MarcForrest.com

Category: Mac

  • Mac OS App Store Launches

    Apple today announced the latest addition to their “app family” the Mac App Store. The store allows you to download apps for your Mac or Macbook in the same way you would for the iPhone or iPad. This means, apps are now easier to download & update.

    Personally, I think this is a HUGE game changer in the way we work and use Mac’s. Now, when a new software package is released, it is available instantly. No longer do we have to scout the Apple shop or Incredible Correction for the latest software, and pay hugely inflated prices.

    The app store is linked to your iTunes account, and uses the same billing details. This means, that if you have a US iTunes account, you will have access to most of the apps. From what I can see, the SA store will not have as big a selection. Also you won’t be able to get things like games etc in the SA Store. Be sure to top up your US iTunes account with some iTunes vouchers from the guys at iTunesUSA or EvoPoints with some credit, and go buy some cool new apps :)

    To get the app store on your Mac, you need to do a check for software update. This will install the update and a new icon will appear next to your Finder icon. We will also be profiling some of the apps from the app store here from time to time.

  • ESET Cybersecurity for Mac

    On Monday morning a really large package arrived for me at reception. After ripping the packaging off, I was presented with a couple of really cool gifts from the chaps over at ESET. ESET are one the worlds largest antivirus companies, and have been around for a couple of years. Included in the package was a disk which had the latest offering from the guys, ESET Cybersecurity for Mac.

    To give you a better idea about what the product is about, this from the ESET cybersecurity website:

    It is a generally accepted fact that Mac/Linux-based operating systems are safe, compared to Windows® platforms. However, no system exists in a vacuum and writers of malicious software are hard at work looking for weak-spots and devising exploits that can run across multiple platforms. Additionally, third party applications run on Mac systems can become easy targets for hackers. Unprotected Macs in a networked environment, where cross-platform sharing is taking place, can act as malware carriers.

    ESET Cybersecurity shuts down all attack vectors, neutralizing threats designed to attack Windows or Linux systems, along with emerging exploits against the Mac platform – to keep your sensitive data and identity protected around the clock.


    I installed my copy on my machine earlier this week, and had no issues at all. In fact, the setup & activation was so simple, it was over in a flash. Once I had activated my copy with the username and password that I had received, I rebooted my machine, and ran a full scan. The scan took about an hour and a half, and found no threats (sjoe) :)

    The very cool thing about this software, is if you run a bootcamp Windows partition, or use a virtual environment, you have full access to the Windows NOD32 antivirus software, under a license called “Unilicence”

    If you have a Mac, I would highly recommend grabbing yourself a copy of ESET Cybersecurity. A 1 year licence for 1 computer costs around R355. The Apple Retail stores around the country are also stocking them at the moment. You can also download a 1 month free trial from the ESET site to give it a run before you buy it.

  • FaceTime for Mac

    Ever since I got my iPhone 4, I have been a huge fan of the FaceTime functionality. I think the product is revolutionary, and even though people still say we have had “video calling” for years, this is NOT video calling. This is something bigger. Check out what my mate Anice Hassim, from immedia, had to say about it a while ago.

    Before last night Apple had already integrated FaceTime into their latest iPod Touch models, and now it is available as a stand alone application on existing & new Macs it opens a whole new world. Now you can chat to someone who could be on the other side of the world, and they don’t necessarily need to have an iPhone. Now we can communicate, visually with each other.

    To get FaceTime working on the Mac, you need to download it from Apple FaceTime site, and install the app on your Mac. You then need to either register an Apple ID, or use an existing one. Once you are in, you can call an iPhone 4 using the person’s cell number, or iPod/FaceTime for Mac using their registered email address.

    A few people have asked my they haven’t been able to use it yet, so below are a couple of things to check:

    • Make sure FaceTime on the iPhone is turned on. To check this go to Settings -> Phone -> And make sure FaceTime is switched on
    • If you are trying to call a FaceTime number (iPhone 4) from your Mac, you need to ensure you have it in the international format. So +27xxxxx
    • Check to see that you can call your FaceTime Mac from your FaceTime phone.
    • Make sure that the WiFi(iPhone/iPod) or Internet(Mac), the following ports are open: 443 (TCP), 3478–3497 (UDP), 5223 (TCP) 16384–16387 (UDP), and 16393–16402 (UDP). (Apple Support Doc)

    If you come across any other issues with FaceTime, leave a comment below, and I will try and see what I can dig up :)

  • Vodacom MiFi Device

    After a week with the beloved iPad, I am starting to see the bigger potential for the device. admittedly in the beginning I was a naysayer (sorry to all), but after using it for the last week, I truly see the bigger picture.

