Macs: To Guard Against Certificate Attacks

I came across this post regarding digital certificates.  After Microsoft's trusted Comodo Certificate Authority issued fraudulent certificates that effected many top sites.

So here are some instructions that you can use to protect yourself if you're on a Mac and use Safari as your main browser.  Honestly, I don't know how serious this is but if it's got Microsoft's attention, I'd worried somewhat, enough to continue looking into it.

It's amazing this does not happen more often if you ask me.  So the instructions provided at Sophos basically enables certificate revocation.  

There really isn't much we can do about this.  We rely on a system that is based on an honor system and require these security and certificate companies to audit and continually beef up their protocols.  

More at Sophos and how this happened.

Note: Firefox and IE 9 users should be fine even though Microsoft has issued an update.  IE 8 users needs to act to protect themselves.

Siri: Nice But It Can And Should Be Better

After my failed attempt to get one last AT&T version of the iPad 2, I started looking for the closest Best Buy to see if I can go there and see if they've got any in the store.

I started with Maps and ended with Siri, an app whose company that made it was bought by Apple a while back.


In Pasadena, California, the Maps app gave me a couple of locations for Best Buy that was not Best Buy. It gave me a uniform store and another location that I didn't bother looking into.

So I turned to Siri. Launched the app. And I spoke into it.

"Best Buy...Pasadena."


I dispensed with saying California because I figured that it knows I am in California based on the location function. I was tethered to the iSpot so it probably has an idea where I was.

Within a five seconds, it provided me with the Best Buy location in Pasadena. Faster and better than Maps.

However, that was where the good ended and where Siri can get better. I tried a different query. I asked for "Store hours...Best Buy...Pasadena..."

It showed me the same search result for Best Buy in both times, after that point, I had to resume clicking on what I needed. Modifying the parameters of the query did not change the results.

There are four things I like to see.

First, Apple should improve on the intelligence of Siri. I like to see better query results. If I want hours of Best Buy, it should easily have the ability to give me just that at the start.

Failing that it should allow for follow-up queries. And this is the second improvement I like to see. Maybe there should be keywords that when spoke allow for a follow-up based on the first search. I wanted hours so I like Siri to somehow give me the option to dig deeper into the search.


In this instance, it offered me the choices to call or go to the website. So if I said "call", I like it to be able to dial the number automatically or "website" and it takes me there.

The third option is that I like to be able to have Siri act as a spoken search apparatus for the iOS device. Say a contact and have Siri dial it automatically or be able to email or text the contact. I'd love it it can serve to launch apps as well or launch web pages from the bookmarks.

Basically, I want Siri take away from the typing and tapping and move all that to voice. Google's Android already does this pretty well. Siri is horribly inadequate here and this is a strong advantage that Android has over the iOS.

The last point is probably asking too much but this is Apple so maybe it's not. I like to see if the app can learn from out behaviors to anticipate our queries and mobile uses.

This would bring a whole new and revolutionary mobile experience.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

Apple Pasadena: The Line Is 200+ Deep And I Am Last

This is insane. The line is 200+ deep for the iPad 2. And I am last. I wasn't but now I am. The guy behind me gave up. And I am beginning to think I am going to walk away empty-handed.

And understanding limited Chinese, I overheard the folks ahead of me told his wife/girlfriend/mistress that he still has an order for 16 more.

Honestly, free enterprise. Love it but ethically and morally, I just don't feel all that cool about it.

You know what I mean?

Again, capitalism. Great. Still, Apple maybe should consider going from two per to just one per customer unless you order online.

For me, this is a new mobile dynamics a lot of people are experiencing. And lots of folks are walking away empty-handed. A lot of enthusiastic mobile warriors that Apple could easily be converted into Mac or iPhone users as well had they been able to be experiencing the iPad 2 sooner rather than later.

Perhaps, Apple sensed that users have no where else to go as Android competition have yet to really solidify since CES.

Oh, I am no longer last. There are more folks behind me. I get the feeling that they'll be selling theirs as well.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

Macbook Air and Writing (With Part 1)

I've started a dual review process. we'll see just how well the 11.6" Macbook Air works as a writing machine with some simple Web work and some image process. At the same time, I'll learning and review from scratch three top novel writing apps for the OS X.

The goal is to see how one of Apple's most affordable Macbook handles the daily needs of a wannabe writer/blogger.

And tonight, I took it out for a test run at Starbucks. And I took some notes. Of particular interest is how well the battery life works through the night. Apple rated the battery life to be 5 hours. Well, given the needs of most writers, not necessarily bloggers, I assume that we just type most of the time without the need for Internet connectivity.

