OWC's Dock Eject App

I like docking systems for laptops, especially with the advent of USB-C. I plug in my MacBook Pro and it's charging, mirroring to a display, and connects all of my peripherals. However, if you have a docking system that connects things like hard drives, then ejecting everything can prove to be a pain. OWC is well known for their wide variety of docking systems. OWC released a handy tool recently that will eject all drives connected to an OWC dock in a single click. It's called Dock Ejector, and it's free for Mac and Windows. Based on the site, it seems to only work with OWC docks, so don't plan on using it if you don't own one of their docks.

Mac Mini's Upgradability

Since the last major redesign of the Mac mini, Apple has made it relatively easy to upgrade the internals of the computer. With a new model finally available, Apple has made a major change in this regard [Source: iFixit]. The RAM is now upgradable, while it used to be soldered down. CPU and storage are soldered, meaning it isn't easy to upgrade them. Storage used to be able to be upgradable, so this is a bit of a hinderance.

The Latest Mac Mini is Four Years Old

The desktop lineup of Macs has long been neglected, aside from the iMac. It's hard to recommend most of these computers because they haven't been updated in so long. The latest Mac Mini is four years old yesterday [via MacRumors]. It was released October 16, 2014. Even then, it was just a refresh. For reference, I was a sophomore in high school when this came out, and now I'm a sophomore in college. It's quite fitting that we have rumors suggesting this wait is nearing its end. If we do have an October event this month, Apple may finally update the Mac Mini. 

The Current State of the Mac App Store

App stores on desktops are hard to pull off. Apple, Microsoft, and even Google have tried pulling it off. The need for an app store on a desktop isn't that necessary. On a smartphone, it makes sense, as it provides a safe and consistent environment for anyone to find an app. There's an even playing field. Mobile apps are constrained to smartphones and don't need the same capabilities as a desktop. Meanwhile, a desktop experience is much more demanding. You might need high-end or professional software. Users can make decisions for themselves and use Google to find these apps. Software developers can create websites that show the full extent of what their software can do through videos, demos, and links to reviews. This matters more with more expensive software. There are many other factors that I haven't pointed out, but it does question the point of the Mac App Store today. I haven't used it in the longest time. There are some great, small apps I've downloaded from smaller developers, and for them, I can imagine the Mac App Store is an ideal platform. But it's clear that in the post-PC era, App Stores are much more optimal on non-PC devices.

Back to My Mac Being Discontinued

Back to My Mac has been around for a long time. It allowed users to perform file transfers and screen shares through iCloud. Apple will be shelving the feature with the release of macOS Mojave. I personally found Back to My Mac a bit complicated, with so many conditions that had to be met for it to work practically. There are other free alternatives, like TeamViewer, so not all is lost. Apple also mentions Apple Remote Desktop, which is $80 and receives few updates, so (while it's unlikely) we may finally see an update or a price cut.

Apple Pillows

Decorative pillows can be interesting and telling additions to any couch and Throwboy has created a Kickstarter to create pillows based on retro Apple products. The products don't feature Apple logos due to copyright reasons, but they are easily identified. In order of release, there's the Apple II, the original Macintosh, the iMac G3, the original iPod, and the original iPhone. Not counting early bird pricing, the pillows are $33 for one in true Apple style.

The 2018 MacBook Pro

Apple announced their 2018 MacBook Pro today. There are considerable spec bumps that look really nice. The following changes only affect models with Touch Bar. All 13-inch models now have quad core 8th-generation Intel processors and can now have up to 2 TB of SSD storage. The 15-inch models all have 6-core 8th-generation Intel processors (including the i9 chip) and can have up to 4 TB of SSD storage. Both the main display and Touch Bar have True Tone displays. They also feature a third-generation Butterfly keyboard, which is up for debate if that's a good thing. The new T2 chip brings "Hey Siri" to the MacBook Pro. Finally, the leather sleeve accessories for the MacBook are now coming to the MacBook Pro. Overall, it's good to see some Apple hardware news after such a long drought, especially for the Mac. We'll hear more about this in the coming days.

Mac Refresh Coming This Fall

While it's no surprise, many have been disappointed with the lack of Mac updates, especially with no new hardware at WWDC. Ming-Chi Kuo has shed some light on what Apple will likely reveal this year in terms of Mac hardware. We can expect MacBook, MacBook Pro, and iMac refreshes. We will finally get a Mac mini refresh after three years. The most interesting rumor is a new, low-cost notebook, that may possibly be in the MacBook family, not the MacBook Air. Ming-Chi Kuo has proven to be very reliable so we'll likely see these models come in the fall.

Mac Hardware in 2018

Quentin Carnicelli, creator of many popular Mac apps like Loopback, has written a piece about the current state of Mac hardware. It has been 375 days since the last update to any Mac model. The Mac Mini hasn’t had an update for 1,338 days. As a Mac developer, Carnicelli finds it hard to recommend Macs to other people and finds it worrisome from a developer standpoint. I definitely understand the frustration, as it seems Apple has a difficult time balancing their different platforms and what they want to focus on. 

New Mac Pro Launching in 2019

From TechCrunch, Apple's new Mac Pro will be launching in 2019. Apple is stressing that this Mac will be truly geared towards professionals. This has been a growing concern in recent years, so it's nice to have acknowledgement directly from Apple. Apple also stated that it will not be launching any sooner, so don't expect some miracle breakthrough. I'm looking forward to seeing what Apple has planned. Their transparency is hopefully a sign of change for professionals who need Apple's tech to keep up.

