Author Archives: jguliiani

In this article, I will be discussing the three up and coming Steve Jobs biopics and give you a summary of the three of them.

In recent months we have been hearing about jOBS, the first biopic of Steve Jobs that Hollywood wants released to the public. It will feature Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs, an interesting choice. The movie will show the rise from hippie to CEO of Jobs. Anyone could take that this wording means from the 70s or 80s to the early 2000s. The movie was shown to critics at Sundance Film Festival to receive mixed reviews with many being negative. The movie was going to go public this month but unfortunately we will have to wait a while longer to see this film since the filmmakers decided to postpone the movies release to get more marketing on the movie done.

The second film many of you have heard about is the film that is penned by Aaron Sorkin, someone hired by Sony Pictures to write an biopic on Steve Jobs.  Because Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is the only book authorized and assisted by Jobs himself and the movie will be based on this book (Sony bought the filming rights to the book for a 6-figure sum), this movie will be the only official biopic. The movie will feature three scenes in real time in the backstage before a major product launch (the Macintosh, NeXT and the iPod). These scenes will be thirty minutes long. It is unknown at this time who the cast is.

The third biopic, one that many probably have not heard about is actually the first full featured film from “Funny or Die”. Of course, since it is from “Funny or Die”, it will be more humorous the other previously mentioned two. Interestingly enough, the film was filmed in only a few days. Another interesting point is that they actually got a pretty well-known actor, Justin Long, to play Jobs. He played a Mac in the “Mac vs PC” commercials. The film is set to release on Monday. Yes, two days from today. It will be released to the web. The movie is titled iSteve.

It will be interesting to see what happens with these three biopics and I hope they at least do a kind of decent job of showing the magic that is Steve Jobs because Jobs legacy only deserves the best and honest reflection.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

The exploits that the Evasi0n jailbreak uses has been patched by Apple, signaling yet another victory for Apple and it’s campaign for the end of jail breaking. This comes six weeks after the Evad3rs released the Evasi0n tool and it comes a few months after the end of Installous, the largest source of cracked applications. It is uncertain that as Apple continues securing it’s mobile operating system if jail breakers will be able to continue finding exploits. It took creators of the Evasi0n jailbreak months to find exploits and to take advantage of them. The search for a jailbreak for iOS 5 for the iPad 2 was about the same amount of time. A time progresses it gets harder for jail breakers to find exploits and to release a working jailbreak tool. The Evasi0n jailbreak tool wasn’t without purpose though. According to Saurik, creator of Cydia, there were 18 million devices running that evasi0n jailbreak connecting to Cydia. That is a lot of jailbroken devices. The jailbreak community is as strong as ever and they will find a way to keep the cat and mouse game going even if it seems as though the cat will win. How long can the jail breaking community stay around? This can only be answered with time.

Why would Apple want to end jail breaking? People upload some very interesting tweaks to Cydia that Apple has picked up along the way. Offline reading lists were around long before Apple put it in iOS 6. The full screen mode in iOS 6 was once a jailbreak-only feature. Apple takes ideas from tweaks in Cydia or at least it’s ideas are largely influenced by those tweaks, influenced enough that you would think would make Apple want to keep these great ideas around. This question of why Apple wants to stop jail breaking has puzzled many and we may never know exactly why they want to stop jail breaking.

We can only hope that the jail breaking community can stand tall in the face of Apple’s anti-jailbreak policies. Live strong jail breaking community.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

So you just got a new Mac, you’re new to the operating system and you don’t know exactly what to do. Well I am here to help in my multi-part series You and Your New Mac. First things first, we must cover the basics so that you are at least familiar with your new Mac.

Getting Started

When turning on your Mac for the first time, you will be greeted by a Welcome screen giving you step by step self-explanitory directions on how to set up your Mac. After these instructions, you should have accomplished a few things. One, you have connected to the internet, two, you have set up an Apple ID or configured an existing one to the computer and three you have customized your settings a bit. After you have done this, you will be greeted by your desktop screen, the central point on the computer. Think of it as downtown in a major city. It has everything on your computer right there. First let’s dive into what we see on the desktop.