How did it go? More at the following links:

Macbook Air and Writing (Part 1) - Friday, March 25, 20111

Buttons: Steve Jobs War On Them But How I Love Them Too

I’m torn on buttons on mobile devices. You’ve got Apple on one end that detests buttons so much that it has only one click on the mouse while the iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad has just the home button on the surface.

Buttons – I love them. At least when I was a kid, I love buttons. See, I grew up watching anime, the kind with spaceships, giant robots, and futuristic command centers. And they have tons of button and flashing lights.

When it comes down to it, it reallly depends on what you do with your mobile device. I can write just as long a letter on the iPhone as I can on my G1. The only difference for me is that I spent years playing the piano and I like to keep what's left of the life of the joints On my fingers for the piano, not the smartphones.

So I definitely like the touch-type on a glass surface than buttons. No need to push down on a button. No need to exert pressure with the thumbs.

And you're constantly using your thumbs, there is no escaping that on a mobile device. On a phsyical keyboard for a smartphone, it can't be good in the long run if you have to produce dozens of emails or text a day.

Still, a part of me does like the idea of having physical buttons to work with, which for me, provides a sense of accomplishment. And honestly, until the iPhone came along and showed the world that you can create content on glass just as easily as a stylus or physical keyboard.

Right now, I am writing on the iPod touch. I am typing in portrait mode. And I can easily switch over to landscape.

What it comes down to is personal preference. Blackberry users swear by the physical keyboard while some prefer the slide-out keyboard. Android users have the best selection of devices with different keyboard layouts. So, you really have to pick your device when it comes to buttons.

With buttons, you've got the Blackberry variety which works well for a lot of folks. And honestly, it's very good. Then you've got the Pre version which can be frustrating after a while. You really don't want to be writing an essay on it. Then you've got the ones that slide-out like T-Mobile's G1 and G2, and both keyboards work well. Droid keyboards are too stuff for me to imagine writing anything other than text messages or tweets.

And for iPhoners, let's be honest. Apple is driving the trend with the chiplet keys on the desktop and laptop markets. Works well. Even the keyboard before that. But if you go back even further, Apple is really kind of hit-and-miss with them. I've experienced the sticky type on the Powerbook 500. Then I've gotten a few years in with the Powerbook 1400cs. They were a nice change but Powerbook was a Powerbook and it was running Mac OS. And not everyone liked those keyboards.

So there really is no way of knowing what kind if keyboard Apple will come up with should there ever be an iPhone with a physical keyboard. And there definitely is no way for us to be sure that we're even going to like it.

But give us mobile warriors a device with a top notch OS with a great keyboard, I promise it will do well.

Note: For the record, I no longer dig flashing lights.

Another note: RIM sued Handspring back in 2002. And in turn, it has also been sued in the past. Maybe Apple or anyone else might just as well avoid the headaches by avoiding making a device that looks similar to the Blackberries. Nokia and Samsung does have similar layouts but not being a tech/patent attorney, I think I'll leave the issue open and at that.

Tips to Help Speed Or Fix Up Your iOS Devices If They Become Slow or Defective

TiPB has six tips on how one can fix a slow or buggy iOS device.

It's a must read.  I'll leave all of it there since they came up with the list. 

I just have one more to add.  Turn off any feature that you don't need.  If you don't need push notification, get rid of it.  That might even extend your battery life.  Oh, and there's the location function if you're on an iPod touch.  

I think the best coarse would be to restore the device.  Apple has made it easy to do that.  And fast.

More at TiPB.

Macbook Air: Perfect For Writing

I've had the Macbook Air for a couple of days now. Let me recap. I almost didn't get it because Fedex bungled the order (for like the nth time) and, in disgust, I nearly rejected the shipment from Apple.

And what a perfect writing machine it is. I mean it's not just a glorified typewriter. Well, that had been my intent but now, I realized just ho powerful this little guy is. And what is can do isn't little at all.

I've always wanted to write for a profession but lacking talent and the time, I've had to do it on and off through the years. But technology, especially mobile tech, is at the point where I can do this at any time and almost anywhere.

And I have been exploring just what is the best way to go about writing a fictional novel. I've started a bit during last November's National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo) in my own way. I didn't finish but I was about three quarter of a way through before I kind of set it aside for the Holidays.

Back with the Air, I'm back! It's months until November but Script Frenzy is here. I'm not much of a script anything. But I will draw upon the hundreds if not thousands of Script Frenzy participants and hack out my own novel.

This time around, I hope to accomplish a few things. I want to see how the Air does as a writing machine (with some Internet research and note taking, Web work) and three applications that are commonly used by writers for the Mac - Storymill, Storyist, and Scrivener. And since they're offered as demos for about 30 days, the length of the Script Frenzy contest, I can use them without paying for it until I can adequately decide which one works best for me.

It'll be a month long project that I am looking forward to.