MarcForrest.com

Category: Apple

  • How to monitor your bandwidth on your Mac

    Earlier this evening, after booting up my MacBook, I saw my network monitor go crazy, and was just downloading something. This was very strange, as I didn’t have any apps running or even Firefox. So I put out a quick tweet, and got a few replies including one from AllanKent & Steph, who both suggested a programme called “Little Snitch”

    Little Snitch informs you whenever a program attempts to establish an outgoing Internet connection. You can then choose to allow or deny this connection, or define a rule how to handle similar, future connection attempts. This reliably prevents private data from being sent out without your knowledge. Little Snitch runs inconspicuously in the background and it can also detect network related activity of viruses, trojans and other malware.

    I downloaded the demo version, which gives you 3 hours usage to try and see what was happening. Little Snitch then showed me that the there was a process called “SoftwareUpdateCheck” which was downloading something. After a quick Google search, it seems that this process can get a bit out of hand at times, with people complaining it uses up to 90% CPU at times. It looks like the Software Update app in my Preferences was trying to download the latest updates, and I had no idea. After checking out, there was a check box to automatically download updates. Unticked that, and BOOM! problem solved :)

    I have to admit, that Little Snitch was a lifesaver this eve, and I am seriously contemplating buying a license to keep track of where my bandwidth is going. If you have a Mac, I highly suggest this app !!

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  • NAVV GPS South Africa iPhone App Review

    You may remember just over a year ago, I did a post on the NDrive iPhone GPS app. The app was one of the first, and possibly one of the better iPhone GPS apps I have reviewed here. I found the app to have up to date maps, and loads of POI’s. But, it seems that, for some reason, NDrive South Africa, has been pulled from the app store, and  a new app, which uses the NDrive “framework” called (iTunes Link) has been released. The app is available on both the SA & US app store for a ridiculously low price (for a full blown GPS app) of only $24.99. CHEAP !

    The , is almost identical to the NDrive app (bar a colour change), and the layout and functionality stays the same. The key feature here is the larger buttons which makes things easier when driving. The maps are up to date and the point of interests have also been updated to include the newest POI’s as well as up to date speed cameras.The app info display while driving is pretty informative, and you can choose what displays you would like to show while driving. The app also has 3D buildings included in the app, which is handy when driving through large cities and you looking for a

    The app offers a whole host of languages, including Zulu & Afrikaans for South African users. The settings in the app are pretty simple, and offer a variety of options to customize the app to your liking.

    Here are some of the features of the app:

    NAVIGATION
    ? Turn-by-turn navigation for driving
    ? Voice instructions for accuracy
    ? Speeding alerts for safety
    ? 3D landmarks for making maps more realistic
    ? And more features!

    ADVENTURE
    ? Compass
    ? Geo coordinates
    ? Multiple waypoints
    ? And more features!

    POIs
    ? Cafes, gas stations, etc. – built-in
    ? Favorites with categories – customizable
    ? Google for more POIs – embedded
    ? And more – available!

    MAPS AND LANGUAGES
    ? You can NAVV in English, Zulu, Afrikaans, German, Dutch, Arabic – in total, in 22 languages
    ? NAVV maps are provided by NAVTEQ (September 2010)
    ? NAVV South Africa includes maps of South Africa

    The only thing I would change on this app, would be the fact that the keyboard provided in the app is not the standard iPhone keyboard. This can be sometimes confusing , and rather frustrating given how used one becomes to the standard keyboard. But, given the low price of the app ($24.99) this can easily be forgotten. All round, a fantastic app, and if you looking for an entry level GPS app, then this is a no brainer.

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  • Infinity Blade review

    Another great review by guest contributer Simon Boulle who takes at one of the top selling iPhone & iPad games, Infinity Blade

    Infinity Blade – $5.99 (iTunes Link) is an incredible game. The graphics are amazing, and look great on the Retina display of the iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4G. The gameplay is fun and immersive, and I was hooked on trying to defeat the God King (the ultimate boss).Infinity Blade Beginning

    Casting a spellThe concept of the game is relatively simple: you play a warrior who plans to avenge his father, who was killed by the God King. A  battle ensures with a series of other warriors, from Paladins to Marrow Fiends, in order to reach the God King. You will gain experience along the way,with gold, potions and equipment, in order to improve your character. Each battle is connected by short-cut scenes where you can pick up gold and potions, provided  you keep an eye out. During battle you can defend, dodge an attack, parry an attack and obviously attack. These actions are performed by swiping or tapping on the screen. The controls work really well, though at times tapping on the defend icon is interpreted as a swipe to attack, which can be annoying.

    After roughly 10 – 15 battles, you can reach the God King, who is initially at (a high) level 50. If you lose (which is most likely in your first playthrough) a new bloodline starts, and your character now becomes the son of the defeated warrior, who in turn tries to avenge his father. He gains all the experience, items and gold of his father. Eventually you will reach a level where you will be able to defeat the God King. Once you defeat him, you start from the beginning again, and can play through again and try to defeat the God King again. Each time you defeat him, he gains an extra 50 levels.

    Attempting to defeat the God King, though somewhat repetitive, is fun and had me hooked. Equipment is made up of swords, shields, helmets, armour and magic rings (which enable you to cast spells). As you defeat other warriors, you earn gold which can be used to buy new equipment. Equipment gains experience and can be mastered, which means it can’t gain any more experience but your character is able to use it better. However, your character only gains the experience your equipment gains. So if all your equipment is mastered, your character doesn’t gain any more experience. This encourages you to buy more and better equipment.Equipment

    The characters and environments are detailed, clear and sharp. I have never seen any other game on any other platform which matches the clarity and detail of the graphics in Infinity Blade. They are simply breath-taking. If you own an iPhone 4, you should buy the game for that reason alone.