Desktop

The desktop, without any windows open, has a few key parts to it. First on the tap is your Menu Bar. This is the central point of every application on the computer. Every app will have it’s own Menu Bar submenus and settings and since every app is different from one another, menu bars for different apps can be similar but never the same. It has a few key functions. First, the Apple logo at the top left is very important. This button will always be available to you no matter the application. From there, you can check out specifications about the computer, open system preference, force quit an application that is not responding, or sleep, shut down and restart the computer. No matter what Mac OS X operating system you are running, the Apple logo is there. Next to that is a series of drop down menus. These may or may not change names when you open an other app but the stuff inside the menus will. My recommendation when it comes to the menubar is to open an app and explore the menu bar in that app then do that with a few more apps, just so you get a feel of how exactly the menu bar changes. At last but not least, there are a series of icons on the menu bar that are very important. The computer will show a few icons there.

First, starting from the top right moving left is (if you are on Mountain Lion, the newest OS for Mac) what looks like dots next to lines. This is your notification center. The Notification center is where all notifications from different applications on your computer go. If someone sends you an email, it will be seen in the mail app and also in notification center. On a similar note, you can be working on one application when all of a sudden a black box on the top right pops up saying something about something to do with one of your apps. This is an notification. You can click on it to see contents or click ignore if you don’t want to be distracted.

Second, there is an icon that looks like a magnifying glass. This is called spotlight. Spotlight will allow you to search anything on your computer be it a text document, picture, movie, application, song, artist even searching online or on wikipedia. It is a great tool to search for anything on the whim.

Third, your user name will be there. This is the fast user switching icon. Let’s say you have multiple users on your computer. You want to log off of your user and log in to your sons. All you do is click on the username on top and click on your sons user name on the drop down menu. You will need to make an account for your son first of course. I will discuss that topic in the next part of this series so stay tuned.

Fourth, there is the time and date shown. The time can be shown as digital or analog, your choice. You can also access time and date settings directly from the clock.

Fifth, if you have a laptop, your battery will be shown. It will show a few things. A battery icon and percentage. If you don’t want it like that, you can change it to not show the percentage. The icon will change slightly to show that it is charging or charged. In addition, there is the volume control after the battery. After that is a wifi indicator, from here you can access wifi preferences and/or see whether or not you are connected and how well you are connected. It will also have a bluetooth icon where you can connect to bluetooth devices. Time Machine is next. This icon looks like a clock with a counter clockwise arrow around it. This will allow you to access Time Machine which, if you have an external hard drive, you can go back to your backups. Time Machine also automatically takes back ups of your computer every so often. Finally after Time Machine, is an icon that looks like a rectangle with a triangle in it. This is AirPlay. If you have an AirPlay compatible speaker you can wirelessly play music from your computer to the speakers. If you have an Apple TV, you can mirror what is on your computer, to your TV.

Finally, we arrive at the dock. The dock is the main launchpad for your Applications. This is where the basic apps are stored when you first turn on the computer. The dock is the focal point for launching applications. I will go over basic applications in the next installment of this series so stay tuned for that. However, I will tell you now that the dock is divided into three zones. First is the main zone. This is where the applications are stored. You can store a lot of applications on the dock, as many as you want but it will shrink with the more you add to it, so be careful with how many apps you put on it. If you want to change the setting of the dock, check out Apple Menu then go down to dock and click dock preferences. This is where you can change a few settings about your dock. First, you can change the size of the dock. Second, you can change the magnification of the dock. This means that when your cursor is over the dock it will magnify it. This, to me is annoying and I keep it turned off but it may be your fancy. You can also change the position on the screen. There are also a few other settings but they are something that you will know what they mean and something that is based on personal preference. The second part of the dock is the folders section. You can store many different folders here. For example, I have the Applications folder, which shows all my applications whether or not they are actually in my dock or not. I have a downloads folder which shows me all my downloads and I have my documents folder which of course keeps my documents. Third and finally is the trash. This is where all unwanted files go. The trash will be discussed in greater detail in a later installment of this series.

