orange to apple

MobileMe to iCloud and the Flashback Trojan

Lucas Acosta — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:33:15 +0000

Lucas covers some tips on the MobileMe to iCloud transition, and gives some advice on the recent security threat that affected 1% of Macs. Two minutes you won’t regret!

AT&T iPad vs Verizon iPad

Lucas Acosta — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:34:54 +0000

One decision you will be faced with when purchasing your new iPad is the right carrier to go with. I’ve put together the differences between the Verizon and AT&T iPads to get a good bird’s eye view of the options in one place. As you compare these details, keep in mind that the most important factor in deciding on your data provider is the quality of service in your geographical area. While both offer super fast LTE speeds, there are some important details to consider.

Coverage Maps

Here are the coverage maps for Verizon and AT&T. One thing to note here is the difference between 4G and LTE. There’s plenty of heated commentary on why companies are mislabeling their services with these buzz labels, and the bottom line is this: LTE is true 4G and will be blazing fast with any carrier. However, the term “4G” is used by AT&T and T-Mobile to describe its newer generation of 3G technology called HSPA+. While faster than traditional 3G, HSPA+ is not near as fast as LTE. So while AT&T’s 4G coverage might be the “largest in the U.S.”, Verizon’s and AT&T’s LTE coverage (real 4G) is similar nationwide. Make sense?

Speed

While speeds very from city to city, and even neighborhood to neighborhood, tests show AT&T typically has faster LTE. These Atlanta, GA results came from a forum on Macforums.com. These are merely casual tests and you very well might get different speeds based on signal strength. Listed are the averages of what I saw on people’s tests.

Verizon:

Slow 10Mbs down and 4Mbs up
Fast 38Mbs down – 14Mbs up

AT&T:

Slow 20Mmbs down and 7Mbs up
Fast 58Mbs down – 21Mbs up

Other tidbits: Verizon iPad

Personal Hotspot feature! The iPad shares its Internet connection with nearby devices is available at no extra cost. This is huge.
Compatible with AT&T 3G micro SIM cards.(But not AT&T LTE)
Data service is compatible around the world with a local SIM.
Data prices tend to be more expensive than AT&T by a few bucks. (See chart below.)

Other tidbits: AT&T iPad

Personal Hotspot currently not available.
Data service is compatible around the world with a local SIM.
Data prices tend to be less expensive and Verizon by a few bucks. (See chart below.)

Photo from apple.com

Conclusion

So while AT&T offers faster speeds and more “4G” coverage nationwide, Verizon’s true LTE coverage is similar to AT&T’s around the country. The biggest advantage of the Verizon iPad, however, is that the Personal Hotspot feature as a part of the data plan, at no additional cost. However, you are paying a bit more monthly for the data service. Either way, both devices will get the job done while on the run. I personally have a Verizon iPad, and so far the Personal Hotspot has been useful and the LTE coverage around Atlanta has been more than fast enough.

What is the Flashback Trojan?

justin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:24:11 +0000

We’re always committed to informing you on important Apple news. A large story that has surfaced is the security threat of the Flashback Trojan.

What is the Flashback Trojan?

The Flashback Trojan is a malicious software program that embeds itself into your Mac. The tricky part is, the software looks like it is helping you install Adobe Flash. The Flashback Trojan has the potential to capture information from your Web browsing activities, including usernames and passwords. Crafty, right?

Am I at risk?

No need to worry, it is estimated that only about 1% of Mac users were affected by Flashback. The great news? Apple has already included a patch that fixes the issue, and prevents any further infection. All you have to do is run Software Update and install all updates. If you want an in depth look at the issue MacWorld has written up a comprehensive article you can check out.

Do I need to install extra software?

So is our team installing anti-malware software on our computers? We sure aren’t, and here’s why. A security threat this far-reaching hasn’t happened in over ten years. Additionally, not only has Apple stomped this threat, but Apple’s new Mac OS, named Mountain Lion, will have a feature called Gatekeeper whose purpose is to further minimize threats just like this one.

If threats become more common, then yes one day we may have to use anti-malware software like our Windows pals. Until then, however, Apple appears to have our concerns in mind and is building stronger prevention mechanisms into it’s future software.

We’re hiring our next Apple Product Specialist

Lucas Acosta — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:05:14 +0000

We’re pumped because we’re looking for our fourth and fifth team members! (See this article for the Apple Enterprise Specialist position.)