    That said though, my biggest gripe about the iPad is the WiFi. Well, I suppose I can’t really call it a gripe, I think it’s got more to do with the fact that South Africa still hasn’t seen the WiFi wave that you have in say America or Europe. Internet access is hard to come by in SA unless you have an ADSL line, which means you can’t use a mobile device, or 3G. although the higher spec iPads do have 3G connectivity, the model I received is a WiFi unit.

    So that’s that were the Vodacom MiFi device comes in. The awesome team at Vodacom kindly sent me a MiFi device to use with my iPad, and WOW, what an amazing piece of hardware. The MiFi is a 3G broadband router which is capable of speeds up to 7.2MB/sec, AND it also acts as a Wireless hotspot. What this means is that you can have 5 wireless devices connected to the MiFi hotspot, all sharing the 3G connectivity.

    So I picked up the MiFi (marketed as the Vodafone MiFi 2352) yesterday from the swanky new Vodacom offices in Umhlanga Ridge. They have just completed the building, and it looks awesome, although no where near as pretty as Vodaworld :) Earlier in the day, I had bought a pre-paid simcard for 99c (Bargain), which I had to RICA before I could use it. Surprisingly the RICA process was pretty painless, and I did all my sims, and I was out in 5 minutes. I then loaded the sim with a prepaid data bundle (R88 for 110MB). Once I had the new gadget in my hands, I put the sim card in, switched it on, and it just worked. Boom. Just like that. No config, no setting up, no messing with advanced settings. It JUST worked. Easy.

    Once the MiFi is up and running, you can search for a wireless hotspot using the iPad, or any wireless device, it will pop up with the name of the MiFi, usually something like VodafoneMobileHotspot_XXXX. It will then ask you for a WEP key password. They key can be found on the back of the battery compartment, and once you have entered it, it stores the key and keeps you connected. You can also change settings by navigating to http://vodafonemobilebroadband.hotspot/ from any of the connected devices, which will allow you to log in and change some of the options.The rechargable battery lasts up to around 4 hours, so you can use it while you are on the go.

    And that’s it really. It is by far one of the easiest pieces of equipment I have ever needed to set up. I am looking forward to getting out and about and using the MiFi device, and seeing what it is capable of. You can pick up a MiFi device from most Vodacom retail outlets, for around R2500. The price may seem steep, but it is well well worth it if you travel and need constant internet access. If you don’t come right, pop me a mail, and I will try to point you in the right direction. I will also post some of my findings in the future about the MiFi and how it handles the networks and the different devices.

  • Hands on with the iPad

    Hands on with the iPad

    The geeks at immedia invited a couple of the Durban twitterati over to their offices this afternoon to have a hands on peek with the new Apple iPad.

    Kishyr & Annice from immedia flew over to New York this past weekend, and camped outside the Apple store, just to pick up their iPads, making them the first South Africans to own the iPad. When I popped around this evening to have a look, I have to admit I was seriously impressed with the device. When the iPad was launched, I was in 2 minds about it, but having played with it for half an hour, there is definitely a glimmer of hope.

    Yours truly :)

    The iPad specific developed apps that run on the iPad work quite well, and the Real Racing HD game ($9.99) is awesome to play. The graphics are insane, and the playability of the steering the pad to the left & right is amazing.

    Another app that looked really cool was the Scrabble App ($9.99) and allows you to use your iPhone or iPod touch to see your tiles, which then you “throw” onto the Scrabble board on the iPad. We also got to see the Weather HD app, which shows you what the weather looks like in your city, with really cool looking clouds or wind etc. There were also a couple of other interesting apps, which we flipped through as well.

    MarcForrest.com in FULL iPad glory

    But, that said, the price of the apps is quite steep. Most games are going for around $9.99, while most of the other apps in the same sort of price range. Yes, you can run your iPhone apps on the iPad, but they definitely don’t look like they belong there. When you upscale to 2x, it looks rather out-of-place, and when it runs in 1x size, it just looks too small for the screen. The other bugbear that I found was the keyboard, and while I suppose it may take some getting used to, it may just take that little bit longer than what it took to get used to the iPhone keyboard.

    My other baby, izimvo.com on the iPad

    Overall, I reckon it will be a winner, and with over 300,000 units sold on opening weekend, it looks like Apple have (another) winner. I just need to wait and see when I can get mine :) I am also looking at getting a review unit in the next couple of days, and then I will post a bit more info.