    In closing, the game is enjoyable and the quality of the graphics is simply unimaginable. I highly recommend it to the owners of the iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4G. It is also supported on the iPad, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch 3G, though obviously the graphics aren’t as good, due to the lower resolution screens. Interestingly, Chair originally decided to create the game for the iPhone 3GS, as they thought it was powerful enough to run the game. When the iPhone 4 was announced and released they decided to add support for Retina display graphics. The game sells for $5,99 in the US App Store, and is a Universal game, meaning it also runs on the iPad.

  • How to update your iPhone/iPad firmware manually

    I have had a few people ask me about updating firmware manually on the iPhone/iPad manually. A huge issue we have here in SA, is that because of our sometimes “dodgy internet connectivity”, we get disconnected quite often.

    If you are using iTunes to download the latest firmware, you will notice, that if you get disconnected, more often than not, you need to restart the download every time, which can become annoying as well as expensive

    So, I thought I would show you how to manually update your firmware, after downloading the update to your PC/Mac. I recommend a copy of Firefox, and this awesome download manager plug-in called Download Them All. This will help you download the actual firmware file from the Apple servers onto your PC/Mac and then update.

    To download the latest firmware(file extension is .ispw) directly from Apple, you can go to this page at iClarified (bookmark it), and then choose to download with Download Them All. This way, if your connection gets interrupted, you can continue your download from the same place it stopped.

    Once you have your file downloaded, open iTunes and plug your iPhone/iPad in. On your main info screen, you will see 2 options, Check for update  (which will download from Apple without a download manager, and break) or Restore.


    If you are on a PC, you need to hold the SHIFT button in, and click on the “Check For Update button”. If you are on a MAC, you need to hold the OPTION key and click on “Check For Update button”. You will then be asked to locate the file you downloaded (using Firefox and Download Them All), and chose that file. Once you have selected the file, iTunes will continue the installation as per normal.

    And that it is :)

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  • Get a US account for the Mac App Store

    Get a US account for the Mac App Store

    With the launch of the Mac App store yesterday, there are a loads of brilliant new apps to download. The biggest issue with that we have in the South Africa app store is that a majority of apps aren’t available. This includes the highly coveted Games category. Due to various regulations in South Africa, all games, whether for PC or a device need to pass through the film & publications board to get a rating. This means that most times games like Angry birds etc will not be available for download in the SA Mac App store.

    If you have a US Mac App Store account, you will have access to loads more apps and of course the games. I decided to put a quick tutorial together on how to sign up for a US Mac App store account. You don’t need a credit card account for this account, you simply “top it up” with vouchers from EvoPoints ,  iTunesUSA , Maximus Cards or WildTwig who accept PayPal

    To see how to set up a US iTunes account for the Mac App store, simply tweet about it using the button below, and you will be given full access on how to set it up.

    To get a US Mac App store account you need to follow the steps below

    1. After downloading the Mac App store application to your mac for the first time, you will be presented with the screen below. If you are already signed into an account, you will need to sign out of that account first.
      On the right hand side of the page, you will see charts with paid apps & free apps.
      Click on any FREE app, and “purchase” it. You need to ensure that you have selected a free app, otherwise you will not be able to complete this. Choose an app like Twitter or Evernote as your FREE app.
    2. You will then be prompted with a sign in box. Select “Create Apple ID”
    3. On the first screen, you will be “Welcomed” to the app store. In the bottom right hand corner of the screen you should see the American flag. If you see any other country’s flag, click on it to change and select United States as your country.
    4. You will then start setting up your account.
      First accept the Terms & Conditions
    5. Create your Apple ID. If you have an existing account, you need to use a new email address. If you have a Gmail account, you can simply put a fullstop(.) anywhere in your address, and it will forward to your existing email address. So if you address is [email protected], you can also use [email protected] and you will receive the mail.
    6. On the following screen you are prompted for your payment details & address details.
      If you do NOT see a NONE option in the payment options, you will need to start over !! If you have a iTunes Voucher from EvoPoints , iTunesUSA , Maximus Cards or WildTwig who accept PayPal, you can also redeem it here.When selecting your address you will need to put in a US physical address. There is validation done, so it needs to ensure you have a valid address. You can use Fakenamegenerator.com to generate an address & telephone number, or simply use the address of a fancy hotel in the US that you “own” :)Apple have recently implemented an address verification system on the address. My suggestion is to use a hotel address in Florida or a head office of some big shot corporate company in California. Google is your friend ;)
    7. Once you have completed this step, you should receive a confirmation email, which you need to confirm before you can use the app store.
    8. After confirming your email address, you can now log into the store. You will need to top up your account with credit. You can buy iTunes vouchers in denominations of $10, $15, $25 or $50 from either EvoPoints , EvoPoints , iTunesUSA , Maximus Cards or WildTwig who accept PayPal. Once you have your code from these stores, you can redeem it on the Mac App store, by clicking Redeem on the right hand menu on the front page.
    9. You may also get a prompt to update your billing details with credit card details. You can just ignore this. Your South African credit card or PayPal account will NOT work in the US Mac App Store.