We love what we do, and our customers know it. So we’re looking for someone who appreciates a challenge, likes to be recognized for his or her accomplishments, and wants to be a part of something that improves lives.

So what is it like to work at Foojee? Justin says, “It’s challenging and exciting. I get to work at a place where I totally believe in the leadership and the focus of the company.”

You will help Foojee take the next step by working with our residential and small business customers. In these projects, you will use your knowledge in intermediate networking, OS X Client and iOS. Creating easy to use solutions for our customers is a big part of what we do. You’ll also help troubleshoot issues that arise at the homes and offices of our customers. And you’ll be a part of our bigger projects with schools and businesses in Atlanta.

We’re currently doing about 70% of customer work onsite, and 30% of work remotely for both residential and business in Atlanta and a few parts of the southeast. Our remote work is performed using remote support software, phone calls, and emails. Therefore we’re looking for someone who can communicate clearly over the phone and in writing.

Although designing solutions and configuring new Macs and iOS devices are the technical aspects of what you’ll do, our top notch customer service and desire to do things the right way are what make our team so great.

Please send an email to jobs@foojee.com with the following:

Why do you want to work in Apple IT?
What appeals to you about working at Foojee?
A description of a solution, large or small, that you put together for a customer, friend, or family member in recent past, and what made the solution right for them.

Also, include these writing samples:

Respond to a customer who’s asking us why she can’t send emails from her iPhone. She can receive emails, but when she tries to send, he gets an error saying her username is incorrect.
Respond to a customer who’s Internet connection is just went out, and needs someone at her home office to take care of it right away. Also, your schedule is booked for the next three hours.

Features:

Full Time
$22,000 – 27,000 annually.
Health and dental benefits available for you.
Phone and computer reimbursement.
Progressive work environment.
Work with a team that loves doing what they do.

System Requirements:

At least 1 year experience with sales or support of Apple products.
OS X client certification preferred.

Is it you? Let us know.

We’re hiring an Apple Enterprise Specialist

Lucas Acosta — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:03:13 +0000

We’re excited to announce that we’re looking for our fourth and fifth team members! (See this article for the Apple Product Specialist position.)

So what is it like to work at Foojee? Justin says, “It’s challenging and exciting. I get to work at a place where I totally believe in the leadership and the focus of the company.”

You will help Foojee take the next step by focusing primarily on small business and education related projects. These projects will involve intermediate networking, OS X Client, OS X Server, and iOS deployments. You’ll be using tools like iPCU, Apple Configurator and MDM software like JAMF Software’s Casper Suite.

We’re currently doing about 70% of customer work onsite, and 30% of work remotely for both residential and business in Atlanta and a few parts of the southeast. Our remote work is performed from home and our office in Midtown using remote support software, phone calls, and emails. Therefore we’re looking for someone who can communicate clearly over the phone and in writing.

Please send an email to jobs@foojee.com with the following:

Why do you want to work in Apple IT?
What is appealing about working at Foojee?
A description of a solution that you have put together for a customer in recent past, and what made the solution right for them.

Also, include this writing sample:

Someone just submitted a request on our website. They’d like to have Foojee setup a backup solution for their 15-person company. They have 15 iMacs and iPhones. How would you reply?

Features:

Full Time
$32,000 – 38,000 annually.
Health and dental benefits available for you.
Phone and computer reimbursement.
Personal Hotspot service paid for.
Progressive work environment.
Work with a team that loves doing what they do.

System Requirements:

At least 2 years experience with sales or support of Apple products.
OS X client certification.
OS X Server and/or MDM certification preferred.

Is it you? Let us know.

Help Us Welcome Justin McGough

Lucas Acosta — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:39:50 +0000

Meet our newest team member Justin McGough! For those of you who have met him, I’m sure you will agree that his experience with Apple products and his genuine interest in serving others makes him a perfect addition to our Foojee family. As a Foojee Apple Product Specialist, he has already been involved in a 600 MacBook + iPad rollout with one of the schools we work with in Atlanta, and works with both our residential and business customers on a daily basis implementing Apple-based solutions.

On the weekends you will find him shooting weddings with www.375photography.com (stellar stuff, you should check them out). His field experience with photography and understanding of digital workflow will benefit our Aperture clients too. (Score!)

We’re thrilled to have him, and can’t wait for you to meet him if you haven’t already. We thought it’d be fun to introduce him to our customers and friends with some Q & A. Enjoy!

