inch thin at its thickest point
• 2.9 pounds
• Unibody construction
• Glass trackpad
• 13.3 inch LED Backlit
• 1440 x 900 pixels
• Core 2 Duo processor
• NVIDA Geforce Grahpics
• FaceTime Camera
• All Flash Storage
• instant on
• 2x faster than hard drives
• More reliable
• 90% smaller and lighter
• 7 hour batter life with WiFi on
• 30 day standby time
• Smaller 11.6 in display model also available
• 5 hour battery life
• $999

Apple Press Event - Sept 1, 2010

So what's all the hype and anticipation about from the September 1, 2010 Apple Press Event?

1. Update regarding new Retail Stores - Paris store. Very beautiful. Shanghai China store. 40 ft high glass cylinder entrance. London store. Coven Garden. Massive store. One room just for iPads. Nice mix of old and new architecture. 300 Total Retail Stores in 10 Countries. Opening soon in Spain. 80,000 One to One classes per week.

2. iOS review - made iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad possible. 120 million iOS devices sold. 230,000 new iOS devices activated per day. Upgrades not included. 6.5 Billion apps downloaded from the app store (200 apps every second). 250,000 apps available for purchase.

3. iOS 4.1 release announced today. Included bug fixes including Proximity Detector, Bluetooth, iPhone 3GS performance issues. HDR photos, HD Video upload over WiFi, Game Center (multi-player games).

4. iOS 4.2 sneak peek - mainly for iPad - coming soon. Wireless Printing, Multi-tasking, Airplay (streaming of audio, video, & photos over WiFi) - November release date.

5. iPods - 275 million iPods sold to date. This year - all-new designs for all models.

• iPod Shuffle - small, buttons are back, voice-over and clip stays, 15 hours of music playback, available in 5 color for $49.
• iPod Nano - buttons are gone, smaller than previous generations, Multi-Touch based controls, clip added, built in FM Radio & Clock. 24 hour battery life (audio playback). GUI appears to be a lite version of iOS. 7 colors available. 
• iPod Touch - Thinner, Retina Display, A4 chip, 3-axis Gyro, iOS 4.1, FaceTime with front facing camera. HD Video recording on rear camera. 40 hours of music playback. Basically iPhone4 without the phone / 3G capability. Starting @ $229.

6. iTunes review - 11.7 billion songs, 450 million TV episodes, 100 million movies, 35 million books, 160 million accounts.

• Announcing iTunes 10. New logo - no more CD in the logo. Slightly updated navigation.
• Ping - social networking for iTunes (all about music). You can now "follow" people in iTunes regarding their favorite songs, recent posts, where they are in concert (if they're an artist), etc. You can post your favorite songs and have people follow you.
• Available today for Mac and iPhone and iPod touch.

7. Apple TV - New generation - 1/4 the size of last gen. Small enough to hold in the palm of your hand. HDMI connector, Ethernet, WiFi, remote. Stream music from computer if desired. Rentals instead of purchase. No storage. Stream content from your computer. $4.99 for HD first run movies. $.99 HD TV show rentals - commercial free. So far ABC & Fox are on board with TV Shows. Netflix streaming. YouTube streaming. Flickr photo viewing. MobileMe streaming. iTunes Podcasts streaming. Radio stations. Stream videos from your iPad to your AppleTV. New price - $99! Available in 4 weeks.

iOS 4 is Here - What say YOU?

What's New

• Multi-tasking
• Folders
• Unified Inbox
• iBooks
• Home Screen Wallpaper
• Tap to Focus Video
• 5x Digital Zoom
• Faces & Places in Photos
• App Gifting
• Bluetooth Keyboard Support
• & more

Review
So far I've used & love:

• Multi-tasking
• Folders
• Unified Inbox

Quirks

• Folders (sometimes difficult to get the app to drop into a folder instead of shifting positions)
• iBooks (was not installed with the OS update - Had to download it - free)
• Multi-tasking (app must be iOS4 / Multi-tasking aware. Example - Pandora app had to be updated TODAY to take advantage of multi-tasking. Expected that to be in last Pandora update in the last few weeks)

Over all, I love the new iOS 4 update to the iPhone 3GS. Navigation / new features were fairly intuitive. Responsiveness is still just as snappy as prior to the upgrade. I love being able to keep Pandora playing in the background and still text, read email, and surf the net. BOUT TIME! I've managed to turn 6 pages of apps into 1 page of folders. Nice. And not having to go back, back, back, AHHHHH, just to get to the next mailbox in Mail is a much welcomed update. The added Multiple Exchange Account Support is nice too, as I have multiple Exchange accounts and was previously forced to set one of those up as IMAP and lost the contact / calendar syncing ability. So far the phone, running under the new OS, has not crashed, froze up, slowed down, shown errors, lost data or apps, or any other negative side effect. Of course, I would expect the folks at Apple to do a great job at not only developing a great, new, much anticipated, much needed update to their OS, but also at testing it as well. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars... so far.

So.... What say YOU! Have you downloaded and tried out the new iOS from Apple? What version of iPhone are you using? Are you wanting iOS 4 on your iPad THAT MUCH MORE?

Kevin "Mr. IT" Golden

Tech News for Busy People

Unprotected WiFi @ home = fines for owners - coming to America?

There was a recent article on ZDNet regarding a law in Germany that fines owners of WiFi networks, even in homes, that are unsecured. Is that type of a law coming to America? SHOULD it come to America? We would love to hear your thoughts on this. Not to turn this into a political blog, but I personally feel that the less government involvement into the personal lives of citizens, the better. That being said, you most definitely should lock down your WiFi network in the office or at home.