Author: Nick Young

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News

AT&T vs. Verizon: Battle of the Features [Ad Edition]

If you live in the United States, the day has come. What day you ask, the day where Apple has created a CDMA version of it’s iPhone to run on the Verizon Wireless network. Though Big Red (Verizon) boast their network will be able to handle the new iPhone, do some of the features of the GSM AT&T iPhone seem necessary. Talk and data usage are extremely important – especially if you need to make a quick reservation. But the Verizon call quality is incomparable.

Pick your poison!

What network do you choose?

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News

Apple’s iPad, Top 1/3 Fortune 500 Company

Apple’s iconic figure and CEO maybe on medial leave, but that hasn’t hindered the success of Apple’s Fourtune 500 companies. Yes, their multiple Fortune 500 companies, from iPad to App Store that would be ranked in the top 1/3 if the product were just a company within itself. The success of Apple’s iPad has increased over the last 6 months. In the recent New York Times Article, Lohr writes about the extreme growth of Apple’s latest mobile device, the iPad. What fascinates me the most, the iPad is less than 1 years old from it’s release date from April 2010!

A little more than a decade a go, Apple was once “60 days from bankrupt”, but has turned the corner to great amazing products. The iPad was just warming up in 2010. The iPad is estimated to bring in $15 – 20 billion in revenue from it’s first year on market.

The amazing platform Apple has created not only makes you want to buy an iPad, but an iPhone, and maybe an iPod touch for someone else. Let’s look at the revenue for Apple $499 (16GB iPad) + $199 (16GB iPhone 4) + $229 (8GB iPod touch) = $927 – close to $1,000 per customer not bad! And that doesn’t include the people who may purchase a iMac to be a companion with their new iPad, so we can add at least $1,200 to the $1,000 revenue for Apple.

The $2,200 profit was just based on hardware, did you forget about the App Store? Though most popular priced apps are only $.99 to $1.99, the price can add up. It is estimated to be an approximate $50 per consumer for the iOS App Store and remember Apple gets 30% of the price. Now their is the Mac App Store and prices are increasingly higher. From $29.99 (Pixelmator – our review) to $79.99 (Aperture) – Aperture is made from Apple so that’s 100% profit in that instance. The App Store in itself is an estimate in 2011 to bring in $15 bilion dollars. That’s another Fortune 500 company within itself.

What do you think? Leave a comment.

Categories
Interviews

Macworld 2011 and Paul Kent, VP of Macworld


As we began the countdown until Macworld 2011, we were lucky enough to interview Paul Kent, the current VP of Macworld. If you’re not familiar with Macworld, Macworld is a four day celebration that entertains and educates Apple aficionados. Macworld showcases cool software, hardware and accessories to go with your favorite Apple devices. Though Apple left the signature event in San Francisco, Macworld 2011 has still increased the amount of attendees. Kent said there should be about an increase of 25% of last year – awesome.When I say I can’t wait for Macworld, I really mean it. I found out last year that Macworld Expo has an enormous amount of Mac enthusiast like myself and The Real Mac Genius.com team. The people that when watching a keynote, they start saying, “Steve, you did it again. I liked the last thing but really you out did yourself (again).” The people that are enthusiasts of Apple and the “Mac lifestyle”, and who love to see what’s next. However, if you did not know, Macworld Expo is not the latest and greatest from Apple, but from all the great companies that have one main goal, make the Mac better for the user.

From Apps to Add-ons, many vendors are there to show you what they’ve got. The two main vendors I am looking forward to seeing are Code Weavers, and TUAW. Code Weavers had an application to bring all your games and applications from the PC – oh Windows to your Mac. TUAW is one of our favorite sites at TRMG.

Another thing we are excited to see is the Mobile App Showcase. Macworld offers the unique opportunity to meet with developers of applications that you use in your daily life. Macworld offers the Mobile App Showcase. The Mobile App Showcase truly allows you to meet the developer who created the app you love on your iPhone or iPad. Last year was when Macworld first implemented the showcase, but this year the showcase is about twice as big as last year, and will most likely be just as packed as last year, with lots of developers showing off apps that are in the App Store and a few showing awesome new apps that may not have even hit the App Store yet.

If your looking for something to do during January 26-29, come by the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Macworld is the place to converse with other Apple fans like yourself. And, if you happen to see The Real Mac Genius.com roaming the Expo floor, stop by and say “Hi.” We hope to see y’all there!

Categories
Average Joe's Tips

Mac Security: Lock Your Screen When You are Away

Do you leave your Mac attended to get coffee or quickly talk to someone across the room. Instead of leaving access to your Mac when you are away, let’s enforce security from the spies around the office.

Keychain Access

One of the best ways to accomplish this is through Keychain Access (Applications>Utilities). Once Keychain Access is open, go into the preferences and check the box for “Show status in Menu Bar” a unlocked lock should appear in your Menu Bar. This will let you lock the screen easily from the Menu Bar.

System Preferences


Requiring a password after being awaken from the Screen Saver or sleep. This can be done in System Preferences (Applications). Once System Preferences has been launched, click on the “Security” pane. Then check the “Require Password after sleep or screen saver begins,” this will create a prompt requiring a password after being awaken.

Expose and Spaces

Though the Menu Bar lock may be helpful, triggering the prompt can be done by simply putting your mouse on any corner of the screen. Launch System Preferences, then click on the Expose and Spaces pane. In “Active Screen Corners” select from a drop down “Start Screen Saver”, the Screen Saver will begin once your mouse touches the corner, but make sure to wait a second.

Now your Mac should me a little more secure! Let us know how it works for you!

Categories
News Reviews

iPad Game Controller

We all know how hard it is to play games on iPads. Sure, games like Angry Birds or Cut the Rope do not get any harder, but more complicated games like Bad Company can be near to impossible. The minute you have a game that you have to control every second of, like Bad Company, Need for Speed, or even simple games like Snake, if you want to do well, you have to have a controller.

Well, now you do. TenOneDesign announced their game controller that basically takes your iPad and gives it analog sticks that attach to the string by using suction cups. These suction cups can be placed anywhere along the screen. The actual device is ready to buy in late January, and costs $25 for one, and $38 for a two-pack.

Now whether you get one or two, whether you get them to beat all your fiends on blue-tooth or wi-fi, or even if you just want to be able to beat that impossible level, these small joysticks are definitely worth the small price. They give you the joy and easiness of having your console, and allow you to go to the next level with your gaming,