April 2019

Presented by John Rankin

We started our April meeting by going over some issues that some of the 2016 laptops and later have with the short cable that connects the monitor to the keyboards and how they wear out faster than normal. They are expensive to fix.

From ifixit.org:  The issue is fairly simple: the current generation of MacBook Pro laptops (2016–present) uses flexible ribbon cables to connect the display to a display controller board beneath the Touch Bar. These cables wrap over the board, where they’re secured by a pair of spring-loaded covers—and they’re subjected to the stress of bending with every opening and closure of the laptop. Within a seemingly short time, those cables are starting to fatigue and tear. The backlight cable is generally the first to go, producing the infamous “stage light” symptoms, and eventually giving out entirely when the laptop is opened more than about 40°.

You can read more here.

‘Bent’ iPad Pro: What you need to know

Some iPad Pro customers have been complaining that their devices came sold with a minor curve in the aluminum casing.

Apple told The Verge that 2018 iPad Pro units may contain a minor bend in the aluminum casing due to a cooling process during the device’s manufacturing. However, the company is reportedly saying the issue isn’t a defect.

There are also reports of the iPad Pro virtual keyboard keys not working.

Apple Streaming Service Announcement

Apple announced March 25 that it will be providing a video streaming service.

The new iMac arrived on 19 March 2019

Apple updated the iMac range with new processors, including up to 8-core Intel processors and new Vega graphics on 19 March 2019. Read more.

Apple Mulling Preview of New Modular Mac Pro at WWDC in June

Apple is considering previewing its upcoming redesigned Mac Pro at its Worldwide Developers Conference this June, according to a new report by Bloomberg today.

Virus-Adware-Malware Software

Malwarebytes – Free Version has to be run manually. Paid Version automatically runs for you.

AVG – Is Free. Always runs on it’s own automatically. (ignore the warning message you’ll receive after 30 days)

Bitdefender Virus for Mac – Free

Clamx AV – Runs free for 30 days, then you have to pay. But this one’s the best.

PullTube

Download videos from YouTube for a one-time cost of $7.

Sidebar

Save time using external drives with OS X’s sidebar.

CleanMyDrive

Easily drag-and-drop files directly to any drive, check disk stats and automatically clean hidden junk from external drives.

Kiwi for Gmail

If you use Gmail, you should be using Kiwi on your Mac. Kiwi is like Gmail on the web, built into a stand-alone app.

Kiwi helps add a layer of convenience and intelligence to managing your Gmail and G Suite accounts on your Mac, all while offering the familiarity and comfort of Google’s mail platform.

Using Kiwi for Gmail allows you to manage multiple gmail accounts in a single application, receive notifications when email is received (in real-time, no less), and take advantage of Gmail’s deep AI and machine learning systems. It also retains the powerful (and incredibly useful) keyboard shortcuts that make working through email faster and more productive.