Things that can make macOS better

I use macOS as the main OS in my computer, actually the only one in my personal computer, but I have other computers with Linux as desktop too, but macOS is the one that I use the most. And over the time I have learned how to get more from the OS as the default installation.

For example, I currently don’t use Spotlight, I use another tool called “Alfred” you all might know it.

Alfred > Spotlight

Spotlight was a good thing back in the days were it was basically a search tool for the OS living in the corner, where nobody looks. But it was not good as a some sort of launcher, and having all my apps in the Dock was not a good idea. Then Alfred arrived and it came with other functionality like workflows and search in places where spotlight just don’t do, also the fuzzy word search (like GC and expect to get Google Chrome) works very well. read more

#Apple have a #serious 2FA issue

 

I have two factor authentication for my Apple ID, the problem is that any device with my Apple ID is able to get the code for the 2FA, so, if I try to log in in the computer it will prompt the code… in the same computer I’m trying to log in !!!

To me this is an issue, what’s the point of having 2FA if the code appears right in the device where I’m trying to log in?. It must appear on any other device except the one I have in front of me.

 

Apple HomePod review  // A downgraded Siri with really nice speakers that plays only from Apple Sources

Although I’m pretty sure people is going to buy this thing, I bet it will be more like the big Apple book, expensive and not worth it.

I think something like this would be better: Kaiser MSA-7908BTE Kit de Bafle Amplificador Inalámbrico con Bluetooth y Micrófono, 4,200 W, color negro

I mean, why you would get a speaker?. To listen to Music/movies, and lets face it, Apple is not the main source of them. Spotify is the king of music streaming, YouTube is the king of video streaming, but HomePod have no integration with them.

Of course, you can “airplay” to it, but, does it makes any difference with other speakers?. no, actually, other smart speakers are better because they are independent of the source device.

The speaker is by itself pretty nice, have nice tech, but, only for Apple Music, seriously?.

Then, Siri is pretty downgraded. It cannot be used as a smart speaker because Siri is pretty dump. As dump as fuck since it cannot distinguish between your voice or anyone else voice. The recommendation is to disable personal stuff on HomePod. Siri can’t answer typical questions that you would do in your phone, and of course, it cannot get you toilet paper from Amazon (like Alexa does).

So, I would value more a super cheap Bluetooth Speaker that anybody can connect (either with an iPhone or with the cheapest china phone running KitKat), able to connect to my TV to have a more loud movies, or able to connect a couple of mics to have karaoke in the party and just for a few dollars.

? Give me back my space (or how to recover 2GB of space in #iOS garbage)

Jajajaja, finally recovered those 2GB

For some reason the freaking iOS take all that space in caches that you can’t access or release, it’s managed by the system ?.

After doing the “ghost pictures” method (set the calendar back in time and go to recently deleted pictures…) I still had 2 GB wasted somewhere. The difference is spotted on what iTunes said my iPhone had as free storage and what is shown in my iPhone general settings.

I remember that one method to erase those caches is by filling your iPhone storage, doing that the system will hurry in deleting those files to give space for the upcoming. There are several apps that do this for you (in some way) by creating an empty file but set to fill the remaining space. Using HFS+ this is possible because by just creating the file and setting what is supposed to use the FS will create such big file and then the watchdogs will release the wasted space, but now with APFS that can’t be done, you can create a file and set what is the desired size, but the FS will not fill it, will be just an empty file with some K’s of space, then, no watchdogs is activated and no space freed.

Some people suggest you to get a really big app, like a game, but I found there’s an easier approach: just ask iTunes to fill the free space with songs.

You don’t have to wait for the song to be in your device , the first think iOS will do is release te use storage. Then remove the already copied files and done ?

So, I put the firmware password in my Mac and the I forgot it ?

Well, not really forgotten, the thing is that I was unable to access to recovery or boot to another disk (like the recovery in time machine disks) because the Mac have the firmware password.

Why a firmware password?. Well, to protect your machine in case of being stolen/lost. The password will stop the boot process if the boot disk is not the one that was present when the password was set. Also stop booting to recovery/USB/Super Drive.

This firmware plus FileVault (disk encryption) will prevent getting your data or use your mac without permission. 

There is also a second firmware password set when you use “Find my Mac” which locks your computer and asks for a 4 digit password at boot as soon as you report your mac as lost/stolen in iCloud.

If you loose your firmware password then you’ll have to go to an Apple authorized specialist with proof of ownership, then they can remove the password, but in my case that means 6 hours driving to the nearest apple support specialist ?.

I used all the passwords that I remember, none seemed to work… until I realized that the password was entered with a Spanish keyboard layout and the password entry have no choice over the layout, English only. So the special (nonascii) characters didn’t match.

I had to discover the keys to write the password in English layout and taraaaa!!

I didn’t removed the password, but now I know why it wasn’t working.

The layout thing.. I hope it helps you if you are in the same situation as I was. 

Incipio OffGrid battery case

I bought this battery-case last friday, and it works pretty good, it has 3000mAh, which gives me 1.74 battery time (if I don’t use the phone while charging).

Reasons to have a battery pack?. Well, I don’t like to be on the bottom of the battery, call me paranoid but I just don’t like the idea of having 0 power on a device (this happens with my laptop too). And knowing the iPhone has a 1715mAh battery getting it close to discharge is quite easy.

What makes a Mac a Mac

I think that Macs are expensive computers, but any other computer with the same hardware should cost more or less the same.

Yes, you can get cheaper computers with the same processor, more storage and the same amount of ram, but is not just CPU-RAM-HDD what makes a computer a good computer. Is everything that is around those.

The display, the quality of construction, the durability of the keyboard, the battery   and I don’t mean just getting 10 hours of battery, I mean how many years that battery is going to work fine.

I have the same Mac for almost 5 years, I upgraded the RAM from 4GB to 8. And changed the 5400 rpm HDD to an SSD (which I highly recommend). But aside from that everything else is the same.

Now the other side of the coin. I had “PC” laptops that at most were with me for two years and I had to replace the keyboard. A couple of  HP/Compaq, one Dell and one Acer. The battery died in the first year. Were they cheaper?  Yes, but at the end I had to get two or three laptops in five years. Not cool.

The operating system is another key piece. Whether you like it or not, the best desktop operating system seems to be OS X. The power of UNIX and simplicity not matched by any other OS. Windows is arelly good operating system but in my opinion not as good. Linux have the freedom, the choices, but let’s be honest, is not the easiest OS.

Of course Windows and Linux are great OS, and I believe they are superior than OS X in other fields, Linux is great as a server, Windows is no doubt the Desktop OS for PCs and gaming, but OS X is better as a desktop OS (of course, in a Mac)

So, what makes a Mac a Mac is the mixture between a well done hardware and the software. You don’t spend €600 for just for the machine and €600 for the apple logo, you get great hardware and great software that works as expected, that lasts, and ensures that will keep working among upgrades.