In an extreme situation, say a Mac is lost or stolen, you can remotely wipe the Mac of all its data and contents with the help of iCloud. Remotely wiping a Mac goes a step further though and not only removes all data from the computer, but locks it down so that it's unusable without a set passcode, plus displays a message you provide. This is excellent anti-theft protection, and even if you never end up using it, it's good to know how to do.

 

Requirements:

iCloud configured on the Mac in question

OS X Lion 10.7.2 or later installed on the Mac

Access to a web browser and iCloud.com, or the Find My iPhone iOS app.

If you meet the requirements, here is how to use the remote wipe feature.

 

Remote Wipe a Mac with iCloud

1. Go to iCloud.com and click on "Find My iPhone", or launch the Find My iPhone app in iOS

2. Locate the Mac on the map, and click the "i" next to the computers name

3. At the Info screen, click on "Remote Wipe"

4. Enter a passcode twice for recovery, this will be necessary to know if the Mac is recovered so that it can be unlocked

5. Enter a message to be shown on the Mac after it has been wiped, putting a "Property of Bill Gates, if found please contact 1-888-555-1212? message is a good idea

 

Click on "Wipe" and confirm

The Mac will be wiped clear of personal data and become essentially useless until the passcode has been entered. This rates up there with some of the best anti-theft software available, and considering that iCloud and Find My Mac is completely free to use, there is no reason to not have this setup in case of emergency.

It should be noted this is not a reasonable approach to simply formatting a Mac hard drive, which is best done locally with the Disk Utility application.

For more remote control fun, remember that you can sleep a Mac remotely through email or SSH too. It's less dramatic, but perhaps more practical on a day to day basis.

 

You can get more usful information by visiting: http://cn.xihalife.com/b/980068/

I was reading the weekly post on The Monday Note and one part caught my eye. This week's post is about the current anti-trust lawsuit against the Price-Fix 6 (DOJ, not the civil lawsuit), and the author makes the point that.

 

They (the publishers) asked Steve Jobs for the agency model: price set by them and Apple taking its 30% cut. Jobs obliged, he wanted to boost iPad sales and, to do that, needed to attack Amazon's domination of the ebook market..

 

I'll leave aside whose idea this was, but that is mainly because I wanted to question the accuracy of that last sentence. I don't think Apple needed their own ebookstore on the iPad.

 

I'm sure a lot of people assume that iBooks was a necessity, but I'm not so sure. Content isn't hardware, and Apple has launched other devices without guaranteeing the content to run on it. Take the iPhone, for example. It was a spectacular success from day one, even though it didn't even have an app store, much less a reading app.

 

Apple could have done the same for the iPad. More information about apple ipad here: http://alice302.livejournal.com/12280.html, Just based on the hardware (and the Apple logo stuck on it), it would have been at least moderately successful. And while it had only a limited selection of apps on lunch day, you and I both know that everyone was panting to get their app on it (even Amazon).

 

Do you think they needed the iBookstore?

Now, I will agree that Apple needed a reading app on the iPad when it launched, but that doesn't mean they had to sell the ebooks. Apple could just as easily arranged for a partner to release the app. Failing that, Apple could have released iBooks with no ebookstore attached.

 

I know I've said this before, but it's still true. Apple could have decided to avoid getting into a contentious market by releasing either an app which supported Adobe DE DRM, or even an app which didn't support DRM at all. That would have kept Apple out of what was turning into a nasty fight for dominance (Amazon vs publishers).

 

And it would have kept Apple out of this antitrust mess, too. I do have to wonder about Apple; they're usually smart enough to avoid complications like this.

They had to have seen it coming;  I mean, 5 publishers lined up on a single stage on a single day to support a new business model. That simply screams collusion. Even if we didn't know that the publishers had conspired, it certainly looked like they had.

 

So what do you think the ebook market would have been like if Apple hadn't gotten into it? Amazon would have dominated it, yes, but that's not all.

 

If Amazon had continued to dominate the market, I think we would have seen more experimentation. Publishers would have been desperate  to fight off Amazon, and that might make them more willing to consider new ideas.  For example, they might not have cut off library ebooks (HarperCollins, Penguin, Random House).

 

But I think it more likely that they would have considered other business models, like rentals or subscription plans. We're just beginning to see the first non-traditional hit the market now (skoobe), where if Amazon dominated the ebook market we might have seen them 18 months ago.

What would you have liked to see as an alternative to Amazon?