So here it is, your new Macs desktop. It truly look amazing doesn’t it? We will discuss a lot more in detail of your computer so you will be good to go in no time. Enjoy your new Mac and please join me next time for the next installment of the series. Next time I will be discussing all the settings of your computer. After that, I will discuss the stock applications on your new Mac in detail and finally I will help you find applications for any kind of person out there.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

Images courtesy:

First Image:
http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,3253,l=294141&a=294141&po=1,00.asp

Second: http://www.guidebookgallery.org/articles/interviewwithjohngruber/pics/welcome

Third:
http://nnucomputerwhiz.com/run-osx-in-ubuntu-with-qemu.html

Fourth:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/mac-os-x-mountain-lion-review-hands-on/2/

Fifth:
http://lifehacker.com/5787127/brush-up-on-your-spotlight-search-skills-and-settings

Sixth:
http://www.adiumxtras.com/index.php?a=xtras&xtra_id=5756

Seventh:
http://mac.softpedia.com/progScreenshots/Mountain-Lion-Dock-Screenshot-121816.html

After an interesting turn of Apple stock in the past couple of weeks, Apple released a new 128 GB iPad. This event may seem small especially considering the means of which they announced it, but this is huge! The iPad is catching up to PC computers and Apple knows it. People are choosing the iPad over the MacBook Air already and with this new release, that number will continue to rise. The iPad will cost $799 and compares favorably to the 128 GB MacBook Air 13 inch for $1199 and even more so than the 11 inch Macbook with 64 GB for $999. People have been complaining in recent times that now that there are so many apps on the App Store that people start to run out of room. Some apps now take up to more than a GB, which is high for most apps, but there are a few out there.

To me, the addition of a 128 GB iPad is the beginning of the end for desktops. If iPads, a device that we all have come to know and love, are now getting to low-end MacBook Air speeds with high end MacBook Air storage space, desktops and laptops are going to see a decline in sales, not only in PC makers but in Apple itself as well. No doubt, people still want to buy the MacBook Air and similar products because of the versatility of the MacBook but then again a lot of people don’t. People can be mobile with the MacBook Air but they can be even more so with an iPad. The iPad is the most sought after device on the market right now and the addition of a 128 GB iPad will make the the iPad appeal even more to businesses and professionals. While kids may not need 128 GB of storage, adults who need storage space may consider an iPad instead of a MacBook Air, and that is a sign of the times. People already seek iPads more than Macs anyways, the introduction of this 128 GB iPad will further that process.

The one thing that I am afraid of is Apple going to the iOS side completely and dropping Macs, no, make that desktop Macs, because people will only be buying iPads. The introduction of the 128 GB iPad signifies a step in that direction since, in terms of storage space, the iPad is competing with it’s MacBook Air brothers directly. You may say that the iPad doesn’t have the specs to compete with computers yet. Yeah, you’re right, but since the hard drive space is catching up, who’s to say the speed or the graphics won’t catch up too? In fact, they are improving quickly. Take a look at the iPad 2 and the iPad 4, a one and a half year difference, Apple sells both but yet they are very much apart. The iPad 4 has the faster processor and the faster graphics and more RAM. Who’s to say that a few years from now that these specs won’t improve dramatically? They will. When it comes to the iPad, I feel we are back in the age of 2005 when computers were starting to get better processors and in less than a decade, we have gone so far. I feel as though that in an even shorter period of time, the iPad and other tablets will catch up to the computer, be it desktop or laptop, and compete directly with them. We are in the beginning stages of something HUGE and I am excited to be a part of it. This 128 GB iPad shows a continuation of that process towards the tablet world.

I believe that the end of the desktop world is coming and the iPad and other tablets, once strong enough to replace them, will replace them. It will be a huge revolution in computing. Desktops times are limited.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

Image Courtesy: apple.com/ipad/overview/

A team by the name of the evad3rs is going to release an untethered jailbreak for iOS 6.X for all devices except the Apple TV 3, which since it’s release a year ago, has yet to receive a jailbreak. The team, evad3rs, will release a jailbreak tool for Mac, Linux and Windows. The team consists of some of the top jailbreakers in the world, including @MuscleNerd, @pod2g, @planetbeing and @plmskeks with help from @chronicdevteam and @iphone_dev. Therefore, we know that this is the real deal. I would highly recommend updating your devices to 6.1 via iTunes on the computer after the software has been released. As of 1PM PST, the website says that it has completed testing on Windows and Mac and that it is 85% complete. On the devices shown on the website, there is a 3 on all the calendars on the Calendar app of each device. This may be coincidental, but I think it’s an easter egg telling us that it will release on the 3rd, which of course is today. Stay tuned for more details!