What do you do at Foojee?

I am an Apple Product Specialist / President of the Lucas Acosta Fan Club

What did you do before Foojee?

I worked for Apple for 3.5 years. I loved it and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Which app could you not live without?

Tweetbot – thanks a lot Lucas. (he always talks me into the paid apps….haha)

Coolest place you’ve ever been?

the Virgin Islands

What do you do for fun?

Photography, iPhoneography, and watch a small handful of TV shows

So…what are your plans for tonight?

either go home and hang out with my cool wife or go to one of her basketball games…. better check the calendar.

…Favorite apple?

A Fuji apple!!! (except they spelled it wrong)

First Ever Blu-ray Player for Mac Makes its Debut

Lucas Acosta — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:00:20 +0000

This one’s for you HD buffs out there. Looks like there’s finally a method to easily playback Blu-ray discs on a Mac. That’s right, up until this point there’s been no real supported way to pop in a Blu-ray disc into a Mac.

The software, called “Mac Blu-ray Player” (I know right) will set you back $39.95.

Keep in mind this software still requires a Blu-ray drive, either internal or external. See TUAW’s link for recommendations on where to buy your Blu-ray player first.

iPhone Insurance now Available Through AT&T

Lucas Acosta — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:00:58 +0000

For those of us who aren’t so predictable when it comes to taking care of our nifty gadgets, sometimes AppleCare and an iPhone case just don’t cut it. If you’ve been needing an insurance plan for your iPhone, AT&T is offering iPhone coverage through its standard insurance plan at $4.99/ mo beginning July 17 of this year.

Head on over to AppleInsider’s site to read the details.

Apple Answers Questions About MobileMe Transition to iCloud

Lucas Acosta — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:44:18 +0000

We’ve been getting a good amount of questions from our friends and clients about the new iCloud service Apple announced in June. (Yes, we’re excited too!) As it turns out, along with iCloud, Apple will be discontinuing the MobileMe service. What does this mean for current MobileMe users? We figured it would be best for you to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.

In a nutshell, iCloud is better, free, and Apple will be transitioning MobileMe users this fall. If you choose not to transition, you will have until June 30, 2012 to transition yourself. Why would you want to wait? You’ll see in Apple’s FAQs that three main MobileMe services will not make the cut: iWeb Publishing, Gallery, and iDisk.

We’re looking forward to iCloud’s debut this fall! Head on over to our Facebook page to join our poll by answering what your favorite iCloud feature is. While you’re there, “Like” us to be notified of other fun stuff in the future!

Leaving Clear 4G for the iPhone’s Personal Hotspot

Lucas Acosta — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:30:04 +0000

A good amount of our business is done on the road. Whether we’re between cross-town projects, or in dark attics we need to have an Internet connection to use many our our tools. For example, we use many of 37signals.com‘s products, as well as Onsip.com for our phone service (both highly-recommended), which all require an Internet connection.

Until recently, we’ve relied on Clear’s 4G service. For the most part, we loved it. It’s fast, and has decent coverage around ATL, albeit not as good as our AT&T iPhones. We decided last month to try the new Personal Hotspot feature from AT&T to see how it compares. Keep in mind the Personal Hotspot feature requires the iPhone 4, not any of the previous iPhones.

We just cancelled our Clear accounts today and I’ll tell you why:

The AT&T 3G connection has surprisingly decent speed. Not as fast as 4G, but decent.
It’s actually cheaper. Clear’s services are around $40/mo per user, whereas the Personal Hotspot only adds $15/mo to a typical iPhone plan.
Less devices. No more USB dongle that sticks out of our laptops, getting Internet is built into the iPhone.
We can share the connection. Yes Clear has a hotspot service as well, but not for the $15/mo you’d be paying for AT&T. BTW, AT&T allows 3 devices to be connected to your phone simultaneously.

Of course, your city may vary on connectivity, and your iPhone plan may not be just like ours, so I’d call AT&T to get your specific rundown (Dial 611 from your AT&T iPhone). One downside to “upgrading” to the Personal Hotspot service is that we lost our unlimited data plan. We’re now capped at 4GB per month per user. It turns out, I was only using about 1GB/month on average on my iPhone, and I’ve yet to get near the new 4GB limit. (Your online AT&T account can show your monthly data usage on a graph.)

What are you currently using? Do you like it? We’d love to know.