Apple revealed some pretty intriguing software updates yesterday. The entire iLife suite got an update, with each app available for $4.99 or as a free upgrade if you already have them.

First, iPhoto has finally made its way to the iPad and iPhone. It takes advantage of the iPad's fancy new Retina display by supporting up to 19-megapixel photos and you can intuitively edit images with multi-touch gestures. The app lets you color balance a photo by simply touching someone's skin and fix underexposed photos through a touch-and-drag motion. Edited photos can also be compared side-by-side with their unedited counterparts.

GarageBand got an update, including the ability to push files directly to iCloud and, most impressively, something called "Jam Session" which lets up to four iPad owners virtually jam together via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. It also includes a new instrument, Smart Strings, the virtual equivalent of a string orchestra. Indie acts will be glad to know that tracks can now be uploaded directly to SoundCloud.

I hope you've practiced your "the world is ending" voice because iMovie now lets you create Hollywood-style movie trailers with nine templates and several ready-to-go cinematic soundtracks from composers such as Academy Award-winner Hans Zimmer. Once you finish your trailer, you can instantly upload it to Facebook, Vimeo and YouTube.

Do you like charts? Good! Because iWork now lets you create 3D charts designed to stand out on the Retina display. Keynote also got updated with some new transitions.

And users in Japan will be glad to know that Siri now speaks their language, thanks to an iOS 5.1 update. It's available now and also includes an updated Camera app with a new video stabilization feature and the ability to delete photos from your Photo Stream.

Read more: Apple's new iPad: everything you need to know.

It is said that apple ipad 3 will be released in the early march, and it has been a long wait for techies and Apple fans alike, but after a cryptic press invite was sent out last week we've just been counting the minutes.

The press conference announcement did very little to stop the iPad 3 rumour mill from continuing its barrage of speculation. There is a general consensus over certain aspects of Apple's latest device, after the more outrageous claims had been laid to rest.

Numerous reports have pointed to a 9.7-inch screen with a 2048 x 1536 retina display, a quad-core Apple A6 processor, and a slightly thicker body.

The tech world debate now concerns the next-gen iPad's name, with a number of different suggestions as to what it may be. So what will the iPad 3 actually be called? First, I would like to say that no matter what ipad 3 will be called, it is worth for you to own a new ipad, both the ipad 2 and ipad 3, and you then need the dvd to ipad converter for mac discount and ipad transfer coupon codes to help you play your ipad better.

Apple iPad 3 to be iPad 2S
This worrying rumour was sparked by a Chinese manufacturer that produces iPad cases. The company in question, called Chineestyle, is boldly already selling cases for the new iPad - with the name iPad 2S.

The company says it built the cases based on information given to it by an Apple supply chain vendor. It isn't completely unlikely that we'll see an iPad 2S tomorrow, but Apple might not want to anger fans in the same way as it did with the iPhone 4S.

And given that the iPad 3 is set to be a big upgrade to the iPad 2 - more so than the 4S was to the 4 - the 2S does not seem fitting.

Apple iPad 3 to be iPad HD
This is a far more likely scenario, with a number of tech blogs and manufacturers proclaiming the new iPad to be the iPad HD.

The HD stands for the higher-resolution Retina display, which would have double the linear resolution of the current iPad 2 screen.

Mashable, VentureBeat and CNet each reported that the new iPad will be named the iPad HD when Apple unveils the device Wednesday. Their story is also corroborated by an earlier discovery of alleged part listings from accessory makers Griffin and Belkin, as well as usage data from an application called Tapatalk.

By all accounts, calling the new tablet iPad HD makes sense. That's mainly because the most notable feature of the new Apple tablet is meant to be the higher-resolution display, which would have double the linear resolution of the iPad 2, from 1024 by 768 pixels to 2048 by 1536 pixels.
The iPad HD display's resolution would be higher than full 1080p HD video resolution at 1920 by 1080 pixels, and should display much sharper images. At 9.7 inches and double the current resolution, an iPad 3 display would have just over 260ppi pixel density. The only comparable Android tablet at this resolution is the Transformer Pad Infinity 700, with a 10.1-inch 1,920 by 1,200 pixels resolution screen.

Another significant feature that could make its way onto the iPad HD is 4G LTE connectivity and a quad-core chip dubbed the A6. The chip would have twice the power of the dual-core A5 found in the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, making it powerful enough to drive the high-resolution display.

If you are an apple fan and have itunes on your computer, you then need to remove drm from itunes.