Thanks for reading,

Joe

UPDATE: The team has confirmed that they will release the Jailbreak tomorrow, Monday, February 4th.

Today, The Church of Apple is pleased to announce two new Editorial Positions, one of which is open for any qualified person. Editor of PowerPC News and Reviews and Editor of Classic Mac has been added to our Editorial Positions list. Our list now has Editor of App Reviews, Editor of Mac News, Editor of iOS News, Editor of Apple Rumors, Editor of Misc. Apple News and now Editor of Classic Mac and Editor of PPC News and Reviews. Our Editor of PowerPC is Valdemar Bonde. We welcome him to the team and wish him luck! Again, there is still Editor of Mac News, Editor of iOS News, Editor of App Reviews, Editor of Apple Rumors, Editor of Misc. Apple News and Editor of Classic Mac available, if you interested in any of them, contact the Editor-in-Chief at joe@thechurchofapple.com.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

Personally, I think the stock market has been asking too much of Apple lately. The stock price of Apple has been in decline for the past few months and the question that comes to my mind is, why? Because Apple isn’t innovating anymore? They have been innovating for the past 15-16 years! They haven’t released a new absolutely stunning, insanely great new product category in 33 months (the iPad) but so what? Does Apple have to? Apple has been the prime innovator in the industry for years and with Jobs gone and no new category, everyone freaks out? Apple has not lost it’s relevancy, they have not lost their popularity and they certainly haven’t lost their top dog hold in a minimum of 5 or 6 different product/service categories. Sure, Apple hasn’t had really any good releases lately, just add-ons to their current lineup. But isn’t that all they need right now? Does Apple really need to add another product category right now? I don’t think so. Apple has a firm hold in media players, tablets, phones, music services, movies, mobile games, App store, books etc. They have a great hold in all these categories. Maybe not the highest up there in a few of them, such as books, but Apple is working on that. Shouldn’t Apple work to refine what they have been proven to be best at? Sure, there will be a new product line from Apple in the next 18 months or so, keep in mind every major product launch from Apple has about an average of 4-5 years in between them, with that average shrinking the past 5-6 years. But Apple doesn’t require it right now, yeah their stocks are taking a hit right now but the company is still doing great. They could continue for years with their current lineup, not adding anything to it since they continue to innovate and add to their ecosystem. They are on top of multiple product categories and they will continue to do so for the years to come. Does Apple need to keep innovating? Yes, absolutely, and they continue to innovate all the time. Does Apple need an iTV or iGlasses or a new iProduct to SAVE them? No, I don’t think they do.

Also, think about it this way. There has been not a single company on this planet that has produced even a tenth of what Apple has done in the industries it has dominated. We don’t hear about how Samsung has to invent or innovate even though they need to. They copy Apple, they have been doing so for years. It’s been proven in court with their phones, their Chromebook is almost an exact copy of the MacBook Air (though it isn’t nearly as good) Even if we accept that, Apple hasn’t released the newest biggest thing since the iPad, who exactly has? Samsung and their phone/tablet? Microsoft and their Surface, Google and G+ or the Nexus? They’re all the same too. If Apple hasn’t been innovating the past 15 years, then who has? I have seen nobody else really innovate besides them. Thank God we have Apple because we would still be stuck with giant beige towers that run on 100 MHz processors or at least, we would have to live with terrible OSs and terrible products. Also, let’s not forget, Apple was the first in the personal computer industry with the Apple II, the first in the digital music player industry with the iPod, the first in the online music store industry with iTunes, the first smartphone with the iPhone, the first App Store with the App Store and the first tablet with the iPad. Apple has changed our lives with their products and there is no one, not even a PC fanboy that can argue about that. Apple keep innovating, but don’t rush, perfection can’t be rushed.

Thanks for reading,

Joe