Mac App Store App 'Calendar 2' Mines Cryptocurrency

In recent years, and especially now, we have heard more and more about websites and apps using services like CoinHive, which utilize your CPU (knowingly or unknowingly) to contribute to a large cryptocurrency mining operation. With a declining sustainability of ad revenue (especially with the popularity of AdBlock), many have turned to this method. With strength in numbers, these mining operations can bring in a fair amount of revenue. It's tempting for many, but it is heavily frowned upon. Mac App Store app, Calendar 2, has taken advantage of this by offering it as a "payment" option [Source: Ars Technica]. In exchange for your processing power, you'll get all advanced features for free. In addition, you can disable all advanced features or simply pay for them with money. However, the app mines cryptocurrency by default. That's deceptive for multiple reasons, but that aside, how did this make its way onto the Mac App Store? That remains unknown, but we do know that the app has been taken down since. The developer of Calendar 2, Qbix, is working to remove the miner due to several bugs.

"We have decided to REMOVE the miner in the app. The next version will remove the option to get free features via mining. This is for three reasons:
1) The company which provided us the miner library did not disclose its source code, and it would take too long for them to fix the root cause of the CPU issue.
2) The rollout had a perfect storm of bugs which made it seem like our company *wanted* to mine crypto-currency without people's permission, and that goes against our whole ethos and vision for Qbix.
3) My own personal feeling that Proof of Work has a dangerous set of incentives which can lead to electricity waste on a global scale we've never seen before. We don't want to get sucked into this set of incentives, and hopefully our decision to ultimately remove the miner will set some sort of precedent for other apps as well."

Regardless of any stance on their statement, it raises an important topic of apps and websites using our processing power to mine crypto. So many reports state how developers have to retract or update these apps because they are using too much power. If that's the case for one app, what's stopping other apps from fighting for CPU? All while the user is blissfully unaware of any of this. It's becoming an epidemic fast.

Face ID's Hidden Easter Egg

Face ID is really convenient to use on the iPhone X for a variety of purposes. With each time you use it, you'll be greeted by the face below. However, I believe this face is a reference to the macOS face. You'll see this in the Finder app and the startup icon for the original Macintosh. I think it's a nice touch that goes overlooked, despite how often it is shown.

Image Credit: OS X Daily

Space Gray Accessories are iMac Pro Exclusive

The iMac Pro introduced the Magic Mouse, Magic Keynoard, and Magic Trackpad in Space Gray. Many Apple enthusiasts were hoping to snag these color variants, however, Apple confirmed that these aren’t available for separate purchase. If you were buying an iMac Pro just for the color scheme, that’s an expensive way to do so. Hopefully, we’ll see separate releases in the future.

iMac Pro To Be Available December 14

After its announcement at WWDC, we finally have a release date for the iMac Pro. It will be available to order December 14. This will start at $4,999. Already, we are seeing that this computer is a very powerful one, with reviews citing lack of upgradability as its downfall. Full pricing details are not available yet.

Final Cut Pro X 10.4

A new version of Final Cut Pro X will be released by the end of the year. That’s just in time for the iMac Pro. This update will include HVEC support which will bring improved lossless compression compared to H.264. In addition, this update will have VR support. That is very exciting. Looking forward to seeing this update in action.

Apple gave a sneak peek of #VR video features in next versions of Motion 5 and Final Cut Pro X at 1 Infinite Loop today pic.twitter.com/vAtZeeuY4o

— Alex Gollner (@Alex4D) October 28, 2017

The Mac Mini's Future

With the Mac Mini not getting an update for over three years now, many are questioning the future of the computer. The Mac Mini lets users bring their own accessories, like a display and keyboard. For this reason, it's very affordable compared to other Apple products. Tim Cook has responded to an email addressing the state of the machine [Source: MacRumors]. He states that it will be "an important part of our product line moving forward."

Touch Bar Media Button

When playing music or media, Touch Bar will add a fifth button to the compressed Control Strip on the right. However, there are some instances where it can change. With a phone call, the button will change to a green phone icon. With Xcode, you'll get a debug icon. And with BetterTouchTool, you'll get their logo. It's a nice surprise to occasionally discover these new icons.

Google Chrome Finally Adds Touch Bar Support

It's nice to see when Google supports its competitor's operating systems. Google helped out Touch Bar users by adding support to it, making use of the touch strip. As shown below, it adds some basic functions, which is nice. It's subjective which is superior, but Safari will show previews of your tabs. I'm neutral on the issue, as sometimes it's useful and sometimes it's downright annoying. When you need it, it might be blocked out by text suggestions, or you have so many tabs open, it doesn't help. Plus, the previews are tiny. Anyways, I'm glad to see Chrome joining in on the party.

Developers Continue to be Disappointed with Mac App Store

The Mac App Store has not seen the same success as its iOS counterpart. Setapp polled 742 developers about the Mac App Store. The results showed that only 23% of the sample used the Mac App Store as their sole method of Mac app distribution. 30% solely used a method outside of the Mac App Store. 47% used both. It's clear the Mac App Store suffers from flaws that the iOS counterpart doesn't. This is likely due to Apple taking a cut of the profits and their strict regulation on apps. 

Updated MacBook Air Coming at WWDC 2017

According to Bloomberg, the MacBook Air could see an update at WWDC. This is unexpected as most were expecting Apple to discontinue the laptop due to its old hardware. However, its affordable price point has secured customer loyalty. While the update would be mostly under the hood, it's an update nevertheless. We may see Kaby Lake processors. Hopefully, this doesn't hold back Apple's other computers.